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Photos: 10-Months

Self-Feeding: At Least the Spoon’s Clean

We’ve started letting Christian feed himself – we’d give him an extra spoon during mealtimes. 8 tablespoons of chicken-broccoli-rice and 25 mins later, the only thing that’s clean is the spoon.

Hong Kong (April 2010)

There’s still a lot more photos to be added from Jason’s phone.

Juicy 豬脾

10 things I’ve Learned…

so far as your mother:

1. that’s it’s okay to go out without showering or washing my hair in two days. As long as you’re bathed, your diaper is clean and you’re fed, it’s all good.

2. the key to a happy mother/baby relationship is not “sleep when baby sleeps”, but rather, “eat when baby sleeps”. That way, I get to enjoy a nice stressless meal – even if it means breakfast at 11am, lunch at 3pm…

3. time goes by so fast, even when we’re just lying on the carpet playing bricks or your other toys. If I could just stop time so that we can play forever.

4. the simplest things in life are the things that makes us happiest. It melts my heart watching your eyes light up every time you “discover” Bobs and Butters waiting for you at the top of the stairs.

5. cooking for you brings out the ‘Martha Stewart’ side of me…yes, I’m thinking about growing our own vegetables (if only the strata would allow) and I’m already thinking about what to make when you invite your little friends over for dinner later on and planning your birthday party, for the next twenty years (where can I rent a pony?)

6. cuddling and singing our bedtime song is probably my favorite moment everyday – it reminds me of the bedtime stories my Dad used to tell me…and how much he enjoyed every moment of it.

7. no Mother’s Day present is better than you calling out “Mama, Mama, nai-nai” the first thing when you wake up every morning. It makes me feel wanted and special.

8. even though you’re only 9-months old, I already look forward to being a grandmother. I wonder what kind of father you’d be…and I will always secretly wish that your wife will have triplets – so you get to go through everything we have to deal with now – times 3!

9. maybe someday you’ll want to be an astronaut/fireman/doctor/engineer/athlete when you grow up. It doesn’t really matter, and no, you don’t have to listen to your Dad, it’s perfectly okay if you don’t want to play in the NHL, as long as you’re happy and as long as I don’t have to postpone my retirement plans to pay your bills, it’s all good.

10. that it’s actually possible to love someone so much more than I’ve ever loved any person/thing ever.

Son, thank you for making my first Mother’s Day the best ever! I look forward to the many more Mother’s Day to come.

Words

So Christian has started talking…well, enough for me to understand if he wants me (“ma ma” 媽) or Jason (“ba ba” 爸), or Butters (“ter“) or Bobby (“be“).

Also, if he wants a bottle (“nai nai” 奶奶) or food (“mum mum“) or a cookie (“beng beng” 餅餅).

He would also say “yai yai” (曳曳) when we don’t give him what he wants.

Nine words (including “hi”) that he uses on a daily basis…that’s not bad, is it?

Up we go

Christian figured out how to climb up the stairs, and when given enough motivation (ie. his favorite toy or my iPhone), he can conquer the entire flight!

We’re home…and jet-lag all over again

The flight home was better than what we expected…it seemed much shorter, maybe because Christian slept most of the way. It was nice coming back to nice weather – sunny, breezy, and breathable air! Though the flight went extremely well, the next couple of nights were a nightmare for all of us — jet-lag.

The first day back we kept Christian up most of the day and he fell asleep around 9pm, but woke up at 11pm and stayed up playing till 6am. The next night we decided to start him on self-soothing and we just left him in his crib after his bedtime bath and feeding. He napped for a couple hours and then he was up, crying until 3:30am. Last night again, he fell asleep at 9:30 after his bath and bottle, but woke up at 11:30pm. We left him in his crib and he cried on and off until 2:30am, and didn’t fall asleep again until 3:30am. Not sure if now is the best time to start self-soothing, but…we gotta start sooner or later, right?

Note to self — we are never ever traveling again with a baby…maybe just to places within 3 time zones.

Sick…and teething

Jason and I left Christian in Hong Kong with Grandma and flew off to Tokyo for a few days. It was our first after-baby vacation without the baby, it was great to fly without having to worry about poopy diapers. Grandma was sick with the flu the week before we left, so the Tokyo-trip was a good getaway for me, too, after all the sleepless nights thanks to jet-lag and 15-hr time difference. We thought we did a good job of confining Grandma in her hotel room, but I guess the germs were strong enough to penetrate walls. Both Christian and I got sick…me in Tokyo, him in Hong Kong. Grandma had to take him to the doctor’s and they gave him medicine in little teddy bear bottles. Me? I just took good ol’ Advil Cold and Tylenol Flu.

And to make things more messy, Christian’s tooth #7 and #8 are also breaking out from his bottom gums. So, by the time we get home, Christian should already have 8 little teeth.

We’re in Hong Kong – Shopping!!

Christian’s first international plane ride went better than what we expected. Prior to the flight, Jason and I were nervous/petrified/mortified, we didn’t know if we could handle a teething baby on a 13-hr flight. We were prepared to drug him with baby Gravol (or rum or tequila, or whatever works…) but Christian slept most of the way to Hong Kong without fussing or crying or misbehaving at all. The guy sitting across the aisle even complimented on how well Christian behaved. Thank goodness we got him a seat and the airline check-in lady was able to block the extra seat – 4 seats all to ourselves – Christian was able to lie down to sleep.

Even though the flight went good, the first few days of the trip was rough. First off, my luggage went missing. Thank goodness I packed an extra outfit in my carry-on, including an extra pair of underwear. Then, it was cranky-teething-jetlag baby for the next 3  days. The first night Christian woke everyone up at 12am. Then, it was 2:30am; the following night, 4:30am. Finally, last night, he slept from 10pm to 6am.

Tooth #5 and #6 have also broke through!

Because he still can’t eat outside food, we had to go buy a rice cooker and a hand-blender the first morning in Hong Kong. We emptied out the mini-fridge to make room for carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and zucchini; apple juice, yogurt, fruits… Because the fridge is not cold enough, I can only cook for 2-days at most at a time. This is supposed to be a vacation for me, too, but it seems I’m doing more than I usually would at home – grocery shopping and cooking every other day. I miss home!

Our hotel is part of the biggest shopping complex in Hong Kong, with the basement floor of one of the wings dedicated to just baby stuff. Unfortunately, baby clothing stores in Hong Kong (at least at this mall) is not your typical Baby Gap, but rather Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy, Armani Junior, Burberry Kids, Comme Ca Kids, Chicco, D & G Kids, DKNY Kids…clothes that makes Christian’s Carter t-shirt and Baby Gap jeans look really inadequate.

Call me cheap, but no son of mine needs a polo shirt that has a big ass pony covering half of his front. But I did get him a Harley Davidson onesie, a few toys from Chicco, an Adidas track suit and runners…