Emma still doesn't take Church's nursery that well yet, but she loves worship services, especially during the worship portion. I guess it's cos since her time in mommy's womb, she's been exposed to the worship practices and worship services as Ade and I serve week in week out in church.
And Emma sure learned well. Fleming and Bee Lee gave her 2 Barbie maracas as Christmas gift, and when we opened it (finally today), Emma took them and held them to her mouth and started to sing into her new "microphones".. hahaha.... here's the video link.
Blessed new year everyone!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
finally...
... both Ade and I get a breather from our feisty little princess who's fast asleep early tonight. She sure has been taking up most of our waking moments ever more since she turned one. Having seen newborns lately, and looking back at Emma's birth photos, I've been made to realise that Emma has grown up in many ways other than her physical outlook.
Anyway, Ade and I are enjoying every moment of Emma's growing up despite the busyness in managing her. She's still feisty and LOUD, yet she's very very cautious especially in learning how to walk, and in relating to strangers. She's still very picky about the menu for her meals, and yes, she's still petite compared to other toddlers her age. But we thank God still for developing her in her own unique way. I guess everyone will have his/her own childhood and growing up story, and this is gonna be Emma's own childhood stories.. =) Indeed, this Christmas season has been a busy one for Ade and I. Not because of the Christmas shopping which we've not been able to do much of anyway, but cos of our little bundle of (Emma) Joy.
As 2008 comes to a close, we as a family brace ourselves for 2009, as Emma reaches her "terrible-two" stage of her childhood, and as I continue to be busy with ensuring that the taxpayers' money don't get wasted. I'm sure the year ahead will be busy, but I know that Ade and I, and Emma aren't alone but have God with us in this journey, and with that, I'm sure we'll enjoy the sojourn through 2009.
Blessed Christmas to all our friends, and may 2009 be a purposeful and fruitful year ahead.
- She's communicating a lot more now, being able to point at things that she wants, such as wanting to go to the swimming pool everytime we passed one (during our recent family getaway). And lately she's been wanting mommie's sling, something that mommie had not used since many months back.
- She's expressing herself a lot more now, albeit many of these expressive moments are more of a show of personal preferences and pushing her tiny weight to get her way.
- She's showing a lot more of her creativity through her playtimes, such as "cooking food" at her toy kitchen stove, and "feeding" her Care-Bear stuff toy, spinning round and round and round while seated on her bum....
- She's developing an increasingly expensive appetite for adult food, and exquisite food such as japanese cod fish, salmon, japanese rice, pineapple rice... anything BUT home-made porridge!! arrrgh!
Anyway, Ade and I are enjoying every moment of Emma's growing up despite the busyness in managing her. She's still feisty and LOUD, yet she's very very cautious especially in learning how to walk, and in relating to strangers. She's still very picky about the menu for her meals, and yes, she's still petite compared to other toddlers her age. But we thank God still for developing her in her own unique way. I guess everyone will have his/her own childhood and growing up story, and this is gonna be Emma's own childhood stories.. =) Indeed, this Christmas season has been a busy one for Ade and I. Not because of the Christmas shopping which we've not been able to do much of anyway, but cos of our little bundle of (Emma) Joy.
As 2008 comes to a close, we as a family brace ourselves for 2009, as Emma reaches her "terrible-two" stage of her childhood, and as I continue to be busy with ensuring that the taxpayers' money don't get wasted. I'm sure the year ahead will be busy, but I know that Ade and I, and Emma aren't alone but have God with us in this journey, and with that, I'm sure we'll enjoy the sojourn through 2009.
Blessed Christmas to all our friends, and may 2009 be a purposeful and fruitful year ahead.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Training a clingy toddler?
Can we really train a clingy toddler? I've been pondering over this for the longest time. People are beginning to tell me that Emma's too clingy to me because I've allowed her to be, and at this ripe "old" age of one, she should transit to independence instead of clinging onto me. So does it mean I'd caused her to be clingy, and there's a problem with my parenting style? To be honest, I'm not pleased over this remark. I have a huge problem with this biasness towards parents with clingy kids. Why are people so quick to judge and jump into conclusion and point accusing fingers to parents with clingy toddlers? Is it really the parents' fault when they have clingy toddlers?
Yes, Emma's clingy to me. She'll wail and and cry when I'm out of her sight. I'll need to strap her onto her rocker or put her on the highchair facing the toilet whenever I need to go to the washroom. When the doorbell rings, she'll lunge towards me and cling on to me like a koala bear, refusing to let me answer the door without her on my hips. Whenever we're with strangers or in new environments, she'll hang on to me (or Roy) tightly, refusing to let them carry her even with great amount of coaxing. She's comfortable with only a few selected people, and thank God there're always grandma and grandpa when mommy needs to take a break or to run some errands without her.
From birth, she has been really sensitive and high-need and due to her slow weight gain from day 1, we've also been also trying our very best to feed her whenever she cries for it. It is especially challenging feeding her now as she is really picky and has a small appetite. With all these concerns in mind, I just can't possibly leave her alone whenever she cries or fusses - especially if she's wanting to eat - I'll most gladly drop what I'm doing just to feed her. My topmost priority now is to provide a safe and secure environment for her to grow healthily, and that may include attending to her needs promptly. Try being in my shoes for a couple of days and you'll know why I'm looking so drained nowadays. If my dear little Emma is chubby and eating fantastically well, I'll not hesitate to just leave her alone to cry for a while (not that I do not let her cry at all - that will be totally impossible if you're a stay at home mom with chores to do). To set the record straight, I do not jump to her rescue whenever she cries. I have no problem with her crying if I know she's just throwing her tantrums (look at post & video below).
I was initially suspicious that there's a problem with me and the way I parent Emma, BUT, after reading this article about clingy toddlers, I know I am not alone, and no, no, no, there is no problem with me or how I parent Emma. The problem lies with those who think clingy toddlers are a problem. So if I ignore any comments that I should start training my clingy baby girl, you'll know why. I love her just the way she is and I have no problem with her clinging on to me for now because I know that's how she shows her love to me.
Yes, Emma's clingy to me. She'll wail and and cry when I'm out of her sight. I'll need to strap her onto her rocker or put her on the highchair facing the toilet whenever I need to go to the washroom. When the doorbell rings, she'll lunge towards me and cling on to me like a koala bear, refusing to let me answer the door without her on my hips. Whenever we're with strangers or in new environments, she'll hang on to me (or Roy) tightly, refusing to let them carry her even with great amount of coaxing. She's comfortable with only a few selected people, and thank God there're always grandma and grandpa when mommy needs to take a break or to run some errands without her.
From birth, she has been really sensitive and high-need and due to her slow weight gain from day 1, we've also been also trying our very best to feed her whenever she cries for it. It is especially challenging feeding her now as she is really picky and has a small appetite. With all these concerns in mind, I just can't possibly leave her alone whenever she cries or fusses - especially if she's wanting to eat - I'll most gladly drop what I'm doing just to feed her. My topmost priority now is to provide a safe and secure environment for her to grow healthily, and that may include attending to her needs promptly. Try being in my shoes for a couple of days and you'll know why I'm looking so drained nowadays. If my dear little Emma is chubby and eating fantastically well, I'll not hesitate to just leave her alone to cry for a while (not that I do not let her cry at all - that will be totally impossible if you're a stay at home mom with chores to do). To set the record straight, I do not jump to her rescue whenever she cries. I have no problem with her crying if I know she's just throwing her tantrums (look at post & video below).
