Funny Moments

Lately Ethan has taken a keen interest in learning the alphabet, quite possibly thanks to the video Michelle loaned me

He now knows most of the letters of the alphabet in the correct order, but those that he does not know, he will say “eh-ya” (which I personally think sounds like “beh-hiao”, i.e. “donno” in Hokkien), and THAT’s the cue for us to fill in the blanks for him. He also loves to have us repeat after each letter he has said, otherwise he will not continue.

The pronunciation of some letters are just spot on but some are still being worked on. Oddly enough, he says “Neh” for the letter J. Don’t ask me why.

In addition to reciting the alphabet, he can recognize the letters we draw/write for him. Another activity we indulge in when we are trying to get him to sit still in the high chair when we dine out.

Ethan most likely has inherited the love and joy of playing in a ball pit from me. Pete claims he never relished the experience, but I definitely remember my little girl years of looking forward eagerly to diving and hiding amongst those colorful balls.  Even better if there was a slide that allowed me to slide down all the way into that pool of balls!

Anyway, enough about me reminiscing.

Last Friday, we were out for dinner at Queensbay Mall, and I spotted a children’s exhibition/fair organized by a milk powder company.  So we decided to take Ethan there for a look-see.  The very nice lady gave him a small cup of Enfagrow milk, which he didn’t want at all.  In any case, when he first started on formula milk, we suspected he was allergic to Enfapro anyway, probably because it contained cow’s milk.

Anyway, the exhibition was very interesting, with stations where kids could play and then earn stamps on a card (for the adults to collect a goodie bag later ).  And the one station that Ethan was attracted to most was the ball pit station.  He smiled and giggled and giggled even louder when other kids jumped in with him.

For a little while, he diverted his attention by moving to a nearby alphanumeric floor mat, where he eagerly read out the letters and alphabets, those that he knew.  Then it was back to the ball pit.

Just seeing him having so much fun makes me happy too.  But we had to force him to leave because we were already getting hungry and Dragon-i was already calling out to us.

To me, this is how a toddler should spend his/her time, just having fun and playing.  You don’t get to be a toddler forever, and it won’t be long before you’ll get funny stares when you jump into a ball pit.  Know what I mean?

Scrap Credits
Berrylicious kit from A work in progress 

Accesorizing definitely has its advantages. In addition to giving my outfit added pizazz, I found out that accessories can double up as items to occupy a toddler’s fidgety hands.

A few weeks ago, when we attended BIL’s wedding dinner in Sungai Petani, I wore a black tube dress and a shawl, and as an afterthought, I threw in my 12 silver bangles, bought aeons ago at that place called Isetan. Pssssstttt…this is THE place for accessories, people, because despite the long period of time these bangles have been hibernating in my drawer, not one of them were discolored. Every one of them was as good as new.

So wore them I did. Little did I know that Ethan would be so very fascinated with them. At our dinner table, when he had finished all his snacks, he suddenly spotted my bangles and reached for them. He would remove them from my arm one by one and put them on his arm. Then when he was done with all of the 12 bangles, he would jiggle his arm up and down, creating a nice jingly sound. Then he would take them out one by one again and put them back on my arm, and then repeat the entire process.

When I wore a simple chunky bangle the following night, he also grabbed hold of it and pretended it was a tambourine. I know that’s what he was thinking, cos he was shaking it very much like how we would play a tambourine, and he had been watching Baby Einstein’s Meet the Orchestra a lot.

So is it any wonder why I am so into accessorizing these days? But be careful though, if you are wearing those delicate dangling earrings. Just be sure your toddler doesn’t yank them off!

Scrap Credits
 Freebie Maio from Mitia Assef
Elegant word art (Little Things Big Things) from Bethany
Rustic Walk alphas from A work in progress
Stamp cluster 12 (modified) from Lindsay Jane Designs
Confetti from Aja Abney
Polka dotted arrow from Dúnia

Ethan is starting to live up to the Mr Independent tag on his peejays, yeah, the one his Daddy got him from US. The things he can do, he must do by himself, some bordering on being a perfectionist at heart to obsessive compulsive disorder-ism. Ah well. Maybe it is his own style of doing a Frank Sinatra “I’ll do it My Waaayyyyy…..”

When we are getting ready to go out, he wants to take his own shoes and place them on the floor for us to wear. If we help him take his shoes, he will protest loudly and demand that we put them back on the shoe rack where he can take them himself. Sometimes, when he is all done and ready to go and I am still not out of the door, he will choose a pair of shoes for me from the rack and place it at the doorstep, all ready for me to put them on!

When he asks for his “nenno”, and I give him his bottle, he will refuse it. He wants me to put it somewhere where he can retrieve it himself. Then he will finish the entire bottle.

He wants a spoon of his own when we go out and eat. If it is rice, he will attempt to scoop the rice and feed himself. If it is noodles, I will put some of the noodles on his spoon and he will feed himself with the spoon.

He has a peculiar way of drinking water (I hope this only happens at home, though). He wants me to carry him up to reach for every one of the cups from left to right IN ORDER of arrangement, rinse it and fill it with a little bit of water, then he drinks from it, repeating the process with all the cups. We have a stainless steel mug rack with 2 layers which can hold 3 mugs per layer. So imagine me doing this with a *slightly-heavier-than-a-rice-sack* on one arm SIX times! Ah well…as long as it gets him to drink water happily.

Speaking of drinking water, nowadays when we are out and about, he prefers not to drink from the straw in his tumbler, rather he would ask me to unscrew the cover of his tumbler and he will hold the entire tumbler with both hands and drink from the rim. I guess he figured it’s faster that way…

All his Yakult bottles need to be arranged in a single row across the shelf in the refrigerator. If the shelf cannot fit all, then he has to rearrange them all over again. Same thing goes for his books. He must arrange them all neatly in a row, otherwise he gets frustrated.

Well, that’s what makes Ethan … Ethan!

The leg warmer fashion that was all the rage in the 80’s circa the days of Madonna’s Material Girl and Irene Cara’s Oh, What a feeling!  is back.  But not for adults though.  These days, babies and toddlers are seen sporting this megacute accessory, it’s almost a fashion statement in itself.  So of course, a Mommy like me didn’t wanna be left out, and I recently bought a pair of Baby Legs for Ethan from US (on sale at USD8 only, with 10% additional discount samo).  Ethan is clad in diapers only at home, so the Baby Legs would be a nice touch to jazz up his outfit.  And just in case I wanna put him in diapers and take him out, the Baby Legs can keep him warm.

