Cough cough sniffle sniffle

It's so sad..both me and Yvesander are sick. We've been fighting it for about 5 days now and doesn't seem to be getting better. For me, it seems to be improving considering the amount of honey and lime/lemon juice that I've been taking. But for Yvesander, no such luck. Though he's still nursing and I'm nursing him quite frequently, doesn't look like he's improving.

His cough has gotten worse, and I feel so bad for him when he coughs. It sounds like one of those hacking coughs with phlegm stuck in the throat. He's trying to get it out, but no such luck. Adding to this, his nose is so leaky. Had to irrigate it and he wasn't happy. At least he's breathing a bit easier now but still kind of sucks.

I'm hoping that he'll get well soon since we have to travel internationally really soon. Don't want him to be miserable on the plane as there won't be much that I can do there. I did take him to see the doctor today but there's not much they can do either. Apparently there's no cough or cold medicine in the market for babies his age. So all I can do is just try to nurse him and make him feel comfortable. Nursing helps a lot since I'm also giving him extra antibodies to fight this bug. So that's good news. From the sounds of it, he needs as much as he can get from me.

Good news from the doctor is that he's gained some weight. He's above 20 pounds right now, which is not a surprise given how much I've been feeding him. However, he's still stuck in the 25th percentile. Though he has lost some weight since he got sick. His appetite has not been as robust lately. So hopefully he'll recover his weight once he gets well.

Going on to 10 months..

As I sit here on the futon, with the laptop on my lap and the tv on, I am enjoying the peace and quiet after a full day of entertainment with Yvesander. He has grown sooo much since he came out in February. Such a bundle of energy and totally curious about his environment. Plus he's finally interested in the toys I bought him..YAY~!!

He just turned 10 months a few days ago and it is such an enjoyment to see him blossom. There were times that I was very frustrated with him and want to throw my hands up in the air, and bemoan my decision on having a baby. Other times, looking at him with his cute smile (especially when he's looking at me), it makes it all worth it. So let's hope I keep that sentiment in mind when he's older and starting to test my nerves.

He's now eating more solids and crawling actively. He's started to stand and is now trying to do it without support. He can only do it for a few seconds at a time, but that's ok. He also particularly likes using mommy's and daddy's legs to pull himself up, especially when he wants to be carried or be brought up to the computer. I believe that he can now understand what we are trying to say since he would literally chase after me when I say "nen nen", which means milk in Chinese.

He's also more chatty now, though still no "ma-ma" or "ba-ba". I think he's trying to form words but can't get there yet. I'm not too worried. I'm letting him develop at his own pace, rather than forcing him. I am trying to teach him some signing but he's not too interested in the DVD. He would rather turn the tv on and off, instead of watching it. But we do try to teach him some, especially the cues for milk and food. He recognizes it but have no idea how to form the signs with his hands. I see him waving his hands or moving his wrists, but I'm not sure if he's making the signs or just figuring out what he can do with his hands.

He likes getting his diaper changed, and would squeal in delight when I carry him to the bathroom. He's such a water baby. When daddy carries him, he would literally kick his legs in joy and daddy would need to hold him tight else he would drop out of daddy's arms. Since Yvesander can stand now, I would prop him up and tell him to hold the ledge of the tub as I clean him with the shower. It's not possible for me to carry him and the shower hose at the same time since he's about 20 pounds right now. Such a big boy :) And to think, the doctor was worried about his weight during the 9 months visit.

In a few weeks time, I would be heading home to Asia to visit my family for the English and Chinese New Year. I can't wait though I feel a bit bittersweet as hubby won't be able to join us till February. I feel that hubby will miss out on Yvesander's development when he's in Asia. I know that Yvesander will grow up a lot, especially with all the stimulation and distraction that my family will provide. I know that Gong-gong and Po-po will dote and spoil him constantly, while his Xiao Yi-yi and Ah Gu will be vying for his attention with the laptop. Just thinking about it makes me smile, though I feel sad that daddy can't be there to participate.

Never fear, I will try to take as many photos and videos and upload for daddy to see. That's partly why I have a netbook now. This way, I can talk to hubby everyday via laptop and so that he can see Yvesander through the webcam. Hopefully the Internet connection will be good enough to support this.

Now I need to stop and go to sleep since tomorrow will be another day of handling my bundle of energy. My mom saw him today via the webcam and wonders how I ever get anything done with him wiggling all over the place. Truth is, I wait till he's asleep or when daddy gets home :D Daddy's so good at distracting Yvesander :)

First snow day~!!

Today was Yvesander's first snow day. It started snowing heavily last night and continued till early this morning. When it stopped, there was about 8 inches on the ground. Hubby didn't go back to bed after Yvesander woke up for his morning milk at 7am. He decided that he might as well go out and clear the snow from the car and part of the driveway. I wanted to go back to sleep but Yvesander had other plans: poop.

Anyway, woke up, changed him and made hubby his breakfast. After we both ate, we decided to put Yvesander into a snowsuit that I got from my earlier baby shopping. It was a teeny bit snug as it was meant for a 9 month baby. Yvesander is now 10 months. How fast he's grown.

So once he was suited up and put on the wool beanie that I crocheted, out we went for a photo op. It was cold, so we had to make it fast. I plopped him on the snow, and hubby snapped the photos. Since he kind of fell back, I decided to lie him down and moved his limbs to make a little snow angel. Then we decided to call it a day and went back in. I think the whole thing took less than 10 minutes. Even though he was bundled up real well, we didn't want to take a risk.

We basically spent the rest of the day at home. It was cold and windy, perfect day for staying home. We were supposed to head to PA to grab some organic lamb but decided against it since the snowstorm hit the entire East Coast. We didn't want to get caught in traffic, or risk it on the roads in case they have not cleared it. I'll probably make arrangements to pick it up the following week, on the condition that the weather holds up.