Week 69 and Week 21 - New Camera, new teeth

Wednesday night, after I wrote my last blog entry, was the beginning of a week of Charlotte teething.  This lasted until, well last night.  Less eating, slight fever, general grumpiness, getting up once or twice a night - all of the usual characters showed up this week.  There were many nights of Panadol to allow her to sleep better.  We are glad the teeth are in (the second ones in from the back on the top - I am not sure if I mentioned her back top teeth are in - which gives her a grand total of 12 teeth!  Eight more baby teeth to go!).

Words this week?  Charlotte has said water and flower - so the "er" words are emerging.
We need Grandpa Drake to upload some videos - as I think Char learned fastest with him.   Could you please oblige via youtube Grandpa?

She also knows where her belly is and smacks "aaah" after drinking some water (not sure where she learned either of these things).  She says apple all the time but always throws her apple pieces on the floor.  We gave her some peanut butter and there was a big rash that ensued - so no more peanut butter for now (we are not sure if this is concurrent with heat rash but we are being conservative).

I also have a new camera - the Canon S95.  The ergonomics are not the S90 (which I was used to) but I can manage.  Also the video is good but not as good as the Flip.  But if I just want to carry one camera the S95 is it!  I have taken all these pictures in low light as our house's lighting is not conducive to flashless photography.  Argh.

We went to the Dargans and met with Olivia, Clarice and Mike.  It was great exchanging labor stories as they had the opposite labor experience as we did (66 hours - amazing).

In pregnancy news - I still have belly issues - my tummy is not the machine it was with Char.  I am very stomach sensitive but not so emotional these days.  I didn't even flinch today when I got a flat tire (enter Matt to the rescue!).  It was one of those days but it didn't phase me as much as it could have.

Here is Charlotte playing with Imee in her cardboard 'house':

Although this photo is blurry - it demonstrates Charlotte mad new skills of fake phone talking:

Charlotte having a drink on the sofa:

Charlotte sports her new full body bib from Ikea - great for those normally messy spaghetti dinners:

The dads in their polos and the girls in their pink dresses:

She sleeps again:

We have this Great Dane in our new neighborhood - Tiny is her name and she is one.  Charlotte loved meeting her!

Charlotte loves her new carrier - Daddy!

Photo of the week!

Week 68 and Week 20 - Back in the blogging groove

So we are in our new house.  When I say in I mean in a literal (and mostly psychological) sense, though I am still frustrated we aren't fully moved in because we have a bookshelf that hasn't been installed (there is a benefit from buying from Ikea than from no name mainland China as the latter probably uses stupid flimsy screws that cannot be found outside of China.  This has now happened to use twice over two moves). 

Charlotte hated the house the first night - up most of the night crying, sleeping with us, etc.  The second day and night was much better - I suppose she is change averse (who isn't) but once she realized this is her new home - she has embraced it with reckless (sleep) abandon.  In fact the third night she slept till 9AM - and Matt was late for work!  There were a few days of 9AM, but now she is getting up at 8AM. 

On the pregnancy front - I did the 20 week scan yesterday (sans Matt) and the Cheese Curd (haha) has all her limbs and a brain and skin over her spine - so all is well there.  O and the Cheese Curd is a girl - so my parents have 2 daughters who each have 2 daughters!  I forgot to mention last week that I felt the baby move - at 19 weeks (not a lot - just when I am about to sleep).  I have been less yeast infectiony this time around (sorry if TMI - this is a journal for me too) but have had more bouts of indigestion then I ever did with Char Char.  I will post some of the alien like photos sometime - they need to be scanned and dealt with and quite frankly my multi media at the moment is still stifled by, well, my lack of finishing unpacking because of that stupid (scapegoat) bookshelf.

Speaking of multi media - I have taken more photos and videos on my phone and uploaded them to Facebook - which is good to keep people informed but not so good for my photo organization/posterity.  I don't know how to upload the droid videos to youtube... does anyone?

Sometime today or tomorrow I am hoping to get the Canon S95 - yeah!  I miss having a little camera (besides the phone - which takes surprisingly decent photos but you know, I am a bit of a camera snob).

For your information - the 85mm lens is great for the park but rubbish at home.  Charlotte runs up to it and there is a minimal distance (I think around 5 feet) that you need for it to work.  Great for the park - but you must focus on the right thing!  It is bokeh crazy so you must be quick with finding what you want to focus on.

Ok, enough blabbing.  On with it!

Here is Charlotte playing with Luigi's kids at our old house:

Charlotte asleep in the car (reprint from FB):

Charlotte with her new Vietnamese dress:

 

Charlotte drives with her daddy's smile:

Charlotte at the grocery store:

Charlotte had a funny face day:

And enjoyed the swing - for once:

Charlotte wants to show that she can slide like a lady:

Wisconsin family would be so proud of her multiple dress week (this one is short!)!