So two nights ago, I took them out and tried them on him.  He was very curious and intrigued at first, because it looked like a pair of socks, except that it had both ends open.  Ethan loves to wear and pull off his socks.

But then look what happened when I put the Baby Legs on him… 

 …and finally, right before I pulled them off him:

 SIGH…guess I’ll have to keep them away for future use then

Scrap Credits
Rainy Day Sunday add-on kit from Amy Bleser
Sundance cardboard from designs by krista
Pondlife Alphas from Joanna Cinnamon
Stamp cluster 4 from Lindsay Jane Designs
Ilétait une foi star elements from Petit Moineaux
Star doodle: Doodle Me Big from Mikkel Paige Original

You are my shining star,
the light of my life…
The world can be so dark and gloomy but when you smile, everything is pure sunshine again.
When you giggle, I just want to shout out from the rooftops how much I love you, just for being you.

You are my shining star,
glowing brightly every day in my heart.
You fill my life with so much joy, just by doing little itty bitty things like hugging my leg and never letting go, and then planting a kiss to say you love me so. You hold on ever so tightly to Daddy’s leg, never letting go until he hobbles with you into the elevator.

I love the way you react to the “Otak burung unta lagi kechik daripada matanya” statement. It’s so adorable the way you place your hands on top of your eyes, emulating the little girl in the advert on TV.

I love the way you kick and throw the ball, with such passion, that can only be inherent in the soul of a footballer. Oh, you do slam dunks too, by the way..so perhaps you aspire to be a future NBA MVP too?

All the beautiful colors of the rainbow cannot ever surpass the colorful way you have brightened our lives with everything you do. From the simple little things like cuddling up to sleep with Mommy on the sofa to the not-so-little ones like clasping your hands in prayer position and wishing everyone in church “peace” when the appropriate time came for you to do that…, you really inject such happiness and sincerity into the things you do. You can almost see Mommy beaming with pride and adoration just noticing all the parishioners in church gesturing at how adorable you look doing so.

You have an absolutely delightful sense of humor and you can laugh at yourself in videos I have captured of you. Sometimes you clap in joy too, and you know, you definitely have a great sense of musical rhythm because you can dance and clap to your favorite Barney songs. Someday I know you will sing along too, yeah? Maybe you watch too much TV and DVDs, but you just make us so happy when you prance around, enjoying the music.

You are growing up so fast now. Sometimes you get too naughty and daring for your own good, and Mommy and Daddy will need to step in and reprimand you. But bear in mind that this is all done with LOVE. Regardless, you will always be our darling little boy and our bright, glowing, shining star.

And we will love you forever and always.

Our Ethan boy is becoming more and more adamant in establishing his independence, and is more often than not very persistent and determined in doing so.

Take last night, for example.  After I showered him, I took him into our room to give him his feed of milk while I diapered him.  This is a routine that Ethan absolutely loves, because he gets to drink his full 6-7oz of milk while being serenaded by Mommy’s rendition of nursery rhymes or whatever songs that creep into my head at that moment.  After he finished his milk, I wanted to put his pj top on, but he refused.  He scrambled down from the bed and asked me to take him outside instead.

So okay la, I took him out and figured I could put his shirt on for him while he was busy playing with his toys or watching TV.  How wrong I was!  A chase around our home ensued.  I tried enticing him with various pj tops, but he just wanted to run around in the buff, … well, save for the fitted diaper he had on, of course.

So I decided to (but of course) snap a few pictures while waiting for the opportune moment to put the shirt on him la.

Finally after a while, and after some kicking, screaming and protesting, a tired and exhausted Mommy finally managed to dress him up.  And Ethan happily patted his tummy after that.  He does look happy, doesn’t he?

The things a mother would do for her kid. No no……correction…the things that a cloth diaper-addicted mommy would do for her kid.

I was working from home last Friday when my co-worker told me that a diaper package from US had arrived for me in the office. I straightaway knew it was the two fitted diapers I had ordered from Nanipoo sometime back as I had been waiting for its arrival for a little more than a week now. So I decided to brave the rush hour jam on the coastal highway and drove to my office, just to collect the diapers. Can’t imagine leaving them on my desk over the weekend. Besides, I was just too excited to get to those diapers, give them a wash and put them on Ethan. On hindsight, I should have used an alternate less-jammed route.

But anyway, I got those diapers and picked up both boys and headed off to Queensbay Mall where we had a nice family dinner at Friday’s. Ethan was at his absolute best behaviour and was in a jolly good mood. All the servers at Friday’s noticed that too. But somehow the diaper he was wearing suddenly leaked big time. I don’t know if it was the positioning of the diaper, or because Ethan was just too wriggly or perhaps it was because it was left on a little too long. So what to do? Right then and there, I had to remove his shorts and wiped him dry. Then he continued with his chicken spaghetti dinner (I adore the way he feeds himself with his fork), perhaps the sexiest diner there, clad only in his t-shirt and Drybees diaper.

The diaper was wet when we were about to leave the mall and silly me, I didn’t have a spare one available at that time. Suddenly I remembered I had two brand new Nanipoo fitteds in the boot. Since it was just a short trip back home, I decided to just implement a stop-gap measure by just putting the fitted diaper on him and headed back home. I remember I tried on the green camo design, and Ethan looked very happy in it. The diaper was slightly damp when we reached home, thanks to our heavy wetter right there, but it was still a savior.

 

When Daddy came back from India, you bet I was happy!  It had been days that I had not had a bout of wrestling with him, so I was definitely looking forward to that.  No fun wrestling with Mommy ma…always must let her win.

Anyway, a couple of days after Daddy came back, he presented me with a surprise: a new toy!  Boy, was I excited!  Upon first glance, it looked similar to the Fridge Phonics toy I got for Christmas last year. Same color scheme and there were also plenty of alphabets.  There was also the very familiar red musical note button that played the alphabet song, only that it was a different singer.

I soon discovered that this toy is called the Word Whammer, and it is a rather advanced version of the first Fridge Phonics set I have.  Che-wah…Daddy thinks I advanced liao…don play play lo…. With this Word Whammer, I can make many many three letter words.  They have also included two alphabets of certain letters, like “d” and “m”, for example, just so I can make “dad” and “mom”.  I haven’t quite figured out how yet though.

Just the other day, while I was playing with my new toy, I made the word “hoi”, which I think is a very Malaysian word.  How many times have you heard or seen people using it?  Ha…..

Scrap Credits
XOXO template V2,  rayoflight prints and solids & aking hardin alphas, all from fei-fei’s stuff

It all started one day when I decided to get my hair done.  I checked with the salon and my hairdresser told me that a haircut and treatment would take approximately an hour and a half.  It was impossible to ask Ethan to wait around for me for that long a time, so I very sweetly requested Pete to take Ethan for some male bonding time at the mall, while I had some me-time.

