Playing with photoshop

With a little spare time on my hands, I decided to try some more fun with photoshop. Here are a few of the results. I think some of the tricks really help to improve the quality of the pictures and make them pop. To view or download the larger size, click on each photo.

This one turned out the best. It also happens to be one of my favourite pics of Natalie. It captures her sincere and curious expression perfectly.

I also like this one. This is another look I am familiar with. Lately, Natalie has become very good at protesting things (medicine for example) with a long, dragged out, tragic "Nooo....!"

Photos taken on cloudy days turned out the best with great color balance. Each photo is progressively more "treated". This one is a little too blurry for me, but I kept it anyways.

This one is also a bit too blurry for me. I love this photo. It's still the wallpaper image on my iPhone.

This photo (also a favourite) had some extreme treatment done on it. I think this effect is pretty cool because the colors are bright, but there is a lot of softness and almost a 3-D quality to it.

Ocean Park again

Armed with our annual passes, we love taking Natalie to Ocean Park. Natalie loves the aquarium and gets very excited every time the big fishes or turtles swim by. It's also a great way to burn some of her ever-growing energy (she demands to go out everyday now). Besides the Aquarium, we played a few carnival games (Clark won!), fed the sealions, and Clark snapped some good close-ups of Natalie being cheerful and curious while watching me on the "Swing of the Century" ride. I had a headache aftewards (getting old!). See photos below.

Our little family at Ocean Park. Natalie is wearing the safari hat we purchased at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. She actual likes this hat!


Natalie and I standing in front of a small aquarium. She was pointing out fishes and saying they were "eh-low" (yellow) and "puh-poh" (purple).


A sting ray emerges to the surface of the water in the large aquarium. Natalie can't get enough of this exhibit. She really loves it.

Close-up of Natalie. She loves family trips to Ocean Park. There is always lots of see, do, and eat! We still haven't even made it to the kids park (close by the entrance). Next time we will go for sure.

Natalie waves hi at the camera.

Natalie standing just outside while Suparti and I ride on the swing of the century.

We dressed her in "play clothes" of long white t-shirt and sturdy blue overall cords. Even with her pink Nike shocks running shoes, she looked like a boy all day.

Clark took this great shot of me (wearing the cap) on the ride. I was so dizzy afterwards, I had to sit down and may never ride this again in my life.

It was way past her bedtime by the time Natalie passed out (on our way back to the cable car to go home).

The sealions. Females can weigh up to 90kg. The males can weigh up to 300kg!!

Clark feeding the sealions little fishes. Even if you rinse your hands after, they still smell fishy.

On Dec 6, 2008, the mommies group held our 2nd baby christmas party! It was hosted by Amanda, Simon, and Becky, thanks guys, we had a blast.

Below are a few choice photos. See more photos from the party from our "thewanggang" flickr account here. Enjoy!

Natalie found this white santa clause hat while at the party. It matched her outfit perfectly.


Here are us mommies playing santa steal. We managed to steal (and keep!) a gingerbread house from Chocolux, yum!


Natalie sitting with Noah and Becky at the baby table and enjoying watered-down apple juice.


Natalie chilling with Summer and Becky.

Learning to jump

When watching Elmo TV, Natalie watches a segment where cartoons do the "bunny hop" (with music). While watching, she enthusiastically tries to hop around. After we turned off the TV, Natalie kept trying to jump. She's a cautious jumper and will only have two feet off the ground when she's holding onto something. Otherwise, one foot stays firmly on the ground. Watch her in Video 171 trying to jump.

Puzzling it out

Natalie has learned to solve a shapes and colors puzzle almost all by herself! She is amazing and so smart. See her in Video 171 of Natalie puzzling it out. She makes little "eh-oh-eh-oh" noises when trying to fit each piece into its place.

At Victoria Park

Today we went to the playground in Victoria Park. It's big and provides a lot of different activities for Natalie. She can climb and swing and explore. She loved it and spent a good hour playing around. She also met a new little friend there and they played together for a while.

Natalie and her new friend peeking out through the see-through plastic.


They played here for over 5 minutes, banging on the glass, pressing their faces against it, and even licking it (ya, ew)!


Natalie can sit down at the top and go down a slide by herself now. When she does, she says "Weee!" (copying me).


Natalie and her new friend examine leaves and other dirt on the ground.

