Bible Verse of the Day

Ethan at 23 months

January 2, 2008 in Ethan, Milestones | 4 comments

 
Scrap Credits
Kit “Happy New Year” from Sueli Colbert
Template 32 from Jill & Jack ScrapDesigns
Numbers – Terre de feu alphas from Digiscrap.ch
Winter Wonderland Brown alphas from Perfectly Imperfect

With the New Year 2008 upon us, I can hardly believe that Ethan is now one month shy of his 2nd birthday. How time has flown! Everyone is commenting how “not that bulat” he is now, but you know what? Deep down, he will always always be my adorable darling Mr Bulat.

Weight

10.5 kilos when we visited the pd on Dec 17th.

Height

82 cm.

Teeth

Fourteen: 8 incisors, 2 canines (upper) and 4 pramolars (2 upper and 2 lower).

Motor Skills

  • Can climb up the stairs now one leg at a time. He likes to do it without the support of anyone, which scares me.
  • Can step on and off the escalators on his own. We will hold his hand and lead him on and off, but sometimes he will insist on doing it solo. Scares me too.
  • Can push himself over his cot side, just by using his arm strength and pushing his tummy on the side. Really really scary.
  • Is able to complete his wooden jigsaw block puzzle on his own. He prefers the one with the safari animals to the sea creatures one though. Although he does seem to take a liking to the whale…

Communication and Social Skills

  • Not speaking a whole lot yet, but not keeping mum either. Has tons of *stories* to tell. People have suggested that we enrol him in playschool to allow him to mingle with kids his age, because that will encourage him to communicate with us. Me? I’m reading Making Chatter Matter and trying the guidelines and methods suggested to prod him towards verbal diarrhoea.
  • Can point to his nose when asked “Where is your nose?. But there is a flaw in this still. “Where is your ear/eyes/mouth?” produces the same results 😛
  • Can point out and identify where things are. For example, on the way to the sitter’s we will pass by an apartment with 3 aquariums and 1 bird cage. When asked “Where is the fish?”, Ethan will point to the fishes in the aquarium and “Where is the bird?” will prompt him to point to where the bird is.
  • I noticed last night that he has learnt to whisper.

Food and Feeding

  • More often than not, Ethan will insist on self-feeding. He loves to hold the fork and spoon and try to scoop the rice on his own. I have to admit he is getting pretty good at it too!
  • On the weaning front, he will now happily finish 4-5oz of Pediasure immediately when he wakes up in the morning. And I couldn’t be happier. I guess it is just a matter of time before he is completely weaned off the breast.

More more chicken rice!

January 1, 2008 in Ethan, Food & Feeding | 6 comments


Marinated chicken cooked with rice
With all other ingredients, they sure smell nice
Oh yes, it was Mommy’s claypot chicken rice day
What an awesome way to spend a lazy Saturday!

I set the table, laid out the rice and soup
Checked to make sure there was something in every food group
When I heard a pattering of footsteps and an urgent call
It was Ethan by the table, standing so very tall

He must have sensed that his meal was ready
He must have realized that he was actually hungry
In all obedience he sat in his high chair
And waited in patience for the yummy affair

He devoured every morsel with pure satisfaction
I truly enjoyed his every reaction
So the love for chicken rice is a trait inherited
Like father, like son, it ain’t overrated!


Christmas isn’t Christmas till it happens in your heart

December 28, 2007 in Celebrations, Ethan | 9 comments

Our Christmas celebrations started immediately after Pete and I got off from work on Friday.  We made our way to Queensbay Mall to have dinner and to complete our Christmas shopping.  One thing I can say is that it takes a lot of endurance to shop with Ethan whilst lugging a heavy laptop on your back.  What a way to get a workout before the Christmas feasting begins!

