More Photo Frames

After my 1st attempt on frame scrapbooking, I did another 3 (at 1 go) simple design yesterday night. The photos were 'left over' from Ern's 12X12 album. So I thought might as well 'use it' elsewhere since I have developed them. *grin*

Frame 1:



Frame 2: Saja use the 'macho father' wording since it fits nicely on the frame width. *grin*



Frame 3: Running out of idea, so just tie with ribbon. Not a good job done, actually. :-(

Music School?

To my mum’s generation, children going to music school means learning piano or other musical instruments. When I shared with her and my aunts that I signed Ern up on Kindermusik, they gave me the reaction of “huh? What can they learn when they are so small?” look.

Well, my intention of enrolling Ern to Kindermusik was to introduce the concept of school to prepare her, if we were to send her to playschool/kindy later, she can take it easily. Nothing more.

After 2 months of lesson, this is what we (Ern and us) learn:

- She is so much better when it comes to keeping her toy at home. I think the constant repeating act of "returning musical instrument to teacher" helped her to understand when it is time to keep, means you really need to return.

- Speech: New words that she picked up are those words related to the theme of activity.

- We repeat the things she learned from school and play with her at home. It gave us more ideas on play/teach activity when we spend time with her everyday. Other than playing, it includes educational value in it.

- Fast & Slow Rhythm: Part of the school curriculum is to teach the toddler to react to the beat of the songs, as in fast & slow rhythm. For example, lie down and relax when a slow beat song is played ; move around or run when the teacher plays a song with fast rhythm.

- Learn to blow: There was a harmonica given from the class and when we first showed it to Ern how to blow, she put the harmonica on her mouth and whistle on her own, pretending she is blowing like us with sound! I tell you, it was so hilarious then. After then, it gave me an idea to teach her blowing because she can see the effect from her own eye. It works and when we re-introduce the harmonica 1 week after, she was able to blow it.




- Last week, the teacher taught them about how "ar-pan" (Ern's version of airplane) can fly up high. It requires us (parent) to hold our child (in lying position) and "swing" them them up. Then, the teacher also showed them how an airplane landing down/take off and on the same afternoon after school, when I asked Ern how an airplane landing down, this is what she showed me. So funny actually.



Not only Ern had fun at school, i think we (the family) also have fun when she repeats the things she learn from school and showed to us.

Her "Comfort Zone"

Ern has a 'comfort zone' at home, ie the mini storeroom before reach out to our balcony. There is a glassdoor and can get a good view on our neighbourhood.

Ern goes to her 'comfort zone' when she is:

- unhappy (obviously after kena marah)
- Play her mamasak & slide out her mamasak set outside
- Pull her chair and enjoy a good view (maybe that's her 'relaxing')
- Big & Small business (if she can make it walking up there)

Honestly, there is nothing special at the spot and no spectacular view on our neighbourhood. I really don't know why and how it becomes her 'comfort zone'.

Pool...Float...Ball...

Whenever we say “look at camera” or “look at XX” (whoever that snap picture), Ern will put both her index fingers on her cheek. Thanks to Daddy who taught her this, she associates “taking photo = pose = put index fingers at cheek”. *slap forehead*

Even inside the pool with so much excitement with Bryan, Charlotte & Wei Xuan, she didn’t forget to do also. *beh tahan*



On the day before the swimming session, I have told Ern we are going to swimming tomorrow. Obviously she doesn’t understand what is tomorrow and look forward on things. When I asked her want to go swimming, she nodded her head and showed me the swimming hand sign like below (video taken on separate day)




She had so much fun during the weekend swimming session even she gulped down some water when she tried to jump off from the stairs (the stairs to walk into the pool). Not only that, she will put her hand under the pool, wet her hand and lick the water full of chlorine.



Charlotte brought along a beach ball and I think Ern and Wei Xuan showed more interested on it. *LOL* Keep on telling me to take the ball when it was at the other side of pool



The kids had so much fun in the pool, so as the mummies!! After the swim, we even indulged ourselves at Kampachi for a delicious Japanese buffet. Yummy food.

Before we say bye bye to everyone, we brought the kid to the fish pond. From the previous experience, I know Ern would want to jump inside the pond! So, I need to hold her tightly or else, she will have another 'swimming lesson' with her 'yu' (fish)!!



Thanks for inviting us, Charlotte's Mummy...

Don't Play Play..

It was a blur picture taken but the effect turn out to be good (at least to me)!. It is as if Ern was trying to say " hey, don't play play with me, you know!"....LOL

Transitioning - Update

Transitioning Updates from the previous post

1) Pacifier - SUCCESSFUL

We successfully weaned off Ern on pacifier without much fuss. She asked for 'chit chit' (pacifier) on first 2 nights. After then, she totally forgot about it.

Ever since, I have no problem putting her to sleep without her chit chit. Whether we have the chit-chit with her or not, she needs to toss around before going to dreamland.

However for her afternoon nap, Poh Poh "complained" it took her 1 hour to put Ern to nap. I was so thankful Poh Poh support the weaning idea even it took up more of her time.


2) Sleep Alone - HALF SUCCESS

Every night before I switched off the light, I always ask her the same question:

Me: Ern, Mummy sleep where?
Ern: Mi, up up
Me: Ern Ern sleep where?
Ern: Ern, down down

Some nights, she is ok to sleep on her own after continual assurance from me I am sleeping very near to her. Ha, i just sleep next to her, just that it's on different bed.

Some nights, she can't sleep but keep on kacau me by jumping around her own bed and my bed. I tell you, she can play until way past her bed time and she is still that energize. In the end, I have no choice but to sleep together with her on the same bed. You know what, 3 minutes after she 'konk' out!

Personally, i am not in the hurry to train her to sleep alone. I am sure when she is ready, she would want to get out from our room already! :-)

Double Good

Yay, finally Ern is able to raise her thumb to signal good! When she taste good food, she raise both her thumb in 'telling' us she enjoyed the food! If the food is 'so so', then only 1 thumb up..LOL

When she was a little baby, she only knew how to raise her index finger.


During the 'transition' time, her first reaction when we say good still raising her index finger. After we asked her " how to show good taught by mama", she then changed to the thumbs-up type.

After several weeks of correcting, she totally forgot about the index finger but just the thumbs up.

Scrap credit:
Patterned Papers: Wenchd Grafix
Card Stock: Maria Design
Photo Corner: Digitreats
Red Wrap: Carla
Journal: Jackie Eckles

Draw..

Ern likes to draw and I think most kids like to scribble, especially coloring. I guess colors attract their attention. :-)

I started to introduce coloring to her last November on a white board with marker. Wrong choice because she liked to touch on the ink and created a mass after then.

I stopped her from coloring for a while, thinking maybe only give her the ink marker again once she is big enough to understand the marker was meant for drawing. We failed on that because when I gave her my marker ink, same thing happened! She likes to touch the wet texture ink whenever she is left alone to draw! *argh*

Her 'artwork'.



Finally, Poh Poh suggested to buy her color pencil will do. So for now, she is 'handling' them well and 'mess-free'!!! LOL


Oh ya, we bought her table & chair so that she can sit down and draw more comfortably rather than sitting on the floor. MIL so 'sayang' (love) her until she created a 'footrest' for Ern by putting extra thick cardboard under the table!

Happy 22 Months

Time flies, another 2 more months, we will celebrate Ern's 2nd birthday. Wow...

No more big party like her 1st birthday, maybe just family dinner and another one with friends.

At 22 months:

Vital Stats:
Height: 86cm
Weight: Was at 11.1kg before her sickness but gone down to 10.6kg after discharged.
Teeth: A lot :-)

Development:
- Still, the greatest is on her speech development. She has started to say more words though still 1 word.

- She is able to call her name as Ern and she understand the meaning behind it. She will point at her photo and say Ern. However, her baby photos, she will say 'bb' instead.

