Of first tooth and independence

We have been quiet here as we were away for a week and then upon our return, we had various obligations that left us with little time for luxuries like blogging. Anyhow, we are glad to be back and here's a recount of the past two weeks.Craig and I (I'Ching) left Brian home alone to go to my parents' for a week. While our last visit was fairly recent, this trip was planned to coincide with a short break in Malaysia for Brian and I in Penang. Brian had to be in Penang to conduct some seminars and I was roped in to help. And after the few days of seminars, there was a retreat planned for the staff of the organization we work for there, too. So, we decided to do a brave thing - that is, to leave C with my parents for a few days while Brian and I attend the retreat. As my parents live in a city halfway between Singapore and Penang, it worked out great that I could spend a few days there before joining Brian in the Pearl of Orient.

C did very well with my parents and had a wonderful time bonding with his PohPoh, GungGung and YiYi (who visited from Kuala Lumpur over that weekend). He was great with his feeding, naps and bedtime. My mom did great, too. Though she still experiences pain in parts of her body where she was injured, she is able to manage most, if not all, of her everyday tasks. While it would not have been a problem for her to care for C on her own, my dad took time off from work to help. Needless to say, C thoroughly enjoyed the attention and affection lavished on him by the two, especially the walks GungGung takes him on!

Initially it was difficult for me to not have our little boy with us but after a few phone calls of positive report from my parents, I breathed a sigh of relief and made it a point to enjoy our break.

Hanging out with PohPoh:

The E & O Hotel where we stayed was beautiful. True to its rich heritage, the service was excellent, the facilities were first-class and the food was superb! We especially enjoyed swimming in its salt-water swimming pool. After indulging in sleep-ins and feasts of buffet a few days, we were more than ready to go home. I was very ready to see my little boy again.

C was very pleased to see me again - evidenced by his gummy grins and laugh when I greeted him. Then when I fed him his oatmeal, I discovered that his first tooth has finally made its debut!

Loves his teething biscuits:

The experience of C doing so well without us clearly testifies that our little tyke is growing up fast and is increasingly independent of his parents. In fact, today, when he was on his tummy, he pushed himself up with his arms and knees and tried to move. With his fast-developing crawling ability, he will soon be independently mobile as well!

Free from temptation

Now that Craig is half-a-year old and learning various new skills, we believe it is time for us to start thinking about baby-proofing our apartment. For a few times the last couple of days, I caught him on his tummy staring - with much interest - at our entertainment unit. We need to look for a better way to house our television, music system and dvd player. We shan't tempt the tyke to any attempts that he (and we!!!) may regret afterwards!

Below: See how close he gets to the "untouchables"?

Today should be marked on C's growth journal as well - he swam in a big-people pool! A friend invited us over in the morning to swim with her and her son at their condominium's pool. While Brian and I had planned a day out over the weekend at the public pool a block from our apartment, I decided that an additional dip would be fun. And fun it was! After the swim, three year old Wesley commented, "That WAS a great time!"

After that, while the moms were lunching over gourmet mushroom pate on home-baked bread, the boys hung out. It was evident that C has found a pal in Wesley - see picture below that captured an intimate moment between them - very sweet!

Furiously kicking

Finally I'm done editing the video clip of Craig and his first dip in a pool albeit inflatable. Could have done a better job with the clip but I'm still new to the movie making application on my computer... so this will have to do for now.

Notice: If you are not Craig's parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, you will probably not have the patience nor interest to endure a whole 1:48 minute clip of a baby kicking up splashes!

Outgrowing

Yesterday evening we took out Craig's six month old onesies from storage to replace the ones he is wearing. Though he is more than a week away from turning six month old, he is outgrowing many of his clothes. It continues to astound me how fast the little boy is growing.

Onesies is not the only thing he is outgrowing - he is also outgrowing his playgym. Now that he is rolling over all over and making attempts to either sit or crawl (by pushing his posterior up), his play-space calls for an expansion. Two days ago, and frequently since then, I found him rolled over with half his body on our cold hard floor and the other half on his playgym as evidenced by the picture.

To meet C's need for an extended amusement territory, we have ordered a Korean playmat - popular among mothers here. Though a tad costly we believe the investment would be well worth as it promises versatility and durability.

Craig continues to love his solids - he has progressed from merely rice cereal to apples, bananas and pumpkin. His clear preference for pumpkin bodes well when we visit the US during Thanksgiving when pumpkin pies are aplenty.

Craig looking for more food:

Though a month has passed since I began my unpaid extended maternity leave, I am still feeling the weight of work. While I'm officially off-duty, I have to fulfill a few speaking engagements which I have agreed to prior. This coming week will see me juggling the tasks of caring for C and preparing a talk on marriage for the weekend - and ALL this while nursing a lingering cold. As the Turks would say, "Kolay gelsin" - May it come easy to me!