It has been a long while since last parenting diary was written. Kai spent three months in my hometown with his grandparents from middle April to middle July.
Kai has got a beautiful life in Ningbo. Grandparents prepared a very nice environment for Kai in their apartment. He had big and safe crawling exercise place at home. Nurtured by grandparents’ love and care, Kai was happier than ever in Ningbo. He creeped well when he was about 5 month old, and started crawling with hands and knees at 6th month. He could sit without any supporting at the beginning of his 7th month. Just several days thereafter, he could pull up into standing position by himself. Now he is a passionate exerciser of walking. People in Ningbo love him very much. My parents drove him out whenever the weather is good. He has visited many interesting places near Ningbo. In big, modern shopping galleries and supermarkets, in busy streets and in quiet Buddhism temples, and in green villages in mountain area, Kai always enjoyed the trips and smiled to people around him. My mother played with him in our community playground every day. He has made a lot of baby friends in our community. There is a very big river-side park just in front of our apartment. We also walked often in the park. So far he has never shown any stranger anxiety. Now we are back in Germany. Poor Kai has only mama around him during the day. I went out with him everyday, even when the weather is not good. During the first weeks when we are back in Germany, life was tough for me. Slowly I find out a good routine for raising a toddler-to-be all alone during the day time, and no longer feel that exhausted.
Kai started to say “Dia dia” and “Ba ba” at the beginning of 7th month. Now he babbles very much. In Ningbo he has tried out many fine cuisines. Steamed plum fish was his favourite. He eats anything we fed him, in a neat and swift manner. Now back in Germany, I take care of him all alone during the day, not really possible to cook the fine cuisines we have had in Ningbo. Good news is that in Germany there is a very rich variety of ready-made baby food. Every morning and noon I give him a glass of baby food, most of which contains rice, meat, fish, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and many other kinds of vegetables. In the evening I usually feed him with rice cereal. He could eat more than 200 ml every evening. He still drinks my milk. A lot. I nurse him whenever he wants my milk, sometimes as frequent as every 15 minutes a drink for Kai. Other than the three meals and milk drinks, I also give him finger food for training his fine motor skills. He likes rice waffle very much, and is now able to pick a small piece of rice waffle with his thumb and index finger and send the food to his mouth. Whenever we eat fruits, Kai also gets some. Peaches, apricots, strawberries, bananas, bayberries, watermelons, cherries, plums….he loves them all. He can also feed himself blueberries. Three teeth have shown up. They came out one after another in the textbook-order. Kai did not make a big fuss when teething, just put his own fingers into his mouth a lot and drools a lot.
Kai is very happy, smiles and grins a lot most of the time. But has shown some separation anxiety. Now I have to carry him almost wherever I go. Sometimes he cries even when I have to go to toilet.
Kai still does not sleep through. I have to nurse him at least twice every night till now. Dirk said, if not the sleeping problem during the night, Kai is almost a perfect baby.
During the last several months, I did the CFA L1 exam for the first time and failed with rank 9. Felt upset shortly after the result was known. But now I am thinking of taking the exam again in December in Frankfurt. I do not know whether this is too ambitious beside a 24/7 job of raising a toddler-to-be. My family encourage me. At the moment, the reality is that I have seldom time and quiet for reviewing the curriculum. Maybe more patience is needed. If Kai cannot get place in local daycare facilities, maybe the CFA exams have to be postponed. In November I will work in my company again. Full time job + toddler-caring & early education + further education for myself. It will not be easy for me, but I want to give my best. Dirk is working ultra hard for a better future of the family too.
Kai’s online gallery has not been updated for months. I will take care of it if there is time.
Tags: China, life, parenting