The Holidays

The Holiday are about family, friends and traditions.  I can't believe 2012 is coming to an end.  I'm so happy to watch you grow, develop and learn new things.  But it's also a little sad to see you turn into such a budding toddler!

Lots of changes since the last blog post at 18 months.  Let's see... we sold our old home at 3333 and then we moved into a temporary apartment while looking for our next home.  You loved the apartment - watching all the dog walkers, going to the park almost every day and meeting your park friends.  Then, during the week of Thanksgiving, we finally moved into our new home.  Although we've been told it's tough for a toddler to go through changes, you were a trooper!!


In November, we went on vacation to Hawaii - you loved it!  The flight there was ok but the flight back was tough (very long layover and red eye).  Everyday, you wanted to go out to the beach and play in the water and the sand.  Running around the grass, eating shaved ice, playing in the pool.. you soaked up every minute! :)  Yipao and Anthony was there too!  It was a blast.  In a few weeks, we'll be heading back to Connecticut for Christmas.  Before you turn two, you would've been on six different trips... too funny.

Your development has been tremendous.  In the beginning of summer, we went to a few speech sessions because you weren't saying a whole lot.  Now, you are very chatty in your own language.

Lots of milestones:

8/13/12 - mimic Daddy's sneeze
9/6/12 - pooped in the tub (ok maybe it's not a milestone but it's funny)
9/8/12 - throw away your own diaper (when Ju asks you in Chinese)
9/12/12 - first bloody nose!
9/12/12 - say cheese for the camera
9/13/12 - first meltdown (wasn't too bad since I don't remember the details)
9/23/12 - like to mimic us (no, no, no, cheese (deez)
10/1/12 - said bye bye
10/3/12 - said "whaz dat?"  kick the ball
10/6/12 - Xie Xie (more like deh deh)
10/11/12 - pooped on the carpet
10/14/12 - knows hands and feet in Chinese
10/25/12 - said 'dat's mine'
10/30/12 - said and pointed at moon
12/8/12 - said mama!!

Lots of words by now:  no no, baba, hot (love to say everything is hot).  You understand EVERYTHING in both languages, which is baffling to your parents but choose to speak in your own jibber jabber for now.  It's very cute

Last week, we went to Santaland (Macy's 8th floor) and you had a great time.. until we went to see Santa.  Once you sat on his lap, you cried like you were getting shots!  Classic moment.

You seem to love the new home.  Running around upstairs, going downstairs to "Ben's playground", going outside and hanging out in the family room.  We love it too! You are still sleeping with us -your latest favorite bedtime stories are:  Witzy wonders, Don't let the pigeon drive the bus and Jingle.

Benjamin, you are growing up so quickly!! We LOVE you sooo much.  Mama LOVES you sooo much.  Everyday, you bring joy to my life.  

18 Month Pics

Mama's Sunglasses

Can't go anywhere without your vac!

Picasso

I LOVE bath time!!

Mowing with Baba

Talking on the phone

Grocery shopping

Cold water!

Ice Cream at YiPao's

I love auntie Katrina :)

Playground

I LOVE my YiPao

I'm full of expressions

18 months

You are 18 months old!  Wow – time just flies… I’m sure I say this each time I update your blog.  So much has happened in the last three months.  We are in the middle of summer and you love the outdoors.  If you could, I think you rather live outside.  We try to bring you to the playground every day.  Some days, when it’s too hot, we bring you to the play area at the mall.  Pools are another favorite.  We try to head to the swim pond or Courage Center pool when we can. 

We also moved out of 3333.  It was a little hectic – we moved, went to Yipao’s house and came back to Minnesota, currently living in an apartment.  You were such a trooper with all the moving around! 

We just went in to see Dr Inman for your 18 month check up today.  Your head size is 47.9cm (54%), 32.5 inches tall (57%) and 23.3 ounces (16%)  Mr skinny minny.

Food favorites – French fries, rice, greens, rice krispies, gummies, yogurt, yogurt smoothies, tofu.  Not big on any meats other than occasional fried chicken.

Play time favorites – your vacuum, lawn mower, Swiffer, jumping on da shung, taking baths and splashing the water, climbing the bathroom walls, talking on the cell phone, playing on the iPad,

Development – clapping, high-five, walking, running, in place hopping, pointing, touching mama and baba's nose, climbing stairs.  You understand everything in both languages but have not started talking yet.  Your only and favorite word is oh oh and everyone that meets you knows that you’re super smart.

This week, you are transitioning to the Rabbit room.  Can you believe it?  Man… I still remember when you were in piglets.  Now you’re moving to a whole new room.  What a big guy.

Last week, we flew out to Connecticut to visit Yipao.  You are quite the traveler now.. good nap on the plane ride there and back.  Yipao spoils you like crazy!  She takes you out every day, even in the rain.  You run around the yard, play in the garage, the car, breezeway and take strolls around the block.  Great uncle Johnny brought home a cute little talking chair which we call your throne.  There was so much excitement going on you never wanted to eat! 

