Playing In The Puddle: Photos and Video

Life has been so full recently that my dear blog has been neglected... For those who check most days, sorry about that! But as work has picked up for me (still need to write about my work...) and all the end of year commitments, I'll probably only be able to blog once a week or so for a while. But I promise to try my best to blog at least once a week. Thanks so much for following this blog!

Anyway, this afternoon Daniel had lots of fun playing in the puddles close to our home and I wanted to record it. This is only the second time in his life that he has done this and he loved it! Check out the photos and video below! My camera unfortunately ran out of battery as he got more into it but at least I got to capture some of it. Enjoy!

One extra developmental update that happened tonight: Daniel started galloping! So cute and he really loved doing it! Must try to get that on video too...

Good night!

Beautiful Autumn Trees...Beautiful Memories...

The rain and crazy cold weather have passed, revealing the beauty of Autumn in this part of the country. Today after I got back from work, I saw these trees close to our house just looking gorgeous and then I remembered that not long ago, I had taken these pictures... Remember?

Well today, about 2 years later, the little baby growing inside of me is now a big and cute little boy, who has completely changed my world...

Sweet, sweet times!

Recent Special Moments

We have been extra busy lately which is why one week has almost gone by since my last post. Anyway, though I'm feeling exhausted tonight, I wanted to quickly post some photos of some very special moments we recently had:

Last Thursday, I had the privilege of seeing my dear Honduran friends again after almost 2 years! Wilsen and Libny are the daughters of my dear friend and colleague Perla and they came to DC to have lunch with me. I love the two of them so much and we had such a lovely reunion! I feel like they are almost like my little sisters! Wilsen, the one closest to the wall, is getting married the day after Christmas, how exciting! Las quiero mucho!!!

Saturday morning we had the privilege and joy to celebrate Holly's 5th Birthday (my dear friend Kristen's daughter)! She is such a sweet little girl - we love her so much!


This is Daniel waiting for the cake and ice cream - which he didn't like... he just does not have a sweet tooth.

Holly opening her birthday card from us.

Our family with Holly and Mikey - Daniel looked away just as Mike took the photo...

Auntie Helena came to visit us again this past weekend. Daniel absolutely loves her and called her "Nena" all the time. He asked her to read to him his tractor book...

Not the best photo of "Nena" and Daniel, but I wanted to remember how we already had to wear a winter coat this past rainy weekend. The cold weather came so suddenly that we didn't have a coat for Daniel and so we were so thankful when Kristen gave us two winter coats that used to belong to Mikey. Also, Nena and Daniel enjoyed each other during this car ride to church and also held hands - Daniel loves holding hands and Nena loved it too!

Good night and sweet dreams! For those in Malaysia, good morning and have a great day!

Developmental Update: Daniel At 19 Months

In the last month, Daniel has started to do so many new things that it's hard to keep track of them! But here is a list of the main things I can remember:

1. Language development: He has a much greater understanding of what we are saying and asking him to do. He is also talking more and more (latest new words are "pão" (bread) and "mão" hand and is saying more 2 syllable words such as "carro" (car) instead of just "ca" and "gaco" for gato (cat). This morning I actually heard him tell Rashell "Baba não mão" - translated as "Baby no hand", meaning "Baby do not touch!" - I think that's his first 3 word sentence! Oh, and a funny thing is that he is saying "ball" with an English accent! No kidding, it's genetic!!! :-)

2. Physical development: Daniel has recently started to: kick balls! Jonny was particularly excited about this development! He is learning how to jump and is just running so much more that it's hard to keep up with him - which can be dangerous at times! We're trying to teach him that he cannot run on the road, just on the side walk or on the grass... but he still does not understand why...

3. He loves reading books and watching DVDs more and more - his ability to focus has increased tremendously. The other day he actually sat in my lap for over 20 minutes watching a "Baby Einstein" DVD and I was amazed (and of course I really enjoyed it too because it was like a long, rare, cuddle!). Since I've been working now from a public library, I've been bringing back home different books and DVDs which he loves. His favorite books are those where he can see pictures of machines such as trucks and cars - that too must be genetic! :-)

4. Signs of potty training readiness are coming strong! He consistently says "boo" when he sees a diaper or a toilet now. Also, we think he is starting to tell us when he is going "pee-pee" because all of a sudden he will say "boo" and grabs his diaper as if something is happening! We are now thinking more seriously about what the next steps are to making potty training a reality...

5. After months of holding crayons and pens but not interested in what he can do with them, Daniel has started to enjoy scribbling on paper quite a lot! The problem is that we have started to find his scribbles on other places such as on his table, chair and drums. We are now teaching him that he can only draw on paper! :-)

19 months... What a big little boy he is!

Do you like the latest haircut? I think I'm getting better! :-)

And he's just such a bundle of cuteness!

I thought this photo was funny because you can really see the large 2 bottom 1st molars! Daniel now has 12 teeth and the 4 canines are just starting to come through all at the same time - ouch! Soon he will only have the last 4 remaining 2nd molars to come out and then we will be done with the infant teething process! Yay!

Daniel is obsessed with playing with our electric toothbrushes... look at that sweet cheeky face! Did I say he can be cheeky? Oh yes he can! :-)

One Week Later...

Here are some photos of Daniel tonight, during his hyperactive phase, exactly one week after his bad fall and the trip to the ER to get stitches. Compare with the photos at the bottom of this recent blog... Not bad huh? The scabs of the scrapes on his left cheek bone have gone and left behind some pink spots of new skin. The cut still needs healing and not all the stitches have fallen out, but it too is healing well. We are encouraged and praise God for that!

And here are some bonus photos of him hyperactive!

And for an extra treat, we finally got Daniel to kiss Rashell this afternoon (Maria babysat Daniel during his nap so we could attend a church event). Maria said she had been asking Daniel to kiss Rashell during the week but he wasn't interested... So it was the cutest thing ever to see him actually kissing her several times today!

Daniel and Rashell have been growing closer and have even shown signs of "sibling rivalry" - for example, they sometimes complain of the other touching them when sitting in the stroller or when they are having lunch. But the kisses today show how sweet their relationship is becoming! :-)

Petting Farm - Photos and Video!

Yesterday on my day off, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful mild autumn morning, and took Daniel to a petting farm only about 10 minutes from our house. We had so much fun - though we did miss Papai! Last time we took Daniel to see animals (when we went to the county fair back in August) he wasn't too interested in them but this time, he actually went up to the animals on his own and petted them. It also helped that we were able to go inside their "cages" and it really felt like we were on a farm! He particularly enjoyed touching the baby cows who were bigger than him but only 2 months old!

The highlight for Daniel though, was with no surprise, the tractor-driven hayride. We got a great seat, immediately behind the tractor and Daniel quietly sat the whole time, just observing and taking it all in. He wanted to go on the ride again, but it was time to pick a pumpkin (a fun American tradition!) and go home for lunch... It was so special that I will try to take him again this month before it gets too cold!

Here are some photos and a video I put together with different clips from our time at the petting farm!

Click below to see the video!

On a separate note: Daniel's wounds are sooo much better! Tomorrow will be exactly one week since his bad fall and I'm planning to take some "one week after" photos so keep tuned for the next update! :-)

A Trip To The ER... And Trusting God

We had a very eventful past weekend to say the least. It started with our bathroom flooding on Friday (which Jonny has already fixed - he's become quite the DIY person!) and then with Daniel having a very bad fall, exactly on the day we were celebrating his 19 months...

I can finally sit down and write about it... but until recently, I was just too upset. This is what happened: It was Saturday evening and we were going to eat out. Jonny was inside the restaurant ordering food and I was with Daniel outside playing close to some cement stairs. I was right next to Daniel and he was climbing a step next to the stairs when suddenly, he tripped, fell on his left side and started to roll down the stairs! Fortunately, I grabbed him after his third roll but was shocked to discover when I picked him up that the left side of his face was covered in blood! I had never seen so much of his blood before! He was crying loudly and I quickly called Jonny who immediately said we had to go to the ER as it looked like the wound by his left eyebrow needed stitches...

So, off we went to the ER, arriving there at about 7 pm but were only seen by a doctor at 10:30 pm... In the meantime, we were surrounded by lots of sick people wearing masks and the nurse confirmed that "yes, swine flu is now everywhere!" Anyway, we tried our best to keep ourselves from getting the flu and literally kept cleaning our hands every 2 minutes... So far, we are all fine...

After recovering from the initial shock of falling and getting a numbing medicine on his wound, Daniel had a blast at the hospital, as if nothing had happened. It didn't even bother him that it was way past his bedtime... Until of course, he had to get the stitches done, which was quite upsetting for us all since he was swaddled like a little baby (to help him stay still) which he did not enjoy... The actual procedure was I think more scary for him than painful but thankfully, we got a very good doctor and nurse who did a great job. After 5 stitches, a popsicle (his first ever) and a new teddy, we were ready to go back home...

Daniel slept well the whole night and woke up the next day happy, as if nothing had happened. His wounds were quite red and sore but as long as we didn't touch them, it did not bother him. For us, having to see the wounds every time we looked at him I think was the hardest... and all the guilt I was feeling for not preventing the fall... All I can say is, it's so hard to be parents at times, especially when you see your little baby hurting!!! And it's not rational. We know that Daniel will fall and that this is probably not the last time; that it is impossible to prevent him from falling at all times; that it is not our fault, that he is actually doing very well, etc. But emotionally, both Jonny and I were just feeling so sad the last few days... Thankfully, we are all now doing a lot better. Daniel's wounds have been healing very quickly and are already looking so much better.

This experience has taught us more about our dear son. He is such a strong little boy, as long as it's not hurting, he couldn't care less if his face looks different, if he has bandaid across his eye lid, if his eye is swollen and smaller, etc. And if he is anywhere close to those stairs again (which we don't even ever want to see!), I know he would not think twice about climbing it again! That's what he does each time he falls, he goes straight back to the same place and tries again, even with tears in his eyes! So far, the bad things in life just don't seem to affect him for long... And for this, we are very grateful; he has a spirit to keep going, to try again, that is not easily discouraged. We have a lot to learn from him and he has already taught us much in his short life...

