Caitlin - 8.5 months

The last time I wrote about you was when you were just under 4 months old, a baby.  You are now heading towards being a toddler with a mind of your own :)  You started sitting at 5 months, belly crawling at 6.5 months, clap your hands at 7 months and about 2 weeks ago learn to wave bye-bye.  Your first tooth was also visible at 7 months and now have 2 front lower teeth (teething is way faster than your koko).

5 months old

6 months old in Malaysia - notice the kisses from mosquitoes

8 month cheeky me

2 front teeth for Christmas!!

I looked back at the posts and pictures of Isaac at about the same age and realise that you both do look very alike, except that you have hair!! Interestingly the photos that I take are similar too :) and of course you both have the same toys!!

The advise is not to compare but it's just natural to do so.  Although similar in many ways, you are more clingy and 'manja' and is less chilled than your brother.  You also put EVERYTHING into your mouth which your koko never did.  Maybe it's a boy / girl thing?  Or maybe it's because Isaac was already in nursery by now and hence have learnt to be more independent?  We'll see how your character and personality continue to develop.

Currently, you recognise your name and starting to communicate by calling out 'uh, uh' to get our attention.  You will also yell out quite loudly when you're excited.  Just like your koko, you are no where near sleeping through the night yet.  You seem to be more picky with your food and love to feed yourself.  Toast seem to be your favourite food!!  I need to give this to you 3 times a day during meals to get you to open your mouth.  You recognise music and would clap your hands when you hear any tunes.  A funny example was when we went shopping and you started clapping your hands when you heard the 'alarm' of the shop entrance go off.  Classic!! :)

I am totally enjoying my maternity leave with both you and Isaac and wish you both won't grow up so quickly. 

Christmas eve ponder

I had a look at my last post which said 'before I know it and it will be Christmas'.  How true....  I opened my posts and realised that there was a draft and so posted that.  Here I am now penning down and reflecting what has happened since September.

It really should come with no surprise that time flies so quickly.  I am 3/4 way into my maternity leave now and both Isaac and Caitlin are growing up so quickly.  Caitlin's no longer a 'baby', and both she and Isaac are learning to play with each other.  We celebrated Isaac's 4th birthday, flew to Malaysia for 6 weeks and have returned in November and submitted my thesis a few days ago.  I really cherish and am enjoying my maternity leave as have never had the luxury of so much time to spend with them (although I really miss work at times as there's no such thing as a 'break' taking care of 2).  Overall, I feel so very blessed and thankful.

There's soooo much more to write but think should be sorting out and updating photos for the previous posts :)

Think we took nearly 10 shots to get this 1 where both Isaac and Caitlin were not too blur from moving and are smiling at the camera

Conversations about God with Isaac

A collection of Isaac's questions/conversation about God...

Isaac: God lives in our heart.
Me:  That's very good
Isaac:  But how did He get there?
Me:  Ermm..

Isaac:  Is God big?
Me: Yes, he's the biggest thing in the world and is everywhere
Isaac:  Ah ha, but he's not bigger than the biggest giant
Me: Yes he is.
Isaac (replies smugly): He is the biggest giant and is the leader of the giants

We are now all recovering from a nasty virus and I've lost my voice. He keeps asking me what is blocking my voice and I say its the germs that are attacking my throat.
Isaac: God can take away the germs from you.
Me:  That's right. So will you pray for me?
Isaac:  OK. I will ask God to take the germs out but make sure the germs don't go into God's throat

Isaac: Mummy, how come nobody knows what God looks like?
Me: That is because God is God and He is everywhere
Isaac (thinks and replies after some time): That is because God lives in our hearts and we cannot see through the heart

Recent outings (now not so recent anymore)

'Over the past few weeks, we have done something every weekend.  This was especially so when Richard's parents were here, but was equally so to keep Isaac entertained.  This is his first experience of a summer holiday of not having school.'

That was written in August, and we're now in the middle of Sept. Where does the time fly to? My thoughts? There's too little time and soooo much to do. I better post this now, as before I know it, we'll be celebrating Christmas??  ;)  So in those summer weekends, we went on the Mersey Ferry, went to the Tatton Park flower show, enjoyed the pirates event by the docks, and made many trips to different parks and museums.  The photos to be uploaded will have to be done another time.

24th December 2013: uploaded photos

Caitlin's updates

NOTE:  Just realised that this post was written 3 weeks ago and not published yet.

You're 15 weeks now and enjoying the last week with Mah mah and Yeh yeh before saying good bye to them.  Have you been spoilt with having constant attention and being carried for all your naps.  They'll definitely be missed...

Only this week you've become suddenly very chatty, and talks to everybody.  You will also smile at whoever is talking, assuming they were talking to you?  Hmm...  You also LOVE your fingers, trying to sometimes put all 10 in at once!!  I have been advised to use a teether but you have yet to learn to hold one steadily.  You can also bring your hands together

We've been trying to encourage you to turn over but still not successful yet ;)  You can do mini push-ups though and moves your hands and feet non-stop.

Sibling love

Isaac loves football and looks like Caitlin loves watching her koko play.  This is the first time I have heard her laugh out loud like this for so long.  The whole scene really melted my heart and makes motherhood so worthwhile.  I pray that this will be the beginning of years of sibling love. 

What Isaac's been up to

Isaac's social life is much better than us, with birthday parties nearly every other weekend :)  This means buying lots of cards and presents.  The good thing is this is the only way to get you to practice writing as you love writing on cards for your friends.  You somehow dislike holding a pen/pencil and has no confidence in writing.  So any amount of practice is good :)

At 'M's party in Farmer Teds

School has ended for him, and in the last week was Sports Day!  We were all invited to attend.  Out of all the games, he liked relay running the best.

 

He also got his first bike, dinosaur themed again (his fascination for it past few months).  He did struggle initially to cycle but learnt how to within a few minutes in the toy shop itself (with the little support wheels of course).  Since then, he has been wanting us to move out the car so he can drive in the driveway.  Unfortunately he still doesn't know how to brake so he still needs constant supervision for now.

  

 We made a day trip to Manchester and unknowingly chose the hottest day to go.  Thankfully you both tolerated the heat quite well :)

More funny comments:

When Sai Yi visited recently
Sai yi: How old are you Isaac?
Isaac (with a HUGH Sigh):  I'm STILL 3.  I will be 4 in September
(He asks if it's september every week!!)

After buying the bike,
Me: Isaac, can you fetch Caitlin and go out and about?
Isaac: But there's no basket Mummy!!

We watched lots of Wimbledon and one day I was using his toy racquet to play 'tennis' with him.  I have always taught him to serve the badminton way but this time he threw the ball upwards and attempted to hit it. 
Me:  Isaac, that is not the way to serve
Isaac:  But this is tennis and this is how you start the game.  I saw it on TV.

He loves counting from 1-100 recently.  On a journey back home from Farmer Ted's (obviously very tired), he started counting and we were all joining in the counting.  It stopped at 99 and when I looked in the mirror, he was sound asleep. 

While trying to wake him up from a nap
Me:  Get up.. I think you're recharged now. 
Isaac:  No I'm not.  I want to be very much fully recharged

Caitlin - 12 weeks

It's nearly 3 months now.  We had to say bye bye to popo few weeks ago.  Never mind, she and gong gong will be visiting again and yeh yeh and mah mah have just arrived :)

People keep asking 'Is there a difference between both kids?'  There is definitely some similarities where the both of you look so much like each other, and are very chilled out, cheerful babies that hardly cry.  But, Caitlin, you are much more fussy then your koko and have had difficulties with feeding from day 1, and is making me work much harder to continue breastfeeding you. 

In terms of developments, you smiled genuinely at about 7 weeks, and started cooing shortly, which made your popo so happy to have had conversations with you before she left.  Now, you are really quite chatty and very active, always moving your hands and legs when awake.  You even attempt to sit up and hate to be in a reclining position.  You also sleep better, up to 5 hours sometimes, although it's mostly 3-4 hours.  What else can I say, a girl and hence more 'madam-like' overall compared to Isaac?  Still, I love you to bits and really looking forward to you growing up and able to play with your koko

Still a cheeky boy

Posting a post can take up to a week sometimes as it has to be done in chunks :)

As cheeky as ever

'Mummy, why don't you feed Caitlin on my bed and put me to sleep?  That's a good idea!!'
'We all need to work hard so that we have everything at home.  We can't work softly'
'I'm very good at this, I'm the champion'
'Popo, your hair is getting longer.  Mummy can cut it for you but you need to be brave' (I cut Isaac's hair and he keeps saying he was brave through it)

We do teach him that winning is not everything as long as he's tried his best.  So to make him eat, we 'race' to see who finishes the food first.  This was one evening
Ric: 'I'm finishing my food and I'm going to win'
Isaac: 'Never mind, I tried my best' 

He's been having a good social life with attending a birthday party nearly every other week (making us bankrupt by buying so many presents ;)).  So, this comes up time and time again
Isaac: 'When will I be 4?'
Me: 'Your birthday is in September'
Isaac: 'It's taking a long time for September' or 'Its taking a long time for me to be 4'

He has an obsession with having muscles this period and being strong, and wants to 'show off' his muscles all the time.

 

Life after Caitlin

 

Since the arrival of Caitlin, life is not the same.  Different challenges but there are still lots of fun times.  Isaac has been AMAZING with the arrival of a sister who takes away all his mummy's time.  So, we try and do something each week.

Tried gardening since we were given seeds from a party.  The sunflowers seem to be growing really well

We went up Liverpool wheel and he asked 'Do we have the money now?' He was super happy to go on it

Ric bought him a camera, which costs more than a standard adult camera

Helping out with getting Caitlin's hand and foot prints

Celebrated my birthday - whole month of May is still a blur to me

It was actually time for my parents to leave at 5 weeks but as I found it still a struggle juggling 2 and managing things at home, papa graciously allowed mummy to extend her stay here :)  Thank you so much ma and pa for your sacrifices!! So it was bye bye to 'gong gong' first.