Ivo's early day

We had a big day yesterday - so big that Ivo fell asleep around 8pm. Ivo believes in Benjamin Franklin's "early to bed, early to rise" yada yada... cuz he was up at 4am. He was bright and happy and no way gonna go back to sleep. After an hour, he and I came downstairs to eat and play. We made coffee and oatmeal for Papa and us. Then we went back up to bed about 8-9.

We came back downstairs at 10, planning to go to the science museum - but Ivo didn't want to get dressed, change his diaper or, ultimately, go. So we played "at the home" until 12:30 when we went to Starbucks to meet Mary and Karin. We all played at the park til 3:30 and then did a little errand-running on the way home.

It was a beautiful - and WARM - day. Ivo slept again from 4-4:30 when he heard Kaya-Baba's voice.

Ivo's now sitting by me, eating his rice, peas and eggs - all by himself. It's so cool. He's never really seen himself on the webcam... But I think he gets what's going on now!

Ivo added a sitemeter

I've resisted site meters cuz... a little weird... almost a reverse invasion of privacy issue... Also, I do the blog so people who know us can see us and also as an online baby book that Ivo can look at later. I'm gonna try one. Ivo wanted to!

Don't know if I mentioned, Ivo says "please" and "help" "want help."

Ivo han jia/on vacation

This is a big week for Ivo. School for him and me is over. Papa has some half days. Dylan has all full (awful) days. Grammie/Gail comes Friday night. We've got a lot of errands to do.

This morning we took the car to be serviced before getting it inspected in Dong Hai. We always spend an hour or 2 (or 3 and once, 4) at the mechanics' neighbors. Admittedly, an unusual system, but there is no getting out of it. And they are really nice.

So after a couple hours there, we went to the park at Gong Yi and Chung Ming Nan. It's got fun swings and a king-sized slide with stairs instead of a ladder. Today there were a few kids playing and Ivo had a great time. I think Ivo and the kid in white look like graffiti artists!

After the park, we walked across the street to the Early Bird Cafe and had lunch with Leah. Then we all went for a walk. Ivo fell asleep. I took the opportunity to go to Sogo and buy a couple nursing bras. I have one which I like and it's the only bra that works right now... So I got 2 more. They are Japanese and they are expensive. Just over 2000nt each - and that's with discount. My experiences buying bras in Taiwan (and Hong Kong) have never been easy nor successful. The materials, styles, designs and sizes are all inappropriate for me. And that was when I was unpregnant/non-nursing. I've tried, though, and have always regretted my purchases, weirdo seams, itchy polyester lace, suffocating padding, straps that are just for show...

The video is from yesterday at Cave's. You can hear Ivo saying "no picture" and at the end, "bye bye picture." That's his style. First he says "no" and if he doesn't get results, he switches to "bye-bye." More oomph!





Also, if you don't normally read the NYTimes Sunday Magazine, you may not have seen this article about food and engineered food products and no matter how healthy a package of food product claims to be, it's not food and you probably just wanna eat food.

IvO-my-god

As mentioned, Ivo hates bathes. Sad sad sad. He just had one with Ryan and afterwards a little booby, vitamin E lotion and an offer of warm homemade apple sauce - which he spat out.



At which point I said, I bet you'd like this over i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m. Ivo immediately said, "want ice cream." Ryan and I are in sort of shock - Ivo's not used to having ice cream at home - nevermind anything on or over it. Yikes.

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Yesterday - Saturday 27 Jan 07 - Ryan had to work. He also has to work next Saturday. These Saturday classes are pre-emptive "make-up" days for time off during the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday. To a greater or lesser extent, this kind of schedule shifting is happening island- and all-industry-wide. (Something similar transpired for 10/10 (2006) holiday - wildly unpopular... But the policy is going full-force-forward for 2007).



So Ivo and I went to Chung Hua for Kathryn's 6th bday party. Karin came with. We stopped at toys r us on the way... Very fun day. I didn't take any pics at party. Here are a couple pre- and post-party pics. Notice Ivo's jammies... They are from Grammie and Grampie and perfect because the toes aren't closed in. Whenever, his pants slip over his toes, Ivo says, "Where toes go?"



















Rayne said I don't look pregnant from the back or front - just the side. My feeling is, if I don't look pregnant from the back, how can I be at peace with my gigantic butt?


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Last night, after the party, Ryan went out with some ChungHua guys and Ivo and I stayed home... Ivo said, "Mama, super-girl." Several times... Hilarious and sweet:)



Once we'd gotten up to bed, Ivo started roaring at me. He pointed to his chest saying, "Super-Dash, de dinosaur." When I roared back at him, he made a sad face and plopped face first down on the bed. This happened a few times. I then decided to act scared when he roared. He loved it! He giggled like crazy and then told me "ok, k, k" patting my cheek. He can say "scared" and "pa." He also says, "I scared ____." He also says, "go shopping," "go up the bed," "want lemon tea up the bed..." "susu drive the car." Also, "Elmo" "Cookie Monster!!!!" Just tonight, when Gail and Doug called, Ivo said "Hi Grammie!" Right now, he's saying "Sandy, Mama" over and over. Sandy sounds like, "Sanny" and he's never said "Sandy Mama" only a couple times has he said "Sandy" at all.


Ivo's awesome!!!

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This morning, Ivo, Ryan and I went grocery shopping and then to lunch at Fingas. Pics...





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Noteworthy but Late... A couple months ago, someone used their phone to video a guy getting pulled out of his car and beaten with bats while police sat on the corner watching. Word is Mayor Hu was livid. I can't find any english reports or video... If anyone knows anything, please tell me!!!

chair booby and the autocrat

We are just home after spending the morning at Heather and Dylan's. Heather thinks the baby has dropped/lightened... Maybe, I can't tell. Is it only through the power of suggestion that I can breathe easier? Do I feel the need to pee more urgently than the urgent need I felt last week? Hard to say. Is the baby likely to come when Dr Fu is gone? I don't see why not!

Anyway, Ivo has taken to not really needing naps. A ten minute shut-eye in the car has been all he's needed several days this week. Today seems likely to go that way. He refused to go upstairs to watch tv and have a lay down, insisting instead on what he calls, "chair booby." He seems to be pooping right now as he plays with his excavator and dinosaur... I have some final school stuff to do before class and really would like him to nap... 'Are you poopy?" "yap!" with a head-nod. He's taken to humming and singing whenever he's at independent play... very cute.

These pics are from today. Ivo loves Heather and doesn't mind sharing her with Dylan. Dylan graciously puts up with this situation. They were all 3 sitting together eating ro song dan bing. I got a few snaps but between Ivo's "No picture" command and squirming combined with the vicissitudes of youth, only one pic came out with all 3 ok... I cropped and doctored one each of Heather and Ivo...

Have I mentioned that when Ivo is upset he plops face down onto the floor? Often silently. Sometimes fractured by a stop at his knees... It's charming.

Ivo sees the pic of Heather and is saying "Heather Mama."

How big is Burl?

Ivo on New Years Day

Burl is 2.7kg as of yesterday's appointment. Yesterday's appt marked 36 weeks. The doctor said that the computer estimates Burl as 38 weeks because of the length of his leg bones... But otherwise 36. By this time in Ivo's gestation, he had become 2-3 weeks "small for date" and there was some concern... I guess about developing pre-eclampsia, which didn't happen. However, cuz Ivo was small, we figured he might be late, but he arrived at exactly 39 weeks weighing 3.2 kg.

So if Burl follows suit, he's got 3 more weeks - which is just perfect because...

Our doctor told us yesterday that he's going to a little place called China and a sunny spot called South America on Saturday to participate in some medical mission... He won't be back until 12 Feb - at which point we'll be 38 weeks and 4 days. I'm not gonna freak out about this - but it sucks... We are starting our weekly appointments so I have to see Dr Wang (whom I've never met) and his staff for the next 2 appts... I know there are worse things in the world... but... there's enough uncertainty in pregnancy/labor that having one's doctor away to fix hairlips seems especially onerous...

When he told us though, I immediately responded that we'd wait for him. I hope I knew what I was talking about! I like 2/12, 2/13, 2/14 and especially 2/15 for birthdays... Works well with Ryan's New Year vacation and sounds nice - the "teens."

If Burl comes before 2/18, he'll be a dog, arriving on or after the 18 will make him a pig. Without getting too nit-picky, if he comes before 2/20, he'll be an aquarius. Arriving on or after 2/20 makes him a pisces. All of the above mixes (aquarius/dog, aquarius/pig, pisces/pig) are fine with us - as if we have a choice!

I must say I'm partial to Pisces given a long string of pisces friends and that my brother is a Pisces/ Pig and my sister a Pisces... I don't socialize with a whole lot of aquarians, but I'm sure they're good peops! I used to be scared of dogs, who tend to put approval-seeking and praise above initiative and invention, but I'm keeping Wade in mind as an excellent dog role-model rather than the majority hang-dogs I've met. It is a fact that I said to Ryan during our first year together, that we should avoid at all costs having a dog-baby. It is also a fact that I thought it was really important for Ivo to be a Sagittarius, and it has turned out not to be a big deal that he's not... I don't think I could like or love him any more...

I don't believe in astrology - I just enjoy it.

These pics are Ivo from Wednesday 24 Jan. Also - even though it looks like he wears the Bob the builder shirt everyday - it's not 100% true!

Ivo Dash Meets Burl

This morning Ivo, Ryan and I went to the hospital for an appt with Dr. Fu. Have I mentioned that Fu means "lucky"?

We don't know why Ivo hates the doctor so much. We don't know why he's so scared. Sure he's been vaccinated - but the last shot was 6 months ago. He was last at the doctor in early October and, yes, he had his nose suctioned out... but could he really remember that? I guess so.

He's able to be calm when we tell him, "mama see doctor." However he wasn't able to handle watching me get weighed or having my blood pressure checked. Later, after a couple 10 kuai rides, he and Ryan sat in during the ultrasound. We told Ivo that the sensor was a camera and it took pictures of the baby in mum's belly and the pictures went onto the computer. He seemed to accept that. When we left, he kept pointing at the computer screen, saying "baby, baby" - like we left the baby in the computer... So he's already protective of his didi - Oh yea, he was calling the baby, "didi" which means little brother.

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When we got home, Karin and Shadow were walking by and we walked with them to the science museum park. After an hour, they left and Ivo and I went into the museum. Today he was much much more interested in animals, especially the turtles ("Where turtle go? Eggs?" - which he remembered!!!!), rather than the dinosaurs. We ran into Kevin and Kathryn - who were having a daddy/daughter day out to celebrate her 6th bday. We hung with them for an hour and visited the baby-gestation exhibit and the mini-zoo together.

Ivo's verbal ability is growing by leaps and bounds everyday. But sometimes I wonder if it's only me who understands him! Like he might be really impossible to understand yet I hear his words clear as a bell and report stuff like, he can say "excavator" and "elephant." I admit that his rendition of those words takes some interpretation but...I'm not sure about other stuff.

He says: hot wheels, truck, woo-woo car (for police and all emergency vehicles that go "woo-woo"), want see____, want go____, want eat, I hungry, me, milk, turtle, cheese, guitar, dance/ing, sing/ing, want book, read book, giraffe, hippo, rhino, elbow, truck, computer, astronaut/moon-man, picture, papa-de picture, no hit____, diaper, bagel, chocolate, out/in, up/down, on...

He understands "pick up/put away toys." He often participates and almost as often initiates clean-up.

Ivo and Sandy's last week of school!

Yay! It's Wednesday of our last week of this semester! Gotto do grades and finals and bake brownies for Thursday and Friday classes.

As much as Ivo loves Say Aiyi and her family, I think he's gonna enjoy the break. He never wants to go there and starts comlaining when he recognizes Da Ye southwest of Wen Xin. Then again, he never wants to leave their house when I arrive to pick him up.

Just for the record - this semester (Sept 5, '06 - Jan 26, '07) Ivo has gone to Say Aiyi's on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:20ish to 6:45ish. During the 2005-2006 school year Ivo went on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:00ish-6:45ish.

More for the record stuff, this lunar year is a double ghost month leap year - which happens about once every 38 years. It means that there are two 7月. That is, there are 2 ghost months, so that New Year is pushed back til 2/18/07.

Gotto go.

Ivo: "No...Brother" and other adversities Gail's gonna help me with!!!

Well, it's possible that Ivo doesn't want to be a gege and all that that entails. Over the last week or two, he's been saying "No" whenever someone brings it up. Sure, baby in the belly - that's fine. Maybe baby is the belly... who knows? But as far as some usurper moving in - Ivo's started to articulate his opinion. A consistent big-fat-flat-out, NO. So I guess this whole experience will be one of those lessons in "a little too little, a little too late" for poor little-big-guy-Ivo-Super-Dash. Speak up, little sir!





Yikes!

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"Anatole? No. Give your head a shake." - Ryan



I just can't wait til Gail gets here and straightens him out. He's way over the top with his snide comments and opinions.



We need a little help with the names... I thought Anatole would be nice if the baby comes at dawn... Ryan has limited his input to the yay/nay + ad hominem variety - so, yea. Help. Just wait til I tell Gail!





Yesterday Ivo and I went to Dylan's to play. Quite fun on a Saturday morning. Later, Karin and I went and got our hair washed. Then Ryan, Ivo and I went to the park, bookstore and dinner.
Ivo has begun to treat me like the paparazzi saying "No picture" whenever he sees the camera, inside/outside/at home/on the town... Friday night at the park, I took 1 picture. He told me "no picture" - I waited a few minutes, took another and he slapped the camera outta my hand...























I mean am I really so out of line? Is everything I want to do so upsetting, intrusive and unpopular? Doesn't Ivo's awesomeness justify/demand my taking pics of him? Shouldn't we name the baby? Is it so wrong to want the baby to be born - thereby bringing a brother into the house? ... Am I always gonna face such opposition from the boys?

Just wait til Gail gets here!

One more reason I love Ryan

A week ago, I said how much I love our Xmas tree and I didn't want to take it down. Ryan said we don't have to take it down, we can leave it up as long as we want. He said that when people ask when we're gonna take down our xmas tree, we should say "what xmas tree?" Hee hee hee. Still makes me laugh.

Yea, it's just so beautiful and green with red apples, ornaments and lights. It seems silly to get rid of something beautiful, when all that'll be left is white wall...

Last night, Ivo was drumming up a storm, running around the toy room drumming on drums, walls, shelves, everything. Here are a few pics from the cooldown period. Guess which one was shot as Ivo said "No...Picture." In case he looks slightly discolored, Ivo stamped his forehead with an orange "Way to Go!" stamp at school on Wednesday. It's hard to get it off when he won't bathe and is pathologically resistent to damp towels.

Speaking of hygiene, last night we were brushing our teeth side by side in the bathroom when, in one fell swoop, Ivo lifted the toilet lid, threw his toothbrush in the bowl and slammed it shut. Immediately, I reached in and grabbed it - like there's really a 5 second rule that could apply to this kinda situation. Rest assured, I threw it away in one fell swoop. I guess this move caught Ivo by surprise and he protested... until I opened his new, big-guy toothbrush he had gotten in a goody bag from Adriaan's 2nd bday party. So it worked out well. (He points to his chest and says, "Me, big-guy."

Also, I think Ivo's trained me not to sleep past 4:30. Nurse, wide awake, Burl's jumping around, there are oreos in the fridge...

Oh yea, one more thing I've been meaning to record... This balmy winter has made it mosquito-tastic and ant-tastic. Usually winter offers a reprieve from bugs... Not so far this season!!!