Charlotte and Bucky:

Charlotte and Daddy:

Charlotte laughing at this 'fake' dog (but still petting it):

My favorite pic of the week:

Week 67 and Week 19

Charlotte is saying words - so many words.  Ok, not so many, but some words, and it is cute.  She sometimes says words you don't expect her too - like parroting "mop" which is funny, but she has yet to say "dog" or "thank you" (and we want her to say both even though she signs both).  So she says no, apple, up, one, two (and sometimes three), mama, mamaye (same as mama), dada, Imee, more, mop (though she doesn't know what that means) and the aforementioned oh my gosh (all with pregnant pauses in between the words.  Usher would be so proud she doesn't said the Lord's name in vain).  Charlotte also knows where her eyes and her belly are.

We went to the doctor for a wellness check - she is 32" tall and 25 pounds (11.7 kg).  The doctor asks if she can do all of these things like know where her eyes are and of course she won't do anything in front of the doctor because she is an artist and her art cannot be forced!  I mean, she is probably just shy sometimes.

I have eaten like total crap over the last few days (a harrowing number of consecutive meals that included french fries) and as of tonight we are in our new house!  Miraculous I survived as I am just a horrendous mover - I don't know why I continue to be traumatized by it but I do.  At least all of our stuff is in one place.  Charlotte was on a day long play date today because there was no where to sleep and we could concentrate on moving instead of moving around to find her.

Pregnancy wise - no new news.  Just cooking along this week (good because I was so distracted by moving!).

Sorry this is going to be a lazyish post - I will post more later this week I promise.  Here are some long overdue photos of our professional photo shoot from Charlotte's first birthday.

Charlotte getting her hanbok on with her daddy's help:

Charlotte has mastered that Korean photo-stoicism in this family portrait:

Charlotte getting the hang of walking in that dress!

Charlotte eats:

And shows off her funny face:

Mommy attempting to put her in a second hanbok:

Moving

I am sitting in front of my dying Mac (dying due to a lack of power) trying to capture the sadness of leaving our house.  I have never before been so attached to a house - we did get married here (and unexpectedly board some 6 friends and family here post wedding) and our dear Charlotte was born on the stairs here.  But it is a house and not a person or being I suppose - and we must leave it as we desire to have a house that is easier to maintain and cheaper - as I am not working as I was in flush mid 2008.  It is a beautiful house - with many parts that we never even took full advantage of (all of the decks and balconies upstairs).  I had asked Matt to come home from work today to offer me moral support as I am sad to see all our stuff being packed up from our beautiful home.  But I suppose it is a beautiful home - but not ours anymore.  I am sitting among boxes and plastic wrap and am wistful for a more comfortable place to sit than this dining chair - but alas plastic wrap has engulfed all of our cushier seats.  Tonight is the last night in our house - and tomorrow we will be in our new house to spend at least two more years of adventures with our expanding family.  Why am I so emotional about this?  I guess I can blame it on the hormones...

Week 66 and Week 18 - OMG

We are back in Singapore and Char and I are TIRED.  I have various tips for long haul air travel if anyone is interested (e.g. it is good to let the baby cry it out - a brief inconvenience for better sleep for everyone).

Charlotte has begun to say oh my gosh from that OMG song and it is so cute.  Unfortunately she doesn't do it when you ask her to.

I am also 18 weeks pregnant (and finally out on this blog about it).  I will do a further update at a later time but it is very different (and more difficult) that with dear Charlotte.

We are moving!  Domestic insane summer.  Sorry for the lame July posts.  I promise to be better once things are settled.  I hate moving....

Charlotte's last photo in Madison.  She kind of drinks out of juice bottles (and kind of spits some of it out):

Charlotte looking pensive:

My new favorite photo of Charlotte this week - she cannot be bothered:

Charlotte at Chris's playing with the exersaucer:

Gang and Connor at Chris's:

Charlotte rocks Olivia:

Week 65

We are leaving tomorrow to head back to Singapore and I am so late to post!  Sorry sorry - lots to do and many wonderful people to see and I am a bit spent at the moment.

No separate commentary - just pictures with an update of our week...

Lovely friends visit:

Lovely family visits...

Grandpa introduces Charlotte to corn - which we start and stop all in one weekend (too many poopy diapers):

Charlotte finishing Breaking Dawn - a feat mommy could not:

In her car from Xmas:

New shoes:

Lovely cousins visiting. Matt taught them how to water ski for the first time:

Here is a video of Charlotte dancing to her new favorite song, OMG by Usher, in front of her extended Drake family:

And Charlotte, in her own manic genius, putting on her first slide+concert a la Elton John: