Every week passes by in a blur and I'm always shocked it's the weekend yet again. These days are kind of monotonous and, but for Lola's activities, I would be a bit lost as to what day of the week it is. Yet each time Monday rolls around, I'm also simultaneously surprised and relieved we made it through another weekend unscathed.
I have to admit, I was really stressed out at the idea of my parents coming to visit. Stressed but also excited. And now that they've been here for just over a week I'm so grateful that they insisted on coming out to visit me. Hong Kong has calmed down a bit over Covid 19 (it looks like things have calmed a bit here just as the panic is starting to pick up all over the world) and the weather has been getting steadily better. It has been such an immense help to have my mom and dad on hand to help hold a baby or entertain a toddler. They've also gone above and beyond in helping me buy food from the market and random things that we need for the babies or the kitchen. This means our apartment is constantly abuzz with activity and people - the days when Michael and I had an entire apartment to ourselves - merely 2.5 years ago - is but a faint wisp of a memory now.
The boys are so sweet and so cute - I can't believe how quickly they're growing. Sometimes I just cuddle them close and hold them tight and kiss their fat cheeks and their foreheads and cannot believe that I had them both in my belly at the same time.
Al and Teo are slowly able to see and they have been making eye contact when they feed. In the last week or so their perception seems better as they will stare at themselves in the baby mirror and sometimes track a voice or object by turning their heads. They now both enjoy being propped up on a shoulder so they can "look" outside. I'm not sure how far they can see as of yet but their eyes are wide open and inquisitive when they're perched up high!
Teo eats more than Al but is slightly skinnier - probably because he is still a bit more active. He sleeps less and is an active participant in tummy time. Al, on the other hand, sleeps more and when I try to get him to do tummy time, usually just ends up turning his head to one side and falling into a contented slumber.
Right now they are waking up about twice in one night - they go to sleep around 7:30-9 pm and then wake up around midnight or 1, then wake up again around 4-5 am. They still have very good appetites and love being held (but what baby doesn't). They slept in the same crib for about the first month but now are in their own cribs. Sometimes they can be on the same playmat or twin Z pillow side by side, but usually one is crying while the other is okay. It's very hard to get them both in a calm state!
Just as they got tucked into bed right after a feed. My heart.
Lola has all kinds of ideas and picks up on everything we say. On Thursday in the car, when my dad (Lola's yeye) was trying to speak to her, she furrowed her brow and shook her hand insistently and said in Mandarin, "When the car is in motion we cannot talk." On Friday she came back from her sports playdate on the Peak shouting, "I don't like sports! I only liked the playground!" Sometimes when she is throwing a temper tantrum she will wail in
Chinese (from her prone position on the floor), "I am throwing a temper
tantrum!" I don't dare say to give her "just a little
bit" or "not too much" when it comes to any snacks or dessert, because
then she will freak out and say "I want too much I want too much!" or "I
want so much!" or "NOT just a little bit!"
Lola and Michael have a ritual now where they watch a few videos together before bed. They each get a cashew or a peanut and "cheers" each other, and have conversation. Last night Lola said that they couldn't go to Japan because people were sick. She also has all kinds of grand plans for Japan when we eventually can go, including taking the plane, going skiing, and eating hotpot and ice cream.
Lola now takes a bath in our master bathtub (it's a highlight of her day as she has a lot more space to play and we liken it to a swimming pool). She continues to love to play act with me, where frequently I am a teacher (she names a particular one) or she is the teacher. We do music class, ballet class, Chinese class, reading... etc. etc. Because Lola's schools continue to be closed, we have been forced to try to do electronic learning. This is pretty tough, especially because Lola never shows interest in the planned activity. I marvel at the pictures uploaded by other parents of their kids baking banana bread or painting or following any instructions, really. She won't even act out the parts to the songs that she knows. But we also joined a few small playgroups with other similarly-aged kids this week, where she got to do music (she will participate), art (she will not even touch the art materials) and sports (she does not like it but will begrudgingly participate). Lola's ballet class restarted this month, which has been fantastic. Lola has shown a marked interest in wearing her tutu at all times, including when she went to do sports.
