Sea Urchin Lessons

We bought this cheap toy a long time ago and Ethan loves it. When you shake it it lights up and flashes and multiple colours and it's made of this rubbery material that is reaaaally stretchy. It looks like a hot pink sea-urchin with a smiley face with a long dangly stretchy string. Ethan loves playing with it!

Friendly sea urchin only costs $1 so it's definitely made in China and perhaps has some unsafe substances in it with all the news reports going on nowadays. But gosh, it's near impossible to avoid all made-in-China items isn't it? Thus, we pray that there is no such thing as pink-dyed lead rubbery-stretchies... especially since Ethan loves "twanging" it with his two front teeth.

Daddy tries to make appropriate twanging sounds of varying pitch and volume depending on how hard Ethan pulls on it with his hands and how far he pulls it back with his teeth. This is elementary guitar theory going on here... together with some amplitude, frequency, and tension lessons. Dunno if Ethan is picking up anything from it yet.

Charming Pair

We didn't have that many pictures of Renata and Ethan before because he was often breastfeeding so I (Ivan) can't post pictures of that! But now I get more presentable pics of my lovely wife and cute son! Ethan is fully on the bottle, and the milk bar is closing down, getting ready to re-open only for "next shift". Dunno when that will happen...only God knows! Ethan sure doesn't know what's coming when he's no longer the centre-of-the-universe.

We're especially enjoying the last couple of weeks with him. He's weaned, sleeping better, in a good mood, and we think he lost a bit of fat so he's looking that much more handsome! Don't tell him, but he was actually quite fat about a month ago. We didn't post any of the double-chin and puffy cheek pictures, and certainly not the tired-looking ones of all of us when he refused naps and woke up at night for a while...

Reaching Out

Ethan's arms seem to be getting longer as he reaches out to explore even more of the world around him -- and we have had to put our baby lotions, tissues and baby powder further and further from the edge of the bed! He's been getting extra reach now that he can pull himself up to a kneeling position and is now able to turn on his Mozart mobile high up on his bed for some naptime entertainment.

This morning we left the tissues a little too close to the edge and I walked in after putting him down for his nap to find him sitting and smiling in the middle of a nest of shredded tissues....

Paragon Day Trip

After an early morning feed immediately followed by an early morning nap, we all roused ourselves to go down to Paragon for a half-day outing. We wanted to show Ethan the kiddy playground there. He loses out to the other kids of course, cos he's still too small. Though he had fun on the rubbery floor he still likes his seat on Daddy's shoulders the best!

Lunch was at the Soup Spoon downstairs. Ethan gobbled up his pumpkin and rice porridge (from Mum's Kitchen) even before Daddy sat down with his soup! A passer-by helped us take this nice photo.

A bit of baby-biscuit shopping, and 15 min later we were in the car heading home and Ethan was out like a light. He's still snoozing now after his grand day out.

Fun with Books

Ethan got his first introduction to books early on at around his 2nd month, but apart from biting on them (see "Eat This Book" posted on 17 Mar) he didn't quite take to them and his short attention span soon moved on to other toys. So we are really pleased that of late he has shown much more interest and real engagement with the books we read with him! He not only enjoys looking at the pictures but also loves turning the pages too!

Bus Ride

Ethan had his first SBS Bus Ride last Thursday (his actual first bus ride was at Sentosa a month ago). It was Daddy's day off but Mummy had to work so off she went in the morning while the guys spent time together. After behaving well and a lovely nap, the boys decided to surprise Mummy so instead of waiting for her to come pick us up we took the bus to Mummy's office!

It's nice and easy cos the 66 goes straight from our home to BRMC. Both boys got rather hot waiting for the bus though, and Dad had to figure out how to hold baby, carry stroller and baby bag, and tap EZ Link cards while getting on and off. Phew! It was fun and Ethan loved all the new sights and sounds. He almost liked it as much as Mummy did when we surprised her!

blurred photo taken with one hand on moving bus while steadying wriggly baby

Sleep Routines

It's been a joy watching Ethan growing and learning how to do new things every other week. However with his greater awareness of the world around and a growing ability to control it, he has also acquired the ability to keep himself awake through sheer willpower (and the insatiable desire to play play play!) Being awake is just so much more fun than sleeping, and here he is 45 minutes after being put down for his nap and looking as bright as a lark!

So far nap times have required a of patience and there are times when we fall asleep before he does! Still, we are persevering in trying to get Ethan into a morning and afternoon nap routine, as it is likely to get harder the older and more active he gets.

