Baby's First Christmas / Happy Six Months

Tyson turned 6 months old today (he'll be 3 months corrected age on December 30th), and was finally allowed out of the house for some yuletide festivities. He visited the homes of both sets of grandparents and his godparents, and had friends come by to visit as well. The little guy's first Christmas was very low-key, but we were happy to be celebrating together as a family.

With the Tsui's:


With Auntie Steph and Uncle Enoch:


With OMC aunties Anita and Lyd, and baby Peter:


With the Chao's and Cheung kiddies:


Hey, I know you! Reunited at last with Shihping:


Examining all the Christmas decorations:


Practicing tummy time with his cool gift from Uncle Will, Auntie Winnie, and Great Auntie Sally (must... lift... head...):


Maddy and Tyson's first "date":


Dowry negotiations underway:


Madison playing her piano:


Cousin Tristan enjoying a crescent roll:


Cousin Gideon chowing down on his veggies:


Thanks to all for the many gifts for Tyson... we sincerely appreciate your love and generosity for our family.

Whoa... let me out of this chair! I want to open my presents!

Sling Thing

We have a nice sling for Tyson, which comes highly recommended by medical staff. The problem is, most parents get their children used to slings from when they are a newborn, and since Tyson came home older than a newborn, he isn't used to being in it and doesn't seem to like it. We're still hoping to train him to enjoy it, but the prospects of that happening aren't looking too good. Don't let the following photos fool you; that cute smile of his as he curls up in the sling was very short-lived!

Hey ma, what's this contraption you have me in?


Okay, let's humour you for a bit and pretend I like it...


Last photo, cuz in two seconds I'm going to scream :P

Bathtime Baby

After a long day, Tyson enjoys his bath time as a way to unwind. Soon, he will no longer need to use the detachable newborn sling for his baths... he's getting to be a big boy! Baun helped us to figure out the colour isolation feature on our camera, so we had some fun trying to take some artsy photos amongst regular candids.

The disrobing process:


Eager with anticipation:




Bundled up for step one - hair and face wash:


Toweling off:


Complete immersion:


Nice and cozy:


Ready for some zzzz's:

December Already!

November has flown by. Tyson is now just over 5 months old / 2 months corrected, and continues to amaze us with his strength and development. He is very lovable, and will return a smile for a smile, especially in the morning. He enjoys conversing, has found his fists and thumbs, and can bring his hands together and grasp objects (his favourite pull toy is mom's hair). He has good head control which he uses to track objects, and he can even manage to turn his body over to one side (accidentally, as opposed to intentionally). Here are some photos from the past month...

What's the 411, Mickey?


Shirt tastes good!


Hey, where'd my shirt go?


Finally, upgraded bathing facilities!


Warm and cozy in the towel from aunties Jenet, Karen, and Winnie:


Sharing a laugh with Mommy:


All bundled up for a visit to the doctor (so far, it's the only time I'm allowed out of the house):


Photos with some recent visitors (in the words of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, "Thank you, come again!"):

Hola Cheung Familia

The Cheung family came to visit us on the weekend, and Tyson got to meet his future playmates Madison and Ethan for the first time.

Madison and Tyson share the same birthday! She was born a full-term baby, exactly on her due date. Madison is older than Tyson by 12 hours:


Ethan checks out the little guy:


Cuddles with the Cheungs:


Big smiles from the Cheung kiddies:

The Rules

We're super excited that Tyson is home, and that more people now have the chance to meet our little miracle in person. We still need to be careful of germs, however, since Tyson is more vulnerable to infections; the last thing we want is for Tyson to be hospitalized again.

In addition to the normal precautions taken with any babies, here are the visiting rules recommended by Tyson's healthcare team that we MUST follow:

- No sickies. If you have a fever or any cold symptoms (coughing, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, or other ailments), please wait until you are completely better before visiting. Even if you're not contagious or on antibiotics, you need to be 100% healthy.

- You must wash your hands before touching Tyson. (Ideally, you would wash your hands upon entering our home regardless of whether or not you touch Tyson, as there are certain germs that can live on hard surfaces and fabrics for 24 hours.)

- No smoking... and no smoke on your clothes. Any smoke is bad for his lungs. If you're a smoker, please refrain from smoking a few hours prior to your visit, and bring an extra change of fresh clothes if necessary.

- Limit the number of young children Tyson is exposed to. Little kids spread germs easily, and those under two years old can't express when they are becoming sick.

We hope everyone understands, and appreciate your cooperation! Hopefully Tyson will reward your efforts with his heart-melting smile when you visit :)

MAJOR Milestone Moment: Home At Last!

Forgive the tardy post, but in case you haven't heard... on Monday, November 5th, after 133 days / 4 months 1 week & 3 days in the hospital, the little guy received his discharge papers and is now HOME at last! The tardiness of this post is due to the lack of sleep experienced by all parents with children under the age of 8 (or was it 18?). We are finally a complete and whole family, and thank God for sustaining us through this journey.

More photos coming soon...