Oh baby baby, how was I supposed to know.
When Kaylin was just 12 days old, I took this photo and declared her a chip off the old block. Now, four months on, it seems she hasn’t just inherited her daddy’s looks and expressions, she’s also got his adventurous spirit (hopefully) and his strong will (uh oh). Here’s my current favourite photo of my two number one people in the world.
After four months of hopeful optimism (read: delusion), I have finally come to terms with the fact that the thrice-weekly gym sessions I endured enjoyed throughout my pregnancy are very much a thing of the past. These days, I’d be lucky to get any “me” time before 11pm and since I do not fancy pounding away on the treadmill in the middle of the night…
So in an attempt to get some semblance of regular exercise, I’ve been trying to take Kaylin for a walk every evening. Most days, we wander around my in-laws’ garden and don’t even make it out the front gate, although there was this one Saturday when we managed a walk to the neighbourhood basketball court and back – a grand total of, er, 500m.
It doesn’t sound like much but really, it’s a three-in-one exercise programme. Walking stretches and works my muscles, carrying a 6kg baby in my arms counts as weight training, and if I walk fast enough to get slightly breathless, it becomes a cardio workout. Or so I tell myself.
Here we are, out in the garden one evening. I like it best when it’s slightly gloomy and there’s a breeze. Kaylin’s practising her Blue Steel for when she becomes a rock star.
When I was pregnant, I told myself Kaylin would be my opportunity to discover the world through a baby’s eyes. I wanted to marvel at her every milestone and share in her excitement at every new discovery. Then she arrived, and for the first six weeks or so, nothing happened. She slept, she ate, she pooped. In that order.
Towards the end of her second month, she smiled. Finally! Then she started gurgling and cooing, and I was thrilled. But the third month was when the fun really started. Kaylin began focusing on objects, recognising faces, smiling, she even managed a laugh or two, she started turning over and, one of my favourites, she discovered her hands!
This is the first time she realised she could put not one, but both hands into her mouth!
Doesn’t she look guilty at being caught out?
Soon after she found out she could clasp her hands together. I love this “Genius” onesie, which was a gift. Hubby and I thought Kaylin looked like an evil mastermind plotting to take over the world. My mother-in-law reckons she’s just practising for Chinese New Year.
I spy with my little eye…
I just love how everything is A Wonderful New Discovery when you’re a baby.
Can you spot the real baby in the photo?
Several evenings ago, the women in my family (and my little brother, the proverbial thorn) sat down to a rare dinner together. My grandma’s not as mobile as she used to be and it’s getting harder and harder for us to convince her to leave the house but on this occasion, she agreed. So went our party of six – myself, my two sisters, mum, grandma and my brother.
We went to a Chinese restaurant and while waiting for dessert to arrive, the waitress brought us a plate of fortune cookies. Now I’ve always been really skeptical about fortune cookies – I’m sure they’re made up by a bunch of people who write random positive sentences to pass off as fortunes and they never say anything bad or people would never buy them but that makes them totally unrealistic because everyone experiences both good fortunes and bad ones.
This time though, it got a little more interesting. Bec’s was, “Dare to pursue dreams that are limitless” or something along those lines, mum’s read, “Believe in your dreams,” grandma’s said, “There will be happiness in your family soon,” Jessie’s was, “Your principles are more important to you than money,” and mine said, “Good health will be yours for a long time to come.”
They were all pretty generic statements but they were applicable in each of our individual situations. Bec and mum do have big dreams, they being the only ambitious, business-minded members of our lot; Jessie does care more about her principles than money; I’m pregnant and praying for the health of both myself and my baby; and grandma is pretty excited about my pregnancy – she should be, she’s been bugging me to have kids literally from the month I got married.
The only exception was my brother’s, whose fortune read simply, “You will have a pleasant surprise.” I think he was a little disappointed at how unprofound it was. Bec and I thought it was hilarious. And clearly the work of someone who had run out of inspiration.
I still don’t believe in fortune cookies – does anyone nowadays? – but in this particular instance, much to my surprise (maybe I should have taken my brother’s cookie instead), it brought us encouragement and made grandma happy so I’m reserving judgment. Just this once. Besides, I can’t say I don’t wish the fortunes will all come true.
This is my cousin, Alvin. We call him Momo. Technically he’s Y’s cousin but you know, same thing. He’s one of the sweetest 12-year-olds ever. I don’t know many 12-year-olds but all two of them I know are absolute angels. Momo loves our dog, Moses. He wanted a photo with Moses and asked me to take one. I liked the photo so much I asked him if I could have a copy for my blog. So here it is. The extended family were in town over three weeks recently. They left for New York and Hong Kong/California last week. Home’s gone all quiet now.
Yesterday night, on a whim, Bec, Josh and I ditched our plans for a movie and went to a fish spa after dinner. It was my first time, Josh’s too, but looking at Bec you’d think it was her first. She makes this really weird high-pitched sound into her towel when she first puts her feet in because it’s so ticklish. I thought the experience was pretty interesting but it’s made me want to go get a massage instead.
Jessie and Josh came over today and Jessie made this. I’d bought one of those DIY Plaster of Paris sets from Toys R Us to make Christmas pressies with and this little guy got left over. Jessie says I can keep him (yes, it’s a him). And she wants you to know that his name is Diablo and one of his fins is diseased.
This is by far one of the grossest pieces of celebrity news I have ever come across.
And speaking of which, I have these saved up from Jessie, who generously shared her blobs of wisdom during our date night two evenings ago. The first she offered while we were eating dinner:
“I think someone should invent a machine to suck out all the mucus in my nose.”
Then as we were leaving the restaurant:
“Now that my nose is blocked, whenever I pee, it feels extra warm.”
Like I said, things I didn’t need to know.
Guitar Hero!
Jessie just turned 21 and I haven’t really spent time with her since she got back early December so this was heaps fun. We made a real date of it: Guitar Hero, dinner and a movie. Then I’ll have to take them home because she’s still not allowed to take the car out.
Edit: So the night turned out a whole lot more interesting than we expected when Josh took ill just before the movie and emptied the contents of his stomach into a nearby garbage bin. We’re glad he didn’t make a mess on the floor. He puked once more during the show but insisted we stay on for the entire film. What a trooper.
