More Highlights

Elijah pooped for the first time in the toilet on Friday! Yes, he did! I've been able to tell more these days when he is about to go and do his deed, so as soon as I could see that it was going to happen, I took him to the toilet to give it a try. He went for it!! It saved mommy one poopy diaper wash!! I'm thinking of getting a small kiddie toilet or a toilet seat so that I could do that without killing my wrists from holding him. ;) I have the proof of the deed in the form of a photo, but I thought it was kind of gross to post. Today, I got him there a little too late....So, why is it that the idea of wiping my own butt with my hand totally grosses me out, but I have no problem wiping my son's poopy butt with my hand under the shower?

I survived my first illness as a mom with the help of a wonderful husband and daddy who let me sleep all day long except to feed Elijah. I missed holding, playing, and kissing Elijah, but it was nice to also sleep all day. :)

I am learning that Elijah do not enjoy being in places where it is really loud with way too much stimulation. The only time I remember him having what you might call it a "melt down" was when we were having a reunion with a few friends and all their children before we left for India. He was cranky and just fussy.... Today, we were with other Korean moms and their children (and yes, we Koreans can be quite loud), and he was cranky and fussy too. As soon as we left for a quiet place, he was fine. He likes other kids but all the noises from the toys and talking, he did not seem to care for much. He also had a bit of crying episode at the mall in the elevator, in a very enclosed space with lots of people.... It reminded me of myself actually because after some time, I can't stand the loud noises either and I have to get to the bathroom and sit there by myself to catch my breath and for some peace!

He is saying "mamama" more. He calls when he wants my attention, lifts up his arms when he wants to be picked up, and pouts when he is unhappy.

Someone said that usually a baby's activity level in the womb is reflective of what he/she might be like outside of the womb. Well, he was one active little one in the womb....wouldn't stay still that the doctors had really hard time taking ultrasound photos....Well, he is Active!! Either he is sitting up playing with his toys, on his belly trying to grab whatever interests him, or asking us to hold him so that he can stand up and bounce up and down.... It's getting hard to even put a diaper on him!

I tried sweet potatoes (this time using the Earth's Best Jar) that I brought from the States and he ate it....I still don't think he liked it that much but he ate and didn't spit it out. No allergic reactions. Tomorrow, we will start carrots!

No to Stroller?

Today, we went to Siliguri's only "mega" mall and I wanted to try using the umbrella stroller that we brought from the States. It is the only place where I can actually use it, and since I didn't want to carry him or try to wear him (it's way too hot to wear him - sometimes even in the mall), we brought it with us as we did some shopping for containers for our new place. He kind of resisted a bit initially, but we thought perhaps it was due to the heat in the parking lot. We got inside the mall and after some time, we noticed that his eyes were starting to get puffy and red. We were getting concerned that perhaps he was having some kind of allergic reaction to something, but we soon realized that it was not the case. He was not crying yet, but was getting ready to cry. As soon as Paul took him out and held him, he was fine and the puffy eyes disappeared. He was happy, smiling, and his jolly self. He is so used to being carried that we wonder if he had forgotten about the stroller he so loved before. Or perhaps he was overwhelmed by all these passersby who would touch his cheeks as we strolled along. (It's amazing--strangers touch him all the time and that is the norm...) We carried him for the rest of our visit at the mall and used the stroller as a cart. I hope he eventually likes being in the stroller, especially when we travel internationally because I can't imagine carrying him all the time.... It is to be seen...

Is it possible...

...for a six month old to cue his mommy when his diaper needs to be changed? Ever since we started using the cloth diaper, I feel like he has been letting me know when it is wet. He used to never do this, but he'll suddenly stop playing and lightly hit my lap with his hands or come to me as if he wants my attention. Initially, I thought he was asking to be fed, but it was not the case...Each time I would respond and check his diaper, it would be wet and he wanted it to be changed....He also does a similar kind of thing if he wants me to hold him when he is feeling tired.

