Some people have asked us whether we need to try solids so soon. Ethan is now 1 week shy of 5 months old. Baby manuals say around 4-6 months, depending on the individual baby. Ethan's been happpy with his milk and hasn't been waking up due to hunger or requesting more frequent feeds, but we did notice that the last couple of days he's been biting more (and harder) and has been "smacking his lips". We've also been giving him a spoon to play with on occasion so that he grows accustomed to this new toy.
The best thing about it was how satisfied he looked after this new meal. He went into a drowsy state, staring at his mobile - a look that we last saw when he was much younger and very full on milk. He's now sleeping... well... like a baby!
At U. Kenneth and A. Bee's he behaved himself very well and allowed his Uncle & Auntie to hold him for a while so we could grab this great picture. It's the first time they have seen Ethan since the moon yuet. He was small then but is not quite big for his age, weighing in at just over 7kg now. In the picture above, the toy "tape worm" next to Ethan is a measuring worm 60cm long, so you can see that he is quite "long" now! 
At one spot, a seal decided to come up the ramp and pose with Ethan!
The surrounding area is quite lovely. It was a sunny yet not-too-hot day and we enjoyed the bay views. Ethan and Daddy often wore their matching hats with printed nams "Ethan" and "Ivan" given to us by church friends Norman & Janet. It was perfect for Ethan as it shielded his eyes from the harsh Aussie sun.
After a tiring day walking around we settled into the Lindt Cafe for refreshment and Ethan's lunch by the bay.
Have you noticed that Ethan's hair looks neater now? That's because he had his first haircut last week. We couldn't take pictures as it took both Mummy and Daddy to pull it off. Mummy sat him on the bathroom counter-top with his feet in the sink while Daddy trimmed his sides and top. Even more handsome than usual!
It was a special trip not only because it was Ethan's first overseas trip but the first time U. Adrian and A. Ruth got to see their first and favourite nephew (Ruth is Renata's sister - they live in Sydney). We told Ethan to behave well and endear himself to his uncle and auntie so that he would spur them on "toward love and good works" (Heb 10:24 heavily out of context). We don't know if it worked or not, but the 3 of them sure got along well!
Overall, Ethan was a good traveller and though we had to plan our schedule around his feeds and needs, he brought everyone much joy with his smiles and laughter. We're trying to decide where to go for the next family holiday that's baby-friendly!
Ethan's been really good recently - except for not wanting to take the bottle. He was very happy taking it from birth but recently has become a bit fussy, wanting Mummy at feed times. The funny schedule last week with Ivan going in and out during 24.7 Prayer probably confused the poor baby too! But he must get used to the bottle again as Renata is back to part-time work so Ethan must be able to drink happily at the grandparent's homes!
He's a real charmer, but look out when he's on a crying spree! Gosh...
Ethan looks very happy at home even though Daddy is on the other side of the world! Ivan has just finished Urbana06 and is preparing to fly home soon. He will arrive just after midnight on 3 Jan, so Ethan will be taking a late night drive to the airport to see his Daddy. Ivan had a great time teaching, ministering, and receiving at Urbana, but is missing home with Renata and Ethan. See you soon my son!
It was a special Sunday today as Grandpa and Grandma came to visit Woodlands EFC cos Ivan was preaching. Here they are with Pastor Kenny, our senior pastor who once had the pleasure of Grandma's roast pork earlier in the year. It was also the first time Ethan heard Daddy preach, and we had hoped Ethan would sit through the entire sermon but he started to cry when he heard Pastor Edward's booming voice during the announcements.
Picture above is Ethan in the spinning egg chair. It isn't spinning here... yet. But after Ethan got comfortable, I twirled him around at startling speed and he loved it. Funny how kids like feeling dizzy! Didn't want to overdo it so we moved over to the driving circuit. Daddy provided all necessary sound effects happily seated on the floor with Ethan
Things were going wonderfully well but the day was far from over yet. We enjoyed many of the children's rooms and Ethan exercised and swung around with these hanging curtains. This was perfect timing cos a few weeks ago, Ethan's shoes were quite new and he was just getting used to it all. It was so fun we were even thinking about where we could hang these swinging curtains in our home!Things just got and better when we found the slide! I ran over and lifted Ethan to the top. The very first time he looked down at the slide and looked at me apprehensively. A gentle push and as Ethan slid down, his expression changed to pure ecstatic joy. He screamed with laughter, got to the bottom and strained towards the slide to go again. The video really captures this well. It shows him going down twice, but we must have done the slides close to 20 times. The icing on the cake was that it was air-conditioned so Daddy didn't have to sweat at all!
Heather was happy to see Ethan too and wanted to sit next to him at lunch time. Here she is posing with her cousin while holding onto her precious balloon.
Another video of Ethan's bath, but this time he's much bigger and talking more. Weighing in at over 5.5 kg and 2.5 months old, here's our little tiger!
Grandma came over to see how Mummy and Ethan were doing. In the afternoons, Ethan now likes to spend some time on the floor with his Baby Gym. It's also a good place for us to stretch his limbs and play with him! He looks so cute with his little smile! Wouldn't you want to baby sit him?
Last week Ethan's Grand Aunties Diana & Monica came visiting from as far away as South Africa and Perth and we had a nice family reunion over sushi at Goo Ma's place.
Mummy made Chawan-mushi (steamed egg) to accompany the healthy sushi and here is the recipe if you would like to try it too! It serves about 4-6 depending on the size of your Chawan cups.
Chawan Mushi
3 eggs
2 3/4 cups of Dashi (bonito fish stock)
6 prawns
3 Shiitake mushrooms
1/4 Unagi (broiled eel)
Preboil the prawns after marinating them in a little sake wine and salt. Grill/toast the mushrooms before slicing them. This brings out their fragrance more fully. Slice the unagi lengthwise.
Beat the eggs and mix with the Dashi, sake (1 tsp), mirin (sweet sake) (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp), soya sauce (a dash). Divide the egg mixture into the Chawan cups and add in the prawns, mushroom & Unagi. Place the cups into a steamer and steam at low heat for about 20 minutes or so. The trick in making Chawan-mushi is to make sure you control the heat well so that the egg is cooked evenly and comes out with a smooth and custard-like texture. (Using too much heat will result in bubbles and uneven texture.) -- It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it!
Enjoy your Chawan Mushi!
