We just celebrated Etienne's birthday last week, what happened to 2008, I haven't even time to post my new year resolutions yet!! So I guess if I ever made any, there would be at least this one: to catch up with our kids!
Just when we got used to Elise sitting up more or less stably by herself in December, in Jan she moved her arms forward, flopped on her tummy and starting to crawl rambo style (all arms and bum moves) and reaching for her big brother's toys (and of course the tv cable etc all the other forbidden joys). In fact, Etienne was the first one to notice her crawling... he shouted to me "Mama look! Elise is moving!" So... we installed electrical point safety plugs, moved some cables out of the way, lowered her mattress a level in her cot, and thought that's that for a while. Two weeks later she stood up on her bed with glee, smiled around proudly, then promptly wobbled and fell sideways knocking her head on the side of the bed (adding to her recent collection of bumps and bruises: most from moving too fast from sitting to crawling positions, one from putting her head down too hard and missing her hand at the same time, something she does from time to time to rest her head when she's tired from holding it up in the crawling position). Then she tried to pull herself up with the bookshelf. So we lowered her mattress level (again), babyproofed stuff for the next stage, and moved things another level up! Now at press time she is crawling fast on hands and knees (or on one knee dragging her right leg under), standing when she can and trying to walk.... they just grow up too fast nowadays, these babies!!
Other firsts that I managed to note down:
Elise's first fall off the bed 28 Jan 2008 Elise's first croissant 29 Jan 2008 Oh and the latest, Elise's first tooth popped out on Sunday 9 March 2008! (at least she took her time with teething, for the last six months everytime she grumbled or had a fever or a nappy rash someone would tut-tut wisely and say "oh she's teething it won't be long now..." well err nope not in her case!) She has only one tooth though, the second is still happily sleeping under her gum, so she looks quite funny with her one-toothed smile!!
Meanwhile, more quotable quotes from Etienne:
"Etienne, don't point your pencil around like that, how many times must I tell you?" "Errr, two?"
"What is papa going to say?" "Go ask mama!"
"Mama, who are you married to?" "Your Papa, love." (we've sort of talked about this with him and he is fascinated and asks this question everyday for what seems like months, but this time he adds:) "And who will I marry?" (err...mum ad-libs) "Oh, one day you will find a nice girl you want to spend a long time with, and you can marry her?" "Okay... I can marry Elise, she's nice!" (aw...so sweet! but errr brothers don't marry sisters...what do I say now?)
He uses yesterday and tomorrow quite flexibly, like "Yesterday, a long time, when I was a baby..." or "Tomorrow, a long time, I will be big like papa!". His other current mania questions: "I am bigger than Elise, Papa is bigger than you, you are bigger than Elise etc." or "Elise is small, I am medium, you are big!" (but mama is not that big lah or are you implying that I'm fat humph!); "Why you don't go to work? Why does papa go to work?" and "When Papito (french grandpa) is not working, he is retired :)!"
So here are some January photos, and I will post our photos from our trip back to Malaysia for Chinese New Year in February in the next blog entry (hopefully before the end of the year), and Etienne's birthday photos in March after that (lucky if it happens this year!). Blessings and love,
Kae has joined Mercy Ships for four missions since 1996 (all with M/V Anastasis); after their marriage Julien joined her on board in 2002 for four months, and they brought their first born son for a year's service in 2006. They left ship for the birth of their second child and has been land based since with the arrival of their third child. Please note that the contents of this blog are not from Mercy Ships but are personal and subjective :).