Later, Natalie takes a much needed break on the park bench. She finishes her whole sippy cup of juice. Playing in the sun in thirsty work.

Natalie back at it again. Here she is climbing up the steps. She can do it all by herself without my help.

Finally, we put Natalie on the swings. She kind of likes it, but if you push her too high or too fast, she'll shake her head and say "No no".

Things Natalie Likes

See Video 170 of Natalie hanging out at home, helping us to sweep the floor, and admiring herself in the camera again. It's amazing how much she has grown and changed in just a few short months.

Also, here are a list of some things Natalie likes:

1. Her pacifier: Now that we've transitioned Natalie from her thumb to the pacifier, she LOVES her pacifier and will always ask for it. We give it to her as much as possible in hopes she will forget about her thumb. So far so good!

2. Fruit: She can clearly say "apple", "banana" and "grape" and she can eat an entire orange and avocado by herself in one sitting.

3. Other babies: Natalie is fascinated with people who are even littler than she is. She likes to reach out and shake their hands and hug and kiss them.

4. Dogs and birds: But if they get too close, she freaks out and starts to cry. For Natalie, all animals (and some people) are to be admired and loved from afar.

5. Feeding herself: She will always ask for her own spoon (pronounced "pohn") during meal time and insists on drinking soup and eating by herself.

6. Her mommy and daddy: With us both home, she has grown very attached to having us around. She always calls for us. When daddy left to go to Macau today, an hour later, Natalie looked around, spread her hands and asked, "Ba-ba?"

7. Climbing up and down the stairs: She can do it for hours. For small steps, she can climb up and down without help now.

8. Elmo: She LOVES elmo and especially loves watching him on TV. She will scream with excitement and move her body in an uncoordinated dance whenever we put his DVD on.

9. New shoes: Whenever we go shoe shopping for her, she will happily try on every pair we give her and stomp around the store with a huge grin on her face. She also likes to choose the shoes she wears when we go out.

10. Most of all, Natalie likes... herself! Whenever she sees herself in photos, videos, or live on the video camera, she will wave and say hi and smile and laugh. It's a guaranteed pleaser.

Visiting the Chen Den

Carol, Dave and little cousin Nicholas are finally "permanently" in Hong Kong, yay! We went to visit them earlier this week. Here are some pics:

Dave, me and Carol in their apartment.


Little Nicholas is such a little cutie. He was awake and alert during our entire visit.


He seems to really enjoy being carried by his daddy Dave. Look at the round face.


Nicholas is only 2 months old, but he can follow the camera with his eyes. Doesn't he look exactly like Dave?


Couldn't resist adding this one. He's so cute :)

When it's my turn to carry him, he is so small and light and easy to carry. It's hard to remember Natalie being this small.

When I first pass him closer to Natalie, Nicholas cries when she kisses him.

Then we put them together in the crib and Nicholas seems ok. He's so small he fits in horizontally. She's a giant compared to him!

Natalie is fascinated with him. He's much smaller than she is and she seems to know she is the older cousin and needs to be gentle with him.

Then we lie them down next to each other.

Natalie is way longer than her little cousin. Her feet dangle over the edge and her head is almost twice the size.

Natalie gives him a gentle hug. He doesn't seem to mind.

When Natalie goes in for a second kiss, they've warmed up and finally, we get a little smile (he's playing with his mum Carol)!

Nicholas' Moon Yuet

Found some photos on the camera from cousin Nicholas' moon yuet on November 5, 2008. It was a delicious dinner at Choi Wun Heen in Quarry Bay.

Little Nicholas at 1 month.


Tracy and little cousin Victoria.


Natalie hanging with her Gong-gong and Por-por.


Close up shot of Natalie. Babies have such nice skin!

Look at those round cheeks and the sincere eyes :)

Natalie still loves her cousin Victoria. She is always following her, trying to touch her, and play with her.

Natalie leans in for a kiss.

And plants a big one on Victoria's cheek.

Victoria loves to grab Natalie's cheeks.

Copycat

Natalie is a certified little copy cat. She copies everything we say now (when she's in the mood)! Today she said "Oh sit" (guess what mommy just said?). Listen to the little chatterbox as she talks and says "Clark" and "Tracy" and "Nai-nai" and "Por-por" and "feet" in video 169. Her pronunciation is a little off, but she's trying her best.