- She is officially wean off from her pacifier pretty easily. No cries or struggle although she did asked for her 'chit chit' on the first 2 nights.

- Whenever we say 'pose' or she sees me with a camera, she will show me this automatically.


- She loves to draw & read books. Still like to play her puzzle set.

- Finally, she allows us to brush her teeth (without toothpaste) every night before bed time. So, we will brush her teeth but we need to give her back the toothbrush because she wanted to brush herself. She is now willing to return the toothbrush to us after we 'praise' her she had brushed her teeth clean! She even opened her mouth to show us! *roll eyes*

On Mother's Day...

Few days before Mother's Day, Daddy asked Ern to bring me a paper beg, wrapped in newspaper & a "card".



It was a purse and Daddy simply knew I need one. Thanks Daddy!!

I ordered 2 dozen of cupcakes from Angeleyes for my mum.


And she placed the cupcakes in a very nice box, tied with a maroon ribbon.



I made a scrapbook layout (LO) for my mum.



It was a SURPRICE for my mum!! I brought Ern to meet up Poh Poh at Botanical Garden on Sunday morning, and I asked Ern to present the LO to Poh Poh while I carried the cupcakes.



Poh Poh gave away most of the cupcakes to her friends, especially to the mothers. That was also the reason why I ordered cupcakes, so that it is easy to give away. My mum was so happy...

The cupcakes are superb...thanks Angeleyes. You did a good job as ALL OF US love the cakes.

Oh ya, Ern gave me a gift too! Finally she is able to say out her own name ERN on Mother's Day. So, that was the gift she gave me...:-)

Transitioning....

It has been 3 nights where Ern slept without her pacifier & all alone on her own bed (still same room with us).

1) Pacifier
It was a good timing to wean her off from her pacifier since she is having cough right now. Why I said so?? Well, there were twice where she choked herself from her own saliva (LOL) and subsequently she vomited!!! Partly also due to her cough. She is afraid of the feeling of vomiting and doesn't like the after effect (dirty & smelly) of it.

First night, she asked me for her pacifier:" Mi, chit chit".
I told her no by 'reminding' her the cough and vomiting experience she had earlier. She thought for a while, asked again, i repeat the same thing and finally, she settled with my 'explanation' and sleep.

Second night, same story. Third night, no more asking and I hide the pacifier. Let's see if she remembers her 'chit chit' tonight!

2) Sleep Alone
Since birth, we have been patting her butt to sleep. Since she will be turning 2 this July, I thought it's a good idea to train her to sleep alone. No special trick or what, I just told her " Ern sleep down down, Mummy sleep up up'. Just once, she agreed by nodding her head. No fuss from her. *so thankful*

Hopefully within the next few months, we can slowly transition her to sleep in her own room. Let's see how it goes but I am taking this slowly.

Finally, Happy Mother's Day to all mummies...

We Are Back...

My little princess decided to 'check in' to her "5-Star Hotel" (hospital la) last Sunday midnight. :-)

Thank goodness nothing major but just viral infection that caused her high fever. We took no risk but to send her in earlier as we were worried if she kena dengue again! Yup, it's back in season. *argh*

We are back home on Tuesday but Ern still need to undergo nebulizer for her cough. After the fever subside, cough came in. *sigh* Well, it helps her to sleep better at night and speed up her recovery.

As I am typing this post, she is almost 90% recover. Thanks to our family and friends who keep Ern in your prayer.

Hair Curler

It all started from MIL few weeks back. Right after her shower, she used the hair curler to curl up her hair. So my little "bah ler kor" (the original meaning is caramel but in Hokkien, it means someone whom is so clingy) also demanded one from MIL since it's something new and interesting to Ern.

There was one day, Ern even wore the curler all the way to Poh Poh's house. So, Poh Poh also took out hers and showed it to Ern. :-)

Now, the curler is part of Ern's toy!

Waiting patiently for Poh Poh to curl up her hair.



Tada, I asked her to pose and this was what she gave me.