We are still trying to figure out how best to work the routine, but here are a few things we learnt that Ethan likes at bed/nap times :

• a bottle of warm milk seems to calm him while helping him feel full and comfortable
• his nappy blanket which he likes for us to 'tuck, tuck, tuck' him into
• a calming song (sometimes he sings along!)
• his pacifier (although we try to use it as a last resort)
• a quiet and boring environment (so there is less incentive to stay awake)

Do share any sleep tips that have worked for you -- we would love to hear your suggestions!

He's just fallen asleep behind me about 1 hour after I first put him down -- Peace on Earth at last!!

Strangers Keep Touching Me!

It's universally known that babies bring people's guards down and everyone will warm to a cute and smiling baby. Yet, it's funny how in western countries people will coo at the baby and talk to you while in Singapore people will talk to the baby and completely ignore the parents. In fact it's common that strangers will look at Ethan, talk to him, and even touch him without even a single look at us! We have gone from surprised to amused at this phenomenon...

It is especially funny at restaurants when the people repeatedly walk by and furtively brush their hands against his legs. Or they look at him for a long time and just before leaving they very quickly walk up and stretch out their hand to tickle his tummy. It all happens too fast for mum and dad to do anything but laugh and ponder this Singaporean phenomenon! Ethan thinks it's all normal...he doesn't know that strangers find him irresistable!

Swimming is Fun

It's been a few weeks since we've been swimming so last Sunday off we went to the pool. Ethan's taking to the water well, becoming a little more confident each time. On this occasion he splashed and kicked lots more as he's now much stronger. He got water all over his face doing this but didn't mind too much. I don't think he's ready to put his head under water any time soon though...

He seemed to like being in Daddy's arms more than being in his boat however. He kept trying to peer out and even climb out to get back into that lovely looking water! Very brave, but defintely not ready yet.

Of course, Ethan always loves being on Daddy's shoulders where he gets a fistful of hair as well as a whole new perspective on the world. We do this a lot when going out now cos Ethan can sit up better, but Daddy still needs to hold onto his shoulder or his torso for safety.

Mmmmmilk!

Just over 3 months ago we figured that Ethan was allergic to milk -- after a reaction when we tried giving him formula. Interestingly his persistent rash also disappeared when Mummy stopped taking milk and dairy products as it seemed to be coming through the breastmilk too! Our doctor advised that we continue avoiding dairy products for 3 months to give Ethan's body a chance to develop further before trying again. Good advice...although that meant that Ethan had to have a Hypoallergenic formula (which tastes much less appealing than regular formula!) and that Mummy had to forego all manner of chocolates, ice-cream, a multitude of desserts as well as her favourite fix of teh-tarik!!

So it was good news all round when we returned to formula this week and Ethan was fine! Teh-tarik never tasted so good!

If you look very carefully, you will be able to see Ethan's first little teeth erupting in this picture.

Looking Back

I was looking back at some older photos and videos and I found these... this is Ethan and Daddy having a grand time together at the McCafe in West Coast Park a few weeks ago. We certainly looked pleased to be with each other!

And 2 months ago, Ethan looked like this! It's amazing to look at these videos and see how he has developed and grown in this short period of time.

Cute Baby Laughs

Sigh...one can never get enough of a baby's laughter. We sure feel fortunate cos Ethan is such a happy and bubbly little boy. Though he has a few favourites that always seem to bring on the smiles, different things tickle him more at different times. He used to find the phrase "Winnie the Pooh" always worthy of a belly rumbling laugh, but no longer. Here is finding Daddy's popping sounds rather amusing...

First Bites

Ethan first little teeth are beginning to show. We're giving him various things to chew and bite on to experience all these new feelings he's having. He concentrates on and carefully checks each thing that he get's hold of...including this big juicy apple!

Pepper Lunch

Pepper Lunch is one of our favourite spots when we want to treat ourselves to nice beef. After you make sure that your baby can't reach the sizzling hot plates cooking the beef, it's a nice play for Ethan too. Daddy thinks the best deal is the $7.80 beef and pepper rice. Forego the drink set for an extra dollar cos they have help-yourself ice cold water in the restaurant.

Ethan liked spending time with us too. Especially now at mealtimes since he sits in a highchair next to us and it really feels like a family affair! After dinner, he had a squealing good time in the restaurant being hoisted onto Daddy's shoulders!

Baby Contest Semi Finals

Ethan's made it to the Semi-Finals of the Best Breastfed Baby Contest! It was held yesterday at IMM and was quite a babies galore with lots of babies, baby goods, anxious parents and for Ethan -- a few new friends! Here we are with new friend, Isaiah (10 mths) while waiting to be judged. He had to do a few simple tasks like grabbing various objects offered while Mummy had to answer some questions about his feeding details and development. Results will be out in 2 weeks if he makes it to the Finals -- fingers crossed!!