And Pete told me that ever since that outing, Ethan has taken a fancy to the flowing water decorations on display at a particular shop in the mall.  Ethan has never noticed these before.  You know what I am referring to?  Yup, those electrically operated pieces of decoration, some with rotating lighted balls, some with mini waterfalls and pretty rocks.  Now, each time we pass this shop that sells them, Ethan would stop and stare, without fail.

I wonder what’s going through his mind when he looks and giggles at these pieces of decorations.  Wait ah Ethan….when we move to a house, we can ask Daddy to get you one, okay?

Scrap Credits
Layout inspired by Fryske’s Digiscrap Desisgn
Sweet Serenity Papers & Alphas from Shabby Princess Designs
Kit “Memory” cross-stitch from Sueli Colbert
100% Tampons brackets from [ v.vv ]
Boxed words from Chantal

Look…What could Ethan be doing? Lately, he has developed a rather strange habit in that he has started to show a lot of interest in the Christmas doggie soft toy that his Ipoh Ah Ma and Ah Kong gave him over a year ago. Actually this love in itself is not weird, because Ethan was born in the year of the dog, but what is odd is that he likes the rounded tip of the doggie’s santa hat. Ethan would hold the dog, put the rounded furry tip into his mouth and chew and chomp on it till it is all wet. Then he would take the rounded tip and rub it all over his face, sometimes taking a whiff of it.

We think this could be a side reaction to him being weaned off the breast. What do you think? Well, it looks like I will certainly have to wash the doggie very very often now!

Scrap Credits
Close knit-sampler from Kim B’s Designs
Stitched heart and Stamp Cluster from Lindsay Jane Designs
Star doodle: Doodle Me Big from Mikkel Paige Originals
Into the Mystic embellishments from Wenchd Grafix
Boxed words from Chantal
Sweet Serenity Alphas from Shabby Princess Designs

Here’s another parenting tip I have learnt.  Toddlers ADORE chopsticks.  Okay, I know they might poke themselves in the eyes with it, but when push comes to shove, we just gotta let them play, be themselves and well…. just keep a watchful eye.  Anyway, a few days ago we were having our family dinner in Old Town and Ethan suddenly decided he wanted to stand up in his high chair and wouldn’t sit still.

After a bit of struggling, I offered him my pair of chopsticks, and he eagerly took them, proceeding to *play* on the table.  It really looked like a professional jamming session, I tell ya.  Check out the intensity on his face as he plays to the rhythm.  It’s no wonder he enjoys Baby Einstein’s Meet the Orchestra so much, yes… especially the Percussion section.

Scrap Credits
Ilétait une foi kit from Petit Moineaux
Stamp cluster 7 from Lindsay Jane Designs
Basic chipboard alphas from Dani Mogstad
Boxed words from Chantal

The curtains have long since enthralled Ethan. And I found out that there are also some other kids that love playing with the curtains too. Ethan loves to hide behind the curtains, stay very still and play a little game with me. When I notice him hiding behind the curtain, I would say, “Where is Ethan?” and pretend to look around for him. He used to giggle as soon as I say this, hence revealing where he was hiding. But now, when he hides, he stays completely still until I ask out loud where he is. Then he would yank the curtain away from his face, and grin happily, as I exclaim, “There you are!”

A few weeks back, when we had the power outage on a Saturday, I opened our living room window a little to allow the air in for ventilation. Ethan got fascinated by the curtains billowing in the wind, so much so that he climbed onto the sofa and stood there looking out from the window onto our balcony. At the same time, he again played with the curtain too… and when I pointed the camera at him and said, “Ethan, smile!”, he never fails to give me that cheeky cheeky grin!

Yesterday evening, as Ethan and I were hanging out at home while Daddy had his futsal game, we watched American Idol. It was the first episode of the season and the program showed people attending the auditions in Philadelphia. All of a sudden, the show played the song “I Love Rock n’ Roll” - you know the song that was made popular by Joan Jett? As soon as Ethan heard the song play, he gave me a big grin, stood up and began *dancing*… he turned round and round on the floor and kicked and tapped his legs to the rhythm. And he even did all this while holding on to his Yakult bottle. Of course I spurred him on by singing the song and dancing too! Unfortunately, we were having so much fun that I only managed to capture the last bit of his dance, which was energetic but not as much as the part which was not captured on video. Apparently his love for this song is not a fluke because he was dancing again to it when they repeated the American Idol episode later that night and also when I hummed the tune to him this morning.

Everybody sing together now:
“I love rock n’ roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby!”

Well, I guess I am gonna hit the 2-year mark for breastfeeding Ethan now, since it will only be a matter of days before Ethan hits 2. It seems like just yesterday that I was struggling with milk supply and here I am, proud to say that I have far exceeded my expectations Weaning is still a battle we both have to overcome though, but I know this is a phase we must go through together, whether we like it or not.

One of Ethan’s unique habits while breastfeeding is to put his index finger into my belly button. I have no idea why he does this, neither do I know when this started. It’s almost like a belly button fetish, really. Most of the time, he will just let his finger rest in my belly button but sometimes, he will move his finger a little. Well, that tickles…definitely! So I will tell him to stop and gently take his hand away. But still he will keep doing it. Lately, I have started to sometimes give him a dose of tit for tat. He puts his finger in my belly button, I put my finger in his. Good plan, eh? Surprisingly though, he is not as ticklish as me. So we’re back to square one. Well, there goes my plan

 

Ethan now prefers Mommy to give him his shower. Only when I am nowhere to be seen does he allow Daddy to shower for him. Sometimes when Pete attempts to give him a shower, he will vehemently push Pete OUT of the shower stall and ask for Mommy instead. I use the following shower ritual when I bathe Ethan.

“Ethan, come take your shower!”
Saying “Hands up!” will prompt Ethan to raise his arms high in the air so that I can remove his shirt. Then I say “Pants down!” followed by “Diaper off!”

1. With the use of the shower nozzle, wet his head and body.  Sometimes he would run and hide behind me in an attempt to escape the shower, but this does not happen often.
2. Apply Baby Sebamed on the face and shampoo on the head.
3. Shower to rinse off (thrice) soap suds.  Ethan will brush the water off his face vigorously while blowing loudly with his mouth.
4. Apply Baby Sebamed on entire body, lift one foot to wash the soles and then the other. 
5. Rinse off suds.  At times, Ethan will raise one leg at a time and rinse off the soap on his own with the running tap water.
6. Allow Ethan to play with tap water for a few minutes.  This is his favorite part of the session.  I normally end up wet all over, because our boy loves to splash the water everywhere.  And he loves turning the tap on and off; when it is on, it is normally at full blast.
7. Dry up and wrap up with towel.
8. Lift Ethan high enough for him to *turn off* the shower and *turn down the temperature* on the shower.
9. Give Ethan his tootbrush with a glass of tap water. Ethan loves to dip his toothbrush into the water repeatedly. Lately I am pleased to note that he loves to *brush* his teeth with the toothbrush. Well, not brush…but more like bite and suck on the bristles. Well, it’s good progress I would say.  Better than nothing la.
10. Change into pajamas or going out clothes.

Last night after he finished his shower, he didn’t even bother waiting for me to wrap him up and carry him out of the bathroom, as is our usual routine. Our boy independently walked out of the shower stall, climbed a step up and out of the bathroom and pranced around in his birthday suit in the living room!

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!

 
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!

Ethan is quite adept at playing with his shape sorter now. He has a few different kinds really. The one that he has mastered is the toy that was given by his Ah Koo and Ah Kim some time back. It consists of 4 shapes (square, circle, triangle and hexagon) in a rectangular-shaped box. He can now put each shape in the correct slot correctly without anyone’s help. The problem is sometimes he doesn’t fit it in properly and the shape cannot enter the slot because of the positioning, although he got the shape and the slot correctly. Our boy is a very impatient fella, and once he finds that he cannot get the shape in, he would throw a temper and scream! Sometimes in a fit of frustration, he would just throw the shape down on the floor in anger. He hasn’t quite got the patience to try again now… any suggestions how to cultivate this?

But when he successfully puts in all the shapes, he delights in the fact that we adults will clap and say “Clever boy!” He is turning into a little perfectionist, isn’t he?

Scrap Credits
Commotion on the Ocean Add-On from Danielle Engebretson Designs
Kit Special star from Sueli Colbert
Stone Castle alphas by Beth Long for Kim Broedelet

Ethan has no problem sitting all by himself in his car seat in the back seat of our car. He enjoys the window view and sometimes he likes to cock his head to the side trying to see what’s going on in front. You see, we secured the car seat at the back on the co-driver seat, so that if there is only one of us driving the car, Ethan would be able to see us. Besides, this way, there is still space for two adults to sit behind with Ethan if need be. Of course, the child lock on his side is on at all times! Sometimes Ethan will try to imitate my Dad when he holds the overhead grip, but Ethan still cannot reach the grip. Not yet anyway.

Lately however, Ethan has begun to imitate us in other ways. We call it the “Tarzan” stunt. He would disengage his left arm from being strapped down by the seat belt so that it is free. At times, he would be able to secure it back, but it is almost always the left arm that he *frees*. I reckon it could be because he can see that the driver’s seat belt is just a one-way diagonal strap, and he wants to have his done the same way. Funny hor? You gotta give it up to Ethan for being innovative in that manner.

Scrap Credits
All About Me kit from Bunny Cates
Kit Special embellishments from Sueli Colbert
Pretty Blue papers & Milly doodle from Lindsay Jane Designs
Splendid embellishments from Shabby Princess

I am getting my appetite back slowly but surely.  Yesterday, at Ah-Poh’s house, I walloped a lot of porridge, and just before Mommy and Daddy came to pick me up in the evening, I asked Ah-Poh to make me a feed of milk too.  Hehe…even Mommy and Daddy says that I have begun to bulk up a little already.

Last night, I ran all around our house and played with all my toys.  I missed running around so much last weekend when I was not feeling well. At about 10:30P.M. last night, I decided to call it a night.  I led both Mommy and Daddy to the room, hugged them both and then I drifted off to sleep listening to Mommy singing Silent Night and Away in a Manger.

Today, Mommy said that I could use the computer for a while.  Heh heh… so here I am completing my *homework*…

I was asked by Darrius ko-ko to divulge information about myself in another meme. Hehe…I’ve only met him a few times before in Queensbay Mall and he’s already asking me so many questions. I’m getting popular in the blogosphere, eh?

What were you doing 10 years ago?
Aiyo, I was not even born then la! And neither was Darrius and most of my other friends, I believe…..silly question!

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Crawling and cruising around almost everywhere! Oh, and I remember I had my first haircut too, which resulted in a very botak me!

Five snacks you enjoy

Only five? But I love to eat wor…anyway, here are five off the top of my head…

1. Anything yogurt-like, such as Yakult & Fernleaf Calci-YUM Yogurt
2. Cereal, like Rice Krispies (Snap Crackle and Pop!) and Corn Flakes.
3. Pappadums
4. Raisins
5. Bread and buns

Five songs that you know all the lyrics to

Donno how to sing yet, but here are the songs I appreciate very much:

1. ABC (sung to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). When I hear this song being sung on Baby Einstein, I will say BBBBB…. (learning to sing what)
2. Doh-Re-Mi - I clap my hands whenever Mommy finishes singing this song
3. The Wheels of the Bus go round and round…
4. Theme song from Little Einsteins(I can do the “Aaarrrrrrr….” portion)
5. Song for the Mouskadance. I love tapping my feet to the rhythm.

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire

1. Buy a house so that I can buy more toys for myself.
2. Buy Little Tikes playhouse to put in the garden of the house I bought in No.1.
3. Buy my own TV and DVD player so I can watch Baby Einstein the whole day long, without Daddy interrupting me to watch SportsCenter.
4. Build an escalator in my house.
5. Give money to Mommy and Daddy (if there is any leftover).

Five bad habits

1. Touching my tongue
2. Watching too much Baby Einstein
3. Throwing a tantrum by screaming
4. Sleeping too late at night and waking up too early in the morning
5. Waking up in the middle of the night

Five favourite toys

1. My shape sorter
2. My doggies
3. My train ride-on
4. The boxes I use to store my toys
5. My Ikea Mula toy

Five things you like doing

1. Watch Baby Einstein
2. Ride up and down on the escalators
3. Eat rice
4. Pull Mommy and Daddy by the hand together into the room
5. Sleep on Mommy and Daddy’s bed

Five things you would never eat

Darrius and I think alike on this one …

1. Medicine
2. Medicine
3. Medicine
4. Medicine
5. Medicine

Lastly I get to tag my friends:

Charlotte
Bryan
Ching Ern

 
Scrap Credits
You Are Beautiful Kit from Verena Karolyi
Designer framed tag from Bannerwoman
Netter’s Alphas from Scarlet Heels Media
Kit Moment staples & stitches from Sueli Colbert

It must have started with last weekend when my Mom and Dad started singing the Doh-Re-Mi song to Ethan.  Mom told me that Ethan would clap whenever they sang that song.  Don’t ask me but I have no idea why I never sang this song to him before.  I just started a couple of days ago.  The moment I start singing the song, Ethan’s face would light up and he would be flashing the sweetest smile ever!  And then as soon as I finish singing, he would clap his hands in appreciation and approval!  Of course, Mommy says “Thank you!” la after he claps.  Heh heh.  So now every day, I sing this song over and over again, because who could ever resist that adorable smile hoh?

