July 2008

July 2008

Most of the summer has been spent centered around Noah.
We want to spend as much quality time with him as possible, before he has to share all the attention with his new brother.
We had lots of visitors.
The Kims finally returned from Taiwan.
Nah Nit came for a weekend.
Then Ye-Ye and Nai-Nai came, too.
Noah made the most of hot summer enjoying all sort of activities around Mad City.
He is growing up so quickly in front of our eyes. He's going to be one great big brother.

A trip down south!

A trip down south July 08

Noah got to take a trip down Mommy's and Daddy's memory lane.
A little road trip down to Herrin to visit Kun Ta and Kun Yai for the 4th of July weekend.
Noah got a chance to explore his musical side during the visit.
It turned out that he's quite a performer..seemed to love piano, guitar..even an accordion. Once he was introduced to a mic and Karoke..that was the end of the story. On the way home, we also stopped at U of I, had lunch at the Union..browse around the Quad..and of course, picking up a little souvenir.
Noah got to soak in a bit of the Illini spirit before heading back to Badger land.

Bay Area Visit

Bay Area visit June 08

Noah got to see all his cousins together on this trip.
Despite the Bay Area record heat that greeted, we did manage to do a lot of site-seeing.
The kids brave the heat at Oakland Zoo..and later came home to cool off in the pool.
We took a scenic drive to Monterey..and visited the famous aquarium. Noah seemed to enjoy seeing all the fish, jelly fish and vising the touch pool.
But really, the best time of all was for Noah to hang out with all of his cousins. He seemed to fit into the little brother role with cousin Eli and took the big brother role with cousin Nolan. He is not sure quite what to do with Ella yet, but Ella seemed to welcomed Noah to her house with a warm smile always.

Summer Adventure in San Francisco 08

Summer adventure

Noah keeps getting to tag-along on his parents' conferences. This time, Mommy has to go to the conference, and Noah spent 4 entire days mostly with Daddy! They went everywhere...Daddy' poor knee. It was definitely a special treat for him. This is Noah's 3rd visit to the city already. But last time most of his view was from the stroller. This time, he did a lot of walking! He knows the area quite well now.
By midweek, he was joined by more of his family. Noah gave Nolan's family and his grandparents the tour of Golden Gate park, Fisherman's Wharf... and all the pretty sites in the city. He also got to spend a bit of time with his friend, Charlotte, too. It's always an adventure to be in the big city...planes-trains-and automobile! Noah's favorite remains-BUS!

Perfecting the Arts of Eating.

Perfecting the Arts of Eating.

Noah still is picky about eating sometimes.
But when he is good...he is very good.
He sure loves to exert his independence when it comes to food.
He wants to do it his own way.

Hot Days of May 08

Hot days of May 08

Now that the weather has been nicer, Noah spends a lot more time outdoor.
He seems to thrive on just being outside.
We went to Memorial Day Parade in Monona-a small town where it seems like time never changes. Noah finally learns to blow bubbles better without having the soapy end in his mouth. everytime.
He loves for Daddy to take him on a ride in his red wagon. Most of all, he loves his sandbox.
Another love he has developed is for the cows. He can say MOOOO quite well now! That's one thing we never have to go far to search for in Madtown...farm animals.

Noah is on the prowl!

Noah is on the prowl!

Yes, we all were worried that by almost 18 months, Noah still didn't show much interest in walking. Well, on the day he turned 18 months, he has been on the prowl since. Kun Ta and Kun Yai help Noah practice his skills. He loved to lead the march around the house, wearing everyone out with MORE-MORE-MORE! He loves to walk while we all sing! His walking skills improve quickly, that his 7-month pregnant Mommy is having a hard time keeping up. He also wore out his shoes, so Mommy got to take him shoe shopping. He seems to have a bit of a shoe/boot fetish like his Daddy and Kun Ta. The good thing about walking is that he usually works up quite an appetite after his walks. He also puts his walking skill into practice by pushing strollers. He is getting ready to be a big brother!

Noah and the outdoor

Noah and the outdoor

The weather is finally cooperating, so we are spending more time outside.
Noah loves the fresh air. Noah took Kun Ta and Kun Yai to the Farmer's Market, to see all the pretty flowers and all the happy people since it has been such a long winter. Noah is growing quickly and is discovering new things on a daily basis. He loves to play with bubbles, balloons, and dandelions. He also loves to be a helper. Daddy had his friends over for a cookout, so Noah has to help set up. He loves to be with groups and play with older friends. One activity he can share with anyone is watching TV! Oh, NO!

Chicago Visit May 08

Chicago Visit May 08

Another road trip for the family. We all went to visit the Kims as they rarely stay in the country now. Noah got a chance to visit the Shedd aquarium again. His favorite is still the Caribbean Reef with all the colorful fish and big turtles! Noah was welcomed by Ikey and Ellie and fell into their family routine right away, including their nighttime ritual. An almost first sleep over!
On Sunday, Daddy also got to take Noah to see some more family friends of his.
He got to introduce Noah to Lily and Charles, Kim and Mark Stone and the guy that Noah thought was his Ye-Ye. It was a nice little get away.

Little Noah can walk!

April 08

Noah just loves to try all things new.
Walking came a bit slow, but just as Mommy relayed her worries to the doctor,
Noah decided to walk. His first many steps were to keep up with Mommy's friend's dogs, when we visited her new baby.
He loves to help when Mommy cooks. He found Daddy's IPOD a delight.
The train table at the public library kept him busy.
But his most favorite thing is sitting on a swing next to Daddy.

April visit to the zoo

April has been a strange month for weather-from cold to hot, even a little snow at the end of the month. Noah did take advantage of all the nice days and visited the local zoos.
His favorite animals to visit are turtles and the polar bears.
One of the days, we even got to have a little family picnic before visiting all the animals.
Another favorite spot is the Children's play area. Noah sure loves the tunnels!

Visiting my one year old cousin

Time sure flies by quickly.
Noah took a solo trip with Mommy to visit Nolan,for his first birthday!
It sure was an adventure for Mommy. Noah actually did great. He seemed to enjoy watching the airplane taking off and said "bye-bye" to all the ones that were taking off. Once we were at Nolan's, Noah made himself at home. After the trip, Noah added a few more words to his growing list of vocabulary...Daisy and Nana (for Nolan). He also developed quite a liking to doggies now. The cousins did enjoy playing side-by-side...may be next visit, they will learn to play with each other.
One thing, Noah sure missed his daddy when he was gone.

Noah and Ice-cream

Noah and Ice-Cream

All children love ice-cream.
Noah has been enjoying ice-cream for dessert for a while.
Now... he gets to try ice-cream cone!
He seems to enjoy it even more.
Another new thing is that Noah now knows what it means to smile for the camera.
He somehow has discovered an innate ability of the cheesy smile, passed down from generations of Chan.

Official spring..but with snow.

Officially Spring and still snowing...

The record winter continues into the spring.
The good news is Noah is finally learning to enjoy the snow more.
Daddy tried to make a snowman for Noah, but it ended up being a big Navel orange instead. He didn't remember that it is hard work to make a snowman.
Noah now is advancing to using a spoon to eat and to drink from a cup. He seems to enjoy doing more big boy stuff...except walking.

Noah's little brother!

Noah's little brother

Noah is going to be a big brother soon.
We broke the news back in December to everyone. At first, Noah was a little stunned.
Now, I think he is more used to the idea. The Big Brother book actually became one of his favorite bedtime readings. The little Baby Chan No.2 is growing well. Mommy seems to grow much more quickly, however. He is already different from his big brother. When Noah had his ultrasound, the difficulty was that he moved too much that it was difficult to do measurement. The little brother would not move much that we almost had to reschedule another ultrasound visit. But, he sure did like to move his hands and kick his feet.

Waiting for Spring, March 08

Waiting for the springtime.

This winter is so long. Easter is coming up, but snow is still in the forecast. Noah is changing everyday. He is more and more verbal and boisterous. "NOOO.." is probably his favorite word, unfortunately, for now. He is trying more new food each day but still leaves so much mess for Mommy to clean. We start to venture outdoor more, as it gets warmer. Just hoping for the day to rid of winter coats.

Noah goes sledding!

A sunny day for sledding!

Finally we have a rare sunny and warm(er) February day.
Daddy took Noah sledding for the first time! We met up with the Yevzlins.
It was an adventure for the little guy. He is liking snow a little bit more.
Mommy was worried at first but everything went just fine. BUT..Noah was probably the littlest sledder there. There may be hope for Noah and winter outdoor activities afterall.

Keeping busy Feb 08

Keeping busy in Feb 08.

