Southern Tooth (Almost)

Yes!! I found the jackpot - in what Ethan loves to eat that is (besides rice cereal). I'd call it a sweet tooth, but he's got no teeth. Just gummy noomie-ness. And so the golden food (quite literally) is Sweet Potato!!

It has been well over three days since we introduced bananas to Ethan, and he is enjoying eating that now. So, I figured I could introduce the next fruit or veggie. I figured I would choose a vegetable this time, since we've tried applesauce (too tart) and banana (ok) so far. And boy, from the word go, the golden pudding was like buttah to my baby's belleh.

Since the jar of sweet potato baby food was a bit too runny, I mixed it with his rice cereal to thicken it up, and he ate every bit I offered him :-) Kelly and I will be quick to buy more tonight or tomorrow for sure. I have a feeling Ethan will also enjoy peas. Knock on wood!

My good ol' Southern Boy loves his Sweet Potato (Pie)... perfect since we're moving to Georgia.

Going Bananas

Yes, some times I feel like I am going bananas .. but that is neither here nor there. It would seem that Ethan is slowly enjoying eating bananas!! Woo hoo indeed! He still prefers his bananas only when mashed well and mixed with rice cereal at a ratio of no more than 1 part fruit to 3 parts mush. But hey, this is improvement! And four feedings later, Noomie actually consumed his first complete/entire/whole banana (albeit a smaller sized one).

Next up: Peas.

Chinese & Numbers

This is a blog entry my friend wrote the other day, and I just had to cut and paste it here since several of Kelly's family as well my side will appreciate and relate. It brought a smile :-) Well done, Frank!

"Earlier this year my sister's car was getting close to the end of it's life. She required two somewhat major repairs to her precious 92 Civic hatchback with brake job due sometime soon as well. That enough for her to go shopping for a new car.

She purchased a 2007 Honda Fit about three weeks ago. Having owned a small car for the past 8 years, she wanted to stay with something similar. The Honda Fit offered the best package in terms of reliability, safety and standard features. It's more expensive than other vehicles in the same class but if you added the optional features that Honda has included as standard features then they are very close.

The car arrived from the boat this past Thursday and we picked it up on Saturday. She had decided to get a new license plate seeing how her old one had a circle cut out of it from when she rear-ended a car with a hitch on the back. Picking a new plate is somewhat exciting because you get to see if you can find something that hopefully represents something significant to you. (I'm still looking for a 168 LAM myself)

Chinese people are very superstitious when it comes to choosing numbers. If you are of some asian decent then you may know that 8 is a lucky number and 4 is not. This is because 8 rhymes with "prosperity" and 4 rhymes with "death". Many asians try to get a plate with as many 8's in it as possible. (I managed to get a phone number for my mom with 8 - 8's in it) The sales person I was speaking to told me that it's virtually impossible b/c people higher up in the ladder snatch that up before they even get it.

When choosing a number for a license plate Chinese people try to make a phrase out of the 3 consecutive numbers in a BC plate. For example, 1-6-8 (yut look baat) read out in chinese would sound similar to "always prosperous" (yut low faat).

Unfortunately my sister is somewhat oblivious to these Chinese superstitions so she decided to choose a plate that would be easy for her to remember. Seeing how her only choices were in the 500 range, she decided on 523 because her old plate had a 23 in it and she thought she'd remember that easier. My mom was aghast when she realized what 523 sounded like. 5-2-3 (mm yee saam) sounds like "no easy birth". I hope my sister isn't superstitious otherwise she shouldn't be looking forward to having a child."

Sport Trac

We traded in the big SUV for a smaller, mid-sized SUV truck. The Expedition Eddie Bauer was great, though after a flat tire this past weekend, and with a pump that was supporting the air suspension basically on its last legs, I figured I'd try to get a trade before I would have to pay for costly repairs.

Instead, I got this smaller sized truck, with about similar miles on it, but two years newer ('04 compared to '02).

