don't like to sleep alone

Joseph has a new 'habit'. He doesn't want to be carried and rocked to sleep anymore. That's not a totally bad thing considering he now weighs almost 11kg and my arms feel like breaking after 5 minutes of rocking him. It has been 4 nights now that he has fallen asleep on our bed, snuggled up to me as I gently pat his diaper-padded bum. After he goes to dreamland, we gently lift him and put him in his cot. But sometime during the night, he will wake up and cry till we place him on our bed and he snuggles up to me with his head buried somewhere in the crevice of my armpit. When I'm too tired, I let him fall asleep and I too doze off. But I can never sleep too soundly for fear of rolling over on him and crushing him. So edwin and I take turns to put him back in his cot. At least we get a few more hours of sound sleep. that's right....I will soon be 1!

south of the border

We spent the weekend in Singapore. Joseph's second trip to Singapore. And he's not even 1 yet. He'll be exactly 11 months tomorrow. Back to the weekend... We travelled down on Friday. I took the day off. Spent the morning alone with Joseph. Such a refreshing change from work. We arrived in Singapore only at about 9.30pm. The journey disrupted Joseph's schedule to the extent that he was a cranky unhappy baby by the time we arrived which was past his regular bedtime. I struggled to pacify him and put him to bed. Finally succeeded after almost an hour by which time I was absolutely drained of every ounce of strength. Just wanted to plop into bed but I was feeling too yucky. A cold shower quickly refreshed me. After some supper, I finally slept at past 11pm. Saturday morning, we went to Zion Bible Presbyterian Church for my cousins's wedding. I haven't seen this cousin in donkey years so I was surprised I could recognize him. Then again, it wasn't too difficult since he was the groom. Joseph got to 'phang teh' to John and his lovely bride Justina. Really sweet looking bride. The travelling and wedding must have tired Joseph out real bad. He slept soundly from 2.00-3.30pm without so much as twitching a muscle that I had to check if he was still breathing. Then at 4pm, he started to yawn again so I put him to sleep again and he slept for almost another hour. After that....absolutely refreshed, he tore all over the place playing with the numerous toy trucks and cars and climbing the stairs. Yeah, that's another first - climbing stairs. And he amazed me by climbing so fast. Could even gostan. Sunday was spent travelling. We left Singapore at 9am and arrived home in KL only at 9pm. No, it wasn't a 12-hour journey. There were plenty of stops. 2 in JB for lunch and visitation. Then spent another few hours in Seremban where we had our showers and dinner. Joseph went to sleep as soon as we got home. Tiring weekend it was. Next time we go to Singapore it'll have to be for longer than just a weekend. Didn't quite get to spend as much time with the boys as we'd like to.

another tooth

Joseph's got another tooth already. That makes a grand total of 5 teeth in his little mouth. Actually it's not that little. Kinda big since he can stuff his entire fist into it. In universal dentistry terms, tooth 82 has just erupted. But I notice that it's rotated. The distal end is a wee bit too lingual. This gets me worried. WIll just have to wait till the entire tooth is fully erupted to see if it really is rotated. Good thing is that he has stopped grinding his teeth.

first fall

Yesterday Joseph fell for the first time in his life. He fell off the bed. My heart fell out the window. I had just finished washing his bum. Put him down on the bed...one hand trying to hang on to him while he turned around and tried to scurry off as he often did....one hand trying to dry his bum with a towel...another hand trying to get the cream to apply on his bum. Wait a minute....I only have 2 hands. That must be how he fell. I let go of him for a split second. He crawled to the edge of the bed with lightning speed, dived over the bolster that was at the edge and landed head first on the floor, his legs following like a somersault. Usually, this smart little baby stops at the edge of the bed, knowing that he's not supposed to go over. But yesterday, the bolster was blocking his view and my poor little baby innocently and trustingly dived over as he always liked to do. He cried so loudly! I rushed over, scooped him up in my arms and tried to comfort him. After crying for what seemed like eternity, he smiled at my funny face and giggled. I checked his head thoroughly. Tested his intelligence by asking him to do all the things he usually does. He still knew how to high 5. I was relieved.

bubble bath

It's been a long time since I took a bubble bath. In fact, it has been so long I don't remember when. Splashing around in a tub of water (warm, of course) covered in bubbles - such is the simple pleasure that elicits so much laughter and joy from my little baby. Actually he's not so little a baby anymore. He's growing (so fast!) into a toddler. A babbling tumbling toddler.