On Saturday we had lunch at the E&O with Allan and Pei Gee (Ah Koo and Ah Kim to Ethan).  Our boy was more fascinated with the sea than the food, and kept asking us to take him out for fresh air.  He would gape in amazement as he caught sight of the wide open sea and gestured wildly with excited eyes.  Perhaps I should plan for a trip to the beach some time soon… hehe…we’ll see.  We also took the opportunity to check out the gorgeous Christmas deco at the hotel… obviously Ethan was not in a very “take picture” mood…

Our Christmas eve was spent in Taiping and Christmas day in Ipoh.  It took Ethan a little while to warm up to the environment in Taiping, but before long he was climbing up and down the stairs on his own.  It was pretty scary because at times he would refuse our aid and preferred to do it all on his own.  He was not too pleased with all the attention though, maybe a little self-conscious on his part…

For the second year in a row, I had to miss out on attending the Christmas eve service in church because it was way too late for Ethan, so Ethan and I stayed home together with Ethan’s cousin, Jonathan and his mom.  Also, I was not feeling too well then because of my stomach flu…

Although Ethan did not eat much of the steamboat dinner during Christmas eve, the one thing Ethan really enjoyed in Taiping was the chicken rice at Prima Coffee Shop!  Can you believe we had that two days in a row?!!  Pete says this stall has been voted one of the top 10 Hainanese Chicken Rice stalls in Malaysia wor…

We then spent Christmas day in Ipoh where we enjoyed some home cooking courtesy of my Mom 🙂  Ethan also gave the cooking two thumbs and two toes up and kept asking for more!  He of course wasted no time in playing on the piano, and running all over the house, into my room and out, and kept going to the main door and asking my Dad to take him outside.  The next day, he also had the opportunity to try some of Ipoh’s famous kai-see-hor-fun, something I had promised I would take him to eat in Ipoh.  Unfortunately although the food was delicious, it was not a very comfortable experience for us all, because there was no baby chair available for Ethan.  That, plus the fact that the entire coffee shop was scorching hot!  Well, now we know why the Old Town franchise can survive in Ipoh. Heh.

As for Christmas presents, although he hasn’t quite grasped the novelty of receiving them yet, Ethan received quite a number (more than us, in fact), ranging from clothes (read: Chinese New Year no need to buy :P) to DVDs to soft toys and errmmm… hard toys…  Thank you everyone, near and far who took the trouble to give Ethan thoughtful gifts for Christmas 🙂  Pete and I chose to present our boy with some educational toys this year.  We gave him a set of Fridge Phonics and also two wooden animal puzzles (which I personally love because they are so beautifully hand painted).  Looks like Ethan boy loves them too! 

Yesterday evening saw him excitedly exploring and enjoying his new toys, even giggling whilst playing.  He especially loves to press the musical note button on the Fridge Phonics toy to make it sing the A-B-C song.  Yes yes…we need a bigger house or storage space to put all his toys now…

That glorious song of old…

December 21, 2007 in Celebrations, Ethan, Sleep | 5 comments


Photo credits: A Treasury of Christmas Carols

Last night Ethan interrupted my Amazing Race Asia program by leading me to our room. This meant he was ready to sleep. We had a very tiring day yesterday, did some Christmas shopping and Ethan fell asleep in the car on the way home too. That was why I was actually surprised that he already felt sleepy at about 9:30p.m.

Anyway, I took him into the room and let him roll around on the bed for a while. Then I started serenading him with some Christmas carols. He in turn began *talking* to me. I paused several times to talk back to him and I even asked him what his favorite carol was. He would smile and clap appreciatively after I had finished singing each song, but he was still wide awake. I sang every song from “White Christmas” to “Jingle Bells”, from “Silent Night” to “Away in a Manger” but nothing could make him yawn. As I was running out of carols to sing, I suddenly remembered I had yet to sing one of LB‘s favorites: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear. So I sang it… As soon as I finished the first verse, Ethan’s eyes began to look drowsy. I continued singing and he rolled on one side, close his eyes and eventually fell asleep! I wonder if this same song will work yet again tonight… only one way to find out… 🙂

Ethan goes Christmas shoppin’

December 17, 2007 in Celebrations, Ethan, Shopping | 4 comments

We were at Harvey Norman’s last weekend because Daddy wanted to get a wireless mouse.  And Ethan was all excited when we were there.  I wonder if it’s a guy thing… well anyways, he checked out the comfy rocking chair, the carpets, but most of all I was rather intrigued that he checked a few of these out:


Scrap Credits
Secret Stuff papers, alphas & bow from Flergs
Tinsels, doodles and tree from Lindsay Jane Designs

Is that what he wants to get Daddy and Mommy for Christmas, you think?  A plasma TV? 🙂

