Yes, i am gonna rant, n hard. Really pissed off right now. This is like day 7 or 8 that Gabe has been rejecting his solids. He doesn't totally refuse it, but he eats a few spoons and starts to fuss. I think it started with his cough n flu past week, but as of now i can see that both are very nearly gone, so i expected him to start eating well again. Previously he had been doing so well, which was why his weight had gone up 0.3kg,which is good. The other day we had a doc visit, and his weight dropped from 7.22kg to 7kg now.
Am i upset? Of course I am. I worked so damned hard to make sure he has enough to eat and got used to eating solids. Then all of a sudden, it goes downhill and worse still he lost weight. Some of you may think i am some psycho mom trying to force her son to eat. How can i not be? He needs to do a crucial operation which needs to see him put on weight faster. Some may think man, i need to chill...yeah as if chilling will make him gain weight.
And yes i feel the stress from Dr to make Gabe eat more. But more so, for the fact that i love him and want him to this op soon so that he can be near 100%, and grow well. Does that make me psychotic? I hate it when people think I do not know what i am doing. Trust me, i have tried nearly everything, n this boy is just a difficult eater. And it doesn't help that Gabe's sleep pattern is still haywire to this day, waking anywhere from 2-4 times a night still. Do i wish i could have my previous 8-10 hours sleep? Of course i do!! But when you have a kid, all this has to be sacrificed. Am i entitled to complain? I sure as H*** think so. But does that mean i hate my life now? No. Does it mean i need help? Yeah sure, from the big guy up there. God. I need him to help make Gabe eat more, sleep more. Grow more. So unless there is anyone who is Him and capable of doing that, then don't tell me i need help.
I do the best I can and i happen to think i'm doing a damned bloody good job.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Our 1st Ever Obon Festival
Gabe's daycare, Wanpaku, had a party today from 5.20pm to 7.30pm. This party coincides with the Obon Festival, observed by the Japanese. Apparently,from what i Googled, this festival is to honor the spirit of one's ancestors. During this event, there are fireworks, dancing and watermelon breaking. Fun Fun Fun!! And so exciting coz it's our first. Plus it allows us to meet other parents and kids too.
Unfortunately, His Majesty was grumpy, sullen and fussy coz he didn't get enough sleep. Anyway, we arrived there at 5.30pm after GYmboree and there were plenty of people there already.
First, we had to take off our shoes and put them in plastic bags, then register. Each kid got a small goody bag, consisting of a fan, a wrist bell and news updates, plus a cloth headband for them to wear later. Gabe got to choose a crown too. Teacher gave him 2 choices, Mickey Mouse or Car theme...he pointed to the Car..i was so sure he'd choose the Mickey Mouse....ahaha, but he looked adorable wearing it!!
Around the hall and in the backyard, all sorts of game stations were set up, so we toured the area. In the backyard, there was a pool filled with small balloons, and the kids had to use a string with a hook attached, to "fish" the balloons out. Since Gabe was too small to do it, Daddy did the task on behalf......and yay!! We got a green balloon!!!
Next, we saw there was a set up of some cartoon characters and kids had to throw some hoops on them...we didn't play that.
Next, there were some boxes with cartoon characters attached and we had to throw beanie bags into them. Mummy did this on behalf, and we scored another prize which we could choose. I chose a small yellow elephant with a basket n ball attached. You blow the elephant's trunk, and the ball will jump up!! We're happy...
Gabe looks cute with the cloth headband huh....
And we saw some of our friends from the center too..
Here's His Majesty with Daddy
Soon, it was time to eat and the hosts had prepare a lovely simple Jap meal of fried noodles, curry n rice, tea, corn and fruit jellies along with some cakes. Gabe had his cereal of coz. Then came the interesting part....watermelon breaking session!
One by one, the kids came forward to use a stick to hit the watermelon. Obviously they're not gonna be able to hit it hard enough to break it. Here's Gabe's friend, Milly n her Dad:
Now....we have to get a strong man to do the tough parts right???? I mean it was fun hitting the watermelon, but people wanted to eat the watermelon too....so they had to choose a strong strapping man to do the job of breaking the watermelon..guess who had that privilege? Yup, our very own Mr Terry On...But they decided to make the task a wee bit harder, by blindfolding him and spinning him round a few times. I got abit worried...what if he mistakenly hits one of the kids' head by mistake thinking it was the watermelon...i mean this is Terry...
