Week 84 and week 36 - Sleep no more

Well, I have been helping Matt at the office quite a bit which makes for a sad blogger.  Not a lot of photos this week - but luckily Connor celebrated a birthday and we took some fun pictures with him (or at least of him - he and Char of the age of parallel but non intersecting play).  Charlotte may have been the oldest kid there....

My Waldorf education has suffered with my working.  I do manage to do some dishes with Charlotte every afternoon - which she loves and cries whenever it is over.  I think she thinks of it as a midday bath!  I wash and let her rinse off - it is cute.

She has been getting up a bit this week - twice last night and maybe 2-3 more nights this week.  We thought it was the teething but it is hard to say as I perused her gums with my fingers this morning and there was no wincing.  Sometimes I wonder if she just doesn't like the waffley pajamas....

As for me - sleep is definitely a thing of nighttime past.  Cheese Curd is up, I have to pee a lot and sometimes get lazy about it as it is such an ordeal to get up... the baby is about 5.8 pounds and we tried to take some pictures but aside from the glowy femur and the boring head circumference there was nothing interesting to see.  I go back on Monday - and I get to do a CTG beforehand which is exciting.  I think this is because of my high ANA levels (the CTG monitors the baby's heartbeat).  A few more days and I am full-term!  So then it is the tradeoff of a baby in the belly (and an uncomfortable mommy) or no sleep with an newborn... I think for the moment I will take a few more weeks of baby in belly...

No videos this week!  Argh, bad blogger mommy...

Here is Connor and his happy folks - a very cute party indeed!

Connor's family looks excited while Connor contemplates whether to eat the peanut butter or chocolate and vanilla cupcakes:

Awesome cake from Kim Stamper!

Charlotte plays with balloons (and tries not to pop one - or at least Mommy hopes so):

Charlotte eats rice crackers in the park:

And rinses off her powdered milk dispenser:

And runs to see the garbage truck go by:

And eats yogurt by herself!

Week 83 and Week 35 - Braxton Hicks and Charley Horse

This is a week dedicated to pregnancy.  Matt was briefly away to Macau to do boy things (e.g. golf) and Aunt Julia stayed another week which was great.  On Friday night she and I walked to my favorite neighborhood tofu dessert place which was 20 minutes of walking and then I noticed this stomach tightening... could it have been Braxton Hicks contractions?  I never had these with Charlotte but I definitely knew I wasn't going into labor (well, if the last time was any indicator that is).  These contractions continued through the night which was tres uncomfortable.  I went to the doctor on Saturday and he confirmed my assumption and my cervix is nice and shut for now.  Luckily these contractions subsided as the weekend continued.  Matt got home late Sunday and Monday morning I had a Charley Horse in my right calf when I woke up.   Argh.  This is the part of pregnancy that I really don't like - systemic body failure.  I did learn that the head is down and engaged - but that really doesn't mean anything now.  Shockingly I also was the same weight - miraculous given my heavy diet of Oreos of late...

We are trying to mix up Charlotte's admittedly monotonous food offerings - we made meatloaf and lentils with bacon this week!  We welcome any suggestions for other toddler friendly foods....

Charlotte still hates brushing her teeth but Matt theorizes that a couple more bottom teeth may be about to cut through.  Funny I thought that they had all done that by now...

It has been an enormously rainy week so we have spent a lot of time with TT in the afternoons - as this is a much more desirable alternative to getting monsooned upon (note there aren't really monsoons in Singapore, but the rain can be heavy).  According to Tita Monica Charlotte said "I want hug" with outstretched arms to TT yesterday at our house.  TT sweetly obliged.  The two of them also walk down the street holding hands.  So bloody cute...

I have read up on Waldorf homeschooling and have given it a brief whirl.  Monday we made my sister's brownies (Charlotte helped crack eggs and stir with a wooden spoon - she was very clear she wanted no help with this) and Tuesday we made banana oat bars, which I highly recommend as it is easy to prepare.  I had encouraged Charlotte to mix with her hands and being this anomalous neatnik toddler that she is becoming, she refused.