This year is a record winter so far.
We have already a total of close to 60 inches just for the winter.
Daddy is quite fit physically from all the snow shoveling.
Outdoor winter activities aren't on Noah's list of favorites at all, so he is keeping busy with different indoor activities.
He goes to music class with mommy every week. He likes to dance and watch other kids in the class. He finally learned to put the instruments away when it's time. He has grown quite a bit overall. Trying out different foods. He enjoys eating out and chatting with the waitresses. He likes to practice his dexterity on just about everything from computers, phones, to the lid of every container. He also has become a bit of an artist, drawing more with crayons than eating them. He also "talks" a lot, although his parents still have not mastered Noah's language too well. He gets louder when he doesn't think we understand him and a bit frustrated, it seems.

Earlier in the month, he went to a birthday party for his friend, Alana, and had a lot of fun.
It was at Pump-It Up. A place where all the kids get to bounce around and play on different slides. Mommy took Noah to Play land at the mall which Noah loves. Daddy also took Noah and mommy to the circus. Elephants are great, but Noah's favorite circus activities were people watching and looking at all the fancy lighting! Daddy likes the motorcycle in the metal globe cage. The winter is long, Noah cannot wait until it's sunny and warm again. Mommy and daddy are getting the winter blues!

Badger Noah?

Badger Noah

So, daddy and his friend, Uncle Sasha, had a rare night out.
They went to the Badger-Michigan game. Uncle Sasha got Noah the Badger outfit.
He seems to be quite comfortable in the red color.
Hopefully this is one Badger that Uncle Jonah won't mind.
Noah watched the game on Sportscenter with Mommy and decided to give basketball a try, too.
Seems like a natural, don't you think?
Don't worry, Uncle Steve, Noah's bloodline is still Illini!

Jan 2008

It's the New Year

So far the New Year has been promising.
Noah is changing very quickly and is becoming quite strong-willed.
He loves to eat like a grown-up and not realizing that he still only has 8 teeth.
He was quite a trooper though at his surgery. I think his mom shed more tears than he did.
He recovered beautifully and was up and playing by that afternoon.
Thank you for everyone for your thoughts and prayers.

Christmas 2007

christmas 2007

Christmas 2007 went by very quickly.
It was the first celebration in the Fitchburg house. Noah has visitors from all over. Kun Ta and Kun Yai drove up. Nah Nit also came with Trip and brought her girls, Lilly and Holly. Noah learned to play with the doggies a bit. They were so friendly. Mommy sure enjoyed the help from the dogs when it came time to clean up Noah's food mess. Nah Kao, Uncle Steve and Nolan also flew in on Christmas day. It's Nolan's first Christmas, so it was quite special. Noah seems to enjoy playing with his cousin and showing his cousin all his toys. Gift opening was a bit more fun this year for Noah, now that he has become a pro at tearing off paper and opening boxes. He loves all his gifts, but it seems that he may be a bit partial to the Play Hut tunnel. Nolan loves it, too. What a wonderful holidays to have all the family together!

First Snow in Fitchburg 2007

First Snow 07

So the big snow came early this year. Daddy took up a second job shoveling snow.
Lots of snow-about 5 inches every few days for the past week alone.
Noah got a chance to explore the snow a bit. He seems to be quite curious!
Hope for a White Christmas!

New York 2007

New York Visit 07

Noah got a chance to visit the East Coast for the weekend.
It was for Daddy's PoPo's memorial service. Although Noah never got the chance to meet Daddy's PoPo, it was nice to see that she was so loved by many people. People remember her smiles just like what Daddy told Noah. It was also nice to visit with the Chans side of the family.
Noah also spent a day in NYC. It was windy but not too cold. We took a stroll all over the city. Braved the subway crowd. The last stop was especially for Noah-FAO Schwartz on 5th Ave. Noah seemed to recognize his pal George!

Tender moment with Kun Ta

Tender moment with Kun Ta

Noah has been so lucky to have such frequent visits from his grandparents.
Kun Ta probably feels just the same.
Noah is especially fond of Kun Ta because he lets Noah do whatever he wants.
He only asks for a little love and laughter.
They spend time reading and playing all day long.

Happy Birthday, Noah is ONE!

Happy Birthday, Noah

Noah already turned ONE. Time is going by too fast. The week of Noah's birthday was filled with a little celebration each day. Noah got so many presents from all his family. He got to open one each day that week. He picked them out by himself. His first gift that he chose to open was from Nai-Nai and Yeh-Yeh! We all went out to dinner at Benvenuto for his birthday. Noah discovered that it's actually more fun to draw with crayons than eating it. Kun Yai thinks he is an artist already! For the birthday party, Daddy also got to celebrate his birthday. Nah Nit made a special trip to see me, too. The Kim family came. Noah had fun playing with Ikey and Ellie and exploring the new toys. On Noah's birthday, Mommy took Noah to Daddy's work to bring special birthday cupcakes for all of Daddy's colleagues. We are so thankful that Noah has come into our lives.

