Waterplay Splatter

Water was the theme for today. Brought Dan for a swim. The sky opened with cats and dogs. And we ended it with a splash.

Like a Butterfly or Intoxicated?

"Babies are actually brilliant butterflies who are flitting around in the garden and exploring, and we are the caterpillars who are inching along our narrow grownup, adult path."

"Babies' learning is likebeing in love in Paris for the first time after you have had three double-espressos. That's a fantastic way to be, but it does tend to leave you waking up crying at three o'clock in the morning."

- Alison Gopnik - 

Goo-Goo Gaa-Gaa

It is facinating how much babies learn. I guess nature has its' way.

Baby Dan has been practicing his vocal chords since birth by crying. And then came the "Ah"s, the "Goo"s. Followed by "Ga-a", "Ta-ta", "Da-da", "Ma-ma", "Ba-ba". The sounds that he is making seems to be starting from the throat, then the tongue and then the lips. Interesting as it seems.

He has also started to relate certain sounds with what he is feeling or doing. For now, I can only catch that when he is tired, he will go "Mmm-ma-mam-ma..."

What's Your Occupation

Hate it when you are required to fill in forms that ask about your occupation and you are required fill it in. I wonder whether 'wife and mother' is a accepted entry instead of home maker or house wife?

Dropping the Spoon

Today during lunch, Dan was happily playing with the utensils as always. Dropping it as I picked it up for him. Until I picked up the spoon for him. Instead of playing with the spoon that was passed to him, he dropped it immediately after I handed it to him. I picked it up again and he deliberately dropped it again.

Tonight, after his milk, Dan could not sleep, so I decided to walk him around a little. He started doing the head banging and squirming in my arms. Then he reached out for my glasses and started swinging it in the air. I put him down in the crib. I lied down beside the crib to see what he was up to. To my surprise he fell asleep, sweeping his hands holding on to my glasses.

Beach Boy

We had our first vacation on a beach with Dan for a week. I was not too sure whether I would like it as there were too many things on my mind -- being out of my comfort zone. What would he eat? What if anything happens? Would it ruin his schedule? etc, etc.

It turned out to be great. We really enjoyed the weather, the sea, the sun, the beach. With some additional planning, everything somehow turned out fine. They hotel management was quite accommodating when it came to preparing Dan's food in the kitchen and they helped prepare hot water for his bath and gave us an extra single bed to be placed on the floor next to us.

Dan being Dan -- the baby, could not stop exploring the sand. What is this white stuff on the ground that is sticking on my hands, feet and face and eyes and everywhere and I cannot get rid of. Once placed on the sand, he started crawling directly into the sea -- Why is the water coming in and when I am chasing it, it is going out. And OOOO.. the ground is so soft, and when I pat it it splatters. 

Some highlights while we were there: 

- Emil passed him a spoon and immediately, he took the spoon and scooped a spoonful of sand and put it in his mouth.

- The sea was so clear that we saw about six reef sharks circling close to the shore in search for food in the morning.

- Dan had an extraordinary display of his problem solving skills when he climbed from floor to bed to bed in order to reach the paper bag he wanted and moving back from bed to bed to floor with the paper bag.

I am a Man of Steel

Ever since he started teething, he seems to be drooling a lot. A lot means - there is constant flow of drool from the mouth and needs a change of t-shirts almost every diaper change.

He also has been putting everything into his mouth. Not sure whether it is the teething or the exploring.

Another new found trick is to dig using his pointer. Our bookshelf has a hole on the side due to some nailing, baby Dan decided the best thing to do is to help enlarge the hole by digging. 

The wallpaper is peeling off and baby Dan decided to help us remove it. The couch has a hole in the corner and has been taped up and he decides the best thing to do is to remove the tape and make a bigger hole. 

Curious creatures, these babies...

Baby Dan, trying to charge himself

Head Banging

It started maybe a month or two back when little Dan is seen to do some head banging like in the rock and roll concerts when he gets tired. 

Drinking from a Straw

Out of curiosity, I replaced baby Dan's sippy cup with one with a straw and he managed to suck water from it. Way impressed :)