A Visit from the Changs

Eileen, Jouky and Alexander paid a surprise visit from Michigan so we headed over to my parents' house today for lunch. "Baby Philip" (as the kids call him) got to play with cousins Brandon, Winston and Alexander and loved all the attention he was getting. Thanks for the great visit and the really cute Santa outfit, Eileen! We look forward to seeing Philip wear it during the holidays and will post pics as soon as he does, of course. :)

Yen Vi's Birthday

We celebrated Yen Vi's 30th birthday on Sunday evening at Starwalk Buffet in Mississauga. She had a hankering for crab legs so we got her two massive plates to enjoy all by herself! The food was alright but the best part was definitely the multiple trips to the sushi bar. Happy birthday, Yen Vi, and congrats on joining the rest of us three-decade-old folk!

Learning Child CPR

Wendell and Yen Vi graciously hosted a CPR training workshop for babies and toddlers on Saturday afternoon. The instructor, Natalie, was very informative and we learned a lot of great strategies to help a child in need. Hopefully the program will kick off and become a success! By the way, if you need any CPR or first-aid training, Vital CPR (http://www.vitalcpr.com/) offers excellent services and Wendell is an instructor himself! Thanks again for a great afternoon!

Blowing Raspberries

I forgot to mention that Philip really likes mimicking sounds now. His favourite is making spitting sounds, or "blowing raspberries". I think it's hilarious because it sounds like he's passing gas. Enjoy!

Seven Months Old

Philip is now seven months old! I don't have his stats since he doesn't have another appointment until his 8-month visit, but I can safely say that he's still tall and skinny as per usual! His accomplishments this past month are: he has three teeth (one upper, two lower) and the fourth one is coming in really soon, he has learned to grind his teeth now much to my chagrin, he enjoys eating solid foods and sweet potatoes are his favourite, he loves his baby mum-mum snacks, he takes two naps and goes to bed at regular times each day, he likes to stand and jump while on people's laps, he loves to grab faces, he likes putting his feet in his mouth (yuck), he still loves to suck his two fingers, and his latest activity is trying to grab Patch's tail whenever he walks by, the poor doggy. Luckily for us, Patch doesn't seem to mind too much because he's always trying to lick Philip's face in return. Paul and I definitely have to be on our toes a bit more now though with Philip and Patch around! Happy seven months, our little one!

Remembering Uncle Bobby (1942- 2004)

Uncle Bobby with Sandra on her 60th birthday (June 2004)

We got together with Paul's family on the weekend for Uncle Bobby's memorial. After visiting the cemetery, we went to a restaurant to fondly remember and share the many funny stories and experiences we had with him. It's a shame that Philip never got the chance to meet this incredibly entertaining man because I'm sure he would have loved him just like everyone else did. We miss you dearly, Uncle Bobby, and may you continue to rest in peace.

Ready for Winter

Philip has received some great jackets and snowsuits for the winter. Recently, he's been wearing a cotton snowsuit handed down to him from cousin Brandon. It's really soft and easy to put on and take off, which is what matters for a teething baby right now. Paul thinks he looks like a huge snowman in it. I just think he looks funny but warm. See for yourself!

Happy Hallowe'en!

It's Philip's first Hallowe'en so we thought it would be fun for him to hand out candies to the kiddies tonight. We got him all dressed up in not one, but two costumes for the occasion! I purchased the ducky one since I'm obsessed with ducks but Auntie Joanna still purchased a dinosaur outfit on the weekend because she couldn't resist how cute it looked. Philip loved wearing the costumes and he looked absolutely adorable in both of them. We even got Patch involved, that little devil... hehe. Happy Hallowe'en everyone!

A Visit from Uncle Daniel

Daniel came to visit Philip from New York on the weekend. He purchased some great clothes and souvenirs for our little boy and even bought a sweater for me and and a dress shirt for Paul too! Thanks Daniel for the great gifts and we look forward to you coming back permanently at the end of November!

Cousin Brandon's First Birthday

Cousin Brandon turns one tomorrow but we celebrated it on the weekend. As per usual, it was quite the feast and there were tons of people, especially kids running around my parents' house. Philip was the youngest baby I believe but I'm pretty sure that'll end soon as it really is a crazy baby-fest on my side of the family. Happy birthday, Brandon, and congrats on being able to walk before your first birthday! :)

Uncle Michael's Birthday

Uncle Michael turned 32 on Tuesday but we celebrated it on the Friday instead. We had his favourite meal, Swiss Chalet, followed by a black forest birthday cake. Happy 32nd birthday, Michael, and may you have a happy and successful year!

My Very First Solid Meal

I knew the time would come when Philip would need more than just breastmilk to satisfy his mealtime cravings. After finally getting the okay from his paediatrician (he's a cool old-school doctor), we fed Philip his first solid meal after his six-month appointment. In all honesty, it wasn't really "solid" as it was three parts breastmilk to only one part rice cereal, but hey, it was a start. He's now onto more cereals with much thicker consistencies and soon we'll try other foods as well. He seems to be enjoying solid foods but I'm not surprised since he's been such a good baby right from birth, and, to put it simply, he really loves his food. He just takes after his daddy, that's all... hehe.

Six Months Old

This post is really late due to my ongoing computer problems and Paul's lack of time in fixing my computer, but better late than never I suppose! Philip is now over six months old and is long and really lean at 15 lb 4 oz and 69 cm tall. He has officially started solids now (he was exclusively breastfed for the first six months) so maybe that'll help him gain more weight. His doctor has given him a clean bill of health though so that's all that really matters! His accomplishments this past month are: he has two bottom teeth (ouch) and the top ones are coming in really soon, he can sit up on his own without support, he loves to jump and his jolly jumper is his absolute favourite toy, he likes pulling hair and grabbing everything he sees, he still shoves everything into his mouth, he still sucks away at his two middle fingers, and his new favourite phrases are "a-ba-ba-ba" and "mum-mum-mum". It's funny talking with him because he thinks he's having full conversations with us but we don't understand a word he's saying. He's definitely a happy baby though! Happy half-a-year, Philip!

Mommy's 30th Birthday

After calling my husband old on his 30th birthday, it was bound to be my turn 13 days later. Since we had a wedding to attend on my actual birthday, we celebrated it this past Sunday instead. I got an amazing mango raspberry cheesecake courtesy of my sisters (thanks!) and a chocolate pecan pie for Paul who's cheesecake-phobic. Many people have asked me "How does it feel being 30?" For now, I'm happy to report that my wish of being married and having a child before I turned 30 actually came true! It'll be at least a couple of years before Paul and I decide to have another baby, but I couldn't be happier with our family now. A loving hubby, a precious son, an adorable doggie and a cozy home... what more could a woman ask for? :)

My Second Wedding

My cousin Quan got married to his longtime girlfriend Tina on the Thanksgiving weekend. As with all Chinese weddings, this one was littered with babies everywhere! Philip proved to be the star of the show again as my parents proudly showed him off to anyone and everyone. He literally got passed around like a hot potato from one person to the next and we didn't know whose arms he was in half the time! The kids were all so cute decked out in their little outfits and they even hit the dance floor which was absolutely adorable. Congrats Quan & Tina, and may you join in on the baby factory soon too!

A neXus Birthday Dinner

There are five people in the neXus crew with birthdays around the same time: Paul (Sep. 24), Rafi (Sep. 29), Wen (Oct. 7), myself (Oct. 7, same as Wen) and Zach (Oct. 24). Zach is in New York but the rest of us along with Wendell and Yen Vi (and Philip of course) went to Tony Roma's last weekend to celebrate what was supposed to be a great rib dinner. Let's just say that after a few screw-ups in the menu and some burned ribs, the four of us birthday folk got our dinners free of charge. We won't be heading back there anytime soon, but free food is always a good thing! Happy 30th birthdays, everyone!

Daddy's 30th Birthday

Well, I haven't been able to post much lately because my computer crashed so there was no way for me to get the pics off my camera for the past couple of weeks. I never realized how much I depended on my computer until I didn't have access to one! Thanks to my brother for lending me his old computer and to my little sister for transferring my pics onto a memory stick so I can post again! Woohoo!

Paul's birthday was on September 24th and we celebrated it on two separate occasions, one with my family and another with his. Isn't it nice to get TWO cakes for your 30th birthday? I guess it really must be a milestone. Here's to three decades, hon. Wow, putting it that way really makes us sound old!