It has been hard to update our kids' milestones. There are so many excuses Mommy won't even name here. But she will try her best to update them. Time flies. Elana had her 9 month checkup on Friday (08/06/10) and she weighed in at 18lbs 9oz and 27.5 inches long. That puts her in about 50% in weight and 50% in height which is an average growth for a baby girl (according to her doctor).

Her first week of the 5th month was marked down with a viral infection with a fever up to 104.0 degrees fahrenheit. It ran its ourse over 3 days. She was so miserable and so was Mommy. What a nightmare that was. Most of time Elana is a happy baby unles her skins bothers her. However her skin is getting so much better that Mommy is surprisingly happy about it. Elana does not crawl or schooch. She just sits then pulls back and then lies down on her stomach and rolls over to her destination with several rolls. She has not developed the fear, so she would put everyting tiny thing into her mouth even bugs. Her hair looks like it has grown more from the previous photos. Elana eats really well and hence the chubbier body. Her face has changed a lot since she was born, and continues to change. Her upper two teeth are coming along, and that counts for total of 4 teeth.

That's it for now until next time. Enjoy the photos.

Ethan's school had another field trip to La Habra Children's Museum. Mommy decided to let him participate one more trip as part of the fun in the summer. This museum is more like a interactive play house that you don't need to worry to have to clean up all the toys and mess afterwards. The kids will take turn to explore and play with different activities in several small exhibits. There is only one tiny science theme room is meant for educational purpose. Other rooms are more like in door playyard activities. Regardless of educational learning, as long as Ethan had fun and enjoyed the activities, that was all it mattered. By seeing these photos you obviously can see which exhibit he had the most fun. He spent most of his time at the toddler exhibit where he climbed on the tree house several times and got a chance to drive the real model of OTCA bus. One thing Mommy did not like was the very one stuffed animal sitting by the entrance. It's probably there for older children to learn the taxidermy. It looks really creepy and made her not want to touch it (forgot to take photo). Another interesting exhibit was also Ethan's favorite room. They have model trains and Thomas the Train model running through tiny and cute villages. Ethan was so thrilled seeing all those trains with the hope that he could touch them. Unfortunately, they were all in the glass gate for viewing only. Just so to let you know, he is a big fan of trains. Every time when we stop at the amtrack railroad for the train to pass, he would delightfully cheer for it. Overall Mommy would strongly recommend if you have never been there. It is a good place for kiddies' time.

We hope all of you had a happy 4th of July and a great vacation time. Last year we said that we will bring Ethan to the park this year to watch fireworks, but the schedule did not work out. We celebrated the 4th of July in our backyard. Hopefully next year we could all go the park together. This 4th of July's weather was really nice, nicer than the last couple of years.

Ethan seems to understand and enjoy watching fireworks as he held and controlled the firework sparklers. It was so cute of him to ask Mommy if she enjoyed the fireworks as he saw them from the neighbors with different colors. He kept talking so much about them as in how big they are, the loud noise and the color. On the other hand, Elana was very curious to see things around her instead of being fearful. Fun moment was short but we all had a good, cozy and sizzling night.

By the way, Ethan just got a new haircut, the spiky style for the summer.

At 7 months old, Elana is not really that much mobil other than mastered rolling over back and forth and several times wherever possible. Her hands are now her best friend. She has fun playing with them and sometimes tries to suck it. She is now learning how to sit up on her own without falling over.

Elana does well with solid food. She loves pretty much everything that Mommy has fed her so far even broccoli. She is eating 3 meals a day, sometimes with snacks here and there. Mommy makes her own baby food. It is more work but so worth it. Elana drinks anywhere from 20-30oz of milk in 24-hour period, not a lot as to compared with Ethan when he was 7 months. But she eats really well thus she becomes more chunky. Perhaps the camera adds more pounds on her. When you see her in person, Elana is a small baby. In fact, she had her 6 month checkup on May 24th and weighed in at 19lbs and 27 inches long. Elana is laughing, babbling and smiling a lot more lately, and that means she is now a true baby.

Just read this article online and thought it’s so interesting because, as her parent, “you may never learn all about what makes your little Scorpio tick because these children rarely reveal everything.” Scorpio children are strong-willed, passionate, and intense , and the need to feel secure drives them to control themselves and others. A strong, durable emotional connection is one of their primary needs, but, perversely, they may test the durability of that connection, often without realizing they are doing so. Your Scorpio child may seem by turns affectionate, aloof, devoted, obsessive, loving, and manipulative.

Scorpios have such range and depth of feeling that you may sense that your child is expressing only the top layer of her true feelings-- and that you could understand her a lot better if only she'd let you in on the secret. Scorpio children thrive on the mysteries of life and have a knack for understanding others' motivations. They might love reading suspense stories or watching horror flicks from an early age, and they'll be drawn to complex friendships that really stretch them. It's all too easy for Scorpio children to be drawn into obsessive, vindictive, and controlling behavior, so be sure to teach your child about the importance of forgiveness as well as forging balanced relationships with other people.

If you guide her carefully, you can help your Scorpio child develop interests that will benefit the world at large, as she brings her focus, willpower, and determination to bear."

Can't wait for her teenager years!