Aquarium

First visit to the aquarium was a huge success. It was hands down Forrest's least fussy hour of his entire (waking) life. He was enthralled with the bright blue water, silvery fish, and big red (his favorite color) coral. He even shrieked with joy a few times. So I'm sure we'll be going back again soon.

Passover

A quarter of a matzoh for a quarter Jewish baby. He seemed to like it! Although he was sick during his first Seder, Forrest powered through and enjoyed his matzoh ball soup and charoset. Happy Passover!

9 Months Old!

This month Forrest hit some major milestones. He started daycare, he can sit up from laying down, he can pull up to standing, he can army crawl, and he started sleeping. He really is like a whole different baby. Lots more for us to worry about, but lots more fun too. He now occasionally laughs at things he thinks of himself, without us having to work for it. He also started eating much larger quantities of food, and he has finally started to like books. And at only 21 pounds, he is no longer a giant baby, in fact he is almost average!

Crawling Hypothesis

Whelp, it's all over now! The world is a dangerous place for a crawler. But my hypothesis may be turning out to be correct. Forrest has always needed to be on the move and he seems a little more content now that he can take care of his own mobility needs. Results are inconclusive so far but the initial data is promising. Clearly more research is needed.

Celery

Celery is another good one to keep him busy for a while. He can really do a number on a little celery stick. Here's what it looks like when he's done with it!

Cucumber

So refreshing! Nothing keeps him busy (and quiet) like something cold and wet to gnaw on.

Boxing Day

We all know babies don't need fancy toys, just cardboard boxes. So I was excited when we got this giant one. Forrest only got to explore it for a short time though before daddy put it in the recycling bin.

Bunny Lit

Forrest has never been that into books. Probably because they involve sitting still. But he's starting to really look at them now, especially the ones I attempt to read to him every morning. He hasn't quite figured out which way up it goes but here he is enjoying some good bunny lit.

More Bathtime Fun

Disclaimer - there is baby nudity in this video.

Forrest has always loved the bath, and lately he also loves kicking. So naturally he loves kicking in the bath even more. Good thing we got him this new bigger tub so he can really go to town. The shower curtain also comes in handy for mom and dad. Just look at those legs go!

Kicking Around

Forrest's favorite exercise is kicking his little legs. We're not sure why it's so much fun but if it keeps him happy and tires him out, we're all for it!

Is It Spring Yet?

Yet another frigid winter walk. Isn't it supposed to be spring by now?

Lion Costume

Cute kid in a lion costume, need I say more? Courtesy of the Boston Children's Museum. Forrest also enjoyed the baby waterbed on his first visit of many I'm sure.

First Artwork

The first work of art Forrest brought home from daycare. Pure artistic genius.

Licking the Bowl

When Forrest is done eating, he likes to lick the bowl. He takes after his sister in that way.

Sleepy Snake

A nice afternoon nap with the sleepy snake. No good stories to tell, just a nap.

Deal Me In!

Place your bets! Forrest is dealing another hand. He loves these awesome Charley Harper cards he got from Auntie Erica. They're bright and colorful, just the right amount of challenge to pick up when they're lying flat, and they make such nice noises when you bang them on the table.

Rolling

Another thing nainai would not approve of (good thing she doesn't read this blog) is rolling around under tables and chairs. But it's such fun! A whole new angle on the world. And it's pretty amazing the situations Forrest can get himself into all by rolling.

Getting Messy

Big lifestyle change this week: yeye and nainai have gone back home and we're on our own. While it means a lot more work for mom and dad, it also means we get to do things like eating blueberries with our hands! That's right folks, we're getting wild and crazy without grandparental supervision!

Floating

This week at swimming Forrest had a very relaxing float around the pool. This is the life!

8 Months Old!

In the past month Forrest has really been showing off his cognitive abilities. It's amazing to me that in only 8 months he already knows more than Lotus! Of course there are a lot of things Lotus can do that he can't, like walk and sleep, just to name a couple. But Forrest can already open cabinets and drawers, which is more than Lotus can ever hope for. I just have to keep my fingers crossed that they don't start working together too much. Forrest also recognizes more words than Lotus, though perhaps not quite as many as yeye and nainai would like to think. He definitely knows mom and dad's picture, the big train in the kitchen, the painting of Lotus. We can tell because when you say it, he will turn and look at that thing! He also looks at the clock when you ask him what time it is. So far he hasn't learned to actually answer the question though. And of course, everyone in the house thinks it's just hilarious that he only knows these things in Chinese and doesn't understand any English!

Swimming with Dad

Finally got dad in the pool!

Full House

Or full crib, rather. In an effort to entertain us both, I put Forrest in the crib and proceeded to toss in every stuffed animal I could find. He had a great time! For a few minutes anyway, which is about as long as he enjoys anything.

Recycling Bin Toys

Some more toys I made for Forrest. Sometimes his toy bin looks more like the recycling bin. 

Sensory Bag

Here's a sensory bag I made for Forrest. It has a panda, the cat in the hat, google eyes, buttons, and some ants. And glitter. Lots of glitter. He seems to like it!

Out With Dad

Good Morning Daddy!

Teeth!

It's not easy to get a picture of Forrest's new little teeth because the best chance to see them is when he's crying. Yeye and nainai did a pretty good job with this shot though - quite a feat!

Sledding

It's been snowy all winter but we finally got out for Forrest's first sledding adventure. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on but he had a good time.