I have been busy helping Matt at the office so there isn't a ton of pictures this week.  But there are some...

...first we will start with a video I took tonight - Charlotte thinks she is a zombie!

Char walking to TT's tonight at twilight:

Charlotte slides:

And looks serious:

She watches as the oats go into the banana oat bars:

Not sure if Charlotte is grumpy her hair is so long now:

She plays in TT's room with his construction toys:

Here is Char and TT holding hands while basking in the new moonlight:

Week 82 and Week 34

Well we got rid of the bat.  Imee and I were anti bat while those with the surname Drake were pro - but since I spend more time at home (and can be slightly superstitious in these pregnant times) the bat went.  The first line of defense was our pest control service- they wanted to charge us $180 (on top of their expensive basic service) so of course we balked.  So clever Imee put a garlic bulb in its own mesh bag up by the bat with a long laundry pole - and the bat immediately vacated!  Yay!  He/she hasn't been back since but still does fly close by around dusk.

We took Charlotte to a surprisingly well-presented brunch and swim on Saturday (again at Tanjong Beach Club) and she slept like a champ (when we let her) on Sunday and Monday.  I think she may have taken a four and a half hour nap on Monday - when we awoke her at 7PM she was not happy to see us.  Sunday we met up with Chris, Jisun, Doris, and Ellie for a mid morning brunch.

Matt (being the ever-conscious son of a dental hygienist) is trying to kill the pre sleep bottle while I worry about her growth and am trying to keep it.  Our compromise is having Charlotte brush her teeth beforehand... which recently she HATES.  Like throw-the-toothbrush-across-the-room hate.  Multiple throws hate.  Needless to say this is a battle we are trying to be more creative with - including some hopeful imitate-mommy-while-she-brushes-her-teeth modeled behavior.  We will keep trying.

Monday we started Charlotte on feeding herself - a welcome relief for breakfast and lunch (still a struggle at dinner).  She enjoys the self-feeding - it seems to bore her less than when we shove some food in her mouth.  But dinner - she is still bored with dinner.  But at least as of Monday we aren't running around the living room with a spoon appendage trying to feed her.

On the pregnancy front - well no new news except I really cannot sleep on my side AT ALL.  It is all back sleeping which makes me feel guilty when I wake up but what am I to do?

Aunt Julia is visiting us from Bangkok and we are enjoying our time with her...

Here is a video from last week - Teo (Char's surrogate big bro) and Char in our mini pool:

And Char eating pho noodles by herself:

And swimming to hip-hop at the Tanjong Beach Club:

And with pictures (lots and lots this week):

Here is the Cheese Curd at 32 weeks (she looks like she has a cartoon villain dinosaur next to her head):

And the long overdue pic of us at the zoo.  Notice Charlotte matches the expression of the primate on the right.  And this has got to be one of the best pictures of Matt evah:

Julia and the fam chillin' in our front yard thing:

Char plays in her new beautiful dress from Aunt Jisun!

Char and Aunt Julia plan our next vacation... to the Seychelles (haha):

Daddy demystifies smart phones:

Char enjoys her first mojito.  I tried to warn her about the hallucinogenic effects of tequila (o nevermind.  I forgot it is just rum there.  You can see I am not much of a drinker):

Char strikes a happy swimming pose:

Char still likes flip-flops - even if she isn't wearing anything else!

And she and daddy enjoy some upside down time:

Week 81 and Week 33 - Same same

For a couple of days I thought Charlotte was giving up her second nap which was causing me great despair.  I am sure that this is inevitable but luckily she was in a napping mood today so you know, I will take it day by day.

She knows her colors (at least yellow, purple, and blue) and may have said her first sentence this week - "There's a bat."  We have this not very cute fruit bat who lives under our roof.  We are trying to get rid of him but he at least helps to enhance Charlotte's vocabulary while he is here.