As promised, here are some pics, Dad.


I think though we gave up a lot in the Eddie Bauer this Sport Trac is much more useful for our family's current needs - especially when we move to Blue Ridge in the Georgia mountains.

Pics, Pics, Pics

Some pics of Ethan and mom and dad from the past couple of days. Just kinda random. Enjoy!

A Day In Spring

What a gorgeous day today was. Sunday. Sunny. Glorious. Our day started with Kelly going in to work, and Ethan and I went to the Baha'i Center for the devotional program and for Ethan to take part in the nursery and meet other infants. Kelly was done before noon, and so we went out for lunch. With Krishelle, we decided to go to Neo China, a great dim sum eatery in Cary. Bloated stomachs later, we decided to go home and went out for a walk down the American Tobacco Trail just nearby. Sweltering heat was tamed by a cool breeze. Ethan was protected wearing his hat, and covered under a UV screen for his stroller. We also bought baby sunscreen from Target. Fantastic day in spring.

Cherry Blossoms: Picture Series

Same tree. Same pictures. But I can stare at these blossoms forever. Bring on the allergy season!

Last Call

Yay, Kelly is almost through with all of her call nights! Tuesday/Wednesday will be Kelly's final call night of her residency - a four year Internal Medicine and Pediatrics combined program. Of course, this does not mean she is not without other types of "call". There's Jeopardy call, short call, this-and-that call :-) (ok, so I made up that last one)...

I am soooo proud of you, Honey!! The light at the end of the (4-year) tunnel is surely brighter now.

Looking back at when Kelly and I were first dating, I remember her as an intern (first year resident). Those were not easy days. There were many nights filled with self-doubt, tears, and hardship. And I was not particularly fond of any of her colleagues then. This was because I had always thought Kelly deserved better (respect) from her friends, and I was just not sure she was getting this from the folks in her program.

Fast forward four years, and Kelly is a senior resident, and soon to be Internist and Pediatrician. That is, a doctor-doctor. Yes. Kelly and her class will be specializing in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. And I have grown to understand and respect her colleagues which are very dear friends of ours, who have witnessed Kelly and my early days as friends, through dating, engagement, wedding, and the birth of our son. In between all those significant life milestones have been numerous movie nights, dinners, devotional programs, birthday celebrations, nights of reflection and support for one another.

Indeed, with both Kelly and my family all over the world, Kelly's colleagues, as well as the Baha'i community here in Durham, have been our surrogate families and have seen our family grow.

I will write a separate blog entry specifically on Duke's med/peds residency class of '07 in a few months time, but would like to congratulate them all now, and to look forward to the final 4 months of their training!!!

I have no doubt this group of fine professionals will serve humanity well.

0 For 2

Ethan looooooooooooooves his rice cereal -- unfortunately this does not translate to everything else we feed him, now that he is eating solids. We have tried introducing 'applesauce' to him, and with a face, and a gag, we get the message loud and clear: "Daddy, this thing is too tart/sour/weird!!". So we try mixing it in to the rice cereal. Nope! It is just not as good as plain, good ol' fashioned, rice cereal.

Following Kelly's advice (after all she is a pediatrician), we waited 3 days before introducing something new. "The next food we introduce should be somewhat 'bland'", I thought. With this in mind, I figured bananas would be pretty tame, no? Again, nope! Same sour, skewed face with a gag or two to make the point VERY clear, he is not wanting any of this one too.

So back to the trusted creamy rice cereal. And he just eats so much of it!! Ethan is up to a whole cup each feeding (not a true cup, but a 'baby cup', and when I checked it measures nearly 4.5 ounces). So each time I feed him a bottle of milk afterwards, and he ONLY drinks 1.5-2 oz I know he is really taking in nearly 6.5oz!

But what to do about introducing fruits and veggies?

