Matthias & Shannon - Our Gifts from God: August 2008

Mummy's New Hairstyle...

Mummy finally went to cut and colour her hair today. Whilst she had thought it would be a pretty short trip, she spent 4 hours at the salon. Out of the 4 hours, the stylist took 2 hours just to cut Mummy's hair... What do you think of Mummy's new hairstyle??? I think it is cool, cos Mummy colour her hair with a reddish brown colour and had it streaked red...

Thank God Matt's ok...

It was a real scare for me last night. YJ was on a business trip to Indonesia, so I had to take care of Matt myself last night. I tucked Matt safely into my bed for the night and went out to the kitchen to get a drink. Thinking that it was only going to be a short while, I did not put a pillow at the side of the bed when I left the room. The next thing I know, I heard Matt crying. And when I ran into the room, he was already on the floor, trying to get up. He cried very hard for 5 minutes. I was terrified and wanted to kill myself for allowing him to fall. He was pacified after a while and I let him play a while in his cot, as I did not want to put him immediately back to bed in case there is any further reaction. He appears to be ok after 30 minutes, so I pat him back to sleep. He is fine today as well... Thank God for that...

A Random Day with Little Matt...

As Mummy fell sick during her trip in Yunnan, she decided to stay at home these 2 days to fully recuperate before going back to work. Whilst she took precaution not to spread her virus to me, she took care of me, so as to give 婆婆 a break as she has continuously took care of me for 8 days whilst Daddy and Mummy were away for a vacation.

These are some photos that Mummy took randomly during her 2 days with me. Mummy is so tired out after each day. Check out the photos and you will know why... So Mummy is really appreciative of 婆婆's efforts in taking care of me...

I Am "Slightly" over 9 Months Old...

Hmmm, all of you must be wondering why this post is titled with the word "slightly". Daddy and Mummy went on a trip without me... to Yunnan, the place which we always hear about excellent scenery (sob sob...) Check out their photos in the next post... The weather was harsh (ie vast difference in temperature between the day and nights) and both Daddy and Mummy fell sick. It definitely affected Mummy's milk supply for me. Now, she is wondering if she can still fulfill the target of one year total breastfeeding for me... Sigh, it was a dilemma for Mummy. A trip to beautiful Yunnan vs going there and fall sick and ending up with decreased milk supply. Mummy is feeling so guilty now... But the good news is, I am also now more interested in solids (hmm, the delicious porridge that 婆婆 cooks, I can finish one rice bowl worth of porridge for each meal of lunch and dinner). So I think Mummy's "hidden" storage in the freezer may still be able to last me another 2.5 months.... Fingers crossed...

I have definitely made huge progress whilst Daddy and Mummy were gone for 8 days... When they left, I can only:

Stand for 15 seconds without support
Attempt to reach out to the coffee table in the living room to try to stand up (but sadly, never suceeded)
Attempt to cruise whilst holding onto the railings of my cot (did successfully moved a few steps with Daddy "fishing" my interest with toys etc)
Crawl a bit (but still prefer to stand up)
Slowly moving from a crawling position to a sitting position

Now after 8 days, I can:

Stand for 30 seconds and still wave my hands and smile in excitement
Take 5 to 10 seconds to reach out to the coffee table from a sitting position and successfully stand up
Freely cruise from one side of the cot to the other side (and even attempt to tip toe to reach out... Ooops, time to lower my cot position)
Freely crawl towards toys, table, sofa etc (even attempt to crawl out to the balcony)
Freely move from a crawling position to a sitting position

As provided by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board

Stands while holding onto something
Jabbers or combines syllables
Understands object permanence
Cruises while holding onto furniture
Drinks from a sippy cup
Bangs objects together
Plays patty-cake and peek-a-boo
Eats with fingers
Says "mama" and "dada" to the correct parent

Unfortunately, Matt is still unable to accomplish the last 2, but it's ok. Every child has their own path and time for their development...

A Long Waited Couple Trip to Yunnan...

After much hesitation, YJ and I finally decided against bringing Little Matt with us on this trip to Yunnan. We were originally thinking of bringing Matt and my mum along. However, as I have researched, I realised that altitude sickness could be an issue for Matt, as the highest point we went to on this trip was at an altitude of 4,100 metres above sea level.

We have been always hearing that this trip (ie Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangrila) is a must-do in China. So that's explains our choice. Here are some of our photos for sharing:

Some panaromic shots that YJ took:

中国加油，奥运加油

It's been the moment that all the Chinese have been looking forward to. The day that China can present to the world that it is a country that is capable of hosting the Olympics and even doing it at the highest standard. We are also very proud that we can be here in China as a family to witness this historic moment. As we watched the opening ceremony, we were all very impressed at the efforts that China has put in to host this event...

Check out the bird's eye view of the National Stadium (AKA the Bird's Nest):

Here's the night view:

Here's another famous building, National Aquatic Center (AKA the Water Cube):

For more photos and information on the Beijing Olympics, check out http://en.beijing2008.cn/

Here's me, standing at attention, giving honour to China...

Totally enjoying myself!!!

Happy Birthday to Daddy...

Hmmm, you must be wondering whose birthday cake this is? Nope, it's not mine... It's Daddy's... Guess how old Daddy is??? Hush, hush, it's a secret. Everyone says Daddy looks so young, so I better not tell you his actual age. Haha... Keep guessing...

I wonder what's Daddy's birthday wish for this year...

A Continuation of Matt's Tooth Growth Chart

Mummy finally spotted my two top incisors that have subtly came out... What a timely birthday present for Daddy, who is celebrating his XXth birthday today... Haha...

Our First Trip with Matt to Nanjing...

It was my first travel trip together with Mummy and Daddy. It has always been Mummy's plan to travel around in China during their stay here. However, a lot of Mummy's plans were ruined 'cos she couldn't travel in 2007 as she was pregnant with me. So Mummy decided to resume her plans this year since I am now "old" enough to travel.

Day 1 was horrible as it started to drizzle upon our arrival at Nanjing, followed by a huge downpour in the late afternoon. We were so drenched... Luckily I was in Mummy's Beco carrier, so I was "protected" from the rain... Check out the raining streets along 夫子庙 area...