Category Archives: First Year

Growing up with Pooh

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Paul has gone outgrown two different sizes of Newborn diapers and the Infant diapers. Now he is a Crawler. Each diaper has Winnie-the-Pooh and a friend on it.

When I change his diaper, sometimes I tell him the story on it: “Pooh was walking along in the Hundred Acre Wood when he met Eeyore…” We’ve been reading The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh together (thank you Grandma Peggy!), which includes the story books, Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner, and two books of poetry, When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six. I don’t particularly like the poems—I feel like A.A. Milne’s poetry is a bit forced. I much prefer the poetry of Robert Louis Stevenson, which Grandma Sorenson sent Paul for Christmas. However, I love the stories of Winnie-the-Pooh.

Each chapter of the novels is self-contained story, and while we sometimes don’t get through the entire chapter, it really is a good length for reading out loud. I read it aloud while Paul kicks and plays on his blanket. Someday, he’ll look at the illustrations as I read.

We finished Winnie-the-Pooh and now we are almost finished with The House at Pooh Corner. We have just one more chapter, “Chapter Ten: In Which Christopher Robin and Pooh Come to an Enchanted Place, and We Leave Them There.” I am horribly sad because I know what comes: Christopher Robin says good-bye as he leaves for school. How sad it is that childhood must end, that doing nothing must end!

When it was raining the other day, I sang Paul “The rain rain rain came down down down.” As I did so, I realized that he’s never seen the movie! I started in that scene. Paul was fascinated to watch the computer screen. We got through about ten minutes before he was ready for something else.

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I enjoy the movie. I think it is great fun, and I look forward to introducing my son to that Pooh Bear too. However, I’m very disappointed now that I’ve read the books because I think the Winnie-the-Pooh created by A.A. Milne is a great character. Disney made Pooh into a bear that is always a Bear of Very Little Brain. In the stories, Pooh is a poetry-reciting, trying-hard-to-think Bear of Very Little Brain. In the stories, he has some adventures where he actually thinks. It’s amazing when he comes up with the ideas, but he does on occasion. I like both Winnie-the-Poohs, but I especially like the one I’m reading about. It’s too bad Disney felt the need to change the character, even slightly.

(Also, the Christopher Robin in the books would never say “What’s up?” as he does in the movie. He’s 100% British and he’s classic—I don’t think boys in 1920 said “What’s up?”! The Christopher Robin in the book is timeless. “What’s up?”does not sound timeless to me. And it just doesn’t sound like Christopher Robin. Why did they change him?)

Is anyone aware of another classic novel for children, in which each chapter is a self-contained adventure and the characters are creative, timeless, and delightful? I realize I can keep reading Winnie-the-Pooh to Paul (he won’t remember anyway), but I wish there were other similar adventures to read next. I miss Pooh already!

Paul’s New Tricks

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Grandma Peggy asked what new tricks Paul’s been learning. I had to think about that. Because I’m around him every day, it’s hard to pin down what’s new that I haven’t shared with you.

Paul sleeps. Paul has been sleeping for seven or eight hours at a time at night! That’s a great new trick. The problem remains that it begins at 7 p.m. (which, now that Daylight Savings Time ended, is now 6 p.m.). I wake him and feed him at 10 or 11 before I go to sleep; he still wakes up at 2 and cries for a while, but the crying is getting less; he tends to go back to sleep until 6 (or 5). I look forward to the day when he sleeps from 7 til 10 and then from 10 until 6 without waking.

Paul reaches. While he has always expressed an interest in things around him, lately he reaches for anything he sees and thinks he can reach—the piece of paper on the desk, the scriptures in my lap at church, the speck of ? on the floor, the silverware in my hand as I eat. When he’s on the floor and sees a toy across the blanket, he stretches and tries to get it. Most of the time, he is successful. Occasionally, he gets frustrated and decides he can’t reach it. No crawling yet (thank goodness) but definite development in the reaching department.

Paul sits. If I help him, he’ll stay in a sitting position for nearly 20 seconds before he falls over—and he falls over every direction. He’s getting better every day. I suspect that if I keep helping him now, he’ll figure out how to sit up all by himself in a few weeks.

Paul reads. Paul likes to pick up his book and try to turn the pages, although even the board book pages are a bit too hard to turn. He also likes to eat the books, just like in the picture I showed you last week.