TT came over on Sunday and we had a fun impromptu play date.  Charlotte and TT played in our little pool!  Thank goodness for perennial warm weather (sometimes anyway).

Matt had a work event this past weekend - he won a small and medium business award in Singapore.  I got to tag along to the after party of this event at the New Asia Bar at the Swissotel - this was swish and my feet were killing me (potential swollen ankles + 3" heels = one unhappy mama).  Seriously the only one remotely pregnant there.  It was fun to be out but I am feeling like one old soul these days - so I am happy I have a photo that it happened but otherwise am ok without.

Back is ok - I try to stretch and it isn't awful but just a reminder that my body is not entirely my own.  I also stopped taking the low dose aspirin but still wake up in the middle of the night frequently thinking I haven't taken the right drug (this has been the case the whole pregnancy).  We went to the doc today - and I wondered why I still go.  Things are swimming along - baby is growing.  Matt came with me and I told him not to bother till week 39 now because it is a huge time suck and there is (thankfully) no change in status.  I did lose a pound today which is cool / weird.  Luckily the baby is still growing (she is 2.1 kg).  My doctor will be away at my 39th week - I somehow wonder if he will be delivering my baby after all.  What will be will be I guess.

Ok - on with things!

A fun video of Charlotte dancing and spinning:

Creepy bat houseguest!

Matt and I out on the town!


Char trying on daddy's flip flops again!

TT and Char Pool shots:

Moves like Jagger!

Char on a scooter:

Photoshop fun!

Week 80 and week 32 - Charlotte observations

So - here are a few observations on Charlotte in her infinite glory as an 18 month old:

1. Charlotte is LOUD. But only in the privacy of our own home.  She is too conscious of herself in public to be a loudmouth.  But she also can be too shy to show her mad skills to our doctor.
2. Charlotte likes to pick out her own clothes - but says NO to almost everything.  She likes the pretty girly things if she chooses anything at all.  We usually decide on something that she nixes but she wears anyway.
3. Charlotte has become painfully camera aware.  It is hard to capture her smiling and dancing freely these days as she knows when she is being watched.  
4. Charlotte is getting increasingly difficult to feed.  This has always been the case but she requires a monumental effort in DISTRACTION.  This used to be sign language DVD's but now is books and occassionally flash cards.  We often relent and let her roam around as we chase her down with a plastic spoonful of food. 
5. Speaking of feeding - you have to present Charlotte food in increasing order of what she likes hierarchy.  She likes oatmeal but she LOVES eggs, so it is oatmeal first.  And you cannot even indicate that there are even eggs until they are presented - otherwise it is an oatmeal FAIL.
6. Charlotte has gotten in the habit of standing the entire duration of a bath (a handheld shower head bath) - I am not sure the last time that I was able to wash her feet as she sasses when she is asked to sit.
7. Charlotte doesn't like hair accessories like barrettes or hats - just like her mother.  She pulls them off of her head - which is fine by me because I am not good at putting barrettes in my own (and her) hair anyway.
8. Charlotte recently likes throwing books, especially the Sandra Boynton ones with pigs on them.  I often question whether I should discipline her on things like this - but I do as I think she will hurt herself.  At the moment she just laughs at the discipline.

Regarding the pregnancy - my lower back (on the left especially) is giving me much issue in the mornings.  I cannot seem to reconcile sleeping on my side and keeping the covers on.  I have slept by myself over the past week (Matt has been in Dubai) and have 2 heavy comforters (I am a blanket person) - and yet I wake up in the middle of the night with nothing on me.  I can remain asleep under the covers when I am on my back apparently.  Oh, and I think the Cheese Curd is auditioning for Swan Lake in my belly for most of the night.  I am SO tired during the day - I am sleeping pretty unevenly at night and I need to recover.  I am driving with the wheel on my belly - too short legs and too round belly does not a good combination maketh.

We are also dogsitting our friend's boxer Dave.  

Anyway - here are the pics and stuff.

