M dancing

Grandma & Granddad come to visit!

We have loved having Grandma and Granddad this past week. Jon was working in Hanoi for most of the time, and we missed him terribly. Emily had a wonderful time in the pool and in the apartment, as well as on some excursions. Grandma has a way of making eating and bathtime actually attractive and fun (yay - the results are continuing!) and Granddad has taught Emily new confidence and joy in the pool. (We have some more great pics if you'd like the link!)

More Grandpa Time

This morning we went for a special brekky with Grandpa. Emily had her milk in the taxi. We got stuck in traffic necessitating much entertainment from Grandpa and Mum!

A few other things we've been up to....

Spending time with our lovely Bangkok friend Rebecca and her adorable baby 'D'. Also enjoying Grandpa's cooking!

Watching Emily say (her version of) "Sawadee ka" with hands doing the 'wai'

Spending time most days in the pool (I walk in the water and Emily mostly tries to run around the perimeter of the pool, giving Grandpa a lot of exercise... she HAS taken to this 'brrrrrmmmm' floating car however)

Enjoying watching Emily getting on things and in things and up to things :-)

Great to have Jon back

Jon's been away for a week's work back in the office, while we've been enjoying having Grandpa around. Here are some things we've been up to....

Playing with balloons! ("balls")

Overdosing on telephones

Stories with Grandpa

Finding taxis with seatbelts (Grandpa is a seatbelt magnet - I reckon there's 14 taxis in the whole of Bangkok that have backseat seatbelts and Grandpa has found them all :-)

Fathers Day

Well, not in Australia :-) Not in Thailand either. But in America it is, and I'm all for seizing an opportunity to help teach Emily another aspect of honouring her Dad by doing a few things to help him feel especially special! She had a card for him this morning and for lunch we are going to Burger King - one of Jon's favourites (and they don't exist in Hanoi!)

Birthday Fun!

Jon planned a LOVELY day today. We went out for a yummy family brekky and Emily had a swing in Lumpini Park. Then after a rest we went to McDonalds and then Krispy Kreme for dessert -- complete with candles on the donuts! :-) (Virginia will be proud!)

Emily, it would seem, has a personality that is larger than life WITHOUT sugar, but WITH sugar it is indescribable. A few bites of donut and her usual love for life and people increased exponentially. She was high! She ran around the mall, waving and blowing kisses and squealing with joy (and unbelievable volume). A man dressed up as a fish apparently added to her psychadelic experience and there were times when she'd just have to stand still and SHAKE with excitement (and a squeal). Tomorrow, we return to a healthy diet.

(As I write, Emily is colouring in a birthday card for me. Correction: she is supposed to be colouring; she's actually eating the crayons. They are made from beeswax in New Zealand, so when a crayon smells like honey, what's a kid to do?)

Oh - and a wee bit of Thai-lish to share.... a taxi driver today pointed to my tummy and asked, 'boy or woman?'. I thought how very glad I was that I wasn't carrying a woman.

(32 weeks today!!)

Bangkok

Two days ago Em was 18mo exactly and she measured at 86cm tall. So, if the old 'double a girl's height at 18mo to project adult height' thing holds any water, she'll be 172cm. 1 cm shorter than her Mum (who, by Emily's adulthood, will have no doubt shrunk, and she may end up taller than me afterall :-)

We've been in Bangkok over two weeks now. I've been doing a lot of resting (necessary but no fun) and Emily, Jon and Mrs Hien have been...

Playing inside the apartment....

Going for rides in tuk-tuks....

Exploring outdoor playgyms... and indoor ones!

Dressing up... (!) and shopping for groceries