"The" Alex

THE Photoshoot... with the parents.

2008-06-06T09:19:00.001-07:00

THE Walker

2008-05-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

Today grandma Mary and I pulled off this awesome trick, check it out:

We're climbing up the stairs, and then out of nowhere, grandma gets this feeling like I just wanna *walk*.

So, when we got to the top of the stairs, she stood me up and away I walked!

It was a raging "look-ma-no-hands" moment, and I pulled it off wonderfully!

Almost instantly I reached celebrity status across the house, and all day long I enthusiastically showed the world why, from this day forth, I shall NO MORE be called a baby. I am Legend. --or, more in keeping with the present theme, I am Toddler!

My motto from now will be "Keep Walking" (eat your heart out, Johnnie Walker)

THE [big ONE] Birthday Party!

2008-05-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

I know you have been psyching yourselves up for this, so here it is. The big ONE! We had grand plans for a large party, the invitations had been sent out, decorations ordered, food bought etc. Mum had the clever plan to do a cupcake tier, as she along with the rest of the world has gone cupcake crazy. Uncle Sam dutifully baked 60 cupcakes, and as Saturday dawned bright and early, the Leonidas clan showed up ready to rumble. Interestingly enough, Nana, Rick and Tracie shook up their travel plans just enough to arrive in Taipei for a glorious visit, including guest appearances at the said 'big ONE'!

However, a few hours into the day and things spun out of control. There was screaming and pain, talk of ambulances and splints, and next thing you know I am being brought in to kiss a tearful Mum goodbye, as she is lying on the floor!

Three days later and I still hadn’t seen Mum or Dad, though they called me often, usually making little sense. Auntie Fee was good as always, and we got on great. Two grandma’s as well. When it rains it pours. -- Nana’s apparently!

Mum and Dad got back just in time for a cozy family celebration on my REAL birthday. Famous personalities, like myself, rarely hold our parties on our actual day of birth, so my bash was scheduled for an appropriate three days late.

On the 8th night, me and the parents sang, and were silly, with a dark chocolate muffin, that I carefully pulled to pieces.

--You should see the film footage.That muffin didn't even see me coming!

It was great having the parents home, and things started to look up.

So the 'big ONE', became the 'subdued one', after a week and Mum getting used to being in a wheelchair and more pain. This time Tracie came over the night before and started early with Mum on frosting. Nana came in the morning and whipped the house into shape while Dad drove out for shopping and I hung out with Grandma.

The hours rolled by and my two Libran uncles showed up and lined everything up just right.

And then it happened...

Doorbells, kids, camera’s – MESS! A good solid mess of balloons and people, just what I needed. We frolicked and played to our hearts content. My fellow mini-dudes were all there. After a good dose of balloon fun, we hung out with snacks, and gaped at the grown-ups gaping down at us.

Then the cake! Or cakes – to be exact, one glorious white creation with plump strawberry accents, and my towering tier of cupcakes, duly named and frosted in a riot of color. Oh we were fierce! Leo and I slathered blue cream from navel to nose and clipped our parents in the process. What is birthday cake for? I was quite happy to systematically destruct my cupcake, while leaving Leo to inhale his. I think we make quite a team. Our 15th year? Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Presents: “ We get presents and we give presents” although U. Jim never got as many as I did. Thank you to all my adoring fans who sent gifts and greetings. My thoughts are with you. Ha. Better yet, I will frolic for every day of my new year in your memory! A. Priya and Joyce were there – with fighter fish and dreams of scary hair. It was so good to see them, I think I’m starting to forget what they look like.

Winding down, and Dad took up post by the door, to hand out party bags to my small be-sugared friends. It’s been a good one. We owned the night! Don’t forget to take your baby change kits with you and your extra clothing as you toddle to your waiting vehicles, chauffeurs in tow.

There is a flurry of cards and flowers to the Grandma’s and a special call from Seeya tops off the day. Everyone is stoked to talk to him! Earlier on Nugget called, and before that was Sanch! Whoa. My popularity knows no bounds! The guests leave and the house quiets, and I reckon I need some alone time. Its not easy basking in my own glow. It takes a lot out of you! You should try it sometime.

Now, where did I put my remote control?

Me sleeping off the sugar rush, while Mom, Dad, and Grandma clean up. ZZZzzz

THE up-and-coming Picasso

2008-02-25T19:43:00.000-08:00

Okay so, Mom and Dad take me out to McDonalds one day, hand me some markers and...

Voila! Suddenly I'm an artistic genius - cool huh?

(Check it out... I'm even holding the marker correctly.)

Dad said I look very focused here.
[What does that even MEAN?]

Take that McDonalds! That's what I think of your so called "nutritional value charts".

Presenting: THE sticker set

2008-01-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, after a delightful wake up routine (heh), Dad and Mum decided to have some fun at my expense.

Initially I was unsure of this whole black circle on the nose deal,

then I got with the groove, specially seeing how crazy the parents were getting,

until, quite maturely, I decided enough was enough!

THE song: under my umbrella ...ella,ella, eh, eh, eh.....

2008-01-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

THE pic for today

2008-01-14T04:03:00.001-08:00

Just cuddling under the tree. The simple, yet purest joys ever!

THE time has come

2008-01-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

..for all those pics I promised. Heh, this should be good fun.

With Dad on Christmas Eve. Caroling in the top hat was clearly not Alex's idea of a good time!

Being his darling self: the look that wins me over every time; you just have to give in.