We have not yet tried vegetables, though we have already bought peas, sweet potatoes, among others, and I very much hope Ethan will enjoy eating them as much as he like his plain cereal.

Any tricks?

'Canes Game

Amani and I went to the Carolina Hurricanes hockey game last night against the Washington Capitals. Kelly got three free tickets from work, though we could not find a third person to join us with such short notice, and Kelly does not particularly like sports, let alone a very violent sport like NHL ice hockey. So it was just Amani and I, going to see the defending Stanley Cup champs in play.

I have to say, for most of the second period, I thought the 'Canes were pretty good, but had stretches where they looked downright lethargic on the ice. Every time we'd score, Washington would stroll right into our zone and put the puck in our goal. Of course, it helps that they (Washington) have last year's Rookie Of The Year, Alexandre Ovechkin. The guys is dynamite -- the speed and stick handling. It was a beauty to witness such skill.

But of course our trip to the RBC Center was no without its own share of drama. We got a flat tire and had to pull to the side of the interstate (highway) to change into the spare tire. Thankfully SUVs come with full-sized spare tires, and not those small ones aimed to just get you as quickly as possible to the nearest auto shop or to your home. Though, this is precisely what we had to do, since the spare had never been used since the vehicle was originally purchased by the first owner (2002) and so the spare was also, well, flat :-( Errr... it was just inflated enough to get us to the gas station near the stadium.

Needless to say, we missed the entire first period (Ovechkin scored the first goal), and I was covered in soot (black hands, trousers, and all). I looked and felt filthy and was sitting in the stands. But what a game! The 'Canes won 4-3.

Naw Ruz Party

Naw Ruz party last night was fun. It was at the Radisson Hotel which was nice, but not as "elegant" as the Sister's Restaurant where it was held the past two years. Still, the food was fantastic - then again what food isn't when you've not eaten since before sunrise! :-) Well fasting is now over, but just this morning, I did not have an appetite though I could eat if I wanted. Here are some pictures of close friends at our table last night. We've already made arrangements for these guys to come visit us in Blue Ridge every other month! We'll see. I won't hold them to it though :-) We will certainly miss this community.

6-Months Old!

Happy 6-months baby! Looking forward to more milestones (first steps, words, tooth!) to come and loving you each and every second of every day of your life.

HAPPY NAW-RUZ!

Today is the LAST day of the Fast!!! Woo hoo!! At sunset tonight, when the fast officially ends, celebration will be in full force. The family's going to a Naw Ruz (new year) party at the Raddison Hotel. Dinner and dancing will be on the agenda. And if this year's party is anything like previous years, the dress will be pretty formal/cocktail. Should be fun to get all jazzed and just have fun with friends one evening! I can't believe I made it through the fast being home all day with Ethan. Appropriately enough, Ethan and I are listening to the song "Try and Try Again" by Red Grammer... doo doo doo... doo doo doo...


And a HAPPY NAW RUZ to everyone!!!

Naw Ruz, the Baha'i and Persian New Year, always takes place after sunset of the 20th of March, and March 21st being the first day of the new year and coinciding with the start of Spring.

Play Group

Mondays will be play days! Ethan and I have been invited to join a group of stay-at-home parents with their children, on Mondays, to play and have fun. Yesterday was our first 'play date'. Not surprisingly, I was the only dad present. There was Raelee and her son Keitan (14 months), Mya and her son Rowan (8 weeks), Emily and her son Wesley (19 months), Maren (host) and her girl Hannah (7 months), and Lee and her daughter and other girls who were a bit older (around 4 years or older). I will learn everyone's names soon enough. Next play time will be at Emily and Wesley's. Can't wait!

6-Month Checkup

Ethan had his 6-month doctor's appointment today. Yeah, he's REALLY already half a year old! (well not for another two days actually...). And his progress just keeps improving at a steady rate. Noomie weighed in at 15 pounds 3.6 ounces (or 6905 grams), was measured at 26 inches in length (tall) and 43 cm head circumference.

