Nat Kao Archives - Page 5 of 6

Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

Letter to my littlest #6

June 26, 2013

To my dearest Nat,

It was worth the wait, baby love. You finally uttered the sweetest sound I’ll ever hear in my entire existence. Totally worth waiting for, after 16 months.

‘Mmmm-maa-maa’, you now say when you see me, and when you’re looking for me. It’s music to my ears.

I make you say this to me every day. Close to 10 times in any given day. I love the way you drag the ‘Mmm’ and say ‘Mmmm-maa-maa’.

At 16 months, you’re the most responsive toddler we’ve ever had. I don’t remember Ben and Becks being like that. Perhaps it’s because you watch kor kor and jie jie every day and imitate their every move. You can jump lifting both legs off the floor (and that’s really fast). You can crash onto the mat from the sofa’s height, and then tumble and roll (that’s really the craziest daredevil stunt you can pull on us). You can indicate where you’re hurting when you fall, “say” sorry and express remorse, and even tell us what you want to eat and what you don’t want to, with the sounds you make. You shake and nod and babble non stop in gibberish we do not understand. It makes you soooo funny.

You’re the resident clown and comedian, and the king of total randomness. I’ll be reading to all three of you and you would walk away suddenly only to return with a basket over your head. You’ll gladly carry Becks’ bags, wrap yourself in a towel and take off your clothes. Yes, all for no reason. You take the cane and bombombom me like a gun because you saw your brother do it with his huge paper roll. You smile for the camera by tilting your head to one side just because I say ‘cheese’ this way. When I tell you I love you, you frantically blink your eyes (Eye love you, geddit?) and wait for my laughter and nonstop smothering of kisses with anticipation.

You love to make us laugh. You love to make me laugh.

And the more I laugh, the more I fall in love with you.

Loving you so much,

Mama

3 Comments

Becks Kao Ben Kao Everyday fun! Milestones and growing up Nat Kao The Kao Kids

Just like that, the three of ’em

June 5, 2013

And just like that, the three of them are playing together and doing everything together.

Playing with shoes: all ready for a fashion parade

They shower together. They eat together. They watch tv (when I allow it) together.

Bath time is fun time: guess who can’t wait to jump right into the shower?

Watching tv together: they sit in a row, and enjoy the show!

They have conversations with one another, yes, all three of them. The youngest can reply by nodding and shaking, and knows exactly what the older ones are talking about.

Most of the time, it’s monkey see monkey do. If Ben and Beck troop around the house, Nat follows. If they bounce a ball, he follows. Whatever they scale, he scales. Whatever they climb, he follows suit behind.

Monkey see, monkey do. Small monkey can copy anything!

Anything small monkey see, small monkey do – with JieJie!

And just like that, the three of them are growing up so quickly. Quicker than my tired feet can run after.

2 Comments

Milestones and growing up Nat Kao The darndest kid quotes and antics

Call me, I’ll be waiting

May 30, 2013

One of the greatest thrills in motherhood is to hear your babbling baby finally associate the word “Ma” to your face, and to hear him call out, “Mama”.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to experience this thrill the third time yet. At 15 months, Nat has called out to the birds at the park, the cars on the road, and even those Moove Media cows in the fields.

He’s called his father…

He’s said “Ah Ma“…

He’s called Gong Gong…

We’ve even heard him say Che Che twice with Becks…

He’s called Ben “Kor Kor” (one of the first few words he’s said) and says it like a hundred times a day. They are best buds now, and hang out together ever so often.

But when I ask him to say, “Mama”, he either gives me the silent treatment or goes korkorkorkor on me. -_-

I hope Mama’s still your favourite person, Nat! Call me soon, ok?

0 Comments

Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

The distance that is 5 cm away

April 24, 2013

The distance that is 5 cm away

Is the distance that you can sometimes be comfortably away from me

Any farther than that

I’ll have to see you stomp your feet

Show me a pitiful face

With hot tears rolling down your cheeks

This is the distance that is more than 5 cm away

And this is really pushing it…

The distance that is 5 cm away

Is the distance that you would never go

If you were given a choice

For you’d much prefer

To cuddle me tight

Hold me close

Have me babywear you every single waking minute

So in order to keep you less than 5 cm away

I pee with you sitting on my lap (trust me, I have perfected this skill)

I bring you along on the bus to kindy with kor kor and jie jie

I walk you wearing you

I sleep hugging you tight

So that you know

Whenever I have to be more than the distance that is 5 cm away

It’s because I really

Need to

Have to

Breathe

Take a break

And not because

I don’t want you closer

Than the distance that is 5 cm away

Dedicated to Nat – the love of my life, my Glutinous Rice Ball

2 Comments

Learning fun! Nat Kao The Kao Kids

The day the baby ate paint

March 18, 2013

We were all ready to some painting. I moved the table out of the house (to minimise my cleaning up, hur hur hur) and prepared the Crayola finger paint, some brushes and drawing paper. I told my little Picassos to let their imagination wild and fill the paper with whatever they liked. I gave them little styrofoam bits that came with the laser printer we bought a while ago, and the kids were very excited.

I got things ready for Nat as well, who was anticipating eagerly on the high chair. He’s not new to painting; he’s done it a couple of times at infantcare and his teachers said he was a focused learner who enjoyed the activity a lot. They say he’s never put anything in his mouth while painting. So they say.

Was he interested? Certainly. For a grand total of five seconds. He then spent the next few minutes licking the paintbrush, smearing paint on his tongue and teeth, and frightening me silly eating red ink and making slurping sounds.

The next time Nat paints, he is painting with food colours.

0 Comments

Happy days Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

Baby Nat’s ONE-derful party

February 25, 2013

Nat is the only one among the three kids we have that knows he’s turned one. Every time we sing the birthday song, he claps his hands and blows an imaginary candle when we’re finished.

I know he must have thoroughly enjoyed the party we threw him last Saturday.

We held a celebration at The Grassroots’ Club Children’s Playroom for Nat’s first birthday bash. This event marked our fifth party held there. We celebrated Ben’s first birthday there. Becks’ full-month and first birthday celebration were held there, and so was Nat’s full-month. The place has become quite synonymous with any of the Kao kid’s party among family and friends.

Since this would probably be the last BIG party I’d ever organise (I don’t plan on having a fourth kid, so there’ll be no more full-month celebrations or first birthdays!), I thought I’d really make sure that my baby would have the best party of his life. Well, maybe not the elaborate Disneyland kind of party, but good enough for Nat to remember in photos and make him grin all night.

The venue was great because it has a ball pool which Nat absolutely loved and an indoor playground and kiddy rides which gave the adults much breathing space and chit-chatting opportunities while the kids were fully entertained, playing catching with one another and climbing up and down the playground structures. Ben and Becks were old enough to run along and play on their own, and that gave me time to catch up with friends and relatives, and parade the birthday boy around.

The food we had was catered by Casserole. It was decent, and the favourite amongst the guests had to be their nonya chicken curry and bobo chacha (a warm nonya dessert of coconut milk, sweet potatoes, taro and tapioca). The portions were generous, and that made some of my relatives very happy because they could pack food home for their lunch the next day. I also got an agar agar cake (which was so very tasty, by the way) from Cake Story. The folks there accepted my last minute order and was exceptionally prompt in responding and delivering the cake despite having one day’s notice.

Nat’s star-theme two-tier birthday cake was baked by the Queen Bee herself, Christina, who painstaking adorned the cake with colourful stars, both big and small. Stars because the boy loves the Ikea star night-light in his room, and would point to it every night when it’s switched on to say “aaar…” much to our amusement, and I’d thought it’d be nice if he had lots of stars for his cake, and say “aaar...” the whole night long.

He loves balloons too, so we got him a customised bouquet of colourful ones from Twinkle Balloons. He loved the balloons so very much he didn’t say “[st]aaar” as I hope he would but “bb-bor” the whole time at the party. He made the guests laughed quite a bit with his obsession for all things big and round.

We had a fabulous time with friends and family celebrating this big milestone. I’m reminded of the times when my other two babies were once one, and how fast time has flown by. Now, I don’t have a baby anymore. I officially have three toddlers.

A heartfelt thank you to all who came and blessed Nathanael with your presence and presents. (I would have loved to upload pictures of you on this blog but I respect the fact that some of you are very private people. Will have them emailed to you!)

It’s been a really one-derful evening!

3 Comments

Getting all sentimental now Happy days Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

My baby is one!

