אֵיתָן (ee-thuhn) solid, enduring (1 Ki 4:31, Ps 89) & טליה (tal-yuh) dew of heaven (God's kindness)
Tuesday 26 June 2007
Saturday 23 June 2007
Sentosa
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.Friday 22 June 2007
Ocean Views on the Boardwalk
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
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!
Friday 15 June 2007
Bath Time with a Growing Baby
Wednesday 13 June 2007
Best Breastfed Baby
Saturday 9 June 2007
Quinny 2nd Stage
Thursday 7 June 2007
Mr Piggy
Wednesday 30 May 2007
Phuket Without Bubs!
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!Monday 28 May 2007
Music Appreciation
Tuesday 22 May 2007
Morning Games
Monday 21 May 2007
Enjoying Toys
Sunday 20 May 2007
Gobbling Bananas
[PREVIEW IS BLANK BUT VIDEO WORKS!]
One of Ethan's favourite new foods is bananas. He gets it mixed in with his rice cereal and it sure makes everything yummy and sweet. We often pack his dinner when we do our dinner and grocery outings. One of our favourites places is IMM Jurong (but only on weekdays when it's not so crowded). Ethan enjoys his dinner and is a very good gobbler, finishing all his food so that Mummy and Daddy can enjoy some couple time over their meal later.
Saturday 19 May 2007
Little Boy
Wednesday 9 May 2007
First Flu
The flu bug has been going around and it looks like Ethan is experiencing the first of what will probably be a number of childhood sniffles to come. He had been having congested breathing for a few days but we were alerted to the possibility of a developing flu when Ah Mah noticed a fever while holding him on monday. Must have shared my flu with him because his cough sounds suspiciously like mine!
Saturday 5 May 2007
Tuesday 1 May 2007
Family Fun Day
Someone soon got tired and cranky then fell soundly asleep... Though Ethan was too young for any of the games, he showed a very good sense of style even in his sleeping poses. Relaxed and stylish all in one go.
Tuesday 24 April 2007
Rrrrrr... Ha ha ha!
Monday 23 April 2007
Peekaboo!
Sunday 22 April 2007
Time to Unwind
We hadn't managed to celebrate Renata's birthday so here was the opportunity with Ruth visiting from Sydney. We went to Waraku, a Japanese restaurant we liked, and of course played with the baby whom we love. A new game he likes now is "Standing" where we lift it up then bring him down until his feet touch a solid surface. He instinctively tries to "stand", then giggles and collapses.
Thursday 19 April 2007
Pouring Water on Mr. Penguin
Wednesday 18 April 2007
Fun on the Change Table
Sunday 15 April 2007
Sunday Swimming
After a nice loooong nap we all got up out of bed and went for a quick swim. Our Learn to Swim book, for 6 month to 4 year old children has arrived! We highly recommend it to parents who want to be involved teaching their l'il ones to swim. Today we did the "Water Pouring Station" game and a bit of the "Cheek Dip". We discovered that Ethan really looooves the feel of flowing water. After the pool, I brought him into the shower with me to feel water running down his face. A little at a time, but frequently says our book-tutor.
Saturday 14 April 2007
My New Teething Ring
Friday 13 April 2007
Folding the Laundry
Thursday 12 April 2007
Vaccinations at 6 months
Injections for these vaccinations are quick but not painless. That needle goes straight into the muscle on his thigh. Ethan is normally very good about going thru pain, but he's been extra bothered cos of his teething recently. He and Dad are looking a little worried waiting for their turn in the venepuncture room.
After that Ethan fell fast asleep even before we left the hospital. He was biting on his teether and feel asleep with it in his mouth. By the time we took this photo it had slid out...he looked even cuter when it was half inside!
The afternoon/evening brought on a mild fever due to the vaccine (it's quite normal). One teaspoon of kiddy paracetemol and he cooled down soon after.
