Fruits

My mom buys all kinds of funny fruits. My father-in-law eats a lot of fruits too. Thus my baby gets to eat all kinds of fruits, from apples, oranges, pears, bananas, grapes, papayas, to prunes, plums, cherries, strawberries, blue berries, dates, apricots, peaches, lychee, and a taste of durian (too heaty so not recommended)...

Fruits are not only healthy, they're sweet and a great substitute for candy and snacks. So far she only tasted 1mm of chocolate and have not tried any sweets before. I'm quite determined to make fruits eating a habit for her and not give her empty calories.

Sleepy baby

How do we know xuan is sleepy? She shuffles her hair and rubs her eyes :):)

Stair Climbing

Xuanxuan has started stairs climbing! And very steadily too! It has become her weekly activity at my mom's place cos it's the cleanest flight of stairs that she is allowed to climb.

To be honest I'm running out of ideas what to do with her at home--reading, playing the piano, knocking stuff, eating fruits, crawling after chicken little, playing with her limited toys. Most of the time I just sit there and watch her roam about doing whatever she pleases. I bring her to the swimming pool (to just sit there in the water) and go to the stadium to watch people run by once in a while. A little worried that I do not stimulate her enough.

世上只有妈妈好

世上只有妈妈好

有妈的孩子像个宝

投进妈妈的怀抱

幸福享不了

A long time ago, I slept on my mom's shoulder. Now my baby sleeps on my mom's shoulder..

Pop up books

I bought some pop up books for her and recently, she's been "asking for me to read to her" i.e. pass the book to me (she can pass things to me now! :D:D ). After the open the book for her, she knows which are the pages that has "hidden pages" (she has memory!) and she will flip them open, close it, then open again.

I try to buy "interactive books"--touch and feel books, books that need to flip both the upper page and the lower page to be matched (dunno if there's a name for it), books that has a rattle attached, etc etc, so that reading is fun for her. She has taken quite a liking to reading and I'm quite glad!

A friend bought a pop up toy for her when she's about 5months thats actually meant for 1yr olds. Anyways, papa managed to teach her how to close the toy instead of making them pop up. Still quite an achievement, I think! :):)

Banana Stars

Caught in the act!

We bought some baby buscuits and cereal for xuan to eat, and she's learnt how to use her little fingers to dig the banana stars out of this little container and feed herself! :):):)

Magnetic toys

I'm looking at a picture of Xuanxuan at 8months, where she looked so innocent and...quiet. Now she points a lot and goes "eh?", esp at posters. She's been blabbering a lot and demanding things her way too. I read "What to Expect--The First Year" and at 12 months, actually, when you are holding your baby and someone attempts to tear her away from you, suddenly the baby develops "superhuman baby strength" and clings onto you for dear life. Hahaha, what a description! I had a taste of that when I tried to take a spoon away from her last night at dinner, and it took both my hubby and I to pry open her fingers and grab the spoon before she threw all the food on the spoon everywhere. Our baby is starting to become a toddler!

She's been playing a lot with magnets on the fridge too. Guess it's about time to buy magnetic alphabets and numbers for her to play :)

Gripping with fingers

Xuanxuan tried this since 5months, but most of the time she ended up putting her whole fist into her mouth and the banana star doesn't get in, but now she completed the feat with some applause!

Cruising time!

She has started to cruise a little bit by holding the side of tables and chairs. Most of the time after she pull herself up she just startshaking her little booty or step around like doing a tap dance. Very cute! Well I guess she should be walking within the next few months! :):)

Road trips

In the car we always play peekaboo with her, and it never fails to make her laugh and squeal in joy. See her two little lower teeth erupting :):) Her upper teeth (right) has shown and the left one is erupting too.

The mint candy, Eclipse, is also her favourite "rattle" toy in the car. There's a little calender that she flips and shakes about. Otherwise, she'll be playing with parking coupons. Sometimes, I poke out the numbers for her and she feels the texture of the coupon. I'm quite a believer in making a toy out of everything. Remember, everything is new and exciting to a baby!

Happy Chinese New Year 2008!

Last year, Xuanxuan spent CNY in her mommy's stomach. This year, she joined us for reunion dinner and visiting! :D This is a picture of her and her cousin Xiangxiang at my mom's place after reunion dinner. My mom bought a Pikachu suit for him! So cute! We should try to find a Piglet suit for her too :):)

Although she has no costumes, she still wore a pink Hello Kitty traditional set (for picture taking only, the collar is too uncomfortable for wearing full day).

And not forgetting...her first ang pow! :):) I always thought it's a little embarrassing when adults try to give babies ang pow and either they don't know how to receive it, or throw it aside. Well thank goodness my baby can receive her any pow, well, 50% of the time :P:P

Balance

I have been putting her on the little springy pony at the playground since she can sit up, I think? I figured that it will train up her abs and her balancing skills. About a week ago when she sat on it again, she held the 'tail' of the pony with one hand, and held the handle with the other, and started balancing perfectly well on her own! So exciting! :D:D Too bad I didn't have my camera or phone with me that day. Now she's still a little wobbly but I think in another month's time she should balance fine :)

Flip flip

I brought Xuanxuan to Clark Quay today for a dinner gathering with my secondary school friends. She doesn't have the chance to sit on the MRT a lot so I try to grab opportunities. I brought a flip book, a bear shaped queeze toy and a rattle with me onto the train cos the last time she felt so claustrophobic (the train was filled) the last time that she wouldn't stop crying.

I opened the book the moment we sat down, and demonstarted patiently how each flap works. To my surprise, she started repeating my actions and fliped open the flaps exacly the way they were meant to be opened! :D:D

She smiled at everyone beside her, including passers-by as we walked down the interchange linkway, and invited smiles everywhere :):) Though she protested a little when my friends tried to carry her, but I think she is definitely more sociable now :):)