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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Renata took this picture a few weeks ago when Ruth came over to visit from Australia. She had a great time with her nephew. Both of them look so happy! Ethan looks more like a little boy than a baby in this photo. I think it's a sneak preview into his future toddler years.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Ethan is growing not only in size but also in his ability to sit up and play by himself. After having his milk dinner, he sat in his high chair while we ate ours... mostly smiling and playing with one of his toys. He's getting more and more engaged with his toys, often biting them then taking it out to examine, then biting it again and repeating the process! 
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.
Ethan is already a master at relaxing and enjoying himself. Here he is looking stylish, cute, and laid back all at the same time while listening to his musical keyboard. Like Daddy, he focuses really hard when he's concentrating at a task but when it comes to relaxing he really knows how to enjoy himself.
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!
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!