...that Elijah now knows his name? Whenever I would call his name, he turns to look at me... or is he just responding to my voice?

...that he already has a sense of humor? It's different than knowing we are playing together. He seems to know when I am joking with him. For example, I would give him a Zoolander look (no words, no sounds, just a glance) and he would break out into laughter. Sometimes, if it is not that funny, he'll kind of give that "half-laugh" that says, "It wasn't that funny but I'll laugh to make you feel better mom..." It is quite interesting and endearing to observe his developing sense of humor.

"All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..."

Here are yours.... You might have another tooth coming out on the top as your gum was bleeding a bit the other day, but it's hard to tell right now....

Dogs, Frog, and a Giant Spider

God created them all, whether we think they're cute, ugly, a nuisance, or disgusting! What do you think of them, Elijah? We can find them inside or just nearby our apartment.

A Letter to Elijah

Dear Elijah,

I decided to write a short letter to you about today. Today is Sunday, so we went to church. Mommy and daddy discussed a bit whether it would be better for you and I to stay at home or go to church with him. Daddy was preaching today and the whole service lasts usually over two and a half hours long. Usually we go a little late after your nap, but we couldn't today. We decided that we would all go and see how it goes. Unknowingly, mommy and daddy chose the hottest day since our arrival in Siliguri to be the day that we ventured out to spend over two and a half hours in a small but packed church service.

In the middle of the service, we stripped you down to your diaper because it was so hot and we could hardly feel the fan in the room. You were sweating all over, but you were such a champ. You didn't whine or cry one bit. Instead, you were so intrigued by the guitars, the drums, and the people around you that it seemed as though you hardly noticed the heat. But mommy and daddy did, so we took turns blowing on your head and body to cool you down a bit. You decided to make it even more adventurous for mommy by asking her to feed you in the middle of the service. There is no "nursing" section here, so mommy discreetly nursed you in her seat as people were singing. You eventually fell asleep in my arms. Unfortunately, your sleep was interrupted by the clapping around you....but, again, you didn't fuss or cry. You just snuggled right up to mommy and watched the people behind you as they tried to make you smile. When we returned home, you were overly tired and a bit hyperactive....you were very tired but fighting sleep. Eventually, you calmed down enough to take a nice nap. You woke up feeling refreshed and ready to play again! Mommy just wanted to say "Thanks for being such a good sport and for being a flexible kid so that we could all worship Jesus at church together with our friends. You're our little champ! We love you so much."

The jury is in...

no sweet potatoes for our son. He doesn't like it. I did not get to test it out to see if he is sensitive to it because he refused to let me feed him....How did he let me know that he does not like sweet potatoes? He kept his mouth shut, puckered up his lips like he does when he's unhappy about something, and finally he spit it out. So, I stopped trying and pureed bananas to give him. He liked bananas! So amazing that at six months, he knows what he likes and what he doesn't like....I tell ya, babies are little people, that's for sure!

New Words

About two days ago he started saying, "Mem mem mem..." and "Babababa" So, I think he's trying to say "Mamamama," and "Dadadada..." or possibly, "Um-ma or Ah-pa" (mommy and daddy in Korean). Or maybe I'm just wishful... :) He loves saying these new discovered words and I love listening to them!

Eli and I went swimming today for the first time with a few YWAM ladies. Although it was 4pm in the afternoon, the water was warm from the hot sun beating on it all day and it was a perfect way to cool off. I wasn't sure how he would do in the water, but he LOVED it!! He spent probably over an hour in the water. He even started moving his arms and legs as if he was trying to swim and had so much fun. We need to do it again. Of course, I had my camera, but left the memory card in the computer back at home....Oh well, next time.

Food Sensitivity

So, I am finding that as I start Elijah on solids, there is much more to consider due to his food sensitivity issue. Because he is still breastfeeding, whenever I am introducing new food in his diet, I have to make sure that I don't eat something new either. For example, I started him on sweet potatoes. However, today, I had toast with jam (berries) and chicken salami. Right before I fed him the sweet potatoes, I breastfed him. I noticed that after I finished giving him sweet potatoes (which he didn't seem to like that much), he had a rash on his back. Now, the question is, is he sensitivity to sweet potatoes or is he sensitive to the jam or the salami from breastmilk? I'll try again tomorrow and make sure I just have plain toast and a banana, then see what happens after I give him the sweet potatoes...

Arghhh... honestly, it is starting to get a little frustrating for me. Ever since I have completely cut out soy, eggs, dairy, citrus, and nuts, his skin has been mostly free of rashes. I tried yogurt once and he was gassy that whole day. I actually think he might be lactose intolerant and but not allergic to dairy.... Thank goodness that he is not sensitive to wheat! I've been living on lentils and rice (with vegetable and chicken) and spaghetti, but besides that I can't venture out too much. Going out to eat is more work. A couple of times I had other kinds of Indian food, he woke up multiple times crying at night time and developed small rash.... as I reflected back on each of the incidents, I had peas.... I wonder if he is sensitive to peas too (which is in the same family as peanuts). He's been wheezing since we have been in India (I'm not sure if it's due to the dogs, the environment, or food) and some days it seems worse.I am praying for healing for him and that he would outgrow this issue.... If this continues, I think I want to have him get tested for food allergies after he turns one. Nevertheless, he continues to be a happy, cheerful little guy, and for that I am thankful.

I can move, well kind of..sort of..

Here's a video of Elijah scooting himself on the bed....Oh my, once he gets moving, I think he is going to keep us really busy!!

6 Months Old

Half a Year Old....Already?!!

Elijah is six months old today. Can't believe he is half a year old already....

Here is Elijah in our laundry bucket.


I finally managed to take a photo of his teeth--yes, teeth, because he has another tooth coming out!!

Two Big Milestones

Today, Elijah had his first "solid" meal - rice cereal. He did wonderfully. He liked it, opened up his mouth, swallowed, and seemed to enjoy the process. He also got to drink water from his sippy cup and from an adult cup. We had given him cups to play with the last couple of days as we needed something different from his toys to keep him entertained. He actually got to drink out of it and was he thrilled! I can't believe how quickly our baby is growing....it makes me want to enjoy every moment of it....
We think he is going to crawl any day now.... he has the physical strength, but he has not quite figured out how to get moving faster. He lifts his butt up and gets his legs in toward his chest and pushes himself. Today, he semi-crawled across the bed as Paul cheered him on. When he starts, I know that he is going to keep me busy. Tomorrow, I'll try posting a video of his first "bites."

I was enjoying my warm bath....

reflecting on the day and thinking about what is for dinner. But, the paparazzi caught me off guard and interrupted my peaceful moment!

Developmental Leaps

He is growing by leaps and bounce!!

• Now he is able to sit up on his own for longer periods of time. He still falls over but I think we're almost there to sitting up independently.
• 

• He has a tooth out. I can't figure out a way to take a photo of it though.
  
• He continues to love reading. It has been fun to see him respond and interact with certain books that were of no interest to him before.

• He is much more independent--he knows what he wants, reaches out and grabs for them, can play on his own or with us for longer stretches of time (less sleep), is much more interested in exploring the world around him rather than interacting with us, and he now expresses his frustration or discontentment with this particular expression on his face.

We will start solids in a week. I can tell he is ready because he is now trying to grab our food and intently looks at us as we eat. We have been using the spoon to give him his medicine for acid reflux and he seems to do okay (although I'm thinking of using my hand initially to feed him, like the locals.) He seems to be doing better with acid reflux. I am going to try reintroducing dairy in my diet and see how it affects him. If I can eat dairy, it will allow for more variety in my diet for sure!!