First Cold

I guess I should keep a record of it. Elijah had his first cold this week. Runny nose, congestion, coughing, and a low grade fever -- he had them all. Today, he seems to be doing better. Hopefully, he will get completely better in the next couple of days. By the way, Elijah loves the nasal aspirator. It must feel good to have your nasal passage cleared.

Gaining New Skills

I have been really enjoying the process of watching Elijah develop and gain new skills and confidence. In particular, I love watching him celebrate his victories!

Yesterday, he for the first time put a spoon in his mouth. Today, he seemed to do it with ease and actually fed himself a couple of bites of apple, strawberry, and banana mix that his grandpa and grandma had brought for him. He now drinks from sippy cup on his own and has figured it out that you have to lift the cup up a bit for the water to flow more easily. We offered him some juice that we were drinking with a straw and he figured out how it worked and seemed pleased when he did. (He probably liked the sweetness of juice.)

I feel like he has graduated from the baby stage and has definitely entered the pre-toddler stage. He seems more and more like a little boy...

Here's a video of his spoon handling skill. He's got the idea, that's for sure!

A quick trip to Bangkok

Last week, we went to Bangkok for a quick trip for some medical tests and check-up. And, No, we're not pregnant. :)

Elijah got his MMR and flu shot. (We also got our flu shots.) We also learned that the weight scale that we have been using in the market for vegetables (and Elijah from time to time) are actually accurate because when we weighed Elijah at the doc's office, he weighed the same. His weight is between the 5th and 10th percentile at 8.1 kg (17.9 lbs). His pediatrician in Bangkok said that they usually like to see babies around 8.6 kg, but he is not concerned because Elijah appears healthy, very active, and developmentally doing great. Although I wouldn't mind having him a little more plump for those sick days when extra fat storage might come in handy, I am not too concerned either. One highlight for me was that he got to try some new food, like broccoli, tofu, kiwi, ground beef, peach, and American cheese (No, I didn't use the 3 day wait rule). He liked them all.

On our return trip, thanks to Elijah, we got upgraded to business class for free! Oh the perks that come with being new parents. :)

Elijah, how do you feel about getting bumped up to business class? Doesn't he look excited!
With daddy on the Sky Train after meeting one of daddy's friends.

For the first time today...

he used the walker and walked on his own for about 20 seconds. (Too bad I didn't have the camera ready to capture the moment.) Then, he stopped, let go of it, and clapped. He was standing on his own for a second or two.

he actually got the spoon into his mouth on his own and fed himself a couple of times today. It was messy, but he was so proud of himself! I was too. We celebrated this moment by clapping together! I didn't capture the first time he did this with the camera but I did the next time.

Here's a video of Elijah's Mealtime Exploration:

An extrovert?

I'm not sure yet. But, he definitely likes kids. Today, at the Korean mom's group, he was initiating conversation by babbling to other kids and reaching out to touch them. He even got in a little "fight" with another baby two months ahead of him. She took the water bottle from him and he was babbling and had his two fists next to him grunting to let her know that it was his. It was funny to watch. He also offered a cheerios to the same girl he got in a little tiff with all on his own initiative. (He has been offering food to me here and there, and using his spoon, trying to feed me.) I think he somehow understands that you can offer things to other people, especially food.

He is beginning to express himself so much more and is starting to exert his will too. This morning, I took him away from touching something (can't remember what now) but he was unhappy. He got his two fists, arms half way up, and did a scream, which looked like it was the beginning to a tantrum. In a firmer voice, I told Elijah that we don't have tantrums, and he looked straight up at me and to my surprise, he stopped. Now, I have no idea if he understood what I was saying. But, I feel like nine month old pre-toddlers are able to understand much more than we think they are capable of....

Paul and I have been surprised to realize that he understands what an edge is because he gets to the edge of the bed and stops. He also knows the difference between soft and hard because only on the bed does he launch himself backwards and plop himself on the bed. He has not tried to do that on hard floors.

He loves to play hide and seek. He thinks any time he can't see us, we can't see him. So, sitting on Paul's lap, he'll throw himself backwards and arch his neck so that he is staring off into space. Then, we'll call saying, "Where is Elijah? Where is Elijah?" And, after a few seconds of waiting and giggling, with the help of Paul's thumbs, he'll strain to do a sit-up and when he can see us again, we scream, "There is Elijah!" Then he hides again falling over backwards still on daddy's lap. It is hilarious and so cute to watch. Even though he is sitting on daddy's lap and daddy is helping him to sit up, he has no idea that we can still see him.

When he was first born, I marveled at this little creature that came out of my womb, how perfect and beautiful he is. I still find myself marveling and I feel like there is still more things to marvel about. What a marvelous gift parenthood is.

Photos from our prayer retreat

I'm a little behind in posting photos from our time in Kurseong, a hill town where we went for our quarterly prayer retreat. It was great to wake up each morning to the view of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak. It was extra special to now share it with Elijah. One day, I will get to tell him the story of how God called us to the Himalayas and how He showed me this mountain.

From top to bottom: 1) Mt. Kanchenjunga 2) Elijah and mommy early in the morning 3) with a toy train model 4) Climbing to the top of the stairs on his own while mom followed--see the excitement on the face?! 5) with Daddy.

The Eating Saga Continues...

No bananas cut up, please.
I want the whole thing to hold and eat.
Mama says big bites are a choking hazard,
But I say that is okay.
Mama can always dig her fingers in get it out.

I am too smart to be tricked by mama now.
She mixes in bits of cheese with cheerios,
But I don't fall for that sneaky trick.
Oh no! I pick through and only pick out cheerios.
Sorry mama. Any new tricks up your sleeves?

My favorite sign during meal time is "All done."
Mama complains that I sign, "All done," even when I am not.
She is right.
Sometimes, I am not "all done" being hungry,
But I am all done with the food if I don't like it.
My "all done" sign often gets me off that booster seat,
Because I'd rather play than eat.
As my baba says I eat to live,
I don't live to eat.

Mama works hard to make sure I get good food,
But, I might be like baba when he was little,
I might be a picky eater and not that interested in food,
If that is the case, baba says, I am gonna be one skinny boy just like he was,
One day, you might be able to count all my ribs.

So, the saga continues.... but, don't be too frustrated mom.
Remember, until I am one years old,
most of my nutrients still should come from breastmilk.
And, I know that you have plenty to keep me happy and healthy.