After coming home, Ethan had a real good afternoon sleep on his favourite place - Mummy and Daddy's Big Bed. Phew... it's tiring being this cute!

Morning Cappucino

Ethan was so happy this morning! In fact, he hasn't cried yet... Sigh, though there is good and bad news in all of this. The good news is that Daddy set a record last night putting him to bed without much fuss in only 30 min. But the bad news is that he woke up 6 times in the night. Mummy is very tired cos she woke up for most of them in the wee hours of the morning.

However this morning he was so happy that Daddy made his cappucino after Ethan's breakfast but before his bath. We were hanging out together, and when Ethan saw the cappucino he had a huge grin on his face and let out many chortles! Here he is trying to get a taste of that yummy smelling drink. We have a barista in the making...

PlayPen Fun

We have brought out the playpen and placed it in our living room. Unfortunately it takes up almost all the space we have, but Ethan is getting more mobile and the mat on the floor is not safe anymore cos he's rolled off and hit his head on the floor before. So far, he seems quite happy with the fun l'il place he has to his own.


The video looks dark in the preview, but it lightens up quickly. A bit lower quality than usual, cos Daddy accidentally left the video on the wrong setting!

No Bottle Mummy!

Ethan seems to no longer want his bottle, yearning more for Mummy. This has brought some stress as we are trying to wean and separation anxiety is setting in too. On the bright side, Ethan will drink his milk from a sippy cup or a spoon, so for this morning's breakfast Daddy sat him on his high chair and fed him from the sippy cup. A fair amount got spilt of course, but Ethan had enough and was very happy afterwards!

He then happily played on the big bed with us for a while. When Ethan plays he's VERY focussed on his toys. Looks like Dad on his computer.

Love That Inhaler

Poor Ethan needs an inhaler. His breathing has been sounding "chesty" and Dr Chang Li Lian said he should have one. No surprise since his Dad had asthma when young too. The BIG SURPRISE was how well he took to the inhaler. At the doctor's office he very calmly accepted the aero-chamber and breathed in very well. Normally, kids fight aero-chambers fiercely! Dr Chang said that he's one of the best... no, the best one she's seen for taking the inhaler when so young!

Even more amazing was that over the next few days he actually LIKES the inhaler. He grabs for it and pulls it towards his mouth. After the first dose, he bounces up and down and reaches for it for the second dose! The kid is getting high!



Here is also checking out it's operation and construction. Looks like he's almost figured out how to work it, but he won't have the strength to push it for a long time...

Mr Mischevious

Ethan's looking extra mischevious in his bath today. Look at him grinning and having a fine time with his bath toys.

We introduced his fishing net toy to him today. He's managed to grab it but doesn't know yet that he's supposed to scoop up his bath toys in it. Daddy placed Mr Octopus nicely in this net for the good photo opportunity!

Bye Daddy

Daddy is going to Cambodia for a few days. Poor Ethan will miss his Daddy. Plus he's been a bit sick the last few days. Checking in now early in the morning... Be a good baby and get well soon, and show Mummy lots of love.

Sentosa

In yet another first, Ethan visited Sentosa, the Dolphin Lagoon and the Underwater World! It was staff and family outing day for Barker Road Methodist Church, so Ivan and Ethan tagged along for the day. First, we all got on the bus. Because of Ethan, everyone insisted we take the front row!

At the Dolphin Lagoon, Ethan got on Dad's shoulders so that he could see all the dolphins putting on their stunts. But Ethan got distracted playing with Daddy's hair and ears. And Renata's friends got distracted by cute l'il Ethan. Some of them took more photos of Ethan than of the dolphins. Quote: He's cuter than the dolphins!

Up close and personal, Ethan was able to appreciate Underwater World much more. We would sit him next to the tanks of big fish and he would stare and stare at them and while reaching out to touch the glass. In the tunnel with the travellator, he was so fascinated that we went around 3 times! Except that whenever we pulled out the camera he would turn away from the fish and stare at the lens instead.

Ocean Views on the Boardwalk

Ethan went to the Changi Boardwalk the other day to watch the sunset and enjoy an evening stroll with Mummy and Daddy! It was also the first time Ethan has seen the ocean... actually it was merely the straits between Malaysia and Singapore, but it still looked really big for Ethan.

It was a bit cloudy so the sunset wasn't great, but we got nice pics of the family anyway. Look how happy Ethan is to have both Mummy and Daddy around!

Church Camp

Ethan went for his first Church Camp with Mummy earlier this month! (Daddy couldn't come because he was away in East Timor) It was a pretty special time as Por Por & Ah Gong came along too. We had a great time together and are particularly proud of Ethan who travelled very well for an 8 month old baby. Here he is at a pit stop along the highway getting some lunch on the way up.