I was initially suspicious that there's a problem with me and the way I parent Emma, BUT, after reading this article about clingy toddlers, I know I am not alone, and no, no, no, there is no problem with me or how I parent Emma. The problem lies with those who think clingy toddlers are a problem. So if I ignore any comments that I should start training my clingy baby girl, you'll know why. I love her just the way she is and I have no problem with her clinging on to me for now because I know that's how she shows her love to me.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tantrums.. and the Dancing Princess...
someone's fussing cos mommy refused to let her touch mommy's iBook G4.. =P but note the classic change in facial expression and temperament when she figured out she didn't need mommy in order to get to the iBook G4 herself..
btw, she refused her own "toy" (mommy's old spoilt iBook that's on the coffee table while she was fussing)
here's little Emma dancing to the tune of "Hello Kitty" theme song.. =)
btw, she refused her own "toy" (mommy's old spoilt iBook that's on the coffee table while she was fussing)
here's little Emma dancing to the tune of "Hello Kitty" theme song.. =)
Monday, October 13, 2008
reflections.. and updates...
*** on my personal front ****
Frantic. Anxiousness. Fear. I guess these are probably the few most common emotions among many in this season. Many things seem to be heading down for the worst. A vicious cycle of bad financial climate that brought about reduced confidence and increased anxiousness, that further exacerbates the climate even more. I've to confess, while i'm no ardent stocks chaser (not that I've got the time to do so), i did feel a little unsettled and anxious over the non-ideal financial climate in the past few months.
Perhaps it's ok to feel that way for i'm still human. Well.. perhaps.. and perhaps… But i've been reminded that in doing so, i'm no different from the complaining impatient Israelites who clamoured (after just a short while into their sojourn in the wilderness in the Promised Land), and who decided to act (foolishly) according to their wisdom (or rather lack of). Phil 4:6-9 sums it all up, at least for me in not resorting to "knee-jerk" reactions, or to react without godly counsel. Whether the graphs in the markets go up or down, look up to the heavens! (Psalm 121)
Over the past few days, God's been impressing me through different instances about different things even as I sought Him in my season of transition this month.
1. I serve God. I work for God, for His kingdom purposes. (Col 3:16-17) Rewards that come with this service is something that cannot be measured by man’s imperfect and whimsical standards.
2. Where i am, especially in my work, is an ordinance by God. It's not just a job, it's a calling. And as I prepare for my next appointment this coming Thurs, the scale of the responsibility over the lives that are placed in my single pair of hands is just overwhelming. I’m looking forward to the challenge, but at the same time, I have this ambivalent feeling of inadequacy and “fear” of not doing a good job and in the process mess up hundreds of lives. This is going to stretch “See a potential, develop a potential” more into “see a potential in EVERY of the (200 plus) men and women under my charge, and develop EVERY one of them”. I know this pales in comparison to the challenge that Moses faced in leading the entire nation of Israel from Egypt into the Promised Land. But nonetheless, to me, this new appointment is a HUGE calling!
3. And with this, I’m reminded of Zech 4:6, that it’s by God’s grace and His spirit that will empower me, equip me with the necessary gifts to meet each and every challenge over this new season that I’m stepping into. I’m reminded also to not look at what's left in our hands, nor worry not abt what's not in our hands (Matt 6:25-34). But rather, look to the heavens (Psalm 121), look at what God of the impossible can do. I need faith… lots of it.. and strength to persevere the hardest and busiest of times… and wisdom to manage the time so that I don’t neglect my other calling as a husband and a father at home, and as a leader in ministry. Lots to handle.. to manage.. but I know I can, not because of my ability, but because of God’s ability to empower me to manage it all (Phil 4:13!), and I stand amazed at it. Simply blessed!
**** on my home front ****
Talk about blessed, Ade and I are just enjoying our moments with the little blessing that God entrusted us with since 16 Aug 2007... Emma Joy!
1. Much has been happening at home over the past few months. Emma's cruising a lot more now (yes yes, she's very wary and careful and isn't taking chances when it comes to walking, much like mommy when she was a baby.. heheh).
2. Emma's chatting a lot more now, talking in her own language, with those confident "as-a-matter-of-fact" facial expressions and vocal tones. Ade and I never fail to have a good laugh after playing "serious" with Emma, responding to her "as-a-matter-of-fact" chatters, as if we understood all that Emma was telling us, when in actual fact, we simply have no idea! hahaha...
3. Emma's responding a lot to our efforts to play with her. Peek-a-boo, love-love (which means hug), share (her "star" biscuit puffs).. just too much to describe, and I just can't find the words to describe the endearing moments, her cheekiness, playfulness... =P yes yes, she's very cheeky too! imitating us, e.g .sticking up her leg and shaking her finger, just as we always do when we shook our finger and said "no no, pls put down ur leg"!!
Frantic. Anxiousness. Fear. I guess these are probably the few most common emotions among many in this season. Many things seem to be heading down for the worst. A vicious cycle of bad financial climate that brought about reduced confidence and increased anxiousness, that further exacerbates the climate even more. I've to confess, while i'm no ardent stocks chaser (not that I've got the time to do so), i did feel a little unsettled and anxious over the non-ideal financial climate in the past few months.
Perhaps it's ok to feel that way for i'm still human. Well.. perhaps.. and perhaps… But i've been reminded that in doing so, i'm no different from the complaining impatient Israelites who clamoured (after just a short while into their sojourn in the wilderness in the Promised Land), and who decided to act (foolishly) according to their wisdom (or rather lack of). Phil 4:6-9 sums it all up, at least for me in not resorting to "knee-jerk" reactions, or to react without godly counsel. Whether the graphs in the markets go up or down, look up to the heavens! (Psalm 121)
Over the past few days, God's been impressing me through different instances about different things even as I sought Him in my season of transition this month.
1. I serve God. I work for God, for His kingdom purposes. (Col 3:16-17) Rewards that come with this service is something that cannot be measured by man’s imperfect and whimsical standards.
2. Where i am, especially in my work, is an ordinance by God. It's not just a job, it's a calling. And as I prepare for my next appointment this coming Thurs, the scale of the responsibility over the lives that are placed in my single pair of hands is just overwhelming. I’m looking forward to the challenge, but at the same time, I have this ambivalent feeling of inadequacy and “fear” of not doing a good job and in the process mess up hundreds of lives. This is going to stretch “See a potential, develop a potential” more into “see a potential in EVERY of the (200 plus) men and women under my charge, and develop EVERY one of them”. I know this pales in comparison to the challenge that Moses faced in leading the entire nation of Israel from Egypt into the Promised Land. But nonetheless, to me, this new appointment is a HUGE calling!
