keystone

I am so excited to get away!!!! and with the hubby( lately,he hasn't been able to get more than  a weekend off which meant no Hawaii,no oregon,no nothing..)we do this annual snowboarding trip with his sister and her fam and usually his parents(they can't make it this year)..i plan on taking lil girl out in the snow,swimming,and maybe doing some shopping..if i do any snowboarding,I'll go at night( the one nice option at keystone)..

she won't starve

lil girl signs "cracker" to the best of her ability:)

Chinese new year

it was on feb.10th, but my aunt sent me this traditional chinese dress for maya and it came the other day.my other aunt and  uncle also brought maya a dress from their trip to china,i should have maya wear it too....this was  how maya felt about it:

it fit perfect!

not a fan

freaking  out

calming down when i said she could take it off

and i finally got to use one of the three phrases i know in cantonese when i talked to my grandpa,"gong hey fat choy"(happy new year)..my grandpa speaks barely any english and my mom grew up speaking cantonese.she was also born in taiwan..cool huh?!

mai mai and the cribby

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what to watch according to my toddler

baby first tv is a channel on dish network...these three shows have quickly become maya's favorites:

the cats just make sounds,no diaogue...maya reyn is glued to the tv when they come on...

this show is called "harry the bunny"......clearly, a fan favorite...

and shushybye............creepy.......

i won't say my tv picks are much better...i enjoy vegetating to the real housewives,
modern family,duck dynasty,shark tank,etc.......i need to be able to wind down too:)

And just so educators know,these are her top 5 book requests:

she has me read these so much that i will say one line from any of them and she will go find the exact book for me...at least i know she is listening to me:)

Sentimental Sunday

 Things that rock:

1. I love watching Maya clap her hands.She loves doing it when she hears others start  to clap.Also,she does it when she is proud of herself.Her smile gets huge too.

2. The hugs she shares with her animals...

 

3.Daddy time(a fun day in the snow yesterday)

what a great surprise!

Maya signs "book" now and has officially made her first animal sound..this really makes me happy since my last post....and the animal sound isn't your typical animal..it is "ssssssss"for snake....how random huh?! she has one book that has me say different animal sounds and snake must have stuck.

we went to red robin tonight..note to self,even going at 4:30 it is crazy and avoid eating out on saturdays because if you have to wait longer than ten min. it is tough with a hungry toddler..on the plus side:

brought maya's inglesina table seat and it was awesome to have her in the booth with me...

AND someone lovvvvvved the balloon!!!!(15 min at home and it is stuck in our front room which has the only extremely high ceiling..go figure)

Shout Out to my Sister

Maya and I had lunch with my amazing friend Ellyn. She is a retired speech and language pathologist(SLP) and encouraged me to get my speech and language pathologist aide certification(i completed that a month before maya was born..so worth it!).Anyways, she noticed i really dont give maya opportunities to talk for herself.I felt like I was always giving her choices but i wouldn't necessarily wait until she told me she wanted something. Basically,Maya has been super quiet with her vocalizations and it has worried me a bit because I know from my courses and my SLP friends that Maya should be saying more word approximations...right now, she says mama, dada, and signs more,eat,milk and please...everything else is pointing. So the reason this is a shout out to my sister is that my sister is an SLP(which means, as an aide I could work for her..did you know she is younger than me?..ugghhh)..She is amazing at what she does and gave me all this great advice(for free!):

If her needs are met without her having to do anything, then she doesn't need to do/say anything lol. I would choose a few words that you would like her to say and manipulate the environment to create the need for her to request. 

1. For example, when you guys are eating or if it's snack time, sign "food" (put your hand to your mouth like you are putting something in your mouth). During snack time, give her small portions so that she is still hungry. Since she's still hungry, she needs to ask for more. If she signs "more", you tell her "more food" and sign food if that's the sign you want her to do. 
2. If Maya needs a drink, try and distinguish between milk and water. Whenever you give her milk, sign milk .Of course, when you sign, make sure you say the word and try make it so that you are at eye level so she can see your face. Sign "water" and say "water" when you are giving her water. Let her have a sip and then either move her cup out of reach (e.g., if she is in her high chair, you can hold her cup for her or put it on the kitchen table). If she wants more, you can say "more water" or "water?" and sign water.
3. Choose some toys that Maya really likes. It's important for her to be interested in the objects and have the desire to get them. If she does not care what they are then she won't be motivated to ask for them. Take her favorite toys and put them out of reach but within eyesight so she can see them and has to ask for you to get them. Make her use different words other than just please.
4. Make things difficult for her to get. If you have jars or boxes that close, screw the lid on tight so that she cannot open it by herself. She will have to ask you to open it. 
5. It will probably get worse before it gets better. If Maya is used to getting everything with no effort, she may become frustrated. To try and alleviate this frustration for both you and her, try use this technique:
                    Maya wants an object so she points and vocalizes.
                    You say the word and use the sign. Wait to see if she imitates.
                    If she imitates, give it to her. If she doesn't, tell her "say XXX".
                   If she imitates, give it to her. If she doesn't, say the word one more time and then give it to her.
This way Maya is hearing the word repeatedly and will hopefully connect the word/sign to the object.

