Inside Out?

I only realized I'm an auditory learner about a year ago. How could I have missed this obvious bit about myself?

Last year I went to a Christmas eve candlelight service and I was so moved by one of the readings. It was touching and challenging and I found myself giggling through a few tears. I tracked down the source and purchased the book this year. The poem also inspired my latest sewing project.


Nesting baskets for my secret santa. I designed a set of three but only had time to complete two.
It is reversible, to symbolize how the inside and outside touch one other, and how one can easily become the other.

22 Month Schedule

A day in the life of a 22 month old and her crazy mama.

We wake up between 7am to 8am, when Edie cries for me. I get her and she nurses for a few minutes in mom and dad's bed, then I get the hot soy milk in a bottle. While she's drinking I get ready, then Kel takes over to get her ready. I make breakfast and we eat every breakfast together. After Kel leaves for work, I get changed and clean up a little. Edie and I head out for an activity around 9.

Chris

This is my friend Chris. To me, she is adventurous, knows what she wants, and has a big pulsing heart. As you will see, she had a big belly at one point too. Last winter, her expanding family came for short (but sweet) visit. We don't see each other often, but whenever we get together, we always laugh too loud, cry too much, and eat a lot. I am thankful for my beautiful friend. P.S. A healthy baby girl was born in May. Yes...I'm slow!

From Day to Night

She's my love bug, who looks exactly like her dad. haha.









I love the way she drinks her soup. If a spoon is used, a river starts pooling by the floor, so we ask her to hold it like the big kids in one of her story books. 爺爺的肉丸子湯.

Today is the second day she asked me for soya milk instead of nursing in the morning. Usually she will cuddle/nurse for 5 minutes, then request her bottle. At lunch, she pretended to nurse and giggled, as if it was a thing of the past when she was still a baby. Did I mention she was still nursing just two days ago? ha.
Every day moments are fleeting.

21 Month Update

Edie will be 21 months in one week. Edie will be 22 months in two weeks. Sometimes finding the time and steam to finish a blog post is as fun as a root canal. Anyway, I've heard people say that there isn't as much to document once a baby turns one, but I find there are so many moments that I want to remember at this age. It's incredible to me that at this age Edie can understand and communicate clearly, and every day she tells me something new.

Going Out 去街街!

It's really fun going out with Edie these days. She's curious but very cautious, so she makes certain we're holding hands before she wanders off. Sometimes she'll just pause, look at me, smile and say: "mamee, Edie, out!" Here she is enjoying a ginger cookie and a vintage cooking magazine.

October Weather

Some pics from a walk at Kariya park . I like taking photos of every day moments. Sure I take some when we go on vacation or for special events, but the majority of the archive is just random photos. I wish I had a place for them to go, some kind of meaningful destination/purpose. I have no sweet clue. Any suggestions?

Moon

I use my iPhone a lot. I stick it in my back pocket because I love documenting all the fleeting moments in our day. But sometimes a picture does not speak a thousand words. The words and phrases that Edie is starting to share with me, well I wish I could capture them as easily as our photos. I have so many thoughts about her growth but haven't written much on the blog. I'm not a natural writer so everything takes time. Maybe for now I'll have to accept some mediocre writing but at least the notes are here and documented.

Edie is 19 months and loves the moon. She normally speaks with a super feminine and gentle voice, but as soon as she sees the moon, she pushes up all the air from her lungs and shouts: "MOOOON!!". After she's dressed in her pjs and sleep sack, daddy takes her out to say good night to the moon.

A crescent moon in the dark of night, a wispy moon near dusk, ha, even an illustrated moon in a book conjures up the same excitement. Seeing my child all lit up for the bright night light is definitely a parenting high.





Moonshot is definitely Edie's favourite book. We "read it" in Chinese for her. I have to buy a copy because she and I love this library book. I found some "behind the scenes" notes on the book. Cool!

The Day Edith Turned One

Dear Edith, this is how the day went on your first birthday.

We woke up and took some photos in your birthday suit.


Then we had breakfast at Hawaii Bakery / 檀島 (It's grandma's favourite).




After your morning nap, we hung out in the lovely light.





And what do you know, time to eat again. Daddy fed you some congee in your big kid bib.


Yee-yee made a paleo muffin/cupcake and we destroyed it by lighting it with sparklers. Uncle Dave shared a clean one (sans sparklers dust) with you.


While you took another snooze, mommy cut up some fruits for you. You don't think much of fruits but usually dragon fruit, kiwi and papaya are acceptable. Oh geez.


Then in the evening we had a feast with our family. Your grandma cooked everything on the table ooh-la!


Guess what? We love you. You survived us and I didn't throw you down the sewers. YAY!!!

In the Car

These were taken the last time we drove home from Toronto. I am deeply grateful that Kelvin is an able and willing long distance driver. I'm usually dead asleep in the back and my camera bag packed in the trunk. On this day I was so glad I had my camera within reach, to remember the beauty I saw and felt as the three of us were in it together for another long ride. Edith was quiet and still in sleep, the sun rays busily danced across the floor boards of her chubby cheeks, and a devoted man sat in front of us, pushing to will his eyes and mind sharp, for our comfort and safety.

Just like Magic

Eeny • meeny • miny • moe ! Photographic proof that I was already crazy before Edith arrived.

The Big One

I don't know which annoys me more, that my last monthly update was back in November when she was 8 months old (here), or that this is an entirely photo-less post. I have some amazing photos to share but it's taking too long to go through them. Need to hit "Publish" before she keeps learning new words!

Size
At her last weigh-in (11 months), Edie was 14.77 lbs, so she gained all of 0.07 lbs in a month. She had a crazy poo day after that too, so she probably lost a pound. But since then she's increased her solids intake, so maybe it's all evened out to 15 lbs. Anyway, she is growing. I do miss those fat rolls around her legs, even if they were just mini rolls. Whenever I see her naked it shocks me a bit that she is so skinny for a baby.

She wears 12 months onesies for the length. I like the ones with the snaps more; the stretchy neck ones are like off-the-shoulder tops for this slim top chickie. Believe it or not she still fits into a few 0-3 tops. Pants she wears 9 or 12 months.

Edie is in size 3 diapers in the day, and size 4 for night time.

Birthday Present

Look what she got for her birthday. A keyboard that belonged to me! I haven't seen this thing is YEEEEARS. My parents kept the original packaging and my dad spent over two hours cleaning it up for Edie. I'm sure it was first gifted to me before I moved to Canada, so this keyboard is at least 21 yrs old. The love for well crafted old things is in my blood. I hope Edie loves this as much as I did/do.

Birthday Morning

These remind me of the book I Love You Through and Through.   One year old at 9:45 am.   SkinnyMini and BababaBunny at YeeYee's.

These two are going to have so much fun when Edie starts talking.

Sleeping Beauty

January 10, 2013
I was surprised to find Edie taking such a long nap. Usually if she naps after 2pm it's a one hour nap at most, but when I went into her room to snap these it had been almost 2 hours since she fell asleep. I was sure the sound of the shutter would wake her, but she kept sleeping so peacefully. I even climbed up on a step stool to get some bird's eye view shots on my iPhone. I miss taking photos of Edith, and just shooting in general. Since she started walking (me holding her hands), the camera has been sitting unmoved.