We are so appreciative of the prayers we have received and all the encouraging e-mails! There were two particular comments/questions from friends that I really needed to hear:

1. One friend really encouraged me to focus on being grateful instead of focusing on the "what might have been." I needed to hear that. Choosing to have an attitude of gratitude has indeed been very helpful and when I decided to focus on that instead, I could see so many things to be grateful for.

2. Another friend asked me a very important question which Jonny and I had been talking about: "I know you trusted God with Jonathan David's life, but do you actively trust God with Daniel's life?" Wow, this question really got me thinking about what it means to trust God... A complete answer to this is very long... But here is an abridged version:

I need to grow in trusting God with Daniel's life too. I need to grow in trusting God, period. My trust of God for Daniel's life, for example, should not be based on whether he experiences any suffering or not, since I know that in this world, we will all experience suffering, that is a given. Instead, my trust in God should be based on the fact that His son Jesus died on the cross for me, so that my relationship with God could be restored. By this, He proved that He loves me so much and therefore, can be trusted. Because of my restored relationship with God, through Christ's death on the Cross, I can be confident that all He allows me to experience, good and bad, even through Daniel's life, has a greater purpose which is ultimately for my good and His glory. So my trust in God should not be based in what I experience or what I feel. My trust in God should be based in the Cross of Christ. Only by living in light of the Cross can I learn to trust God with Daniel's life completely. I need to therefore focus in understanding the Cross of Christ more and more... It's amazing, I have now been a follower of Jesus for 11 years, and yet I feel like I'm just starting to have a better understanding of the Cross...


Thank You Lord for Daniel. Thank You for the medical care we got and that he is healing so well. Thank You that it was not worse and that we were able to help him immediately. Thank you for comforting us and for all the support we have received. Thank You that we are able to be grateful and learn from this experience. But above all, thank you Lord for the Cross; that because of the death of your son Jesus for us, we can have total confidence in your love for us and your good and perfect plans for our life. Please help us understand your Cross more and trust you always. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

*****

Here are some photos of Daniel and his wounds... Now looking at the photos, it really doesn't look as bad as I described, right? I guess when you are the parent, it just seems a lot worse! :-) You can also see how quickly the wounds are healing and it's only been 3 days!

The 2 first photos are of pictures I took from my cell phone at the hospital, after Daniel got the numbing medicine under the transparent plaster...

Sunday morning at breakfast, wearing the bandaid over the stitches and close to his new teddy...

Happy eating some grapes on Sunday afternoon... Bandaid came off during nap.

Close-up of wounds one day later...

Monday morning (2 days later) and looking less red and drier...

Tuesday morning (3 days later) before I left for work - even drier and more brown. Sweet Rashell was playing in the background...

It's A Girl!

No, I'm not pregnant! :-)

But yes, we are excited because we recently found out that Daniel's first cousin, due in February 2010, is a GIRL!!! Peter and Jenny, we are thrilled and eagerly waiting for the arrival of your baby girl, our precious niece! Congratulations! Of course we would also be thrilled if your baby was a boy, but this is extra special because girls are rare in the Koh family!

To the baby girl whose name is still to be determined: One day you may read this blog and so we want you to know that as soon as we found out about you, we have loved you and are eagerly waiting to meet you! We are planning to visit you next summer in Brussels (that's where you will be born!) and we can't wait to take photos of you with your cousin Daniel. He will be so excited to hold you too!

Peter and Jenny on their wedding day

September 8th, 2007

Daniel Has A Little Sister!

No, I'm not pregnant! :-)

But yes, Daniel now has a little sister with him at home 3 days a week! We are very pleased that from this week onwards, Maria (Daniel's nanny, his second mother) will be bringing her daughter, Rashell, with her to our home the 3 days that I'm working. Rashell is currently 9 months old, so they are both at a much easier age and can even play together. Daniel and Rashell are like "Irish twins", since they are only 9 months apart!

It is a "win-win" situation for us all, since Daniel will have the opportunity to learn very important lessons such as: that he is not the center of attention, that he has to share his toys, how to be gentle with a smaller child, etc. And for Maria, she gets to be with her daughter while working and Rashell, will also have fun learning from Daniel (Maria said Rashell has already started imitating things Daniel does with the toys). She is almost crawling and the more mobile she gets, the more fun it will be for them.

So far, it's working out very well. Maria has even managed to coordinate their afternoon naps, so she gets a needed break too.

Here are some photos of the two of them this week. Every time I have taken photos they have both been very serious, but they are generally happy together!

Getting ready to go for a walk together...

Our Japanese neighbor lent us this double stroller, which we are very grateful for! Daniel barely fits but it will work for now...

Neither of them would look at the camera...


This is them this morning getting ready to leave for the Library...

Rashell looked so cute in her Peruvian poncho! She is still in the oral phase too...