Holding Hands

First of all.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUBBY! Today, nate suddenly said Bubby... and I said its her birthday and he said... cake? banoons? (balloons), then Hooray.

I bought him his own portable DVD player that plays VCDs as well, now my computer is free! Free from him hogging it and free from the food that sometimes gets catapulted on my screen, luckily the keyboard has a protector.

He finally can watch Thomas the Train which I bought some time back but was a VCD. He now has the habit of holding his own hands (clasping them), when i say hold hands to go up the stairs, sometimes he clasps his hands and says he is holding his own hands and no need to hold mine. When he watches a part of video that he is scared he wants to hold my hand but today he held his own hand... until a really scary part (a big boulder chasing the trains) then he started to cry and want to hold my hand! I think the VCDs may be too scary for his age?! then another scene the station blew up in flames (violent!!)

Ike is much better, no more spots, his skin has cleared up too, very handsome... (we are all biased!) but his nose is still blocked, today was much better. Nate still has hi cough and his runny nose, tho less runny. Debating whether to take him to the dr but they just give him cough medicine and send him away. Loren also caught a cold and went to get his flu shot. I got mine a month back and coupled with breastfeeding (body apparently has higher immunity) have yet to fall sick.

less than 2 weeks now to SA.

Loren has been sending information to me on Childminders, aupairs and governesses.... not sure which ones yet to choose and the rhythm of our life there. I'd like to restart nate on swimming and music and in a few more months ike can take a few classes too! Wonder what their extra curriculur activities will be like.

Baby Einstein and Story House

Yesterday someone sent nate a Baby Einstein audio CD, today we played it in the car.... he could recognize a few of the songs that are same as the ones played on the DVDs he watches. He esp likes the one with the race cars, which is "Trish Trash Polka" by Johann Straus and Schubert'e Militaire. I was stuck in the car for two songs after we reached home, he kept asking for another last song. At least he really enjoys classical music.

Today I brought him to Story House, not a bad place, nice story rooms but too bad we were the only people there otherwise he would have had more fun watching other children react to the stories.

Ike's rash is worse, will wait till tomorrow to decide whether to bring him in to see the dr again. Its been raining really hard and the weather is much cooler at 17 degrees.

I bought nate a new high chair which he can now sit at the dining table with us. Its quite a nice design but without the dogs, i now see how much he does not eat. He is really quite messy!

The dogs have made it safely to SA. I miss the cleaning crew.

poor poor baby ike

today he woke up with spots all over!! off to the dr's again soon.

The dogs are now on a plane to SA. They left last night and should land in another 4 hours. Bullet was already trying to break out of the cage as soon as he was in it. Hope the sedatives kicked in and he did not throw up his breakfast on route down our bumpy hill.

Nate said this morning, "oh doggies not in cage". "doggies went to work".

16 days to go...

poor baby ike

finally cleared his bowels but the nurse first tried to stimulate it by sticking a long cotton bud, when that didn't work she used a syringe with saline and then it came spluttering out, lots of it three diapers later.... now he has a fever and is very fussy, its very hard to put him down to sleep. The dr said that he also has the beginnings of a cold. It is going to be a long night.

The radio reported a 40% increase in patients with colds in hospitals.

nates school gave me a note that a kid has some type of sickness where he throws up everything even water, if nate clears the weekend he wouldn't have caught the bug. That sounds like an evil bug, if he catches it then its only water and soda biscuits for him and of course.... the doctor.

Had a big dinner but using alot of energy, two hours later, i am hungry again!

Vets and Doctors

I seem to see the vet adn the boys paeditrician alot, if its not for shots, its for other things... like... Ike is now constipated, I think he was uncomfortable this afternoon, spoke to the nurse in between nate's bath and his bedtime and she said not to worry but bring him in tomorrow. Have been doing biking exercises and tummy massages for him.... only toot-toot-tooting and no splutters...

Today pistol went ot the vet too, has some type of cough, similar to bullet but no throwing up... and bullet went to the dr last friday as he threw up all of thursday nite last week and saturday to get more blood sample and then i saw the vet on monday for more pills for bullet. Two weeks ago it was for blood serum to SA and their teeth cleaning and the week before that was jake's booster and rabies shots.

The good news... they have passed all their blood tests and are now leaving for SA on sunday via singapore, I wonder if they would recognize the smell of the air. I prob have to see the vet tomorrow or saturday to get the sedatives for bullet. He hates cages and is determined to break out of them

Nate still has his cough and sniffles and by early next week I will take him in to the dr as well tho he does seem to be getting better, he also enjoys the use of the nose vacuum to suck and examine all that gunk.