Paul is such a happy and delightful little boy. We are so grateful that he is a part of our lives!

Six Months Old

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Paul is six months old today. I can’t believe it’s already been six months! I can’t believe it’s only been six months! I can’t remember life without him and yet it’s all flying by. The last two months, since our USA visit, have passed quicker than any other two months in my life, I think. I just want to cuddle my baby before he gets too big!

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Six Months Checkup

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Although Paul isn’t six months old for a few more days, today was Paul’s six-month checkup. Here are his stats:

  • Weight: 7530 grams (35th percentile)
  • Length: 66 cm (35th percentile)
  • Head circumference: 43 cm (25th percentile)

Paul has had a cold and cough for almost four weeks. We went to the doctor (again) on Monday when it had been about three weeks and she prescribed an antibiotic for the cough. The antibiotic has adverse side effects, which makes me not want to give it to him. He also had developed a rash on his neck, so we got ointment for that. The rash is gone and his cough is mostly gone as well.

I look forward to Paul being 100% better next week, just in time for his next immunization!

What is Paul doing between coughs and baths? First, Paul likes to have me read him books. He also likes to eat them.

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He also loves to smile and laugh, especially first thing in the morning, before he gets cranky.

Here are some more pictures, where he appears a little less babyish than he did in the Easter pictures and a little more little-boyish.

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My First Easter by Paul

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I didn’t wake up for my breakfast until 5 a.m. I didn’t know what time it was, of course, but Mommy seemed so happy when she came up. She kept saying, “I just slept for six hours straight!” with amazement. I ate eagerly and then decided to go back to sleep.

Before I knew it, Mommy was waking me up and putting my white shirt on me. Then Mommy immediately put me in my car seat. There wasn’t time to spit up on anyone at all! Daddy carried me out to the car and put me in the back. I sat in the car seat for more than an hour as Daddy drove us around. Mommy came and sat by me for a while and so did this other guy we picked up. I was sleepy so I didn’t feel like talking much. I just stared at the side of the car seat.

Finally, we got to church. I wasn’t sleepy anymore. Mommy took me out of my car seat and held me on her lap. There were so many people to look at. People kept coming by and telling me I am cute. Do such obvious things even need to be said? I just giggled and ate my tie.

I sat on Mommy’s lap as she sang songs. I was pretty happy to be awake. The whole meeting was about Jesus. As Daddy passed the sacrament, Mommy told me about how Jesus was resurrected. I was happy.

I went with Daddy to the Gospel Essentials Sunday school class and took a little nap. Most of the lesson was in Chinese anyway, so I didn’t feel too bad sleeping through it. I’m having a hard enough time with English these days!

When I woke up, I was in Relief Society with Mommy. A lady at the front of the room was talking, and I wanted to show everyone how I can talk too, so I started speaking up! Did you know I can make really loud noises with this voice of mine? Really loud noises! One lady sitting in front of me kept telling me I was cute, but Mommy was trying to shush me. She walked around the back of the room, but I was so excited about my noises that I wanted to see how loud I could get. Besides, I was tired of being held. I wanted to kick.

Finally, Mommy stopped shushing me. And then everyone else was moving around and talking, so no one could hear my noises. How disappointing!

Before I knew it, Mommy was putting me back in my car seat. At least Mommy sat by me again. So did one of the other guys we had picked up, Shawn. He kept making faces at me, trying to get me to smile, but I didn’t feel like humoring him. I decided to make loud noises again. I was getting tired, though, so I wasn’t very energetic.

I think I feel asleep because the next thing I remember, I was in my crib at home. I didn’t want to be all by myself, so I called for Mommy and Daddy.

Daddy played with me for a little while and tickled me. I love my Daddy! He rubbed something dark brown on my bottom lip, and Mommy was quite concerned. She kept saying, “Don’t give him chocolate!”

Grandma Peggy called to wish me a happy Easter. I was so amazed by the voice coming out of the telephone that I didn’t say anything to her.

Mommy and Daddy found me some toys and put me in my playpen. I ate my cloth book and hit myself in the head with my rattle while Mommy ironed a tablecloth and Daddy made pear sorbet.

