14th to 20th July 2014 – Tubs, Hands, Manhole Covers, Out of Bounds

Monday, 14th July 2014
Gio was stacking tubs, while distracted by a video. At one point, one tub was misaligned. He pushed it to align it with the one below it.

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Misaligned

Corrected

Wednesday, 16th July

Let’s take a groundie

Friday, 18th July 2014
Went for a relative’s pre-wedding ceremony. Actually we went for the dinner before the ceremony itself. Gio enjoyed stamping or dancing on the manhole cover. I think it was because of either the vibrations he could feel, or the fact that it was remotely bouncy.

Someone came to greet us. He put out his hand to greet Gio and Gio put out his hand to meet his.

When Gio was placed on one of the plastic chairs, I expected him to climb off moments later. He did not. Then I remembered that since Gio was about 6 months old, the nanny used to have him sit on a similar chair. My wife banned the practice (actually she banned Gio being taken to the balcony where the chair normally is) after Gio fell off the chair once.

After dinner and some dancing, the group went to Athi River for the ceremony proper, while Gio and I went back home.

Saturday, 19th July

How to cross a trench across which you cannot leap:

Climb in

Climb out

Stand up

Sunday, 20th July
Nanny’s day off. My wife went to attend to some business, and I was  left alone in the house with Gio. We had a Marriage Enrichment Group meeting later. When it was time to leave, I carried Gio, his baby car seat, his two bags, my bag and a carrier. I tried to take a pic but it did not show much. I later thought I should have taken it using the bathroom mirror.

There were five other children at the meeting, the eldest two being about 5 and 3. So it was noisy. Gio seemed to enjoy playing with and next to the other children. And making noise.

7th to 13th July 2014 – I Love Watermelon

Wednesday, 9th July 2014
My wife brought watermelon for Gio to eat. He kept stuffing his mouth and cried when the plate was moved out of reach.

He also fed us some pieces.

Saturday, 12th July 2014

The nanny took Gio to play outside. She carries a shawl so that she can use it to pull Gio’s toy car as he sits on it.

Laughing with Mama.

Sunday, 13th July 2014

As part of cleaning and tidying up, the nanny actually takes time to join Gio’s blocks. Apparently she does this every day. No, we did not ask her to be doing that.

Somewhere in Machakos:

30th June to 6th July 2014 – I’m Pulling My Hair

Tuesday, 1st July 2014
There is an ad that runs during World Cup games, showing a drunk guy throwing himself in mud. You can see bits of the ad in this news clip:

The ad came on and Gio ran closer to the TV, sat on the carpet and started swaying himself back and forth in a manner similar to that of the drunk guy in the ad.

Friday, 4th July
It was morning. There was silence from Gio’s room.
Has he woken up? my wife wondered.
We’d be hearing him through the monitor, I said.
Sometimes he plays silently by himself, she said.
The nanny went into Gio’s room.
What have you done? How do you look, we heard her say.
My wife abandoned the conversation we were having and went to check on her son.
He apparently had been plucking hair from his head. Now he looks as if his hairline is receding.

 Sunday, 6th July

23rd to 29th June 2014 – Daddy Care, Too Much Food?, Relative Silence

Monday, 23rd June 2014

Tuesday, 24th June – Daddy Care and Too Much Food?
My wife was out for dinner at a relative’s.
The nanny asked me to feed Gio.
Sometimes I think the food Gio is given is a bit too much.

This feeding lasted from about 8:20 p.m. to about 10:00 p.m.

I changed him, and started dressing him for bed then remembered I was to give him water. I did.
I dressed him in two vests, a trouser, a romper, a sweater and a sleeping romper
I put him to bed and remembered I was to give him medicine.
I could not find any of the many medicine spoons we have.
I used a regular spoon from his disinfected water.
I sat Gio up in his crib and gave him the medicine.
He took it without any fuss at all. Usually he resists and my wife persuades him to take it.

Later, my wife said that the nanny had phoned her and said:
“I’d like to go to bed but Telo is still being fed.”
“Just go to bed, his dad will put him to bed.”
“And he will change him?”
“Yes”

Seems the nanny did not think I would dress Gio appropriately for the chilly night.

Wednesday, 25th June

My wife was leaving for work. Rather than leave Gio crying in the house, we decided to go with her until the main gate. We got out of the car there and walked back. Actually we walked a little then Gio stretched his hands to be carried. I went with him to the farm and he was glad to look at the foraging hens. We went to the chicken shed that housed many chicken. When I moved near the meshed window, Gio pulled away from it. He was scared.

Thursday, 27th June

Saturday, 28th June – Relative Silence
Gio’s grandma said
“I heard Gio long ago, (in the sitting room) but from the quietness, I knew it wasn’t his mum that he was there with.”

Truly when my wife joined us, the amount of noise increased tremendously.

A cousin of ours visited and brought Gio a new toy car.

Sunday, 29th June
Gio joined me in cheering the Netherlands when they scored.

Let’s Do Squats! 19th June 2014

This video should have been in this post.

16th to 22nd June 2014 – Crib, Climbing and Cold Sharing

Tuesday, 17th June 2014
My aunt came for a conference in Nairobi and is to stay at our place. Gio seemed to like her. He kept giving her his toys, one by one.

Wednesday, 18th June
Gio pooped at some point in the morning, which was not unusual of course. He seems to have a cold as well. A little after, he had pooped again, which was not very usual. Around lunch time, he had pooped yet again, which was definitely unusual.

My wife got him some antihistamines. She was advised by the pharmacist to monitor if his poop continues to have mucus, in which case a sample may need to be taken to a lab for examination. Gio’s behaviour otherwise seems normal.

At night, he was not sleeping well, so my wife brought him to our bed.

Thursday, 19th June – Sharing A Cold
I woke up and heard one of Gio’s cartoon videos playing. I drifted back to sleep. I woke up again to the sound of Gio’s continuous whining. I could now hear one of the TV morning talk shows, and not Gio’s video. I got up and found the nanny watching TV with Gio in his feeding chair. She took him out of his chair and left, while I put Gio’s video back. Naturally, the whining stopped. My wife had taken my aunt to the bus stop. When she came back, I told my wife about the TV incident. She told the nanny to be watching TV only when Gio is asleep.

Gio joined me in doing squats. (Video available here).

He placed a teddy bear near my mouth for me to kiss, then passed it to my wife to kiss. My wife was reluctant.
“Gio is passing his cold to us,” my wife said as she gave in to the kiss.

Friday, 20th June
I have a cold.

Sunday, 22nd June – Climbing out of Crib
After changing Gio’s diaper, I put him in his crib while I went to wash my hands. I heard my wife yell and a thud thereafter. Gio had tried to climb out of his crib and had fallen headfirst.

He cried a bit and my wife soothed him. Now my wife is even more concerned about how to deal with this situation.
Later, she lowered the side of his crib that can be raised and lowered and tied it in place. She then put away some potentially dangerous things that are in Gio’s room, and she put a folded sleeping bag right next to Gio’s crib in case he falls again.

9th to 15th June 2014 – Crib Dangers

Monday, 9th June 2014
Went to see my wife’s niece who was attending some training relatively nearby. (Niece’s picture not shown because I generally avoid putting pictures of people here without their consent. Apart from Gio.)

Tuesday, 10th June

Saturday, 14th June
Birthday bash.

Gio’s invite arrived days in advance. It was a friend’s birthday, a boy who lives in the estate, he used to give Gio rides in his tricycle.

At first Gio was scared of the bouncy castle, then he warmed up to it.

 

Sunday, 15th June – Crib Dangers
Gio was climbing out of his cot. When his mum turned, he sat back down and started smiling.
I suggested that we tie some cloth across the top of the cot to prevent him from climbing out. My wife thought it was a ridiculous idea.

Apparently what I was suggesting is something called a crib tent. Crib tents seems to have fallen out of favour due to safety concerns.

2nd to 8th June 2014

Monday, 2nd June 2014

Tuesday, 3rd June

Daddy feeding Gio

Thursday, 5th June 2014 – Out For A Walk

Freedom! Let’s go!

 

Grass…

 

…then the pavement…

 

…then (what’s this called in English?)…

 

Take a break.

Flashback:

From 19th Dec 2013

On to the road!

Exploration. Toy is dropped.

 

Dropped toy is abandoned.

Mama would probably not allow this. But she is not here! 😀

Saturday, 7th June
Went for a wedding.

After the wedding, we went for a bash to celebrate the first birthday of the son of a couple in our Marriage Enrichment Group.

Sunday, 8th June

 

26th May to 1st June 2014

Tuesday, 27th May 2014

Gio likes food, especially other people’s food.

Wednesday, 28th May
The nanny twisted Gio’s hair. I told my wife I don’t like it. She was hesitant to tell the nanny that I don’t like it because the nanny had put effort etc. I told her that the nanny would do it again. A few days later, that is exactly what happened.

Thursday, 29th May

Looking at pictures with Mama.

 

Friday, 30th May
Gio lies down on the carpet to take his water.

 

Saturday, 31st May
Gio went to a birthday bash with his sister, and parents, of course. Needless to say, Gio enjoyed the bash and his parents got busy chasing him around. At 5pm, he was packed and delivered to the nanny as the parents kicked back and partied 🙂

Sunday, 1st June 2014

It’s normally a challenge going to church as Gio naps at 10.30am and can really go at it but on this day, we clearly made it to church, probably a bit late . . .

19th to 25th May 2014

Wednesday, 21st May 2014
For some reason, when the video says ‘Peekaboo!’ and the children in the video cover their eyes, Gio covers his ears.

Though he’s on point on the clapping and touching his nose as instructed on the video 🙂

Thursday, 22nd May 2014

Gio’s mum got some second hand shoes for him at an online marketing site. The lady selling (I think she’s Russian) had a lot to say . . . ‘I have this Nike shoes, original, bla bla, I can only sell at KShs. 7,000, my boy really enjoyed them, I also have this original Reebok, I will sell this at KShs. 1,000 because they’re a bit more used’

Gio’s mum response, ‘I will take the Reebok’

KShs. 7,000 for a shoe that Gio will wear for two months? Thanks, but no thanks.

(For some perspective, KShs, 7,000 can buy a new medium-range baby car seat. Or can buy an adult pair of shoes for a man).

Sunday, 25th May 2014

Yeeeeh, Gio made it to church, it’s proven to be quite an event . . .