baby brother doll

last month (jan) was a busy month for friends' birthday parties and a burst of warmer winter weather (unlike this month!).  it was fun to visit some local park favorites and see how much i've grown!  parks don't "shrink", right?

"hot" potatoe

delighted to sneak icing!

    

we ventured to a state park to see some monarch butterflies, but only ended up seeing 3!  it was a beautiful winter day though, and the tidepools (mainly saw clams) and vast ocean made up for the lack of butterflies.

while all the above was fun, what i have really been excited about is becoming a big brother!!  i am SO excited about this new role, that i have been practicing all my "moves" on my baby brother doll.  while i have unsuccessfully slept with any stuffed animal since being in the US, i have managed *not* to kick out baby brother doll from my bed; instead, i just pin him down :)

though this update is about last month, i was really excited to receive two updated pictures of my real baby brother last week!!  it was taken on v-day, which possibly explains all the pink & purple that's going on??! :)  he's starting to "cruise" furniture already, and has two bottom teeth!  he's still in korea, if you didn't know, and we're all eagerly waiting our travel call to bring him home to us!  we are hoping it will be in april, before he turns 1, but realistically, it will be june/july.  in the meantime, i continue to "practice" on baby brother doll.

babyQ2 @ 8.5 mo

cultural misunderstanding
i conclude with a funny little cultural story ...

one saturday, we were graciously invited to eat at my daddy's colleague's house. they are indian.

they asked us to come around 7p. unaware that i usually am put down around 8:30p, which means i need to start bedtime routine around 8p, daddy asked if we could come earlier.

daddy: is it ok if we come around 6/6:30p because tobe needs to go down by 8:30p?colleague: sure

6:30p - we arrive; colleague's son is finishing up dinner; chit chatting & kids are playing
7:15p - with no sign of dinner approaching, mommy & daddy decide to feed me (they brought food)
7:30p - sev-puri is prepared & served (we believe this is an appetizer); i LOVED it!

8:00p - sev-puri is finished among the adults; talking at the table
8:30p - i have devoured many sev-puris along with homemade paratha & am DONE; i am excused from the table; adults still talking over drinks
9:00p - more adult talking over drinks with no dinner; mommy gives daddy a signal that we should leave, since i was sucking my thumb, asking for milk (night time routine!) and putting my cars "to sleep"
9:10p -

daddy: thank you for inviting us!  the food was delicious. tobe is really tired.  we usually put him down at 8:30p.  he is asking for milk right now.

colleague: we have milk here (motions for wife to get some).  he can sleep in our son's bed if you want ...
mommy: oh, no, no. if tobe sleeps now, i don't think we can transfer him for evening sleep.

colleague: tim, what was that whole message you left me regarding tobe sleeping at 8:30p?  what did you mean? 
daddy: we try to keep him on routine, and have him down around 8:30p. on the weekends though, we relax a little, and so going to bed 0.5h or so later is not be a big deal.

colleague: 8:30p?  if you come at 7:00p and leave at 8:30p?  this is not an indian restaurant with buffet where you just come, eat and leave ... (laugh, laugh, laugh)
colleague to wife: you should start preparing dinner now ...

9:20p - i start drinking milk; mommy & daddy look at each other hopelessly
9:30p - dinner items start arriving on the table; i am off playing again
10:00p - adults finish eating dinner ...

daddy: well, thanks again for having us over.  we really had a great time, but we better get going now.
colleague: tim, we still have homemade dessert! 

10:30p - dessert is finished
11:00p - we arrive home :)

though there was all this misunderstanding, we had such an awesome time hanging out, eating homemade authentic indian cuisine, playing, and being reminded that it is primarily the WESTERN world that is time based!

more photos from january ...

You are invited to view m&t Q's photo album: 2011-01 Fun @ 27 months

2011-01 Fun @ 27 months