more solids

Rather successful attempts...
Banana - 2cm
Banana - 4cm
Mini Pumpkin - 3 mouthful
* Maybe pumpkins are not supposed to taste like this. I tasted this (boiled and pureed)...and seriously...it didnt have any taste at all! I remember that i dont like the taste of "regular pumpkins"...so this mini pumpkin has to be different. Haha!

swapster

I've stopped swapping for almost a year now. It was actually quite fun while it lasted. Although, i received requests from people from all over after i'm back in Shanghai, i still didnt kick-start to swapping mode. Baby Joel keeps me busy with so many new motherly things. Haha!

Many of the "pioneer" swappers on GYS have also gone to do other swaps instead - ATCs, knitting, matchbox, Dotee dolls etc. Too bad, i'm not a "handywoman". But i like to read Malin's and Phyllis' blogs every now and then. I just got to know about Swap-Bot from Phyllis' blog...and this Dotee dolls blog! WOW! I think these angmohs are really creative and good with sewing, felting, knitting... I can do none of these. Knitting was a real nightmare for me, not to mention, an expensive "hobby". Haha! ;p

Yesterday, i got an email from Lara, a US girl living in Germany...and i think i'm up to do a swap - finally! So excited! Haha! ;)

belgium

Elvis is heading to Belgium in August. It could be for 3 weeks and he wanted us to join him. He might have 1 week of free time. Right from the start, i wasnt too keen on the idea of tagging along. And we dont even know which part of Belgium yet. I've been to Brussels when i was 18, but i cant seem to remember anything about the place besides chocolates. I think maybe i worry too much...
- Firstly, $$$$$. Airfares out of China can be really ridiculous. Going for this would mean no holiday in Oct and till the end of 2008.
- I cannot imagine looking after Joel alone for 12-hours onboard. (And Elvis in Biz Class)
- It would be tough managing Joel alone while Elvis is at work. (Our trip to Hangzhou only confirmed that it isnt easy at all with a baby. Sooo many things to consider.)
- Having to carry Joel & the diaper bag for long hours everyday. My shoulders already ached like mad from last week. (Approx 10+kg)
- Having to bring milk/water/diapers/change of clothes...so troublesome, not to mention extremely heavy.
- Having to bathe Joel in an "unfamiliar environment". (Do i need to bring his tub? It wont fit into any of our suitcases!)
- I have absolutely NO sense of direction - anywhere.
- Shopping for clothes with Joel is a no-no. Cannot try when i cant remove the baby carrier. I can only estimate the fit.
- If bring stroller along, i cannot manage long flights of stairs alone. Steps is ok. Folding it away is also a task now that he's bigger.
- AND, what is there in Belgium besides chocolates???


So, i just googled 'What is fun in Belgium'...and here's the results:
- Smurfs, Tintin, Snowy and Marsupilami (Okay, I used to like Smurfs. I kinda like TinTin too. What is Snowy & Marsupilami?)
- English, the 4th unofficial language (Great!)
- romantic cruise down a canal in Bruges (Cruise? I need sea-sick pills)
- hunt for diamonds in Antwerp (Wah! I'm not tai-tai leh)
- enjoy waffles on the beach in Oostende (Good!)
- frolic in a festival in Binche (I dont like festivals)
- get lost in a castle in Namur (I dont like castles coz they're eerie)
- discover antiques at an outdoor market in Liege (I dont want antiques)
- explore a fine art museum in Brussels (I wont enjoy museums alone)
- dense train network connects all of Belgium and makes navigation simple and comfortable for travelers (At least transportation is A-ok and affordable, but dont give me a confusing metro line)
- superb examples of art and architecture past and present - Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, and Art Nouveau (Okay, i do like European architectures)
- beer & chocolate (BINGO! CHOCOLATES!!!)
- Diane von Furstenberg (Lovely dresses!)

I havent made up my mind yet...coz I can (and still) only think of the chocolates. Haha!

chips choc and cola

I've been snacking too much lately. Too much potato chips and chocolates. It's making me feel and LOOK fat!!! I look 4 months pregnant. NO Joke!!! Or maybe it's the pre-menstral bulge. I can feel that sore-throat acting up already... It must be the hot hot hot weather that makes me lose my appetite for normal food and munch instead. Plus all the Coke i'm downing every hour. It used to be 2 cans a day (lunch, dinner, and sometimes another in-between meals) 330ml x 3 = 990ml. Now i've switched to 1.5L PET bottles! This is NOT good. Hopefully, i will stop junkfood-ing tomorrow...and lose some fats around the tummy. ;p

43 degrees

I'm watching my fav Channel Young and realised that the weather this afternoon reached 43 degree celsius! Tomorrow, it will even reach a high of 48˚c!!! OMG!

joel jumperoo

When we tried to fit Joel in the Jumperoo for the first time, he just wouldnt fit coz of his fat bum...and thighs. Keke... Hmm...and he doesnt know how to jump yet. Hope he enjoys this like most babies.
Thanks, Aunty Clara!

dvd: factory girl

We went DVD-shopping with Clara on her last night here. Bought lots of stuff again including Ugly Betty (Season 1 & 2) which i'm hoping to start when the weather gets really hot to even wanna step out of the house at all.

We hardly have time to watch movies at home...so it's only on those rare days that Elvis comes home earlier from work...and we're up to a movie...then we'll catch one. And with so many still unopened DVDs, it's tough deciding on which one! LOL! What we do is Elvis will shortlist 4-5 (usually from our latest loot)...and i'll pick one. I normally like to do "light movies" so that i can have a good laugh and go to sleep.

Not knowing what this movie was about, but coz i thought Sienna Miller is so cool, i picked Factory Girl ...and boy, i was a little depressed after watching it. Sienna Miller the "IT girl" plays Edie Sedgwick the 60s “It Girl”. She became the muse of Andy Warhol...and how things just changed...

This movie also made me look at Andy Warhol in a different light. Coz i only knew of him as a Pop Artist from my days in art school. I didnt know that he directed movies as well...or that he has blotchy skin! (Keke...I'm "sua ku")

burnt out

Clara left this afternoon after spending a week here in Shanghai. We took a trip to Hangzhou 杭州 over the weekends. But as there was typhoon on Sat and extremely sunny on Sunday (as always), we didnt really see that many Hangzhou sights - only the West Lake and LingYin Temple. Today, after we saw her off (only up the cab), Joel & i came home and slept for 4-hours straight!!! I think we're both really really tired. It was like we were on a holiday! Keke!

With the terribly hot weather, it was a torture for Joel to sit in the baby carrier for so many hours every day (and me carrying a 9kg load). Joel has heat rash on his neck, face, arms, chest and tummy - with the worse around his neck. I also have slight heat rash around my neck. Joel has been "play-coughing" for about a week now, and today it sounds like a real cough with phlegm and runny nose. He's irritable and fusses a lot in the day. He even wakes up and cries in his sleep (he cries very hard and with LOTS of tears!!!). It could be the discomfort from the rashes. So, i think i'm going to bring him to see the doctor tomorrow.
(UPDATED: Doc prescribed calamine solution for Joel's rashes and salt solution/bulb-pump to clear his nose. No medication for his cough coz she said his lungs are clear.)

As for Clara, this week passed quickly and she left with more than the "entire working wardrobe" she had anticipated! Probably about 80 pieces of clothing (90% work wear, including tailored-made suits, cuffed/non-cuffed blouses and shirt-dresses), a couple of bags and 15 pairs of heels/wedges/slippers! That's enough to wear for a few months w/o repeating! Haha! Now she's having a headache how to store all these back home! But it's a "good thing" when you think of the savings vs buying these in Hong Kong or even Japan (the Japanese exports tagged in Yen which could be 10x RMB)! She also did hair rebonding here...but unfortunately, it didnt turn out too well coz they used a new brand of solution that might be too strong for her hair.

Clara came with an almost empty suitcase and left with 33kg of Shop-Till-You-Drop Shanghai loot...and she said she'll be back in winter for more SHOPPING! Keke! ;p
(Janis is still unbeatable at 35kg in Dec 2006)

heat rash

The weather is so hot lately at about 35/36˚c!!! And we've been outside for loooong hours since last Sat. Baby Joel developed heat rash today, and i have terrible leg-, back- & shoulder-ache from carrying him the whole day for almost a week! This is like non-stop shopping in Tokyo/summer. SO HOT! SO HOT! SO HOT!

Note: Real-feel is usually higher than the temperature stated.

exciting week ahead!

I'm so excited coz my good pal Clara from Hong Kong will be arriving tomorrow night! It'll be her 1st Shanghai shopping trip and also to see baby Joel. I also asked her to help me buy the Fisher-Price® Jumperoo. I cant wait to show her all the nice places to eat & shop! Yippie!

She'll be staying with us for a week, and we're also planning to go to Hangzhou to see the West Lake next weekend! Hope the weather & baby Joel are cooperative. ;p

Updated on SUN:
Daddy also got 1 of his Thai friend, Pick, to come and work with him. (He's like a Thai head-hunter! LOL!) Aye has gone back to Bangkok after a year in Shanghai coz he's planning to go learn English in UK. He's a very nice guy and we sure miss having him around. He loves Shanghai for "hong shiao rou" (fatty roast pork). He's copy-based and writes thai books and travelogues in his free time. But this "part-time job" is really BIG! We also heard that his books are selling well in Thailand and he's got lots of screaming fans! WAH! ;p

Anyway, back to Pick...he arrived on Fri night with his girlfriend "Nood" and we brought them around the whole of yday (Sat)...and also today (Sun). But maybe coz things here (shopping, food, transport) are still relatively more expensive than in Bangkok, they didnt seem to enjoy it as much as we thought. Keke... I think we're more happy than them! ;p

Daddy has gone back to the office to do some work, so baby Joel & i came back to rest before we meet for dinner later. Then, we're expecting Clara to arrive today midnight. ;)

interesting IT stuffs

Not sure if i can post these (coz it's copyrighted). Pictures from OOU!

Found this website too...see Joan Chen's Shanghai!

no to barney too

I thought that every kid likes Barney...oops, not Joel. I've tried playing the DVD a couple of times but he always cry when Barney pops out. I think he's terrified of the funny-looking purple creature! Haha! (Waste my $)

So basically, he just watches Your Baby Can Read! and Signing Time a few times in the day - especially when i wanna use the computer. Sometimes i watch with him too...and am surprised that i can remember the signs on the 1st DVD after watching it once.

I think Signing Time is pretty interesting and has its benefits eg. using a sign instead of throwing a tantrum to express their needs. (Read About Us & Testimonials which are quite inspiring). Hopefully Joel will show his first sign to surprise me! Keke... ;p

blur king junior

Daddy is known as Blur King (other than Big Head)...and Joel seems to have inherited his "blurriness"...and big head. In fact, up till he was 4 months old, he still doesnt seem to show any interest in toys - except for the playgym which he has been playing with since he was 1 month old. I used to prop him up with some pillows, but he can finally reach the stuffs dangling from it by now. He doesnt seem to like rattles either. Hmm... So i thought maybe it's time he moved on to more FUN toys. Hmm...but what is 'fun' for babies???

On China's Children's Day (1 June), we bought him this Fisher-Price® Laugh & Learn Baby Grand Piano (coz the reviews are good for babies 4 months to 1 year+). When we brought it home, i think i was more eager to open it up than Joel. To my disappointment, he doesnt seem to know how to play with it. He just looked at it...yes, blurly. It plays some catchy songs (on 3 different modes) but Joel doesnt show any reaction at all. Sigh... In fact, till now (1 month later), he still doesnt know how to hit the keyboard on his own. (I also didnt install the "legs" since Joel cant stand yet) What he likes to do is flip the "pages" and shake the "Green Musical Note" (at the back) coz it makes some funny tick-tock sound effects. This is the only thing about this piano that puts a smile on his face. ;p

(Do not be mistaken, he is smiling here for the camera...and not because he enjoys playing with the piano)

Also, i've been thinking of buying this kind of baby floor mat for Joel (when he can sit/crawl)...but i have changed my mind a few weeks ago coz i think there's simply not enough space in our house for it. This mat is actually a Korean brand, and Singapore is selling it for about $100-200+. I've even found the design/print/material that i wanted (coz some are made of "foil/foldable" and some in "padded/rolls" for more protection). Since almost the whole world is 'MiC', i have found the "lobang" to get it here for only S$30-50+. It's actually too good a deal to forgo. But our living room is already shouting "Baby In The House"! Size of the mat about 2m x 2m, so having it in the house probably means moving all the furniture to "wherever fits".

Every night when Joel falls asleep, i have to pack the things lying around in the house - again and again...

no apples too

From a happy to angry baby.

monkeying

Remember those cute animal Halloween costumes from babyGap i posted some time back? I saw it selling here (coz 'MiC')...sooo cute...and bought for baby Joel...in slightly bigger size so he can wear it at home during autumn/winter (i cannot imagine wearing this in summer). Who cares if it's past-seasoned '07 Halloween or Halloween's not here yet! Hopefully, he can walk by then...so he can do some monkeying around in the house. Truth is, i cant wait! Keke... ;p

solids...

Baby Food Recipes (click here)
and Forbidden Baby Foods

2nd attempt:
Plain Cereal with Milk - Failed

3rd attempt:
Banana (3cm, mashed) - Quite Successful
* Joel seems to like the taste...he will open his mouth...but he doesnt really know how to swallow the puree yet...so he's quite frustrated.

4th, 5th attempt:
Plain Cereal with Milk - Failed

6th attempt:
Apple (mashed) - Failed
* Joel just wouldnt open his mouth... Daddy suggest giving him fruit juice? Can? But that wouldnt count as 'solids' huh.

nadal nadal

Time flew by today coz we stayed up till about 4+am to watch the live Wimbledon finals between Rafeal Nadal and Roger Federer. It was such an exciting match!!! (Elvis support RF, me RN)

You MUST WATCH the repeat if you missed this (but prepare snacks and drinks). The repeat will be much easier on the eyes & brain too. Coz we had to wait for the 2 "rain break". Nadal is always interesting to watch! His attitude is really akin to the Spanish bull! HAHA! Nadal Nadal Nadal...

It's weird coz Joel didnt watch the match with us...but it was as if he did...coz he also woke up with us at noon! Usually he's like our morning wakeup call at 7-8am.

art lesson

At Monganshan Road - an artas place.
Other than buying art pieces, you can also buy clothes/toys/accessories here. Keekee... ;p

style?

How do I look?
Pull this side down a little?
Now, how's this?


Mom, are you sure this is a hat???

solids 1st attempt

Cereal + Carrot: Failed.