I'm still amazed at how smart Daniel is. The most noticeable change is how he reacts to verbal discipline. When he does something wrong (e.g., throw an object, playfully hit someone in the face) we give him a look and say his name in stern voice. He immediately stops what he's doing, his face cowers, the bottom lip starts to quiver, and waterworks soon follows. I find it adorable.
As a first time parent, I never knew that babies understood tone at such a young age. I can already see Daniel pausing before doing certain things because he knows he would get in trouble. I think it's adorable that he sometimes looks back at us to gauge our reactions.
I like to explore the limits of my parenting power. My recent thing is when I see Daniel doing something he shouldn't be doing I firmly say, "Daniel, you need to stop what you are doing right now. You are over there. I need you here right now." while pointing at the ground in front of me. To my surprise, Daniel usually comes crawling over to me.
Muwahaha! I can't believe that works! I feel like He-Man! With only my voice, I am raising my metaphorical sword in the air and yelling, "I HAVE THE POWER!!!"
Showing posts with label Daniel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Daniel. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Good Friday
This past weekend was Easter weekend. Like many other weekends for our family it was a busy one. With so many things going on, I thought it was important to take a breather and record some of what went on.
Easter is a special time for me. It's a time of reflection. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He died for the sins of the world which naturally includes my own. I have done a lot of dumb things in my life. As a result, he died because of me. He died so that we may gain eternal life through Him. Mercifully, he died for me. Amen.
As for Good Friday itself, it stayed true to its name with an early release from work. I felt like a high school student being dismissed on a half-day.
I rushed to pick up Daniel from daycare. He was very excited to see me. He recently started in a new room call the I/Tod room for kids between the infant and toddler stages. Daniel loves the new surroundings with new toys to play with and cushions to climb. I'm sure he also enjoyed being reunited with his old friends because he was the youngest baby in the infant room for a while.
When we got home, Daniel and I spent some much appreciated quality time together while Mommy was still at work. We played together in his play room (i.e., the living room). He sat on my lap and held my hand while watching a little bit of TV. I do love this time with my little boy.
After Tary came home from work, I ran out to the store to buy some ingredients for home-made fried chicken. We have this thing about trying to make good fried chicken and we have failed miserably each time. It was my turn this time and the results were mixed. The batter was crispy but a bit too salty for my taste. The meat remained moist but was relatively flavorless. Okay, at least we're making some progress.
Easter is a special time for me. It's a time of reflection. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He died for the sins of the world which naturally includes my own. I have done a lot of dumb things in my life. As a result, he died because of me. He died so that we may gain eternal life through Him. Mercifully, he died for me. Amen.
As for Good Friday itself, it stayed true to its name with an early release from work. I felt like a high school student being dismissed on a half-day.
I rushed to pick up Daniel from daycare. He was very excited to see me. He recently started in a new room call the I/Tod room for kids between the infant and toddler stages. Daniel loves the new surroundings with new toys to play with and cushions to climb. I'm sure he also enjoyed being reunited with his old friends because he was the youngest baby in the infant room for a while.
When we got home, Daniel and I spent some much appreciated quality time together while Mommy was still at work. We played together in his play room (i.e., the living room). He sat on my lap and held my hand while watching a little bit of TV. I do love this time with my little boy.
After Tary came home from work, I ran out to the store to buy some ingredients for home-made fried chicken. We have this thing about trying to make good fried chicken and we have failed miserably each time. It was my turn this time and the results were mixed. The batter was crispy but a bit too salty for my taste. The meat remained moist but was relatively flavorless. Okay, at least we're making some progress.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
My Mom's Egg Rolls
While playing with Daniel this afternoon I held him up near my face and he let a huge...
BUUUUUURP!
To which I commented, "Mmm, it smells like egg rolls."
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Daniel's Progress
Time has flown by since Daniel was born a little more than 9 months ago. It seems like we're discovering something new that Daniel can do on a daily basis.
Daniel recently surprised us by crawling with a sippy-cup in one hand to a folded blanket on the floor. He placed his other hand down to cushion his descent. He then rolled over and casually started to drink from his sippy-cup. He never ceases to amaze us.
Daniel is very mobile now. He crawls everywhere and sometimes pulls himself to a stand. He can go forward, backward, and turn while in his walker. It'll soon be time to install the baby gates and finish baby-proofing the rest of the house.
One thing I really love about Daniel is how affectionate he is. He loves snuggling before bedtime and insists on falling asleep in our arms each night.
I think Daniel's teeth are about ready to come out. He has been drooling like crazy lately and you can feel something just under his gums.
I'm not sure what Daniel will learn next but I'm excited to find out.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Conditioned
I've been neglecting this poor blog for weeks in a futile attempt to avoid writing about my thoughts on the horrible playoff loss to the Jets. That post is coming soon and will be ready at some time today.
So why am I writing this? Part of me is excited to try out the new Blogger mobile app for Android. That's right, I'm writing this on my phone. Having Swype makes typing a lot easier.
But no, the real reason I'm writing this is my poor body is conditioned to wake up at 5 AM every day to take care of Daniel regardless if he actually needs me. I can't fall back asleep!
I'm staring at the baby monitor and Daniel is sound asleep. A part of me wants him to cry for me so I can be the Daddy Hero and come swooping in to save the day and soothe him back to sleep. It's my way of squeezing more Daddy-Daniel time out of the day.
My internal Daddy signal woke me up today. It was a false alarm. But I'll be up again tomorrow at this time. Daddy Hero will be ready should Daniel need me.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Daniel's 6-month Checkup
Tary and I brought Daniel for his 6-month checkup earlier this week. He measured in at a healthy 18 lbs 8 oz, 27 1/4 inches long!
It has been a while since I last wrote about Daniel. He has learned how to do so many new things in that time.
The biggest accomplishment is that he can say "Momma" now. He has said other words or at least made sounds that resembled words in the past but "Momma" is definitely his first official word. He only says it when Tary's around or when he's upset. Last night, Daniel stared right at Tary and clearly said, "Mom!" As cute as it would have been to hear him say "Daddy", we're just relieved he didn't say someone else's name first.
Daniel is becoming more mobile. He can roll over from his back onto his tummy and vice versa. He sometimes rolls over multiple times in a row and ends up several feet away from where you placed him down.
If you sit Daniel on the floor, he can sit and play with nearby toys. He really enjoys sitting next to a container full of little toys that he can reach in and pull out.
We've incorporated more solid foods into Daniel's feeding schedule. He still is learning how to chew and swallow his food as opposed to sucking from a bottle. He especially likes eating melt-able snacks that dissolve in his mouth.
Daniel still likes playing peek-a-boo but now he laughs a lot more when you're playing with him. He loves jumping up and down in your arms and we bought him an ExerSaucer jumper to play in.
He really loves music and musical toys. He likes watching music videos on YouTube on Daddy and Mommy's phones. I think he enjoys the singing at church as well.
I'm so proud of my little Daniel. Before I know it, he'll be crawling around the house and getting his hands on everything. I love him so much. I especially love the Daddy/Daniel time that we spend together like giving him baths, getting him dressed/ready in the mornings, and bringing him to daycare. I know that nothing compares to the bond that Mommy/Daniel share but the Daddy/Daniel bond is pretty special too.
It has been a while since I last wrote about Daniel. He has learned how to do so many new things in that time.
The biggest accomplishment is that he can say "Momma" now. He has said other words or at least made sounds that resembled words in the past but "Momma" is definitely his first official word. He only says it when Tary's around or when he's upset. Last night, Daniel stared right at Tary and clearly said, "Mom!" As cute as it would have been to hear him say "Daddy", we're just relieved he didn't say someone else's name first.
Daniel is becoming more mobile. He can roll over from his back onto his tummy and vice versa. He sometimes rolls over multiple times in a row and ends up several feet away from where you placed him down.
If you sit Daniel on the floor, he can sit and play with nearby toys. He really enjoys sitting next to a container full of little toys that he can reach in and pull out.
We've incorporated more solid foods into Daniel's feeding schedule. He still is learning how to chew and swallow his food as opposed to sucking from a bottle. He especially likes eating melt-able snacks that dissolve in his mouth.
Daniel still likes playing peek-a-boo but now he laughs a lot more when you're playing with him. He loves jumping up and down in your arms and we bought him an ExerSaucer jumper to play in.
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| Daniel Playing in his ExerSaucer |
I'm so proud of my little Daniel. Before I know it, he'll be crawling around the house and getting his hands on everything. I love him so much. I especially love the Daddy/Daniel time that we spend together like giving him baths, getting him dressed/ready in the mornings, and bringing him to daycare. I know that nothing compares to the bond that Mommy/Daniel share but the Daddy/Daniel bond is pretty special too.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
A Daddy Never Gives Up
We recently submitted a photo of Daniel to the Gerber Generation Photo Search which is a monthly contest to find the next Gerber baby. You can browse through their gallery of submitted photos and vote for your favorites on a daily basis. Babies with the most votes in their age group at the end of the month win a HD camera and have their photo featured on the website. After 6 months, some babies are somehow selected to win the grand prize of being featured in a Gerber ad and receive a $25,000 scholarship.
So every day for the month of September, I have been trying to vote for Daniel as many times as allowed. They only allow you to vote once per machine per email so I've been voting with a combination of home and work laptops. With the help of some friends and family, Daniel currently has about 140 votes.
However I was disheartened today when I saw another baby with 599 votes! That's as many votes as the Patriots have given up on defense the first 3 games of the season! I'm sure if I kept looking through the thousands of other submissions, I might have found some babies with more. It's kind of sad realizing that my little Daniel won't be a Gerber baby this month...
And then it hit me; I know it's futile to keep voting for him. Even if Tary and I each voted twice each day for the rest of this month, there aren't enough days to catch up. But you know what? I'm going to keep voting for him. Sometimes in life you know you're going to lose but you still have to give it your all. I love Daniel that much and I'm going to keep rooting for him. At least when this month is over and we didn't win, I can look at him and tell him that at least his Daddy tried. When it comes to Daniel, I'll never give up.
So every day for the month of September, I have been trying to vote for Daniel as many times as allowed. They only allow you to vote once per machine per email so I've been voting with a combination of home and work laptops. With the help of some friends and family, Daniel currently has about 140 votes.
However I was disheartened today when I saw another baby with 599 votes! That's as many votes as the Patriots have given up on defense the first 3 games of the season! I'm sure if I kept looking through the thousands of other submissions, I might have found some babies with more. It's kind of sad realizing that my little Daniel won't be a Gerber baby this month...
And then it hit me; I know it's futile to keep voting for him. Even if Tary and I each voted twice each day for the rest of this month, there aren't enough days to catch up. But you know what? I'm going to keep voting for him. Sometimes in life you know you're going to lose but you still have to give it your all. I love Daniel that much and I'm going to keep rooting for him. At least when this month is over and we didn't win, I can look at him and tell him that at least his Daddy tried. When it comes to Daniel, I'll never give up.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Daniel = 100% Awesome
It is a blessing seeing how well Daniel is growing and developing. At his 4-month visit (on 9/13/10), he weighed 17 lbs 1 oz and measured 26 inches long. His doctor was pleased with his progress and gave us the green light to start him on solids. Daniel seems to enjoy what we've fed him so far. So far he's eaten rice cereal, bananas, and sweet peas.
Daniel is at such a fun stage right now. He loves playing in his bebePOD which is a supported sitter. Various toys can be attached and Daniel loves hitting them to make them spin. His favorite game though is playing peek-a-boo with me which always elicits a big smile after I uncover my eyes.
He's also using his improved hand-eye coordination to try to hold his own bottle. A really cute thing he does is try to hold his bottle with one hand and then sneak his other hand into his mouth so that he's sucking his bottle and thumb at the same time. It makes a mess everywhere but it's hard to get upset when he smiles up at you with those big brown eyes.
It also appears that Daniel has started teething. He normally is such an easygoing baby and doesn't cry much other than to be fed or walked around the room. But for the past week or two, he has been a little fussier at nights where it seems nothing can console him. I can already see some white specs along his bottom gum-line so we may start to see them poke through any day now.
Another thing I love about Daniel right now is how much he loves to talk. It takes him a little bit to get him warmed up to other people, but if you can get him to laugh or smile, he'll start talking. He'll keep going and going if you respond. He definitely enjoys carrying conversations.
Last night, Daniel rolled over from his back to his tummy for the first time! In fact, he did it a few more times much to the delight of a very proud father. My little man is growing up!
His first attempt caught me by surprise. I laid him on his play-mat and before I knew it, he flipped completely over with his left arm still tucked underneath his tummy. He struggled a little bit to free his arm so I lifted him slightly so he could complete the maneuver. I was so excited that I could hardly contain myself.
But if Daniel is anything like his old man, he would have felt a little cheated knowing his father helped him, even for that little bit at the end. I mean other babies may roll over 99% of the way and call it a day. Not my Daniel; he would not be denied.
So I flipped Daniel over and laid him down on his back again. With a quick turn, he was back on his tummy with his left arm still tucked underneath. I fought my natural instinct to rush in and save my little boy but I had to let him try. Wiggle. Grunt. His left arm was free! He then pulled his arm from his side to an outstretched position in front of his body. Daniel had completed his first rollover all by himself! 100%!
I am so proud of Daniel! What's kind of funny is that he probably could have done it weeks ago. He's been trying to roll over for a while. But Tary and I always get scared that he might roll over and not be able to lift his head to breathe so we gently nudge him on his back. But he was determined. And in the end, he taught me that sometimes it's okay for his Daddy to let him go a little bit.
Daniel is at such a fun stage right now. He loves playing in his bebePOD which is a supported sitter. Various toys can be attached and Daniel loves hitting them to make them spin. His favorite game though is playing peek-a-boo with me which always elicits a big smile after I uncover my eyes.
He's also using his improved hand-eye coordination to try to hold his own bottle. A really cute thing he does is try to hold his bottle with one hand and then sneak his other hand into his mouth so that he's sucking his bottle and thumb at the same time. It makes a mess everywhere but it's hard to get upset when he smiles up at you with those big brown eyes.
It also appears that Daniel has started teething. He normally is such an easygoing baby and doesn't cry much other than to be fed or walked around the room. But for the past week or two, he has been a little fussier at nights where it seems nothing can console him. I can already see some white specs along his bottom gum-line so we may start to see them poke through any day now.
Another thing I love about Daniel right now is how much he loves to talk. It takes him a little bit to get him warmed up to other people, but if you can get him to laugh or smile, he'll start talking. He'll keep going and going if you respond. He definitely enjoys carrying conversations.
Last night, Daniel rolled over from his back to his tummy for the first time! In fact, he did it a few more times much to the delight of a very proud father. My little man is growing up!
His first attempt caught me by surprise. I laid him on his play-mat and before I knew it, he flipped completely over with his left arm still tucked underneath his tummy. He struggled a little bit to free his arm so I lifted him slightly so he could complete the maneuver. I was so excited that I could hardly contain myself.
But if Daniel is anything like his old man, he would have felt a little cheated knowing his father helped him, even for that little bit at the end. I mean other babies may roll over 99% of the way and call it a day. Not my Daniel; he would not be denied.
So I flipped Daniel over and laid him down on his back again. With a quick turn, he was back on his tummy with his left arm still tucked underneath. I fought my natural instinct to rush in and save my little boy but I had to let him try. Wiggle. Grunt. His left arm was free! He then pulled his arm from his side to an outstretched position in front of his body. Daniel had completed his first rollover all by himself! 100%!
I am so proud of Daniel! What's kind of funny is that he probably could have done it weeks ago. He's been trying to roll over for a while. But Tary and I always get scared that he might roll over and not be able to lift his head to breathe so we gently nudge him on his back. But he was determined. And in the end, he taught me that sometimes it's okay for his Daddy to let him go a little bit.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Baby on Board = Bullseye?
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| Damage after the Accident |
The other driver was a 25-year-old girl who tried to apologize and soften me up by saying she has a daughter of her own. She claimed that she didn't know what happened and her foot "slipped". However, right after impact I saw in my rear-view mirror that she was yapping away on her stupid cell phone. I really didn't care for what she had to say at that point and my paternal instincts took over. She was lucky to escape the Daddy Backhand.
I tried to console Daniel but he kept crying. I called 911 and was instructed to not move Daniel from his car seat until help came. Two police officers and an ambulance arrived a few minutes after. The paramedics briefly checked him and said that he was okay.
I was pretty sure that he was okay; but sometimes as a dad, you are allowed to act somewhat irrationally. I wanted to be absolutely sure so I asked them to bring him to the hospital. I carried Daniel in his car seat over to the ambulance and the paramedics strapped him to the stretcher. Daniel started talking with one of the paramedics. I guess it was his little way of telling me that he was okay.
By this point, the police officers had collected the other driver's details and handed me a copy of the accident information exchange form. I then followed the ambulance to Saints Memorial Hospital.
A nurse collected some vitals from Daniel. Tary rushed from work and found us waiting in the lobby. The doctor performed a much more thorough examination and confirmed that Daniel was okay. Whew, what a relief.
I am so thankful that Daniel is okay. I'm happy he's built like a linebacker and he's one tough little guy. It also doesn't hurt to have a really buff car seat too.
Anyways, I can't believe that this is the second time I've been rear-ended in this car. And I can't believe that in both cases, it happened while waiting to enter a rotary! Does the "Baby on Board" sticker look like a bullseye? I just don't get it...
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Daycare = Germ Breeding Center
On Saturday morning, I noticed that Daniel was sneezing quite a bit, had a runny nose, watery eyes, and sounded congested. My worst fears were realized; my poor little baby was sick! My thoughts ranged from concern for Daniel to scorn for the other babies in the daycare who passed their germs onto our innocent little Daniel!
Daniel didn't seem to mind being sick but Tary and I were still worried. We took him to the pediatrician's office just to be sure. They weighed him (15 lbs, 4 oz.) and the doctor checked him out. She reassured us that it was just a cold and that he would be fine.
By Sunday, Daniel seemed to be doing better but Tary and I definitely weren't feeling well. I can't remember who told me this but he said something similar to, "Once your kids start going to daycare, you'll never feel healthy again." Truer words have never been spoken.
I was still feeling sick on Monday so I had to call in from work. I hate calling in sick because I always feel guilty. Many people abuse their sick time and I pride myself on my own work ethic. But when you're really sick, you have to rest and Monday was just one of those days. Thankfully Tary has Mondays off so it made it a little easier to take care of Daniel.
Our little Daniel is such a tough little trooper. He never complains and you would never know that he was sick save for some congestion. I wish the same could be said of his Daddy. I could use a bubble bath...
Daniel didn't seem to mind being sick but Tary and I were still worried. We took him to the pediatrician's office just to be sure. They weighed him (15 lbs, 4 oz.) and the doctor checked him out. She reassured us that it was just a cold and that he would be fine.
By Sunday, Daniel seemed to be doing better but Tary and I definitely weren't feeling well. I can't remember who told me this but he said something similar to, "Once your kids start going to daycare, you'll never feel healthy again." Truer words have never been spoken.
I was still feeling sick on Monday so I had to call in from work. I hate calling in sick because I always feel guilty. Many people abuse their sick time and I pride myself on my own work ethic. But when you're really sick, you have to rest and Monday was just one of those days. Thankfully Tary has Mondays off so it made it a little easier to take care of Daniel.
Our little Daniel is such a tough little trooper. He never complains and you would never know that he was sick save for some congestion. I wish the same could be said of his Daddy. I could use a bubble bath...
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
First Day of Daycare
Today was Daniel's first day at daycare. As I walked through the door to the nursery, an adorable baby girl crawled over to see Daniel. Aww, he's already made a new friend. A pair of babies were playing on a mat to my left. Another was playing in her crib while lying on her stomach. The pair of teachers watched on.
Daniel was still asleep from the car ride over so I quietly took him out of the car seat and placed him in the crib they set aside for him. I spent a few moments giving some last minute instructions. Maybe it was a subconscious stall tactic. It was finally time for me to go.
It was one of the hardest things for me to leave him there. I know deep down inside that he's ready for this. He is used to different people holding him and taking care of him. I just wasn't sure if I was ready to let him go.
I can't believe that Daniel's now almost 3 months old. Our little boy isn't quite so little anymore. He's talking a lot more as you can see from this video.
His umbilical hernia is almost completely healed. He likes trying to stand up. I know he won't stay a baby forever so I'm just enjoying this time in his development. As much as I want to hold him, protect him, and baby him, I know that part of being a dad is knowing when to let go. I'm just glad that I get to still watch on.
Daniel was still asleep from the car ride over so I quietly took him out of the car seat and placed him in the crib they set aside for him. I spent a few moments giving some last minute instructions. Maybe it was a subconscious stall tactic. It was finally time for me to go.
It was one of the hardest things for me to leave him there. I know deep down inside that he's ready for this. He is used to different people holding him and taking care of him. I just wasn't sure if I was ready to let him go.
I can't believe that Daniel's now almost 3 months old. Our little boy isn't quite so little anymore. He's talking a lot more as you can see from this video.
His umbilical hernia is almost completely healed. He likes trying to stand up. I know he won't stay a baby forever so I'm just enjoying this time in his development. As much as I want to hold him, protect him, and baby him, I know that part of being a dad is knowing when to let go. I'm just glad that I get to still watch on.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Happy 29th Birthday
Today was my 29th birthday and it was easily the best birthday I have ever had!
On Sunday night, my friends and family took me out to dinner at Longhorn's. There were 17 people including myself. Our group made it quite challenging for the staff so a few orders got crossed up. The food was good, the conversations were comical, and the company unmatched.
After dinner, we went to a friend's house where everyone surprised me with a birthday cake from Dessert Works. That was the same place that made our wedding cake. I held Daniel as I blew out the candles. It was great to see everyone there.
Following her own family's tradition on birthdays, a friend asked me "Do you feel older and do you feel wiser?" I replied, "I certainly feel older...though I don't know if I feel any wiser." In hindsight, I guess I do feel a little wiser. I know who I am now and I am comfortable in my skin. I definitely can appreciate the small joys in life.
After work today, I came home to my son using some crayons to make me a birthday card (with the help of his Mommy of course). It was the best birthday present I have ever received! It definitely brought happy tears to my eyes.
I am truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. I'd like to thank Rathana, Ammara, Paul and Lyna, Lack, Sai and Nikki, my brother James and Jonell, Thoeun, Sam and Jacqui, Sayan and Judy, Joseph, my son Daniel, and last but certainly not least, my wife Tary for organizing everything. Also, a special thanks to Ammara for driving all of the way to Norwood to pick up the birthday cakes and getting me some very thoughtful gifts. I love you guys!
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