Sparkle and dazzle

December 15, 2007 in Celebrations, Ethan | 4 comments


Scrap Credits
Sketch Star template from Val
Papers and Alphas from Mitia Assef

After shopping high and low for a Christmas tree for our home, we finally bought a green six-foot one from Living Cabin, a novelty store in Queensbay Mall.  Our decorations were all from Jusco though.  And last Wednesday night, Pete and I decided to set up the tree, after Ethan had gone to dreamland.  All the ornaments and lights were put up and tested to make sure they looked good 🙂

The next morning when Ethan woke up, I led him to the living room and surprised him with the tree!  His face immediately lit up with excitement at the sight of it!  He had seen Christmas trees in the mall but it had not occurred to him that he would also see one at home.  He wasted no time in getting acquainted with his “new friend”, which was nothing like the little tree he played with last year.  He especially loves the baubles, which are within his reach 😛  And of course he adores the flickering, twinkling lights.

Now, whenever I turn on the lights on the tree, he would open his mouth wide with amazement, and smile the most charming smile ever.  It’s such a joy really to see him happy like that…  I wonder if he would be able to help us put up the tree next year…

The “ai bin” Mr Bulat

December 13, 2007 in Ethan, Funny Moments | 5 comments

Ethan is becoming very adept at playing with his Fisher Price shape sorter now. He can fit in all the different four shapes in three different colors correctly, all on his own. I am also pleased to note that he is also becoming a little bit more patient in that he will keep trying if at first he doesn’t succeed.

Yesterday evening, I managed to capture a video of him playing with the shape sorter. After he was done, he realized that I was filming him and he wanted to see the short video. When I showed it to him, he giggled happily…I guess it dawned upon him that he was a *star*. Then I poured out all the shapes again and told him to put them all back into the box one more time. This time, I specifically told him Mommy was gonna capture him on video. See… this is what our boy does when he *knows* he is being filmed…notice that he periodically makes eye contact with the camera… psst… you don’t wanna miss the last part of the video! 🙂

Baby Reflexology

December 11, 2007 in Ethan, Funny Moments, Growing Up | 3 comments

 
Scrap Credits
Template 30 from Jill & Jack ScrapDesigns
Purple Rain papers from SJ Wright Creations
Flergs purple ribbon from Scraphead
Silver glitter Alpha green from Heddes Mama

Do you know what I do when Ethan starts getting restless in his car seat and starts throwing a big fuss?  Why, I simply reach my hand to the back, I grab hold of his little feet and I give him a foot rub!

Do you know what I do when he doesn’t want to sit still when I change him?  I hold both his feet in my hands and rub them!

Yes, our little boy has started to enjoy the little things in life.  Taking the cue from his Daddy, Ethan too enjoys a foot rub every now and then.  Miraculously, a soothing foot rub quietens him down almost immediately and he looks at perfect ease!

Please tell me I won’t have to book a spa appointment for him next! 😛

Mastering the Cube

December 10, 2007 in Entertainment, Ethan | 4 comments

Today, I had the opportunity to revisit the solution to the Rubik’s cube.  I first learnt how to solve it when I was in secondary school, and have been out of touch since.  But today, because Michelle brought a miniature version of the cube to work, I decided to try and see if I could remember how to solve it.  I borrowed the cube back home to attempt solving it, and also to ask Pete if ever I got stuck… hehe…. and I am mighty pleased with myself that I have succeeded!  Yay! *pats myself on back*

Well, Ethan too was fascinated with that miniature colorful cube.  Look at how intently he is concentrating on turning the colorful sides of the cube… all except that last picture, of course!  Perhaps he too will learn how to solve the Rubik’s cube in due course, with Daddy and Mommy’s guidance, most definitely! 😀

Bawling at the Barber’s

December 10, 2007 in Ethan, Growing Up | 6 comments

After a delay of many months, we finally took Ethan for his haircut last Saturday morning. This time we asked the barber to use shaver #3 for a neat but not too short crewcut look. It certainly was the hardest of all his haircut experiences because Ethan is really strong now. He kicked and struggled and in the process of getting his hair cut, he hit his head on the barber’s chair a few times accidentally too! Nevertheless it was all over in about 5-10 minutes, and he was all happy again when we took him to eat dim sum.

Here he is, sporting his new haircut for Christmas. Handsome, or handsome?

« Older entries § Newer entries »