3. And with this, I’m reminded of Zech 4:6, that it’s by God’s grace and His spirit that will empower me, equip me with the necessary gifts to meet each and every challenge over this new season that I’m stepping into. I’m reminded also to not look at what's left in our hands, nor worry not abt what's not in our hands (Matt 6:25-34). But rather, look to the heavens (Psalm 121), look at what God of the impossible can do. I need faith… lots of it.. and strength to persevere the hardest and busiest of times… and wisdom to manage the time so that I don’t neglect my other calling as a husband and a father at home, and as a leader in ministry. Lots to handle.. to manage.. but I know I can, not because of my ability, but because of God’s ability to empower me to manage it all (Phil 4:13!), and I stand amazed at it. Simply blessed!
**** on my home front ****
Talk about blessed, Ade and I are just enjoying our moments with the little blessing that God entrusted us with since 16 Aug 2007... Emma Joy!
1. Much has been happening at home over the past few months. Emma's cruising a lot more now (yes yes, she's very wary and careful and isn't taking chances when it comes to walking, much like mommy when she was a baby.. heheh).
2. Emma's chatting a lot more now, talking in her own language, with those confident "as-a-matter-of-fact" facial expressions and vocal tones. Ade and I never fail to have a good laugh after playing "serious" with Emma, responding to her "as-a-matter-of-fact" chatters, as if we understood all that Emma was telling us, when in actual fact, we simply have no idea! hahaha...
3. Emma's responding a lot to our efforts to play with her. Peek-a-boo, love-love (which means hug), share (her "star" biscuit puffs).. just too much to describe, and I just can't find the words to describe the endearing moments, her cheekiness, playfulness... =P yes yes, she's very cheeky too! imitating us, e.g .sticking up her leg and shaking her finger, just as we always do when we shook our finger and said "no no, pls put down ur leg"!!
(Imitating Ade and I in "chiding" her)
4. But all these are taking a toll on Ade, who is now getting less and less rest (in terms of proper long sleep). Yet she's not complaining, nor did she give up (btw, her porridge is very tasty now!). She's one amazing mommy! I salute all mommies.. God bless mommies! =)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
she's ONE!
just as the Olympics get underway in Beijing now, we also celebrate the 1st birthday of our little darling Emma Joy, who incidently was conceived in Beijing in Dec 06! =) yes! Emma Joy's ONE year old today!
Time flies when one's busy with a growing child, esp during the first year. But looking back through the photos of Emma's growth just brings smiles despite the physical weariness. We still remember how anxious we were about Emma's weight and size in the early months since her birth. It is indeed by God's grace that she's healthy and well. Her cheekiness, her laughter, her facial expressions are all moments to relish. All these will always remain etched in Adeline's and my heart even as we grow alongside with Emma. =)
Emma Darling, have a blessed birthday! and may you continue to grow healthily, and grow in godly wisdom, and be joyful always. May the Joy of the Lord be your strength in the days ahead. - Love, Daddy and Mommy.
Time flies when one's busy with a growing child, esp during the first year. But looking back through the photos of Emma's growth just brings smiles despite the physical weariness. We still remember how anxious we were about Emma's weight and size in the early months since her birth. It is indeed by God's grace that she's healthy and well. Her cheekiness, her laughter, her facial expressions are all moments to relish. All these will always remain etched in Adeline's and my heart even as we grow alongside with Emma. =)
Emma Darling, have a blessed birthday! and may you continue to grow healthily, and grow in godly wisdom, and be joyful always. May the Joy of the Lord be your strength in the days ahead. - Love, Daddy and Mommy.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy
I just went for an Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS) Surgery yesterday.. Sounds deep and serious eh? basically it's to say bye bye to my sweaty palms.. =)
Yes yes, after 30 odd years of enduring the inconvenience of heavy perspiration from my palms, i've finally decided to go this operation to sort it out. It was a simple operation, but is categorised as a major op, cos it involves collapsing the lungs to gain access to the relevant nerves that has to be "burned"..
Thank God for a smooth and successful surgery. Other than slight tightness in the chest when i take deep breaths, and the sore throat (due to the tube that was put in durin the op to allow the collapsing of the lungs), i'm feeling fine. My hands feel dry! Yes! Now i dun need to feel uncomfortable shaking hands with pple, and now i can carry Emma freely without my sweaty palms getting in the way.
I will be discharged from the hospital today. I do pray for the keyhole surgery wounds to heal fast.
Yes yes, after 30 odd years of enduring the inconvenience of heavy perspiration from my palms, i've finally decided to go this operation to sort it out. It was a simple operation, but is categorised as a major op, cos it involves collapsing the lungs to gain access to the relevant nerves that has to be "burned"..
Thank God for a smooth and successful surgery. Other than slight tightness in the chest when i take deep breaths, and the sore throat (due to the tube that was put in durin the op to allow the collapsing of the lungs), i'm feeling fine. My hands feel dry! Yes! Now i dun need to feel uncomfortable shaking hands with pple, and now i can carry Emma freely without my sweaty palms getting in the way.
I will be discharged from the hospital today. I do pray for the keyhole surgery wounds to heal fast.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
it's been a looooooooong...
... time since we've blogged. Indeed we've got our hands full since we've been back from church camp... and we've not gotten the chance to have our both hands free to type anything much at all, and have only been able to do mouse clicking and photo uploads.
Emma was down for about 1.5 weeks since we returned from church camp in early june. It was such a heartwrenching time to see Emma sniffing and sneezing then, but despite all that, she was still so full of JOY and playful. We thank God for that! well, when we named her Emma JOY, we did pray that she'll be a filled with God's joy, that'll strengthen her through it all. Thank you Lord! Well, she did recover soon enough. I think other than the sniffing and sneezing and slight fever, I think she prob didn't know she was under the weather. hahaha.... only stressed ones were Ade and I.
Emma's has been crawling around... a LOT.. we got a playyard fencing to place around her bumper playmat. That took Emma a little while to get used to, cos she's pretty much a free-spirited baby (like mommy's personality.. hehe), and doesn't like being cooped up, or "caged up". =) we thank God she's able to play with her toys alone, albeit for short periods. At least we get to rest a little from carrying her, tending to her, and trying to make sure she doesn't venture to "dangerous" parts of the house... I can't wait to see her start walking though.. =P
Ade's really tired out. She's happy and enjoying every moment of caring for Emma everyday, but being a stay-at-home mom does sap up a LOT of energy. I'm drained mentally too, from the demands at work place. Work seems endless, and I wonder when work tempo will ever slow down, even if it's just a little bit. That seems unlikely considering the way civil service culture is. Well, gotta look beyond my issues (work), and busyness, and look up to the hills and know where my help comes from... GOD! (Psalm 121). Well, thank God for this timely word and reminder during worship practice last night. Really needed to hear it, even though it's already in my head, I know my spirit needs that reminder.
well, half a year gone.. almost a year to Emma's bday!! =) time flies, and Ade and I were just reminiscing how a year back, Emma was still kicking in Ade's womb.. and now she's kicking, rolling, crawling, and leaving her saliva trails all over the playyard, the playmat, the toys.. hahaha... We love hearing her sing, and she's beginning to enjoy worship practices as well, singing "aaaaaahhhhh.. aaahhhh" along with the songs we're practising. Each morning's a joy to see her, cos though she looks super sleepy, that sweet smile she flashes in the morning just makes us feel so warm and fuzzy..
oh, emma just had her first makeover photoshoot. Many thanks to Choon Shing and LingLing who blessed her with this photoshoot, as her early bday present. That was one of Emma's firsts.. her first time putting on makeup! hahaha....
ok.. i shall pen off now.. thanks to all friends who've been reading our reflections/ventilations (haha).. and for praying for us... we can never thank u enough! =) God bless!
