A little drop of heaven

A relaxing Chinese New Year Eve

2009-01-26T10:51:00.002+08:00

Its Chinese New Year Eve and we are at Ye Ye and Nai Nai's home. Having a REAL good time.

A sumptious reunion dinner prepared by Nai Nai, lots of new toys including a remote control helicoptor thanks to Yeye and even a DVD session of My Little Pony!

Here is me having a real good time relaxing on Yeye's seat. Mama is just thankful that its an occassional treat for me to be so throughly spoilt.

Hippo taking a bath

2008-09-28T08:51:00.007+08:00

Last Thursday, I was literally dragged from the door to the bathroom before I had even removed my shoes.

妈妈,来来来 (Mama, come come COME!)

Guess what I saw? An unexpected guest lounging in MY bathroom! Gosh, good thing he/she was cute. Take a look!

It was cubbie's handiwork from her Chinese edudrama lesson. She learned about 洗澡 (Shower/bath). How adorable. And here's Miss Picasso herself.

The first gymnastics lesson

2008-09-01T13:36:00.004+08:00

The start of every new term brings with it a responsibility for Mama Bear, i.e. scheduling Rebecca's after school activities. I'm still keen on keeping her on a half day schedule as much as I can to allow her more flexibility in her timing and enable her to pursue more interests as well as have fun with her friends in terms of play dates.

One of the new classes we are trying out is gymnastics. Now, this is one of the activities I always wanted to try as a child myself, but never did. In all honesty, Rebecca was the one who asked for this. We were watching the heats during the recent Olympics and caught the US and French teams on TV. She was entralled and asked if she could "be like Jie Jie on the TV". I told her sure.

It was a medium sized hall that we walked into at the Luwan Teenagers Activity Center. We had gotten there early and the 5 and above class was on. Rebecca was immediately taken in by all the activity going on the floor, the uneven bars, the trampoline and the balancing beam. I couldn't get her to change into her leotard as she kept saying "I want to go....I want to do"

It was finally her turn when the clock struck 11:30am. She stood near the coach and I could see a bit of her uncertainty in her eyes. Nonetheless, she followed the coach and started off running 4 rounds around the floor mat, giggling all the way. My little girl can't stop laughing when she runs - its a joy really to watch her react this way.

They then had in total 4 coaches going through various floor excercises including walking like an elephant (she couldn't manage to lift her bum off the floor), walking like a worm (coordination problem!) and even simple rolling across the floor was messed up as she rolled in the wrong direction instead! Through it all, she was really excited and will occassionally wave at me at the sidelines and twice even ran up to me saying "you wait here mama, I finish my gymnastics first ok?"

They then split into 3 groups and she walked on the balancing beam. Considering its the first time and the beam must have been about a meter off the ground, I think she did really well.

What made me most in awe as a first time parent was when she climbed up to a platform about 3-4 meters off the ground and held onto one of the coaches hands swinging for about 3-4 minutes or so before falling into the soft foam below. No cries, no tears, no struggles. Very unlike a not-yet-to-be-three kid.

She then quickly graduated onto the beam itself. I was a bit worried, you know...typical mother...and dear papa Bear assured me that it will be fine. The coach had her grasp the bars directly and put his palms onto hers, pressing hers down to help her hang onto the bars using her own arm strength.

Eeks.

I could barely look. Anxious, amazed and just itty bitty proud of my little cub.

The class ended with the coach telling all parents that we were not going to be allowed in next week. Better for the children, better for the parents.

Rebecca is super excited and already asking when her next gymnastics lesson will be. Praise the Lord for this little girl's enthusiasm.

First day of Nursery II at Chiltern House

2008-08-26T15:42:00.009+08:00

We had dinner and prayed for "good weather so we can go to

school tomorrow" and with joy and thanksgiving, we were able to.

"Mama, I want to go to school" Rebecca cried as she snuggled in our bed this morning and with much joy, we made it to the school gates at precisely 8:30am. Her friends and their parents (those would be mama's mates) were all hanging around in the hallway and there was much laughter and hugs (both kids and parents). It was lovely to see all the children again, grown up and tall.

Rebecca shyly approached her besties - Lina and Isabelle and accepted the many compliments that she looked good in her check uniform. Well, she did even though I had gotten her really LARGE and LONG ones to last a long time. She did her health checks without much prompting and merrily took off her shoes all by herself and put them in her cubby hole. I wonder how long this model habit will last.

The tres marias, as Lina, Isabelle and Rebecca are fondly refered to by their ex-teacher, then held hands and made their way up to the "big girl and big boy" classroom on the second floor.

Once at the door, however, she suddenly became very coy. Sleaking off towards a corner. It must have been the new classroom and the new teachers which intimidated her. I reached forward and hugged her and reminded her what we talked about - how that she's now a grown up and will be moved up to a bigger class. She agreed but still remained passive. It was only when she saw her previous class assistant, Xu lao shi, then a smile broke and she became much happier again.

Nanny and I stayed in class for about 20 minutes and I encouraged R to play with the new boy, Sumner. All the other kids were "repeats" from last school year and it was really boistrous to watch everyone catch up - moms and kids alike. There was even a new baby in class, Noah's 2 week old brother, that R was in love with.

The separation was thankfully surprisingly painless. She seriously told me goodbye, gave me a hug and refused to walk with me to speak to her teacher Mr Luke. She then walked to Florian's mother who was with Florian and told her "No mamas in class, and no Ates in class", firmly shaking her hands in disproval.

Ahhh my little one, just cos you are ready to grow up, you want your friends around you to grow up too.

I was there as promised, when its 1-2-0-0. She was so delighted to see me and relieved. Amazingly, there were no tears in the entire class. A small miracle for a class who was on an accompanied program and had lots of separation anxiety issues last year in accompanied pre-nursery program.

Rebecca said that she ate 5 jiaozi - something really hard to believe - and I could see that she was tired out from the excitement of the morning. Lunch was a quick affair as we dug through the meal from home whilst her friends ate a school lunch. We then visited the library, read two Thomas the Train books and went home after dropping me off at work again.

We're so thankful that Rebecca is loving school and looking forward to going back again tomorrow. We're thankful that God is so gracious is providing her good teachers and a good environment to explore the world in. We're thankful that she is settling well. May she continue to find joy in the world around her as she grows each day. Amen.

N2 orientation at Chiltern House

2008-08-25T03:19:00.009+08:00

Its finally here. The start of a new school year at Chiltern House. After much anticipation (and grousing) over summer, my little one finally dressed up in her "big girl princess uniform", snapped her velcro shoes and dragged her dora brolly out the door. High on anticipation that she'll be meeting up with her friends again.

