The Big Easy

Craig has finally gotten over his jetlag and we are pleased that we are getting some reasonably decent sleep albeit being roused a few times a night by C's nocturnal cries (we are learning that sleep training is an on-going challenge). Nonetheless, C is getting back to some sort of routine after our trip and I am hoping that things will stay this smooth till our next trip in two weeks'.

While we were in Baltimore at Brian's mom, I had the opportunity to take off to New Orleans - solo - for a conference. C stayed back with Brian in Baltimore.

My love for Creole/Cajun food coupled with my passion for jazz has always had the Big Easy high on my City To Visit list. Hence, imagine my thrill when I found out that this annual conference that I attend every other year was to be held there. The city did not disappoint me - from my arrival into the Louis Armstrong airport with the sweet sound of blues in the airwaves to the jambalaya and gumbo, the ambience was what I had expected it to be.

Background: St. Louis Cathedral; foreground: Jackson Square

I just love quaint little cafes like this one:

The interior of the French Market - which was a disappointment

to me as I had expected it to be like Seattle's Pike Place Market:

Unfortunately, due to the demanding schedule of the conference, I had little time to explore the city. As my hotel was smacked right in the centre of the French Quarters, I did not have to go far to appreciate the old city. I wish I had more time to do more but alas... Perhaps when C is old enough to travel more conveniently we will make another trip to this old city. If his love for jazz is for real (as evidenced by his clapping and shaking of his booty every time I play Ella Fitzgerald), I think he, too, will appreciate the Big Easy.

Entertaining on Thanksgiving

It's been almost three days since we arrived home from our visit to the US but we (mostly Craig) are still dealing with jetlag. Hence this post will be brief. Meanwhile, we wanted to feature this video of Craig entertaining his family at our Thanksgiving get-together last week. Notice that at the end of the clip, he was trying to turn the page of his music!

As it was his first Thanksgiving, he also had his first taste of pumpkin pie. He must have loved it as he gobbled up his slice pretty fast!

Back east

Since over a week ago Craig has been enjoying the attention of his Granddaddy and Grandma Vicky here in Williamsburg, Va.. Unlike previous visits where we would stay with Brian's dad, this year we are treated to sojourn in a nice time-share apartment here. This has worked out great as the place is not only large enough to have relatives over, it is sufficiently spacious to accommodate Craig's growing exploring needs! On Saturday, Nana joined us from Baltimore and will drive us up to her place this weekend where we will spend the rest of our time here.

While it was the first time Granddaddy and Grandma Vicky meet C, the little boy warmed up to them almost immediately. Other than his grandparents, C also met his first Great Grandma here. Go here to see more of our time in Williamsburg.

Picture perfect: Craig with Granddaddy and Grandma Vicky

C meeting Great Grandma Radcliff:

Home visit

Craig's first long haul flight went much easier than we had expected. We were as prepared as we could be for 20 plus hours of screaming but C fussed only a little and even slept for a third of the flight. Thanks to dozens of tips from other frequent traveling moms, Brian and I survived yet another parenting trial.

Our first stop in the US was Los Angeles where we spent two days catching up with friends and on Mexican food (I just LOVE those Machaca burritos!). Thanks to the hospitality of K and L, C found himself in a beautiful home in La Mirada where he could simply crawl to anywhere! Unlike his familiar abode of cold hard tiled floor, he was thrilled that his playground was not confined to a 4 feet by 6 feet playmat but a whole carpeted house!

C is wondering what that book on the chair tastes like!

Upon arrival in LA, he adjusted rather easily to the time change - much better than me. He slept through from the first night itself though his bedtime now is much later than his usual. The plus point of this "new" routine is that he gets up later, too. Works great for Brian and me.

After two days in LA, we flew to Phoenix for our conference. Many friends and colleagues who only virtually met C got to see him in the flesh. During our four days in Phoenix, he achieved two milestones: he did a proper crawl and pulled himself up to stand. We also noticed that his third and fourth top tooth are on their way - increasing the total count to six!

Pulled up on the hotel crib:

Family visit

Since our last entry, we have traversed two different continents. I shall recount our journey chronologically. Our trip to Melaka in Malaysia was a lot of fun as my family (mom, dad and sister) joined us there. Needless to say, Craig had a ball with all the attention lavished upon him. He also got away with a later bedtime in preparation for his time zone-crossing trip. So, instead of going to bed at 7:30pm, he was allowed to stay up till 10pm. However, the little boy played so much in the day, he was more than ready for bed by 8:30pm. He ended sleeping in the carrier as I towed him around town.

A rare picture of tyke with mommy. Notice his mischievous look!:

He could get away with anything with GungGung:

Pack and Play

Tomorrow morning we leave for Melaka in Malaysia for the weekend as both Brian and I have to teach at a conference there. We return on Sunday evening and immediately on Monday early morning, we board our long-haul flight to the US.

Brian has been out of town this whole week for work and if not for my mom, who is here again to visit her grandson, I would not have been able to do much in planning and packing for our trips. As Craig is active as ever now (pulling up to stand whenever there is an opportune moment i.e. none of us are watching!), it has been challenging trying to balance letting him explore the world around him and ensuring that he does not get into anything he is not supposed to.

The last two weeks saw me researching, planning, drawing up check-lists and enquiring on how to fly to the US as uneventfully as possible. While we have traveled with C quite frequently, this will be a milestone for us, the parents, in surviving our first 26-hour long flight. Since PohPoh arrived, C has enjoyed the extra attention and kisses he gets. So, while mommy is busy checking off her packing list, C is working hard at playing with PohPoh.

