Throwing in the towel...

Today is one of those days when i really felt like throwing in the towel. But is that possible? NO...cos there is no towel to throw! Unfortunately this towel is attached to me....sigh
Zac and i have been in and out of the doctor's clinic about 4 times these past few days...Zac has a cough...went to see the doctor yesterday...after taking medication, noticed spots on his leg very much like insect bites...but lots. Got worried sent him back to the doctors again in the evening thinking that it might be an allergic reaction to the medication. Doctor said it is just bites and he has extra sensitive skin that reacts to these particular bites.
Me...my skin had a violent reaction to some weird mosquito that has biten me...cream was given from the doc...but still didn't help...went back to the doc today...more cream and washes...SIGH SIGH SIGH SIGH

But i really want to!

Zachary is starting to show his desire to do things on his own and to have his way over certain things....very challenging...i feel the pressure to be consistant in how i discipline him and how i react when he acts up.
Just yesterday we had a little episode in the bedroom...there is a long wire cord kind of dangling near his cot...it leads to a plug head so we have no choice but to let it dangle there and try to move the curtains in the vain attempt to hide it from him. Eversince Zac could pull himself up he has been eyeing that wire cord for some time...and occassionally (when we are not looking) pull at it with glee! Yesterday we caught him doing it and told him firmly that "he cannot touch it as it is dangerous and its not for little children to play with". Before we could even say "cannot..." he was already pulling it with wild abandonment! Sigh! We told him firmly again that he is not to touch it and it makes us very upset when he does that...he looked at us for awhile and started pulling at it again. In a final attempt...i just said "NO! Stop pulling at the wire cord!" He looked at me and started crying. I stood there and watched him like a hawk...every time i see his hand moving towards the cord...i said firmly "NO!"...he looks at me, cries and stares longingly at the cord. Until...he finally gave up...but that was not for another few minutes and Eugene had to physically carry him away.
It was actually quite funny watching him...stare longingly at the wire cord and crying...it was as if he really really wanted to tug at it but he knows that he is forbidden from doing that.
So...what i learnt is....sometimes "NO!" seems to work better than long explanations...maybe not at this age...and he would only listen after he calms down and is physically moved from the area of temptation.
This incident and many other little incidents have made me think alot about disciplinary issues...and Eugene and i have decided that we need to talk about this further so as to be consistent when we react to Zac....and i thought the first few months were hard!

Phew...i am exhuasted from the weekend

We had a jam-packed weekend...it was all about Zachary! Started on Thursday night...
- Woke up suddenly...cried and cried and cried, refusing to be consoled...cried till he threw up all over daddy and even spewed onto me! Got kind of worried after that...cos he has never thrown up that badly before and i had no idea why he was crying so hard. AFter that....he kept waking up every 15 mins till around 4 am...he slept till around 6...woke up for his milk and slept on for another hour. Both Eugene and i were totally bushed!! Eugene was tired i was worried...so we went to the doctor to get him checked out. Found out that there is nothing wrong with him....might have been wind.
- Saturday...went to get his vaccinations done...doctor warned that he might catch a fever...he was pretty fine the whole of Saturday...except that he refused to take any naps that day!! only 1 nap in the morning...so i was tired out...but managed to escape for a little while by myself...needed it.
- Sunday...went to church...realised that he was heating up...came home early to get some panadol and food into him. It was EXTREMELY hard to get panadol into him!! When finally he did...it was also EXTREMELY hard to get him to nap...you would think that he was tired from being feverish....SIGH
Its monday today...i'm feeling the tiredness but guess what...Zachary is as perky as ever!!!

Nan-ten....

I am beaming with joy...i think my little Zac has uttered his 2 purposeful words...
Nan-ten (lantern...he has been obssessed with the lanterns that have been hanging in the void deck, every time we walk pass them he looks up in awe at them, when we ask him where they are...he is quick to look in their direction).
And da-da (initially we weren't sure if he is calling out to Eugene but after a few occurences...we concluded that he is!! Sigh...no mama in the works yet!!)
It all occurred over this weekend...will continue to test out these new developments...to make doubly sure that he is really referring to those objects...or maybe i'm just jumping the gun??

me time...

Sometimes i just need time to myself...to do things on my own...to surf the web aimlessly, to veg out infront of the TV for awhile, to take a nice long bath, to jot some thoughts down on my journal, to flip through magazines, to spend some time with the Almighty...and these few precious minutes are either in the morning (while Zac takes a fitful nap) or at night after i put him to bed, praying hard that he doesn't stir till the sun comes out (no actually that's too early...an hour after the sun rises would be good!). These moments are always savoured cautiously...in anticipation that the little boy would wake up suddenly from his nap!
I realised that these times are so precious to me...that when i don't get it (when Zac starts to fuss...or something else happens) i get very cross!! Suddenly i become very protective of that "me" time. Lord...help me to be generous with my time...and grant me lots and lots of PATIENCE!!

My little China man...

One for the album...with cousins Jared and Ethan...outfit from yeye and nai nai and hat from granduncle Laurence

With yeye and nai nai

9 months and wearing red...

Phew...am glad that CNY is over...it has been such a necessary disruption for Zac and for me!! But it was good visiting friends and family...of which it was the first time many of them were being acquainted with Zac. He was brilliantly well behaved and happy at times but there were OTHER times when he was OTHERWISE. But he got the hang of receiving ang baos pretty quick! Will post a picture of him in a china man outfit when i get hold of that picture.
Zac is now 9 months...its time for me to sit and think of all that this little man has achieved...so that i'll be encouraged to push on during his VERY DIFFICULT times!!
- He is now able to crawl pretty efficiently...
- He is a leaking tap! He drools constantly and abundantly!! WHERE are those teeth??
- He is able to pull himself up and is constantly practising his new skill. And of cos he choses to practise on the wobbliest of chairs! He is now officially a walking hazard!
- In one weekend...we had to lower his cot to the bottom (which makes changing him a back breaking feat) and changed his back facing car seat to front facing...which he absolutely LOVES. My little man is growing up!!
- He is now more adventurous with food...more interested in trying what we are eating than his own food at times.
- He says da da di di quite discriminately now...still trying to figure out if he knows who he is calling. And mumbles some other indiscriminate sounds too. No sign of "ma ma" yet! Not fair!
- He is more receptive of other newer books now...he used to want me to read the same few favourite books before.
- He is able to recognise familiar faces alot quicker now...slowly warming up to strangers.
- He is not content to SIT in his bath tub now...he wants to STAND and touch everything around him.
- He loves water...first swimming experience was quite pleasant...yet to bring him again.
- He still hates to wear shoes!
- Oh yah...and he is able to clap on demand! Recognises a few words...like lights, lanterns and mirror.

9 months...and counting...