Here are your milestone firsts:

April 23^rd – you found your wee wee in the bath.

April 30^th – put on mama’s shoes, recognizes when baba says ‘no’ and discovered your liking for fritos

May 20^th – hand clapping, feet stomping, fake crying

June 10^th – your first haircut with mama! 

June 30^th – call baba
July 25th - you started to say "go-go" which means doggy in Chinese!

We LOVE you so much Beni!!

15 months

Hello our little toddler!
So much has happened in the last three months. First of all, I can’t believe you are turning 15 months soon. Where did the time go? We love spending time with you – you are active, funny, chatty and everything a little boy could be, plus more!

Lots of updates:
You are now going to daycare three times a week. Due to the germs and illness, you now have a babysitter on Mondays and Tuesdays. You love Ju ayi. She is great! I was sick one day and stayed home, I saw how you guys nap together on the couch – so sweet. Ju ayi also speaks Mandarin and you understand!
March 7 – you started to walk better, walking all over the place in what we call the “drunk walk”
March 8 – you carried around the soccer ball while walking and discovered your tongue (aka continuously sticking it in and out)
March 12 – started to wave! Now you got the hang of it :) Your favorite way of communicating something you want is to stick your arm out and move your little hands, kind of like a conductor. It’s so cute
March 27 – started to spin around and giggle
April 7 – your incisors are coming in

You love to eat goldfish, cheerios, cheese sticks, green beans and yogurt. Your favorite is the cream in oreos, frosting but not the cupcake and ice cream. Drinking out of a cup like a big kid. Lately, you’ve been very open to new foods, chicken wings, pizza and rice. Ju ayi tried chicken wings and Yipao tried the rice mix. Yummy Also, you LOVE to go out and eat. Very patient throughout most of the meal and like to try things.

We also found out that you have allergies. Daycare had a snow day and both mama and baba was home. You ate half a tagalog and got really sick – hives, swelling, vomit… we spent most of the afternoon in the ER. Now you have an epi pen jr.

On Easter, we went to great aunt Mary’s house. You were playing with her doggies and they were licking your face. Well, we found out you are allergic to dogs. Not a very bad reaction – hives and swelling which went down within 15 minutes after we left.

You love to read – favorites are Jingle, Hippos go berserk and the one with Grandpa and grandma’s voice. When it’s reading time, you would bring a book over to mommy or baba and sit in our lap. Such a cuddle bear.

Still not sleeping in your bed, love to sleep with your baba.

Now that the weather is nice, you love to go outside. Typically, you would run to the edge of the deck, throw your lawn mower over the edge and watch. Taking steps are not an issue for you now. One of your favorite past time is to climb on your toy cubes and play.

Auntie Katrina came to visit you during her spring break. You guys had lots of fun and many naps together :)

Yipao and grandma Wu is in town this week. Yipao is sooo excited and will stay for 2.5 weeks. Party time!!

WE LOVE YOU :)

365 days ago...

My baby is 1!!!

This past month went by very quickly Benjamin. There’s so much to share and I can’t wait to celebrate your first birthday. Overall, January was a rough month for the Bergers. Baba had a lingering cold that lasted about 6 weeks. He finally went to get some antibiotics. Mama fought a good fight but eventually got a cold too, bronchitis and then some.

Along with your usual daycare cough and sniffles, you were suffering from a big molar coming in (upper left). There were countless sleepless nights and lots of drooling. That big bugger finally sprouted out this weekend (1/21/12) Whoo hoo!! Along with the sprouting molar, you also had your first ear infection – a double one too. Last weekend, you didn’t feel good, had a fever and loss your appetite. I thought it was a bit more than your teeth so we went in to see your pediatrician. Yup – double ear infection. You didn’t tug at your ears so we weren’t sure what it was. 10 days of amoxicillin… something baba had grown very accostume to growing up, he had a lot of ear infections! Some days you like the sweet meds, other days.. not so much.

This past weekend, you felt much better which made mama and baba very happy. You ate like a champ, giggled lots, slept and nap well and moved all over the place.

Lots of development too!
Drinking about 18-24 ounces of formula
Drinking water from the sippy cup
Drinking juice from big people glasses with help
Outgrown your first pair of shoes (momo’s) and have a new pair of pedipeds ready for your first birthday
Starting to outgrow your baby cereal and jar food
LOVE dim sum (turnip cake, spare ribs, roast pork, phoenix claws) and bubble milk tea.
LOVE gerber biscuits and earth’s best crackers
Chatty – love to sound out stuff
Very stable at standing and scooting around furniture
You love to blow your nose!
Growing out of your 12 month clothes – time to shop!!
Head size- 43%, Height 29.25” (33%) and Weight 19.9 (9%) Dr Inman said you can have anything!! Lucky beaner

Although you will be a toddler soon, Mama still loves all her cuddles. You like to bite me and play with my hair.

WE LOVE YOU!!