2 Sleepy Heads

I think being "sleepy" is now the norm. Pictured here are 2 of the resident sleepy heads in my household. I, too, am perpetually sleepy.

Hanaa is now a day away from reaching 4 months. Her sleeping hours have grown up to 6 hours at a stretch between 0000 hrs to 0800 hrs. The correlation between baby's increase in hours and her parent's sleepy head condition is: the longer baby sleeps at a stretch at night, the less sleepy her mommy and daddy are.

I heard from some parents that as their babies progressed from newborn to 1yr old, their babies' sleep durations are increasingly short per nap in the night. I'm surprised to hear this as my baby seems to be on the opposite track. Based on Hanaa's great mood in the mornings, I believe she's doing just fine.

Almond Eyes?

Does my baby have almond-shaped eyes? Hazel? I've no idea what shape those are, but here again, I just have to share another picture of Hanaa with her mesmerizing eyes.

The other feature I'm closely monitoring now is Hanaa's eyebrows. I wait to see if it would more closely resemble mine or my wife's.

Sleep Little One

It's bedtime but Hanaa not only refuses to sleep, she still beams her twin globes searchingly. Her frog begins to sing, and so, the Poh-Poh looks on as Baby listens to her musical frog.

What's So Funny?

Daddy can't figure out what Hanaa finds so funny. Hear her laugh at http://sueanney.multiply.com/video/item/5.

You Love The Bug, Baby

Just for the record, baby, you did love bugs when you were 3m+. Mommy and Daddy has to prepare something else for you to devour before you sprout teeth and actually start shredding your toys.

Take On Something Your Own Size!

Lamaze is a fascinating brand selling books and toys for babies. Fascinating in my opinion because they obviously choose good materials. However, like in the case of this toy strapped to baby's wrist, it's a bug. Bite the bug? Hanaa sure loves it. But.... bug???! Maybe they should start producing strawberries, pears, nuts, or something less "lively".

I See U

See her glorious eyes? They are the eyes responsible for the enslavement of her Daddy. They wink, they beam, they wonder, they stare, and they drop huge tears, proportional to the size of the globes, I guess.

Did you know that the size of the human eye pupil does vary? Some have slightly smaller diameters while others seem to fill into the whites. In Hanaa's case, I think her eyes are simply large in every way.

I came across many a baby's eyes large and beaming like my Hanaa's. Have you?

Now That's More Like It

Hanaa loves to be carried in this position. She loves this pose for burping, for lodging complaints, for bouncing, for sight-seeing, etc.. Her favourite pose.

Like This?

"You want me to feed myself?" Hanaa asks. "I think I can manage."

Must I Do Everything Myself?

Maybe it was because it was a new bottle, maybe because the bottle was not the usual clear plastic, maybe because it was a Sunday and she was feeling "high", maybe because Mommy was so encouraging, maybe all of these reasons, maybe others....

Whatever the reason, obviously Baby got the idea that she is to hold bottles in the future. She sure seems to want to negotiate about that though.

Listen to Hanaa!

Hanaa tries to say "'ello" on http://sueanney.multiply.com/video/item/2 .

Catch It

Look at Hanaa's hand. Tiny, eh? But they are a lot bigger and more developed than when I first held them 3 months ago. Time flies.

Am I a fool to ask for more, when I've already been given a girl? No, I am not asking for another baby... not just yet, anyway, but I am asking for time to slow down just a bit for me to catch it.

I go to work early in the morning and then I come home in time for dinner. A good 10 to 12 hours gone. In that time, Hanaa has already given her mommy ear splitting cries, laughter, conversation, singing, done her "business" and... grown. I have missed it. Day on day, I miss out.

If time was tangible, I would reach out and catch it, much the same as my wife here holds Baby's hand. I would reach for it to be a part of all I have and would miss.

Whoosh!

HUD business. This heads up display business isn't easy. Not only for Baby, but for the parents, too. Why? Cause we watch as Baby struggles and tries hard to push and push and push, until finally she tires and the head falls onto the mattress nose-first. We listen to her "whooshes" of breath, "oo"s, "uu"s and "aa"s and little sputtering "hek hek" coughs as she builds up her energy to make a push.

She succeeded. To move one step forward on hands and knees just before reaching 3 months old. Good girl. Daddy's Girl. Mommy's Girl.

Head's Up!

Curiosity struck the cat. "I can lift my head up higher than you, Mimi!" For her first time, today, Hanaa manages to keep her head held up for about 5 seconds to better glare at her cat before tiring. She did it a few more times later just to impress upon Mimi the Cat that she is Hanaa the Boss.

Proof of Magic

I held Hanaa. Today, 2 months and 22 days later, I wonder. My wife, too, wonders. Sometimes, baby Hanaa would have this serene gaze that grows into a teasing little smile. And it makes me wonder anew.

We sometime wonder when did our darling princess arrive. She's not the centre of our universe. Far from it. She's the orchestrator of our universe. As I search the depths of her eyes, I breem with joy enhanced with a flavour of the faerie. More than love is in the air, I say. There's magic at work here.

We R 3

In 2004, there was but one. In 2005, one became two. Come 2006, two became three. Seems like the Wong Family is a fantastic index to invest in, doesn't it?

What's From Daddy?

At birth, Hanaa looked a replica of her mom. Now, at 2.5 months, some people say my daughter is beginning to look like me. I think 3 features do seem to be inherited from the Daddy somewhat. Just which 3? Guess!

Those of you who has been through this before, pray tell, how many changes in features did your child go through from "look-like-mommy" to "look-like-daddy" to and fro?

The Imperial Language

Once upon a time, 11 minutes after Her birth, she holds her Daddy's hands. The Daddy was awed and lovestruck.

In today's reality, Her Majesty regally taps her fingers on her slaves. One of them, the male one, seems to be particularly inept at understanding Her Majesty's orders. "It's all in the touch, I'm telling you, Daddy," her eyes glower at me, "and since you can't seem to understand my simple signals like you used to, I'm forced to kick and punch and resort to 'goo' 'goo' 'gaa' 'gaa' aarrggghhhHHHHH!!!!"

San Yi-Yi is Charmed

Wrapped snugly in Daddy's arms, Hanaa begins to coo. In her mind: I heard this voice frequently before! Since Day 1! It's the voice of yet another most willing slave! Hanaa wakes up knowing she would be passed into her Yi-Yi's arms and then she works her magic. Done. One more slave.

Microphone? Shower-head???

Certainly not! It's a lotus plant albeit not the typical impression I had of one.