Driving cars

Natalie understands that you "drive" cars. She loves to drive cars. We were at the B&Q home improvement megastore last week and she really enjoyed sitting in their car-shopping cart and being pushed around. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, "Nat-a-lee drive cah!"

Look at the little smile on her face as she sits in her car and snacks on some bread.


Here she is with her daddy. It's funny the things kids like!

Natalie's favourite sleep friend

Lately, Natalie has become very attached to her special Harrod's bear named "Harold". She likes to hold him when she sleeps. This bear is from Nai-nai, thank you!

Here is Natalie napping peacfully with Harrod by her side.


Natalie sometimes sweats a lot while she sleeps. Harrod doesn't seem to mind.

Videos of Natalie talking and interacting

Natalie has become very good at communicating and interacting with others. Check out the following three videos:

Video 194 - Watch Natalie eating with her cousin Vanessa and Victoria. She can clearly communications "no veggies" and "no rice". She only likes to eat the "meat" (steamed ground pork). We can also bargain with her now by asking her to eat some rice before eating more meat. Halfway through the video, check out little Victoria's really cute smile.

Video 195 - Watch Natalie playing with a little tissue pack. She opens it, takes out a tissue, unfolds the tissue, wipes her nose, closes the pack, and gives it to me. She tells me the tissue is "dirty" and also says her longest sentence, "See you later".

Video 196 - Listen to Natalie describing what she did today. She saw her cousin Vanessa and Victoria. She likes her cousins. She also saw two dogs, one brown, one yellow. And she describes what dogs eat.

Reading out loud

Watch Video 193 of Natalie reading a picture book "out loud". She can identify characters, items, and colors. If you're her grandparent, wait until the end where she says "Hi" to her Nai-nai, Por-por, Yeh-yeh, and Gong-gong. Her pronunciation is getting much better!

Natalie loves seals and dolphins

While at Ocean Park last week, we went to see the sealion and dolphin show at Ocean's Theater. Natalie LOVES "seals" and will enthusiastically clap and yell "Sheel! Sheel!" whenever the dolphins come out.

Natalie and Ba-ba enjoying the show together. We were seated in the VIP boxes because we have season passes.


Look at the intense concentration on her face.


She loves the show and has already asked us to take her back to see "Sheel!"

Things Natalie Can Do

Natalie is really blooming into a little person. She walks, talks, and has opinions. Things she can do include:

1. Poo in the toilet.
2. Name colors and "not" colors. (eg. "Taxi red. Taxi no yellow.")
3. Recognize and name at least 20 people.
4. Ask for things she wants. (eg. "Bread" and "Nat-lee shower")
5. Tell us things she doesn't want. (eg. "Nat-lee no sleep." and "Nat-lee no walk.")
6. Feed herself a whole meal (with spoon, fingers, and toothpicks).
7. Drink out of a cup by herself without spilling.
8. Stand close to a dog without screaming in terror.
9. Understand that she has to walk up the stairs before she can go down the slide at the park.
10. Reason. (Eg. "Natalie, walk to the tree, then mommy will pick you up." or "Natalie, finish eating and then you can watch Elmo.")
11. Help us change her diaper.
12. Smile on command.
13. Brush her teeth (with out help) and spit out the water.
14. Choose shoes for the whole family (including herself, mommy, and ba-ba).
15. And my all-time favourite: Hug us and say, "Love you" ("Mommy, Ba-Ba, uhv yoo!")

Cutie Patootie

We enjoyed a very chill day at home the other day and decided to snap a few photos of Natalie hanging out with us. Her "look" has changed a lot since she was a little baby, but somehow, she still looks a lot like her daddy Clark.

Natalie with her tongue sticking out. Her eyes are much bigger now that we've figured out (and taken care of) her dust mite allergies. They're not so swollen all around any more.


Natalie gives the camera a big smile with me. I love this picture :)


Another smile for the camera. She's really good at smiling now when we say "Natalie, smile!"


More "big eyes" at the camera (with tongue sticking out).

Natalie and Clark having a "who-has-the-bigger-eyes" contest. It's hard to declare a winner

More "big eyes" from Natalie. It's cute, she'll raise her eyebrows to make them even bigger.

Natalie's look really has changed a lot. Her face has matured from "baby" to "child". The hair still needs to catch up.

Natalie looks like this when she's amazed by something. Lots of things amaze her so she looks like this quite often. She got the open-mouth thing from me.

Farewell to Por-por and Gong-gong

Yesterday, we went with Por-por and Gong-gong to the airport where we had a delicious dim sum lunch before seeing them off back to Toronto. It was so nice to have them here and spending time with Natalie and their grand-children. Thanks for everything, Por-por and Gong-gong, we'll miss you!

Por-por reading with Natalie and Vanessa. Look at the concentration on their little faces.


Victoria crawls over to see what the fuss is about, tearing the book out of por-por's hands.


It was super nice to spend so much family time together. Look at Vicky's little smile.

Colour and Gift wrapping art

Natalie has recently learned to distinguish between different colours. We were initially worried because she didn't even know one color, but suddenly, she now recognizes red, blue, purple, green, black and yellow!

The other day, while helping us to decorate the gift-wrapping paper for Vivo Yee-yee's birthday gift, she was able to tell us the color marker she wanted to use. She would draw a circle and some scribbles with the yellow marker, then put the cap back on and say, "Bwoo!" and I would uncap the blue marker and give it to her. When she was done with that, she would hand it to me and say "Gween!" and I would give her the green marker.

And now, when we're in the car, she will say "Yeh-low bus!" (for yellow bus) and "Ehd dah-cee!" (for red taxi). She's quite the little talker now.

Natalie concentrating on creating wonderful scribble art.


She pauses to smile for the camera and to show off her art work.

She was very happy and proud of her work.

Professional family portraits

I really enjoy candid photos because a lot of great moments and memories can't be repeated in a studio environment, but sometimes, it's nice to let the professionals do what they do best. Check out a sample of photos taken at Life Studios in Hong Kong taken just this weekend.

The babies! This was the one and only one we managed to capture before total baby melt-down.

Natalie hanging with her big cousin Vanessa. Yes, they're wearing the same dress!

Hopping around with Vanessa. Aren't they cute in their outfits?

The Wang family with Por-por and Gong-gong.

Just our little family together. Natalie still looks like Clark, especially when they smile.

Natalie smacks Clark a big one.

And is Mommy's little princess.

Little Cousin Nicholas

Natalie loves to visit Carol Yee-yee and Dave Yee-jurn because she loves to sit in her (old) exersaucer. It now belongs to Nicholas. But whenever she visits, she'll kick Nicholas out (he gets to use the bumbo-sitter instead) and will happily play in the exersaucer for a while.

It's hard to believe Natalie used to be as small as Nicholas is now. She's a giant compared to him. Her head is twice the size!

(Thanks for The Chen Den for letting us steal pics!)

Super Gong-gong

Last week, we were at City Plaza mall and Natalie decided she was so tired she would sleep in her stroller. To be fair, it was a long day. Little cousin Nicholas had the same thoughts and he also passed out (in his gong-gong's arms).

Natalie loves to sleep in her stroller. It doesn't look comfortable, but for some reason, she sleeps really well in it (can sleep a long time) and she never seems bothered by neck cricks.


While the rest of the family trooped to shop and use the ladies room, Gong-gong looked after both the sleeping babies by himself.

Hanging with friends

Last week, we visited Amy and Moorea at their place and hung out with friends (both big and little). After a brief warm up period, Natalie was happy running around and exploring the hundred of toys Moorea has scattered around her house. Later, the babies happily munched on rice crispies squares... yum!

Summer, Moorea and Natalie chilling together.


The best way to get a great photo? Give the babies food!

Busy little shopper

Last week, Clark and I took Natalie to the Central Library in Causeway Bay where they have a large selection of children's book and little tables and chairs for reading and a toy library. Natalie was very interested in picking out her own books and reading independently by herself at the tables. When we tried to pick out a book for her, she'd say a very loud "No!" and push the book away.

Later, she was very busy pushing around a shopping cart and buying lots of (fake) fruit and bread in the toy library's "grocery store". She is playing more and more independently now. All I had to do was sit in a chair and watch her play for most of our 45 minutes there.

Natalie looking around for other wonderful things to "buy", or put in her grocery cart.

Goggle-eyed

Natalie has seen a lot of people and other kids wearing sunglasses. So we pulled out a pair of swim goggles and put them on her. She loved it.

Fake Crying

Natalie has become so clever. Recently, she's realized that whenever she screams and cries, she is more likely to get what she wants. Not only does she get what she wants, but she gets it faster. Here are two videos of Natalie crying to get what she wants:

Video 191 shows Natalie rolling on the floor crying. When I bring the camera out, she immediately stops and comes over to me to examine her favourite thing (herself) in the camera output tv. She also "sings" the ABC's and later points out her nose, mouth, eyes, ears and hair.

Video 192 shows Natalie sitting in her highchair. She wants a paper towel but we've told her "no more, no need" and she starts crying. So instead of comforting her, we of course bring out the camera. You can see the effort she takes to make herself cry again. When Clark tells her to stop crying before he will give her what she wants, she immediately stops crying and is happy again.

We're being manipulated by a toddler!

Natalie Loves Vanessa

Ever since Natalie was a littler baby, she has looked up to Vanessa and followed her around. She is amazed at all the wonderful things Vanessa can do like talk in full sentences and sing the ABC's.

Now that Natalie is beginning to speak, she talks constantly about "Es-sha" and whenever we ask, "Do you want to see Vanessa?" She whispers excitedly, "Yesh!" We can guarantee her full cooperation whenever we go out and tell her "We're going to see Vanessa." Natalie will quietly allow us to change her diaper and her clothes and put on her socks without fuss. Then she will bring her shoes to us and sit down on the floor so we can help her put them on.

When we finaly see Vanessa, Natalie will follow her around with adoring eyes. But if Vanessa gets too rambunctious (she is older and stronger and loves to hug Natalie), Natalie will get scared and say "No! No!" and run to me to hide behind my legs.

Natalie sitting with her favourite cousin at the Jumping Gym. They played a few rides together and, of course, fought over who gets to touch the steering wheel and who gets to push the buttons.


Natalie waves "Hi" to the camera. Vanessa avoids looking at the camera.