Week 24 - Now I know my ABC's

The 24th week of Charlotte's existence perhaps wasn't her most exciting - but that may have more to do with her Mom than anything else.  You see, I am fighting a cold (so odd to be fighting one in the tropics) and am trying not to get Charlotte affected.  Blah.  I hate being sick.

It has been raining a lot these days which limited visits to our favorite neighborhood park.

Matt and I went to the F1 race on Saturday.  It was more fun than I thought it would be.  We saw Daughtry and Adam Lambert.  Who knew American Idol was the arbiter of popular music these days? 

Charlotte has gotten a bit fussy with her feeds - the first feed of the day is fine (which I love to give - as she is so happy to see me and eats pretty readily) but it gets harder as the day goes on as she somehow expects to be entertained while eating.  All of us have sung our renditions of "ABC's" to her delight.  Sometimes I change it up and sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" (same melody, different lyrics) but I know Charlotte can tell the difference and inevitably the next go around is "ABC's."

Matt and I have wondered if British people sing "ABC's" and if so, what happens to the "Z"?  Do they sing "Zed"?  Or do they have another version that punctuates the "Zed"?

Matt and I (sans Charlotte) at the F1 sweating our butts off while protecting our hearing.  I am standing on a tree root, which is why we are so close in height:


It is really hard to take a good picture (or it was hard for me).  This was the best that I got:


Back to Charlotteville, A Bumbo Revolution (with her pal Lilith):


In a new preppy outfit (with a post F1 tired Dad):


Posing with her twin The Octopus in yet another new outfit:


Charlotte with her smug mug:



Asleep in her play gym:

Week 23 - Moon Cake Drake

Exciting week for us - Charlotte has turned over front to back and can now hold the bottle (made of plastic and filled with an ounce or less) on her own.

I bought those plastic Playtex bottles with the disposable liners and the bloody bottle shrank 30% in the sterilizer.  Daggummit.

I am growing increasingly disenchanted with the idea of our Pack N Play - which is a zillion pounds and does not come with a handle for travel.  Bleh.

Some lady in the park had a Bugaboo Chameleon and I admit it - I had Bugaboo envy.  I equate this to American women carrying Dooney and Burke handbags while their European counterparts carry Louis Vuittons.  Our Graco is sturdy but maybe not the cutest stroller in the land.  Matt would have no patience for this observation - so please don't tell him.

In other navel gazing news - my hair is falling out but still growing way too fast.  I think I have to get a hair cut again.  My arthritis is still there - when will this end?  Although I am not at the weight I would like to be (just because of the clothes dammit - I think we would all be better off if we walked around naked sometimes), I am really happy at what my body was able to DO.  I mean, I delivered a baby with no pushing.  That is some kind of wonderful that cannot be compared to being a size 2.  And no matter what size or what the future holds for me - I will always have that.

Oh, and so the season of moon cakes commence.  As we were naming Charlotte I thought she may be called "Moon Cake Drake" - which is more cute than a true ribbing.

New outfit:


Bottle hold!


Turning over (rather anticlimactically):


Daddy gets his own Peek-A-Boo giggles:


Out to dimsum lunch with Mom (thanks Tolu for the photo):


On top of the (slide) world!


Imeeslide part deux:


Pushing herself up:


This is our friend's Ling's boxer.  His name is Dave:


Charlotte reading the annals of higher literature:


Learning the secret handshake from her new friend Toby:


She laughed and laughed when Imee was playing catch with a little boy.  She was loud and boisterous and wonderful and caught the attention of the whole park:




Charlotte is a hug waiting to happen:

Week 22

Charlotte has officially passed the 5 month mark yesterday.  She is taking more trips out as she is getting stir crazier in the house - and I have little patience playing with her sometimes with the same toys too so I am sure it is a bit congenital.  I took her out for almost 6 hours today - I hope she sleeps through the night.  She got up early today which makes for a long day for Matt (e.g. she got up when I was jogging).  Matt has been busy with work visitors in from Italy and a big trade show.  I am tempted to give her food (not consistently) but I then realize how hideously salty my diet is (babies are not supposed to have much salt as it is not so good on their tiny livers).  Soy sauce anyone?

I am venturing into the shopping malls of Singapore - to escape the heat of my house (a heat wave these days - seriously more than usual).  I went to the Sands today and changed Charlotte's poopy diaper on a bench in the mall.  I didn't make it to the baby changing facilities, as the signage (I worked on signage there, mind you) directed me to one when it, in fact, did not exist there.  Daggummit.  Then I changed her on the floor by the stairwell.
Good times.

Charlotte (channeling Elvis - the Vegas years) is showing her unbridled affection towards our Bucky - and he is ok with that.  Sibling bonding...


This is the best photo of Bucky I have ever taken:


Charlotte exploring the intracacies of her brother's face:


Hearting her heart onesie:


Thoughtful yet straightforward:


Momslide:


Dadslide:


Imeeslide:


On Daddy's shoulders:


Matching hat closeup:


Peek A Boo Reprise - this time with Mommy:

Random reflections and ruminations

1. Arthritis is getting better and better.  I am more or less back to my weight training routine at my pre pregnancy weight levels.  The biggest challenge is walking down the stairs in the morning, as I use both feet on each step.  I have empathy for those with arthritis - probably the least fun I had had is with this.  It is as if your body is conspiring against you.  Crummy.
2. Exercise is inevitable if I want to fit my clothes because I am short.  This kind of sucks but I am in the groove at the moment and don't loathe exercise.  I wouldn't say love.... maybe like plus.
3. I think it is funny how distance is more of a perception than a reality.  When I lived in Hong Kong my friends who lived on the "Island" (Hong Kong) often could not be bothered to cross over into Kowloon (where I lived) - although it was a 2 minute train ride.  Going from one side of Singapore to the other is a 45 minute drive - something I would drive EVERYDAY commuting one way in LA.  If I was in a car for 45 minutes in Singapore it would feel like at eternity.  
4. Parenthood does get better.  Charlotte's eyes focus now and she laughs.  I do think that I accidentally ate a wee bit of her poo today.  Win some - lose some.
5. I am a bad driver, but I am in good bad driver company here in Singapore.  A veritable sea of no depth perception.  Particularly humourous when trying to park and everyone backs into their parking spaces.  Usually successful after 5 attempts.
6. If America is anti-fat, Asia is anti-fat times 100.  I recently tried slimming (a free coupon - not on my dime) and it is soul-sapping and damn unconfortable.  As much as I sometimes dislike exercise, it is 100,000 times better than being wrapped in industrial grade Japanese Saran Wrap.  I have never felt more faint (or 'giddy' as they say here).  I would much rather stomach 2 days of sore shoulder blades than short-lived giddiness.
7. Dove's Dark Chocolate is far superior to Hershey's Dark.  By a mile.

Week 21

As a continuation of the last post, here is the current breakdown of what is from Matt and what is from me:

• Eyes (shape): Mom
• Eye (color): Dad, for now
• Eyelashes: Dad for length, Mom for overall lack of curliness
• Nose: Mom, definitely
• Cheeks: Mom, but Dad had chubby cheeks as a baby
• Mouth: ??, I hear Dad
• Ears: Dad, detached ear lobes
• Head (all aspects): Dad, including hairline
• Smile: All her own - it brightens her whole face and the whole room!
• Hands: Mom, with Mickey Mouse Dimples
• Feet (shape): Mom, Flat feet
• Feet (clamminess): Dad
• Toes: Dad, long and skinny
• Sense of adventure: Mom (or lack thereof)
• Fashion sense: Neither - she is more fashionable than us!

Aside from this - Charlotte now cries when she is bored - so we try to take her out of the house every day.  She definitely gets this from Matt (who once said about my apartment's postcard view of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong - "I'm bored with it. The view never changes."

We also have sat her in the Bumbo (with the accompanying table top) and put banana pieces in front of her - of which she ate a pea sized bit out of my hand.  Just trying to get her used to the position for the months ahead...

She has also been blowing a bushel of raspberries this week too.

Here is a great video of Charlotte giggling...



A new hat from our friends the Woldeits in Australia:
 

Hanging with Nicole at her place:


Happy watching kids play in the park (Michael Jordan style):


Channeling Dexy's Midnight Runners:


Charlotte testing out the new sofa:


A rare pout:


Good times in the Exersaucer:


Here's looking at you, kid!

Week 20 - Narcolepsy and playing ball

Charlotte is a product of both of her parents, as demonstrated by her newfound skills of the week.

From me: the ability to sleep in any position at any time:







From Matt: the ability to kick a ball.  I tried to roll it back to her and it is clear her talents outshine mine, even at 20 weeks!

Video:



Aside from this, Charlotte got a mosquito shiner, putting me in a paranoid omigod-dengue-fever-is-on-her-forehead mode.  I have been checking her temperature regularly and her temperature is normal, maybe low.  To combat this - I put her in long sleeved clothing and put lavender oil on top of the mosquito patch that I put on her.  The lavender stayed on day 2 but not the hot clothes!


Mosquito shiner:


Mosquito protected!



A couple of kids wanted to walk Bucky around the park (a small park where we could see him walk). He refused to go unless Imee or I went with him. He is loyal to us after all (though he shows it in a weird way):

The perpetrator and our loyal Bucky:



Back in Charlotteland, I introduced Elmo and Sesame Street to Charlotte (thanks to youtube) - and she *loves* Elmo and India.Arie singing the ABC's.  She is happy, mesmorized, and quiet - a neat trick for when she gets a bit fussy. The original video:

Charlotte's reaction:


Her winning smiles of the week: