Vintage Ivo

Time for another edition of Vintage Ivo. These are from my birthday exactly one year ago! This was at fM.

And it's been confirmed that fM is closing... due to "illegal structure" - neighbor complaints. I hear the men's bathroom and a part of the kitchen are illegal... Boo hoo

Ivo and the dogs

These are just a couple of pics of Ivo at Sian and Aj's breakfast shop on Wednesday morning. The grandpa is Sian's dad, "yeye" to Ivo. Ivo was the flower boy at Sian and Aj's wedding back in April.

The little dog is "pu ding go" which means pudding. The big dog is "moixi" - something japanese - i forget what it means... When Ivo saw pu ding go, he said "baby".

Very cute. I'm so happy Ivo's not scared of dogs! I was petrified - not fun.

Ivo and Ryan on a Saturday morning

Today was an early and productive morning. Out of bed at 7am, separated garbage, cleaned fridge, made lentil soup, Ivo n Ryan went to the science museum and ran around like crazy...

We ate lunch at 11. Ivo loved the lentils and chicken salad. Feeding him has become so much easier since he's decided he loves to eat. Last night, we walked to Salut for pizza. Ivo ate a whole slice of double cheese margarita!

Ivo continues to astound

Taichung has several department stores that are Ivo-friendly. This week, we've been to both Sogo and Mitsukoshi. Partially for the kids' play space and tempting consumables but mostly for the a/c.

By mid-September, we are all a bit overwhelmed and overtired of the heat. Sure, it's becoming more pleasant and breezy at night, but one must make it thru the day...

Ivo has taken to some fakery-for attention that's rather amusing. I think he's inspired by Kaia, who is 13 months old and doesn't yet walk, because what he does is flop down on his tummy and mewl. He persists until he receives the "oh poor little guy - are you ok?" bao bao - stroking that everyone loves. He did it almost constantly at FNAC (9th floor French book, cd, dvd, electronics store at Mitsukoshi).

Ivo also kids around by nodding/shaking his head in the opposite direction of what he says... That seems like genius to me. Sometimes he gets a little dizzy and his head sort of bobs in a circular motion. But the whole yes/no-nodding/shaking is wonderful. He also grabs your head to reposition your attention if you're not looking at his book, truck, whatnot... Ivo can and does communicate effectively!

We are half waiting for Kaia and Kevin to come over. Kevin is gonna make Ivo a new bed frame - which we are super excited about... I've seen a few at stores and they're all too low to the ground. We want something so he can be more or less level with our bed - but have his own big boy space. Right now we've got that happening but it's only as big as a baby crib mattress - too small.

And the big news is that the past 2 nights, Ivo fell asleep w/o nursing and didn't wake up til 5 or 6 in the morning for a booby snack!!! So maybe all my whining about tandem nursing is paying off!!!!

Ivo and the ladies

All these pics (all pics on honeybees) are recent unless otherwise noted. Karin got back from the States in early sept. We ran into Sho this past Sunday at Caves and went for ice cream together. We had coffee with Mary at Starbucks on Wednesday. And lucky for us Kaia comes over a couple times a week!

Ivo can say booby!

After a busy morning at the gym and then Sogo's kids' play area and lunch, I was ready for a nap - even if Ivo wasn't. We got home around 3pm, took a quick shower and went upstairs to rest and watch the Iron Giant - a great movie that Ryan and I have mezmorized and can act out scenes from if only someone would ask...

Ivo was jumping around like a lunatic. He's just started working on his verticle leap. I told him that it's time to settle down and watch the movie. He pointed at me and said "want that, booby." It was the first time he's ever said anything but "want that" for nursing. Momentous!

After I got home from work last night, Ivo came running/squealing up to me and then said "booby, booby."

These past two weeks, Ivo has GROWN. His appetite has gone from a sort of take-it-or-leave-it approach to an all-embracing love of food. He's bigger, taller and fatter. His tummy is full and round in a convex way rather than his previous concavity. Also, his hair looks shorter - and not only to me. People at the gym and Heather have asked if Ivo's had a haircut. While I was staring at him last night, the only possible explanation came to me... Ivo's head has grown so much, it's making his hair look shorter!

Ivo gets ready

This was not the first time Ivo has worn the basket as a hat - but it was the most successful. I think he looks so super cute with the backpack on too. He often pretends he's going somewhere, packing a box of toys, waving and bidding us "byyyyye, byyyyye". He seems to like that pretending almost as much as when he really gets to go somewhere. When he hears that he's gonna go for a walk or go to the store, the gym - anywhere - he stops receiving information and starts saying bye to whichever of us he reckons least likely to leave - his reasoning often as simple as who's closest to the door!

Again the pics won't post!!!!!!!


finally got them to post this am!

Ivo at gym 10 Sep

Ivo loves Dylan... They both like to bao bao:)

Ivo can say and do

First - I have tried to load pictures 4x on this post!!!!! It keeps telling me "Done" but the pics don't show up!!!!

Ivo can say or approximate almost anything he wants. This doesn't mean that we always understand him - but often he gives us other clues like pointing or handing us stuff, or trying to pull us up from a seated position.

Last night at dinner, he pointed to his corn on the cob - which was just out of his reach - and said "want my that". He doesn't seem to mind having a limited vocabulary - maybe it's cuz he hears us speaking very limited Chinese! For instance, one of the first things we expected him to say was "booby" for nursing. He still doesn't. He just says "want that" and points. He will tell me when he wants to change sides, either by pointing and another "want that" or by some ch-sound utterance and pointing.

He can make ther sh- sound both initial and final. He can say "fish" and "shoe". Yesterday he was saying "Sho" and "JuJu". It was neat that he understands Ju is the gogo/dog's name. Ivo conflates gogo/dog a little bit - but I think that's cuz I will say both everytime we see a dog - so he ends up saying something like "dodo" - as in the bird.

Also of note, over the past week, Ivo has been eating like a champ! Much more interest and appetite. And it looks like he's gained weight - not just in the height department either. It looks like his double-chin is back! I've mentioned before that he likes Chinese food better than western... that he'll take rice and mushy veg over bread and cheese anyday. Well, while that is still true, over the past week, he's consented to eating some western food. He's eagerly gobbled pasta with tomato sauce, mac n' cheese, corn flakes (enjoying them for about a month), and yesterday ate some of a turkey sandwich. I couldn't get hime excited about pbj - but I hold out hope!

Wires in Taichung Taiwan

I did my complaining in the previous post but here's one more... gee, I wishh I could get the pics where I want them and I wish I could have gotten them to post with the text that explains them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Slightly off

So it's the first week of school. There is a fair amount of uncertainty and palpable sense of transition. Academic schedules - which are always settled much later here in Taiwan than at home - are just being revealed to us - both at Ryan's and my school. Once those are set, we can arrange child care. It's that limbo time where you hope the schedule is good - that both our time-tables mesh nicely allowing Ivo time for Ryan... while also longing for the sense of being settled in - knowing what Monday's like...

My 3 complaints of this transition-y week are as follows...

1. 2 less hours per week of teaching time for me while my prep time has been cut from 4 to 2 hours/week - even though instead of 2 different classes, I now have 3 different classes for which the books haven't been chosen and no curriculum set. I've been told if I want to do them without a book, I can. That's fine, except that's a lot of prep time. I feel a little under valued - and while I'm the only one with a kid/child-care expenses - I get the feeling that my time is worth less/worthless because I have Ryan and so I don't really need money - a point I guess I proved by working a ridiculous 6 hours/week this summer. I cringe at being thought of as more of a dependent than an agent... I'm also a bit paranoid about people thinking me an idiot when I'm pregnant - which my boss doesn't know yet... And part of my paranoia and distrust of people make me suspect that my boss may feel I'm trapped - ie, what am I gonna do for a babysitter if I change jobs...

2. The wires on my block - which have been menacingly dangling for 2 weeks - and may or may not have something to do with the street lights being out... have still not been fixed. Wires are taped to our awning!

3. The car got broken into Tues night or Wed morning - probably under cover of the dead street lights. The cheap cd-payer has been stolen - including the Wilco cd inside. I didn't notice til I was getting ready to go to work (early to talk to boss, see complaint #1). Ivo was sleeping and no one I contacted was available, our 4 immediate neighbors, with whom we are friendly, were all out. I looked up the police phone # online. I could only find the foreign affairs police - but I figured they'll speak English and be able to direct me. That was only half-right. The officer told me I had to go to my local police station to report the break-in. He couldn't tell me where that is or refer me to a phone # where I might be able to find out. He said I should ask my friends to help me. When I said I'm waiting for my friends to call me back - but they're at work right now, he said, I should ask my neighbors. It was 3pm - they weren't home either. I told him I have a sleeping baby and a car full of broken glass. Can't you help me find the police station? He kept repeating that I had to get a friend to help me. Finally I said, "so you can't help me?" to which he responded "no, I don't know where you live and besides, we are the police department." I hung up on him. Also, I was expecting the late afternoon thunder shower to drench the car any minute. I phoned my boss to ask her for advice - she snapped into action by getting a sub for my 4:30 class so I could "take my time."

Oh that was frustrating! I was so angry, too. And unsure what to do. Ryan didn't contact me til after his last class - I'd expected to hear from him on a break... So I ended up calling the mechanic who came right over and took the car to repair the window - police-report-less. But I think it's one of those Taiwan/western differences - police are largely considered fluff around here - not feared like at home. Ryan told our neighbors in the evening and Mr Chen took Ryan over to the li zhang (community leader) to report the event. The li zhang said he'd let the cops know. Everyone is/has been anxious about the street lights...

If I have 1 great thing to be thankful for this week, it's the mechanic. Maybe I should use the plural. They are an older couple. They LOVE Ivo and every time I go see them, we (have to) visit for at least an hour at their neighbors' house. It's a little like going back in time and place. Feels very Chung Hua 10 years ago... tea boxes, endless fruit I've never tried (sundried longyuan in the shells), candy, enormous fish tank, sitting in the first floor storefront/garage area, plastic furniture, plastic flowers, stale cigarette smoke (they don't smoke while we're there), mostly Taiwanese speaking - which I can't understand... Anyway nice nice people and Ivo loves it. They have 2 teenage girls living there - relatives, not their own, 2 mice and a mini dog. Ivo gets to go upstairs and play.

So this week, we've seen the mechanics every day because Monday the car battery was dead and they came right over, swapped it out for a loaner while they refilled my battery. I went to pick it up on Tuesaday and they charged no money! For the repair of the broken window - with tinting - and 2 trips from their place to my house - pick-up and delivery, it was only 1500nt!

Is this necessary?

Oh, man! Thanks a lot Katie Couric and CBS! Way to be a media leader, a role model and an icon! Solid! This has to be good for your daughters.

Maybe this is from p. 2 of the self-esteem for idiots book, "Enhance your appearance by bearing false witness thereby fostering a deep sense of inadequacy in all those around you."

Pics from Huffington Post.

P.S. Both Katie Couric and CBS deny having anything to do with the skinnification - claiming/blaming some "overzealous" flunky at the network, who, a spokesman says, did it him/herself. It seems believable to me. I mean, if you contract a gal to read the news for $15 million/year, you're gonna be pretty relaxed about pr and image-control.

Page One (Ivo)

While Ivo was looking at books with Ryan - I was in that weird mushy health section - looking for stuff about breastfeeding during/throughout pregnancy as well as the possiblility of, what I've come to find out is called, "tandem nursing".

I read the info on a combined 4 pages from 3 different books - including a La Leche league one. Anyway, not much info. Having baby #2 seems to involve joining an entirely different demographic - presumably one with much less disposable cash - cuz all the books focus on the first pregnancy/baby. I actually just want something to read that tells me "yes, yr doing a great job" and "No, yr not enfeebling yr boy"... And maybe some advice on what to eat. No such luck! On the web, I've learned a little more - and if I really need to I can order the book pictured... But it looks a little too encouraging!

I also saw this kooky book about/for idiots. Who knew you need a whole book to tell you that the first step in self-esteem is "Don't Buy Books For Idiots!"

Ivo at toys r pictures

I couldn't get these glimpses of Ivo at work to post from the laptop/wifi - even though the writing went up just fine - so here they are.

Also - now that there is another honeybee in the works - it's gonna be harder to title everything Ivo. But I don't want this blog to slip in the Ivo search rankings. Right now, if you search "Ivo, Taiwan" or "Ivo, Taichung" - honeybees comes up first. Maybe this is like a small sliver of how another baby's gonna shove Ivo aside. I don't like that! Half of a limited quantity (my time, attention) is not as good as 100%... Poor little Ivo! This is my worry. I know there's all this talk about limitless love - but even if that's true - there isn't limitless energy or waking hours.

As the oldest of 7 kids, I always envied the saner lifestyle of the only child. As the focus of the family's love, attention and every kind of resource - it seemed like a much better situation. I feel guilty taking that away from Ivo. On the other hand, as the oldest of 2, Ryan says he always felt sorry for only kids. And it was my fervent wish while pregnant with Ivo that he be more like Ryan than like me - so maybe Ivo will love being an older brother. He does love kids.

Speaking of Ivo's love for his peers, Kaia was over last night for dinner and Ivo was bao baoing her and sharing his toys and crackers. He can say "Kaia" - It sounds like "the Kaia" - which I guess could be attributed to Chinese syntax.

Debut of Ivo 2!

Warning: now that the cat's outta the bag, I'm probably gonna be writing a lot about being pregnant and the baby to come!

This is our little guy/gal from 1 Sept 06, 120g. Good spine! Looks a little like Ryan!

Friday morning I went to the doctor for the 2nd time. I was #11 – which meant I had about an hour's wait. Not bad – but long enough to succumb to anxiety. I think everyone gets a little anxious about doctors, dentists and cops. I do. It's like a phobia – or a learned response. I used to have reasons to fear cops – no car insurance for example. But now, why would I be afraid – to the point avoiding them on the street? In the same way, I didn't have health insurance for years – and couldn't afford doctors or dentists… and certainly couldn't afford any actual treatment for the possible bad news imminent…

Anyway, when they called #12 ahead of me, I was already a mess, sure that something was wrong with my tests and the doctor was just trying to clear the quick cases out before taking on my terrible, complicated situation. Of course, that wasn't what was going on. Everything with the baby and me is fine and good – "within normal range" to be exact!

I go back in 2 weeks.

I love that in Taiwan – every visit to the obstetrician involves an ultrasound! Every time I go I get to see the baby and hear the baby’s heartbeat. Also – each visit costs 150nt. When I was pregnant with Ivo – it was only 100nt/visit – but I’m not complaining!

Ivo at Taichung's Toys R Us

So I tried writing a quickie before taking Ivo to Toys R Us… It didn’t post. Boo hoo. So now, we’re back home. We went to the toy store today because it's the first day of Ryan back at work and Ivo doesn't like not hanging with his Papa. Yesterday Ryan drove Ivo and me to the gym saving us the walk in the excrutiating heat, Ivo was inconsolable when we got out of the car and Ryan didn't. Even though we thought he understood where we were going and that we'd see Papa at home after we played, he couldn't calm down. I let him buy some apple juice from the vending machine, which he usually gets quite excited about... but he just kept crying and muttering "baba!" We ended up walking home - in that self-same heat we'd gotten the ride to avoid - AND we didn't even have the stroller, so I had to carry all our stuff and Ivo. Anyway that's why we left for the toy store a few minutes before Ryan went to work...

We spent 3 hours at the toy store – well, probably the first half hour was in the drug store on the first floor where we got some vitamins, wipes and a 5 pack of huggies – cuz I forgot to bring diapers…

We then went up to Toys R… Ivo had a blast! He looked at and touched EVERYTHING! The Toys R Us here in Taiwan doesn’t hold a candle to those at home, but Ivo doesn’t know that! The store is divided into a girls’ side and a boys’ side. Usually we are able to cruise right thru the girls’ stuff – but today, Ivo was all over the toy kitchen, cash registers and push cart stuff. Also the pink and purple toy guitars were quite exciting.

Finally we got to the outdoor stuff – unisex, if you will. Ivo sat in each and every car. Unlike the upper west side Toys R Us in NYC – where I used to take my little charge, Noah, the cars in Taichung are chained to the wall, so kids can’t ride them around. Kinda sucks, but again, Ivo doesn’t know this. He sat in each and every car, multiple times… Then we went into the baby section and Ivo tried to fit into/onto all of the chained up baby cars. He got stuck in one. He seemed to understand when I told him that he’s a big boy and these cars are for babies… In any event, he wanted my help to untangle himself, so he acted like he knew what I was talking about!

The last stop was trucks where Ivo chose an excavator. It’s pretty big and was on sale (he may have had help choosing…).
When we left, it was pouring rain. That late afternoon tropical thunderstorm downpour… So we sat in McDonalds (I know – very very bad – and only because we were rained in, starving and thirsty and needed a new diaper… give me a break…). Rain tapered. We drove to the gym, Ivo fell asleep at the chung gang-hanKo intersection – so we came back home.

Ivo at the Taipei Zoo

I have to admit - we had impossibly high expectations about how great the zoo would be. Due to the heat, we had counted on taking it slow and easy - figuring on many rest stops, ice-creams, drinks and lengthy stays within each of the indoor exhibition halls. We planned to get familiar with the gift shop - buying souvenirs including, but not limited to, t-shirts and toys.

Well, the zoo is only half open on Mondays. Only one indoor exhibition hall was open, the nocturnal animal house, who, despite the signs saying their schedules are "artificially inverted" mostly slept. This inverted day/night proclamation was extra ridiculous because while we humans were made to walk through dark hallways - the animals' habitats were well-lit. Just whose schedule was inverted?

None of the gift shops was open. People were visible within, presumably doing accounting work...something seated, anyway. Half of the concessions were open. I got the definite impression that this Monday closure thing was a surprise to most of the Taiwanese too, seeing families eagerly approach glass doors offering clear, well-lit views of the bounty within, only to have access denied when trying the doors.

Kevin mentioned to someone who had approached him to chat our surprise and disappointment. He opined that this info ought to be on the otherwise excellent website ("open all year except on Chinese New Year's Eve") only to be chastised that "everyone knows the zoo is like this on Mondays" and furthermore, he should have asked his Taiwanese friends. All three of us mentioned to a combined total of hundreds (mostly students, but still...) of Taiwanese people that we were going to the zoo - and none of us heard peep about Mondays.

Bizarrely, we ran into friends from Chang Hua and their two daughters. They were letting their kids run off energy having spent the morning at AIT renewing their elder daughter's passport. Both Kaia and Ivo were wilted and limp by this time. When I said how we would have lasted longer if the indoor stuff was open, the husband said, "what, you're not getting your 60nt worth?" It wasn't really cute. Yea, the zoo entrance is a bargain - but had we known Monday was "half-assed day" at the zoo, we would chosen another day to come up on the bus and stay in a hotel... I'm not quite sure why - maybe just crankiness - but I wanted to punch him in the face.

Ivo's expecting a sibling

We've just started talking about it. Baby coming 2/22. Starting to feel more real... And Ivo isn't in the know, yet.

Ivo at the end of August

It's ten to 8am, Thursday, August 31st. Ivo and I are up - a little early for him - but seems to be becoming normal for me. All summer, I've been waking up around 5am - usually sleeping another hour or so from 7-8/9. This am, I read, I computered, I read, I gave up and got up. We use ac - so it's not a matter of discomfort. There's the trip to the bathroom and the nursing and the sunrising...

It's been a great August. Jam packed with fun stuff. We are not sad, tho, to be inching closer to cooler weather - even if September is probably not gonna be much relief... It's still September!

So here's a brief recap of our last week.

Saturday - went to gym and Soho street, park. The highlight was holding Ivo who hugged both Ryan and me - each with one arm, pushing on us together, all of us hugging...It was so cute sweet and fun!

Sunday - we had a great time playing and swimming at the gym with Dylan, Heather and Ciro. Then we came home and packed for our trip to Taipei, featuring the zoo. We took the bus up with Kevin and Kaia. The traffic was horrible and we were so glad we weren't driving! The hotel was fun and we ate Burger King - which is a special treat - otherwise occuring only at airports...

More on the zoo next. Here are some shots of Ivo and Dylan in the locker room, pre-swim. They were both quite interested in shutting all locker doors - even those only slightly ajar. They hadn't seen each other for weeks and when they did - began screaming at each other in glee.

Ivo on the 10 quay rides

The first 2 pics are self explanatory. The last one is Ivo riding and singing "e i e i o" - It's one of his favorite songs. He also sings teletubbies, twinkle and some stuff he makes up.

Ivo's parents

Soon enough, Ivo will save us from having to take photos of ourselves... but until then this is what we've got!

Ivo shows his fangs

2 things to point out in this shot.

1. Ivo knew his pic was being taken and this is the face he made. Does he think this is a smile? In any event, this is the first time he's ever posed!

2. If you look closely you can see Ivo's upper incisors cuttings thru - especially on his left side. Ouch!

Ivo rejects turkey rice dinner

It's almost as if he knows about tryptophan... He wouldn't eat anything but the pickled bright yellow radish and plain white rice. Ou original dumpling dinner destination was closed so we (finally) tried the turkey rice place on Jian Ming and Bo Guan. It was good! I haven't had turkey since thanksgiving in high school or something... I'm not sure... But, for you vegetarians out there - it's way different from chicken! I had no idea!

They also serve fried eggs - alas, they weren't turkey eggs...