Emma was down for about 1.5 weeks since we returned from church camp in early june. It was such a heartwrenching time to see Emma sniffing and sneezing then, but despite all that, she was still so full of JOY and playful. We thank God for that! well, when we named her Emma JOY, we did pray that she'll be a filled with God's joy, that'll strengthen her through it all. Thank you Lord! Well, she did recover soon enough. I think other than the sniffing and sneezing and slight fever, I think she prob didn't know she was under the weather. hahaha.... only stressed ones were Ade and I.
Emma's has been crawling around... a LOT.. we got a playyard fencing to place around her bumper playmat. That took Emma a little while to get used to, cos she's pretty much a free-spirited baby (like mommy's personality.. hehe), and doesn't like being cooped up, or "caged up". =) we thank God she's able to play with her toys alone, albeit for short periods. At least we get to rest a little from carrying her, tending to her, and trying to make sure she doesn't venture to "dangerous" parts of the house... I can't wait to see her start walking though.. =P
Ade's really tired out. She's happy and enjoying every moment of caring for Emma everyday, but being a stay-at-home mom does sap up a LOT of energy. I'm drained mentally too, from the demands at work place. Work seems endless, and I wonder when work tempo will ever slow down, even if it's just a little bit. That seems unlikely considering the way civil service culture is. Well, gotta look beyond my issues (work), and busyness, and look up to the hills and know where my help comes from... GOD! (Psalm 121). Well, thank God for this timely word and reminder during worship practice last night. Really needed to hear it, even though it's already in my head, I know my spirit needs that reminder.
well, half a year gone.. almost a year to Emma's bday!! =) time flies, and Ade and I were just reminiscing how a year back, Emma was still kicking in Ade's womb.. and now she's kicking, rolling, crawling, and leaving her saliva trails all over the playyard, the playmat, the toys.. hahaha... We love hearing her sing, and she's beginning to enjoy worship practices as well, singing "aaaaaahhhhh.. aaahhhh" along with the songs we're practising. Each morning's a joy to see her, cos though she looks super sleepy, that sweet smile she flashes in the morning just makes us feel so warm and fuzzy..
oh, emma just had her first makeover photoshoot. Many thanks to Choon Shing and LingLing who blessed her with this photoshoot, as her early bday present. That was one of Emma's firsts.. her first time putting on makeup! hahaha....
ok.. i shall pen off now.. thanks to all friends who've been reading our reflections/ventilations (haha).. and for praying for us... we can never thank u enough! =) God bless!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Jetting around
It has been the most interesting of weeks for me, cos it's the first time that I've experienced what it is to have to travel for 2 consecutive weeks.
I just returned from a week's trip to the Promised Land, and barely 24 hours after touching down Singapore on Fri, I'm now in the Land of Smiles for church camp.
Thank God for strength, and enabling me to recover from the transitions between different timezones, and it's exciting for me and Ade and Emma even more this week as this is our first family overseas vacation @ church camp! Can't wait to see what's in store for us. Thank God for a smooth flight here to the Land of Smiles. Emma slept throughout the night flight on Sat, and she was basically oblivious to the change in altitude during take-off and landing. whew! =) I'm not sure what God'll speak to us (as a family and as individuals) during this retreat, but I'm sure it'll be something Extraordinary!
ok.. it's time for dinner now.. gotta run.. and we'll update our little sojourn @ Church Camp @ Cha Am really soon..
I just returned from a week's trip to the Promised Land, and barely 24 hours after touching down Singapore on Fri, I'm now in the Land of Smiles for church camp.
Thank God for strength, and enabling me to recover from the transitions between different timezones, and it's exciting for me and Ade and Emma even more this week as this is our first family overseas vacation @ church camp! Can't wait to see what's in store for us. Thank God for a smooth flight here to the Land of Smiles. Emma slept throughout the night flight on Sat, and she was basically oblivious to the change in altitude during take-off and landing. whew! =) I'm not sure what God'll speak to us (as a family and as individuals) during this retreat, but I'm sure it'll be something Extraordinary!
ok.. it's time for dinner now.. gotta run.. and we'll update our little sojourn @ Church Camp @ Cha Am really soon..
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Sentosa Fun
I meant to post this earlier, but didn't get the time to do it. Emma's been really active now, plus she's suddenly refusing to eat her cereals, preferring only her biscuits, so my time's really consumed with watching over her and feeding her, at times up to more than an hour! I do hope her fussiness with food is just a phase and not throughout her life, or else I'll have greater headaches later trying to conjure up new recipes for this fussy eater (she can't just eat biscuits all her life right?) =P
Anyway, back to the topic of this post. Roy booked a room at the Rasa Sentosa to celebrate my birthday as well as to enjoy some family time from 1-3 May. Emma had her very 1st swim in the pool and she loved the experience, so I'll try to bring her swimming more often (if I can =P). It was meant to be a free and easy trip, so we did not venture much of Sentosa. We ended up taking naps at the hotel (well, Emma needed the naps... and so do I... =P), swam a bit, relaxed over fish & foot reflexology, and "fishy-watched" at both the Underwater World and the Pink Dolphin Lagoon. Well, we can't be too adventurous when we have a baby on tow... plus, she's still too young to comprehend most of the sights and sounds there. =P
Some of our photos capturing Emma's many firsts:
Emma getting all ready for her 1st swim.
Posing in the pool with daddy.
Kicking and splashing in the water.
"Whee! This is fun!"
The lady at the next table playing with Emma during breakfast time.
Emma was really intrigued by the colours and fishes at the Underwater World. Her eyes were practically glued to the tanks.
Fish Reflexology! It was an interesting experience for both Roy & I, and I believe Emma was having fun watching those little fishes nibbling at mommy & daddy's feet too.
Munching on her biscuits during brunch... sigh, she did not eat much of her cereals... so vexing. =P
See the bits of biscuit strategically positioned below her mouth? We nicknamed her "dracula". hahahah
Burying her head on daddy's chest cos the sun's just too glaring. (We decided to take a short walk along the beach to the hotel & the Ergo carrier was getting a tad too warm for her... I had to pry her away from her daddy so as to prevent her from over-heating... her daddy obviously wanted to carry her longer... but in carrier? Not in this heat! =P)
Posing with mommy under the shade. Ok, my hair's rather messy from the breeze, but the main star is Emma, so I guess I don't really mind posting this photo. Look at her sweet smile. =)
Our last stop before leaving Sentosa - the Pink Dolphin Lagoon. Well, on hindsight, it wasn't a good idea to bring Emma there cos she absolutely had no clue over what was happening, and the weather was scorchingly hot there... but she did enjoy watching the people and playing with some really nice uncles from Korea. =P
Anyway, back to the topic of this post. Roy booked a room at the Rasa Sentosa to celebrate my birthday as well as to enjoy some family time from 1-3 May. Emma had her very 1st swim in the pool and she loved the experience, so I'll try to bring her swimming more often (if I can =P). It was meant to be a free and easy trip, so we did not venture much of Sentosa. We ended up taking naps at the hotel (well, Emma needed the naps... and so do I... =P), swam a bit, relaxed over fish & foot reflexology, and "fishy-watched" at both the Underwater World and the Pink Dolphin Lagoon. Well, we can't be too adventurous when we have a baby on tow... plus, she's still too young to comprehend most of the sights and sounds there. =P
Some of our photos capturing Emma's many firsts:
Emma getting all ready for her 1st swim.