Anyway, back to the bubble bath... sure makes me feel like getting into that tub with him. It wouldn't fit me though. But sure looks like a lot of fun. Bubble bath anyone?

cake research

I had a mission. To research how much it would cost to order a custom-made birthday cake for Joseph. The requirement - it had to be in the shape of a number 1. After visits to several bakeries, I have decided that I will bake it myself and channel the money to Joseph's college fund. Yup, Joseph will have a bigger college fund, AND a number 1-shaped birthday cake, baked with loads of tender loving care. Now to find the perfect recipe to bake the cake....

babytalk

bwah bah bvah whatever. That's what Joseph has been saying in this past 2 days. I tell him "pa pa" and point to Edwin. He looks at me, then continues his babbling. Again, music to my ears.

See how I've grown. Almost a year ago, I was a tiny, almost-immobile, vomiting, poo-ing and pee-ing bundle. Now, I do much more than poo and pee. I'm learning about gravity. It's amazing how loudly my grandma laughs when I throw plastic balls out of my play pen. She laughs even louder when I splatter food all over myself during meals. And she thinks I'm a genius. Must be my charming smile :-)

blissful refreshing sleep

Joseph slept for a total of 10.5 continuous hours last night. I too slept blissfully. Felt refreshed this morning after the few consecutive nights of disturbed sleep resulting in a splitting headache and dizzyness yesterday morning. Having had enough sleep last night, Joseph was a cheerful happy baby this morning. He bounced and rolled all over our bed. And he's just learning the effects of gravity. He grabs his towels or plastic toy balls and throws them over the edge of the bed. then he goes to the edge to look at it on the floor. I pick it up and put it back on the bed. He picks it up and throws it again the squeals with laughter. Music to my ears indeed.

Beethoven or Schumacher

We spent the weekend in Seremban. Joseph must have really enjoyed himself. Me, I need another weekend to recuperate. On Friday night, hewoke up at some unearthly hour and decided he needed some body warmth. So he snuggled himself in between Edwin and I. Actually he snuggled right next to me. After he crawled all over me and almost pushed me off the bed, he buried his head somewhere in armpit and fell asleep. On Saturday night, he did the same. But this time, he refused to fall asleep until I got up and rocked him to sleep. So there I was at 4 o'clock in the morning 'dancing' around and singing Jesus loves me this I know. Over the weekend, Joseph played the piano, squashed a couple of ants, drove a car and played the drums. Actually, to be more accurate, Joseph banged on the piano, held the steering wheel while I drove and whacked the drums. He really did squash the ants though. I am amazed that he has the ability to track a teeny weeny ant that is crawling on the floor (which is not clear plain tiles...see photo) and aim his tiny pudgy finger at it to squash it.

huff puff huff puff

10 minutes on a treadmill

30 minutes on stretching machines

10 minutes on a ski machine

Hardly worked up a sweat.

So my kiasu-ness drove me to go to California Fitness on a Friday afternoon when I could have been sleeping during my extra-long lunch break. After all, I had a 10-day VIP pass made out in my name. And I have this post-pregnancy layer of flab around my midriff which refuses to go away no matter how much exercise I do. Thus far, my exercise is limited to 'dancing' with Joseph while trying to put him to sleep and shopping with Joseph strapped to me in a sarong sling. This is by no means a walk in the park since Joseph weighs a hefty 10.5kg. That's 500gm more than a huge sack of rice. I realize he's not going to get any lighter and I should try to train him to fall asleep on his own in his cot instead of being rocked to sleep. But it's latter is a much more peaceful way.

So for now, it's 'dancing' for exercise. That's my 2006 aspiration - exercise.

10 months and counting

10 months. That's how long it has been since I was lying in the operation theatre as the doctors prepared to sembelih me. Time flies. It really does. Joseph has grown from a 49 cm-long, 3.44kg bundle of crying, pooh-ing newborn to a 77cm-long, 10.5kg chubbily heavy and super-active baby.

In 2 months, he'll be a toddler. We're thinking of how we'll be celebrating his 1st birthday. Since it falls on Good Friday, won't be very appropriate to throw a party. My sister says we must...absolutely must get a cake in the shape of a number 1. Coz she had a number 1 cake, and I had a number 1 cake. So Joseph must have a number 1 cake.

Wonder if TGIF makes their yummy mocha mud pie in the shape of a number 1.

Wonder how much it would cost? Sponsors anyone???

peek-a-boo

Joseph learnt to play peekaboo...
Now you see me...

Now you don't!

Chap Goh Meh last night. Had another loh sang session with my in-laws. Merry merry lau juak time. This is Joseph in his kung fu outfit. A hand-me-down as usual. 

Joseph's first Chinese New Year! He ate the ang pows. Chap Goh Meh is not here yet....collect! collect! 

This is our bundle of joy. The light of our life.