Lola listens very attentively to her yeye, while doing her Chinese lessons and also during dinner time.
Tonight, we went to the American Club with my parents for the first time. Lola was very excited to show them around.
Lola insisted on dressing up to the nines in a qipao, getting her hair done, and bringing two little purses.
I have to admit, I was really stressed out at the idea of my parents coming to visit. Stressed but also excited. And now that they've been here for just over a week I'm so grateful that they insisted on coming out to visit me. Hong Kong has calmed down a bit over Covid 19 (it looks like things have calmed a bit here just as the panic is starting to pick up all over the world) and the weather has been getting steadily better. It has been such an immense help to have my mom and dad on hand to help hold a baby or entertain a toddler. They've also gone above and beyond in helping me buy food from the market and random things that we need for the babies or the kitchen. This means our apartment is constantly abuzz with activity and people - the days when Michael and I had an entire apartment to ourselves - merely 2.5 years ago - is but a faint wisp of a memory now.
The boys are so sweet and so cute - I can't believe how quickly they're growing. Sometimes I just cuddle them close and hold them tight and kiss their fat cheeks and their foreheads and cannot believe that I had them both in my belly at the same time.
Al and Teo are slowly able to see and they have been making eye contact when they feed. In the last week or so their perception seems better as they will stare at themselves in the baby mirror and sometimes track a voice or object by turning their heads. They now both enjoy being propped up on a shoulder so they can "look" outside. I'm not sure how far they can see as of yet but their eyes are wide open and inquisitive when they're perched up high!
Teo eats more than Al but is slightly skinnier - probably because he is still a bit more active. He sleeps less and is an active participant in tummy time. Al, on the other hand, sleeps more and when I try to get him to do tummy time, usually just ends up turning his head to one side and falling into a contented slumber.
Right now they are waking up about twice in one night - they go to sleep around 7:30-9 pm and then wake up around midnight or 1, then wake up again around 4-5 am. They still have very good appetites and love being held (but what baby doesn't). They slept in the same crib for about the first month but now are in their own cribs. Sometimes they can be on the same playmat or twin Z pillow side by side, but usually one is crying while the other is okay. It's very hard to get them both in a calm state!
Lola and Michael have a ritual now where they watch a few videos together before bed. They each get a cashew or a peanut and "cheers" each other, and have conversation. Last night Lola said that they couldn't go to Japan because people were sick. She also has all kinds of grand plans for Japan when we eventually can go, including taking the plane, going skiing, and eating hotpot and ice cream.
Lola now takes a bath in our master bathtub (it's a highlight of her day as she has a lot more space to play and we liken it to a swimming pool). She continues to love to play act with me, where frequently I am a teacher (she names a particular one) or she is the teacher. We do music class, ballet class, Chinese class, reading... etc. etc. Because Lola's schools continue to be closed, we have been forced to try to do electronic learning. This is pretty tough, especially because Lola never shows interest in the planned activity. I marvel at the pictures uploaded by other parents of their kids baking banana bread or painting or following any instructions, really. She won't even act out the parts to the songs that she knows. But we also joined a few small playgroups with other similarly-aged kids this week, where she got to do music (she will participate), art (she will not even touch the art materials) and sports (she does not like it but will begrudgingly participate). Lola's ballet class restarted this month, which has been fantastic. Lola has shown a marked interest in wearing her tutu at all times, including when she went to do sports.
Lola listens very attentively to her yeye, while doing her Chinese lessons and also during dinner time.
Tonight, we went to the American Club with my parents for the first time. Lola was very excited to show them around.
Lola insisted on dressing up to the nines in a qipao, getting her hair done, and bringing two little purses.
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