February 22, 2013

My youngest turned one just a few days ago and I am getting really sentimental. I miss holding the baby that was him at one month old.

He no longer has that sweet baby breath to smell.

He no longer whimpers and looks helpless.

He’s learned to walk (run, almost!) and yell and act like he is the king of drama.

He’s beginning to assert his independence by pointing where he wishes to go, pushing you away when he wants to get down to walk, and throwing a fit on the floor when he needs you to carry him.

He’s a funny one to watch, too. He goes around kaypoh-ing and disturbing his older siblings when they are reading / writing / drawing / playing, and gets really excited when they start bullying him. He absolutely loves it when they stick tape on him, stamp ink all over his arms and colour his legs.

On his birthday, he smiled at everyone who gathered around him at school and clapped along to his birthday song, before blowing out his own candle – huffing and puffing with all his might. (Ok, he couldn’t in the end so I helped him out.)

Thanks for being the happy, funny you, Nat. Happy birthday!

0 Comments

Nat Kao Thunderstorm days

More thunderstorm days

February 18, 2013

After the meningitis scare, I’d thought I could finally shake some legs. I even promised Ben some ‘special time’ – just me, him and Universal Studios.

Who would have guessed that the bubbly littlest one would come down with a stomach flu so bad we had to rush him to A&E and almost had him warded for an IV drip. The baby who’s turning one in a few days’ time had severe vomitting and high fever on Saturday night and could not even keep medicine and water down.

I think we used up all our Dettol these two days scrubbing the tiles every time after he wretched. There’s also baskets of laundry to rinse by hand before we could throw them into the machine. On Saturday night alone, between fatherkao and I, I think we took a total of seven baths after having vomit soak through our clothes, underwear and hair.

We also had to endure the sight of a bawling baby in constant discomfort.

I can’t wait for the worst to be over soon cos’ the boys’ birthdays are around the corner and I want to be partying instead of taking baths.

(P/S: There was no child abuse. I had to take this while he was wailing for me to carry him because he needs to know when he’s older that my heart ached everytime he cried like this.)

6 Comments

Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

Letter to my littlest #4

January 14, 2013

Dear Little Baby Honey Bun,

Your name means “God has given” and God has indeed given me so much joy and happiness every day with you. You’ve brought so much laughter to my life and I cannot help but to love you more and more with each passing day.

I remember months before you were conceived, I was looking at your older siblings and thinking to myself, “I can live with having two kids” because they were learning to be independent. Moving around and going out was becoming so much more convenient. But then I knew your father always felt that we must have you to complete our family. And so you came.

You’re distinctively different and unique as an indivdual. You’ve got your own ways of teasing us, giggling, babbling and being coy. And you’re ALWAYS so happy.

You’re the first baby we’ve had that’s able to interact with everyone. You chase after Ben on all fours; you yank Becks’ hair and laugh whenever she goes “yeow!”; you press your forehead against mine and rub your cheeks on my face and chest to tell me you want me; and you yak with your father and signal for him to move around in signs only the two of you speak. Last week, you started to walk! I’ve not seen a wider grin on your face than when you toddled towards everyone at home, and you must be feeling on top of the world seeing how everyone at home was cheering crazily for you. It was as awesome a feeling it was for us as it was for you, baby love! You made us so proud to receive you with open arms as you took turns walking towards each one of us.

Thank you for completing the family, and for making me feel I’m the most blessed person in the world to have you in my life.

With all my affection, and more, and then some more,

Mama

2 Comments

Milestones and growing up Nat Kao Parenting 101 The real supermom

Free flow liquid gold

January 6, 2013

I thought I’d do a little happy dance today and celebrate 321 days of breastfeeding my littlest.

That’s a hell load of unlimited, all-you-can-drink liquid carbohydrates, proteins, fats, antibodies and lymphocytes that’s on demand and FREE.

That’s 4 full feeds in the day and 6 snack feeds throughout the night, and a lot of running in and out of the nursing room if I’m at work. That’s also having to endure pain from itchy gums and 6 tiny teeth that’s bent on tugging and yanking.

And looking at this boy’s happy face, I don’t intend to stop. It’s been so fun being his milk machine.

Milk for you, yes Sir!

2 Comments

Older Posts

Newer Posts