After a little while, Daddy was putting me back in to my car seat. “Where to now?” I thought. We headed all the way back to Shawn’s house and then back to the church. I did not want to be in my car seat any longer, and I tried to tell Daddy, who kept driving. But Shawn and Mommy just told me I was cute. Shawn told me that it was his first Easter too.

After another long while, we were back at church. Mommy read to me from the Book of Mormon Stories book. I sat with Mommy and Daddy as we listened to pretty music. After listening to some talks in Chinese, we went and watched Shawn baptize William. Mommy told me that I’ll be baptized in 7 years, 6 months, and 15 days. I’m so excited!

After we watched the baptism, we drove home again. Shawn came with us, and so did a sister in the ward and her kids. I lay on my back in my playpen looking up, and there were so many smiling faces—two girl faces and a little boy face and Shawn’s face. I didn’t know who to smile at first! The two girls were very excited to smile at me and giggle and tickle me. I was happy to humor them. The oldest girl picked me up and carried me around the room.

The youngest kid, the boy, wasn’t quite sure how to hold me, but he sat down and he did just fine. Then he and Shawn played football in the living room with a stuffed bunny. I can’t wait until I’m a little older and I can run around like that!

I was so excited with all the people around that I didn’t realize how tired I was getting. When they all put me down in my playpen and sat at the table and started eating, I was very annoyed.

“I’m still here!” I tried to say. But, of course, all they heard was my noises. “Isn’t he cute?” they said to each other.

Finally, Mommy remembered me. She picked me up and took me upstairs. She changed my clothes and sang me a song and cuddled me. I was too tired to go to sleep calmly, but she helped me go to sleep anyway.

It was a good first Easter.

Socks and Pacifiers

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Paul’s pacifiers disappear.

I left Paul in his crib, happily playing, and went downstairs. By the time I came back 20 minutes later, the pacifier was gone. I could not find it anywhere—not in the crib sheets, not under the crib, and not under the dresser, bookcase, or chair. Where do these things disappear to? Is there some world full of lost pacifiers?

I imagine the pacifiers are joined with all the socks we lose as we do laundry.

It’s Official

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When Paul was newborn, I ran a poll asking you who Paul looks most like. The final vote was for Mommy, although Grandma Peggy mentioned that she thinks he’s a perfect blend of both of us. I think she wins the prize on that one. Here’s the result from when he was newborn.

Here’s the result as of last month, which is what I’ve been saying all along.

Paul looks most like Daddy, but Mommy comes in as a close second!

FYI, according to a similar test, he looks 10% more like Grandma Peggy than Papa Paul and he looks equally like Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson.

(P.S. Thanks to my sister for finding this fun link!)

1+1+1+1+1=5 Months Old

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Birthday Blues

Yesterday, Paul turned five months old. He celebrated his day by sleeping: I had hoped he wouldn’t get the family cold that is going around, but yesterday he apparently succumbed. The poor little guy! He can’t understand why he can’t breathe, and he is very annoyed by it. It must be hard to be five months old.

Here’s a video from yesterday morning. He wouldn’t laugh and giggle, but here are a few smiles for you.

How’s your math?

Now you can leave a comment without logging in! In order to prove you are a human, however, you must answer a math question (it’s just addition…). I’ll experiment for a few weeks and see how this works. If you hate it, let me know by either leaving a comment or sending me an email at wordpress at [my-last-name] hyphen family dot org.

Note that if you answer the math problem incorrectly, you lose your comment. I don’t like that feature, so I’ll look for a different plugin that might work better.

Unphotographable

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This is a picture I did not take of Daddy in pajamas during the early Saturday morning hours, sitting on the couch under a blanket with Paul in his arms, reading “AKLAT NI MORMON BABASAHING-AKLAT” (Book of Mormon Stories, in Tagalog), and showing him the pictures. Paul is staring at the book with interest and probably wanting to rip and eat the pages, and Daddy keeps reading in a loud and excited voice, all about Joseph Smith and the brother of Jared, who is called ang kapatid ni Jared.

(How I love that man and that baby!)

I got inspiration for this from www.unphotographable.com, which is written by a photographer who has missed some great shots either because it was against the law to take a picture or he did not have his camera or taking a picture would not have been appropriate or he just did not take the picture.

Your turn: what great picture did you not take?