Right-side Up

A "self-reading" book

2012-01-03T10:05:00.005+08:00

The long New Year's weekend was only too opportune for C to enjoy his Xmas presents - one of which was a "self-reading" book from Nana. Click the video for an instance of the fun he's having.

Long holiday weekends

2012-01-02T15:37:00.002+08:00

We have been enjoying our two long weekends, courtesy of Christmas and the New Year's, quietly at home. The week preceding Christmas was challenging with Craig getting the flu which worsened into bronchitis. Thankfully he speedily recovered and was able to enjoy the company of Yiyi and two other dear friends, P and AK, when they visited from Malaysia. Despite the madness and sleep deprivation following a week of overnight sponging, we all had a wonderful few days of Christmas celebration full of good feasting and fellowship at home.

Christmas morning present-unwrapping was slow going with a certain someone sleeping in till almost 10 am. Trains, train character-related paraphernalia, shirts, pants and books made up most of C's reaping this year. Nana and PopPop also "joined" us for the gift unwrapping over Skype from MD.

It is already the second day of 2012 as we post this and here's wishing all of you and yours a wonderful hopeful year ahead!

We're still here

2011-12-13T13:06:00.006+08:00

While it may appear like I've abandoned this blog, reality is that I've been consistently taking notes of the various adventures and misadventures of the Thomas family but just have not had the time to post them here. Now that my work schedule is slowing down for the year, I shall attempt to recount our days in the last six weeks or so which included:

1) Visit with Grandpa J and Grandma V in Williamsburg, VA.

2) Visit the the G's in Charlotte, NC.

3) Visit with Nana and Pop Pop in MD.

4) My brief work trip to San Francisco where I witnessed a gang/mob fight!

5) Hand, foot and mouth disease outbreak at C's creche upon our return to Singapore ...

As I write this I'm still basking in the lingering pleasant recollection of my visit to Turkey after having left the country ten years and three months ago (I left on September 11 itself!). Much has changed and the city I used to live in has developed beyond my recognition. Besides savoring the sweet memories of my life back then, I also made sure I reacquainted with my favorite Turkish culinary offerings - from sweet sesame paste pizza (Bursa tahinli pide) to fiery Iskender kebap. Photos of my trip will be up soon...

Another significance of my trip was that it was the longest I was away from Craig - ten days! Needless to say we missed each other terribly (notice I say, "we" as he's now old enough to express his feelings clearly). But thanks to modern technology we were able to "hang out" virtually and at practically no cost. But nothing beats the first squeeze-hug and slobbered kiss I got when I arrived home. Here are some screen shots of our "conversations":

Grumpy's day out

2011-10-11T18:30:00.001+08:00

On one of the days during our second assignment on the Logos Hope, we decided to take an excursion to Kuala Lumpur which is merely a 45-minute drive from Port Klang where the ship is docked. I had the day all planned to the amusement of Captain Craig: first a visit to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) Aquaria, then a brief stroll at the KLCC park to see the magnificent Petronas Twin Towers before adjourning to lunch at one of the fancy local restaurants at the KLCC mall. Next we would proceed to my sister's place where C could spend the rest of the day with his YiYi. Perfect? So we thought.

Hi, I'm Grumpy McGrump:

Against the Petronas Twin Towers:

On the morning of the day out, our little man woke up on the wrong side of the bed! He was mostly grumpy throughout the day - was not too interested in the swimming sharks, stingrays and beautiful fishes around him at the Aquaria; had a meltdown during lunch (rather out of character for him) and was not too happy to see YiYi. We don't remember him ever having such a bad day before and we attributed the foul mood to both his residual cold and homesickness. Thankfully, he woke up a happier boy the next day and when we returned home from the ship a few days later, he was thrilled!

P.S.Click here for pictures of our KL excursion.

In-N-Out

2011-09-26T08:50:00.000+08:00

No, not the burger joint - though we miss it very much - but us! We arrived back from our long work trip which included Penang and Bangkok (detouring in Ipoh) last week but we're packing to leave again this week for another assignment onboard Logos Hope.

Our time on the ship was delightful - we enjoyed both the work we were assigned onboard and the experience of living on a vessel as a volunteer family. We were checked into a family cabin which meant we had two adjoining cabins to ourselves. This is a luxury considering how little space singles on the ship get. Most volunteers are on a two-year contract and we can imagine how hard it must be to live in such confinement for that long! The sacrifice they make to serve onboard is admirable.

As a family, we also had the privilege of having a table to our name at the dining hall. This worked out great as it meant we will always have a table during the oft busy mealtimes. As the ship was docked in Penang's central Weld Quay, we also took the chance to reacquaint ourselves with the island's local hawker food. Click here for pictures of our time on the ship.

A visit to a stud farm when we detoured in Ipoh to see PohPoh and GungGung:

How special is that? Our very own dining table:

On the day we arrived, we were given the grand tour of the ship including the bridge. While taking pictures of Craig on the Captain's seat, the officer who was watchstanding could not resist but offer the Captain's hat as prop. It's Captain Craig from now on...

S, who's German-Swede, a new-found friend on the ship:

We board the ship again when it's docked in Port Klang near Kuala Lumpur. Port Klang will not offer as much as Penang did in terms of accessibility to the city but a kind friend offered us a car to use - so that's a big plus. We look forward to catching up with friends and family there - some of which have yet to meet Craig!

Ship Ahoy!

2011-08-25T13:32:00.004+08:00

As the weekend approaches, we are counting down to our boarding the Logos Hope ship, aka World's Largest Floating Bookstore, as she docks in Penang, Malaysia. Brian and I have been invited by the organization that runs the Logos Hope (Operation Mobilization - read all about it here) to conduct a series of private and public talks on board the vessel. During our ten days there, we have been offered accommodation in one of the family cabins. (Watch this space for more pictures!)

The last time I sailed with an OM ship (the now defunct Logos II) was in 2000 when it sailed from Albania to Turkey. Then I was invited to do a series of workshops on the Turkish culture and language. The experience was unique in so many ways - one being the interaction of so many different cultures within such a limiting confine. And now, eleven years later, I have the privilege of serving on an OM ship again. I anticipate another memorable episode but this time shared with the two men of my life.

I broke the news of our impending adventure to C a few nights ago before bedtime and his response was that he wants to stay on on the ship and not come home! But as certain as the sun's rising in the morning, he would be asking to go home after a few days.

Back to the routine

2011-08-10T14:02:00.003+08:00

When Craig was in utero, whenever I'm in the presence of my sister, he would somersault excitedly - especially at the sound of her voice. And then when he saw his YiYi when he was 9 weeks old, he gave her the broadest smile we've seen from him. We knew then that he has a special attachment to her:

From his fondness for eggs to his love to talk, he resembles her in ways that we didn't expect. Though they only see each other once every few months, he asks about her often and a day last week commented that he hasn't seen her for a while. The situation was immediately rectified when YiYi drove down from Malaysia after work to see the little boy. He was a happy camper all weekend with a house full of family.

Face of endearment:

After more than a week at home, Craig is finally fit enough for the creche today. So off he went and though he was reluctant to go, we know that he will have a good time with his teachers and friends there - he always does.

Little Trooper

2011-08-01T18:17:00.005+08:00

The day finally came:

We are grateful to all of you, friends and family, who sent good thoughts our way and prayed for us today. After an early start at the hospital, we were finally discharged to go home at 3pm. The little one handled the surgery like a trooper. When he finally got over his anesthesia, he was back to his normal happy self and asked for lunch (rice, specifically!). However he was advised to refrain from a heavy meal till much later. This led to some fuss but nothing a little distraction wouldn't help.

Post-surgery exhaustion:

A few hours later:

We are so pleased and thankful to our doctors and the staff at Mount Elizabeth Hospital for their warmth and professionalism. Our wonderful doctors even gave C a new train set! Our little trooper will now have to be brave as he endures some initial discomfort and pain during this recovery period. Needless to say, we are relieved that the operation is over and we can now focus on helping the little one heal.

Getting theological

2011-07-29T13:10:00.004+08:00

The few minutes I spend with Craig before he turns to his side and falls asleep at night are precious mommy-son bonding moments. I'd ask him about his day at the creche and he'd sometimes sing and rattle on about a story he read or something he saw ("the grasscutters were working hard today, mommy").

Two nights ago, whilst explaining to him that we're talking to God and he should try to keep still while we pray, he asked the million dollar question which we didn't think would surface so early: "Where is God?" Of course I should expect no less from a boy who is constantly in the inquisitive mode! So, backed by my investment in Christian Apologetics studies, I tried to engage this age-old universal concern only to be asked, "Where is God now?"

This engrossing conversation went on to discuss the identity of Jesus ("Jesus is an uncle" "No, honey, Jesus is the Son of God.") and ended with C exclaiming, "I love the Son of God!" While we doubt he fully comprehends all these, we are thrilled to be having such conversations with our little boy and look forward to a future of theological-philosophical talk at the table during mealtimes. Good stuff!

The Waiting Game

2011-07-25T10:03:00.004+08:00

From the time when Craig was born, we had been informed that he would need a minor corrective surgery before he turns 3. After consulting the pediatric surgeon, we decided to schedule it for December last year. But a few days before his scheduled surgery, C caught a cold - deeming him unfit for the operation.

Since then we have not been able to find another suitable date until a few weeks ago. And again, he caught a cold a week before the scheduled date. We postponed it - this time to week later which was to be today. We were sure that this time was going to work. I was so confident that I had him pre-registered at the hospital so to spare an hour of waiting in the morning when we arrive.

All systems were set to go but on Friday evening we received a call from the doctor's office. The procedure has to be postponed yet again! This time, it was at the request of the anesthesiologist. Since she's our preferred specialist, we decided to accommodate her availability. So, the new scheduled date for the surgery is August 1.

All this waiting has not only increased our anxiety but also our impatience - we just want to get this episode over with! Consolation - my mom arrives in two days' to the render moral and domestic support that is very much coveted.

A few weeks short of two and a half, we are running out of time!

Avifauna adventure

2011-07-11T12:47:00.005+08:00

A week ago, Craig's class at his creche organized an outing to the Jurong Bird Park here in Singapore for both the little people and their parents. Brian and I took a day off from our work to join the jaunt. Lots of fun on many fronts - especially when we got to meet the parents of C's few girlfriends! Click here for more pixs.

Birthday week

2011-06-30T15:59:00.005+08:00

We celebrated two birthdays this week: Brian's dad and my mom's. On Monday evening, we surprised B's dad by calling him on his cellphone (it was Monday morning at where he is and he was at work) and had Craig sing to wish him happy birthday.

Then, last evening, immediately upon arriving after a long coach ride from Malaysia, my mom was greeted by a party of singing toddler, cake with candles and pizza as we celebrated her birthday. My mom's visit also signals a work trip for me - this time to Indonesia for a week. It will be an intense week for me as I would be conducting ten seminars during the week for university-level students.

Till then, a toast to the birthday boy and girl - may they live long and prosper!

The face of mirth

2011-06-12T20:01:00.003+08:00

A candidly shot expression of Craig captured our joy this weekend. We did nothing spectacular - we simply played: Duplos, Playdough, trains; we read tons, we cooked and enjoyed our meals; and we took strolls around the neighborhood as the weather was surprisingly co-operative. We caught a glimpse of mirth this weekend and we love it!

In good hands

2011-06-09T13:53:00.005+08:00

For the past year since I started back at work, it is almost predictable that Craig would fall sick either before I leave or when I'm halfway through my trip and at least 500 miles away. My trip to Chennai this time was no different other than the fact that Brian was home alone with him i.e. minus the maternal wisdom and hand of my mom who could not make it to us this time. Both did wonderfully over the weekend which was packed with amusement of every kind: breakfast at McDonald's, meet-and-greet Thomas the Tank Engine at the mall and a pizza party at a friend's.

But come Monday evening, I received report that C was down with a fever. The news did not come to me with great surprise for many reasons - one being, it is just the way things almost always go (mommy gone, baby's sick); and two, it is almost about time for another bout of cold to hit (BabyCenter informs that a child C's age gets at least 9 colds/flu a year. This works out to be one every 5-6 weeks. The last time C was ill was 7 weeks ago).

While some of our friends and family expressed concern that C is falling ill so often, his teachers at the creche had warned us about this phenomenon - kids fall sick frequently in the first 6 months of them being in a creche. And in checking with mothers of C's peers affirmed that toddlers falling sick this frequently is indeed normal (Phew!). Besides, we noticed that C's health has been slightly more stable in the last 3 months. Shout out to C's strengthening immunity!

At the conclusion of my meetings in India, after a grueling red-eye flight, I arrived home to a bleary-eyed little boy who was up early at 7am. I was greeted by smiles that portend victory against the viral onslaught. Sure enough, after another day of heightened temperature, his appetite and zest for all things fun returned. So off to the creche he went today...

Through all of these, I greatly applaud B who so confidently and patiently cared for C all by himself which meant little rest and sleep in the first 48 hours after the onset of fever. Yet another milestone is set - not by C but by B who is looking like he will bag the Daddy of the Year award again this year in our books!

Creating fun on weekends

2011-05-30T13:19:00.006+08:00

For many the weekend is a time to catch up on sleep, leisure and even work. Though what I do requires me to work on most Saturdays and Sundays, once in a while we find a reasonably flexible weekend on our laps. Last weekend was one such. Though I had to work for a few hours on both days, we were able to put in some fun family activities (which unfortunately did not include my favorite form of fun - naps!).

On Saturday, we pulled out the Playdough. Craig's idea of "playing" with Playdough is him dictating what he wants us to make for him. Requests span from a swimming pool to a bee and a plane. When Yiyi was visiting two weeks ago, he was able to cajole her creativity to produce a sailboat, a bee and a swimming pool. No such luck with his mommy - she's creative elsewhere. B's skills were tested last weekend and he rose to the occasion producing a few pieces that won the approval of the other two members of the household.

Acting surprised to deflect responsibility: "Oh, a big mess!"

Both C and I were impressed by B's white-eyed dog:

On weekends, too, it is hard to predict how much we can do in the evenings as it all depends on a certain someone's inconsistent nap. (It still baffles and frustrates us that he would nap easily at the creche but not a home) Last weekend was perhaps a fluke as C napped on both days! As a result, we were able to accept the invitation of some dear friends, S and K, to dine at their place. We all had a wonderful time in different ways: C loved the supply of Dr Seuss books Aunty K keeps and was extremely impressed by Uncle S's fancy motorcycle; B could not get over the amazing view from their 24th floor balcony while I learned a new and simple, but oh so delicious, recipe for pork.

Bad pix but notice the glee on the men's faces when in close proximity to a fancy Ducati bike:

Happy Memorial Day to all our friends and family in the United States!

P.s.: Check out some new pixs here.

Yes! to a No

2011-05-12T15:57:00.000+08:00

Last Wednesday morning saw me waiting impatiently for my turn at the Indian High Commission in Singapore to plead my case to the officer - why he should approve my visa within three days instead of five - as my flight was scheduled on Sunday evening. To my dismay, he said, "No" before I had a chance to explain to him how I got into this visa-pickle i.e. too frequent travel coupled with poor planning (can you imagine me poor planning???!!!)

As a result, my scheduled work trip to India was canceled. While I felt sorry that my colleagues in Chennai had to scramble and find a substitute to teach my classes at the very last minute, I was secretly relieved that I was granted an unexpected break from traveling. The last few days were spent in the office catching up on writing, planning and office lunches with friend-colleague, D. In fact, today, we took off for an early break to lunch at a favorite Japanese restaurant that offers a respectable buffet spread. We realized that though favorite, our last patronage there was three years ago before I was pregnant with C!

My hotpot soup - Japanese food presentation is so delicate:

Speaking of C, here's a conversation that has taken place three times now and I think we've to do something about it:

C: Mommy, I need a new bed.

Me: Why do you need a new bed - this one is fine.

C: This bed is too small. I want this bed to go away.

Me: This bed is too small for you?

C: Yes. I want a big bed. I want Mommy to buy me a car-bed.

Me: Car-bed? What car-bed???

C: I want Mommy to buy that car-bed in the store.

Me: Ok - let's talk about this tomorrow (My attempt to digress... as I wonder where in the world did he see a car-bed???!!!)

Tomorrow we're doing a role-reversal where Brian would be traveling to Shanghai to teach while I get a few good mommy-toddler bonding days. But this is only half the fun. The other half is the fact that my mom is still around and my sister would be joining us here for the long weekend ahead. It will be three gals, a boy and a blast!

The unstoppable force

2011-04-23T17:48:00.004+08:00

Craig is quite the unstoppable force in our home nowadays. His language development has been most impressive for a boy his age where he speaks mostly in sentences now and makes funny remarks of all sorts. Recently at bedtime, despite a temperature, when Brian offered to read him a story from his Bible Storybook, he responded by saying, "I want a happy book. The Bible book is an angry book!"

This ability to communicate also means he makes his will and preferences known more forcefully - from what to do, which book to read, to where to go and what to ride. And we noticed that in just the last two days, he is behaving so much more like a preschooler than a toddler. He would play pretend - running around the house saying that he is either a helicopter or a plane flying; or he's a doctor dispensing medication to his exhausted mother.

Imagination coupled with creativity - building a crane:

In memoriam: Edna Radcliff

2011-04-14T11:40:00.003+08:00

Brian's paternal grandmother passed away yesterday morning (April 13, 2011). She was 94 and lived a full and purposeful life. We are glad that Craig got to meet her twice and we know that this is not our final goodbye.

Annica personified

2011-04-04T13:35:00.005+08:00

Annica is an essential Buddhist doctrine that expresses the belief that nothing about existence is permanent. While I may not agree with it entirely philosophically, as parents to a two-year old, we can certainly identify with the idea of impermanence.

As I write this, Craig is in the hospital being treated for high fever and dehydration that left him debilitated last evening. However, if you saw him this morning, you would not imagine how sickly he was just mere hours ago. Nor did we expect his mild fever that began on Saturday evening would take such a radical turn on Sunday that saw us rushing him to the hospital. A persistent high temperature and his inability to keep any fluid down gave the doctor reasons enough to admit him.

By this morning, his fever had stayed at a consistently low level and he was asking for food and getting bored in his room - all good signs that we are praying will lead to his discharge soon.

Happiness of a Breakfast Happy Meal:

Great start to the weekend:

Waiting to be admitted at the hospital - we hate bad endings:

Full life, full sentences

2011-04-01T14:19:00.004+08:00

Between a full schedule of work trips, house guests and plain toddler mirth, I realized that we had completely skipped March here! The month of March began with our travel to Malaysia for work. As we were required to be in Kuala Lumpur and then immediately in Bangkok, we decided to have Craig spend the week at my parents. It was a milestone in that it was the longest he was away from us - 8 days. And boy did we miss him! While he loved his PohPoh and GungGung, he was ecstatic when he saw me. The sentiment was mutual.

In just the week we were apart, C's expeditious language development was quite evident to us. Not only was he picking up Cantonese (Yay!), he is speaking in full sentences most of the time. Two weeks ago, when we woke up to a wet morning, he looked out the window and muttered, "Cannot go out there because it is raining."Along with this ability, emerges the chatterbox who comments and asks about anything and everything. He is definitely the household source of endless entertainment when he is not the fount of tantrums and whine.

Work also took me to Beijing for two days. However, for C, my departure was sweetened by Yiyi's extended weekend visit with her friend, AK. Needless to say, cuddles, kisses and toddler amusement were in abundance!

Favorite activity with any friend - a Curious George book:

Yiyi's goodbye banner:

Summer during winter in Perth

2011-02-27T15:49:00.007+08:00

A family-wide influenza infection that began on the last day of our Lunar New Year holiday did not stop us from embarking on a plane again a few days later to the beautiful city Down Under that's experiencing it's hottest ever summer. With work commitments for both Brian and me scheduled, it was impossible to cancel our trip at the last minute despite our feverish fatigue. Thankfully one of the friends we stayed with was a Pediatric doctor. This came in handy when C developed a fever on the evening we arrived.

"G'day, Mate!"

Despite our sickness and the 37 C (99F) degree heat, we are pleased to announce that we fulfilled our work obligations albeit losing our voices at the end of each day! During our six days there, we wished we saw more of the beautiful city but alas. On our last but one day, we decided to rise above our exhaustion and hit the highlights the city has to offer - the Botanical Garden (King's Park) and the beach and rounding the day out off with fish and chips at Fremantle. Our hosts, A and C, were wonderful in every way - took wondrous care of us three sick patients and took tonnes of pictures for us.

"Thank you, God, for chips!"

C, I believe, had a GREAT time. He loved the space and the new friends he found in our hosts and their son, J. He was, by the time of our return, the healthiest among us three! We are all still sickish at the time of this posting but we're definitely on the mend. For more pixs, click Perth.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T10:02:00.001+08:00

The terrific two year old

2011-02-11T13:22:00.004+08:00

Two nights ago I tried to relive what it was like a little over two years ago when I was all bloated and ready to burst followed by some intense few months after Craig was born when Brian and I had to manage being first time parents all by ourselves. But it was difficult for me to imagine those challenging days anymore as they are like vague memories now compared to the joy that we have since experienced.

C turned two yesterday and parenting this little sweet kid continues to be a ball. Everyday brings us new surprises as well as new scare. Hard to believe that the tiny bundle we could once hold with just one arm is today a big boy with a big vocabulary and an even larger heart.

As his birthday falls right after the Chinese New Year weekend, we decided to celebrate the occasion earlier when most family members are still around for the holidays. Unlike last year, we opted for a store-bought cake set to the face of C's favorite book character - Curious George. He loved it! The only thing he loved more was when we sang him the birthday song. Having celebrated a few friends' birthday at the creche, his turn finally came.

Our new year break is soon coming to an end but we are determined to enjoy our last few days here in Malaysia with loved ones. See some pixs of our time with family here.

Year of the Bunny

2011-02-01T22:48:00.005+08:00

I'm still in Chennai as I write this but I wanted to go ahead and wish all a wonderful start to the year of the rabbit before I head home to Singapore tomorrow and then the next day to Ipoh for the Lunar New Year. As with previous years, family traditions will ensure that we will be feted to feasts throughout our visit and we cannot wait!

Meanwhile, C's creche held a Chinese New Year party/concert today. Unfortunately I missed it being here in India. Nonetheless, Brian was able to get us some pictures from the performances that C took part in - the toddlers are all SO cute! Click CNY to see the pixs.

Drum roll please...here's my Honey Bunny wishing you,

"A Hop-py New Year!"

Of Dim Sum and Wantons

2011-01-28T10:38:00.006+08:00

A mere few days before our long anticipated visit to Hong Kong and while I was concluding my work trip to Indonesia, I received a call from home that Craig has the stomach flu again and has to be hospitalized for dehydration (he wasn't keeping anything down - poor guy!). I hate getting such calls but I also knew he was in good hands as we have a really good pediatrician (we have come to accept his thrift with words and appreciate his wisdom in diagnosis); and PohPoh was in town to lend her maternal instincts.

After three nights C was allowed to go home as he was getting so bored in the hospital and was driving us nuts! A day later, we found ourselves on the A380 enroute to Hong Kong for our first family holiday (though the first part was a work trip for me). Friends there treated us to Dim Sum, beef noodles and all kinds of Cantonese delicacies. It was also very easy to please C as he is so Cantonese in his eating habits - soup and rice are all he'd ask for. And in Hong Kong, both are in abundance.

We spent a day at Ocean Park and the highlights there for C were the cable car ride and the Chinese drums that were on display. When he saw those drums being played at a lion dance in Singapore recently, he was mesmerized. So, to finally get his hands on one, it was an unforgettable experience for him. Click on Hong Kong for pictures from our trip.

With the Lunar New Year just round the corner, I have two more solo trips to make before we head to my parents' for the festivities. I look forward to that as with my parents and other relatives around, C's parents can take it easy, plus it will be the little boy's SECOND birthday!

Jamming

2011-01-06T14:07:00.007+08:00

Christmas and New Year's both came and went. And before we knew it, we are smacked right back into the thick of work, studies and, well, life in general. We had an unusual Christmas this year where we played host to relatives who came to visit from Malaysia. We have never had so many stay over at our small apartment before but despite the squeeze, everyone had a jolly time.

This year Craig was more interested in what he calls, "prenens." Days prior to Christmas he was already pestering us to open the "prenens"! When it was finally time, he was thrilled to discover what were behind those nice wrappings. In fact, he had so many presents, he took a few days to finally open them all! His love for musical instruments led to his receiving a set of baby drums and a toy guitar. His passion for trains, especially Thomas, got him several Thomas engines and numerous Thomas and Friends books.

Christmas morning jam session:

Joining the rest of the world which thronged the Singapore Zoo on Christmas day:

New Year's was a great contrast to Christmas where we three spent the day at home contemplating and planning the travels for the year ahead. It was a good day of rest as we prepare our body and soul to launch into another year.

Wordless Wednesday (well, almost)

2010-12-21T21:18:00.001+08:00

We could not justify spending $20 on C's modest volume of thin and fine hair at a popular toy store that also offers haircuts for little kids. But he needed a trim badly. So we decided to take matters into our own hands. Not too bad, you think?

We're back

2010-12-20T20:55:00.004+08:00

The past few weeks since we got home from our month-long visit to the US had been a blur to us. Between jetlag, a hectic travel for work schedule (for me) and a mysterious bout of fever (for C), we simply lost track of time. It just occurred to me that we've been absent here for a month! And Christmas is already knocking at our door!

I just finished my last speaking assignment for the year and am looking forward to being home-based until mid-January before the traveling picks up again. It is time to start thinking about Christmas presents for the little boy and getting the house guest-ready for family members who will be visiting over the Christmas holidays.

Meanwhile Craig has been keeping us entertained with his expeditious verbal communication skills. He sings, tries to speak in short sentences and even attempts to say big words like escalator, elevator and watermelon. Loads of fun!

Here's the face I get when I say, "Smile for Mommy":

Ticked off

2010-11-19T03:49:00.003+08:00

We have been enjoying the vast expanse of Brian's mom's home here in Maryland the last five days. The weather that has been mostly cooperative with lots of sunshine complemented by the crisp chill of Fall has enabled us to run and roam in the yard in close encounter with barn animals like horses, emus and donkeys. It has been a joy to see Craig enjoy the indulgence of space.

However along with blessings of the great outdoors come some not so pleasant disadvantages. In our case, ticks. My last trauma with such pests was when I was 10 when there was a lice outbreak in school. This time it came rather unexpectedly. The nightmare began two days ago when we noticed a tick climbing up C's face after we took an evening walk. Then as we were brushing his teeth before his bath, we found one on the sleeve of his sweater. But we doubt any of them had a chance to feed on the little boy's blood. We made a thorough check to make sure he's clear of the arachnid. So far so good. But guess where who was sucked on? Me! We found one latched on the back of my right shoulder - horrors! B managed to dislodge it carefully and kill it. Now we are keeping our fingers crossed that the sucker brought nothing else to me.

Today we finally could bring ourselves to take a walk in the yard again but we are careful not to tempt the arachnids with any exposed skin or else we'd be really ticked off!

Three to being two

2010-11-11T23:38:00.003+08:00

A day ago Craig turned 21-month old. Hard to believe that in just three months' time our little boy will be TWO! It seems like just weeks ago when a little red-haired infant was placed in my arms in the hospital. Today, he is the unstoppable toddler whose curiosity is perhaps only second to Curious George - who incidentally is one of his favorite book characters.

Our visit here in Williamsburg has been very good for all of us. But as all good things must come to an end, we leave in two days' to Baltimore to visit with Brian's maternal side of the family. It will be no less indulgent for C, I believe, as Nana cannot wait to have him in her arms again!

Soaking up the cold

2010-11-07T02:38:00.005+08:00

We're having a good time of rest as we visit with family here in Williamsburg. The chilly but mostly sunny weather is a wonderful change for Craig. We have been able to spend much time outdoors - at the playground and at the park. Yesterday we drove down to Yorktown where the York river is to soak in the crisp air and waterfront sight. On the way back we took the historical path through the surrender fields and spotted some deer frolicking around in the shadow of the setting sun. See more pictures here.

Today we look forward to seeing some friends and more of family who will join us at our time-share apartment for some meat on the grill. Good times!

Our little bundle at the playground:

Sun, sea, sand and stress

2010-11-03T04:02:00.004+08:00

After a grueling 30 plus hour journey we finally arrived Naples in Florida for my annual conference. As usual, we're accommodated at a top-class resort and this time is no different. But work always leave us with little time to enjoy the facility. On the contrary, the weekend is typically very busy and stressful - packed with meetings and presentations. This time was no different. In fact it was more stressful than usual as all of us are still battling an evil cold that does not seem interested to take leave.

On our last day we did manage to squeeze in some R and R on the beach. Craig got to dip his toes in the Mexican Gulf but was not too keen. He preferred to run his fingers through the white sand in search of odd-shaped shells. See here for more pictures.

Can you spot C in the middle of the picture?

Now that the work part of our trip is over, we are happily in the company of Grandpa and Grandma in Williamsburg. This also means no more traveling for two weeks - yay- a real break! (And hopefully we will recover from this DARN cold!)

Express Mumbai

2010-10-21T12:48:00.006+08:00

My visit to India this time ended with a very brief trip to Mumbai. This was my first time to this populous city and I must say that I was indeed charmed. Looking out of the descending plane, the sprawled out city reminded me of New York City - sky scrapers and bodies of water. I later found out that Mumbai is really made up of seven islands - very similar to the geographical make-up of NYC! Modern and historic architecture intertwine in most parts of the city contributing to its unmistakable beauty.

As my sojourn there was less than 24 hours, I only got to experience the vicinity of my hostess's apartment - which is located strategically by the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel across from the famous Gateway to India. Another lady who organized the meeting I spoke at works for the Taj Hotel group and she treated me to a breathtaking lunch on top of the hotel at the Souk restaurant. The panoramic view from there was magnificent - of the Mumbai harbor and of the coast:

Having survived a whirlwind work trip to India, it was good to be home for a few days before traveling again. Unfortunately it was during this time home that I, too, caught the bug that Craig brought home from the creche. So, all three of us are down with a head cold which is accompanied by a barking cough. Brian is recovering and hopefully C is too. We're keeping our fingers crossed that PohPoh's body will not succumb to the nasty bug. Meanwhile, it's time to pack for another short trip - this time to Malaysia and everyone gets to go!

Survival kit

2010-10-14T20:45:00.006+08:00

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Indian food. In fact, when I lived in Turkey, one of the things I missed was Indian Banana Leaf Rice - much more than Chinese food! But when I'm served curried food for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner, after the second day, my palate starts to develop curry-fatigue. So now, whenever I visit India for work I make sure that I come prepared - to combat the occurrence of curry-fatigue. My survival kit includes my electric travel kettle (as not all hotels here in India provide that in the room), sachets of Milo and instant cup ramen (for days when I work late and am too tired to drag myself down to the hotel coffeeshop for some late-night grub).

As I arrived Chennai two evenings ago, I realized the last time I was here was two years ago when I was still pregnant with Craig. So the past two days I've had the pleasure of giving my Indian colleagues a pictorial update on C. Meanwhile news from home have been encouraging - C is doing great with daddy and PohPoh. Once upon a time I thought that traveling fro work and being away from C will get easier as he grows older and when I "get used" to it. But so far it hasn't gotten any easier for me and I don't think it ever will. I miss C like crazy! Good thing after this trip, we will be traveling together for the next few weeks. Lots of time to play catch-up with my little boy.

Nice!