Anyways, no worries, no one's head got hurt...Terry took aim...and..."WHACK"......the watermelon in all it's glory, was still there, intact....but his aim was not for nothing...he broke the stick....:(((((( Oh man .......everyone was laughing...sigh...should have seen something like this coming....
See, the girl showing broken stick..
With no stick, they took out the knives and started cutting the watermelon...thank goodness the kids had gotten their turn to hit the watermelon, otherwise we'd be getting dagger stares and probably no one will be inviting us to anymore events in the near future...
After the meal, it was clearing up time and while Daddy was helping, Gabe and i walked around, and i saw that they had updated their "family tree" which consisted of all the students who attended the daycare..and guess whose cute face i saw??? Yup His Majesty...
And, in the newsletter, Gabe's face was also there to introduce him as newcomer
*Me proud Mama*
Now, an Obon Festival ain't nothing without the dancing n singing n music. So all the kids gathered around with the teachers and they started to dance n sing n clap...what a delight
Next, we have fireworks!! Each kid was given a hand help firework first which we lighted up at the park opposite the daycare. Gabe was intrigued by it, and kept watching the lights..
Then there was the main fireworks, just a medium sized one...
After this, we came to the end of our party. Boy did we have fun. Next year i hope to see Gabe dancing and jumping along with other kids instead of watching from the sidelines. I can't wait to watch him...
We had such a wonderful time, thanks to all the staff and teachers at Wanpaku who were such gracious hosts and had so lovingly planned the whole party. We're certainly looking forward to it again next year..
Unfortunately, His Majesty was grumpy, sullen and fussy coz he didn't get enough sleep. Anyway, we arrived there at 5.30pm after GYmboree and there were plenty of people there already.
First, we had to take off our shoes and put them in plastic bags, then register. Each kid got a small goody bag, consisting of a fan, a wrist bell and news updates, plus a cloth headband for them to wear later. Gabe got to choose a crown too. Teacher gave him 2 choices, Mickey Mouse or Car theme...he pointed to the Car..i was so sure he'd choose the Mickey Mouse....ahaha, but he looked adorable wearing it!!
Around the hall and in the backyard, all sorts of game stations were set up, so we toured the area. In the backyard, there was a pool filled with small balloons, and the kids had to use a string with a hook attached, to "fish" the balloons out. Since Gabe was too small to do it, Daddy did the task on behalf......and yay!! We got a green balloon!!!
Next, we saw there was a set up of some cartoon characters and kids had to throw some hoops on them...we didn't play that.
Next, there were some boxes with cartoon characters attached and we had to throw beanie bags into them. Mummy did this on behalf, and we scored another prize which we could choose. I chose a small yellow elephant with a basket n ball attached. You blow the elephant's trunk, and the ball will jump up!! We're happy...
Gabe looks cute with the cloth headband huh....
And we saw some of our friends from the center too..
Here's His Majesty with Daddy
Soon, it was time to eat and the hosts had prepare a lovely simple Jap meal of fried noodles, curry n rice, tea, corn and fruit jellies along with some cakes. Gabe had his cereal of coz. Then came the interesting part....watermelon breaking session!
One by one, the kids came forward to use a stick to hit the watermelon. Obviously they're not gonna be able to hit it hard enough to break it. Here's Gabe's friend, Milly n her Dad:
Now....we have to get a strong man to do the tough parts right???? I mean it was fun hitting the watermelon, but people wanted to eat the watermelon too....so they had to choose a strong strapping man to do the job of breaking the watermelon..guess who had that privilege? Yup, our very own Mr Terry On...But they decided to make the task a wee bit harder, by blindfolding him and spinning him round a few times. I got abit worried...what if he mistakenly hits one of the kids' head by mistake thinking it was the watermelon...i mean this is Terry...
Anyways, no worries, no one's head got hurt...Terry took aim...and..."WHACK"......the watermelon in all it's glory, was still there, intact....but his aim was not for nothing...he broke the stick....:(((((( Oh man .......everyone was laughing...sigh...should have seen something like this coming....
