Cheekily manipulative

You have learnt how to get your way by either continuously chuckling and playing with your saliva or crying and screaming, until we give in. I thought we only needed to 'discipline' you when you were 2 or 3 years old. Its probably true that babies are much smarter than we think.

A few days ago when you bullied your popo when I left the both of you in the car while I ran into Tesco to get some things because it was raining. You cried non-stop for about 15 minutes despite popo doing everything to soothe you, until she took off your coat. Apparently you wanted to suck your fingers and because the coat was so thick, your fingers could not reach your mouth. You immediately stopped crying and chuckled at her. If you wake up at night or in the middle of a nap, your crying stops immediately on picking you. When we put you into the cot and you want to be picked up, you continuously laugh and swing your arms vigourously until your wish is fulfilled. You are very determined and know exactly what you want. Hopefully you will put this virtue into good use when you grow up.

Half a year old: 6 months

You turned 6 months old yesterday and are totally my pride and joy. You are flipping. rolling and 'worming': your version of moving forward at the moment, babbling, blowing bubbles, able to sit for short moments, stand and stomp your feet with support, and just about more reserve with who you laugh or smile at. You still laugh lots with us though. I think you are becoming more weary of your surroundings and people around. I can't leave you on your own anymore as you will be out of your playmat in minutes. Too bad the flat's not childproof yet and there are lots of ways you can hurt yourself. You seem to be very tough with not even a wince when your head hits the floor or cotside when you turn. Its us that worry and jump everytime we hear a thud, although not that often now because we take turns to watch you like hawks to make sure you are safe.Its a joy to feed you porridge because you eat it so quickly. But since you will be going to nursery and have to eat 'western' food, we tried to give you a mixture of tomatoes, potatoes and carrots which is slightly sour and jar food of which you dislike and know how to protest by looking away and down so that we can't get the spoon in. It took nearly an hour to feed this to you. Truly a chinese baby who loves his rice :)

An attempt to get a proper photo of you resulted in this:All in all, you've reached all your developmental milestones and is growing up well. If only you will learn how to sleep through at night.

Testing of patience

Motherhood's a real test of patience, especially when you have a kid who does not like napping and wakes up every hour or 2 at night. That was what you were up to in the past few days upon returning from Malaysia. I hope its jet lag and will not be permanent. Imagine spending half an hour rocking or patting and singing to you during nap time and then after you fall asleep, you wake up after 10 minutes and the cycle starts again. Similarly at night you wake up so often that I can't tell whether its night or day. I can literally feel myself losing control and feel like screaming at you, then you give me the most innocent smile to melt my heart, and sometimes even stick out your tongue. How cheeky!! I honestly am not sure what will happen when I return to work. Thankfully my mom's here to take some nap shifts to give me a break.

On the other hand, you are eating very well and can finish 4oz of porridge and open your mouth for more :) At least I don't need to be too patient about feeding you food that you like.

The time of my life

I can't believe my 6 week holiday is about to end in a weeks' time. It has flown by and am really not looking forward to going back and having to start work. This means not being able to spend the whole day with you anymore and seeing you do funny and adorable actions everyday. Life in Malaysia was so fun and I had the best time of my maternity leave. So many things has happened in the past few weeks, from you experiencing new things and developing, that I keep meaning to blog but the days are so short and full of activities that before I know it, it's always about midnight. So, I can only again summarise and write in retrospect.

A day before leaving KK, we brought you to the beach to get some sea breeze. You laughed lots and really enjoyed yourself. I thought you were too young to play in the sand or go into the sea. So, you have to wait another year to get the full beach experience.After returning from KK, you had to see your daddy leave. I don't think you understood it but he was very sad and missed you more than you know. He loves sleeping but in the following weeks has woken up at 5 or 6am just to skype with you. I think he will be surprised at how much you have grown and be amused by your new found voice and ability to turn. He's our motivation to go back to UK :)
You started solids a week before 5 months and is taking 3 meals a day now. Thankfully you love solids and feeding you is so much easier than giving you formula milk. You literally will gulp down food that you love which is baby rice, pumpkin, apple and surprisingly broccoli. The broccoli must be my influence. I am still trying my best to give you as much milk as possible so you seem to be constantly offered food. However, it has not shown on your weight as you only put on 300g in 5 weeks, pitiful amount and dropped from your 9th centile. So, I need pump you with food.

You finally flipped at 5 months 2 weeks old. You grabbed hold of the toy attached to the play mat overhang and pulled yourself to your tummy. Since then, you will flip to get certain things. Funnily, you will not flip on the playmat if its put directly on the marble floor but will flip if its placed on the carpet. Maybe the playmat's too thin and your tummy on the marble floor is too painful and so you don't like it.

You also had your first swimming experience and had your first swim class. You had to be a 'pretty boy' coz I was too cheapskate to spend RM150 to buy you a body warmer that will only be worn a few times. So, you had to wear Kaitlyn's (Zac's cousin) pink one. You loved the water until the teacher had your head in the water. Well, you actually liked the first dunk and came up all surprised. However, you screamed and wailed when you had to 'fall in' the water the 2nd and 3rd time. You also did not like to float on your back and squeezed your eyes shut. Maybe it was too glaring for you. A few more times in the last week here will hopefully make you more comfortable underwater :)

We tried bringing you to the playground but it was way too hot and stuffy for you. If we waited till the sun went down, it was the mosquitoes that became the problem. Well, you still managed to go on the swing and see saw. However, you became very irritable from the heat. You went from cheerful and all excited to a grumpy little man. So UK's better from this point of view.
It's going to be a shock for us both when we return to Liverpool where it will only be me, your daddy and popo around the house. You met and played with many and was always surrounded by family and friends over these weeks. There was also the freedom of no car seat where you enjoyed looking at everything passing by in the car. Hopefully you will not cry too much when we place you back in the carseat in UK. We have taken hundreds of photos and a few videos which need to be sorted out. My project in Liverpool when we return.

The soon to end saga

You are nearly 5 months old and the plan is to start weaning you off breastfeeding to be bottle fed and also start you on solids once we arrive in Malaysia. However, it is not as easy as you had to make lots of adjustments to the change in environment and schedules and recovering from your cold in the first 2 weeks. There was also an element of not wanting to add/increase your formula milk and decreasing your breastfeeding timing/sessions. I feel sad thinking of not breastfeeding anymore and I can't understand why. Maybe its because the journey to reach this situation has not been easy and I want to savour this for as long as I can? Maybe I don't want to lose the special bond? But I know this transition is for the benefit of us both and I need to constantly remind myself of this. It is better done gradually rather than 'cold turkey'.

It is also amazing that I have not thought much about your weight since we arrived in Malaysia. Drastic difference from my obsession with it in the past few months. It has been nearly 4 weeks that you have not been weighed. It's not that I don't care anymore but shows the power of distraction. Seeing you being constantly active and entertaining everybody certainly helps reassure me. Still, I plan to get your weighed officially in the next few days. I could easily be fooling myself as I do not feel you getting any heavier.

Chinese New Year

It was the first time you celebrated Chinese New Year! I don't think you understood much of it except that it was very hot and you kept meeting new people who wanted to carry you :) As usual, you were very cheerful and sociable and laughed with everyone when cool but started becoming subdued and cranky when it became humid and hot. Unfortunately it never rains during CNY.

As we were in KK, you were fortunate enough to hear LOTS of firecrackers going on at night. Thankfully you were not disturbed by it at all. We were also apprehensive about your reaction when we gave you an angpow to feed the 'lion' when lion dancers visited the house (common practice in KK) coz of the noise and action but there was no fear in you and not only did you put the angpow into the lion's mouth, you actually stroked the lion's head!! Your 'po tai' was more than amused.. Too bad we did not have the camera ready. I wonder if you will still be as brave next year when you understand what fear is.

First fall

2 weeks ago in KK...
A split second turn to throw your nappy away..
A loud thud on the floor followed by a piercing cry..
2 hearts that stopped beating for a moment..
You facedown on the floor

That was your first flip and your first fall from the bed. I wonder if this is the reason for you not to roll/flip since then?