Alas, the weather was pretty bad. It was pouring so heavily that we could hardly see the apartment blocks next to ours. The wind was howling and I kept telling Bear that it sounds like a typhoon. After checking the news channels umpteen times and upon receiving no confirmation of school cancellation, we trooped down to the car and set off at 7:50am.

Traffic really crawled as water flooded the streets. Cars were moving at snail slow space and R looked worriedly out the window from the vantage view of her carseat.

"Reach already not" Bear texted me about 40 mins into the car ride
"No, still stuck on tianshan lu" I messaged back. That's less than 2 km from our apartment.
"Better turn back then, many cars stuck"
"See how first" The silk-clad-amazon mother in me needed to prove to myself that I would do ANYTHING (rraaahhh) to get the kid to school. Education, is but of course, about the only legacy I can bestow R.

30 minutes after this, I flew the white flag and told my captain, opps sorry, driver, to turn back. It was already 9:15am and we had moved about...oh...300 meters forward. At this rate, we would have probably reached school at 10:30am or worse.

R was NOT amused. She was angry and grouchy. She wanted to see her friends - desperately.

Look at her dragging her umbrella home in dissappointment. Oh well, we try again tomorrow honey. Sorry.

2008-05-03T21:46:00.004+08:00

Its been a long time since the last blog entry cos of access issues.

Rebecca is now 2.5 years old and growing fast and furious. I thank the Lord each day for this little kid as she is able to bring so much joy to my life!

She's thriving at school and has evens started ballet lessons. Well, its really more for the fun for it since her friends are also in it. She enjoys music and loves to run and tumble.

She's a funny kid and never fails to laugh each day.

These days, she plays with imaginary friends and makes up her own songs with funky tunes. She made up a story last night and it went something like this.

"Kaka, Matthew and Ash went walking. Suddenly, the big bad wolf came. He said hmmm I am very hungry (rubs her tummy). I want to eat you...."

I love that she is so creative.

Turned Two

2007-12-04T16:49:00.000+08:00

Suddenly got access again. My baby has grown loads - and has officially turned TWO YEARS OLD last week. She's developed quite a good sense of speech and can rationalise quite well. Some samples of conversations go:

Me: Rebecca, can you finish your dinner?
Rebecca: No mama
Me: Why?
Rebecca: I am tired Mama
Me: Do you want to go to bed then?
Reb: Yes Mama

Teacher: Rebecca, why did you snatch Florian's toy?
Reb: Because I want to play with it
Teacher: Can you not just ask for it nicely?
Reb: Yes, Ok
Teacher: Can you go say sorry
Reb: Yes (and goes and gives Florian a hug)

Teacher: Rebecca, why did you bite Florian?
Reb: Because he didn't want to play with me
Teacher: Hmmmm....

So yes, its been getting challenging and so I pray that God will continue to give me the wisdom to teach and guide this girl.

18 Month - Reflections & Photos

2007-06-06T22:05:00.000+08:00

Rebecca has turned 18 months. At the risk of sounding cliche, time does fly.

By God's grace, she has become this awesome being that is oodles of fun and laughter with a dash of cheekiness and a lashing of mischief. I count this chance that God has given her to be my child and me to be her mother a blessing.

She is speaking a lot now, lesser gibberish and a lot more "human" words and phrases. She is able to hold "conversations" -- though these conversations are often peppered with repetitive phrases and sometimes with her baby talk.

She loves to laugh and sing and move to music and dance as well. She's already able to follow simple instructions, though she seems to react faster to instructions at school. Now at JG, she is able to approach her teacher and ask for food with 'please' and 'thank you's and totter to the table where she makes the tough decision to accept either water or juice with her snack. She is able to drink independently from a cup - though the cup cannot be too full.

She's started her Chinese language Playgroup at JG as well and its now week 4, she's starting to sing chinese songs whilst she plays. She runs to greet me each morning with a big smack and hug and this repeats again in the evening as I pry open the door, tired from a day's work.

She is able to say grace and ask for forgiveness - though we are still working on trying to keep still and our eyes shut and heads bowed for the entire prayer. She is able to imitate real well. To my dismay, she is mastering the 'kkrrruuuuuukkkk pppppuiiii' spitting sound symbolic of Shanghai and the popular hobby of spitting. She knows that when we stand by the curbside, it is time for her to smile and raise her hands to bring a speeding cab to a grounding halt.

She talks in her sleep and in between her sleep - in both languages none-the-less. She loves to snuggle in bed with us, although she's only allowed onboard when its nearly time to get up. She kicks endlessly in bed and her poses are not too ladylike. She is starting to show interest in tricycles and bicycles and loves her dolls a tonne.

She has started to experiment with boundaries and limits and tries to see how much ground she can cover with her girly whines and tantrums. I pray that she will continue to have this zest for life and grow to be a confident, God-fearing lady.

Father Lord, we thank you for Rebecca. We ask that you continue to protect her as she grows each day and guide her in your ways. Give B and I the wisdom and resources to bring this child up according to your wishes. We ask that you watch over her every moment of her life and be so real and true to her. In Jesus's name, Amen.

End of Term Party - Term 3 Play Nest

2007-04-28T14:36:00.000+08:00

Term 3 has ended for Rebecca at her PlayNest class at JG here in Shanghai. To mark the end of term, the children were requested to come dressed as animals reflecting the theme of the term. Needless to say, I had a lot of fun dolling up the little one, afterall, how else can a mother glean fun out of having a child?

Parents were also requested to bring some food for the children to share during snack time and we could also bring some food for the adults. Emails were also sent to encourage parents to attend the 'party' and I am so thankful that I was able to get off 1 hour from work to attend.

As Rebecca's friend, Daniel - the leopard, is lactose intolerant, we decided to make some home-made soya bean curd using Judy's recipe, leaving out the milk factor. We also made some breaded chicken drumlets for the adults.

I had gone through quite a lot of navigating and activiting of my shopping cum research cum sourcing skills to locate the ideal outfits for Rebecca. Daniel's mom had also asked that I find one for her son. So tah-dah, presenting, my little cutie bunny Rebecca Rabbit. Ain't she adorable? [Indulge me...] [Picture: Look at those cute ears and the round tums! tee hee hee...the little bobbly tail kept me giggling for some time too. I'm easily humored]

I had soooo much fun watching her. We started off with free play. [Picture: Those are the covers for the soya bean curd tubs that we made. I had bought cheap animal posters and we cut them up to decorate the covers. See Daniel in his uber cool leopard outfit. Lay Theng, his mom, told me that Daniel had been practising his growl/roar at home. Kids are so adorable]

Then circle hello time and the guest for the day was Percy the Pig who made his rounds greeting each child indivually. I do like that the children are encouraged to wait their turn as the other children gets their time.