See, the girl showing broken stick..
With no stick, they took out the knives and started cutting the watermelon...thank goodness the kids had gotten their turn to hit the watermelon, otherwise we'd be getting dagger stares and probably no one will be inviting us to anymore events in the near future...
After the meal, it was clearing up time and while Daddy was helping, Gabe and i walked around, and i saw that they had updated their "family tree" which consisted of all the students who attended the daycare..and guess whose cute face i saw??? Yup His Majesty...
And, in the newsletter, Gabe's face was also there to introduce him as newcomer
*Me proud Mama*
Now, an Obon Festival ain't nothing without the dancing n singing n music. So all the kids gathered around with the teachers and they started to dance n sing n clap...what a delight
Next, we have fireworks!! Each kid was given a hand help firework first which we lighted up at the park opposite the daycare. Gabe was intrigued by it, and kept watching the lights..
Then there was the main fireworks, just a medium sized one...
After this, we came to the end of our party. Boy did we have fun. Next year i hope to see Gabe dancing and jumping along with other kids instead of watching from the sidelines. I can't wait to watch him...
We had such a wonderful time, thanks to all the staff and teachers at Wanpaku who were such gracious hosts and had so lovingly planned the whole party. We're certainly looking forward to it again next year..
Friday, July 20, 2012
Sticky SuperGlue
There is a cage, a small lil cage, looks so shiny and harmless. But upon closer inspection, you'll see that it has sticky, super sticky glue all over it. And..gasp...right at the inner corner, you see a small lizard, moving frantically, trying to free itself. But it's useless. It's small, slimy body has been caught in the glue. It can struggle, but it'll only tire itself out. Doomed, yes it is doomed....
Sigh, no, i have not gone mad, no i do not need to see a psychologist. I'm just..moaning...my precious boy has decided that at 1 yr and 1 month, it is time for him to leash out his "i really need mummy" attitude. And by that i mean him being a super glue..and yes that makes me playing the role of the lizard...i'm officially stuck with him, morning 7am till 8pm. And i mean stuck..i cannot leave him alone for 10mins even. He'll start whining and it turns to full on crying within the next few minutes.
In the evenings after 5pm is the worst. I cannot leave him at all. Period. Not even if i am standing in the kitchen, while he is just playing on the mat behind me. In full view. Nope, Gabe doesn't like it at all. I have to next to him, preferably he on my lap. No, i cannot read even, and using my iphone yes he allows it but only for a short while.
Why...pls someone tell me why....why do kids have this separation anxiety phase. And even then, he can see me in full view, yet he screams...why...i really need to know.
And yes it is slowly killing me, coz it's a nearly 24/7 thingy...it's been 1 week and i'm about to scream and tear my hair out. I love him to bits and love to cuddle, but man oh man, this is like...too much..overdose...
I am hoping this ridiculous phase wears out..really soon. So this post you'll see lots of me n him shots...coz i'm practically on the play mat with him the whole day, and since i have nothing to do, i decided may as well capture more pics of us together, which he seems to love...keeping him entertained.
He's a real loving lil boy, he will kiss his toys nearby when i tell him "see, doggie is here, doggie loves Gabriel"..and he just leans in to kiss it. Yes the kisses are the wonderful part when i am stuck with him...but even then....sighhhh, my eardrums are starting to hurt and my arms are about to break carrying him.
The munchkin in some pics
Gabe has recently just started to try and crawl...army weird style. I think his is more like a free stroke...here he is in a short clip. And, you have to entice him with new things otherwise he is super lazy and will not budge. Iphones are a real good motivation for him.
And his whining, he's like an energizer battery..on and on and on...this is just a fraction of his prowess...
Please tell me, this phase thingy will not last for like more than 2 months?Cannot be right??????
Sigh, no, i have not gone mad, no i do not need to see a psychologist. I'm just..moaning...my precious boy has decided that at 1 yr and 1 month, it is time for him to leash out his "i really need mummy" attitude. And by that i mean him being a super glue..and yes that makes me playing the role of the lizard...i'm officially stuck with him, morning 7am till 8pm. And i mean stuck..i cannot leave him alone for 10mins even. He'll start whining and it turns to full on crying within the next few minutes.