Get Well Soon Ah Mah
Wednesday 11 April 2007
Mr. Drooly
Tuesday 10 April 2007
Inquisitive Independance
Right now he's having a bit of a cry cos he can't fall asleep by himself. Probably teething is making the poor fella feel uncomfortable.
Sunday 8 April 2007
How to Relax and Enjoy Oneself
If you zoom in on his gums you'll see white things poking through. Ethan's started to teethe as there are times when he sounds like he is in pain and bites on things more. No tooth has actually seen daylight yet though!
Saturday 7 April 2007
Swim-Fest
Now that we spent $26.90 (after discount) on this wetsuit, we are trying to maximize use of it before Ethan outgrows it. So this morning we took him for a quick dip before his morning bath. It's a bit colder in the morning so he wasn't laughing as much as the previous day!
The wetsuit is really good! Not only does Ethan look very stylish, but he's kept warmer as compared with wearing only shorts. His favourite water activity is zooming around on his l'il speedboat!
Friday 6 April 2007
Bethany Methodist Nursing Home
Afterwards there was a short reception where Ethan also got to eat his tea-time milk snack. He finished that, but then was very interested in what Mummy was drinking. He wanted the water so much that we gave him a bit to try...from a different type of bottle! Most of it went down his shirt but he had lots of fun!
Bumper Sandwich
Swimming!
Ethan liked swimming with Daddy almost as much as Daddy enjoyed it! Mummy was on the sidelines taking pictures and saying, "Be careful!" Now that Ethan likes the water so much, we can't wait for our baby swimming book to arrive which will teach us how to teach him to REALLY swim!
Thursday 5 April 2007
Less Cereal
Ethan's been eating less Cereal since last week when we were in Thailand. He has been having just a third of his usual portions and seems to need a bit more comfort sucking. Its ok as he is making up for it in the milk he drinks, but it does mean that this Milk Bar has to work a little harder! Could it be a reaction to the changes he had to cope with during the trip? Or maybe its part and parcel of the teething process? (He has been needing to bite on things-including Mummy! -drooling, and been a little irritable at times) We are still trying to decode this mystery, but as with everything we are sure it will pass- our 8kg baby is going to need more than just milk to fuel his energy and growing needs!
Wednesday 4 April 2007
Playing with Daddy
Reflections After Travelling with a Baby
- Sleeping with us make for a sticky Ethan. We really saw it with Ethan! You see, he's been sleeping in his own room since 1 month and sleeping thru the night since 8 weeks - heavenly! We only sleep with him in our bed for short naps during the daytime. But after this trip and 4 nights of sleeping with mummy and daddy, he learned to wake-up during the night to get our attention! It became more pronounced on night 3 and 4 and continued when we got home. He cried more when we put him down for the night and even woke up for mummy's milk a few times. He has only woken up during the night ONCE in the last 4 months when he was having a growth spurt. So these wakings are certainly due to having too much sleeping with mum and dad! Now after 2-3 days things have returned to normal, thank goodness!
- Routine, routine, routine. Because this was a mission trip and we had to meet certain timings, we had to change Ethan's schedule here and there. The one hour time difference also affected him. Things were a bit more difficult because of this but still manageable. He got extra grumpy on the last day when he had hardly afternoon nap cos we had to check out. Next time, we would try to ensure he gets sleep even if it means paying for 1/2 day at the hotel as he much more grumpy on the return flight as a result.
- The Quinny Zapp is a great travel stroller. We packed it in it's own bag and took it as hand carry so it was ensured of not getting damaged. With a toddler that's all we would need, but as Ethan can't sit up by himself yet, we had to bring the Maxi-Cosi car seat and check it in on Tiger Airways. Their regulations say they can take it for $25/sector. Not wanting to pay $50 round-trip, I packed it in a big cardbox box and checked it in. Everything was withinn our 15kg/pax limit so no extra costs! When he becomes a toddler we'll travel with just the Zapp and will pack it into it's bag just before getting on/off the plane.