Try and increase her vocabulary because you do want to wean her away from the habit of just thinking that by signing "more" and "please" she can get everything. Make sure she can see your mouth when you talk. One thing you can do is hold the desired object by your mouth so that she has to look at your face. 

FANTASTIC advice right?! Yeah, I am pretty lucky that I have such a good resource to go to for any speech and language concerns. Thanks Aunty Roo!!!!!!

BTW it has been a pretty tough pill to swallow knowing that Maya doesn't have many words. I stay at home with her, I'm reading to her, I talk with her everywhere we go, I listen when she babbles, I repeat her sounds back to her, but as you can see sometimes all that just isn't enough....I am impressed with her cognition though because she follows many different commands/directions, points to labels in books when asked, points to body parts,etc. But she is definitely lacking verbally...if you are ever concerned about your kiddo's speech and language too, it's better to seek help earlier rather than later...I will keep you posted on lil munchie's development. 

Here are some milestones that are also interesting to read(from http://www.ldonline.org/article/6313):

By age one

Milestones

• Recognizes name
• Says 2-3 words besides "mama" and "dada"
• Imitates familiar words
• Understands simple instructions
• Recognizes words as symbols for objects: Car - points to garage, cat - meows

Activities to encourage your child's language

• Respond to your child's coos, gurgles, and babbling
• Talk to your child as you care for him or her throughout the day
• Read colorful books to your child every day
• Tell nursery rhymes and sing songs
• Teach your child the names of everyday items and familiar people
• Take your child with you to new places and situations
• Play simple games with your child such as "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake"

Between one and two

Milestones

• Understands "no"
• Uses 10 to 20 words, including names
• Combines two words such as "daddy bye-bye"
• Waves good-bye and plays pat-a-cake
• Makes the "sounds" of familiar animals
• Gives a toy when asked
• Uses words such as "more" to make wants known
• Points to his or her toes, eyes, and nose
• Brings object from another room when asked

Activities to encourage your child's language

• Reward and encourage early efforts at saying new words
• Talk to your baby about everything you're doing while you're with him
• Talk simply, clearly, and slowly to your child
• Talk about new situations before you go, while you're there, and again when you are home
• Look at your child when he or she talks to you
• Describe what your child is doing, feeling, hearing
• Let your child listen to children's records and tapes
• Praise your child's efforts to communicate

growth stats 15 mo.

18 lbs. 13 oz. 16%
31 3/4 in. 86%
head 72%

latest and greatest: totally cuckoo for animals,especially dogs..really wants to make choices about what to eat, steady walker now,loves putting her hat on by herself, lots more pretend play, interested in puzzles,imitates  actions shown,babbling a ton(huge for her),pointing to make requests, and knows how to get into dad's iphone and the ipad by swiping the bar with her thumb(babies are so tech savvy nowadays...)

waiting patiently..and of course eating..how is she only 16% for weight?!

sideways hat

crumbs

why does maya get to eat goldfish and graham crackers in bed?..

...it is because i am tired...so tired that i don't care if i wake up with crumbs in my hair..also,i have her sit on her father's side of the bed:)

Where does the time go?

i can't believe Maya will be 15 mo old tomorrow!!! Honestly when we found out we were expecting I never liked holding babies and it wasn't until i worked in SPED that I even changed a diaper...I have always loved kids but kids hold their  own heads up and can talk.Needless to say, i read a lotttttt of books..brad read NOTHING..he was so used to newborns because we have a lot of nieces and nephews:)))

Mai has been so amazing and I feel so blessed to be her mama.Having a family is by far the most wonderful thing I have EVER experienced...i know what it feels like to want to sacrifice anything for your child..i clearly remember saying "i would rather have no teeth than not have Maya"....i had major teeth probs with pregnancy and if we have more kids i really might have dentures...no one warned me how prego hormones could mean a root canal,wisdom tooth pulled,six cavities,and a "pregnancy tumor" in the middle of my front teeth...but like i said,all worth it because Mai Mai is the best:)

slide obsession

I found this  slide on craigslist and it has been the best thing to have when it is too cold to play outside.Mai has been able to climb up  by herself for  a while now,but she ALWAYS does this same "help" noise when she is at the top.i have been relieved she won't go down without us.....until today......she shook her head "no" when i tried to help.So i just sat at the bottom and caught her....for easily a half hour until i forced her to take a water break...and of course i snapped some pics:

ms.independent

lets out a crazy scream before taking the plunge

bonus of the day: a hug and kiss with every trip down the slide

good try

 Usually every weekend we take Mai to the pool.Yesterday, we decided to do a small  detour at the club and drop her off at childcare.I haven't taken advantage of the free childcare(two hours daily!) because i have been called to come get her within ten min...then, she proceeds to cling to me for the rest of the day.It is not worth the ten minutes!

