So Many Things

So many things to update!  So many pictures to post!

Hong Kong has been getting warmer lately.  We have had a nice run of bright, sunny and now increasingly hot days.

Easter was beautiful here and people were pretty lax about social distancing.  We didn't do it, but I read reports of people hiking and flocking to the beach without face masks (Eeek).  So far, the numbers here in Hong Kong have been staying steady and low.  We are over a thousand cases but still only at four deaths and the government has continued to be able to contact trace every single case.  There is a website that lists in detail each patient, their travel history, source of contagion, current whereabouts and condition.  There are rumblings about loosening of restrictions, possibly by the end of the month, although it seems it would only be a bit at a time.

The boys have been growing so well and in the past couple of weeks have really made leaps in their development.  They are so vocal now - always chirping and shouting and gurgling and making all kinds of experimental noises with their throats, tongues and mouths.  Lola was like this also, and if it's any indication, I expect they will also be pretty early in their speech.  They really enjoy story time and reading - in fact, when being read to, they often reach their hands out to touch the books and they stare unblinkingly at the pictures with a lot of focus and concentration.

 

 

  

 They have both also improved so much at tummy time.  Now they can lift their heads so high.  They like the toys that have music and lights, which encourages them to reach and look farther and for longer.   In another development, they now recognize their milk bottles.  If they are hungry and they see their bottles, they get very excited and animated.  If it gets taken away, they go nuts!  Their skin is silk soft and they are both getting so big and heavy!  I love all of their fat rolls, especially their elbow dimples.  Al remains slightly bigger than Teo, despite often eating less.  But Teo is probably awake for longer, so he is burning off what he eats more quickly.

 

 Sometimes we put them together in one crib to play.  It's very sweet when they hold hands.  These pictures were taken in a rare moment when we managed to get all three kids in one room, listening to the same bedtime story ("Sleep Tight, the Very Hungry Caterpillar").  In one particularly funny moment, Teo put Al's right arm in his mouth and tried to eat it!

 The boys have also perfected their expressions, varying from desperate to plaintive to angry to joyful.  I have forgotten how much joy can be found in the sudden ear-to-ear grin of a toothless baby.  Both boys are generally very easygoing and happy and smile readily and eagerly when you coo or talk to them.  They are still waking up once in the middle of the night, sometimes more.  Al generally remains the better and more solid sleeper, while Teo generally remains the more chill and contemplative baby while awake.


On the other front, Lola has been trying our energy and patience lately.  She is going through some heavy duty terrible two's and can switch from happiness and good cheer to anger and frustration in the blink of an eye.  She is definitely pushing boundaries and trying to get her way in everything.  The combination of her feeling out her autonomy while adjusting to sharing attention and toys with her twin baby brothers has left her in a particularly tough spot.  Her relentless negotiations continue unabated and it often leaves me a mess - drained, tired, frustrated; desperately trying to keep my patience, feeling inadequate as a parent, wanting to help her, but also trying to maintain the proper boundaries between love and discipline.

Ah, this little one.  She is still so rewarding.

 

We had some tomato plants that finally delivered some fruit - Lola plucked the tomato with great delight when it was finally ready!

 Here, Lola entertains us with her splits.

 For the first time since moving to our new address I used the stairs that allowed us to access a very popular hiking trail here, Bowen Road.  I went with Michael and Lola once but we promptly left because it was too crowded.

Then I went back again during the early morning by myself.  I had forgotten how nice it is.  It is a wonderful path and if I had not spent the first three months here hugely pregnant, followed by being postpartum with twins combined with the coronavirus trying to maintain physical distance, I am sure I would be using that trail every day to work out.  Oh well, you know what they say - excuses!

Otherwise, I am trying to enjoy the nice weather by taking the kids out, one at a time.  I realize it's not necessary to get all three out at the same time - Lola doesn't really interact with Al or Teo, and Al and Teo don't really interact with each other yet.  So it's fine to have some one-on-one time, even if it's just pushing Al around our street in a stroller, or taking Lola to the park with her scooter.  I also managed to enjoy a nice, rare walk with another girlfriend, sans kids.  While that was barely an hour, it still felt great and we managed to work up a sweat.

Sometimes the kids do manage to interact a bit with each other, and when they do it is particularly sweet.

 

These pictures were taken on my mom's birthday, which we celebrated this week. She's a happy grandma!

We celebrated with a hotpot feast, followed by a delicious chiffon cake.  Lola got to enjoy her much anticipated wagyu beef, followed by (eyes widening dramatically here) grandma's birthday cake!

 My parents and I also embarked on a few fun culinary projects this past week.  We made 6 liters of Chinese medicinal rum, soaking goji berries, red and black dates, ginseng and various other Chinese herbs and medicines.  The most important ingredient?  Patience.  The alcohol needs to seep for 2 years, ideally for 5!  We also tried to make from scratch pork dumplings and chive "pockets," both traditional Chinese dishes that I love.