Posing in the pool with daddy.
Kicking and splashing in the water.
"Whee! This is fun!"
The lady at the next table playing with Emma during breakfast time.
Emma was really intrigued by the colours and fishes at the Underwater World. Her eyes were practically glued to the tanks.
Fish Reflexology! It was an interesting experience for both Roy & I, and I believe Emma was having fun watching those little fishes nibbling at mommy & daddy's feet too.
Munching on her biscuits during brunch... sigh, she did not eat much of her cereals... so vexing. =P
See the bits of biscuit strategically positioned below her mouth? We nicknamed her "dracula". hahahah
Burying her head on daddy's chest cos the sun's just too glaring. (We decided to take a short walk along the beach to the hotel & the Ergo carrier was getting a tad too warm for her... I had to pry her away from her daddy so as to prevent her from over-heating... her daddy obviously wanted to carry her longer... but in carrier? Not in this heat! =P)
Posing with mommy under the shade. Ok, my hair's rather messy from the breeze, but the main star is Emma, so I guess I don't really mind posting this photo. Look at her sweet smile. =)
Our last stop before leaving Sentosa - the Pink Dolphin Lagoon. Well, on hindsight, it wasn't a good idea to bring Emma there cos she absolutely had no clue over what was happening, and the weather was scorchingly hot there... but she did enjoy watching the people and playing with some really nice uncles from Korea. =P
Sunday, April 27, 2008
THE "momzilla"
"momzillas"... our parenthood journey thus far has no lack of encounters with "momzillas", and most of the time (or all of the time), we take their comments with a pinch of salt, and move on without being too affected emotionally. But when it's a "momzilla" who's related to us (or at least me), it's a whole different issue, cos it's a lot more emotionally draining, and tiresome. This is especially so when THE "momzilla" in question makes snide remarks that are nothing less than 100% sarcastic to insinuate our (ade's and mine) lack of parental ability, just because she (along with many other "momzillas") thinks that our baby's not plump or "fat" by their "standards".
Yes, we acknowledge that Emma's slim, and is petite, and that she's at the bottom of the baby growth charts. BUT the fact remains, that our slim, petite and nimble Emma's healthy and developing just as well, and perhaps even better in some areas. She's got gleaming eyes that speak LIFE. She eats and drinks well. She has clear dietary preferences that surprises many adults. She is able to clap her hands confidently to make the loud CLAPPING sounds, and sings along with the music, laughs along with people... I've yet to find anything in her that suggests that she's under-nourished and under-developed, and that she's in urgent need of a "weight-gain" program!
And while I can let the remarks by "common momzillas" pass without me feeling angry, I found myself unable to do the same when confronted with snide sarcastic remarks from THE "momilla" who's related to us. It would be ok if she had been more constructive in going beyond giving snide remarks, and give suggestions and help out in taking care of Emma in a more practical way. To perhaps demonstrate that indeed there is something that can be done to help Emma gain more weight, and show that it (more weight gain) is better for Emma. But no. Nothing of that sort. Nothing beyond snide sarcastic remarks that wear us down emotionally. No explicit desire to want to help practically and constructively. Only explicit signs of reluctance at any physical "responsibility" in care-giving for Emma.
It's ok with us even if there's no other help in care-giving for Emma, for Ade and I are clear that Emma's entrusted in our care, and we are the appointed care-givers for Emma. We (ade and I) are accountable to God when it comes to Emma's life. BUT we're NOT about to then allow ourselves to be trampled on and be subjected to such sarcastic and snide remarks, especially if they come from people who're related to us and who are yet unwilling to participate in a practical and constructive manner. Talk is cheap. Period.
We rebuke those remarks that attempt to tear us down and wear us down. No way are we allowing such remarks to seep into our (including Emma's) spirit. No way are we allowing such negative remarks determine our destiny as God's children. We are defined by God's plan, His word, His heart. And we thank God that He is the one who's covering us even as we learn how to be good parents to Emma. We know who we are in God, and we know that Emma (and every one of us) is unique, and "fearfully and wonderfully made" by God.
In the midst of my frustration and anger at the remarks made by THE "momzilla", I'm also prompted in my spirit to forgive and love her. It's tough. Yet I know I have to. I really don't know how to, and I'm often at my wits end thinking of how to relate to THE "momzilla". This is one area that has "plagued" me for the bulk of my adulthood, and I'm praying hard for God's wisdom to know how to relate to her better, and grace to be able to speak to her without having my words covered with frustration and anger. Help me learn to love THE "momzilla", Lord.
Yes, we acknowledge that Emma's slim, and is petite, and that she's at the bottom of the baby growth charts. BUT the fact remains, that our slim, petite and nimble Emma's healthy and developing just as well, and perhaps even better in some areas. She's got gleaming eyes that speak LIFE. She eats and drinks well. She has clear dietary preferences that surprises many adults. She is able to clap her hands confidently to make the loud CLAPPING sounds, and sings along with the music, laughs along with people... I've yet to find anything in her that suggests that she's under-nourished and under-developed, and that she's in urgent need of a "weight-gain" program!
And while I can let the remarks by "common momzillas" pass without me feeling angry, I found myself unable to do the same when confronted with snide sarcastic remarks from THE "momilla" who's related to us. It would be ok if she had been more constructive in going beyond giving snide remarks, and give suggestions and help out in taking care of Emma in a more practical way. To perhaps demonstrate that indeed there is something that can be done to help Emma gain more weight, and show that it (more weight gain) is better for Emma. But no. Nothing of that sort. Nothing beyond snide sarcastic remarks that wear us down emotionally. No explicit desire to want to help practically and constructively. Only explicit signs of reluctance at any physical "responsibility" in care-giving for Emma.
It's ok with us even if there's no other help in care-giving for Emma, for Ade and I are clear that Emma's entrusted in our care, and we are the appointed care-givers for Emma. We (ade and I) are accountable to God when it comes to Emma's life. BUT we're NOT about to then allow ourselves to be trampled on and be subjected to such sarcastic and snide remarks, especially if they come from people who're related to us and who are yet unwilling to participate in a practical and constructive manner. Talk is cheap. Period.
We rebuke those remarks that attempt to tear us down and wear us down. No way are we allowing such remarks to seep into our (including Emma's) spirit. No way are we allowing such negative remarks determine our destiny as God's children. We are defined by God's plan, His word, His heart. And we thank God that He is the one who's covering us even as we learn how to be good parents to Emma. We know who we are in God, and we know that Emma (and every one of us) is unique, and "fearfully and wonderfully made" by God.
In the midst of my frustration and anger at the remarks made by THE "momzilla", I'm also prompted in my spirit to forgive and love her. It's tough. Yet I know I have to. I really don't know how to, and I'm often at my wits end thinking of how to relate to THE "momzilla". This is one area that has "plagued" me for the bulk of my adulthood, and I'm praying hard for God's wisdom to know how to relate to her better, and grace to be able to speak to her without having my words covered with frustration and anger. Help me learn to love THE "momzilla", Lord.
Friday, April 18, 2008
sitting... crawling...
Emma's recovering from the last flu and she's now back to her active self. She's really growing up really fast and it's really amazing to see how she develops from day to day. I was just commenting to Roy last week that I saw her sitting up from her tummy down position, & we both thought it was just a fluke... but she did it again today... in fact, she did it a few more times and even started to crawl on all fours! Gosh, we've not started to baby-proof our place yet! I think we better start soon looking at how fast she's moving. =P
Sitting up from tummy position and down to tummy position again from sitting.
See her pouting lips? That's her favourite pose lately. She has been blowing bubbles a lot too.
Prior to her creeping and crawling, she has be scouting around on her bum. I found her out on the floor when she was previously on the mat when I returned from the bathroom.
"Peek-a-boo!"
"Hello!"
Sitting up from tummy position and down to tummy position again from sitting.
See her pouting lips? That's her favourite pose lately. She has been blowing bubbles a lot too.
Prior to her creeping and crawling, she has be scouting around on her bum. I found her out on the floor when she was previously on the mat when I returned from the bathroom.
"Peek-a-boo!"
"Hello!"
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Hit by the bug... again...
We brought Emma for a flu jab last night in preparation for our Thailand trip, and this morning, she woke up coughing, sniffling and sneezing. Gosh, is it a side reaction from the jab? Or did she caught it from someone with a flu virus over the weekend? Hmm... praying for her speedy recovery. She's still active and playful, so obviously she's not too affected by her runny nose & cough.
Her appetite for solids has not been too good too (and it wasn't because she's unwell). It's a time-consuming affair trying to feed her cos she'll start refusing to eat after just a few spoonful. I've tried giving her a variety of things, but it's still not very successful in getting her to eat more than a few teaspoons. Even though I'm still worried about her weight gain, she does look very healthy and active... and she poos everyday... so I guess I'll just let her catch up on her weight in her own time... and just chill. =P
Her appetite for solids has not been too good too (and it wasn't because she's unwell). It's a time-consuming affair trying to feed her cos she'll start refusing to eat after just a few spoonful. I've tried giving her a variety of things, but it's still not very successful in getting her to eat more than a few teaspoons. Even though I'm still worried about her weight gain, she does look very healthy and active... and she poos everyday... so I guess I'll just let her catch up on her weight in her own time... and just chill. =P
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Just for fun 2
More fun pictures using the same photo. heheh =)
1) Model magazine cover
2) Modern Art Museum
3) Famous Museum Portrait
4) Paparazzi shot
5) Rubik cube
6) Sketch
1) Model magazine cover
2) Modern Art Museum
3) Famous Museum Portrait
4) Paparazzi shot
5) Rubik cube
6) Sketch
Just for fun
Presenting...
1) Emma's famous museum portrait
2) Emma's magazine cover shot
and... 3) Emma's paparazzi shot
1) Emma's famous museum portrait
2) Emma's magazine cover shot
and... 3) Emma's paparazzi shot
Friday, April 4, 2008
Yay, we're going to church camp!
Church camp is in June but Roy's office denied him from taking leave for any trips as he's on reserve for a 6-months deployment overseas at the time of church camp registration. I was initially thinking of going alone with Emma, but the huge logistics involved is enough to give me a headache (imagine the luggage-full of diapers & baby food)... so we temporarily put it at the back of our minds. Two nights ago, Roy's boss just confirmed that he's not needing to go for the deployment at all. This is definitely an answered prayer, cos I was also rather reluctant for him to be away for 6 whole months - Emma may not be able to recognize him when he gets back! Anyway, now that he's got the all clear to go, we spoke to our pastor and managed to get everything arranged within 24hrs! It'll be our very first church camp as a family together at Cha-Am. Yay!
As we need to get all our details in for the church camp admin by this Saturday, we had to get Emma's passport done ASAP... so off to the ICA we went.
Well, the last mugshot we took of Emma was quite a while ago, so I decided to take another one before we went down to ICA yesterday. At the advice of a friend, we went down to our neighbourhood mall's photo shop to take a picture since we can choose the best shots among the few that'll be taken. Our dear baby was asleep prior to reaching the shop, so she looked rather dazed... and fierce. =P
Fierce hor?
Anyway, I wasn't too pleased with the above photo because it's going to be on her passport! She'll be super embarrassed when she gets older! =P So we took another mugshot at the in-house photo company at ICA.
This looks much better right? I love how her eyes sparkle. heheh
Now, it's time to buy her a swimsuit... I jokingly told Jasmine that I may get the cute blue with yellow polka dotted one that she initially bought for Cherise (but had to return and settle for another pink one), so she could still see it whenever Emma wears it. Am I "mean" to Jasmine or what? =P I'll discuss this with Roy as he's more inclined towards getting a thermal swimsuit for Emma.
As we need to get all our details in for the church camp admin by this Saturday, we had to get Emma's passport done ASAP... so off to the ICA we went.
Well, the last mugshot we took of Emma was quite a while ago, so I decided to take another one before we went down to ICA yesterday. At the advice of a friend, we went down to our neighbourhood mall's photo shop to take a picture since we can choose the best shots among the few that'll be taken. Our dear baby was asleep prior to reaching the shop, so she looked rather dazed... and fierce. =P
Fierce hor?
Anyway, I wasn't too pleased with the above photo because it's going to be on her passport! She'll be super embarrassed when she gets older! =P So we took another mugshot at the in-house photo company at ICA.
This looks much better right? I love how her eyes sparkle. heheh
Now, it's time to buy her a swimsuit... I jokingly told Jasmine that I may get the cute blue with yellow polka dotted one that she initially bought for Cherise (but had to return and settle for another pink one), so she could still see it whenever Emma wears it. Am I "mean" to Jasmine or what? =P I'll discuss this with Roy as he's more inclined towards getting a thermal swimsuit for Emma.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
TV Addict?
I know this is a bad habit, but I've resorted to letting Emma watch TV (Baby Einstein DVDs) when I need to do my chores or eat my lunch. She's not contented to just sit on her rocker & just watch me. I'm also finding it an almost impossible task to take a decent shower without her screaming for attention after just a couple of minutes.
She'll usually just watch the DVDs intently with a slight frown (she's a rather intense little girl)... that was before she saw & heard this particular song in one of the DVDs. I chanced upon her laughing the very first time I played the DVD (the particular DVD teaches the different transportation modes by land, water and air). I guess she's amused by the puppets and the cute song about the bus. At this age, I never knew she can actually respond to what she watches. I'm actually pleasantly surprised this song can evoke such a happy response from her. heh... So now, that's her favourite song for the week. She'll squeal happily whenever this song appears. I took a video of her laughing and hand dancing away simply because she looked too adorable. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though that she'll not become a TV addict when she grows older. I guess I'll have to restrict the amount of time she watches TV when she's a bit older because it'll be inevitable for them to be exposed to the TV since it's a fixture in our living rooms, right?