Here is Charlotte putting the buckle on her eating chair:

And Charlotte blowing bubbles with our awesome neighbors Aunt Susie and TT:

Here is Dave.  I got in a heated argument with a meddling lady in the park who thought Dave should be muzzled (even though it is not required).  At least no one should mess with us while he stays at our house:

Charlotte, at first reluctant, has grown to like Dave.  This is her double fisted petting:

Charlotte in her new bohemian dress from Grandma Kye:

And plays in the park:

I always like her sideways glances:

Charlotte tries on these new flip flops.  Unfortunately they don't fit well as she has inherited her mother's Barney Rubble feet:

Having a good laugh about it:

Week 79 and week 31 - Bali and the furnace

We went to Bali with Rebecca and Dan this past weekend - very fun!  Charlotte got her swim on as we stayed in a pool villa and then visited Potato Head, a cool bar with an infinity pool overlooking Seminyak beach.  A short 2 day trip but it was nice for Charlotte to at least nap in her own room without us having to be trapped in there with her - which was the downfall of our Krabi trip.  I didn't necessarily mind as I enjoyed the extra napping...

This is our 6th non US visit trip with Charlotte - so she has now been to Hong Kong and Macau (twice), Phuket, Krabi, Cebu, and Bali.  That is once every 3 months of her life on average.  We are crazy parents! 

We liked the Residence at Seminyak - it was quiet but very close to lots of restaurants and bars in Seminyak!  We will be back in Seminyak again soon (well, not too soon, after Cheese Curd arrives, maybe in March...).

Charlotte of course did not sleep on any part of the plane ride but managed to doze off moments after stepping into our taxi in Singapore!  The entire plane ride she was entranced not by any of her old standby toys (or new ones especially procured for the plane) - she loved the airplane seat belt.  Assembling.  Disassembling.  Assembling.  Disassembling.

She got her 18 month jabs on Monday.  She was told she was advanced for knowing 40 ish words, though she was too shy to demonstrate any knowledge to the doctor.  She just was smiley and shy.  She cried after her shots for about 30 seconds and then (like I would have done) forgot all about it.  Charlotte was pretty tuckered out by all her swimming and screwy sleep schedule (she is maybe the only 18 month I know still on two naps) - so she was cranky pants until Tuesday when she realized she was back in her comfortable routine.

In pregnancy news - the furnace is turned on!  I think this happened at week 30 with Charlotte where I was just hot all the freakin' time.  Matt laughs at me as I look like I have just stepped out of a sauna... constantly.  There are frequent showers. 

Oh, and my back hurts - this is also new.  Not to be complaining but my belly is bigger than before and I wake up and it is sore.  The good news is it is the only place that is sore - the rest of my arthritisy symptoms seem to be gone but seriously, who likes back pain?

I also am suffering a bit of a cold - nothing too serious but it makes me tired.  Like nap-every-day-during-the-third-trimester tired.  How did I work during this period with Charlotte?

Went to the doctor this morning.  After a nice warmed ultrasound gel on my belly we found the cheese curd to be 1.77 kg - almost 4 pounds.  And CC is also head down which is fabulous too!  I did daily inversions and they seemed to work (though who knows, she could have moved herself to the right position anyway).  Now I just got to get her head engaged there...

Here is Charlotte swimming in our pool villa:

And Charlotte drinking (and disliking) Coke at the Tuesday Night Pizza Club:

Here is Charlotte and Aunt Becky at a German restaurant:

Our villa!  Matt wants a house just like this!

Charlotte arranging our massages for us:

Breakfast!

Perusing the menu at Ku De Ta:

Similar melancholy expressions at Ku De Ta:

Walking (and walking) to Potato Head:

Charlotte and Daddy swim at (Mr.) Potato Head...

... and then swim at our villa:

For Aunt Nicole - Charlotte wears her onesie from the Loveless Cafe in Memphis:

And is happy to be back home in Singapore... for a while....