Talking Video & CNY Dinner

Nate and I went to the annual Chinese New Year dinner for school staff (guards, secretaries, cleaners, etc.) this weekend. They do a traditional 10 course dinner. I snuck out Nate's iPhone to take a few photos for you.

The first is the head (notice the teeth) and tail of the fish they served us. They put them on display on the lazy Susan so everyone could admire them while we ate.

Next we have bone marrow, made out of a vegetable and then some sort of dehydrated and rehydrated scallop in the middle.

Last is a photo of what real sesame chicken looks like. The piece on the left doesn't even have any meat, just fat, skin, and bone. Now you see why Nate and I want "Chinese" food when we come back to the States.

Finley has been talking up a storm recently. We're loving it, and trying to really encourage his babbling in the hopes he will move out of his squealing/screaming stage. Enjoy the video. (The best is the last clip!)

A Few Random Photos

Classes have started for me as of Jan. 10th, so things have gotten very busy around here! I'm going to attempt to keep up with the blog in addition to Finley and my studies, but I have a ridiculous amount of reading and writing to do!

Here are a few photos from the past three weeks.

A very jet lagged baby when we got back from the States

Munching on his feet after bath time

Messy rice cakes

Multitasking at an early age

2010: Year in Review

Happy New Year! I thought it would be fun to do a "2010: Year in Review" through photos, but it was really difficult to chose one photo to represent each month!

January: Welcome, Year of the Tiger!

February: Baby Showers

March: My basketball belly

April: Finley's birth! (Dare I say April was the highlight of the year?)

May: Jessica and Brett came to HK

June: Finley flew to NC to meet Amanda's family and had his first trips to Cherry Grove & Asheboro

July: Finley met Nate's side of the family and had his first trip to Crystal Lake

August: The Tufted Finley Bird

September: Finley learned to sit up by himself

October: Trip to Bali with Tim and Marcia

November: Finley went mobile! He learned to crawl.

December: Finley's first Christmas and first time seeing snow

Michigan at Christmas

Since my last post, Finley's top two teeth have started coming in! This makes #3 and #4. We're all almost over jet lag, just in time for Nate to leave for Bangkok for a work trip. Not looking forward to being a single mom for the next four days. I'm particularly worried because Finley has been a total maniac in the middle of the night when he wakes up to eat and we need to change his diaper. I'm talking screaming, crying, and rolling around so that it takes two of us to get a diaper on him- one to pin him down, and one to do the diaper. Fingers crossed he settles down once the teeth come in more and the jet lag continues to improve.

Here are the last of the photos from Christmas. The first half are at Nate's grandmother's house, and the second half are from his dad and stepmom's house. We had a great time back in the States and already miss everyone!

Finley chewing on his pacifier (great for teething!) and cuddling with his great-grandma.

Playing with Amy

Finley laughing his head off at Nate making silly noises

Probably the best photo I took the entire vacation

Checking out the cold, white stuff on the ground

We put him down in the snow to explore, but only for a couple minutes. Poor baby's face was already chapped just from very brief time outdoors and the lack of humidity in NC and MI.

The snow-covered baby with Daddy, looking a little cold and ready to go back inside

Interesting high chair that Grandma Jane got for Finley to use. In addition to a high chair, it can also convert to a play table and-- get this-- a potty. I told Jane that whoever invented this chair obviously didn't agree with the saying, "Don't poop where you eat." (Yes, I cleaned up the language. You know what it really is.) Anyway, Finley had a great time banging a spoon on the metal tray!

Funny faces with Sue

A belated birthday celebration for Jane's 60th and Cooper's 30th. Happy birthday to both of you!

Laughing with Grandma Holly and checking out her cool glasses.

Hanging out with Faf and trying to eat all the gifts.

Our stockings at Tim & Marcia's. From L to R: Amanda, Finley & Nate.

Nate likes to try on all his new gifts at once. In addition to his normal clothes, he is also wearing two new shirts, swim trunks, and wrist bands.

Okay, so we didn't actually take Finley sledding, but he sure is cute sitting in the sled. Probably not very safe to let a 8 1/2 month old sled by himself.

All bundled up with Mommy

Family photo (Finley is over it at this point.)

And now he's taking off the hat

Cuddling with Uncle Cooper before bedtime

To Holly, he's just another puppy

Modeling the sweater Great-grandma Holly made

Do not try this at home! (Finley loved standing in the rocker watching the fire.)

More NC Pics

We made it back to Hong Kong. Finley did great on the flights, but we're all sleep-deprived and tired. On top of Finley's jet lag yesterday, I took him to get his second flu shot (babies have to get two), so he was super tired. Finley seemed to have a little growth spurt over Christmas, so I was curious to find out his height and weight at the doctor's office. At a little over 8 1/2 months, he is now 29 inches long and weighs 20.5 pounds! Finley is a champ with shots. A very quick cry, and then he's fine.

Now, on to the rest of the photos from NC!

Loving Aunt Jessica's necklace

Reading The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. My parents used to read it to us, and now it's Finley's turn.

Photo with the grandparents...

...And the Aunt and Uncle (it's really hard to get Jessica and Finley to both be looking and smiling at the camera, haha)

Family photo

Not that great of a photo, but evidence of what Finley learned over the break: how to climb stairs!

Loving the bows on Christmas morning

Kisses

Finley with the bow, and I'm working on the paper

Finley wouldn't wear his Santa hat (he learned to take off hats just in time for winter), so we put it on the dog.

Gifts for my parents

Nate checks out his new pj pants while Finley plays with the paper

A book for Finley

Checking out the downstairs Christmas tree with Granddaddy

Cuddling with Grandmommy