With his lovely walker - Christmas pressie from Grandma! TXSM.

Trying to show me a thing or two about decorating!

His favorites: Christmas pressie from Uncle Sam, little Leo and Alina! They rock!

More to come my beauties...one midnight vigil after another. Till then, I love you.

THE Update

2008-01-08T07:32:00.000-08:00

Time has just sped by....and now, well, Alex is eight months old. I can't believe it, but I do know that shaking my head in wonder won't help. So this is my spin on maternal therapy: I've got Steph to give me the sign in to this blog, so that I can flood it with some of the hundreds of pictures we've taken of him during his little life. Sara, these are especially for you. We've missed you so much - you have no idea. And of course for his Seeya and Nana. I hope that you all can catch a glimpse of the joy that is this baby boy.

THE Birthday Party

2007-12-10T07:10:00.000-08:00

Hey,
So, like about a month ago, dad, mom, and some friends threw a little party for me. It was great.
Apparently I was turning something like 6 months or something. It was a big deal to them I guess.

They even made me eat this squishy yellow stuff, and then thought it was funny when I started making faces.

All in all, I guess you could say it was a great evening. As evidenced by the pictures. -heh.

I have since turned 7 months old (but that's a story for another day)...

THE mini-Schumacher

2007-12-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

Look pa, I'm drivin'!

THE five-month-long nap... yawwwwwn.

2007-11-02T01:40:00.000-07:00

To: My fellow agents
From: Agent Alex (Codename: THE Alex)
Re: Reactivation
Security Code: PTL-TYJ-WLYSM-GBY-AKY-IJN-AMEN

November 2, 2007 - 1700 hours:

I have managed to escape from my cryogenic prison where I have remained in a suspended state of consciousness for the past 5 months, hence my absence from the blogging scene.

Luckily, I have been able to secure the usage of one of my captors' consoles and I am sending this message out with the minute chance that one of my fellow 'crib agents' will be able to decode this message and spread the word.

If you are reading this, you have undoubtedly passed the initial security measures that ensure you are a valid member of 'the crew'. If that is the case, stay tuned to this broadcast frequency as I will try to keep all agents posted about my whereabouts and maybe some things from my recent past as I slowly regain my cryogenically lost memory (that is, whenever I am able to snatch a few precious minutes of PC time undetected).

Good luck and Godspeed.

-Agent Alex

PS: I'm afraid the security camera above this console has taken a snapshot of me. Perhaps it can come to some good, as those of you who know me by my other aliases may still be able to register who I am if the name "Alex" doesn't ring any bells.

THE Twilight Zone

2007-06-27T08:34:00.001-07:00

Here's something I wrote in the middle of the night @ 2 weeks after The Alex arrived:

It’s exactly 2AM Tuesday, May 22, 2007 and I’m a little creeped out. It seems to me that I’ve found the twilight zone of baby silence.

About 15 minutes ago, Little Man woke up and started his usual “Feed me NOW!” cry. Mommy, of course needs to use the bathroom right at that moment (it’s only fair poor thing, she just woke up with a screaming Alex in her ear) and so I’m faced with keeping the kid happy for the next 5 minutes (which at this time of night can feel like those 300 years in between the Testaments when God was silent and the Macabees ran rampant – go figure).

For some insane reason, I decide not to take the “walk around the room wildly bouncing baby” route and instead do the unthinkable and start rocking him in the crook of my arm. It’s obviously not working, but I’m patient – Jesus WILL return to bring light to a world of darkness and oppression (even so, come quickly Michelle).

All of a sudden a hush fills the room…(hush)… and then the screaming resumes.

Now where the [expletive] did that hush come from?

Waaa Waaaa Nyaaaa Yaaa ….hush… Nuyaaa.

Ahah! There it is again! OMG! Had I done it? Had I actually found the mythical “Vulcan Sleep Grip”? Legend has it that there is a position that anyone can get into at any given time that will put a child to sleep instantly – EVEN WHEN THEY’RE SCREAMING bloody murder, and have been all night.

Now, apparently it takes years of training in the high-cliffed monasteries of Tibet to perfect this elite “Vulcan Sleep Grip”, so when you stumble upon it at 2 in the morning, it feels as if you’ve walked through a wormhole into another dimension. One where babies sleep contentedly next to their beautiful mothers, and where a neurotic father finds this a scary experience and feels the urge to stay up for an hour with a crick in his back writing about it (apparently the amazing Vulcan Sleep Grip only works if the father is in extreme discomfort, at a 43 degree angle, and his back is in the shape of a dancing dragon at a Chinese festival – and trust me, I KNOW what those look like).

A cool feature of this mythological pose, is that all u have to do to settle the tyke is waggle the arm that’s helplessly pinned to the bed by his body weight (it’s amazing what 3.5 kg feels like when you’ve lost circulation to your arm).

Wow, am I still typing? It’s been @ an hour and the Grip is still working it’s magic: Little Man’s stirred several times, but… waggle = instant settle every time. –Awesome!

OK. That’s it…. Go to sleep Steph.

(LNF: It's been 5 weeks since this post and "the Grip" is STILL his favorite position... Geez, let's hope it's not a case of "bad habits die hard" or I'm in for an interesting (read: "sleepless") next few months (or years? -gasp!)

THE Fat

2007-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

'Mommy calls me "The Fat" these days. (Maybe it's wishful thinking, huh?)' --Alex