Craig getting acquainted with his PeaPod - which we hope will be his snoozing zone for the next four weeks:

Toys? Checked. Passports? Checked. Tickets? Checked. Boardbooks? Checked. Sleep? I think it's about time...

In a baby minute

Craig turned 8-months old a few days ago. Today, when we took him to his doctor to get the second dose of his flu vaccination, we also did the routine assessment (as we will be away when he turns 9-months old when his assessment is actually due). He is doing great - lighter than he feels on our arms but in the 75th percentile for his height. Overall he is a happy growing baby - and we are thankful.

The following is a snapshot of what can take place in a baby-minute:

Teething blues - encore

Typically Craig is a happy boy when he eats. But he has been uncooperative at mealtimes since last evening due to the sprouting of his third tooth. Hence, today I had to play the role of an entertainer to keep his spirit up. Well, from the video above it is evident it worked - in that my antics made him laughed, but he still did not finish his lunch. I even offered his favorite - the pumpkin pie concoction. But nope. The mouth was sealed shut. He did much better at dinner this evening and hopefully by tomorrow, his appetite will return.

The usual chirpiness after lunch that has been missing:

Creeper Jitters

From the clip above it is evident that Craig is becoming very mobile. He's seen here combat crawling/creeping towards his dragon lantern. Yesterday was the Mid-Autumn Festival and kids typically would walk the streets with a lantern in hand in the evening after dinner. Though C did not manage to do his walk (he was fast asleep by the time the neighborhood kids were out), he did receive two lanterns - a fish one from PohPoh and the dragon one from Aunt Kaye.

These are getting rare as they are handmade from paper and hand drawn instead of the new plastic versions:

As Craig approaches his eighth-month mark, we are working fast to baby-proof our apartment. For one, we have lowered the mattress platform of his crib now that he can sit unsupported. We are also on the lookout for a new television console to replace our current one (but these items comes so pricey and we are taking out time to find a reasonably priced one). Thankfully, he is not an overly active and determined baby who simply goes for what he wants. Nonetheless he loves exploring the world around him and we can never be too careful!

Daddy reading to C:

Of beauties and orchids

This morning, I, I'Ching, gave my last talk (a series of 5) to the ladies at the International Baptist Church here. One difference between having a mixed or male audience versus an all-female one is that ladies are usually more expressive of their appreciation. This morning saw me leaving the church with a bunch of purple and white orchids and at least 2 other boxes of little gifts from various ladies in the group. While I never expect such returns when I give any of my talks, these little gestures never fail to warm my heart.

I have never received orchids before! Aren't they beautiful:

As it was the case the last few Thursday mornings, Brian worked from home so he can watch the tyke, too. When I left this morning, C was snoozing on our bed with B after his breakfast bottle and I could not resist the photo op.

My sleeping beauties:

Home projects

Now that most of the work projects that I have agreed to prior to my new arrangement to stay home are over, I am beginning to work on some of the home projects that I have listed on my little black to-do book. One such project this week was to clear out clothes that we no longer fit (see related post here). Today, while I was busy sorting out our clothes, Craig was busy going through them "tastefully." As he is going through an "oral" phase now, everything that he encounters is experienced via his mouth!

Craig seen here fooling around with some preloved clothes:

Otherwise, C is doing well. He has two teeth now and loves to hold my face with his hands and bite my jaw. He does this only to me and I would like to believe that it is his way of showing his affection to his mommy. Brian's work schedule has also slowed down a little - which is good - and our next big project is our annual visit to the US next month. This year will be interesting as we fly 26-hours with a then 8-month old baby. I am doing all the research I can - from travel insurance for C to pediatricians near all the different locations that we will be visiting. More on our trip soon!

Great help

It was wonderful to have had my mom over to help me with Craig while Brian was traveling for a week. As always, we're either too busy or distracted to take any pictures of PohPoh and the little boy. Here's the only one I've got from the whole of last week!

PohPoh cleaning the boy up after feeding him his lunch:

Two girls and a boy

It is 4 pm in the afternoon and there are two nappers in the house while I am satiating my Ohdeedoh craving. This only means one thing - PohPoh is in town! Yes, with Brian away for a week in Indonesia, I've asked my mom to visit us for a week so that Craig and I have an excuse to live a little out of our routine i.e. lunching out and shopping! And we two gals and the boy are having a ball.

During this time, my crockpot has also been worked like it has never before with mom cooking up the various kinds of Cantonese soups that I love. Mind you - I'm not the only one who is being spoiled this week. The little boy has also been indulged with much affection in the form of being picked up at the first hint of fuss and being cuddled. It is amazing how babies recognize the fact that their grandparents will not hesitate to give in to their wants!

Craig loves drinking from his sippy cup:

Spot the difference!

What a difference six months made! We're looking forward to the next six months that will undoubtedly be marked by many more milestones. This also means that Brian and I will have to be on high alert constantly. Just this morning, I left him alone for only 30 seconds and the next thing I know, he has transported himself to the television console and was licking the base! Then later in the day, I found him, in the nick of time, pulling our DVD's from the console. Yes - we REALLY need to do something about baby-proofing our place - pronto.

Today he had a bad nap day and was tirelessly active. I was totally exhausted by the time Brian got home from work and was so ready for him to take over!

P.S. I've consolidated my other two blogs and migrated to Wordpress but THIS blog will remain here for now.

Shenanigans

Yesterday, for a mere minute I left C playing on his mat alone (so that he could practice his "skills") to go into the kitchen and here's how I found him when I came out:

He's gotten his playgym, which was placed leaning against a chair by the mat, overturned!