Pilot Forrest

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's SuperForrest!

Siblings

Another shot from the 7-month/4-year photo shoot. The kids are not always this civil to each other, but I got them to behave long enough to stage the photo at least. Forrest is very interested in Lotus but mainly shows it by grabbing her fur, so Lotus tends to keep her distance. Sometimes she does get excited when he's rolling around on the floor, but then she tends to get a little too frisky so we usually have to put a stop to it. So they haven't exactly hit their stride yet in terms of sibling bonding, but we'll give it another year or two and see what happens.

7 Months Old!

At 7 months, Forrest is really becoming a "big baby," almost more like a kid except one that can't walk or talk or do much of anything that kids do. He can definitely sit up, though only for about 15 seconds before he's bound to topple. He's got rolling down pat and can maneuver himself in any direction, though not very purposefully. He's also growing teeth! He has one definitely peeking out and another just starting to poke through. He's still 19 pounds, so he seems to be lengthening out but not packing on the pounds as fast. Also this month he had his first real fever but he was a trooper and recovered pretty quick. He has chosen a favorite color - red - though results are inconclusive as to whether all babies' favorite colors are red. Stay tuned next month when he'll probably be walking and applying to college!

Big Smile!

I'm not sure what nainai was doing that made him so happy but she can just keep doing it!

Train to Harbin

Yeye and Forrest's favorite new game to play is called Train to Harbin! They both seem to love it.

First Dodo Bird

Ok maybe I'm getting carried away with the firsts. Seeing a dodo bird skeleton is not exactly a milestone. But I remember visiting the dodo at the Peabody museum as a kid, so it was fun to show Forrest the one at the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

Hong Bao

Happy Chinese New Year! Forrest got his first hong bao and then promptly had it taken away so he wouldn't eat the money in it. Next time it's the year of the snake we'll have a 12-year-old. What?!

Swimming Part II

Still not a great shot of us but here we are in the water. Forrest got dunked for the first time. Can't say he liked it but he didn't cry either. Stay tuned for next week when daddy might be brave enough to get in too!

Boppy Adoptee

Look who seems to have adopted the boppy pillow. She figures someone should get some use out of it these days!

Boker Tov!

We've learned one Hebrew phrase so far thanks to PJ library and thanks to Tia Abby for signing us up! We read this one every morning, which is pretty much the only time Forrest is willing to engage in such a sedentary activity like reading.

Scrub A Dub Dub

The latest bath picture. He still loves taking baths! Showers too but he's a bit heavy to hold in there so we just do that for him when he's sick.

Snuggle Time

I let Lotus on the couch since it was her birthday and we all thoroughly enjoyed the snuggles.

First Sip

A couple weeks ago, but this was his first time using a sippy cup. I think he likes it! But then, he likes everything he can put in his mouth. Mostly I think nainai likes it because I finally said it was ok for him to drink water which she has been lobbying for.

Swim Class

Ever wonder what a baby swim class looks like? Now you know. This was our first one, we missed our second one because we were both sick, but we hope to have many more fun times in the water. Forrest loves baths so I thought he would adore the pool. He didn't love it as much as I thought, it was very new and overwhelming. But we did have fun!

Playground Part II

Forrest sure does live an active lifestyle. He loves horseback riding and he always goes for the slam dunk. And yes he's wearing a down snow suit in 45-degree weather. Courtesy of you know who!

1920 Photo Recreation

 

These two photos each show four generations, with one person in common. We recreated this 1920 photo where Augusta was the baby, and in the 2014 version she is now the great grandma! Stay tuned in another 90 years when there will be a photo with Forrest as the great grandpa.

Great Grandma Gusta

Finally made it up to New Hampshire so Forrest could meet his great grandma! He thoroughly enjoyed the retirement community dining hall and all the soft foods they had on offer.

6 Months Old!

One of the weirdest things about parenthood is time, which I've mentioned before. On the one hand every night feels like forever, and Forrest still needs constant attention. On the other hand, half a year has gone by already! He can really play with toys now and although he's not very mobile, every now and then I look over and he's rolled himself across the room! He continues to gain weight like a champ, probably thanks to all the midnight meals, although he only weighed in at 19 lbs 4 oz and I swear he feels like he's over 25 by now! He's been smiling and laughing for a long time, but just in the last couple weeks he seems to do it all the time. Sleep, diaper rash, and cradle cap continue to be the main topics of conversation around here but if those are our biggest health concerns then we're really pretty lucky. He loves to hang out with other babies, just watching them, grabbing them, and of course licking their heads. In another 6 months I hope he hasn't gained another 12 pounds, but I do hope he changes as much as he did in the first 6 months. People always say they miss babyhood so I'm sure I will but I'm also looking forward to him being more independently mobile!

Speed Demon

They grow up so fast! We always knew Forrest liked to be on the move. Now that he has wheels he can go as fast as he wants.

Bundle of... Something

Fresh out of the bath and all bundled up! Will he be a bundle of joy today or something else??

Studying Chinese

Forrest is taking a break from play time to study some Chinese characters.

Tie-Dye Baby

Bright colors, happy baby!

Steamed Buns

All those steamed buns and you're not going to give me any?!?

Play Time

A little play time with daddy. Forrest tricks people into thinking he can sit up by himself these days. It doesn't take more than a finger to prop him up but a light breeze will take him down.