She'll usually just watch the DVDs intently with a slight frown (she's a rather intense little girl)... that was before she saw & heard this particular song in one of the DVDs. I chanced upon her laughing the very first time I played the DVD (the particular DVD teaches the different transportation modes by land, water and air). I guess she's amused by the puppets and the cute song about the bus. At this age, I never knew she can actually respond to what she watches. I'm actually pleasantly surprised this song can evoke such a happy response from her. heh... So now, that's her favourite song for the week. She'll squeal happily whenever this song appears. I took a video of her laughing and hand dancing away simply because she looked too adorable. I'm keeping my fingers crossed though that she'll not become a TV addict when she grows older. I guess I'll have to restrict the amount of time she watches TV when she's a bit older because it'll be inevitable for them to be exposed to the TV since it's a fixture in our living rooms, right?
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Mystery
Something has been baffling us since Emma and I both got the flu - she suddenly hates taking bath. It's a battle trying to bathe her because as soon as her feet touches the water, she'll shriek and wail. We've tried many different ways and methods to wash her and we're reluctant to just sponge her because it's not a good enough method to clean her completely, especially in this hot and humid weather. It's a mystery why she would just hate the water so suddenly when just prior to the both of us falling sick, she was enjoying her baths, splishing and splashing in the water. Roy did not even have a chance to put her in the water during the weekend when I was too ill to bathe her (that was two weeks ago) - she'll scream and cry as if she's entering a pot of boiling oil. Sigh...
It wasn't getting any better when I took over last week. I'd tried changing the timings of the bath (from morning to afternoon to evening); we went down to the baby fair to buy some bath toys to place in the tub; I'd tried placing her on my lap and rinsing her with the cup; I'd tried showering her instead of putting her into the bathtub; I'd even tried feeding her while bathing her! Predictably, nothing works. Sigh...
Roy suspects that she might have a nightmare about water or she could have been traumatized by something 2 weeks ago (what did daddy do or not do? hmm... =P). In desperation, I goggled about this and found out that it could be a phase babies go through. I really do hope it's just a phase.
For the past few days, I've been praying before bathing her - for God to remove her anxiousness and her fear of water. Prayer works! This morning, I successfully bathed her without a cry from her even though she still looked slightly frightened when I first lowered her into the bathtub. She stayed in the water for quite a while playing with her toys & she even started to splash the water a bit. It's definitely a major improvement from last week and I'm ecstatic over the change. Let's hope it'll be better tomorrow and that she'll soon start to enjoy her bath again.
It wasn't getting any better when I took over last week. I'd tried changing the timings of the bath (from morning to afternoon to evening); we went down to the baby fair to buy some bath toys to place in the tub; I'd tried placing her on my lap and rinsing her with the cup; I'd tried showering her instead of putting her into the bathtub; I'd even tried feeding her while bathing her! Predictably, nothing works. Sigh...
Roy suspects that she might have a nightmare about water or she could have been traumatized by something 2 weeks ago (what did daddy do or not do? hmm... =P). In desperation, I goggled about this and found out that it could be a phase babies go through. I really do hope it's just a phase.
For the past few days, I've been praying before bathing her - for God to remove her anxiousness and her fear of water. Prayer works! This morning, I successfully bathed her without a cry from her even though she still looked slightly frightened when I first lowered her into the bathtub. She stayed in the water for quite a while playing with her toys & she even started to splash the water a bit. It's definitely a major improvement from last week and I'm ecstatic over the change. Let's hope it'll be better tomorrow and that she'll soon start to enjoy her bath again.
Monday, March 24, 2008
A complete disaster!
Emma has been rubbing her eyes rather frequently lately and I was initially quite puzzled why the constant rubbing - it is especially messy whenever she rubs her eyes/nose while eating her mushed porridge - spreading the goo all over her face. It only dawned on me this morning that it could be because of her hair. Her fringe is getting rather long and her hair is poking her eyes so I took the liberty of cutting her hair this afternoon. It should be relatively easy cutting baby's hair, right? (or so I thought)... wrong thinking... I placed Emma onto the bumbo chair, tore a hole in the newspaper and placed the newspaper over her head (like a bib) so as to prevent the snipped hair from poking her. What seemed easy in my mind was entirely the reverse in reality. I momentarily forgot that I'm dealing with an active baby with unpredictable movements. She moved her head so much that I snipped off too much... and too high.
It was a complete disaster and I ruined my daughter's hairstyle! Sigh...
Understandably, Roy wasn't too happy with my handiwork when I MMS'ed him this picture. I tried feebly to comb her hair to the side hoping that it'll at least look ok and will hide what I did. It didn't work obviously.
In my last desperate attempt, I took a cab to United Square to see if the baby hairdresser could salvage what I'd done. The end result is...
"Mommy, what have you done to my hair??"
She looks like Dora the explorer now. (sigh) =P
I've learnt my lesson... the next time I do attempt to cut her hair, I'll do it while she sleeps. =P
It was a complete disaster and I ruined my daughter's hairstyle! Sigh...
Understandably, Roy wasn't too happy with my handiwork when I MMS'ed him this picture. I tried feebly to comb her hair to the side hoping that it'll at least look ok and will hide what I did. It didn't work obviously.
In my last desperate attempt, I took a cab to United Square to see if the baby hairdresser could salvage what I'd done. The end result is...
"Mommy, what have you done to my hair??"
She looks like Dora the explorer now. (sigh) =P
I've learnt my lesson... the next time I do attempt to cut her hair, I'll do it while she sleeps. =P
Sunday, March 16, 2008
7 months old
Wow, Emma is 7 months old today. Time really flies. We (baby and I) were both down with viral infection this week. I started having food poisoning symptoms on Monday night, culminating into full blown vomiting on Friday (sigh, everything I ate went down the toilet bowl. I lost 2kgs after this ordeal.) Our princess started having runny nose on Wednesday, and the doctor said it may last for 3 weeks. Poor girl, the runny nose is causing her not to sleep well throughout the night. It was a tiring week for me, but Emma still looks fine and playful. In fact, she has progressed once again developmentally and is able to sit without support.
(Right now, she's reaching for my laptop while sitting up). I'm going to grab as much rest as I can for now... Alrite Emma, time to meet the zzzz monster together while daddy buys breakfast for sick mommy. (Roy has been doing great taking care of the both of us while we were under the weather. =D)
(Right now, she's reaching for my laptop while sitting up). I'm going to grab as much rest as I can for now... Alrite Emma, time to meet the zzzz monster together while daddy buys breakfast for sick mommy. (Roy has been doing great taking care of the both of us while we were under the weather. =D)
Friday, March 7, 2008
Caught in the act
Remember my earlier post on her doing her acrobatic stunts? Well, she did it again this morning and to top it off, her toe was in her mouth! I couldn't stop laughing! LOL!! But, I think I should discourage her from sucking her toes. I mean, it's not a good habit to have, plus, it wouldn't look too pretty for a girl to have her toe in her mouth, right? Hmm... We were out shopping last Saturday with her in her stroller. I was just wondering why we were drawing smiles and laughters from people walking past us until a Malay couple we met in the lift joked and said, "ah, kungfu!" She was holding her legs wide apart, in the air!! (Just like in the video. But she one-upped herself this morning - legs up, no hands) hahahah. Maybe we should consider enrolling her in gymnastics classes? She may one day earn a medal and make Singapore proud. heehee.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Say "ah"
Emma's rolling left, right, front and back on our queen-sized bed now, so I thought I would just update a bit. Yes, she's getting all wriggly now, pivoting 360 degrees on her tummy & flipping like nobody's business. She's also preferring to sit or stand with support, protesting when she's on her back or tummy for too long. I chanced upon her managing to sit without support while playing her toy drum, but that was just a fleeting moment. She's still more comfortable sitting with her arms as support. She did it for a full 2 minutes today! Yes, I timed her. =D
I found another use for the pacifier - instead of letting it collect dust on the shelf, it can be used as a teether! haha...