[Picture: Priscilla (Cat), Chewy (Zebra) and Kristy (was a bird but took her feather boa off) were her teachers. The little dog-looking thing is Rebecca's "BABY" dressed up as a poodle. I had gotten the poodle suit for fun - to give Rebecca, but she decided rabbit was better. Baby aka Dolly is a lifesize baby doll and her teachers kept on mistaking her for a new student, especially when when Baby was nanny's "child" during circle time. That's Lucian enamoured with the dressed up Dog/Baby]

Magic box activity for today was puppet show. It was about Penelope the Pig who lost her OINK and went around approaching various animals to seek help in finding her OINK. Chewy made us all laugh with her very realistic impersonations. I think the adults had more fun than the kids. BTW, in case you WERE interested, Percy the Pig taught Penelope how to OINK. According to Percy aka Chewy, you would need to "Open you mouth, take a deep breathe and OINK!" [Picture: Starring Percy and Penelope the Pigs, Dolly sat at the table and joined in the meals too]

The outdoor/indoor physical activity for the day was ball play. Rebecca had loads of fun squashing into the ball-filled inflatable canoe. Joshua's mom, Rose, cornered me during this time to tell me how much she will miss Rebecca's company as Josh and Rebecca will be in different classes next term due to their age gap. Rose was so sweet, she's French, and kept telling me how much she wishes her daughter can be as sweet as Rebecca. [Sweet??? Ok...at times...but most people don't know when she's up to her mischief!]

We had singspiration as usual and as this was the last lesson for the term, the kids got to choose what songs to sing. Of course, it ended up being the parents who chose the songs. The standup song for the day was Ring-a-round the Roses, and I was amazed to observe that Rebecca knew the actions and some of the words. Her back was facing me when it came to the line "Atissue...Atissue...", and I suddenly saw 2 bunny ears jerking downwards and then she fell onto the mats. That set me off into a bout of giggles again. We ended off with "Twinkle, Twinkle", traditionally a time for the kids to lie and look at the stars (ok, manually controlled lights on a dimmer). [Picture: Look at the resting bunny!] It was time to receive her portfolio and graduation cert. Awww...my daughter's first graduation. Pictures of her and me in LayTheng's camera. So here's the others that I helped took. We then ended up with Bubble Time, one of Rebecca's favourite activity. It was only then that she gave up on her THICK rabbit suit and pulled off the bunny ears. We were wondering how long it would take for her to get rid of those ears as she 1) dislikes having things on her head 2) fears the heat. Guess 'immersing herself into her role' overtook her physical wants and she managed to last 1hr and 15 minutes [applause]Here's looking forward to the next Term in 2 weeks time when we start PlayGroup English and PlayGroup Chinese. I am so looking forward to the Chinese part!

Appetite is back!

2007-04-25T10:18:00.000+08:00

The little one is starting to gain interest in food again. Thank God for giving her appetite, even though she can still be very picky about food. It has been a learning process trying to understand what she likes (guo teow, macroni, bones, cream of mushroom soup) and what she doesn't (mushy foods - yes, she didn't eat much squashed up or blended foods, things with color etc). Determination to try to give her the most nutritious food often result in Nanny or myself laboring over cook books, websites and in the kitchen trying to produce meals to whet her appetite, only to be given a head shake and a polite "no no" from Rebecca. Ah, we can only continue to try.

Recently however, post her recent illness, she has taken to her meals quite a bit. Rebecca has dinner rather early, about 6pm and will join me and nanny for dinner again when I have mine, about 8ish. She will sit on her highchair and have some cereals or snacks or a gnaw at my bones.

Here she is getting all happy and messy. Look at her cheeky grin.

Trying to be a 'big girl', wanting to drink out of a 'big girl glass'. We try to keep drinks and glasses out of her sight, especially when we eat out. She's only allowed to sip at little driplets of water after I'm done with my glass.

May God continue to watch over her as she grows and develops. Amen.

Dress Joy

2007-04-23T13:21:00.000+08:00

A parcel had arrived at home one afternoon last week and it sat on the table, waiting for me to open. Nanny had told Rebecca that it likely contains a dress that I had gotten her. When I stepped home that evening, R excitedly led me to the package and we both tore the package open.

It was a lovely dress and my joy was outdone by the little one's. She excitedly gestured and muttered to hold the dress and we tried it on. We could see that she was very pleased with how she looked and she even preened and danced for us around the hall. It was a real joyful moment. She is truly MY daughter.

R says "Panty"...cool new word! Demonstrating her "Cute" pose...even with a "hand action" added in!

Elysee's Birthday Party

2007-04-18T09:32:00.000+08:00

Rebecca's friend, Elyse, had her 1 year old birthday party 2 weekend back at the new Moon River Diner here at Tongle Fang. It was a lovely party with games and food. There was even a pinata hitting session which Rebecca throughly enjoyed. When the pinata was hit and all the goodies within the little donkey fell out, Rebecca managed to squirm from my arms and went goody hunting on the floor with the other 4,5,6 year old. I was so worried and told nanny to look out for her. But I needn't have to worry. She was down there, grabbing at the sweets like the other kids. When her hands got full, she would even turn around and give it to nanny before hitting the crowd looking for more.
Who knew?!

Here is a picture of Edwin & Baby Elysee

Some pictures of Rebecca in her party gear.

Reading with Daddy

2007-04-18T09:26:00.000+08:00

Though B doesn't have a reading habit like I do, He's been doing his bit in trying to get Rebecca to love books. Here are some shots of them last weekend. Isn't it an endearing sight?

Julia Gabriel Playnest

2007-04-18T09:14:00.000+08:00

Rebecca is currently attending PlayNest twice a week at the Julia Gabriel school here. Its a new school and its their first term of opening here in Shanghai. God couldn't love us more, not only is this school at short cab ride away from my work place, it also has loving teachers who care so much for Rebecca. We love that the school is very pro-family, pro-parent involvement and they encourage me to drop by to join in Rebecca's activities as often as I can. So far, I've been able to make almost every lunchtime with her. Its such a precious lunch hour for me and I am so thankful for it. I get to join in her snack time, outdoor play time as well as singing time!

Here are some pictures taken from Lucien's one-year old birthday cake cutting during class last week. Lucien is the son of B's ex-secondary school mate. What a coincidence that they found each other through the kids.

Lucien is the one with the bib and Daniel, also another close friend of Rebecca, is in yellow. They are all more interested in trying to get their hands on the cake then anything else.

Here's one of Rebecca on the toy horse during indoor playtime as it was too cold to go out that day.

Vital Statistics Update

2007-04-16T16:09:00.000+08:00

16.5 months
Height:82 cm
Weight:11.5kg

(Before being ill though...)

