5.5m - Someone is now rolling!

Hi Joshy,

These past 5 months have gone so fast with you. I know I've missed quite a few updates since you were born but the more I procrastinate to do a good job with photos and videos of you, the more likely that there won't be any updates. So I'm going to put my thoughts in here when I can so that these memories slowly build up.

My smiling chubby baby, you are such a joy to the whole family. You smile all the time, whether it's eating, playing, being held. Oh how you love to be held. We have to hold you ALL the time so I don't have any time to do anything. I spend your naps carrying you around, so right now you are sleeping while I carry you. I have to stand up and type on the laptop bc you don't like people to sit down while being carried. Such a little fuss pot! Though we all do this willingly because your giggles and smiles when you wake up are so precious. You are very sneaky though bc when you wake up, you stay so quiet in the carrier so that we carry you for longer. No tears at all when you wake up.

You are now 5 and a half months. Yesterday you rolled for the first time! I captured it on video and will post here.

You also started solids at 4.5 months old and you LOVE your purees, it's a dream to feed you. I took this video this morning because you kept smiling and laughing as I was feeding you. These are the foods you've tried:
- sweet potato, peas, carrots, apples, cauliflower, pumpkin

You seem to love the pumpkin and sweet potato best, so I try to mix it with the other veges.

You slept through the night 2 nights ago...and haven't done it since. You slept from 7.30pm to 5.30am and oh my boobs were so full. You might have slept longer but we had a huge storm in the morning and the thunder woke us both up. Thankfully at nights you are happy to sleep in your basinette after the feeds.

You must be around 8kg now, you were 7.4kg at 4ish months. You have the sweetest and gummiest smile. You look like you might be sitting up on your own soon, probably from all the practice sitting in your baby chair to eat your solids.

The first 6 weeks were the absolute hardest. Your cried A LOT. Probably because you couldn't feed very well on my boobs. It was a struggle for both of us and so painful for me. I persevered but was tempted to give up on each feed because your latch wasn't right and every time I fed you, it felt like needles being stuck into me. At 6 weeks, you suddenly didn't need to be held to sleep and I managed to sleep a bit more than 1.5-2hours at a time. I was so sleep-deprived the first 6 weeks! I don't know how I survived. But since then, it got easier and easier. You know feed well, sleep well and growing fatter every day.

We try to follow a bedtime routine for you but it's hard to juggle on some days. Lucas has been lovely and reads Good Night Moon to you sometimes. He doesn't even need to read the words, he's memorised it from us reading the same book to him when he was a baby.

I know this post is out of order, so I'll go back and write another post with your first few months with more videos. It's much easier to link to the youtube videos that I have been uploading rather than the photos. Oh, photos! You did the cutest professional photos at 4 months! I will definitely upload those on here!

Week 25: Family photo session

We spent a few hours yesterday doing a family photo session with the photographer, Leah Kua. The location was where Mummy and Daddy got married a couple years ago at Woolwich Dock. We were so lucky with the beautiful weather and quite by accident, there was an art exhibition showing there as well. I think we got some very cool and unique photos with the sculptures as props!

Leah was very patient and relaxing to take photos with, which was important as you were curious about everything! You were constantly distracted by the people walking by, the water, the sun, anything really! I hope she got lots of shots of your big, wide smile.

Mummy had a mini-fashion show to choose what you should wear on the photo shoot earlier in the week. I sent photos and your Aunties voted on the outfit they liked. This was taken after the fashion show - look at all the outfits I tried on you!

We unanimously chose this stripey top and white overalls, it was so simple and timeless:

Week 25: Reaching for your toes

All day you were reaching for your toes! And you looked so happy whenever you were able to grab them. I love your smiles!

Here are some more photos from today:

Week 25 milestone: Happy baby pose

You've been doing the "happy baby" pose for a few days now whenever I change your nappy but today I noticed you doing it while lying in bed. You looked so proud of yourself at being able to touch your toes! Here's a first video of your happy baby pose and some photos.

Week 25 - Playtime

It's been a while since the last update due to technical difficulties. I thought I lost all my photos of you on the weekend! Luckily I was able to recover my photos and videos. I was so upset when I thought all those precious memories were lost. I am diligently backing everything up now!

So here are a couple of videos of you playing on the bouncer and play gym. You can see a huge difference in how much more control you have now. You also love watching the TV. I'm trying to limit the time you are in front of the TV but sometimes it's just nice to get a few minutes to myself. Your favourite tv show is Bananas in Pyjamas and Peppa Pig. Here is a video of you watching Peppa Pig.

And here is a video I just took of you on the play gym. Look at your legs powering away! You have very strong legs for your age, though you still have to work on your upper body strength because you hate tummy time.

At baby class on Friday, you once again decided to lay down rather than do tummy time. So the teacher suggested I use a rolled up towel under your tummy to help you do push ups. It seems to be helping!

Week 24: Our little chickadee

Aunty Huong in the US knit some really cute clothes and blankets for you before you were born. Here is a video and lots of photos of you looking adorable in the chickadee outfit!

 

Week 24 photostory: Graduating to your new crib

You finally outgrew the little bassinet that you've been sleeping in since we brought you home from the hospital. You've been sleeping in your new crib since Sunday. I thought it might take a while for you to get used to your bigger crib but you slept soundly on Sunday night and on Monday morning, you didn't even call out to me when you woke up. I could see you awake in your crib, just looking around at your new surroundings and playing with the little chime I put up on your crib.  You must love being able to stretch out and not hit your arms against the wall.

You must really love the crib because you slept for 8 hours straight last night and you took 2 naps in it today! These are such huge milestones, especially napping during the day because you've always needed me to sleep right next to you during your naps. I decided to do some nap training with you today. I tried it last week and you cried and refused to sleep in the bassinet. Today I put you in the crib while you were still awake and you fell asleep on your own.

Here you are having your nap after playing with petite Sophie and using the lovely blanket - both gifts from Cousin Lan in America.

Here is a pic taken after Daddy put the crib together on Sunday, look how much space you have to roll around!

Week 23 videos: Peekaboo with Lucas and saying "Mum"

You love playing peekaboo with Aunty Mandy! You've also started making a funny grunting noise, you can hear it in the video. I've noticed you doing this when you're feeding as well. I wonder what it means?



Another video taken last night of you saying "mum mum"!!! Is this your first word? :)

Week 23 photostory: Going out for brunch

We went out this morning to a local French cafe for brunch with Aunty Kathy. You were in such a happy mood; laughing and smiling throughout the lunch. We're so lucky you're such an easy baby to take around. You are happy to play and let anyone hold you and best of all, you reward everyone with your big, gummy smile! No wonder everyone loves to hang out with you!

Here are some photos in the cafe, and a video of you laughing with Aunty Kathy.

Week 22 and 23 Round-up

For the past few months, our weekend routine has been going househunting on Sat and then having family time on Sunday. Here are some photos from last weekend when we went to the Bay Run. Mummy and Daddy used to go running around the bay a long time ago, so that place holds a special significance for us.

It was so cute dressing you up in a little cap and overalls. Your Auntie Katrina said you resembled Russell from the movie Up!

Happy 21st Birthday, Aunty Mandy!

We hope you're having a fantastic holiday in HK! Lucas misses you very much! Here's a birthday video from him. I took the video straight after his nap so he looks a bit sleepy but he'll be ready to party with you when you get back (as long as it's before his 7pm bedtime :)

Let's take a walk down memory lane, we've been through so much together in the past 5 months, Aunty Mandy....

1 day old at the hospital

2 weeks old

2 weeks old

 PS. Remember how big the hat was when you first bought it for him?

Week 22 photo story: With the Grandparents

We bought a house yesterday, Lucas! Though I'm sure you will know this house very well since we will be living there for a long time. The house is soo much bigger than our current townhouse. The land size is about 9 times bigger, so much space for you to crawl and run around. I can't wait for you to have our own playroom, I have so many new projects of things I want to make for your new play room and for the house. So excited that we will be starting a new chapter in a neighbourhood that you will be growing up in!

We were at your Grandparents' house yesterday and I took a few nice photos of you spending time with them.  Check out your cute hi-top shoes and matching sunglasses that they bought you!

Week 22 milestone: Your first roll!

Today you managed to roll from your back to your tummy for the first time! And I caught it on video, here it is!

Once you took your hand out of your mouth, it seemed quite easy for you to roll on to your tummy...well almost to your tummy. You were left teetering on your side until Mummy gave you a helping hand for you to lay flat on your tummy. What a great effort, Mummy is so proud of you!

Here are some more photos of you taken this morning with Daddy and also on the play gym.

Week 22 video: Learning to sit

You're 22 weeks today and I've been trying to train you to sit without any assistance. You can sit for just a little bit before toppling over to the side. It's so funny to watch.

I've set up pillows around your crib to help catch you when you topple. You tried to sit for a bit and then realised it was more relaxing to rest

Week 21: First day of school

5 months old and Mummy already making you go to school!

I took you to your first baby class (gymbaroo) yesterday. There were 7 other babies in the class ranging from 3 months old to 6 months (non-crawler class). The teacher led us in songs, exercises, we even did some dancing! The 2nd half of the class was using the play gym where there were lots of fun baby equipment to help you do more exercises.

Excited for first day of baby class!

The very first exercise in the class involved doing tummy time, which is not your favourite thing. All the other babies did tummy time with their heads lifted up. You were the only baby with your head lying down on the mat the entire time. So funny! I told the teacher you hated tummy time, so she gave me lots of tips to help you do more tummy time, which we have been doing today.

The class was only 45 minutes but it was still quite tiring for you because you fell asleep in the car-ride home and then took a really long nap when we got home. You only woke up to feed and then fell asleep again. Too much excitement in one day for you!

Asleep in the car

5 months old today!

You turned 5 months old today and I got some adorable photos of you because you were in a good mood after your nap. The weather was also lovely, despite it being winter, and there was really good natural light.

Here's the monthly video. You're so boisterous and excited. Sometimes it seems as though you understand what I'm saying. I wonder if you do?

You're able to sit up on the couch without a pillow this month! You're still a bit wobbly but it's a huge improvement from last month. Maybe next month you'll be able to sit up on your own without leaning back on the couch!

You look so mature in this photo