I remember when he had his newborn well-child visit and even his 1-month visit his stats were not even on the chart for boys in the U.S. And then 2-months when he was 15%/10%/15%, 4-months 25%/15%/25%, and now those stats for 6-months put him at 50%/25%/30%. So his weight is increasing very well, and his height, well, it's increasing at least. We're not expecting a tall boy with mommy and daddy's genes anyways. And his head is getting bigger too yay :-)

Ethan is showing so much signs of development that even in just ANTICIPATING his immunizations/shots, while the nurse was still sorting out her paperwork and getting her supplies ready, Ethan was crying and squirming on the bed/table, almost tearing away the paper liner that covers the surface.

But he did very well and I am so proud of him, he only cried briefly after receiving his shots and was quickly tired and fell asleep on the ride back home.

Next visit: June 18, 2007 (9-months)

Short Clip

Here's a short video of Ethan playing with daddy. Ethan had been babbling so much and with so much conviction in his young and developing voice that Kelly thought we should capture it on video... but as soon as the camera was on, as usual, we get one big hiccup and that's 'bout it.

Mama & Ethan: Photo Series

Pitter Patter

Today is a quiet day - a wet day outside. It is finally raining after having several days of unseasonably warm temperatures (mid 80s F), and with our lawn looking like a typical lawn coming out of the winter, the intense sun before a "wet season" was only adding to the dried, brown look. So, I am thrilled it is finally soaking up some, and hopefully the green will return.

And I cannot believe the Fast is almost over - just four more days to go! It hasn't been easy for me at all. Not that it ever is. Every year I struggle with the Fast. I can't help it. I love to eat. And my focus on the physical absence of daily sustenance probably negates any benefits I am supposed to receive spiritually for fasting in the first place.

I have to say, mornings are especially tough, and I can see how fasting draws your soul to a different plane. I've been quite down and sad or emotional lately, and the mornings only add to this mindset or feeling. With today being so gray, and last night my Dukies lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1996, and Ethan being such a good boy (really, we are so blessed), and Kelly not around a lot (she was on call again last night - seems to occur way too often) I get overwhelmed with emotion.

I feel stuck.

And not that being a stay-at-home dad is not rewarding in itself. God is showering me with His favours every day, if only I humbly acknowledge this daily, and realize just how good I have it.

But I feel isolated no matter how many people tell me to go out and be with other adults and parents and their children... that it will not only benefit me, but Ethan would enjoy and gain so much being in the company of other children. I feel, however, very nervous to do so, not the least of which is because I feel I've only just got my bearings with his daily schedule.

If I am to ask any of my guy friends who have yet to experience fatherhood, I am sure the longing is there, but also a sense of fear of how they'd all handle it would be present I am sure. Oh, is this ever true. But once you have things down, you dare not stray too far from your routine, for fear you will do harm to your child.

Just last night, because it was a rather unusual day (we had a salesperson come to our house to demonstrate a Kirby vaccum cleaner -- not a planned visit I assure you) I forgot to take out enough breastmilk from the freezer to thaw. So I found myself at 4pm, with Ethan coming out of his afternoon nap, with no milk ready for him. Only solid blocks of expressed milk I had yet to do anything with.

It didn't take long, and Ethan was patient and just wanted to be carried by his daddy, but this "out of routine" only reinforced my trepidation in doing anything remotely outwith my daily plan.

So I am stuck.

If only Kelly's residency was over.

I can't believe how difficult it is being a spouse to someone who is away so much like this - I can't imagine how difficult it must be for Kelly being on her feet for so hours at a time, away from her noomie, having to lug around a breast pump and pump up to 9 times during one call shift!

So these days are not easy.

And with things like our house for sale hanging over our heads, the thought that Ethan will be without many options for growth and development in Blue Ridge, it can get a bit overwhelming at times.

I wonder some times how easy it would be if all of my old friends were around us during this time in our lives, and if our families lived close(r) to us.

Because of the weather outside it still feels like dawn time with just enough light breaking through the partially opened drapes decorating our windows.

And Ethan is contentedly babbling away in his swing.

Fast(ing) Forward

This past weekend we moved our clocks forward for Daylight Savings. George Bush seems to think it was necessary to change the date in which time is moved one hour forward, about two weeks earlier than usual. As a result, all of us conscientious souls fasting during this time have now to wait until 7:18pm for the sun to set to break the fast for the evening. Tomorrow, this will be 7:19pm, and by the last day of the fast (March 20th), sunset will be past 7:30pm I think. I guess on the brighter side, waking up to eat breakfast before the sun rises is not as early. Arrr... I guess it's just my hungry stomach talking right now...

Open House #2

Open house number 2 this past Saturday was really slow - though our neighborhood was buzzing! Trains of vehicles lined one after the other kept on coming down our street and into the small cul-de-sac that our home joins. At first I thought, "Whoa, so many people coming to our open house??!! Awesome!"... only to find them all congregate behind a huge moving truck, forming a human assembly line, in an effort to expedite the daunting task of moving house for their friends who are our new neighbors.

At least they all contributed to an atmosphere that was full of energy!! Our house is seriously looking awesome. Soon, hopefully, someone will bite, and an offer will be made. One person, actually, did say they would come up with an offer some time this week! Let's hope this comes through for real, and that the offer is competitive with our asking price.

Still, the thought of preparing for a third open house this weekend is just too much. We are not advertising very well, and have not paid to have our home listed on the MLS (multiple listing service) yet, so what's the point in breaking our backs every Friday niight/Saturday morning getting the place all immaculate only to have one, maybe two, people show up? Forget it.

Yea right, we do what we have to to sell this house. I just needed to "blog vent".

Eating Solids

So the exciting thing with Ethan these days is that he is eating solid food. We've started him on rice cereal - the typical stage 1 food recommended by pediatricians.

At first, Ethan would just play with the spoon with his tongue, or take in some cereal, only to dribble it through his lips and onto his chin and bib. Soon enough, his whole face (yea even in his hair) would be smeared with rice :-) And to think I used to cringe when my young nieces used to make a mess while my sister fed them their solid foods. Well (ahem) here we are, Ethan is doing the very same thing, and I am actually OK with it :-p Love you, Shar! (no 'I told you so's please)

But that was a whole week ago now (or more?) and Ethan is just loving his rice cereal. I am not sure exactly how much he is eating, but it sure seems like a lot. We use one of those cuppie things (it is probably a real 1/2 cup volume?) and a small plastic spoon, and most recently, Ethan was able to eat HALF of that whole cup! Mmmmm... I love it when he eats so much :-)

He gets his usual 2 or 3 meals with rice cereal and supplemented with breastmilk. His dinner is usually only breastmilk actually.

I weighed him the other day, and Ethan tipped the scales at 16lbs. Of course, once we go to the doctor's office for his 6-month well-child visit on March 19th, he will probably officially weigh somewhere in the 15's.

Steady progress. He seems to be tackling all developmental milestones pretty well and without much fuss - thank God!

He is starting to purposefully grab things - which is cute only for now I'm sure. Eating dinner with him on our lap is more difficult now.

Oh, and when I feed him with a bottle, he can even hold the bottle by himself! (though when I do this, his interest in his own hands grasping an object is enough to distract him from his drinking!!) Errr.. can't get a break. Soon enough, he'll be drinking his own milk from a sippie cup or bottle and he won't need his daddy for that -- that's when I'll probably miss these days now when he is so completely reliant on me for many things.

My Noomie Is Growing Up

Here are some pictures of Ethan from the past couple of days. His facial expressions, his "look" is changing, no? He is totally growing up and maturing. My noomie.