Yesterday, she got to go in the toddler section and i waved goodbye and there were no tears! The plan was to just leave her for five min.(we were there for swimming),and watch her interactions...lil girl looked soooooo little compared to all the other kids.She just stood in the middle of the room by herself:( Finally,she waddled over to the slide and seemed interested...2 min.later she started to cry:((( she just looked so sad and lost that i went to rescue her......then i smelled her......was she crying because she missed me or because she literally was so upset that she pooped herself?...so many questions...a true mystery....

and yes we did end up going swimming which cheered her up...

and we saw this bunny friend in the backyard....

Maya's Worst Enemy

THE CARSEAT!!!!!!! I clearly remember the trigger that started her full hatred of her carseat..she has yet to recover....my parents and I took a roadtrip to Nebraska to celebrate my niece's confirmation..loved being  a part of my niece's big day,but hated that drive.my father wrote a nice list of traveling tips if you travel with ME...i guess i traumatized them more than maya...for example, traveling tip #3-no eating,drinking,opening a package,etc. if it entails any noise above a decibel...and tip#6-when baby is happy and content,mother is in much better disposition.when baby freaks out,mother will follow suit.....

in her carseat but NOT in the car=happy

driving=happy

Maya never had "scream cried" in her 4 months of life and she officially found her voice...basically,ever since that trip she can not stand being in the car longer than 10 min.i am NOT exaggerating....

in the car on that roadtrip..4 mo old

I even switched  her to a bigger carseat thinking she might like looking out the window.She laughed in my face.....so since there is no way to avoid the fact we MUST use a car,here is  a list of must haves for the car: FOOD(crackers,baby food pouches,string cheese),books(i have them in arm's reach so when she chucks one i can quickly replace it), old receipts(rip away Maya! i will never return anything..it's not worth the drive back), and me saying "we are almost home!!" even though we are miles away still...those are my secrets to driving without pulling my hair out.

(i decided to spare you a video of her screaming..here is how much she loves her dad..and the food he is bribing her with)




the unexplainable thing is she NEVER throws a fit with Brad when it is just them.....seriously?!!!!

another classic maya video

everyone says that kids will do better facing forward...i have to wait until she weighs 20 lbs.she is 19......or the recommendation by safety people is 2 years old..i have the graco myride 65 that allows rear facing to 40 lbs....we will just have to see how long i can be tortured...keep u posted!

driving home from church..poor munchie

Sentimental Sunday

I am able to blog so much because i sit next to Maya during EVERY nap...so,I think I can make this Sunday post a weekly thing.It is a good time to reflect what has warmed my heart throughout the week....also i know my long-term memory  has never been strong and i would like to one day look back and remember the little things....

1.holding hands with Mai.....i get so much joy when she reaches for my hand....

2. unsolicited kisses..i feel so loved...especially since she will deny a request for a kiss now with an adamant head shake

2. this happened this morning: i was sitting on the kitchen floor feeding mai her bowl of cheerios,when she stood up suddenly and bumped the bowl..milk and cheerios all over me and the floor...AND we needed to leave for church.Hubby came down and i went up to change....When i came down i saw he had mopped up the mess....WITHOUT me asking......yep,he gets one less nag from me today for sure.......or i will let him watch all the wresting he wants(u should see how many big10 wrestling matches are on our DVR)

sunny days

they never get old.....

Asian baby!

bubble tea

 tofu

I don't want to offend anyone, but I love talking about asians....call me "oriental" and you're dead though......I am not a rug.....before Maya was born I was always wondering what our kiddo would look like. I would nudge Brad every time I saw a hapa baby anywhere. He got annoyed pretty fast. But, I knew he was curious too because he would randomly look at me and say "what do you think she will look like?"(and not in too positive of a tone...like she would be a weird weird weird looking baby..thanks hon...).

Here is Maya's ethnicity broken down(I made my dad do this math since he is asian):
34% chinese,26% german,25% czech,12% korean, and 1% irish....couple of percentages missing dad!

If people just see Maya with me, they think she is sooooo my mini-me.....If they see her with Brad, they barely assume she is half asian....and asians in hawaii all thought I was her nurse maid(according to my grandma). I think she is just a greatly skilled chameleon....Here she looks like a zebra:

And here she looks like a bum:

And here she looks like a hippy:

such a sweet pea:) She couldn't be more perfect

here are some more pics to compare: