Noah's Big Project

Today is the last day of 2011 at Noah's Day Care.

Noah's ear infection is under control after 3 days of anti-biotics.  The morning traffic was so light that we made it in under 35 minutes door to door. Noah spent most of the ride reading his favorite book and giggling when he noticed the new pair of socks he was wearing today. He seemed to love the black and white checker pattern on them.

During the day, Noah's classroom teacher published an end of the year blog post, which sported quite a few photos with Noah in it.  The one i love the most was one of him sleeping side by side with two of his classmates. We've always wondered how he napped in class. Seeing him sleeping in the picture is immensely satisfying, even though we see him sleeping at home all the time. But this is different. He was content, resting, with his peers, away from home.  He is having his own life, separate from us. this picture suddenly made that concept real.

The napping picture reminded Grandma Aiqi of a different incident, which she told me over the phone.  During the first couple of weeks when Noah just started going to Day Care. He was often too excited to nap during the middle of the day. Once ZM went back to check on him during supposed nap time.  All the kids were sleeping on their little cot. The floor was almost filled with little sleeping toddlers. All the kids but Noah! he, for some reason, had his shirt off, bare chested, lolling around while two teachers sat nearby and watching him, making sure he won't disturbe the sleeping bunch. When ZM told me of the scene, he added his own humorous interpretation, "Noah looked like a little gangster hit men, checking on the aftermath of a battle."  We all laughed. Imaging bare chested Noah as a little gangster hit man...

Today, when i went to pick him up in the afternoon, most of the kids were playing in the toddler yard.  A teacher was blowing bubbles, Noah was so focused on the bubbles, that it took him a good 2 minutes before he noticing me standing directly opposite him, in the middle of the yard.

The little tricycle.

One of his classroom teachers told me that Noah, as if trying to make the most of the last day of the term, undertook a big project. He "collected" all the wooden tricycles from the entire yard, piled them all up, made quite an impressive display. It took him quite a long time to accomplish that.  There are usually a dozen or so such tricycles in the yard, often with a kid pushing it, pulling it, turning it upside down, or even riding it. I could imagine the kind of "persuasion" Noah had to exercise in order to collect all of them to make his project happen.

I'm impressed.  How did he get the idea? and where did he get the patience to see it through. That's quite something for a 17 months old.

Noah的第一场大病

整个十一月Noah和我都在生病。
小家伙先开始咳嗽，传染给我后我就变成支气管炎，咳的比他厉害。还连着几天发烧，看医生吃抗生素，请了半个星期病假。

小家伙的感冒先是走的往常感冒的正常路线，发一天烧，最高不过100华氏。然后烧退了，开始流鼻涕咳嗽。只是这一次没有在两个星期后好转。到了第三个星期好像咳嗽更厉害了。但是并不发烧。另外也许是病的久了，脾气也大了起来。一不如意就磕头，地板墙壁桌面都用头撞的砰砰的。幼儿园的老师也注意到问我们怎么回事。我们也说不出个所以然，只是以为他处于一个什么生气发脾气要磕头的阶段。

直到感恩节前一天，我本来请了假准备小家伙送幼儿园我可以优哉游哉去逛街。逛了一半，只给小家伙买了一件毛衣。幼儿园的电话就来了。说今天磕头频率大幅度提高，每十分钟就来一次，院子里的水泥地，屋子里的大玻璃窗，什么表面硬就拿来撞。老师们都吓坏了，专门派了一个老师陪着他，怕他撞出事故来。我赶忙说我这就赶过来。一边打通儿科医生的电话如此这般讲了一下问要不要立刻带他去看医生。电话那头的顾问护士很尽职，因为我不在现场，要我接通了幼儿园老师，三方电话会谈，她仔细询问了老师很多问题。然后跟我说她要找急诊室当值医生确认一下要不要去急诊室（ER)，叫我不要挂，她好再跟我确定下一步的行动。

最后结果是不用去ER, 但是约了当天的医生。我接了小家伙就一路北上直接去了医院。跟米粥通了电话他也到医院和我们会合。看病的医生不是Noah自己的儿科医生，但也是瘦高个年轻美女医生而且非常有亲和力。Noah 最近开始痛恨医生的听诊器等各种仪器，但是她一边跟小家伙聊着天就很利索的全部搞定。结论是经典病例，Noah因为感冒鼻涕咳嗽三个星期，耳道里总是潮湿温暖，是细菌的天堂，所以两个耳朵都在发炎。疼痛不已，才撞墙的。开了抗生素，滴耳朵的止痛麻醉药，告诉我们滴耳朵的和退烧止痛药可以连轴转给他服用，因为他现在非常痛。那种痛放在大人身上也是很痛很痛的。抗生素一般两天后开始见效，估计周六（当时是周三）就可以生龙活虎表现正常了。

我们简直愧疚死了。医生说他耳朵发炎还没有太久，但是我们根据他撞墙的频率来看至少半个星期了。他那么痛，我们却不知不觉。还以为人家疼的撞头是因为发脾气！整个感恩节假期就陪着他康复。

当晚小家伙就发烧，靠着退烧药和滴耳朵药扛过漫漫长夜。周四也就是感恩节还是要经常给他滴药止痛。周五就好一些了，周六开始开始有了笑容。周日基本就完全正常了。等周一去幼儿园，老师们说跟换了个人似的，从早到晚都笑眯眯的精力百倍玩个不停。

十二月第一个星期，吃的好睡的好。回复了本来面目。

然而好景不长，十二月中旬也就是上个礼拜末小家伙又开始流鼻涕咳嗽。周六午睡醒来居然开始发低烧。吃过退烧药会好些，但是药力过了低烧又顽固的回来。这样一直到周日下午，虽然发烧度数不高，99F左右。但是情绪非常不好，午睡醒来大哭不止。也不怎么肯吃东西。给医院打电话约了周一一早的门诊。结果又是两个耳朵都在发炎。又开始了新的一轮抗生素和给耳朵滴药的疗程。

这次的医生是个膀大腰圆的黑人医生，还剃光头。米粥说像他们拳馆的打手。居然是小儿科医生！医生说一般吃抗生素三天耳朵发炎就会痊愈。所以这次的发炎是新的一轮。因为跟上次发病链接这么近，所以他把药力加强了。最明显的后果是小家伙不喜欢吃药了。上次都是主动把药一口气喝完还意犹未尽。这次见了我们拿杯子过来就大叫着逃。试着在吸管外边沾糖，换成有趣的容器，通通不管用。所以现在每天早晚都跟杀猪一样把他按倒硬灌。

不过确实在好起来。昨晚还吃了不少米饭红烧肉和炒青菜。耳朵发炎时他一般拒绝一切需要咀嚼的固体食物，只 肯吃面包（可以含在嘴里化掉）喝牛奶。

也许圣诞节可以健康的过？拭目以待。。。

Saturday on Embarcadero Blvd 周六的海湾大道

We took Noah for a walk on Embarcadero Blvd this afternoon. It was cloudy, but not too cold. Noah loved chasing pigeons, marveling at the giant sculptures, and staring at the San Francisco Bay from time to time.
周六下午带Noah去海湾边散步。小家伙非常喜欢追鸽子小狗，对巨大的雕塑表示了惊叹，还时不常跑到路边栏杆那里去望着海湾发呆。阴天，没风，所以不冷。 这么走了一个小时左右开始下雨，我们就跑到马路对面我们公司旧金山分部里去避雨。小家伙非常喜欢我们五颜六色的食堂，尝到石榴汽水认为是人间美味，还特别喜欢坐在地毯上的那个绿色大圆圈里。。。 After about an hour, it started to rain, we ran across the boulevard, ducked into Google office to stay dry. Noah loved our colorful decors in the cafeteria, had his share of sparkling pomegranate juice, and really loved sitting inside the big green circle on the carpet. At the end, even climbed onto a kitchen cart.后来还爬到柜子上玩了一会儿。。。 一些照片在这里 后来我们去中国城吃晚饭，出来时雨下得很大了。Noah第一次看到我们张开那把大伞，兴奋得从餐馆到停车场一路尖叫。 Later we went to Chinatown for dinner. By the time we came out of the restaurant, it was pouring rain. Noah for the first time in his life saw a giant umbrella opened up above him to block the rain, he was so excited by the sight that he screamed at the top of his voice all the way from the restaurant to the parking lot.

幼儿园第四周

今天上学路上没睡觉。我每隔十几分钟往后面递给他一个“玩具”，小闹钟，水杯，空水罐，雨伞。最后十分钟开始不耐烦。正好下了高速公路，开了一包oreo饼干，掰成小块递给他，他抓住送到嘴里一口一口的吃。这才满意。 

到了停车场，有些伤心，知道妈妈要走了。就开始带了哭腔哼哼。下了车反而好了。可能因为有妈妈抱着。 同学老师们都在院子里玩。半岛上天气比旧金山略暖。孩子们有穿了绒衣的，也有像Alec那样短裤短袖的。大多男孩子都和Noah一个样长袖单衣，长裤。

开始是赖在身上不下来。我带他到装了很多插销门链子的木板上给他示范有多好玩。他很认真的看，但是依然不肯下来。插销开关的声音引来了别的小朋友。 这时Noah做了一件三个星期以来最有进步的事。他主动要求下地，然后牵着我的手走到院子尽头一个大水管的塑料模型，笑眯眯的坐了进去！原来他最喜欢的玩具是这个，怪不得在家里也喜欢坐在壁炉里面。半封闭的小空间。

老师看到也带了其他小朋友跟过来，并把他从我手里接过去了。小家伙醒过味来，开始大声抗议。

总算有进步了，愿意自己下地了！慢慢会好起来的。

这个周末我还注意到另一个进步。往常我递给他新玩具，他都是把手里的玩具随手扔掉好接新东西。周末开始他会先小心翼翼把手里的宝贝在地板上一个个放好，然后再来接新的。应该是在学校学的吧？我们在家里从没想到教他这个。。。

今天早上换尿布时 还自己拿了新尿布给我。这个绝对是学校里学的。老师从一开始就说在教他们“帮忙”。慢慢的还会教育他们自己爬到换尿布的台子上躺好。。。  哦，对了，昨晚上回家他看了会电视，就爬下沙发，拉着我的手带我到了厨房，然后一屁股坐在地板上，等吃饭！所以虽然老师说他不喜欢和大家一起围着桌子吃饭，他其实还是知道吃饭要到特定的地方坐下来吃。也许我们该象学校里一样给他买套小桌椅，吃饭时用。。。。

Walking on the Beach

Another gorgeous weekend in San Francisco. Temperature is in the 80's under the sun. Not a hint of breeze.

After Noah's swimming class. we walked to the beach of Crissy Field, and waded in the shallow wave for a bit. Even though the water was still freezing cold, the warm temperature made it bearable. Noah loved standing on the sand and waiting for the wave to come up. He even raised one of his feet while waiting, as if trying to squash the wave as it arrived.

A few slightly bigger wave splashed his shorts wet, Noah got a little nervous as the wave kept getting higher. He turned around and asked to be picked up. But after a minute or two watching the wave from the safety of Mom's arms, he wiggled down to the sand and went toward the wave again.

上幼儿园两周

Noah上幼儿园，今天是第三个礼拜第一天。
早上照例七点天刚蒙蒙亮就兴致勃勃爬起来。看动画长片，吃早餐，如厕，九点十分上路。呼噜呼噜睡了三十分钟。到了幼儿园，又想玩又不想放我走。矛盾的很。最终把他交给老师，大哭着看我走。估计我出了门就会好。

两个礼拜里发了一次烧，逃课一天在家休养，现在还在流鼻涕。去医院检查身体，打了四针预防针，抽了两管血，我们看他可怜就又逃课一天在家玩。

在幼儿园学会了搭积木，学会了把玩具拿来跟别人分享，学会把水啊吃的跟爸妈分。学会要穿鞋穿袜时自己一屁股先坐下。

这个周末发现他喜欢自己给自己找一个小空间。常常钻到壁炉里猫猫睡觉的地方，把猫猫赶走，自己的宝贝玩具都拖进去，把垫子坛子在自己周围堆起来。有时把垫子毯子拖出来在地板上铺好然后躺上去。有一次背靠沙发把沙发上的厚毯子拽下来，围城一个小窝，旁边再放一个靠垫，“窝里”放了喜欢的几块积木，然后笑眯眯地坐进去。两只小胖脚在毯子上登啊登。

开始一个礼拜无论如何不肯睡觉。上礼拜开始终于肯睡了。上周五结结实实从十二点半睡到三点。吃东西也还好。遇见喜欢的午餐就大吃一顿。不喜欢就靠零食过日子。据老师说不喜欢吃豆子。可是看他们的菜单上几乎天天都吃豆子。所以也许只是某种豆子或者某种豆子的做法不合他的意？

上周开始喜欢屯东西。不吃也要在手里攥着。周五我去接他时，手里攥了一片梨。老师说已经攥了半个小时了，那之前攥了一小块胡萝卜。今天早上分吃爸爸的羊角面包，也是坚持要两个手一手攥了一小块，舍不得吃，用嘴直接接了爸爸喂给他吃的面包和香蕉。

First day @day care

More precisely, first half day.
Noah did pretty well. He was calm when we said goodbye to him after drop off. He was calm when we picked him up three and half hours later.

He wasn't even that excited to see us back. The sparkle in his eyes was less about "get me out of here", but more about "there were so many exciting new things i've done today".

Teachers told us he was very upset about an hour after we were gone. Later when his primary teacher iterated the details of how he got upset, we concluded that he got upset because he was bored after an hour playing indoors and wanted to go out. When that request wasn't granted, he threw a fit. In other words, he wasn't homesick, nor was he missing us.

He slept the whole way while we drove home.  The remainder of the day he spent playing in our house, and ate a ton of food. I've never seen him with such a healthy appetite.

A few video clips from recent months: