Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Week 50 - Old Man Bucks

Char got the clean bill of health yesterday - great news as there was a 'scared straight' article in the paper yesterday about ear infections and I took Char just to be sure she was a-ok (am I a hypochondriac mother?  Probably).  Her sign language continues to improve - now she is signing wash hands, yes, and bath. 

At the doctor yesterday Charlotte exhibited her strongest signs of stranger anxiety.  She has begun over the last week to cry in new situations with new people.  Sigh.  We thought because she was so smiley she was immune to this.  Oh well.

In an episode of life imitating art (a la Lily from Modern Family), Charlotte has starting started biting.  She is biting my foot and portions of my shoulder that are not particularly fleshy (and this is not particularly pleasant).  This is perhaps the start of Charlotte's less endearing habits - hopefully something we can curtail before she starts biting kids at the playground....

Regarding Bucky - as of yesterday he started to limp rather badly.  We took him to the vet and after a battery of tests and x-rays - it is deemed that he may have a slipped disk.  The situation was rather dire yesterday - as he was in visible pain and would not even sit down.  Today he is better - perhaps the painkillers and steroids help.  We have to give him shots for a week through a valve connected to a vein in his left arm.  He takes it markedly better than I would - I cringe getting blood drawn at the doctor's office (and having a baby is a lot of drawing blood - so I was a squeam boat for many of the doctor's visits).

Ok, on with the countdown...

Here is Charlotte and her daily struggle with dinner:

Here is the sign that we have no clue what it means.  My guess is 'change my wet diaper woman!':
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At an ill-fated Havaianas event - Charlotte on the brink of stranger anxiety:
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Charlotte wants to bite everything - even Kiro's person leash!

Looking guilty:
 
"How long do I have to sit here before my master lets me go?"
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Happy Charlotte:
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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Week 49

Sort of a hodge podge of a week.  The house has come full circle in terms of sickness - I started it, everyone has had it, and now I have it again.  'It' at the moment is a mild ear infection - a throwback from a youth full of similar maladies.  Luckily Charlotte is over hers - though she was a fussy bunny last night.  While sick she also is teething - one on the top and one on the bottom - nothing more fun than a sick baby with teeth erupting.  Seriously, nothing.

Matt and I survived our first night away from the baby.  We went to Bintan for a night and stayed at the Banyan Tree - and we lived to tell about it.  The hotel is nice - I dare say not $500 a night nice (we didn't pay for it) - but was perfect for a short getaway where the best thing going was a long afternoon nap.  This was a long overdue anniversary gift to ourselves - only 4 months after our anniversary date!

I have discovered the joys of 'Ho' dduk!  Ho dduk is a yummy, greasy, yeasty pancake filled with brown sugar and peanuts that for some bizarre reason I have never eaten.  I made this yesterday from a mix.  The yeast was so slow to proof but it did eventually and it felt like I was making an infinite amount (think: the chocolate conveyor belt from I Love Lucy).  Even a hit with Matt.  I will have to make this in Wisconsin this summer. 

Here is Matt and I in Bintan - it was so windy here that our candle couldn't stay lit:
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View from our room:
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And back in Chartown, here is a repost from FB - Chris, Connor, and Charlotte.  Such a cute pic!
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Here is a video of Charlotte signing 'baby' (also a repost from FB):

And a video of Charlotte walking (she always walks with her hands in the air):

Practicing her yoga moves:

Liberated by her straw cup (which she has deemed unfit for milk drinking):

New hat from Korea (very Pepsi and Shirley isn't it?):

Playing with Daddy:

Ho Dduk frying up:

Matt enjoying Ho dduk:

Recovering and happy:







Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Week 48 - 11 months old

Charlotte turned 11 months over the last week! That is great news - but she also fell sick (that fever from before). She has her first ear infection (though likely not her last) and is on her first round of antibiotics. She does not seem as sick as she has been before (the wind really got knocked out of her sails while she had roseola). I waited for 2 hours at a doctor's office! I know that is ludicrous but I am shopping for a more local doctor. Dr. Vas is very popular - and she was fantastic with Charlotte so I can see why. But two hours? Next time I want to take her there I will go alone, sign her up, go to the gym, then ask Imee to bring her in an hour later.

By the way - Charlotte was the most energetic (and loudest) at the doctor's. She was so funny - no inside voice! Imee and I laughed.

Charlotte is also quite a clever girl. Last week at the start of her sickness she did not want to take her first nap (a sometimes trend). She pretend gagged (I saw her in the monitor) so Imee rushes up and Charlotte is just bouncing and smiling in her crib. She did this twice in the span of ten minutes - so I just made her stay up after that. She did not mind.

This morning - also at her first nap - I was putting her down and she was fussy. So I asked her what was wrong and then I signed 'hurt' to her. She responded by cupping her ears as they hurt. I gave her some Panadol and she slept for over 2 hours! Man I love sign language.

We gave Charlotte a cup with a straw as I felt as if her existing sippy cup was not ergonomic (all the repetitive head lifting motion). She didn't get it for a couple of days, but then it turned upside down and she saw the water come out of the straw. She immediately sussed out how to drink out of the straw and has been drinking like mad ever since. She is drinking SO much water now - really good now that she is not feeling her best.

Video and Pictures please!

Here is Charlotte laughing at Matt's impression of a Jack-in-the-box:

Here is a funny video of Matt 'watching' the baby (or the back of his eyelids):

Here is Charlotte drinking out of her straw:

Little sweaters drying:
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[Blurry] funny face!
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TV face (and a relaxed position) while getting her toenails clipped:
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In her new toddler tub:
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At the park:
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Kiro at the park:
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Walking (with a snack remnant) at the park:
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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Week 47

We have been busy.  We went to Hong Kong this weekend, are in the midst of US tax hell, trying to receive a container from China tomorrow and send it plus more to the US on Friday.  Plus Charlotte has just gotten a slight fever starting tonight - yeah, it has been one of those weeks.

Charlotte learned how to sign 'sleep' while in Hong Kong.  So her total signs are nine - mom, dad, dog, eat, milk, more, sleep, airplane, and as of today, grandpa.

Hong Kong was fun - it included Charlotte's first trip to Macau which she was too exhausted (and cold) to enjoy (and it was more or less a bank account closing trip, which is nothing to enjoy).  It was great to see old friends - including Thomas, Em, and Sherry who made the trip to Hong Kong from China and Macau.

I got Charlotte a toothbrush and she likes it a lot.  I probably should have gotten her one 5 months ago but I am not so up on these kinds of milestones.

Let's start with something totally unrelated - here is a picture of a pallet of our tile as it hovers precariously overhead at Matt's office building parking lot.  Two of these pallets are heading to the US:

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OK, back to the topic at hand.  Here is Charlotte dancing...


...Not dissimilar to her dancing on her 3rd day of life...


Family photo at Repulse Bay:
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Charlotte with Aunt Janice:
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Charlotte daydreaming at dusk with daddy:
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Charlotte with her new toothbrush.  I have to watch her as she walks around with this in her mouth:
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Sporting her "Grandpa Girl" T-shirt with new leg warmers with popsicles on them (you cannot tell here):
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The following is a photo series I have called "Sleepful in Macau - Is narcolepsy inherited from the mother?".  The first is at the Oliver's Sandwich shop at Shun Tak Centre in Hong Kong:
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Barely awake on her first Jetfoil boat ride over from Hong Kong to Macau:
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And finally, out like a light on the ride back from Macau to Hong Kong:

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Week 46

So - silly me - Charlotte has 2 top teeth and it was virtually a non-event for us (hence my forgetting even to update about it here).  There may have been a couple of days of crap napping but that could have as much to do with teething as having cumulus clouds in the sky.  So all of her angst of teething before (you know, that dark period a few months ago of night waking) - well, maybe that really wasn't teething after all.  I should have known then that all angst starts with an empty belly.

This week has been really busy - Matt has just gotten back from Saudi Arabia and I cannot sleep well without him so I am really sleep deprived. He was gone over the last week (7 nights) and Charlotte signed for Daddy this morning at 8:15 - the time he usually greets her as he comes down the stairs.  As I was putting her down for her first nap she cried - unusual for her.  I was trying to ascertain why and she aggressively signed for Daddy.  I melted.  She really missed her daddy.

We are traveling tomorrow - and I am at the end of packing - which I inherently loathe anyway and loathe more with baby in tow (nothing personal, Charlotte).  I suppose I don't like to be face to face with my often disorganized things and having to choose and prioritize and, blah.  Just ask Matt.  Packing makes me *so* grumpy.  Sigh.

On a much happier note, Charlotte is also walking - on her own - for several steps at a time.  She can walk longer if you give her a head start by putting her upright first.

Ok - here are the pics for the week.

Charlotte trying to suck on my camera strap:
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Nice new upper teeth and finger-in-the-electrical-socket-look shot:
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Although this is a blurry shot - here is Char signing Daddy:
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There are moments like this where she can sit momentarily for the camera:
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With Uncle Rob (this photo has kind of a retro quality about it):
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Half grump, half smile:
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Here is a cross-posted video from Facebook - Charlotte walking!