In the evenings after 5pm is the worst. I cannot leave him at all. Period. Not even if i am standing in the kitchen, while he is just playing on the mat behind me. In full view. Nope, Gabe doesn't like it at all. I have to next to him, preferably he on my lap. No, i cannot read even, and using my iphone yes he allows it but only for a short while.
Why...pls someone tell me why....why do kids have this separation anxiety phase. And even then, he can see me in full view, yet he screams...why...i really need to know.
And yes it is slowly killing me, coz it's a nearly 24/7 thingy...it's been 1 week and i'm about to scream and tear my hair out. I love him to bits and love to cuddle, but man oh man, this is like...too much..overdose...
I am hoping this ridiculous phase wears out..really soon. So this post you'll see lots of me n him shots...coz i'm practically on the play mat with him the whole day, and since i have nothing to do, i decided may as well capture more pics of us together, which he seems to love...keeping him entertained.
He's a real loving lil boy, he will kiss his toys nearby when i tell him "see, doggie is here, doggie loves Gabriel"..and he just leans in to kiss it. Yes the kisses are the wonderful part when i am stuck with him...but even then....sighhhh, my eardrums are starting to hurt and my arms are about to break carrying him.
The munchkin in some pics
Gabe has recently just started to try and crawl...army weird style. I think his is more like a free stroke...here he is in a short clip. And, you have to entice him with new things otherwise he is super lazy and will not budge. Iphones are a real good motivation for him.
And his whining, he's like an energizer battery..on and on and on...this is just a fraction of his prowess...
Please tell me, this phase thingy will not last for like more than 2 months?Cannot be right??????
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
We can't wait...
This is dedicated to our darling Er-Yi. We are so happy and excited to welcome Amanda tomorrow. Sorry we could not be there...
Please send us lots n lots of pictures ok...Terry has brought back some clothes for baby Amanda, hope she will like it...
Keep us updated on the birth.
We miss u so so much. Rest well..
Love
Gabe, DaYi & Unc Terry
Please send us lots n lots of pictures ok...Terry has brought back some clothes for baby Amanda, hope she will like it...
Keep us updated on the birth.
We miss u so so much. Rest well..
Love
Gabe, DaYi & Unc Terry
Fruits are a Yummy Treat in the Summer Heat
It is hot hot hot here in Tokyo. Have been sweating like a pig everytime i go to fetch Gabe from his daycare. And I am getting frequent headaches too from the unbearable heat. I have to frequently keep Gabe hydrated giving him his water coz he can't hold his cup yet.
On top of water, i've been giving him lots of fruits too. He loves his fruits cold as in straight from fridge cold. If it has been out and not so cold anymore the lil rascal doesn't want it. He hasn't been introduced to that many fruits. Why? Ok, coz here in Tokyo i find the variety of fruits sorely lacking. In every supermarket, all i see are mountains of oranges & apples, heaps of Kiwi, plentiful bananas, alot of pineapples. But he's not supposed to take citrus fruits so that cancels out oranges. Kiwi may cause rashes so i haven't given him that. Apples, he eats abit then refuses more. Bananas were the first fruit i introduced to him, he's not so keen on them. Seriously not much choices left....in winter i practically forced apples & bananas on him.
Thankfully, it's summer now and we now have 2 additional lovely fruits: Honeydew and Watermelon!!! Yay!! 2 of my fave fruits. So i started with honeydew and it was a hit with His Majesty. I think for about 2 weeks he ate only that fruit....can;t blame him. In Japan, the melons are so so juicy and sweet. So everyday after lunch i give him half a slice, then the other half after dinner. He loves it so much, he now REFUSES apples. Turns his head away...bugger...
Then yesterday, i gave him watermelon and His Majesty loved it too..yay!!! And, strawberries...i mix them with bananas, puree it. Hmm...Gabe wasn;t crazy over it, but he did eat a few tablespoons, so i guess it's OK...but, sometimes he eats until he shudders and do the "it's sour" expression..watch the video below.
Mmmmm, yummy yummy honeydew...Gabe's fave
Watermelons are nice too...
With Mummy sharing a watermelon
Uh Uh...strawberries&bananas...little bit is OK..