Apart from meeting many friends at the camp, Ethan loved the bed in the hotel which was big, soft, comfy and a lot of fun to roll around. Unfortunately he also rolled off it onto the floor and had a nasty shock. Thank God he recovered soon after and even smiled bravely at Mummy to let her know he was OK after a good cry!

Bath Time with a Growing Baby

Ethan is growing so fast! He's more difficult to handle at bath times now cos he likes to move and splash around a lot. I've had to take out the insert so he sits upright most of the time. He loves to splash Daddy and also likes his bath toys. We keep squirt toys such as Mr Whale, Mr Crab, Mr Dolphin, and Mr Seahorse nearby and he always reaches for them and promptly puts them in his mouth, never letting go until he's out of the bath and on the change table!

Best Breastfed Baby

Ethan entered the "Best Breastfed Baby Contest" in the 7-12 month old category. He's healthy and huge! Just look at him! 9kg now and all thanks to mummy's milk. We'll be notified by post within 2 weeks if Ethan got thru to the finals which will be at IMM over a weekend coming soon!

Quinny 2nd Stage

Ethan is almost ready for the second stage of his stroller. This is where he no longer sits in the car seat but directly in the upright canvas seat of the Quinny stroller. It's a big undertaking to reconnect the seat back to the frame so we let Ethan try the same model in Toys R Us. The shoulder straps were still quite high, though he looked very comfortable. However, sleeping would prove more challenging at his small size now. Looks like we'll wait for a couple more months!

Mr Piggy

Ha ha ha... Ethan fell asleep in the car while biting on his teething ring. His hands fell away, but the teether was still there for a long time. Looks like Mr. Piggy!

Phuket Without Bubs!

We didn't blog about it earlier, but a few weeks ago we had a romantic 4D3N getaway to Phuket without Ethan. He stayed with Renata's parents and we almost cried when we left him in the early morning. We told him that it's actually for his own good that mummy and daddy spend time alone together.

The first day felt very strange and free... no baby to constantly think about. We enjoyed the freedom and missed him all at the same time. We stayed at this lovely and very reasonable place called Naithonburi Beach Resort . We love to go in the cheap off-season so they only had a few guests.

Renata hasn't ridden on Ivan's bike since getting pregnant, but we rented a scooter on one of the days. This fun little automatic scooter cost us about SGD$12 for 1 full day. Renata even tried riding it all by herself - first time on scooter!


Then Ivan took over and the 2 of us roamed the Phuket coast line taking a long ride up and down hilly roads, stopping at shopping places and roadside pad-thai in order to get to this snazzy restaurant that was well-rated. It's called Ratri Restaurant at Kata beach and the food was absolutely fantastic! Not cheap by Phuket standards, but neither very pricey at about SGD$30/pax and one of the most memorable taste sensations we've ever had! They have live jazz playing there too, but they weren't on that particular day we were there. It was great nonetheless.

On another day we took a snorkelling excursion. It's been years since either of us have been snorkelling and it was very fun. When we stopped at one island we were caught in a very blustery rain-storm for 20 min which quickly passed and we were on our way again. That's why it's off-season and our rooms and excursions were so cheap!

We had a great time in Phuket, spending lots of time with each other and forming new memories that weave us together. Ethan will enjoy a stronger family for it, so though we missed him we would definitely do it again if possible ... thanks grandparents! Ethan took to our excursion quite well, though on the last day he began missing us and wanted to go "home". The smart little baby communicated this by leaning towards the bedroom door indicating that he wanted to go out, then strained towards the stairs, then leaned toward the front door of the house, and reached out for our car. When he saw that the car was empty he settled down, realizing that he had to wait one more day for mummy and daddy to come home!

Music Appreciation

Ethan's been sharing our love of music in his own way. He enjoys cooling off in just his nappy and shirt and listening to the cool sounds of Mummy's Louis Armstrong Jazz CD (definitely much more complex than his own Counting Songs CD!)

Another favourite is his keyboard on which he can belt out his own tunes in addition to the ditties that Mummy and Daddy keep making up to add colour to his day!

Morning Games

After his morning bath, Ethan goes back into his bed for a few minutes while his bath is readied for him. Nowadays, he prefers to sit up rather than lie down so he usually plays with his musical keyboard while getting some back support from his portable sofa. Though he can stay seated on his own, he somtimes topples over and can't get himself back up yet!

On the back wall you can see some pictures that we put up to make his bedroom nook a little more fun...

Enjoying Toys

Soooo cute! Ethan is enjoying his toys more and more each day as his brain develops and skills improve. It's all very pleasing to watch him grow!