Wait, there’s more… when I do the “Doh-Mi-Mi, Mi-So-So, Re-Fah-Fah, La-Ti-Ti” bit, he breaks out in laughter, as if it was funnily sung or something.  And if I do it real quick, he laughs even louder. 

So Ethan, when are you gonna start singing in unison with Mommy?

 
Scrap Credits
Preminition Scrapkit from Laura Burger
Kit Memory cross-stitching & button from Sueli Colbert
Kit Precious heart from Sueli Colbert
Zoo Alphas from Everyday Little Moments Design

Ethan is a very observant little boy and as such, he has been observing what Pete and I do when we get home from work each day.  One of the things we do when we reach home is keep some our things in the drawer.  For example, I would remove my watch and place it in my drawer.  Lately, Ethan has been trying to be as helpful as he can by helping us perform these tasks through role playing.  As soon as I open the door to my room, he would walk to the drawer and wait there.  Then when I remove my watch, he would open the drawer, take my watch from me, place it in the drawer and close the drawer.  Of course, he slams the drawer really loudly though.  But he does get a kick out of hearing us praise him when he does that.  “Good boy!” does it all the time!

I took Ethan to his playgroup yesterday at Charlotte’s house. All the mommies had planned for a Little Artist session this time around: Bryan’s Mommy made edible paint of red and blue, and the rest of us brought along paint palettes and paint brushes.

Charlotte’s Mommy had laid her front porch with mahjong paper, and they were just screaming for color to be splashed all over them. When the time came for the kids to start painting, I decided to remove Ethan’s shirt because the weather was pretty hot. Then I garbed him in his Ikea shirt-bib (it was bare-backed, by the way).

Well, Charlotte, Wei Xuan and Bryan eagerly began dipping their paint brushes into their respective paint palettes and started painting on the mahjong paper. Each child had their own sheet to experiment with. But Ethan was not at all interested. Instead, he was VERY amused by Simba, the golden retriever. He stood at Simba’s cage, and giggled happily as Simba allowed Ethan to pet and stroke his fur. Then he would run around to the other side of the cage and laugh again as Simba played along with him.

In the end, Charlotte’s daddy had to take Simba out for a walk in a bid to allow Ethan a chance to explore with the paint. Alas, his attention span was short-lived and after about 5 minutes, Ethan walked to the gate and stood there, presumably waiting for Simba to return from his walk.

It looks like Ethan really loves dogs, and coincidentally enough, the golden retriever is one of my favorite dogs too. Could his love for dogs be fuelled by the fact that he was born in the year of the dog?

 
Scrap Credits
No Room for Grey Kit from retrodiva {designs}™
Urban Kiwi Kit round stitching from Shabby Princess
Elegant Fall Alphas by Tracy King

Our weekend began with a blast.  After work this evening we adjourned to Queensbay Mall for dinner at Nando’s.  Ethan was already excitedly anticipating the arrival at the mall when he realized the route we were taking after we picked him up from Mrs Tan’s house.

After dinner, we headed towards Toys R Us, but on the way there, we were drawn to some really loud music indicating something was going on up ahead.  It turned out to be a fashion show organized by the newly opened Forever 21 store.  We watched the show for a while from a floor above.  And you know, it really is amazing how Ethan watched the parade of all the leggy models in wonderment as well.  He didn’t struggle to get down, instead he comfortably remained in Pete’s arms for the entire 10 minutes or so that we were there.  Starting young?  Maybe…. Hehehe…. 

 

We noticed that Ethan has recently discovered a love for reading magazines.  Well, actually he only likes the Astro magazine and will keep on flipping through it page by page. He really looks forward to the arrival of the Astro magazine in our mailbox every month, and he would even request that I open it up for him when it arrives.  In fact, he has already finished “reading” November’s issue, but he never gets tired of doing it over and over again. Sometimes we tease him and ask him if he could let us know what program is coming on at a particular time. 

 
Scrap Credits
Alphas - Sweet Serenity by Shabby Princess
Frame - All Torn Up by retrodiva {designs}™
Buttons - Sun Porch by Amy Teets

Lately, Ethan has taken a liking to combing his hair. Yes, even with the very little and fine hair he has, Ethan still enjoys holding the comb and combing his hair over and over again. I first noticed him doing that during our recent KL trip. He must have noticed his Daddy performing this combing action and is imitating him. Ethan would walk over to our dressing table, reach for Daddy’s comb (yes, he can reach now), retrieve it and comb his hair with it. When we try to take the comb away from him, he would protest loudly. Whenever he sees Daddy combing his hair, Ethan would be enthralled and would want to do the same too.

So I dug out one of the small hotel souvenir combs I had in my collection and gave it to Ethan for him to practise combing. Ah…the little little things that make him glad

 
Scrap Credits: Dinner Party Kit by Shabby Princess & Sara Carling

We attended two wedding dinners over a span of two weeks. Ethan boy, of course, joined in the celebrations too. Although we had taken him to other wedding dinners before, these two which we attended had loud “yum seng” (toasting) sessions.

At the first dinner, when they first did the “yum seng”, Ethan was startled at first. Of course it didn’t help that we were seated very close to the speakers and the stage then. But he overcame the shock and was soon happily participating in it. As the night wore on, every time the crowd said “yum seng”, Ethan will say “Aaaaaahhhhhhh…”.

Same thing happened last Sunday at the second wedding dinner we attended. With full of energy and enthusiasm, Ethan said “Aaahhhhhhhh…” whenever we said “yaaaaaaammmmmm….”, but he is still in training to complete the toast by saying “Seng!”

Last night, Pete and I enjoyed a glass of wine each. Oh, relax… I had just a pack. Nothing to be concerned about. Anyway, when Ethan saw the two glasses of red wine, he went, “Aaaaaahhhhhh……” Ain’t he smart for associating wine with toasting? Funny thing is, during the 2 wedding receptions we attended, no wine was served. Hmmmmm…. *ponders*

Scrap Papers and Elements from retrodiva {designs}™

This year saw Ethan owning his first lanterns for the annual Lantern Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival. Ethan’s lanterns were nothing like the ones I had as a little girl; I used to carry colorful lanterns decorated with sugar paper, fixed to a wooden stick, and lit by a solitary candle. But the lanterns of today run on batteries, is lit by a bulb and emits music. In any case, kids still love them!

Ethan got a lantern in the shape of a bear from Mrs Tan, his baby sitter and another one in the shape of a piggy from his Ipoh Ah Ma. At first he was rather disinterested in the bear lantern, but by and by, he took a liking to it. On the actual night of the Lantern Festival a week ago, I planned on taking Ethan downstairs by our apartment swimming pool to walk around with his lantern. However, my plan backfired when his bear lantern became extremely hot after we changed the batteries in it. At that time, he didn’t have his piggy lantern yet, so not wanting to disappoint him, we just went downstairs anyway and had a nice moonlit walk round the pool.

Then just last weekend, when my parents came for a visit, Ethan was thrilled to receive his piggy lantern. No worries that the festival has already passed, because Ethan simply adores the lantern. We put the lantern on our dining table, and Ethan would run to the table, place his hands on it, and tip toe and gesture for us to get the lantern for him. I personally feel this piggy lantern suits him more; the bear one looks a little big for him to handle. It has been raining for the past few nights, so we have not managed to take him downstairs to walk around with the lantern just yet. But it certainly looks like he is contented to play with it in the comfort of our home, doesn’t it?

“Let it shine, let it shine, let it….
SHINE!”

We made a 3-day-2-night trip to Mutiara Damansara last weekend to visit Ethan’s newborn cousin, Jonathan.  On Saturday, we had lunch at Tony Roma’s.  We had great company during lunch too, Ethan got to meet up with his Ah Mah (my Mom), his Ah Kor, Ah Koo and Ah Kim.  Tony Roma’s is located in Cineleisure, which is somewhat connected to The Curve; I was amazed to discover that it was a mere walk from Italiannies and Laundry Bar (actually we were undecided as to what to eat that day, but since Tony Roma’s looked rather empty, we decided that would be it).

Tony Roma’s in Malaysia is so different from the ones in US or Singapore.  For one, it did not have (my favorite) baby back ribs.  We ordered 2 plates of full-rack ribs and a strip-loin steak, oh and of course a plate of the appetizer sampler too.  Though different, Pete and I were happy to note that the food at the outlet was very good.  The ribs were soft and (can I say) finger-lickin’ good.  Actually we were afraid that the food would be a sore disappointment like Marché was last month, but we were glad that our fears were unfounded.

Ethan had a good time during lunch too.  I was thrilled to note that Tony Roma’s Cineleisure had on their menu the same Baked Potato Soup I had ordered for Ethan when we were in Tony Roma’s Suntec City, Singapore… so I ordered that for him.  It all started ok, but then our boy decided that he wanted to have a go at feeding himself.  Since I had brought along his set of toddler utensils, I gave them to him and he began scooping the soup bit by bit.  And scoop he did… bit by bit fell on the front of his shirt.  It was a very messy sight indeed.  Then I suddenly remembered I had also brought along his Ikea shirt-bib, so we helped him put that on.  But no sooner had we done that, Ethan decided that he wanted ME to feed him instead!

 

In the end, off came the bib, and it was Ethan by himself again with his soup and some rice too.  I tried tying the napkin around his neck, but that fell down too.  So we allowed him to have fun with his food, messy though that may be, and took him back to the hotel room after that to clean up.  See?  That’s the good thing about staying right next to the restaurant

During our last trip to Ikea in August, we ended up buying a tent…no, actually it is a tent with an igloo motif… for Ethan. There was a model set up in the children’s department in Ikea and Ethan was intrigued by it almost immediately! Although he fell down and hit his forehead whilst playing, we still bought the tent. So Pete was of course given the official task of setting up the tent, and when it was up we expected Ethan to be excited by it. Unfortunately our boy didn’t take a fancy to it at all. He would not even enter the tent. We figured it could be because of the fall earlier on in Ikea. Or maybe because the tent did not have a door; it just had an opening. So we did what any parent would do: we put his toys in the tent to lure him into it. You know what he did? He crawled in and dragged the toys out! He totally didn’t want to BE in the tent! Another method we employed in the hope of luring him into the tent was to take turns between Pete and I to enter the tent, then of course, Ethan would follow suit.

Lately however, we are pleased to note that Ethan has taken a liking to the tent. When we come home every day, the first thing he would do is to crawl eagerly into the tent. By the way, every time we go to Friday’s Ethan would request for a balloon. Now that balloon of his resides in the tent. So when he crawls into the tent, he would just hold the balloon and sit there with it. There’s a net opening at the top of the tent too, so we get to play peekaboo with him when he is in it… and you KNOW how kids love peekaboo, right?

Ethan has also found innovative methods to *play* with the tent:

• Stand inside and push/lift the walls of the tent, resulting in the entire tent looking as though it will topple over
• Push against the walls of the tent from outside, sometimes lifting the whole tent up.
• Walk around the tent
• Hold my hand and guide *me* to walk around the tent

Speaking of balloons, we need to get a new balloon from Friday’s every time the old one gets deflated. There’s something about balloons that interests kids, and Ethan is no different. On several occasions, he has attempted to use his *charm* to get some other kids’ balloon too.

A tent and a balloon - those are the latest items in Ethan’s toy collection. I can’t wait to see what’s coming up next…

Who would’ve thought Ethan would inherit the love for karaoke singing from Mommy? I’m referring to his amazing ability to sing to the Little Einsteins theme song. Of course, he can’t sing along to all the words in that song just yet, but it’s certainly a start. Even without the words displayed on the TV screen, he will sing along to the “Aaaaahhhhh…..” part when the theme song of Little Einsteins plays. He also does the same thing when I sing the song to him, but he prefers it now with musical accompaniment. Oh yeah, the real lyrics actually go “Rrrrrrrrrrrr….” but Ethan does it HIS way

We’re going on a trip in our favorite rocket ship
Zooming through the skies, Little Einsteins
Climb aboard, get ready to explore
There’s so much to find, Little Einsteins
We’re going on a mission, start the countdown
5–4–3-2-1!
Everyone to rocket, rev it up now…….
“Rrrrrrrrrrrrr……..”

The first part of this video is his more subdued rendition of the song, followed by a livelier, extended remix, as you can hear me saying in the background

The shower stall that Ethan takes his shower in has a sliding door. Lately, he has started to slide the door close whenever I take him into the shower stall. I do not know if it is because he just likes the sliding action or if in fact, he is requesting for some privacy.