I think i want to get one of those proper mommy diaries and note down all sorts of appointments for these guys and it has features for grocery lists and other lists.

Nate is now very upset when he has to give up his toy car at bed time, one nap when I did take the car away he woke up earlier than usual asked for his car and went back to sleep for another hour, I laid down with him thinking he would probably get up but he actually fell back asleep! That night I let him take his car to bed but parked in the far end corner with his soft toys, after my shower I hear him playing with it, as I open the door he flips like a commando pretending to sleep and hiding his car... then gives himself away by peeking up. I don't yell at him or take his car but say do you want me to fix your blanket and he smiles, gives me the car and gets tucked in. I say, "ok car parked at the end of the bed but if I find you playing again, I will take it away". The next time I check, its still parked there!

Today at nap time I say the same thing, it can stay parked there but you can't play with it, if you do I will take it away, he talks to himself for a long time and I thought he took the car but when I went in it was parked where it was and he looked groggily at me. Tonite his cars are parked at the corner when I went to check. I think I will just build a mini car park at the end of his bed.

Ike is very intent on standing up, jumping and talking, also fly swatting... I get to take him for a short walk around the neighbourhood usually between 3-4 pm, before nate gets up.

kai kai and ming ming

I missed a really good shot today, the teachers dressed him in hi new shirt from Shanghai Tang from Jason and jessica, it is bright blue with yellow and red accents, with a bright red pair of shorts with blue trimming! then he had his spider man boots on (blue and red) and his blue school bag. He looked like a superhero with bad fashion sense. By the time I grabbed my camera his boots and bag were off and he was zipping away to his red match box car.

Since dada allowed him to sleep with one of his toys he has wanted to sleep with his toy car, toy tractor etc, till I take it away if he is still playing 15 mins in bed. The side of his wall is scratched with all sorts of colors.

Today after school he did not want to come home, he does not want to take a nap and so thinks that if he stays in school he would get away with it. His friends were all perplexed why he did not want to leave, his teacher said he could stay in school but he would have to nap too then reluctantly did he come to the car.

M&Ms are called magic beans. The weather looks nice today, hope I can take him to the park and not another day of TOM BALL.

Ike, likes to talk, that guy can sure talk on and on and on. We had to give him emergency formula the other day as I took nate out and he ate everything in the fridge and was still hungry! anyway, now he maybe has constipation, 2 days no sign of poo. We have gone to harvest a tonne of green papaya from the orchard and the papaya is working its magic, more milk in storage now.

Went to the market today, everytime I go, I ask the fishmonger what I do with the bits and pieces of fish, like the head or the bones... he always says make soup, what is this boney fish good for, "making soup"... anyway today I ask for 2 slices of this particular fish and he complains that no one buys the head, I said, well you should make soup, maybe sell soup, he asked me if I wanted to work for him... that fish couple have the greatest smiles! she has a big broad one and he has his cig dangling all the time. I must remember to take my camera and a shot of them next time.

A full day

Today was quite a full day. We picked sasha up and went to the amusement park, rode on the carousel, it was quite scary, I got a big horse and it went up and down, then the choo choo train twice and two types of spinning cups. Then headed to the club and met Enzo. We had lunch with Enzo and they were both racing to eat their fried rice until the potato chips came then it was only chips for kaikai, he is into his ketchup that he even wants it on his cheerios in the morning (yuck!)

We came home and he took his nap and when he woke up we went to Hagen Daz, he likes only the Gweem ice cream (green tea) and was enjoying scooping it up! then to the park with the river, he saw several children fishing small fish from a tank, while he was catching fish he was speaking in chinese to the delight of his audience, he managed to get 1 fish (wo hao bang ah, I am great), yu lai je bian (fish come here), xie xie, thank you, zhang zhang (dirty). Then we went to throw rocks into the river and watch people play badminton, the jiejie's even let him play with their racket and he got a feel of the bounce of the shuttlecock against the racket.

Then home again and Ike was awake, Kaikai pushed him round the front area then wanted to show him off to the neighbours so off we went. The porpors think Ike has smaller eyes than nate and he even talked to their dogs, lucky and sally, about "didi". After dinner dada came back from his yoga and bathed nate and read to him and then tucked him into bed.

Ike does a nice solid 6 hours of sleep, usually 530 - 1130pm then 330 and then 6ish. Then usually a nice solid 3 hours again after 730am... good sleep patterns except the nose in the morning when he struggles abit.

Bullet is getting over his throat infection. Had to take him to xray yesterday, lucky no foreign object in his throat and the night before he threw up the whole night. No food for a day, stil coughing today but better now.

Kaikai's first lurrrve

So i see Sasha's mom today and tell her that Kaikai said "sasha I love you" and she says oh every morning sasha looks forward to school and says "kaikai I love you".... I bet she tells him that a million times and so he repeats it as "sasha I love you". So far I haven't heard a "mama I love you yet!". Age 2 and already another woman controls his emotions.....

Will try and get a picture of the two lovey dove birdy wirdies together for this post. I wonder if they just like images of themselves? since before nate's haircut they definitely were hard to distinguish from behind.

I took nate to the hair dresser, they have little brrooom broom cars to sit in and tv to watch, nate didn't like it so its still me the main hair cutter..... snip snip!

Ketchup and snails

Here is a recent picture of Ike taken with my handphone... he was smiling so broadly after his shot though!

I have been taking Nate to Tom Ball everyday now, lets see if he asks for the park, its gotten cooler and darker so tom ball isn't so bad, plus with their padded floors I can do some stretching exercises too. Today we had a big ball war in the ball pit. I also got to try out the "niu niu qe" where you can basically skid around without putting your legs down, I think Nate somewhat got the concept.

At bed time we used flash cards with animals on it, he went, peeg (pig), da xiang (elephant), oog ooog ooo (monkey), bird (chicken), peacock (macaw), horse (horse), zebra (ah finally not horse anymore), changjing lu (giraffe) and then went OOOO (it was a snail) and then said funny animal.... giggle giggle.

The latest thing to get him to eat is a small dish of ketchup, he dips his spoon in it then into his food but he finishes his meal! I need a new trick for his toothbrushing tho......

Bu dan

Today, nate said something surprising, he was hoarding all his tractors (yes now tractors) by sitting on them and then he said "Bu dan" which is the term used when mother hens are sitting on their eggs. Obviously he must be doing this in school? where else would he learn this?

Also he suddenly said in the shower, "Sasha I love you"..... hmmmmm..... not mama or dada.... but sasha! We were in the bath together so I wonder if the soap suds were clogging my ears? I need to get a picture of them together, esp. when she grabs him to kiss him. This friday they are going on a big field trip, olivia will go with him, maybe she can get the shot?

Nate has a cold again. Ike too...... and he seems to be refusing the bottle. Eats to sooth himself fromt he panic state of not being able to breathe... but I think he is gaining alot of weight!

I've been taking him to Tom Ball alot, lets see if I can get it out of his system. He thought he was getting sushi for dinner but deh deh made fried rice and he happily ate it down with his new discovery.... ketchup and last week he discovered Thai sweet chilli sauce. At Tom Ball I was doing some stretches and then realised he had dissappeared in some tunnel system, I called for him and didn't hear anything, I didn't start crawling but I heard something in the bathroom... he had run off and gone to peepee himself! Later at home, I just turned away and the next thing I find him on tippy toes trying to pee over the ledge of the toilet but not quite tall enough. I guess I have to buy stools for every bathroom now?

If you ask nate where bubbi is, he says... onetreeall. If you just say Bubbi, he says Hooray.

Anyway, for the grandparents here are some shots of him at the children's park.

Stuffed up nose

Poor Ike has had a stuffy nose for a few days, hates it when i try to clean it with the salt water spray but he does breathe a bit better. Its the really sticky gunky nose stuff and is like cement in his nose. The worse night I had to sleep upright with him but I think that is a few nights behind us now. If he is relaxed, there isn't even sound to his breathing but when he realises he can't breathe properly then he gets anxious and it gets worse. He's been feeding alot as that is the only way he calms down such that he made 4 big poos yesterday. I took him to the dr on thursday, he grew 0.2 kg from last sat to thurs, I think with friday and saturdays feeding, he's put on another kg? his side profile really resembles that of hitchcock!

Nate has gone off again with dada to the amusement park. Looks like apart from the ferris wheel and choo choo train he is now on the horsie that goes round and round. Yesterday his gege's came over and I think the younger one is now not scared of the dogs anymore. I plan to give Mr. P man lamp to the older gege as he has "taught" nate to pee, its funny seeing him ask nate, "pee pee?", "kaikai peepee?", nate seems to know they are making fun of him and says "NO". But when gege whips off his pants to pee, guess who does it too?!

Bullet seems to like his new big cage, we toss his treats in there, the two smaller dogs and nate seem to like it too. Its our new piece of furniture in the living room!