2010-10-08T16:59:00.006+08:00

As I am writing this, I realized how quiet our hotel room here in Penang is. No stern-talking daddy responding to demanding toddler in the background. Why? That is because Craig is with my parents 150 miles away while Brian and I are here in the idyllic island of Penang for work. This is the second time in the last two months that C gets to spend the weekend with his PohPoh and GungGung sans his parents. The last I heard from my mom, other than a fluke vomit episode (hopefully!), he is having a ball. Such news is always welcoming for parents who have to be away from their children for work.

On the way to my parents, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we had to buy a full ticket for C (he gets to fly for almost free for a few more months before he turns 2). Needless to say, he thoroughly enjoyed his flight. As we were waiting to board our flight, I pointed out to him our plane to which he responded, "Plane!... Nice." Now that he is older and more aware of his world, he gets excited over things like new shoes, new books and toys, and the anticipation of being in a plane. He was acting so silly (cute-good silliness) as we got ready to take off but was very good in staying in his seat belted, to which we all thought - Nice!

Notice how he has his legs are crossed:

Uncharted territory

2010-10-03T18:14:00.007+08:00

Last week work took me to the uncharted (well, for me, at least) territory of the state of Kelantan in Malaysia. Geographically located on the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia, Kelantan is right by the border of Malaysia-Thailand. As the state is populated predominantly by Malay Muslims, the ruling party there is an Islamic party. All these factors contribute to the uniqueness of this state compared to the other states in Malaysia. The differences were obvious to me as soon as I arrived. See here on more information on Kelantan.

The famous Sultan Ismail Petra Arch - notice the Quran on the pillar:

I was really anticipating my visit to Kota Bahru (Kelantan's capital city) having heard so much about its rich heritage and reputed Malay-Siam cuisine. And I was not disappointed. While my schedule did not grant me the luxury of seeing much of the town, I did manage to squeeze in a quick tour of the famous colorful Siti Khatijah market that graces every almost postcard on Kelantan. What one can buy at this market is amazing - from everyday fresh meat, vegetables and fruits to the exotic cacti and turtle eggs (which are illegal?). For more pictures, go here.

On the home front, Brian did wonderfully with Craig all by himself though on the second night C did cry inconsolably looking for mommy. But overall, B scored an A+!

"I'm lovin' it"

2010-09-26T14:57:00.005+08:00

Stomach flu, work, high fever, work-travel, family-wide cold, death of dear friend and more work. All of the above and more occupied most of our last few weeks - hence the absence from this space. It is not unexpected that my return to full-time work will leave me with little time to report to family and friends the little fellow's rapid growth.

And swift it has been! Since he started at the creche (and turning 19 month old), Craig's social and verbal development have embarked on the express train. He is stringing two to three words together to form simple sentences and even picked up a few Mandarin words from his teachers. He is loving his time at the creche - always full of anticipation in the morning. Like most babies and toddlers, he loves the routine at the creche. This is a great relief for me, especially, to know that C's time away from us at the creche is so positive for him.

See him in his uniform:

It is hard to believe that it is the crazy time of the year again when my travels for work will be back to back the next few weeks till we make our annual pilgrimage to see Brian's family back east (of the US). But till then, I will be away at least three days a week from this week on. Meanwhile, I can't wait till November...

Last week C brought home his first handicraft project - a lantern for the Mid-Autumn festival. He is rather proud of his "handiwork" as he's been swinging it around at home rendering it its demise soon:

Self-service

2010-09-02T15:37:00.004+08:00

Before Craig started at the creche, my fear of mess (especially those which require soapy clean up) had been a deterring factor in Craig's delay to acquire the skill to self-feed. Other than using the fork on his eggs (for breakfast) and cheese squares (for snacks), he was not intentionally encouraged to learn how to use the spoon to feed himself. Besides, everyone tells me that the tots will soon pick up these independent skills when they see how dexterous their classmates are. In addition, mealtimes are happy and easy affairs for C and for us who feed him as he loves his food (his teachers at school never fail to be impressed by his appetite).

However, last evening C decided that he will no longer tolerate being held captive in his high chair and insisted on using the spoon himself. So, after attempts to assuage the hellion's ardent and feet-stomping determination failed, I decided to let him have his way with the spoon and his dinner. I had expected mess and a turned over bowl but the little boy surprised us all by his deft spooning - leaving very little for me to clean up. So I guess a toast is in order as we celebrate this significant milestone of our fast-growing toddler! Congratulations, little boy! You are growing too fast for us to catch our breath!

Post-dinner happy spoon-dance - obviously pleased with his feat:

Breakfast on Saturdays

2010-08-29T17:45:00.004+08:00

My mom is here on her monthly visit and as always her presence is greatly welcomed. This means, other than having additional company for Craig, I don't have to worry about dinner on week nights but instead come home to familiar comfort dinners.

We are pleased to announce C is rather adjusted at the creche though so far he only stays till after nap time. Especially with my mom being round, the little boy gets to come home early for his snacks instead of at 5pm when I pick him up.

As a family we've started some kind of a tradition where we have breakfast out on Saturdays when I don't have to work. With the weather permitting yesterday, we indulged in Mickey D's latte and deluxe breakfast at the beachside outlet close by. A stroll on the beach park was perfect to round up our big breakfast outing. Unlike our past few visits to this park, this time C was much more interested in the playground. We took time to let him run around bare foot in the sand and he was absolutely thrilled! Afterwards father and son took delight watching the marine traffic out at sea.

Say Cheese!

2010-08-25T13:18:00.003+08:00

Many parents have told us that once a child starts at the creche they will learn independence in many ways. I remember Brian's mother telling me how Brian blossomed when he started going to home-based childcare. We are beginning to see the same with Craig. On a daily basis we see his personality coming through - his laugh, sense of humor, babbling, etc. Good fun!

Inaugural Youth Olympics Games

2010-08-15T20:24:00.003+08:00

The inaugural Youth Olympics Games officially began two days ago here in Singapore. A day before that, we had the opportunity to witness the Olympic torch relay pass right by our apartment block. Years from today, Craig will tell his friends that he was that close to the torch relay of the first ever Youth Olympics and the following video clip will prove it. (Please pardon the unintended commentary in the beginning of the clip):

Creche landing

2010-08-11T14:55:00.006+08:00

Our little boy turned 18 months old yesterday. A major milestone in many aspects but a significant one is that he is now old enough to start at the creche. As this is his first week, he is there only for half of the day and one of us is asked to stay with him. The real test will be next week when he will stay on longer and without either one of us with him. Having spent the first day with him, I think he will do alright although tears will be inevitable next week.

What a big boy! Riding the train holding on by himself:

We love the fact that the creche is a mere 7-minute walk from our apartment. The plan is that Brian will send him there in the morning while I will pick him up in the evening. He has two English-speaking teachers and two Mandarin-speaking ones. We are looking forward to his learning Mandarin from his Chinese teachers who are native-speakers (they are from China). Maybe the day will come when C will teach his parents some Mandarin!

Anxiously waiting for lunch to be served:

"No, no, no, no, no!"

2010-08-04T21:20:00.007+08:00

As work required both Brian and me in Penang over the weekend, we took advantage of the close proximity to where my parents live by leaving Craig with them for a few days. Though initially apprehensive of how the little boy will do in view of his recent intensified separation anxiety, our fears were allayed after the first night when they reported that he is happier than ever. And having loads of fun.

It is hard to believe that I've been back to work for a month now as the weeks just flew by. Though greeted by a few pressing projects upon my return, my calender was still rather manageable for the rest of the year. Not so the case today. The months ahead are filling up with various speaking engagements including quite a few that require travel. Ah, yes, it is all coming back to me now...

Having worked over the weekend, we decided to take Monday off for C. It was a day well spent at a mall here which has a huge children's recreation area. As it was a school day, we did not have to deal with crowds both at the park and at the restaurant afterward for lunch. Other than a few minor tantrums fueled by exhaustion and hunger, C did really well. Nonetheless, we are very aware that the dreaded T2 is closing in on us as we definitely see manifestations of the phase - favorite expression now: "No, no, no, no, no!"

Being his first time, he was reluctant to approach the water spouts. I had to coax him:

He clearly enjoyed them subsequently:

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-04T08:36:00.002+08:00

Groovin'

2010-07-17T22:21:00.001+08:00

It has been too long since we took Craig out to the city. So we decided that we will eat out for dinner. On the way back, we dropped by a CD shop to browse around and C could not resist the beat of a song that was playing at the store. Modestly, he moved his booty as evidenced by the video below. Enjoy!

Father and son days

2010-07-03T20:39:00.006+08:00

After enjoying a year of Stay-at-Home-Mom privileges, I returned to full-time work two days ago. This means my days of long commute and brown bag lunches are back. As Craig is a month short of turning 18 months, the creche that we have him registered at would not be able take him in just as yet. Hence instead of diving straight back into his doctoral research, Brian will have to take another month off to stay-home with C. I'm confident that the two boys will have a blast bonding over books, toy trucks and cars, duplos and daddy's music of preference (Though I beg to differ, B reckons that it's never too early to introduce C to White Stripes!).

My handsome boys:

I have mixed feelings about heading back to work but I believe that it is time for us to move on to another phase in our lives: for me to resume my professional life, for B to make progress on his research and for C to embark on new learning experiences.

Thankfully my first work week was a short one (I was back to work on a Thursday!) and my mom arrived yesterday for another visit. Her being around will definitely alleviate some of the pressure and anxiety of my work mode as she helps B with the curious toddler and eases the burden of meal preparation for the family. Here's to ten days of comfort mommy-cooked dinners!

Toddler diarrhea

2010-06-20T19:27:00.006+08:00

Travels and sicknesses occupied most of our days last few weeks leaving us with very little energy left at the end of every day for luxuries like blogging. Soon after my last post, Craig was admitted into the hospital for an intestinal infection. Turns out his fever was not vaccine-related but a precursor to a bout of diarrhea, vomitus, diaper rash, temporary lactose intolerance and yeast infection (in that order!). While the little boy was not too sickly throughout, his Pediatrician recommended that he be admitted for observation.

After two nights of antibiotics treatment, he was allowed to go home when his fever finally broke and when his blood work came back negative. I stayed over with him the first night while Brian took over the next as I had to leave for Toronto for work. It was extremely tough to leave but I knew C was in the good hands of my mom and Brian. Yiyi also flew in to surprise C and her visit definitely sweetened his otherwise miserable weekend in the hospital.