When we have visitors, they like to watch Ethan take his shower (for some apparent reason)….well, sorry, this is not available anymore, because he now showers behind closed doors.

Here’s the Toyota ad that makes Ethan laugh every time he sees it on TV. Even when he is playing with his toys or not looking at the TV screen, he will turn to look as soon as he hears the music from this ad, transfixed and paying full attention … and then he will laugh. He will giggle when the guy in the ad gets his head hit, or when the guy gets splashed with water and he will laugh at the last part when the lady smirks and says, “So lucky!”There’s something about Toyota ads that get Ethan’s attention. Could it be because we drive a Vios? Maybe…. He was also very intrigued by the Genie ad… and he also likes the Yaris, Avanza and the VVT-i ads. The only Toyota ad that he is not attracted to is the Camry one. Why? We’ll make it a point to ask him when he is older.

A visit to Queensbay Mall is always therapeutic, not just for Mommy but for Ethan as well.  Just the mere sight of the mall from his car seat is enough to transform our boy from this:

to this:

 
Scrap Papers & Elements from Sworda Scrappin’ 

Ethan loves grapes.  However, when we wash a bunch of grapes and sit down to eat them, he doesn’t eat them himself.  Instead, his eyes will light up when he sees those juicy grapes in the bowl, and he will scoop a few up in those tiny hands of his, and with his mouth wide open, proceed to feed us those grapes.  We have to eat them really fast too, because he takes delight in feeding those grapes one after another, at a very fast pace. 

All I can say is thank goodness those grapes are seedless ones! *wink*

Scrap Elements from Anita Designs

Ethan Boy had some visitors over the weekend. Ah Ma and Ah Kong from Ipoh came to visit on Friday and Ah Ma and Ah Kong from Taiping, with Koh-koh from KL was here in Penang on Sunday. We were amazed by how sociable our boy has become. Before, he would seem a little intimidated by visitors and would take quite some time to *warm up* to them, preferring instead to cling on to Pete and me. But now it looks as if he can socialize rather easily. It didn’t take him long to *make friends* with my Mom and Dad when they were here. And he also allowed his Koh-Koh Pauline to carry him a few minutes after she arrived!

On Sunday night, he was busy showing off all his toys to our visitors. He also led Aunty Christine by the hand and requested her to play his Baby Einstein DVD for him!

And when Pete brought out a platter of freshly cut pear slices, Ethan wasted no time in demonstrating how sharing is done. He eagerly grabbed one slice of pear and gave it to each and every one of our visitors, all met with a “Thank you!” After he had ensured that every one had had a slice (at least), Ethan then took one for himself and chomped on it! Isn’t that adorable?

We recently bought two boxes to put Ethan’s toys in. Although these are made of cloth, they were hard enough to stand upright and sturdy enough to hold all his toys in. This made for a neater living room and was the ideal solution for his ever-growing number of toys.

Or so we thought.

Just last week, Ethan discovered that it was fun to hop right into the box and sit with his toys. And if that ain’t enough, he would then transfer the toys in the box he was sitting in into the other box or onto the floor. The result of his experiment is that the boxes are slowly losing shape.

Sometimes Ethan would request for help into getting into these boxes. He would reach out his hand to me asking me to provide support, while he climbs into and out of the box. So how now? Should we get another box for his toys? SIGH.

Last Saturday morning Ethan woke up in a kind of pensive mood. It was raining and we had breakfast at home and later went out for a quick lunch.

Ethan was soon to find out that he would be attending his very first birthday party that evening. Well, besides his own birthday party in January, that is. It was little Ching Ern’s birthday and that evening we arrived just as the guest of honor arrived.

Ethan wasted no time in getting acquainted with his surroundings. Almost immediately, he spotted the staircase and insisted on going up. Pete and I had to take turns attending to him while we ate.

Ching Ern’s Mommy and Daddy really went all out in making sure the party was enjoyable! There were party bags for all the kids and birthday favors in the form of chocolates too. We tried to make Ethan wear the cone-shaped party hat, but he yanked it off his head (as expected). Actually he tore the hat at first and then we managed to fix it and put it on his head, and THEN he yanked it off!

Ethan met a lot of old and new friends also, but it was definitely a challenge getting them to pose nicely for the camera.

Ethan was really enjoying himself during the party. When he wasn’t climbing up the stairs, he was walloping the whole mini box of raisins that came along with the goodie bag, or giggling loudly when we blew on the party toy…you know the kind of whistle that has a tube of paper attached to it and the tube will extend when one blows on it? That totally cracked him up big time!

And at one time, he even took a breather, just to rest his head

One of Ching Ern’s presents was a little ride-on car which had all the toddlers excited. It was so hard to get the kids to leave the toy alone that in the end all we could do was take photos of them playing with it! We are bloggers, after all!

And the highlight of the evening, besides the cake-cutting ceremony, was when we tried to put all the kids in a row on the couch to take a picture. I was skeptical the plan would work, but anyhow we managed to get some good shots. Well, almost… In the process of trying to get the kids to smile, we adults started clapping our hands joyfully. Soon, one by one, the kids all joined in the clapping extravaganza. Doesn’t Ethan look like he is totally relaxing on the sofa?

What a good time we had at the party! Happy Birthday Ching Ern!

I have been wondering for so many moons why Ethan sleeps the way he does when he sleeps on our bed. The three of us will end up making an I shape, or H shape or sometimes (creative juices flowing here) a Z shape. Why? Why can’t Ethan sleep in the middle in parallel to both Mommy and Daddy?

Pete gave this gem of an answer: Because he wants to touch both Mommy and Daddy at the same time: head resting on Mommy’s arm and feet resting on Daddy’s chest.

So it’s not the same if he sleeps in parallel with one hand touching Mommy and the other touching Daddy? *scratches head*

Ethan is becoming quite a little helper now. Especially when I dress him up or when I am changing him. You see, I have a routine established right from the onstart and he understands it perfectly well now.

After his bath/shower, I will take him to his changing table and dry him up with his towel. Sometimes he will get a toy to play with, sometimes a tube of cream. Don’t ask…

I would then apply Drapolene, followed by powder, and then put his diaper on. Then I would give him a body massage with baby lotion, apply Baby Vicks on his chest and back and then dress him up. The last step would be to apply baby cream on his face.