Passport photos

This photo is of Ike a few days old, he does not frown like this anymore but smiles alot, I am too busy smiling back to take a picture but will try to do so soon. When the picture was taken and loren brought it to the embassy, they insisted that the picture has his ears, so loren came back to do that, unfortunately his cheeks then were SO big that it was impossible to have ears in the picture... No said the embassy, must have ears! so back to the picture taking, this time, we put fingers under his ears to stick them out beyond the massive cheeks.... and so Ike has passport photos.

He slept really well last night, 6pm to 11 pm then feed and clean nose, then did 12 to 4am, woke up with a stuffy nose (no cleaning) but ate and slept to 6am also stuffy nose. Today we were more careful with his awake times and made sure he ate and was soothed to sleep before he was over tired (ie no more than 1.5 to 2 hours) and its like a dream, no fuss, no cry and sleeping much more. The few days before this for some reason or other, mornings usually getting nate out ike suffers... we would miss this window and he is a lot harder to handle, up for 5-6 hours! Now hopefully its sleep beget sleep, thank you Dr. W!!

Nate had a great time on a trampoline yesterday bouncing up and down. He's also found where I keep all his new toys and pull one out when necessary, today he even brought it to school and wanted to take it to bed with him.

We finally got a cage big enough for bullet. The vet was given this massive cage and it fits bullet, now its cleaned, we have to get bullet used to it. Loren should probably just sleep with a towel form now till we leave and we toss that into the cage. Jake and Pistol may be able to travel together in a cage...

Round and round and choo-choo twain

Nate went with dada to the children's recreation park on sunday. It is the old Taipei zoo. Dada took him on a ferris wheel ride and a train ride. Apparently the train goes thru a tunnel. He was so excited he could not calm down for his nap, in bed he talked about the round and round and the choo choo twain. this morning he talked about the tunnel as well.

The weekend was a good one for him, started out with Tom ball on thurs and fri (raining both days), sushi on friday and then sushi at the restaurant on saturday... and on sunday he was so hungry (am tryiing druiker's logical consequences, ie hunger method again) that he wolfed down 90% of the kiddie char siu friend rice. Oh and he had Hagen Daz ice cream at the big Hagen Daz store, he only chooses green colored ice cream and so far its been mint and green tea.

He as learnt the word awake and now says that when people have their eyes open, If closed then he says asleep. Today he said, no nap, kaikai awake. But is quiet and asleep now...

Ike has caught loren's cold, has a snorty nose but I can't seem to get at the snot. I tried the sucking utensil but still nothing at least the salt water spray seems to relieve his breathing abit. Saturday night was bad, I only had 2 hours of sleep, the trick now is to just sleep as early as possible.

The dogs go for their teeth cleaning tomorrow and blood withdrawal for their final tests. If all goes well they will be sent off end of the month and finish quarantine by the time we get there.

Teeth and new shoes

I took nate to the dentist a few days ago. It went really well, I think nate has really grown up since his last appointment maybe 4 or 5 months ago. He got to use the camera to take pictures of his own teeth, press the buttons on the chair. The dentist was very patient, showed him the instruments, pretended to work on me first then nate. We could do better brushing but it is quite hard as he is quite independant and wants to do it himself. I also got him an electric toothbrush. I call plaque, teeth poopoo, he seems to relate to that and wants to clean it out, esp. when I can scrape some to show him. Wanted to have the dentist clean his teeth as well but he said they had such a nice session, better to do it in a few weeks from now so he doesn't have a bad impression of the place. He will get his teeth stained red (strawberry flavour) and then cleaned with a soft spinning sponge, of course with the dvd on for him to watch. He got two balloons at the end and was happily kicking them throughout the clinic which was nice an quiet as they space their patients but charge quite a bit!

Nate also got to wear his new shoes (japanese size 17). He likes them, I threw out his old blue sneakers which were very well worn for 6 months and looking very scruffy. I also bought a cheap pair of sandals with Thomas the train on them and yesterday found a pair of open toes on sale as the seasons here are changing but will be suitable for SA.

Ike.... phew, this guy was hard work the first night wendy left. Between burping and eating and struggling (bottle vs. breast?), he ate small amounts but many times. Last night its a bit better with longer stretches. We also got bigger diapers that we don't have to change so often. He is now due for his 2 month old shots!

Bullet, Jake and Pistol passed their first blood test. Next week they go in for teeth cleaning and more blood drawn for tests.

I managed to also go thru the items in the guest room and will work on the library next. Have managed to sell quite a number of items on the internet.