Eugster Farm 2007

Eugster Farm Oct 07

One fine fall day in Fitchburg with the family was fabulously fun-filled! (Mommy is so silly!) We all went to Eugster farm to enjoy the day. The Kim family came to visit Noah for his birthday, so we all got to go together. We went on a hayride, played on the swing, visited the animals on the farm and just enjoyed nature. There was even a puppet show in the barn, too. Lots of photo opportunities for Kun Ta, for sure.

October 2007

Noah October 07

October has been a big month. Noah has really grown up and developed quite an independent, somewhat stubborn streak. He is still quite adorable, however.
Although the weather got colder, there were unusually many sunny days for Wisconsin. Noah got to spend a lot of time outdoors. Kun Ta and Kun Yai came to visit again and watched Noah while Kelly was off. Noah took his grandparents to the botanical garden to see the beautiful fall colors. Noah also went to check out the Kite Festivals nearby. Halloween also was quite fun. Noah was all handsome as Super Noah. He enjoyed the trick-o-treaters from the neighborhood despite having a bad cold. We also walked to McGaw park one night to the Enchanted Forest, where there was a bonfire, kids in their Halloween costumes and lots of festivities. Noah would have loved to share all the fun with his cousins!

Noah is 11-month old!

Noah is 11-month old!

September flew by very quickly. Noah continues to amaze us how quickly he can move. He has become quite vocal as well. The problem is we still have not learned his language to understand what he is saying. Earlier in the month, we visited the Kims on Ikey's birthday. Noah spent the morning at Ikey's school, too. Auntie Chia-ling said he did very well. Noah now graduated to finger-and-face food. He prefers to feed himself most of the time. He actually got to have food from the menu at Ella's deli where they have baby's menu. Because September this year turns out to be warmer than usual, we got to enjoy the walk at Olbrich Botanical Garden in a summer- like environment. Even a visit in early October to the pumpkin patch was filled with warm sunshine.

California summer 2007 part 2

The second part of the trip started out with a long drive through the mountain and desert. It was quite hot, over 100 degrees. We were quite happy when we got to use the swimming pool at Cousin Nolan's. Cousins Eli and Ella also made the trip. We met up at Uncle Byron's house, where Noah got to meet more relatives in SoCal. Uncle Jonah and Auntie Min were also there. Noah also had his first visit to Disneyland. Noah seemed to enjoy most rides, except the ones that are in the dark tunnel. Noah also went back to the Long Beach Aquarium with Cousin Nolan. He also checked out Uncle Steve and Nah Kao's old stomping ground in Laguna Beach as well. All in all, it was great to see Noah with all of his cousins. The 2 weeks went by very quickly. We all cannot wait to make a trip again.

California summer 2007 part 1

Summer 2007 is coming to an end. Noah is becoming a travel expert, having gone on his 3rd airplane trip recently. This time the family got to visit both the Chan family in the Bay area and Cousin Nolan's family in SoCal. The first part of the trip, we stayed in San Francisco at the Palace, where Micah spent the week at the Board Review. Noah is becoming accustomed to fine hotel living. He pulled himself up for the first time during the hotel stay. We met up with the Lins also. Charlotte took Noah to Golden Gate park to play. Noah got to visit many beautiful sites in San Francisco. He also got to ride on the CalTrain when he went to see his cousins in Mountainview.

August 2007

Aug 2007

August is just flying by. Noah is about to turn 10 months already.
Kun Ta and Kun Yai visited again early in the month before they left for Thailand. Then the Kims made a trek up to visit. It rained a lot, which gave Noah more times to play with Ikey and Ellie. Noah also is becoming quite assertive in his meal choice. He really prefers finger food over the jar baby pureed food. His favorite seems to be tofu, cheese, green beans and cheerios for the moment. Restaurant outing with Noah is a little more fun but also more messy. Everyday is a new adventure...that's for sure.

July 2007

July 2007

July has been a big month. Noah turned 9 months. He mastered crawling. He also started swimming lessons. Daddy also took Noah on his first carousel ride. AND...we went on a roadtrip to Milwaukee to visit the Pifels and the Toths. Time goes by so quickly. Noah now weighs almost 20 lbs!

The little man is making milestones with his first crawl

littlemancrawl

What athletic ability at 8months old. Soon he'll be shooting baskets and driving golf balls.

July 07 Visit from Kun Ta and Kun Yai

July visit with Kun Ta-Kun Yai

Noah is getting bigger everyday. 8-months going on 9! He is getting his 3rd tooth but still is sticking to babyfood. Didn't do well when he tried more chunky items. Very sensitive gag reflex! This month he is getting more efficient with crawling forward. Spent the first 4th of July by having his first cold. Kun Ta and Kun Yai came to visit again, which made Noah and his parents very happy. Just in time to give Noah all the attention he needed while he's under the weather. Kun Ta is looking forward to taking Noah to the golf course one day. Kun Ta and Kun Yai bought Noah a birdfeeder and lots of finches came everyday.

Yeh Yeh and Nai Nai visit June 07

Yeh-Yeh and Nai-Nai also came to visit Noah this month. Nai-Nai loves to feed Noah, change diapers and gives him bath. She always tries to make him laugh! Noah loves burying his face onto Yeh-Yeh's big shoulder. Noah took his grandparents to the Farmer's market on Saturday. He also took many walks around the neighborhood with his grandparents.

Visiting SoCal June 07

Noah also went to visit his family in Southern California.
He visited cousin Nolan, Nah Kao and Uncle Steve. Kun Ta and Kun Yai went along, too.
Too bad the government never gave Noah his passport. He would have gone to Toronto, Canada, too. Nolan was a very good tour guide. He took Noah to Huntington Beach, Huntington Library Botanical Garden, and the Aquarium of the Pacific. Nolan has such a cool house. Noah also got to see Uncle Jonah and Auntie Min in Pasadena, too. Noah is becoming a pro at flying. Too bad, daddy had to stay home and work.

My new house

So much happened this past month.
Noah moved into his new house.
So many ceiling fans, big kitchen and a big yard!
So much to explore.
AND Noah is getting his first teeth this month, too!

6+months

Sorry for the long wait... Noah has been very busy since the last blog. He went on his first plane trip and had a nice visit to San Fran! He met his cousins Eli and Ella for the first time and all his aunts and uncles and of course grandma and grandpa Chan. His friend Charlotte also had his ear, literally. Then we moved into our new house and he got to spend happy times with grandma and grandpa Sujatanond. He was waiting for his passport for Toronto but it never came. He took so many handsome passport photos though. Nevertheless, Noah turned 7 months old and is more and more interactive as you can see. He will visit Cali again very soon to meet cousin Nolan!!

5months

April has been quite eventful for Noah. He had a lot of visitors, a dedication at church, his first Easter and the arrival of cousin Nolan. He also met Nadia Toth who shared his birthday and met up with Kim and Sebastian on a road trip. Jonah, Nancy and Peter came as well and set a record for feeding with 8oz of milk and 3 servings of rice at one sitting.

Noah 4 months

Can't believe Noah's 4months already. He is rolling around and being much more interactive with mommy and daddy. He also had a nice visit from grandpa and grandma who just retired! Congratulations and hope to see you much more often.

herrinvisit

Noah had a wonderful visit to Herrin, IL were grandma an grandpa lives. It was his first roadtrip and we only had to stop twice on the 6 1/2 hr trip. He also saw Auntie Nit and met Trip. He really enjoyed the goldfish in the aquarium and Pepper and Lily.

happybdaygrandpa

Happy 70th Birthday to Grandpa Chan! We miss you. Have fun in Austria and see you when you get back.

3 months

Noah's already 3 months old! Time flies when you're having fun. He went to daycare for the first time with Kelly! Bottle feeding was a bit slow at first but now he's compromised with us.

Noahweb9

Noah is getting bigger everyday. He even has muscles without lifting weights! He will be going to daycare very soon. Mommy and daddy will be nervous, especially mommy.

Noah Week 8 and Christmas

Noah's 2 month birthday was full of surprises including a visit from Grandpa and grandma, Steve and Nap, and Nit. Christmas was a wonderful celebration with lots of food and fun. Noah also received his 2 month immunizations. Though it hurt a lot, he survived like a champ. Of course, still made time to eat and sleep.

Noah Week 5

Noah is getting bigger and bigger each week. He has gained some super cheeks like his cousin Eli.

thanksgiving

Noah's first Thanksgiving was a blast! He did not partake in turkey but enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells.

sleepy

These new photos demonstrate His Sleepiness. P.S. Check out the first photo of grandpa Chan's "face".

2weeksold

Noah spent his 2 week birthday for a walk outside! He also had tummy time and some alone time with mommy.

firstweekpost

Noah's first week at home was a blast! He spent most of the time taking his Zzzzz's...