By the time I returned from Canada, the toddler was almost back to his normal self. Unfortunately, he had another bout of diarrhea almost ten days later when we made a day trip to Malaysia for work. This time his fever was short lived though. A few days of intense lactobacillus supplement, his stomach finally stabilized. (By the way, we highly recommend any Probiotics supplement which contains the strain of LactoGG lactobacillus)

In the midst of all these, he turned 16-month old! Here are some tricks up this toddler's sleeve:

Says almost 70 words (guess who's counting AND listing!)
Hums when you ask him to sing
Plays "baby-pictionary" with his parents on the floor with crayons
Knows and says what's hot and stays away
Rummages the pantry and asks for crackers and cookies regularly
Goes to the kitchen, points at the pot where we make his food and says, Mam mam, around meal times
Plays hide and seek with his parents (we hide, he seeks)

P.s. Some new pixs of C here.

Little did we know

2010-05-25T20:19:00.003+08:00

When I was Craig's age, my mom told me, I would throw up whenever I had fever. So far, that has been the case with Craig, too. (Should I be consoled by this fact that at least he does takes after me in some ways?!) After the last vaccination shot he had three months ago, he threw up in the middle of the night with a temperature. Then, over a month ago he barfed profusely at the onset of a viral fever. So, we were prepared this time when we took him in for his 15-month vaccination. At least we thought we were prepared.

As always, the little boy took the jab in stride and merely let out a brief cry. And as we were getting ready to leave, the doctor informed that he may experience some mild side effects in 5-10 days' time. "In 5-10 days' time???" I thought. But don't side effects manifest almost immediately? Apparently not this time. After some online research (which I really should have done before the doctor's visit) , I discovered that reaction to the Mumps-Measles-Rubella-Varicella (chicken pox) vaccination typically show up days later. Common reaction include fever (I read: Barf!) and rashes. And, some toddlers also experience intermittent fever over a period of two weeks.

This information does not bode well for me at all as I leave in a few days' for a week for work. Thankfully my mother will be arriving tomorrow and Brian will not have to handle the situation all by himself. Besides, the boy started having a temperature today (no vomit, yet - I'm keeping my fingers crossed). Hopefully after tomorrow the side effects would have run its course and C will be fine while I'm away.

Sicak! Caliente! Panas!

2010-05-16T21:22:00.005+08:00

No matter how you say it, it's still hot, hot, hot! The weather here has been most unbearable - almost saturation-point humidity plus sweltering heat from the scorching sun. You would think the occasional precipitation would bring some relief to the soul but in reality, the rain actually worsens the humidity (imagine water landing on hot surfaces - yes, steam!) and leaves one feeling more clammy than before. And under such draining conditions, one hardly has the desire to do much - even on a weekend.

However, it would be heartless to cage up an active toddler at home. So we decided to brace the mugginess and go for ice-cream at The Daily Scoop (Click on name to their site) an ice-cream parlor that serves up the most delightful concoctions, and most wonderfully, very close to where we live. It was the right thing to do as after a few scoops of Utterly Avocado and Nutty Macadamia, the world was a better place for all three of us!

Craig helping himself to the cold treat:

Happy ending to weekend:

What do you see?

2010-05-15T21:52:00.006+08:00

Imagine yourself lying comfortably on a couch. Now take a deep breath, relax and tell me what you see in the picture below:

Today Brian and I found ourselves being tested mentally but unlike the Rorschach test we were not being evaluated psychologically. It was merely a Craig Thomas test of his parents' patience and limits. This afternoon, the boy was playing in the den alone for a few minutes as we both had various chores in different rooms around the house. As our living space is small, we were always aware of where the little boy is and what he's doing. And when I finally was done with what I had to do, I found the toddler hard at work on a piece of, well, postmodern art. Up till a few days ago, he was barely interested in his Crayolas but today, he gave us quite a piece of work. So here it is - Craig's first piece of "artwork" - not quite Kandinsky's Composition series but it's a start.

Toddler angst feeding the creative soul:

Association

2010-05-11T19:34:00.004+08:00

Craig turned 15-month-old yesterday. Many baby books cite this month as a month of milestones and we are excited as we anticipate the little boy's next developmental milestone - be it physical, mental, emotional or verbal. He continues to surprise us on a daily basis with how much he understands of what we say to him and also the words he attempts to say - he says at least one new word everyday!

Today he surprised us by his ability to associate a tune to a song to a word! I was playing with him and humming the tune of nursery rhyme, Sing A Song of Sixpence. He smiled and shouted, pie, pie! (For those of you who are not familiar, the word pie appears numerous times in the song). This was truly a major milestone for the boy and as his parents, we are SO proud of him!

Missing So. Cal.

2010-05-03T20:06:00.005+08:00

Two days ago, though down with a running nose and a cough (we're very thankful that there's no fever!), we decided that Craig was feeling well enough to go on a small outing to the beach park nearby with another mom and her two little girls. While it was a beautiful park with sufficient amenities it falls short of the beautiful beaches Brian and I used to go to in Southern California. And I hope C will get to visit those beaches one day. Meanwhile, the beach parks that we have here will have to do.

Craig was so excited to see a dog and decided to run towards it:

Ahh... Southern Californian beaches:

Early talker

2010-04-29T22:24:00.004+08:00

A little over two weeks ago, Craig and I took off to visit my parents in Ipoh. We decided to stay a fortnight as Brian was going to be away for the two weekends consecutively and I didn't want to be home alone with the toddler. Besides, this was going to be my last long visit before I head back to work in July. As always, C had a blast with his grandparents (Gung Gung especially) and it was a a double bonus when B dropped by for two nights on his way back to Singapore from his travel the first weekend. Check out more pixs here.

Looking out at our plane as we waited to board. Hard to believe that the helpless baby I once held is now an increasingly independent toddler:

C is entering a really fun stage (though every stage he's been through had been a fun stage for us!) now that he's walking and learning to talk. He understands simple instructions like, "Give ... to mommy," and even slightly more complex ones like, "Get the book and give to mommy" (referring to a book lying on the floor and without gesturing). According to the last Baby Center email I received, C would be considered an early talker as he knows close to 20 words while an average toddler his age would probably be able to say three to four words. He attempts to say new words on a daily basis. It's especially cute to hear him say, "shhh" (shoes), "lala" (umbrella) and "car."

Any empty box is a respectable toy:

Since our return last evening, I have been busy working! Sure, I'm still officially on my extended maternity leave but duty calls (yet again!) and I've to rise to the occasion. In fact, there will be another trip coming up for me when B and my mother will have to tag team again on the little boy.

Reading corner

2010-04-10T18:50:00.006+08:00

Remember that corner of the house where I found Craig contemplating the world the day after his viral infection? Well, he tucked himself in that little space again the other day - this time reading. Among books that were strewn around, he sat in the tiny nook which, by the way, has the best light in the apartment, for almost 10 minutes going through pages of his various books. You can also watch the short video HERE.

Lately, other than his exploding verbal and passive vocabulary, he has also been toddling - for real this time! Yesterday, I decided to put some shoes on him and made an errand-trip to the mall. When we got there I let him loose from his stroller onto his feet - he had the widest smile ever. He was so pleased that a whole new world has opened up for him now that he's a beginner bi-ped.

Attempting to pull along his toy crane:

Craig's list

2010-04-06T20:44:00.005+08:00

As Craig approaches his 14th month, his speech development has been impressive. I honestly did not expect him to be able to say some of these words so soon but here they are:

1) Dada (still no mama, yet!!!)

2) Book

3) Ball

4) Clock (he points at wristwatches and calls them a clock!)

5) Truck

6) Cheese

7) Pipe (don't ask me why this word!)

8) Kai kai (Cantonese baby word for walk or going out)

Craig is fascinated by the ubiquitous pipes of Singapore public housing:

He also effectively signs the word, pain, and gestures his wants by pointing - most often at the front door as he's always up for a walk. His passive vocabulary is also expanding daily and we found ourselves losing count of how many words he knows. The challenge for me is to ensure that both his English language and Cantonese vocabulary grow equally. Fun days, these are!

Spontaneous excursion

2010-04-04T19:21:00.004+08:00

Easter Sunday was off to a wet start but unlike last few days, it was really comfortable. As the day was still pleasant by the time Craig woke up from his nap, we decided to check out the Chinese Garden. Though it's so close to where we live (two train stops away), we have never thought of going there. But we are glad that we did today. It boasts of a Chinese Garden and a Japanese Garden. We only managed to see the Chinese part of the park and promise to return soon for another excursion. It drizzled a little when we first got there but the sky soon cleared up and presented us with a lovely weather for such an outing. Check out more pictures from today here.

Quiet weekend

2010-04-03T17:15:00.004+08:00

It is a good weekend so far but the weather has been dreadful - it's presently rainy outside but extremely hot and humid in the apartment. (We're talking about 150% humidity!!!) Craig is in a much better mood than he was last few days and having his dad around helps. He is cutting his 8th tooth and we think that that has contributed to his fussiness.

I have been able to catch up on sleep and hence feel much rested overall. Since it's Saturday, I'm determined to leave the house solo to run some errands and have some me-time come rain or shine!

p.s. Just uploded some 13-month pixs of C here.

Update

2010-03-30T15:49:00.004+08:00

After 36 hours of non-breaking fever, Craig emerged the victor in his battle with some nasty virus clan. By Tuesday morning he was almost back to his usual happy self though his eyes were evidently battle-weary. Though tired, he continued to fight - this time with us as we tried to put him down for a nap that he clearly needed. No point asking who won that contest! He finally succumbed to a long 3-hour nap with me in the afternoon. Today, he seems all fine but still a little clingy and fussy which does not bode well for a mother who is still engaged in her own viral match.

I found him tucked in a corner contemplating the world this morning:

Les Miserables

2010-03-29T19:49:00.005+08:00

It all started when I felt a slight scratch in my throat on Thursday night. We all know where this is heading - my down with a cold. As Craig's primary caretaker, I tried my best to be vigilant about not spreading my germs to him. Evidently I did not try hard enough. On Sunday 3 pm, the little boy was still his usual curious self - surveying every room in the apartment and stopping to poke into anything interesting along the way. By 5 pm, he could hardly move a limb! We were at a friend's place for dinner and before dinner could start, C started throwing up. Upon confirming that he has a fever, we decided we'll head home and skip dinner. But on the way back in the taxi, he threw up a few more times and looked extremely pale. He could not even keep his eyes open. We made a quick decision to bring him in to ER.

The doctor confirmed that he has a viral infection and that otherwise, he seemed fine. We were also told to expect a few days of high temperatures. So, here we are - after the first 24 hours, Craig is still feeling miserable. He hasn't much appetite though he did manage to take some cereal for both lunch and dinner. His fever, though rather low grade, has not broken. We are monitoring and waiting as we anticipate another long sleepless night...

Sunday 4:30pm: Joyful on the train

Sunday 6:00 pm: Miserable!