If Mummy gives me too much, this is what happens...
He does the same for apple puree..i tasted it and it'snot sour...and i gave him lemon to suck the other day, he didn't even blink...he liked it!! funny boy...
Daycare Update:
On Tuesday, it was Gabe's 2nd time at daycare. He didn't fuss at all on the way there with Daddy in the car. But once Daddy passed him to teacher, he started crying. I thought it was going to be another bad day at daycare. When i picked him up, his teacher told me he did well! He managed to eat a little bit of bread, ate a few spoons of his rice and had his fruit puffs...big improvement from last time!! And he didn't cry much after the morning. He played with his friends too. Wow, i'm impressed and hope that he'll get better next time and eat much more, then i can worry less about him.
Some random pics taken throughout the week:
Plucking grass time
Beautiful Mummy & Son pic
The cutest lil Monkey
Curiously looking at Xiao Yi's biscuits
Hot stuff...tried on leg warmers for him and decided to turn him into Gabriella
On top of water, i've been giving him lots of fruits too. He loves his fruits cold as in straight from fridge cold. If it has been out and not so cold anymore the lil rascal doesn't want it. He hasn't been introduced to that many fruits. Why? Ok, coz here in Tokyo i find the variety of fruits sorely lacking. In every supermarket, all i see are mountains of oranges & apples, heaps of Kiwi, plentiful bananas, alot of pineapples. But he's not supposed to take citrus fruits so that cancels out oranges. Kiwi may cause rashes so i haven't given him that. Apples, he eats abit then refuses more. Bananas were the first fruit i introduced to him, he's not so keen on them. Seriously not much choices left....in winter i practically forced apples & bananas on him.
Thankfully, it's summer now and we now have 2 additional lovely fruits: Honeydew and Watermelon!!! Yay!! 2 of my fave fruits. So i started with honeydew and it was a hit with His Majesty. I think for about 2 weeks he ate only that fruit....can;t blame him. In Japan, the melons are so so juicy and sweet. So everyday after lunch i give him half a slice, then the other half after dinner. He loves it so much, he now REFUSES apples. Turns his head away...bugger...
Then yesterday, i gave him watermelon and His Majesty loved it too..yay!!! And, strawberries...i mix them with bananas, puree it. Hmm...Gabe wasn;t crazy over it, but he did eat a few tablespoons, so i guess it's OK...but, sometimes he eats until he shudders and do the "it's sour" expression..watch the video below.
Mmmmm, yummy yummy honeydew...Gabe's fave
Watermelons are nice too...
With Mummy sharing a watermelon
Uh Uh...strawberries&bananas...little bit is OK..
If Mummy gives me too much, this is what happens...
He does the same for apple puree..i tasted it and it'snot sour...and i gave him lemon to suck the other day, he didn't even blink...he liked it!! funny boy...
Daycare Update:
On Tuesday, it was Gabe's 2nd time at daycare. He didn't fuss at all on the way there with Daddy in the car. But once Daddy passed him to teacher, he started crying. I thought it was going to be another bad day at daycare. When i picked him up, his teacher told me he did well! He managed to eat a little bit of bread, ate a few spoons of his rice and had his fruit puffs...big improvement from last time!! And he didn't cry much after the morning. He played with his friends too. Wow, i'm impressed and hope that he'll get better next time and eat much more, then i can worry less about him.
Some random pics taken throughout the week:
Plucking grass time
Beautiful Mummy & Son pic
The cutest lil Monkey
Curiously looking at Xiao Yi's biscuits
Hot stuff...tried on leg warmers for him and decided to turn him into Gabriella
Thursday, July 5, 2012
His First Words....
I have been teaching Gabe "Bye-Bye" for the past 3 weeks. It's part of his Portage lesson to do list. He managed to do it on his own after about 1 week, but on and off. Meaning, sometimes he can sometimes he won't....and it gets funny coz he'll get confused sometimes and end up clapping hands...OR....he pauses, then waves both hands...then end with clapping..guess this is part of their slow co-ordination skills.
But today, in the car on the way to Portage, we kept practicing....and suddenly, he said "bye bye"....Terry & i were stunned, quiet for awhile, then we stared at each other...seriously???????? Gabe said bye bye??? I thought it was just a fluke chance, i mean cmon the boy is only 1yrs old, with DS...but i mean we both heard it...coould it really be?
Then....i was at Portage class...we kept asking him to do it...then suddenly again, he said "bye bye"...Mika, who was there, heard it and so did the instructor....OMG....for real...ahahaha clever lil boy!!!!
Let's hope this is the start to many many more words for Gabe....so happy...
But today, in the car on the way to Portage, we kept practicing....and suddenly, he said "bye bye"....Terry & i were stunned, quiet for awhile, then we stared at each other...seriously???????? Gabe said bye bye??? I thought it was just a fluke chance, i mean cmon the boy is only 1yrs old, with DS...but i mean we both heard it...coould it really be?
Then....i was at Portage class...we kept asking him to do it...then suddenly again, he said "bye bye"...Mika, who was there, heard it and so did the instructor....OMG....for real...ahahaha clever lil boy!!!!
Let's hope this is the start to many many more words for Gabe....so happy...
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Copy Cat
Super hot today, summer is here...Gabe has to start taking bath everyday now, which he hates, especially washing his hair....dirty bugger. Screams like crazy each time he has to.
We did a little mucking around after bath...
Check out those biceps....Uncle Ken & Uncle HK, betcha dun have any...
Umm..not sure why suddenly his hair went flat down...quite cute too though
Ok, this is funny. Lately, Gabe has been a real copycat. Sometimes when i stick out my tongue, he does too. When i shake my head he will def 95% of the time do it as well. I think this is how DS kids learn..by copy catting...So, decided to teach him to do the "kiss kiss" sound by smacking my lips together...he tried to follow...ahahah but totally different....watch
We did a little mucking around after bath...
Check out those biceps....Uncle Ken & Uncle HK, betcha dun have any...
Umm..not sure why suddenly his hair went flat down...quite cute too though
Ok, this is funny. Lately, Gabe has been a real copycat. Sometimes when i stick out my tongue, he does too. When i shake my head he will def 95% of the time do it as well. I think this is how DS kids learn..by copy catting...So, decided to teach him to do the "kiss kiss" sound by smacking my lips together...he tried to follow...ahahah but totally different....watch
1st Time Sitting on my Own in a Restaurant
All this while, everytime we go out to eat, Gabe will either be on my lap or lying down on a sofa seat while we eat. And we take turns for that matter...today, happiness. Terry & I could eat our dinner together, while we both entertained Gabe.
All thanks to this seat harness/support i saw at Babies R Us. I thought, hmm, this could be useful for us since Gabe isn't that stable sitting on his own yet..and in Japan, their baby seats do not have the seat belts 95% of the time. I'm not sure why. It makes life really hard for people who have young children, they could easily have fallen out of the chair. And perhaps that's why you see so many strollers in restaurants.
So, we got a chance to use the harness today at Volks. And...it was magic...pure heaven. It has been so so long since we could have our dinner in peace. Gabe was super well behaved once we strapped him in. Gave him tissue paper, bread, fruit puffs, yogurt. He sat there playing like a good lil boy smiling at us mostly....This harness is gonna be with me everywhere we go now. New bestie.
It's super easy to use, just put the harness flat on the chair, put Gabe on top of it, then buckle front n back..ta dahhhhh
Again...one of the best decisions we ever made for Gabe....
All thanks to this seat harness/support i saw at Babies R Us. I thought, hmm, this could be useful for us since Gabe isn't that stable sitting on his own yet..and in Japan, their baby seats do not have the seat belts 95% of the time. I'm not sure why. It makes life really hard for people who have young children, they could easily have fallen out of the chair. And perhaps that's why you see so many strollers in restaurants.
So, we got a chance to use the harness today at Volks. And...it was magic...pure heaven. It has been so so long since we could have our dinner in peace. Gabe was super well behaved once we strapped him in. Gave him tissue paper, bread, fruit puffs, yogurt. He sat there playing like a good lil boy smiling at us mostly....This harness is gonna be with me everywhere we go now. New bestie.
It's super easy to use, just put the harness flat on the chair, put Gabe on top of it, then buckle front n back..ta dahhhhh
Again...one of the best decisions we ever made for Gabe....
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