How much she has grown since birth
At birth she was:
Height:50 cm
Weight:3.39kg

2007-04-16T15:06:00.000+08:00

Lots have happened since the last time I managed to get access on the blog.

Sick & Well
Rebecca fell sick and has recovered. This time, it was quite a bad episode of fever etc which necessitated 2 trips to the ER and a flurry of phone calls back to her Singapore pediatrician and a lot of prayers from church. Sweet Auntie Michelle had even rang from Singapore to find out if the little one is doing ok. We're so touched to know that so many people care for her.

Thankfully, all is well and she's back to being her cheeky self again.

Reading
She is starting to really fall in love with books and developing a habit of reading. I've always tried to interest her in books as I do love reading a lot. In the past week, her nanny has told me that she has given her toys a wide berth and chose to fiddle around with her books and flash cards. She would take them out and flip through them, then scatter them throughout her play area.

If she sees anyone nearby engrossed in doing something else, she would bring a book up to that person and indicate that she wants to be read to. Sometimes, she will insist on being read the same story over and over again in the same sitting. 'Spot goes to school' is only interesting after so many times!

I am also working hard on keeping her book collection growing with both English and Chinese books. Thankfully, Chinese reading materials are very affordable in China and I've been able to track down some of her favourite books in Chinese, some bilingual. She still prefers to be read in English then in Chinese though and I'm hoping that her Chinese Playclub at JG next semester will change that.

So far, her favorite books are not too many:
Go Dog Go by PD Eastman
Spot the Dog books [In English & Chinese]
Touch & Feel books [Especially the touch & sniff one]

Her teacher at Playnest in Julia Gabriel has told me that she's the only child in class who can sit attentively listening during story time. She doesn't do that at home though, cos at times, when I read to her, she is running all about the living room. I'm praying that God will continue to keep this desire for reading and learning alive in her throughout her life.

Clingy
It may be due to the attention that she's received during her bout with illness....Rebecca has really turned to be a bit more clingy than normal. She will whine that she wants to be carried whenever she sees me and even when I'm at the computer trying to get something done. Hopefully its just a phase.

Latest cool phrase: Wasstat?
In case you did not get that: It refers to "What is that?", though when Rebecca says it, it comes out a single word: Wasstat. I had thought and read that this questioning phase starts about two and a half....why am I having to deal with this now? Its like a magic word, she points and says "wasstat" and we have to name whatever she is pointing at. Its endearing really....and tiring at the same time. All the same, another milestone for her. And yes, in case you were wondering, we've heard our first "Why" and our first "What" already. I guess for some babies, terrible twos arrive early...though for our household, it seems to have arrived at 16.5 months....7.5 months early.

A Smile For You

2007-04-04T12:28:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, a smile can brighten up a grey day. Here are two I managed to capture while the little one was enjoying her cheese.

Sand, Bubbles & A New House

2007-04-04T12:11:00.000+08:00

I am trying to be more creative in the activities I play with Rebecca. Last Saturday, since it was a rare sunny day, we spent 1.5 hours in the playground downstairs messing with sand (she's not very keen as she thinks its dirty and too soft to walk on), slides (there was this one BIG one that had my heart palpitating as I went down with her) and general fun.

We then proceeded to the bathroom for her shower and I decided to run a bubble bath for her to try. She was at first very terrified of the bubbles and foam, kept on shaking her head and saying "no no, no no". In the end I had no choice and got into the tub with her on my lap, clothes and all. We then dumped in all 6 of her toy fish and slowly but surely, she came around to the idea of bubble fun. At the end of 20 minutes, she was splashing away like crazy.

Sunday took a dramatic turn as the weather dropped over 10 degrees. It was rainy and cold and so I decided to make her a playhouse to play with. We took the box that came with Irene's pram, after some slits and tape, add a piece of cloth (thanks Popo!!) ...ta dah...Play House! Made with L-O-V-E somemore. No need Little Tikes! Haha.

Rebecca was so excited that she kept on stamping her feet and running in and out. She would drag her poor dolly in there and play peek-a-boo. She would also go in there and have a good talk with...err...herself!?

I used to do this myself as a kid for my kid brother. Building castles and forts out of pillows, sofas and cushions...having water fights with mom's cookie cutters...playing dance and direct in front of the glass mirrors (yes, I would make my kid brother perform dance routines according to MY cherography!) etc. I think imaginative play is very good for little children. I'm hoping to engage Rebecca into more such fun activities.

Rebecca & Hiroshi - Part II

2007-04-04T10:38:00.000+08:00

Here are some pictures I managed to capture from the whirlwild trip by Baby Hiroshi and Irene. Pictures speak a thousand words.

A question to think about: What do you think the weather is in Shanghai then? One no clothes and one has clothes!

Rebecca & Hiroshi

2007-04-02T09:39:00.000+08:00

It is not that I do not wish to update this blog more regularly...but it keeps on hanging whenever I try to access it. Not sure if this is 'cos the blogspot server is down or .....

We had great fun last week with a visit from Baby Hiroshi and Irene. It was lovely to watch the babies reconnect as its been at least a year since they've seen each other. We first got to know Baby H and Irene when I was doing my teaching lessons for Baby Massage and the babies and mums started to form bonds of support and friendship.

At first, Rebecca was very quietly observing Kitson (Hiroshi's dad), Irene and Baby H. She was sizing them up and keeping very quiet. After 30 minutes, hehe, her true colors showed and she ran around the apartment chasing after Baby H. Baby H has grown so much and is so cute with his facial expressions. He loves to go "HUH"? and does so at the most appropriate times during an adult's conversation. Its hilarious!

Rebecca had such a great time the next day hanging out with Hiroshi....though both Irene and I made sure that the kids never saw each other buck naked. (Rest assured Baby Malcolm & Valarie!). They had so much fun that Rebecca was playing and chasing Hiroshi wayyyy past her bedtime.

We hope that they will make this trip at least once a year. Rebecca was quite sad when they left for home...kept on saying "Kor Kor...Kor Kor". May this friendship last them a lifetime.

Weaning Off Breastmilk

2007-03-29T14:52:00.000+08:00

I've been told that I should update this blog more often. Well, I will try, but life's been very busy recently. Thanks for asking about us though!

Rebecca is doing great and has finally turned 16 months last Friday!

Papa Bear and I have made the heart wrenching (especially for me!) decision to wean her off breastmilk as we feel that it is time for me to recuperate a little. It has been a wonderful and amazing journey being able to provide God-given nutrition for my little cubling...and it has made my mothering experience very special. (I'll blog more in my own blog - which has not been established at the moment since my ex-blog has been well...axed!).

So far, she's been adjusting well and she and I are working at finding new ways to bond and enjoy each other's company. It doesn't mean that I wake up later, we still get up about 5:30 am each morning but we spend the time sitting on the window ledge watching the early morning traffic lazily pass by. Or, we cuddle and sing songs or simply have a good ole sayang. (Awwww...)

At times, I can see that she misses the skin to skin intimacy and she would ask for "Nin Nin"...but overall, she's taken this adjustment very well. I'm so thankful that we'd shared a special 16 month nurturing journey together...now is the start of another exciting phase :)

Bedtime Routine

2007-02-16T10:40:00.000+08:00

I came home late last night - after Rebecca had gone to bed already. So we didn't manage to do our bed time routine together.

Normally, I try to be with her as she prepares to go to sleep. This used to happen about 8:30 but has been pushed to 9pm. I try to read to her one longer story book or if its too long a story, say Snow White & the 7 dwarves, we will read only half the book. This will then be followed by her all-time fav: Good Night Moon whilst she tucks into her bedtime bottle.

We will then say a quick/short prayer - something like "Thank you God for today, for helping me enjoy school. Help me rest well tonight and heal me. (since she's been sick a lot recently). In Jesus's name I pray. Amen."

Sometimes, instead of falling asleep and getting quiet...we get a bit cheeky and have a good old tumble and tickle in bed. That normally pushes bedtime a wee bit later...but it sure is fun to spend some time together.

Nanny tells me she even asks to be read before she takes her afternoon nap...awww...how satisfying to hear that.

CNY Celebrations at Julia Gabriel Playnest

2007-02-15T15:24:00.000+08:00

Rebecca's last class at Julia Gabriel Playnest coincides with the class celebrations for Chinese New Year and Popo had bought her a lovely, modern looking qipao just nice for the occassion.

Here's Rebecca decked out this morning before heading to class. I didn't manage to catch a picture of her in her pinky Chinese embriodered shoes as I was rushing to work. Will try to do so the next time.

Development - 14 Months 3 Weeks

2007-02-15T10:37:00.000+08:00

Rebecca has grown quite a bit during our stay in Singapore. It may be the weather, it may be the more varied activities that she is exposed to, or it just may be God's timing that she develops some skills during this time.

Anyhow, here are some updates (lest I forget)at nearly 14 months and 3 weeks old.

In the past two months (at 13-15 months)...

Motor Skills
- Able to drink from cup (We've got to help her hold the cup else it will spill over. She also made me change her sippy cup 3 times (YES!) before deciding to move almost straight from teat to cup within 1 week)

- Pick up smaller objects and slot them into coin box type slots

- Turn in circles and walk backwards and sideways

Verbal Word List
- Wet (13 Feb 07)
- Dirty (10 Feb 07)
- Long (14 Feb 07...She knocked on my bathroom door saying loong loongg...asking me why I was taking so long inside...honey, it was Mama's shower/me time!)
- Dog (including a very realistic bark/pant/bank routine! yay me for teaching her that!)
- Cock (to refer to our lovely, friendly neighbourhood Peacock...no matter how much we try to get her to say PEA-cock..it doesn't happen)

She's been able to say Mama, Papa, Ate (Nanny), Nin Nin (Milk), Tu Tu Wa (Water), Kong Kong, Po Po, Yes, Hi, Bye, No etc for many months now.

Got to try to record more of her developments.

Visit to Grandad's office

2007-02-15T10:21:00.000+08:00

Rebecca loves to hang out at KongKong's office and likewise, Kong Kong gets a real kick to spend some time with his grand daughter. Here are some pictures taken from one evening when we popped by his office (at KongKong's insistence)

At the carpark - with the welcome party.

In the elevator...planning her mischief

With the MAN himself

2007-02-05T15:11:00.000+08:00

Its been some time since I've blogged about the little one. A lot has happened since and it would take some time to do a through update. So here's a short one.

1. She's been attending the 3 day playgroup at Julia Gabriel and is enjoying it immensely. Not to mention the Schchida group which never fails to remind me how much homeschooling I need to do with her...in my "free" time.

2. She's been ill, yet again. This time thanks to a popular virus that has been making its rounds around the young and old. Thankfully PD has prepared us for that eventuality and we medicated her early on enough so that it doesn't turn into a full blown bronchitis type of thing for her. None the less, we still had to make a trip down 10 days after this bout started only to be given even more meds. Still, cubbie's spirits are good.

3. Her weight went down since she's arrived in SG. 10.6 or 7 before her 2 rounds of illnesses and now back to 10.5kg only.

4.She's missing her dad a lot...and is starting to show more signs of being a daddy's girl. They BOTH sleep talk ... and talk about the funniest thing. Big Bear talks about work stuff and scolds people in his sleep, Little bear talks about "dog" and some wierdo mutterings. I, being the one who takes care of both, get to hear these lovely, pretty much one-sided converstaions. They both have a lot of air in their tums at nights, so you can imagine the types of noise I get to hear in bed. Hint: Emitting from rear ends. They both love roast duck drumstick - by chance we found this out when Popo fed the little one. And a lot more so confirm...this one is daddy's girl.

Baptism & Studio Shots

2007-01-01T23:21:00.000+08:00

Rebecca was baptised at BRMC during the 8:30am service on 31st Dec 2006. We are thankful that we are able to dedicate her to Our Father and pray that He will continue to guide us as we bring up His child.

To mark the occassion and to satisfy her grandparents', B and I decided to take some studio shots and here are some of them.

Rebecca doing her peek-a-boo sequence, even with applause after

With Yeye & Nainai

With Gramps

Our Family

Home @ Last

2006-12-30T11:25:00.000+08:00

We're back in Singapore and Rebecca has been loving it so far. I guess for her, it just means more to do, more to see and even more love to receive. Here are some pix taken in the first day.

Cubbie & Mama Bear

2006-12-30T06:20:00.000+08:00

We don't take as many pictures together as we really ought to. But here's one which we did take recently that I quite love as it seems to capture both Rebecca's and my love for fun :P

Intimate Christmas

2006-12-30T06:12:00.000+08:00

There was a new fish tank in town that mom had told us about and so we decided to bring Rebecca there to celebrate our family Christmas at an intimate setting. She was right, mom that is...the fish tank was HUGE. Just check out the picture of Rebecca in front of the tank!

Encampassing 4 large pillars, it was filled with fishes of multiple colors and had 4 smaller pillars full of bubbles and lights that changed with colors every other while. The little one was entralled with it.

We had the entire restaurant to ourselves, save for a birthday party at a function room and 2 other diners, hence the attention we got was rather nice. Since it was quiet, Bear and I also managed to have a good chat whilst being able to keep an eye on the little one exploring at the tank with Nanny.

We hope to bring her back there again...

Snip Snip

2006-12-19T14:57:00.000+08:00

Every two to three weeks, I have the honor of trimming her fringe. Yes, you read right, fringe, not hair as HAIR will denote the back and sides as well, which we are NOT cutting (no granny, no papa bear!) those hair THERE as they would remove her cute curls!

Given that we'll be back in SG soon, I did the deed last Sunday and here's a before and after picture ...

Ok, 1.5 weeks for her to "grow out" her fringe and look JUST RIGHT for her debute in Singapore!

Before...

After...

How to make a mom happy

2006-12-19T14:50:00.000+08:00

Answer: Show her you remember the "tricks"

Rebecca showed me that she remembers what we have taught her (for many months now)

Here is...closing the safety gate to the kitchen. Note how she will clap to reward herself (we have to clap too, in agreement, of course!)

Here is... "Cute" (supposed to have 2 hands cupped under her chin, but she never really got the hang of that).

Note: The 2nd picture was when she decided to do a "proper job" of her "trick"

Snow Bun

2006-12-19T14:37:00.000+08:00

The temperature dropped drastically down to zero this past weekend and we had to run some errands. So we bundled the little one up and unfortunately, she does resemble a little snow ball...take a look! She loves this ski hat that we found at Decathalon, a french sports shop. Its kinda cute as it has velcro tapes to secure at the hat firmly. So much so that when she would refuse to take the hat off during Kindermusik classes!

Tantrums

2006-12-19T14:29:00.000+08:00

It has arrived. The TANTRUM stage.

The little one is starting to resort to tantrums to communicate with us and its very trying, to say the very least.

I've asked that everyone in the family leave her alone when she goes into such fits as the last thing we want to teach her is that throwing tantrums gets her what she wants. So when she does get into a fit, we put her on my bed and leave her to "work it out".

The first time, it took her 45 mins and caused me a lot of heartache as I sat on the bed watching her heave and sob. That was past Saturday. Only after 45 minutes did I hug her and comfort her to sleep, which she did for 1 hour and woke up crying again.

Yesterday was the 2nd time. She threw another tantrum and nanny left her on my bed where she cried for 30 minutes and fell asleep finally. Our ayi was perplexed and wanted to comfort her but good thing our nanny didn't permit.

Lord give us the strength and wisdom to bring up this child as she really does have a mind of her own. Barring these incidences, she is a really joyful kid and a real blessing to be around.

Marshmellow Walking...

2006-12-02T08:44:00.000+08:00

Marshmellow Girl

2006-11-30T13:20:00.000+08:00

Its turning very chilly here in Shanghai and I've been scouting for a windbreaker for Rebecca as honestly, that's the only thing that stops the wind from passing through.

After a long and extensive search (as the color and STYLE has got to be right), I found this one for her. It has little embriodary at the sleeves and at the chest area, quite sweet. I was initially looking for something longer than can cover till her knees but I guess they just don't make such styles for a 1-2 year old.

She excitedly got into it and waddled around the apartment. The funniest thing is that she can't walk properly - in fact she waddles like a penguin with hands fixed at her sides. Its a sight to take in. She liked it so much that she refused to take it off.

I had taken a video of her in it - but can't upload from the office. Here are some pictures in the interim.

CNY Preps - Part 1

2006-11-29T17:28:00.000+08:00

Chinese New Year has always been a special time for our family - its one of the rare times that we can get together and really enjoy each other's company and share our love with our friends and relatives.

This year, preparations have started earlier since its Rebecca's FIRST CNY! Here is a qipao I found for her.
Note: Pardon the "model's" hairstyle as her stylist couldn't get to her before mommy did! Its actually the very in-vogue, roll-out-of-bed style

Nice slit showing...

Never teach a kid 2 things at once...

2006-11-29T16:42:00.000+08:00

We were in a cab and so I decided to teach Rebecca how to say "BUS"...which is a good thing, as now she can say BUS. I did learn NOT to teach her 2 things at once though...as it will only confuse her, and unfortunately, this lesson was learnt the hard way.

Me: Rebecca, say BUS
R: Ba...sssssssssssss
Me: Bus
R: Baa......ssssssss
Me: Great! Darling, do you love Jesus? (this is in preparation for her baptism this December)
R: (eyes big big, stops a while to think...) Baaaa......ssssss
Me: (The ever determined mom) Rebecca, do you love Jesus? (*whispers*...say "yes")
R: Baaa.....ssssss

Ok..now you get the idea?

Rebecca's First ...

2006-11-28T18:03:00.000+08:00

Rebecca turned a grand ONE last thursday and since it fell on a weekday, we decided to have a simple celebration the Sunday before at one of our favorite eateries, Moon River, an American Diner. We had Papa and Mama Bear's friends and some of Rebecca's little friends, about 50 adults and 15 young ones.

Grandpa and Grandma made a surprise visit to join in the celebrations and arrived on Friday. A total surprise to us - and it was a rowdy crow

The day in Pictures
The Home Made Cake (by me) & Party Favors for the adults

The very excited birthday girl

Some party scenes

A Whole New World Awaits

2006-11-01T16:45:00.000+08:00

Behold. A new world awaits for little Rebecca now that she's walking. She officially took 2 steps forward when she was about 10 months old, but proceeded to fall backwards. She then stopped trying for about a week and started to try standing and taking her first steps again.

She started really walking her first steps just before a week shy of turning 11 months. From 1 to 2 steps, to a range for 3 to 4. Amazingly, she could walk the distance of the hallway within a week after that.

Her posture is just so cute. She started off with her hands held just in front of her chest, as if to prevent herself from falling. Now, she flings them around as she toddles around, her bum shaking very adorably.

Just today, she's trying to walk quickly, as if attempting to run.

I promise some pictures soon.

Drop Me A Bone - Anytime

2006-10-23T15:19:00.000+08:00

It has been a delight to us in observing new habits from Rebecca.
One interesting one is that she has taken an affinity to Bones. Yes, BONES.

We had a dinner of prime roast that was lovely handcarried from Singapore (thanks Pop!) and I was sort of expecting some sort of reaction from Rebecca. She has taken to gnawing at her chicken wings (grilled, deskinned) for her meals and I've been told that she is able to clean the meat off the wings very well. All by herself. No help.

True enough, when she saw the 4-rib prime roast, she started pointing excitedly at it. I was pressurized by her into giving up my bone so that she can have her go at it. Just look at her enjoying it so much. She would even sniff at it and put it down when her hands get too tired, only to pick it up again to continue after her little rest.

Just look at her go!

Just in case you were wondering, we never leave Rebecca alone when she eats. So yes, she IS supervised and we make sure that the bones have no loose bits or jaggered edges.

