Little Nio & Urbanion, November 2007

One of the very newest things that Little Nio has tasted is a Walls chocolate popsicle.



You must admit that after finishing it all off, still brandishing his popsicle stick, the chocolate stains make him look like he's sporting a moustache and goatee. Very sophisticated.



Eyes wide open, here is Little Nio riding in his stroller that even has a "Grip & Grasp" learning toy attachment.







One of the most exciting bits of news we have to share is that we have found a house that we want to buy.



Little Nio and his mom, my wife Kanittha, are posing right in front of the clubhouse of the gated community development. By the way that's not the house in the background.

Fortunately, the look of the clubhouse does not carry on to the look of the townhouse we plan to purchase. As an architect, and a very picky one at that, I was dumbstruck at how hideously presumptuous and garishly concieted it all was. Thoughts of my karma finally catching up with me... after all these years of bashing other people's designs, now here I was about to live in a place tantamount to a designer's worst nightmare. My eyes were melting in their sockets as we drove in through the gates.

My wife explained to me that we were looking at a unit in the second phase of the development, named Urbanion. You can click here to view the floor plans of the unit we are planning to purchase.



It's approximately 175m² on three really tiny floors. From carport to a living and dining area, that then spills out to a miniature backyard, it goes up to a family room on the second floor with a small bedroom we plan to convert to our study space. On the third floor is the master bedroom and another smaller bedroom which we are planning as Little Nio's room.



This is the front entrance going into their recently sold show unit.



This is a view at the staircase looking back down on the living room, dining room and out to the mini-backyard.



The tiny kitchen area.



My wife trying out the sofa set on the second floor family room.



We were able to place a reservation fee on the unit we wanted during a promotion period, so we were also able to get a free Plasma TV and home entertainment theater.



Upstairs on the third floor at the entrance to the bathroom from the master bedroom.



My wife, Kanittha, playing around with some of the props in the master bedroom.

We are hoping to get news regarding a loan from the bank over the next few weeks. If all goes well and the loan is granted we should be able to get some additional items done to the unit we are buying. Construction on our actual unit is scheduled for completion by the middle of December 2007. Knowing how the construction industry is here in this country, I take that deadline with a grain of salt. More realistically, if all goes well, we plan to move in on Little Nio's birthday — February 24, 2008. That event will become a very memorable birthday for him and for all of us.

At Eight Months, October 2007

Don't look so surprised to see him. Little Nio is back in action! At eight months he's really grown so much taller, but he hasn't gained too much weight. He's just a little over seven kilograms here.



Here he is wearing his bear cap, sitting with his mommy in front of daddy's computer gear. He's having a look around and starting to plan how he can disconnect stuff when he gets a bit older.



Last October 17th, we were delighted at the opportunity to have dinner with Little Nio's Tito Rene (at left) and his Lolo Mon (at right). The funny looking guy carrying him is Little Nio's dad.

They were visiting Bangkok on a business trip, and we were able to catch up with them at a restaurant across from the Ambassador Hotel where they were staying. The name of the restaurant is "Rotsabieng", which translates as the dining car on a train and the restaurant is similarly themed — even having a modestly sized miniature train set running in the middle of the restaurant.



Chewing string beans while under the watchful supervision of Tito Rene.



Lolo Mon is lifting Little Nio up to get a better look. Both of them were pretty curious to get to know each other better.



After all the walking around, chewing on veggies (with most of them falling all over the floor) and getting picked up a lot, here is Little Nio getting a quick chug of beer from his mom's mug. He's not really drinking the beer, but is actually drooling into the beer.



Sitting down to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, "Samsen Tavern", located right across from the hospital where Little Nio was born. The food is excellent, the prices are very reasonable and Little Nio is a favorite with their friendly staff. He even has his own high chair there, which he sits in very well behaved... for a few minutes.



More recently, Little Nio has begun standing up in his play pen... and he has started walking around! Supporting himself on the edges, he drags himself, hand over fist, clockwise around the perimeter. That's the interesting thing though. He can only now go in a clockwise direction. If you try to call his attention to come back he only blinks at your location as if to spot it in his mind and off he goes the long way around. We're hoping that counter-clockwise becomes part of his skill set later on.



Now here's an interesting photo. See if you can spot Little Nio hiding in that pile. If he doesn't move, it's almost like camouflage and he blends in with the surrounding cuteness of all his little stuffed toys.



He moved. There... you've spotted Little Nio.



Here he is carefully examining the tail of his kangaroo (given to him by the paternal grandfather and grandmother of his maternal cousin, Alisara Rose Wood). It's a bit complicated... my wife, Kanittha's sister, Somkid, is married to an Australian, named John Wood. Their daughter, Alisara, is Little Nio's cousin. Johnny's parents, John Senior and Rosa were the ones who gave the kangaroo to Little Nio.



We'll close this post with another priceless smile from Little Nio, who has only two bottom teeth right now. He may have only two teeth, but he's not afraid to use them.

Seven Months, September 2007

How very quickly the time passes. Since our last update here a month has passed and Little Nio is now seven months old.

Here we are again at KiDO, playing with their special toy of the day... and that day they brought out the "octagon".





At first our son was a bit apprehensive, but with his fuzzy friend, "Vincenzo" (given to him by his Lolo Jun), Little Nio really starts to enjoy himself.



Here he is spending a bit of time with his Daddy.



One of the things they have at KiDO that Little Nio really enjoys is an area with lots of little colored balls. The colors overwhelm him and he really has a grand time.





Here he is again with his nanny, "Pa Ohm". Little Nio absolutely adores her and they are very good friends. More than his Mommy or his Daddy, he spends more time with his Nanny.



Not sure if you've all noticed, but Little Nio can now sit up all by himself. Major milestone in his development. He seems a bit bewildered by his own achievement here. Either that or he can't figure out what all the fuss is about.



Here we are in our car, with Little Nio sitting on his Mommy's lap, on our way to his last play session at KiDO. He has a long term membership fee with KiDO (until he turns six years old) that allows him free use of all the facilities, but we only signed up for ten play school sessions.



Once again with the balls at KiDO, but this time we've tried to pick out only the blue balls for Little Nio.



Since he can now sit-up and practically stand up, we've gotten him a walker.





Here we are at Vichaiyut Hospital for Little Nio's regular doctor's visit. He's waiting anxiously sitting in front of his pediatrician's office. Dr. Wanasiri.



There's a little play area in the hospital at the pediatrics ward. Here Little Nio and his mommy decide to take a ride on one of the play animals there.



Busting with confidence he decides to ride solo.



You can tell he's really having a fun time. His expressions are priceless.





Back at home, almost ready for bed, he plays with his favorite rattle that came with a set that was given to him by a colleague of mine, Haydn Thomas.



Here he is in his play pen with his buddy, "Vincenzo".

Getting Stuffed, August 2007

Our son just turned six months yesterday. Just wanted to share a quick sequence of pictures of Little Nio enjoying his meals. As they go in... and sometimes when they go out again. He's really putting on a lot of weight, but because he's growing tall he doesn't look like he's getting fatter.







Now here's a really great photograph of Little Nio and his mom, wearing matching outfits!