Babycenter said our little tyke was as big as a kumquat at 10 weeks... and it just stuck. So here we are, a Korean-American and an American-American, starting a family in Macau.
So over the past week we have done what I thought we would not do - we enrolled Charlotte in school. After a search (needless to say, to just enroll your child in preschool is not a trivial undertaking here in Singapore) - we found one that I liked. Pat's Schoolhouse is now Charlotte's schoolhouse. In a kind of kiasu fashion I wanted to expose her to proper Chinese and we have heard good things about the Chinese immersion program at this school. We are now in day 2 as I write this post (half days - but unfortunately afternoons so I spend little time with Char during they). Yesterday was her first day. She did not cry when I left, but I did leave her my camera to help ease the transition (for which Matt said I would not see it back in one piece again). I asked the teacher how her day was and she said it was fine, she tuned out of Chinese singalong, she was asking for chips and her sunglasses. Matt asked Charlotte how her day was and she said she did not like the watermelon.
Somewhere in the last couple of weeks Charlotte has been calling us Mom and Dad, instead of Mommy and Daddy (or Dada). It is very endearing to be called Mom.
Charlotte also has been getting out of her room (indeed, she has figured out how to get out of her toddler bed now). She also knows how to unlatch the baby gate and can walk down the stairs (yikes!). So now we have resorted to putting a cabinet lock on the baby gate to avert a nightwalking disaster.
We started showing Signing Time to Sophia last week and within days she has been signing milk (even when she gets up at 3 in the morning)! Wow that DVD is miraculous...
Sophia had a playdate with Lucas. We headed out to the park and met up with Ella - they could have all been accused of being triplets! Hairless wonders...
Lucas and Sophia. Two ships sailing in the night...
Finally a tooth shot!
Getting warmed up to each other:
Suspicious Sophia not so sure of her twin's motives:
Lucas's first swing ride:
Whereas Sophia is a seasoned pro:
Charlotte took this picture. Very nice eh?
Sophia, like all proper Kye girls, is a snack monster:
New park friends - Alix and her twin brothers:
Sweet, active Ella:
Trying to get Sophia, Lucas, and Ella to look is, well, impossible:
Sophia and Imee:
Sophia is standing on her own:
Charlotte and I on her first day of school (Aug 28!):
Charlotte models for her first day of school!
And the videos:
Sophia and Charlotte dance to the Rainbow song:
Sophia swings at home:
Sophia jumps in the Jumperoo:
Char takes a picture (notice her reaction after snapping):
Charlotte must have terrible luck to be all of two years old and not even attend school and have been stricken by hand foot and mouth disease AGAIN! Our neighbor TT hasn't even had it despite his years in school. Charlotte must go to the park and be licking other kids while we aren't watching. There is a lot of face touching at least because of her mane of hair that she does not let anyone pull back into anything that resembles order. There has been a calm week of being home scratching her leg bumps (!), but she is back to the park today (weather permitting) and I think I am going to have to make a necklace charm of antibacterial lotion for her.
I had a little bit of a meltdown (or two?) this past weekend as sick kids really make me crazy, as if I have been unable to control their environments and therefore control their having illness (this is part of my nutty Asian upbringing, as Matt gleefully would feed our kids dirt to get their ímmune systems going). Charlotte drank out of Sophia's water bottle then gave it back to Sophia and I nearly had a heart attack watching the HFMD germs jump from her bottle into her system. So far however Sophia has gotten nothing (knock on wood) and I am trying to relax.
I have gotten a few messages about the recent Bumbo recall. Yes, we are still using ours but we wedge Sophia in a corner and don't leave her unattended. It is a great eating chair for her. We are careful!
Matt is again traveling to Macau and I am in the office writing this blog. Sometimes Charlotte and I call him at night and she tells him about her day (I saw TT today. Yaya is here. Mommy is here. Sophia is here.')
We are starting Sophia on Signing Time, hoping that she will start signing up a storm soon. Charlotte is bored of volume 1 and seems disinterested in showing the signing ropes to her sister.
Charlotte will correct you if you call her Char - her name is CHARLOTTE.
We need to start Charlotte on potty training- but honestly I am hoping some knowledgeable third party will intervene and just make that happen. Yes, I have been living in Asia too long.
Sophia is talking (and has been) for a couple of weeks now. Mostly babble babble that sounds like Dada of course. It is all about bonding with the dad that these young babies are programmed for.
Charlotte is still taking pictures. It is still so cute. I need to take a video but everytime I try she wants to take the camera and take more pictures!
We will start with some of Charlotte's shots:
Top of Sophia's head:
The view from Charlotte's height:
Artsy shots!
And people shots:
The artist at work:
Tita Monica feeds Charlotte:
While TT watches:
This was an impossible shot (hence the blurriness) - here is Sophia sleeping with her butt up:
And then her up later:
Pensive Char:
Our lovely neighbors Susie and Matt (and TT):
Cute Sophia still does not show her upper teeth much:
I tell Charlotte to pose for the camera or she won't be able to take her own pictures:
Sophia stands yet is unhappy about it:
Spaghetti Sophia:
The girls!
And some videos this week:
Sophia's first slide:
Charlotte pushes Sophia on the swing:
Charlotte and Sophia swing together:
Sophia moves and burps (goofy camera cut me off too):
Sophia laughing at dim sum. I have a rather evil cackle here:
Lots going on in the House of Drake. Matt travels. I start working half time for Matt. This means jogging, eating, showering, hair, makeup, feed baby, and get lunch ready before getting out the door. I begin (yet again) another foray into jogging and healthier living. We set up the baby jail for Sophia to roam around it. Charlotte calls it baby jail. It is funny.
Charlotte has recently gotten into pictures. Seeing pictures. Taking pictures. I want to give her my old camera but the battery is old and it does not work. I let her play with the D7000 but am reluctant. So I let her play with the Canon S95. It drops a couple of times but still works. I try to show her to look at the screen as there is no viewfinder but she puts the camera to her face anyway. She is SO cute with the camera I cannot stand it.
Sophia is getting up once a night - not a travesty but maybe the 13 hour sleep is a thing of the recent jet lagged past. She is sleeping at 8:30 (with Charlotte) so I have a semblance of an evening as opposed to my previous routine of sleep (for Sophia) at 11.
Charlotte had a fever yesterday. Low and seemingly gone this morning.
Lucas, Ron and Lina paid us a visit and it was good fun on Saturday.
Sophia is serious in sunglasses of any type:
Or goofy:
TT is not too sure of the Bumbo:
TT has a new pool and Char loves to go swimming!
Sophia can now crawl around at the park!
With her big sis:
Lucas!
Photo courtesy of Charlotte!
Sophia poses in baby jail!
Sophia sees herself in the mirror!
Great shot of Daddy (with his narrow head and sunglasses) and cheesy Charlotte!