Just recently though, Ethan has taken the extra effort to *help* me cap the Drapolene, Vicks and baby cream back. After I uncap the bottle/tubes, he would grab hold of the cover and very carefully place the cover back on top of the tube or bottle. He is very happy when he has accomplished his *mission* because I proudly proclaim “Good boy!” Sometimes he wants to cap it back on immediately after I have uncapped it, so much so that I have had to explain to him that Mommy is still not done yet! And sometimes he even *reminds* me of the baby cream that I’ve forgotten to apply!

Amazing what kids can do, eh?

Recently we noticed that Ethan gets easily agitated when faced with strangers, especially those in close proximity with him. It was as if he felt his personal space being invaded when these strangers come into close contact with him. Strangers to him also meant people whom he had not seen in a long while, friends and relatives included. This behavior is especially apparent when the *stranger* looks at him and starts *talking* to him. It could be just a harmless “Hello!” or “Hi!” and Ethan would retort with a sharp whine and squeal as if to say “Don’t disturb me!” Surprisingly, he is okay in the malls where there are lots of people around but when these people start interacting with him, he becomes uncomfortable. I’ve read and heard that this is a phase some toddlers go through.

So Pete and I decided that we needed to put a change to that and make him less afraid of strangers. We reckoned we could turn things around if we brought him to places where there were a lot of people who would interact with him, and vice versa. This does not just mean the malls, but gatherings and parties as well.

Last weekend gave us two opportunities to do so. The first was a barbecue party with Pete’s co-workers at Gold Coast. Ethan was obviously very uncomfortable among all the people there and stuck to Pete and me like glue. It was really hot too, so that did not help the situation at all. Nevertheless, Ethan was very fascinated by the swimming pool and we had to take him there several times just to make him happy. There was also a mini playground area, with a rotational tic-tac-toe board which kept him occupied for a while too. Oh, and he went topless for the second part of the evening because of the immense heat And because he would not let Pete or me go, we could not take any pictures to commemorate the occasion. But just imagine this: Barbecued ribs, grilled shrimp, smoky air, very HOT. ’nuff said.

Two days later on Sunday, I took Ethan to his playgroup. This time saw the most attendees ever since we started the playgroup. Ethan and I were the first to arrive at Charlotte’s house. I brought along Ethan’s toy train to be shared with the rest of the kiddies when they arrived (was I glad I did, because it was met with enthusiasm from all the kids!). Wei Xuan, Hin Lerk, Ching Ern and Sze Yi also came armed with their toys, full of energy and of course, with their Mommies.

Throughout the playgroup, Ethan was very vocal, although we could not comprehend what he was trying to say. Of course, we entertained him by responding in a manner we thought he understood. We were actually hoping that Ethan would be able to pick up a few words from Wei Xuan, but instead Xuan chose to communicate with Ethan in a language only Ethan and she could understand: baby blabbering! That was hilarious!

I really feel the playgroup is an excellent avenue for the kids to enjoy themselves and interact with other kids. It is so important to have that available for them especially at this formative age, because they can learn so many things: Sharing, imitating (good things, I hope), leadership and expressing themselves, among others. Plus, it is a good time for us mothers to chit chat too!

So we had two group interaction sessions for Ethan over the weekend, and guess what, we are already reaping the benefits. Yesterday when we were in the lift and 2 other people came in, Ethan was not that shy anymore! He did not let out a cry of disdain when they spoke to him, instead he smiled at them, lifted his arm and then leaned his head on Pete’s shoulder. This morning he did the same thing when one uncle came into the lift with us too! I definitely see progress!

Open up and say “Aaaahhhhh”

Yesterday evening Pete and I had a cup of yogurt each, and as we were enjoying it, Ethan ran over to his Daddy, reached out his hand, held the spoon Pete was using, scooped a spoonful of yogurt and fed himself with it. He then walked away with a smug smile that reeked of, “So there! Told you I could do it!”

Hold the Handle

After yogurt, I gave him a mug of water. At home, Ethan will drink from his own adult-like yellow mug. I bought this plastic mug for him recently to prevent breakage in case he drops it. Normally he will just hold the mug on its sides with both hands and drink from it, but yesterday, he voluntarily reached out for the mug handle, held on to it, and with the other hand supporting the other side of the mug, drank from it! By the way, there is a growing probability that Ethan is a southpaw because he prefers to hold his spoon and mug handle with his left hand.

Leg Lifting

When I help Ethan put his pants on I will lift his leg one at a time, but just 2 days ago, when I was wearing his trousers for him, he leaned his body against me for support and lifted one leg and put it into the trouser leg hole, then did the same for the other. I thought it was just a fluke, but he did it again and again at different occasions. Even when he has his shower, he will put one hand on the shower stall wall, lift up one leg and put it under the running stream of water, and then the other leg. Very good balancing skills, I must say!

Ethan is learning to imitate what we do. But he does it his way….yes like Frankie did it his way…

I mentioned before that Pete likes to play with Ethan by crouching on all fours and staying really still. And then when Ethan runs over and *finds* his Daddy, he would giggle with glee! Just about a week ago, I noticed that Ethan likes to creep and squeeze himself behind his high chair (His high chair is right next to the wall, so when he does that, he will be holding on to the back of the chair, with his back facing the wall). We notice that when he has assumed this position, he would stay absolutely still. Very very still. Then just yesterday, Pete peeped at him from behind the wall and Ethan squealed in delight! I tried peeking at him from the top, same thing happened. Left, right, under… all with the same effect. Then it dawned on us that Ethan must have thought he was hiding from us. Much like what Daddy has been *playing* with him all this while.

Just a few days ago, Ethan started saying something that sounded like “kay-bak” (chicken meat in Hokkien).  Or was it “ke-bak”?  Or maybe “kebab”?  Hehehe..

Yesterday he woke up at around 6:30a.m., rolled around on the bed, sat up and said “kay-bak“.  We don’t know for sure what it means yet, but we can’t wait to find out.

That’s the word our babysitter Mrs Tan uses to describe Ethan, meaning he loves to play around and basically well …. just enjoy himself.  Pete loves kids and now Ethan is at an age where he can respond adorably to our antics.  Pete would sometimes crawl on his hands and knees and pretend to chase after Ethan.  Ethan would then *run for cover*, normally this is behind Mommy’s legs.  Ethan loves to hug our legs nowadays.  He will run really quickly towards us and (without braking) grab hold tightly of our legs.  His favorite is also to crawl around our legs, round and round.  Sometimes when Pete *threatens* playfully that he is gonna tickle Ethan, Ethan would shriek loudly and bend his body forward while giggling, as if to protect himself from being attacked.

SIGH…I really wonder how Mrs Tan handles our active and mischievous boy…

We have strong reason to believe that somehow, somewhere our boy is beginning to speak German.  That is really strange because none of us can speak G