I was pleasantly surprised this morning too while feeding baby some rice cereal - she started saying "ah" and opening her mouth each time she wants more food. My baby's starting to communicate to me more, besides just crying. I'm one proud mommy. =D
(Emma looking happy after her lunch. Taken a few days ago)
I found another use for the pacifier - instead of letting it collect dust on the shelf, it can be used as a teether! haha...
I was pleasantly surprised this morning too while feeding baby some rice cereal - she started saying "ah" and opening her mouth each time she wants more food. My baby's starting to communicate to me more, besides just crying. I'm one proud mommy. =D
(Emma looking happy after her lunch. Taken a few days ago)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Teething?
Emma has been chomping onto whatever she can lay her hands on: her teethers (thank God she likes them, but she'll still do the "pretend-to-bite-on-teether, but-actually-sucking-her-fingers" gimmick), her toys, the highchair tray, the bumboo seat, me, and the latest... Big Bird! I think she must be teething and her first tooth may pop out anytime soon (well, in the next 2 months or so I think).
Here's a video of her chomping down on Big Bird (I was trying my very best not to laugh out loud)... poor Big Bird. =P
Here's a video of her chomping down on Big Bird (I was trying my very best not to laugh out loud)... poor Big Bird. =P
Friday, February 22, 2008
Adorable moments
Since Roy'd assembled the IKEA highchair, I thought it would be nice to feed Emma from her highchair this morning instead of her rocker. This is to also let her get used to sitting on the highchair for meals. Well, I put her on the highchair and went about preparing her breakfast in the kitchen... look what I found when I went back to the living room? She's resting her head on the tray! She looked too adorable for me to resist a "Kodak" moment... and she was still at this pose even after I went hunting for a camera! hahaha... I think she's trying to reach for her legs - that has been her habit lately. =P
She's easily tickled nowadays too. She has been laughing at the slightest thing - she laughed when she first saw me with a shower cap; she'll laugh when we lift her off her feet into the air; she'll also laugh when I take her off her bed and put her on her tummy, even when just a minute ago, she was wailing - that's because she does not want to go to sleep yet. I was feeding her after her late morning nap & she did something naughty... so I gave her a look and said "hmm?" Check out her response. It really makes me wonder if I'm still able to pull a straight face & still discipline her the next time she does something naughty. But right now, she's just too adorable for me to "scold" her. I'll just enjoy these adorable moments as much as I can for now. =D
She's easily tickled nowadays too. She has been laughing at the slightest thing - she laughed when she first saw me with a shower cap; she'll laugh when we lift her off her feet into the air; she'll also laugh when I take her off her bed and put her on her tummy, even when just a minute ago, she was wailing - that's because she does not want to go to sleep yet. I was feeding her after her late morning nap & she did something naughty... so I gave her a look and said "hmm?" Check out her response. It really makes me wonder if I'm still able to pull a straight face & still discipline her the next time she does something naughty. But right now, she's just too adorable for me to "scold" her. I'll just enjoy these adorable moments as much as I can for now. =D
You just can't fool her
I tried introducing the Heinz diluted apple juice to Emma this morning, but she would rather drink water than the apple juice - gave her trademark "want-to-puke" face whenever she tasted apple juice. =P (the apple juice was in her sippy cup initially, but the volume remained unchanged, so I've got to spoon feed her instead. haha)
Oops, her protests are getting louder by the minute. She's wanting to nap... I'll just post the video for you to enjoy.
Oops, her protests are getting louder by the minute. She's wanting to nap... I'll just post the video for you to enjoy.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Snapshots from a typical day
Here're some pictures of a typical day in Emma Joy's life... (all taken today. heh =D)
We're thinking of going to the church camp & realised that Emma needs to have her passport done, so I decided to take a mugshot of her when she woke up. She was looking dazed and confused in this picture. hahaha
Complaining while waiting for mommy to finish washing up in the morning.
I tried putting her in her cot or playmat while I go about doing my chores, but she'll usually start to cry within a few minutes. To buy me more time, I'll just put her in her rocker and let her watch me instead. I'll play peek-a-boo with her while doing my chores until she starts complaining. =P
Emma, the acrobat, while eating her breakfast. She has learnt how to suck her toes! (horrors!)
Since her rice cereal debut, I've let her try Heinz's Organic Baby Vegetables (sweet potato, potato, sweet corn, & carrot) & Heinz's Pumpkin and Sweet Corn puree. The first time she tried the baby veg puree, she gave a want-to-puke face. I had to mix the puree into the rice cereal before she's willing to swallow it. She loves the pumpkin & sweet corn puree though. =)
Still doing her acrobatic stunts even after mommy took off her socks (which is sticky with puree and rice cereal... yucky yucks.)
Drinking water from the sippy cup. Emma's getting quite efficient with that.
Playing with her toys.
Playing with the Sesame Street playgym while sitting on the Bumboo.
Flipping and tummy time in her cot after a change of diapers.
Afternoon nap time after listening to mommy read a bible story in both English & Mandarin.
(she loves listening to stories & will get excited just seeing me holding the book)
Trying out eating dinner in the Ikea highchair.
... and bath time! (censored, so no pictures. ha!)
We're thinking of going to the church camp & realised that Emma needs to have her passport done, so I decided to take a mugshot of her when she woke up. She was looking dazed and confused in this picture. hahaha
Complaining while waiting for mommy to finish washing up in the morning.
I tried putting her in her cot or playmat while I go about doing my chores, but she'll usually start to cry within a few minutes. To buy me more time, I'll just put her in her rocker and let her watch me instead. I'll play peek-a-boo with her while doing my chores until she starts complaining. =P
Emma, the acrobat, while eating her breakfast. She has learnt how to suck her toes! (horrors!)
Since her rice cereal debut, I've let her try Heinz's Organic Baby Vegetables (sweet potato, potato, sweet corn, & carrot) & Heinz's Pumpkin and Sweet Corn puree. The first time she tried the baby veg puree, she gave a want-to-puke face. I had to mix the puree into the rice cereal before she's willing to swallow it. She loves the pumpkin & sweet corn puree though. =)
Still doing her acrobatic stunts even after mommy took off her socks (which is sticky with puree and rice cereal... yucky yucks.)
Drinking water from the sippy cup. Emma's getting quite efficient with that.
Playing with her toys.
Playing with the Sesame Street playgym while sitting on the Bumboo.
Flipping and tummy time in her cot after a change of diapers.
Afternoon nap time after listening to mommy read a bible story in both English & Mandarin.
(she loves listening to stories & will get excited just seeing me holding the book)
Trying out eating dinner in the Ikea highchair.
... and bath time! (censored, so no pictures. ha!)
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