And yes, this is definitely my daughter as I am the Resident Bone Master ever since I was a young child.

In Her Car Seat

2006-10-23T15:05:00.000+08:00

Her car seat is BACK! She's been roaming free in the car for more than a month now and I've been concerned that she may put up a fight when we finally manage to get her carseat from Singapore here.

What a blessing! She actually willingly sat in her seat and even started to lean back and enjoy the passing scenary!

Backpost: Up, up and away

2006-10-13T09:23:00.000+08:00

Nanny and I realised that some of the clothing we've bought for her FUTURE use seem to fit now. We then decided to dig out the set of clothes I had initially bought for the upcoming Chinese New Year and gasp!!! She can fit into them and just nicely!!!

Out of astonishment, I started measuring her and she has reached a grand 77 cm in height (This was about 10 days ago) I can't remember all her vital stats off hand at birth but she was 50 cm long then. Its amazing how much she's grown.

Up-close-and-personal

Elvis?

Caught "dancing" with the measuring tape

By the grace of God, Rebecca is indeed growing fast.

At 6 Months Old

2006-10-10T17:37:00.000+08:00

When Rebecca turned 6 months old earlier this year, I brought her to a studio to get some shots done to commerate her the momentous occassion. The photographer had since posted some of the shots as part of his portfolio.

Looking back, I can see how much this little girl has grown.

In the past 5 months, she's grown even

- Sweeter
- Cuter
- More adorable than ever

A shameless plug from a shameless mama.

Check the pictures out here and tell me if you agree.

Quality Time With Dad

2006-10-08T22:27:00.000+08:00

It always warms my heart to see Papa Bear spending quality time with baby.

What better than to bond over the same interests?

This, my friend, is THEIR secret language of love.

Rise To Greet The Sun

2006-10-06T22:38:00.000+08:00

It is amazing how kids can just get up from bed and be all cheery and sunny. Here is Rebecca, about 10 minutes after getting up from bed.

Check out the "Retro" hairstyle. Reminds you of anyone? (Hint: Yellow boots, mole on face...Phua Chu Kang?)

One of her latest trick: Flying Kiss! She's still learning how to make the smacking noise and coordinating that together with her lips and hands. Come to think of it, its not that easy to make those brain connections!

Stretching those legs...morning excercises

Acting all shy and coy...awwwww...

HE gives me Joy

2006-10-06T16:02:00.000+08:00

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure...Thou dost show me the path of life; in thy presence there is fulness of joy, in thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. Psalms 16:9,11

We have noticed that Rebecca has started to be more expressive. One thing she loves to do is to giggle and laugh. The sound that emits is so joyous that it sends us into laughter as well.

Many a times, she will burst out in laughter when listening to our adult conversations. It sure makes interaction more interesting.

Here she is, laughing during her meal with her face all smeared with food.

How To Take A Shower

2006-10-05T07:17:00.000+08:00

Rebecca loves to shower. We never had a problem with putting her in the water, conversely, we have problems getting her OUT of the water.

Even from the very beginning, she would scream in the hospital nursery when her clothes were removed and go all quiet when she was immersed in the water. The screaming would resume again when her shower bathtime ended.

Rebecca gets up to 2 showers a day, once in the morning about 9am and once in the evening about 6pm. When its summer and hot, she gets a 3rd in the midday. We've even brought her swimming before and she's always loved it. Here's a typical shower routine.

Hold a conversation with Mr Crab Mirror. Take the opportunity to check out hairstyle in the meantime.

Checking bath conditions...is the bathtub clean? and the water temperature just right for baby's delicate skin?

Soaping...

Rinsing...

Drying Off...

What's a shower without friends?

Dinner at Hyatt

2006-10-05T07:14:00.000+08:00

We brought Rebecca to Hyatt Monday night for dinner to celebrate my birthday. It was her first time in her party dress and she behaved REALLY well. She was entralled with the lights in the restaurant and kept on pointing them out to Papa Bear and myself as well as the lights outside (we were on the 56th floor overlooking Shanghai's nightview).

She ate her porridge whilst on her highchair and promptly decided to partake in the Naan bread that were served for adults. She enjoyed the live band that was in the lounge nearby and I could see that she was yearning to play with the kids who were at the lounge with their parents.

All in all, a good night.

Wearing KK and PP Chew's Purchase

2006-09-29T12:58:00.000+08:00

I'm looking for a little bear cub...can you find her? This was a coat bought by her Kong kong and Popo Chew from UK. She wasn't too pleased about modelling it for us on a warm morning...

Gymboree Class (Backpost)

2006-09-29T12:34:00.000+08:00

I left work earlier on Tuesday so that I could pick Rebecca up from her Gymboree class. Our part time cleaner was not able to make it. I arrived there mid-class and had a short chat with the course coordinator who told me that Rebecca always participates and behaves well in class. Very heartening to hear.

I managed to capture some pictures of her during class. Her friends in class have funny names: Niu Niu, Bao Bao, Tiger (no kidding!)...

She started Gymboree in Shanghai when she was about 6.5 months old and is now moving on to the 10 month old class come October. Her good friend there is Daniel - Xiao Ming - another fellow Singaporean/Malaysian couple. I was told that Daniel and Rebecca are the "class stars"...always sitting in front of the teacher when teacher talks and airing their opinions with their yatterings.

Nanny told me that Niu Niu took Rebecca's ball during ball play today and Rebecca crawled after the ball. Niu Niu's grandma then raised her voice and scolded Rebecca. Nanny then told her in English: That is Rebecca's ball. Good thing that another mom from HK stepped in and explained to the grandma and then told Nanny that local parents are like that. This is the 2nd or 3rd time this has happened.

On a more positive note, this is the first time that Rebecca succesfully crawled through the tunnel during class!

Giggly Girl

2006-09-27T09:35:00.000+08:00

I caught Rebecca in a giggling fit yesterday...I just love how girly she sounds.

Genetically linked

2006-09-25T18:13:00.000+08:00

There must be something in the genes - for both Baby Cub and Papa Bear were both caught red handed fiddling with Mama Bear's pump parts.

One sure-fire way of catching Rebecca's attention is to start up the pump. She would almost instantly stop whatever trouble she was busy getting into and crawl towards the pump. It has become a nightly custom for her: Mama Bear reaches home, washes hands, gives her hugs and cuddles and proceeds to start the pump.

Rebecca will then crawl towards the site of the 'operation' and proceed to push, pull the pump, pull out the tubes, fiddle with the bottle caps...generally lending a hand where a hand is not absolutely required.

A joy to watch...really.
Just not that great an experience for the one who's trying to get things done.

Rebecca's attention can also be caught by verbally going: EEEEEEEEEeeeee....OOOOooooooo.....EEEEeeeeeeee....OOOoooooo....(for the benefit of those who have been spared from being in the presence of a pump, this is really how it sounds like).

Try it the next time you see her and see how her eyes light up.

Neighbourhood Mates

2006-09-25T15:09:00.000+08:00

Rebecca doesn't have as many friends in Shanghai as she does in Singapore. Mainly because her social life is very scaled back as mama bear works here, so there is less chance of her being a social butterfly (ditto mama bear by the way)

Fortunately, the apartment complex we live at is VERY family friendly and attracts many young families with small children. On our floor alone, we have a taiwanese mei mei who is about 14 months older than Rebecca and a pair of twin boys from Singapore - they are about 2 yr 3 months to date.

These twins are the most adorable kids you've ever seen...and they love Rebecca so much. Their mother is a Full Time Stay-At-Home-Mother and she taught them both how to say Rebecca's name - which they will shout and sounds a bit like "Ler-Beh-Ka".

Everytime the twins need to go out and are waiting for the lift doors to open, they will RUN to our door and intentionally make a hula-balooo...just wanting to play with Rebecca. They do this despite warnings from their mother not to wake mei mei up.

When Nanny opens the door, Rebecca will be greeted to a sight of 2 cuties dancing and singing and shouting away...really cute. They did that again last night on their way out to Carrefour and here's a picture of the 2 cuties. To be honest, it is difficult to differentiate between the both of them but it doesn't really matter does it? Cos they are both so cute.

The other friend that Rebecca has within this complex is a little Singaporean girl of Philippines and Taiwan origin called Elysee. We met her when she was only 3 months old - she was born 2 April this year. Yes, brand new. She's a very quiet and docile baby and her sleeping habits are something that we wish Rebecca can emulate. This baby sleeps from 7pm till 7 am everyday, without a whim or a whine.

Every morning, Rebecca will wash up after her breakfast, have her hair combed and promptly gets pushed to the park to await for Elysee. Sometimes, Rebecca is out the door even before papa and mama bear are...cos she's so excited to go meet her friend.

They have "fellowship" for about 1 hour and then head home. It helps that both Nannies are from the Philippines and have since been good friends. Papa and mama bear have also had lunch twice with Elysee's family and we have an ongoing "food exchange" thing going on. It is pretty good fun. We are just waiting for Elysee to learn how to crawl...so that the 2 kids can have more interaction together.

What's in a name?

2006-09-24T08:38:00.001+08:00

Rebecca started trial lessons in a Chinese playgroup 2 weeks ago. Her Chinese teacher asked me what her name was and it took me a few moments to recall - I then realized that we hardly address her by her Chinese name.

This led me to become more concious of her name and I am trying to use her various names to get her more familiar with them.

Rebecca was born in Shanghai and was issued with a birth certificate from the Chinese Government. Given that local Chinese do not have as complex names as we do in Singapore, Papa Bear and I only managed to squash her English name onto her brith cert (yes, the space allocated was simply not enough to accomodate dialect, english AND chinese characters). We have to get a poll deed done back in Singapore to amend that.

Rebecca's full name is:

Chew Tze Shuen, Rebecca (Zhou Zixian, Rebecca) 周子纤

周 Zhou = Family lineage from Papa Bear's side
子 Zi = 神的孩子 or Child of God
纤 Xian = Has 2 pronounciations , qian or xian for 纤. We picked xian(1) meaning fine, delicate

Rebecca - Biblical name in Hebrew: captivating, to tie, beautiful, desirable

Breakfasting

2006-09-24T07:20:00.000+08:00

Every morning, after she wakes (varies between 5:45 to 6:30 - dependent on how long she nurses in the morning), we will bring her out to the dining / living area and let her observe the morning activities taking place.

After a while, she has her breakfast.

Breakfast is kept pretty simple at this stage: Cheerios, baby biscuits, bread (butter roll being a popular fav), steamed man tou (whilst supplies last), steamed japanese egg bun (resembles small egg huat kuehs) etc. We've tried giving her cereals or oats, but she never really took to them.

Since she doesn't like juice or barley or any other beverage, she has this with her all-time-fav: Water.

Rebecca has an independent streak in her.
She likes to self-feed and takes joy in feeling the textures of her food. This often results in a little mess as things get dropped on the floor, foods get squashed and smeared ... not very glamourous.

See la...can even look over and check out what sort of mess she has made today...

A trip to the mall

2006-09-24T07:01:00.000+08:00

Papa Bear is in Europe this weekend with Uncle Sunny, so I decided to bring Rebecca and nanny to the nearby Brilliance mall (友谊商场) to get some air. This mall is really near our place, about a RMB13 cab ride.

Rebecca perked up when we started to change her. As usual, it took a good 20 minutes to get this little one changed. She was very excited during the cab ride - big eyes and silently sitting on nanny's lap observing the passing scenary.

It turns out that there is a sort of children's entertainment center on the top floor of the mall and we took her there. She was entralled by the lights and noise and I contemplated bringing her on some rides, but decided to let Papa Bear do the honors instead when he gets back.

So these pictures are just "for show".

She was very happy to have been out of the house and fell asleep about 7pm after her porridge dinner. After a short 15 minute nap, she woke up again and joined us for dinner - in her highchair - chattering away. At 8, she decided enough and went to bed.

10 Months Today

2006-09-23T14:06:00.000+08:00

This little one is officially 10 months today.

Some of her milestones include:
- waving bye bye (even if someone says 再见)
- clapping her hands
- cruising
- standing for more than 1 minute unsupported
- squatting up and down unsupported
- rocking back and forth when she hears music
- able to crawl through a tunnel (finally - she's refused to do so in EVERY gymboree class for over 2 months now and did it this morning!)
- Say "tu tu " when shown a picture of a rabbit
- Say "woof woof" when asked what sound a dog makes (performance is very mood dependent though!)

Her favourite books remain:
- Peter Rabbit
- The Jungle Party

Her favourite foods are:
- Porridge cooked with Japanese rice and chicken stock (suddenly turned off beef stock)
- Cheerios (All time fav - only survivor of 4 week illness..more about that later)
- Bread (Butter roll)
- Water (No juice - simply dislikes it)

Note: These pictures were taken this morning at the park downstairs within our apartment complex.

Welcome Post!

2006-09-23T13:56:00.000+08:00

Welcome to Rebecca's online space.

This diary has been created at the request of family to keep loved ones up to date on the day to day mischief and adventures Rebecca experiences.

I hope to get Papa Bear to post as well (shout out: darling, something new to learn) and together we will try to share with you a little drop of heaven that God has blessed us with.

Xxxx, Mama Bear