Learning fast

2010-03-23T15:10:00.001+08:00

Craig is at the stage in his life where he is picking up new skills exceedingly fast. On most evenings before Craig has his bath, Brian would brush his teeth. But last evening, after the routine brush, C decided that he wants to do it again - this time on his own. He took the toothbrush from B and shoved it into his mouth and started to brush - well, more like poking it around. But the point is, it was really sweet to see him wanting to do things independently. Here is some pictorial evidence (pardon the poor photography but as most parents know, it is difficult to snap a good one with a toddler):

Having scrambled eggs for breakfast on his own:

Hong Kong Post-97

2010-03-22T21:01:00.006+08:00

Flying into Hong Kong's international airport made me realized that this is the first time I'm visiting the Post-97 Hong Kong. Hard to believe that the last time I was here was 1996 (not counting the endless times I've transited here)! Other than the fact that more Hong Kongers now speak Mandarin, the city seems unfazed by the change of government. However, beneath the fashion and the feasts, a lot more is going on in this bustling city: On one of the nights, I, together with two of my other colleagues, joined Ravi (Zacharias) on the Q&A panel after his talk. A poignant question on suicide was asked. I was subsequently informed that filicide-suicide is on the rise here. See report here: Time article It is most tragic when such hopelessness drives the heart.

My week away was extremely busy - packed with meetings and speaking engagements. I barely had time to see much though my hotel was smacked right in Causeway Bay. But I did manage to pick up some Cantonese kids CD's for Craig. Needless to say he was thrilled to see me home when he woke up from his nap on Sunday. Brian and my mom did wonderfully with the little boy and I was glad that I took the few days off to do some "work." This trip will slowly help ease me back into my working mode come July...

Welcome, weekend!

2010-03-12T21:42:00.004+08:00

One may wonder why a stay-at-home mother like me would be so excited that the weekend is here. Well, for one, Saturdays are Craig's daddy-day. This means, I get to take a break from the routine and have some me-time. This weekend though will see me working and preparing for my upcoming trip to Hong Kong. I have much to do for the past few days with PohPoh around were mostly play for C and me. So I am having to catch up this weekend. Thankfully my mother will stay a few more days with us upon my return promising the prospect of a couple more days of lunching-out-lazy-afternoons-play during the work week.

Fooling around with mommy's shades on way to lunch with PohPoh today:

He toddles, he toddles not

2010-03-08T20:36:00.006+08:00

While July is still four months away (that's when my extended maternity leave expires!), I found myself being called up for duty this month. In a week's time, I would have to travel to Hong Kong for a week to join the rest of my colleagues for various meetings and speaking engagements. During this time, Craig will be under the watch of his daddy who will work from home. My mom, who arrives in two days to visit, will also stay on to tag team with Brian to care for the progressively active boy.

A milestone was "sort of" achieved last week - C took his first two steps! He was trying to grab something from me when he took two tentative steps. For weeks now he has been able to stand very stably on his own but had not taken any independent steps. The next day after the first two steps, he took a couple of steps on several occasions. I thought - "This is it!" Finally I can inform friends and family through virtual social networks that my son is officially a toddler!

But since then, he hasn't attempted any independent walk. He cruises around effortlessly, climbs enthusiastically but - no walk. Hmm...

We are informed by countless baby books that a baby's foray into independent walking is also determined by the child's personality. What we have seen of C is that he is a very cautious child. On numerous occasions, he was able to prevent a serious hit on the head thanks to his careful stance as he fell. We are thankful that he is not a reckless baby but you can't blame a first-time mom for wondering when her little boy would toddle...

Let's hope the following episode will not be repeated when I'm away next week:

In a toddler minute

2010-02-27T22:18:00.006+08:00

How is life different now that C is one? Well, these pictures will speak for themselves. In both instances, I left him for a mere 30 seconds only to return to a heart-stopping (mine) sight of C attempting some nerve-racking (again, for me, that is) toddler-FUN.

Trying to escape via the window?

The look of guilt:

Having mastered climbing up the footstool directly, this time he'd like to attempt something more complicated!

P.S. More pictures from our CNY break here.

Birthday boys

2010-02-26T15:38:00.005+08:00

The two special men in my life celebrated their significant birthday two weeks ago: Craig's first and Brian's 40th. To celebrate the occasion, my mom treated us to a sumptuous multi-course dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Ipoh and concluded the evening with a healthy mango souffle cake (sorry folks, this was store-bought - I'm a mere novice in baking!).

We enjoyed our break in Malaysia thoroughly even though Brian had to return home on the first day of the New Year's due to work commitment. Nonetheless C had a ball - he loved feasting on the new year cookies and mandarins and was always looking forward to his daily evening walk with his GungGung.

Craig is ONE - well, almost!

2010-02-08T10:18:00.006+08:00

We leave for Malaysia in a few hours' for our Chinese New Year break but we wanted to post some highlights from Craig's first First Birthday party at home over the weekend. As we will not be in town on the actual day of his birthday, he skyped with his Nana in the morning.

Nana wishing the little buddy a Happy Birthday from halfway round the world:

On Sunday, we had a few close friends over plus my sister and her best pal who drove all the way from Malaysia to join in the celebration. Timed right after C's nap, he was fully charged for the event. As we decorated the living hall while he was napping, he was delighted to see the colorful streamers when he emerged from his room after snoozing. We refrained from balloons though as the little fellow has a love-hate relationship with them. He loves to watch them from afar but is terrified of them when they are close to him. Go figure!

He was thrilled with the company and the novelty of having so many people on his home turf. When the birthday cake was brought out, he did not know what to make of it! But I'm glad he loved the cake that his mommy baked and decorated with the help of his YiYi. More about the cake here. Here are some pictures (thanks, Lisa, for them!)

Craig loves his YiYi:

One-year-old: Counting down

2010-01-26T10:54:00.005+08:00

Craig turns a year old in two weeks' time. Oh what a year it has been. It is impossible to imagine how we ever lived without him (okay - I sometimes can when he wouldn't let go of my leg and clings on to me while I'm starving and trying to eat my lunch).

A fun activity while we wait to be served at a restaurant - reading "Where's Spot?"

To celebrate this eventful milestone, we have two parties planned. As his birthday is smacked right in the middle of a work week and the weekend post-birthday is the Chinese New Year, we decided that we will hold a small intimate party on the weekend before (February 7) with a few close friends and family members. We leave for Ipoh to celebrate the New Year's with parents on the next day. So, on the exact birthday itself, the family will have a multiple-course dinner at a favorite Chinese restaurant here. As we would also be celebrating Brian's BIG 4-0, he got to pick the restaurant - Sun Lee How Fook. Meanwhile, even a small party requires planning and prepping... watch this space for more updates soon.

Hanging out with daddy on some grapes:

Not keen

2010-01-20T15:11:00.005+08:00

Brian and I were first introduced to Yo Gabba Gabba when we visited the US in November. Some of the characters from the show took part in the Macy Thanksgiving Parade. At that time, we thought that the characters were rather funny and quirky - in a good way. So when we got home, I checked them out on the internet: Yo Gabba Gabba. In many ways it reminded me of another show which I grew up watching when I was in grade school - Electric Company (which, by the way, has an updated version currently running on US tv).

Their website features some music video clips from the show and when shown to Craig, he loves them - lively music, colorful characters. One particular song all of us like was "Don't bite your friends" which teaches one not to bite others. A few days ago, I discovered that the show is now being broadcasted over a Singaporean tv channel daily at noon.

Now, even before Craig was born, we had decided that he will not get to watch tv until he can read and has cultivated the love for reading. So, armed with a decision like that, and upon some negotiation with Brian, we decided that we will make an exception for YGG. But guess what? C didn't like it! Other than pausing for a few seconds from his hectic playing and getting into things he shouldn't when DJ Lance says, "YO GABBA GABBA!", he was not interested in the show at all. We are strangely quite pleased that he is more interested in his soft building blocks than Plex or Muno. So that's that for now, no tv for C at least till he first loves reading and when he shows an interest in watching the tube (can one still refer to the tv as the tube now that most sets has LCD screens???).

Getting acquainted with Bill Buckley:

"Surprise!"

2010-01-18T11:54:00.010+08:00

Over the weekend, I, I'Ching, went on an overnight trip to Kuala Lumpur (KL) to surprise my sister on her birthday which fell on Sunday. Brian, the wonderful husband that he is, stayed back in Singapore with Craig. After all, Saturday is Daddy day. I caught the earliest coach to KL to meet my parents who were also traveling there to celebrate my sister's birthday. Was she surprised? YES! But she admitted that when she saw me walking out the station with mom and dad, she was half-expecting a white man with a baby in his arms following. But alas...

On the day's agenda were ice-cream cake and seafood dinner which saw us feasting on finger-lickin' delish crabs and drunken shrimps. Instead of posting characterless pictures of the sumptuous dinner, I will leave you with pictures of what we ate in their pre-wok state to tickle your imagination!

Most Chinese seafood restaurants display their live crustaceans and fish as evidence to their freshness:

No, none of these potential princes were selected for our dinner table:

A closer look at these cute creatures before they board the culinary express:

Update on Yuletide

2010-01-11T19:12:00.003+08:00

Christmas with family in Ipoh was warm (literally!) and delightful. It was perfect that Craig was in the company of his grandparents on his first Christmas. While he did not enjoy the opening of his presents too much - he hates the sound of wrapping paper tearing - he loved his presents especially the toy ones.

During the duration of our stay in Malaysia, Craig also put on more than two pounds thanks to all the nutrient-packed rice porridge that PohPoh made for him every day. It is amazing as we witness the rapid development of this little boy - as we compare his pictures from even a month ago, he looks more like a boy now than a baby. Watching his expeditious growth is bittersweet for us - we miss the sweet docile infant but we are pleased to know the present uber-responsive tyke. It is hard to believe that in just a few more weeks he will be a year old. Time to get cracking on his birthday celebration!

Boxing Day Part 1

2009-12-23T22:52:00.004+08:00

A quick update for our friends and family on the Western part of the world before we leave for Malaysia early tomorrow to spend Christmas with my family. We decided that we will open presents early this year (all Craig's as Brian and I decided since a couple of years ago to not get anything for each other as we have all that we need) as we will not be home on Christmas morning. So this evening I made dinner (yes, I actually found time to make a chicken dinner I saw on Martha Steward's show!) and we opened Craig's presents. He seemed to have been overwhelmed by all the new toys he received and did not know what to make of it. Still, he was thrilled by all the unwrapping and the packaging boxes.

Unfortunately, this morning I found the little boy sniffling a little. He hasn't any fever so far and was mostly his usual self. So, we hope it's just a slight runny nose and will not progress to anything serious.

Meanwhile, Merry Christmas everyone!

Brian commented that Craig was doing a Nana here

- except that he's happy:

Larger than life

2009-12-17T19:53:00.006+08:00

Craig has just recently discovered the refrigerator and is now constantly banging on its door hoping that it'll open to him:

Another recurrent frustration: trying to get to the Christmas tree:

The resultant expression - I was SO close to that ornament!

Next to his Christmas present from my boss's wife (his Nanee - Grandma in Hindi):

Future friends

2009-12-17T19:25:00.003+08:00

Over the weekend, Brian and I had a couple and their son over for dinner. What was unique about this rendezvous was that we have never met them in person before that evening! It was kind of like a family blind date. I met C on an online February mother forum and subsequently became "friends" on Facebook. Finally after months of talking about it, we got together for our sons to meet.

While it is still too early for Craig and Caleb to socialize and play with each other, both sets of parents thoroughly enjoyed the tete-a-tete. In view of the success of this first meeting (not to mention how I hit the jackpot with my spaghetti meatballs), we foresee many more dates in the future.

Seen here is Caleb and Craig in parallel play - almost oblivious to each other:

First Christmas for a 10-month old

2009-12-12T12:36:00.005+08:00

Now that Craig has joined the family, everything about Christmas will never be the same ever again for Brian and I: from the location of our Charlie Brown tree to the number of presents under the tree. As C is now a beaming 10-month old who is pulling up on everything (from furniture to our pant leg!), cruising and even foiled an attempt at standing unsupported, we have to consider creative ways to put up the tree. So, we ended up having the tree on a the high side table in the living room. We also had to forgo breakable ornaments and stuck with only safe ones. Trying my hand at baking, I made some decorative cinnamon-scented cookies as ornaments.

I also realized that the My First Christmas tee I got for C is getting too small for him now that his appetite is back with a vengeance. Hence the early debut of the tee in case it longer fits in two weeks'. Go here for more of C in his tighty tee! Meanwhile we are anticipating our first Christmas with the little boy in Ipoh with my family. We will travel there on Christmas eve and C and I will stay on for two weeks - will be fun!

Here's Spock wishing you and yours A Merry Christmas!

The Big Easy

2009-12-08T11:52:00.008+08:00

Craig has finally gotten over his jetlag and we are pleased that we are getting some reasonably decent sleep albeit being roused a few times a night by C's nocturnal cries (we are learning that sleep training is an on-going challenge). Nonetheless, C is getting back to some sort of routine after our trip and I am hoping that things will stay this smooth till our next trip in two weeks'.

While we were in Baltimore at Brian's mom, I had the opportunity to take off to New Orleans - solo - for a conference. C stayed back with Brian in Baltimore.

My love for Creole/Cajun food coupled with my passion for jazz has always had the Big Easy high on my City To Visit list. Hence, imagine my thrill when I found out that this annual conference that I attend every other year was to be held there. The city did not disappoint me - from my arrival into the Louis Armstrong airport with the sweet sound of blues in the airwaves to the jambalaya and gumbo, the ambience was what I had expected it to be.

Background: St. Louis Cathedral; foreground: Jackson Square

I just love quaint little cafes like this one:

The interior of the French Market - which was a disappointment

to me as I had expected it to be like Seattle's Pike Place Market:

Unfortunately, due to the demanding schedule of the conference, I had little time to explore the city. As my hotel was smacked right in the centre of the French Quarters, I did not have to go far to appreciate the old city. I wish I had more time to do more but alas... Perhaps when C is old enough to travel more conveniently we will make another trip to this old city. If his love for jazz is for real (as evidenced by his clapping and shaking of his booty every time I play Ella Fitzgerald), I think he, too, will appreciate the Big Easy.

Entertaining on Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T10:53:00.002+08:00

It's been almost three days since we arrived home from our visit to the US but we (mostly Craig) are still dealing with jetlag. Hence this post will be brief. Meanwhile, we wanted to feature this video of Craig entertaining his family at our Thanksgiving get-together last week. Notice that at the end of the clip, he was trying to turn the page of his music!

As it was his first Thanksgiving, he also had his first taste of pumpkin pie. He must have loved it as he gobbled up his slice pretty fast!

Back east

2009-11-12T01:31:00.007+08:00

Since over a week ago Craig has been enjoying the attention of his Granddaddy and Grandma Vicky here in Williamsburg, Va.. Unlike previous visits where we would stay with Brian's dad, this year we are treated to sojourn in a nice time-share apartment here. This has worked out great as the place is not only large enough to have relatives over, it is sufficiently spacious to accommodate Craig's growing exploring needs! On Saturday, Nana joined us from Baltimore and will drive us up to her place this weekend where we will spend the rest of our time here.

While it was the first time Granddaddy and Grandma Vicky meet C, the little boy warmed up to them almost immediately. Other than his grandparents, C also met his first Great Grandma here. Go here to see more of our time in Williamsburg.

Picture perfect: Craig with Granddaddy and Grandma Vicky

C meeting Great Grandma Radcliff:

Home visit

2009-11-05T13:36:00.009+08:00

Craig's first long haul flight went much easier than we had expected. We were as prepared as we could be for 20 plus hours of screaming but C fussed only a little and even slept for a third of the flight. Thanks to dozens of tips from other frequent traveling moms, Brian and I survived yet another parenting trial.

Our first stop in the US was Los Angeles where we spent two days catching up with friends and on Mexican food (I just LOVE those Machaca burritos!). Thanks to the hospitality of K and L, C found himself in a beautiful home in La Mirada where he could simply crawl to anywhere! Unlike his familiar abode of cold hard tiled floor, he was thrilled that his playground was not confined to a 4 feet by 6 feet playmat but a whole carpeted house!

C is wondering what that book on the chair tastes like!

Upon arrival in LA, he adjusted rather easily to the time change - much better than me. He slept through from the first night itself though his bedtime now is much later than his usual. The plus point of this "new" routine is that he gets up later, too. Works great for Brian and me.

After two days in LA, we flew to Phoenix for our conference. Many friends and colleagues who only virtually met C got to see him in the flesh. During our four days in Phoenix, he achieved two milestones: he did a proper crawl and pulled himself up to stand. We also noticed that his third and fourth top tooth are on their way - increasing the total count to six!

Pulled up on the hotel crib:

Family visit

2009-11-04T12:29:00.004+08:00

Since our last entry, we have traversed two different continents. I shall recount our journey chronologically. Our trip to Melaka in Malaysia was a lot of fun as my family (mom, dad and sister) joined us there. Needless to say, Craig had a ball with all the attention lavished upon him. He also got away with a later bedtime in preparation for his time zone-crossing trip. So, instead of going to bed at 7:30pm, he was allowed to stay up till 10pm. However, the little boy played so much in the day, he was more than ready for bed by 8:30pm. He ended sleeping in the carrier as I towed him around town.

A rare picture of tyke with mommy. Notice his mischievous look!:

He could get away with anything with GungGung:

Pack and Play

2009-10-22T22:07:00.005+08:00

Tomorrow morning we leave for Melaka in Malaysia for the weekend as both Brian and I have to teach at a conference there. We return on Sunday evening and immediately on Monday early morning, we board our long-haul flight to the US.

Brian has been out of town this whole week for work and if not for my mom, who is here again to visit her grandson, I would not have been able to do much in planning and packing for our trips. As Craig is active as ever now (pulling up to stand whenever there is an opportune moment i.e. none of us are watching!), it has been challenging trying to balance letting him explore the world around him and ensuring that he does not get into anything he is not supposed to.

The last two weeks saw me researching, planning, drawing up check-lists and enquiring on how to fly to the US as uneventfully as possible. While we have traveled with C quite frequently, this will be a milestone for us, the parents, in surviving our first 26-hour long flight. Since PohPoh arrived, C has enjoyed the extra attention and kisses he gets. So, while mommy is busy checking off her packing list, C is working hard at playing with PohPoh.

Craig getting acquainted with his PeaPod - which we hope will be his snoozing zone for the next four weeks:

Toys? Checked. Passports? Checked. Tickets? Checked. Boardbooks? Checked. Sleep? I think it's about time...

In a baby minute

2009-10-12T22:10:00.007+08:00

Craig turned 8-months old a few days ago. Today, when we took him to his doctor to get the second dose of his flu vaccination, we also did the routine assessment (as we will be away when he turns 9-months old when his assessment is actually due). He is doing great - lighter than he feels on our arms but in the 75th percentile for his height. Overall he is a happy growing baby - and we are thankful.

The following is a snapshot of what can take place in a baby-minute:

Teething blues - encore

2009-10-07T20:56:00.004+08:00

Typically Craig is a happy boy when he eats. But he has been uncooperative at mealtimes since last evening due to the sprouting of his third tooth. Hence, today I had to play the role of an entertainer to keep his spirit up. Well, from the video above it is evident it worked - in that my antics made him laughed, but he still did not finish his lunch. I even offered his favorite - the pumpkin pie concoction. But nope. The mouth was sealed shut. He did much better at dinner this evening and hopefully by tomorrow, his appetite will return.

The usual chirpiness after lunch that has been missing:

Creeper Jitters

2009-10-04T14:17:00.002+08:00

From the clip above it is evident that Craig is becoming very mobile. He's seen here combat crawling/creeping towards his dragon lantern. Yesterday was the Mid-Autumn Festival and kids typically would walk the streets with a lantern in hand in the evening after dinner. Though C did not manage to do his walk (he was fast asleep by the time the neighborhood kids were out), he did receive two lanterns - a fish one from PohPoh and the dragon one from Aunt Kaye.

These are getting rare as they are handmade from paper and hand drawn instead of the new plastic versions:

As Craig approaches his eighth-month mark, we are working fast to baby-proof our apartment. For one, we have lowered the mattress platform of his crib now that he can sit unsupported. We are also on the lookout for a new television console to replace our current one (but these items comes so pricey and we are taking out time to find a reasonably priced one). Thankfully, he is not an overly active and determined baby who simply goes for what he wants. Nonetheless he loves exploring the world around him and we can never be too careful!

Daddy reading to C:

Of beauties and orchids

2009-10-01T21:41:00.004+08:00

This morning, I, I'Ching, gave my last talk (a series of 5) to the ladies at the International Baptist Church here. One difference between having a mixed or male audience versus an all-female one is that ladies are usually more expressive of their appreciation. This morning saw me leaving the church with a bunch of purple and white orchids and at least 2 other boxes of little gifts from various ladies in the group. While I never expect such returns when I give any of my talks, these little gestures never fail to warm my heart.

I have never received orchids before! Aren't they beautiful:

As it was the case the last few Thursday mornings, Brian worked from home so he can watch the tyke, too. When I left this morning, C was snoozing on our bed with B after his breakfast bottle and I could not resist the photo op.

My sleeping beauties:

Home projects

2009-09-30T00:09:00.005+08:00

Now that most of the work projects that I have agreed to prior to my new arrangement to stay home are over, I am beginning to work on some of the home projects that I have listed on my little black to-do book. One such project this week was to clear out clothes that we no longer fit (see related post here). Today, while I was busy sorting out our clothes, Craig was busy going through them "tastefully." As he is going through an "oral" phase now, everything that he encounters is experienced via his mouth!

Craig seen here fooling around with some preloved clothes:

Otherwise, C is doing well. He has two teeth now and loves to hold my face with his hands and bite my jaw. He does this only to me and I would like to believe that it is his way of showing his affection to his mommy. Brian's work schedule has also slowed down a little - which is good - and our next big project is our annual visit to the US next month. This year will be interesting as we fly 26-hours with a then 8-month old baby. I am doing all the research I can - from travel insurance for C to pediatricians near all the different locations that we will be visiting. More on our trip soon!

Great help

2009-09-17T22:27:00.003+08:00

It was wonderful to have had my mom over to help me with Craig while Brian was traveling for a week. As always, we're either too busy or distracted to take any pictures of PohPoh and the little boy. Here's the only one I've got from the whole of last week!

PohPoh cleaning the boy up after feeding him his lunch:

Two girls and a boy

2009-09-10T14:33:00.005+08:00

It is 4 pm in the afternoon and there are two nappers in the house while I am satiating my Ohdeedoh craving. This only means one thing - PohPoh is in town! Yes, with Brian away for a week in Indonesia, I've asked my mom to visit us for a week so that Craig and I have an excuse to live a little out of our routine i.e. lunching out and shopping! And we two gals and the boy are having a ball.

During this time, my crockpot has also been worked like it has never before with mom cooking up the various kinds of Cantonese soups that I love. Mind you - I'm not the only one who is being spoiled this week. The little boy has also been indulged with much affection in the form of being picked up at the first hint of fuss and being cuddled. It is amazing how babies recognize the fact that their grandparents will not hesitate to give in to their wants!

Craig loves drinking from his sippy cup:

Spot the difference!

2009-09-02T22:20:00.001+08:00

What a difference six months made! We're looking forward to the next six months that will undoubtedly be marked by many more milestones. This also means that Brian and I will have to be on high alert constantly. Just this morning, I left him alone for only 30 seconds and the next thing I know, he has transported himself to the television console and was licking the base! Then later in the day, I found him, in the nick of time, pulling our DVD's from the console. Yes - we REALLY need to do something about baby-proofing our place - pronto.

Today he had a bad nap day and was tirelessly active. I was totally exhausted by the time Brian got home from work and was so ready for him to take over!

P.S. I've consolidated my other two blogs and migrated to Wordpress but THIS blog will remain here for now.

Shenanigans

2009-09-01T11:27:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, for a mere minute I left C playing on his mat alone (so that he could practice his "skills") to go into the kitchen and here's how I found him when I came out:

He's gotten his playgym, which was placed leaning against a chair by the mat, overturned!

Of first tooth and independence

2009-08-31T16:00:00.006+08:00

We have been quiet here as we were away for a week and then upon our return, we had various obligations that left us with little time for luxuries like blogging. Anyhow, we are glad to be back and here's a recount of the past two weeks.Craig and I (I'Ching) left Brian home alone to go to my parents' for a week. While our last visit was fairly recent, this trip was planned to coincide with a short break in Malaysia for Brian and I in Penang. Brian had to be in Penang to conduct some seminars and I was roped in to help. And after the few days of seminars, there was a retreat planned for the staff of the organization we work for there, too. So, we decided to do a brave thing - that is, to leave C with my parents for a few days while Brian and I attend the retreat. As my parents live in a city halfway between Singapore and Penang, it worked out great that I could spend a few days there before joining Brian in the Pearl of Orient.

C did very well with my parents and had a wonderful time bonding with his PohPoh, GungGung and YiYi (who visited from Kuala Lumpur over that weekend). He was great with his feeding, naps and bedtime. My mom did great, too. Though she still experiences pain in parts of her body where she was injured, she is able to manage most, if not all, of her everyday tasks. While it would not have been a problem for her to care for C on her own, my dad took time off from work to help. Needless to say, C thoroughly enjoyed the attention and affection lavished on him by the two, especially the walks GungGung takes him on!

Initially it was difficult for me to not have our little boy with us but after a few phone calls of positive report from my parents, I breathed a sigh of relief and made it a point to enjoy our break.

Hanging out with PohPoh:

The E & O Hotel where we stayed was beautiful. True to its rich heritage, the service was excellent, the facilities were first-class and the food was superb! We especially enjoyed swimming in its salt-water swimming pool. After indulging in sleep-ins and feasts of buffet a few days, we were more than ready to go home. I was very ready to see my little boy again.

C was very pleased to see me again - evidenced by his gummy grins and laugh when I greeted him. Then when I fed him his oatmeal, I discovered that his first tooth has finally made its debut!

Loves his teething biscuits:

The experience of C doing so well without us clearly testifies that our little tyke is growing up fast and is increasingly independent of his parents. In fact, today, when he was on his tummy, he pushed himself up with his arms and knees and tried to move. With his fast-developing crawling ability, he will soon be independently mobile as well!

Free from temptation

2009-08-14T22:20:00.005+08:00

Now that Craig is half-a-year old and learning various new skills, we believe it is time for us to start thinking about baby-proofing our apartment. For a few times the last couple of days, I caught him on his tummy staring - with much interest - at our entertainment unit. We need to look for a better way to house our television, music system and dvd player. We shan't tempt the tyke to any attempts that he (and we!!!) may regret afterwards!

Below: See how close he gets to the "untouchables"?

Today should be marked on C's growth journal as well - he swam in a big-people pool! A friend invited us over in the morning to swim with her and her son at their condominium's pool. While Brian and I had planned a day out over the weekend at the public pool a block from our apartment, I decided that an additional dip would be fun. And fun it was! After the swim, three year old Wesley commented, "That WAS a great time!"

After that, while the moms were lunching over gourmet mushroom pate on home-baked bread, the boys hung out. It was evident that C has found a pal in Wesley - see picture below that captured an intimate moment between them - very sweet!

Furiously kicking

2009-08-07T00:01:00.003+08:00

Finally I'm done editing the video clip of Craig and his first dip in a pool albeit inflatable. Could have done a better job with the clip but I'm still new to the movie making application on my computer... so this will have to do for now.

Notice: If you are not Craig's parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, you will probably not have the patience nor interest to endure a whole 1:48 minute clip of a baby kicking up splashes!

Outgrowing

2009-08-02T12:43:00.009+08:00

Yesterday evening we took out Craig's six month old onesies from storage to replace the ones he is wearing. Though he is more than a week away from turning six month old, he is outgrowing many of his clothes. It continues to astound me how fast the little boy is growing.

Onesies is not the only thing he is outgrowing - he is also outgrowing his playgym. Now that he is rolling over all over and making attempts to either sit or crawl (by pushing his posterior up), his play-space calls for an expansion. Two days ago, and frequently since then, I found him rolled over with half his body on our cold hard floor and the other half on his playgym as evidenced by the picture.

To meet C's need for an extended amusement territory, we have ordered a Korean playmat - popular among mothers here. Though a tad costly we believe the investment would be well worth as it promises versatility and durability.

Craig continues to love his solids - he has progressed from merely rice cereal to apples, bananas and pumpkin. His clear preference for pumpkin bodes well when we visit the US during Thanksgiving when pumpkin pies are aplenty.

Craig looking for more food:

Though a month has passed since I began my unpaid extended maternity leave, I am still feeling the weight of work. While I'm officially off-duty, I have to fulfill a few speaking engagements which I have agreed to prior. This coming week will see me juggling the tasks of caring for C and preparing a talk on marriage for the weekend - and ALL this while nursing a lingering cold. As the Turks would say, "Kolay gelsin" - May it come easy to me!

Trial run

2009-07-28T15:29:00.007+08:00

Craig and mommy took off the whole of last week to spend time with family in Malaysia. With the introduction of a direct flight service from Singapore to Ipoh (where I'Ching's parents are), it's a breeze to travel to visit C's PohPoh and GungGung. While I traveled there alone with C, Brian joined us over the weekend and flew home with us last night. My solo flight with C was not bad at all - he merely fussed a little but settled down soon enough. Of course, it was a really short flight - an hour and a half.

Craig enjoying the company of GungGung:

As expected, C was showered with much attention and affection by his maternal grandparents. He also got to take a dip in his cousin Ru's inflatable pool. Now that he is over five months' old, we reckoned that it is time for us to take him swimming. And the inflatable pool was an opportune trial run before the real thing. C had a splash - kicking his legs as he floated around with mommy's arms around him. We think he's ready for the real pool!

Working out

2009-07-17T19:47:00.006+08:00

Together with a few mothers from the circle of February moms here, we took Craig to a baby gym trial class. It was a lot of fun for both parents and baby. While it was obvious that C enjoyed it thoroughly, he was exhausted halfway through and fussed a little. Here are some fun shots from the outing.

"Let's stretch those legs!" (Pix credit: Loke Kit Kai)

"Shyann, where do you get all this energy from??? I'm exhausted!" (Pix credit: Kris Tay)

Five months old!

2009-07-11T10:33:00.008+08:00

Craig turned 5 months old yesterday. It is hard to believe how rapidly time has flown by and how much this tyke has grown! He has always been a cooperative baby and as he grows, he is increasingly easy to care for. A friend remarked that he has spoiled his parents!

Here are some updates:

Milestones:

1. Sleeps through the night: 8 pm - 6 am

2. Rolls over back to tummy and this morning managed to roll back to his back from tummy

3. We started him on a little rice cereal 2 days ago and he seems to like it - knows how to open his mouth as the spoon approaches

Likes:

1. Music - especially jazz (he especially loves Ella Fitzgerald!)

2. Kisses - loves to be kissed

3. Smiles - though he frowns a lot, if you smile at him, you will most definitely get a wide toothless grin back - even when he is very tired

4. Playing with his toys by himself - sometimes, he gets impatient when we hold him too long. He wants to be left alone to play with his toys or practice his new motor skills

5. Being read to - he would look at the page we are reading and touch the page with his little fingers - as if he understands what it is about!

6. Being carried face-out on his carrier when we go out - he gets so excited, he would start kicking his legs furiously!

Scare tactics

2009-07-10T15:54:00.007+08:00

Last week on my way to the grocery store, I encountered an eerie sight at the building next to ours. It looked like some kind of creative/artsy installation but in reality they were some elements, which represent death in the Chinese religious culture, placed at the mailbox of someone who owes an illegal loan shark money. I have blogged about this phenomenon before - click here

What you can see stuck to the rocking chair are Hell money notes that are usually burned during funeral rites. It is believed that the dead, in netherworld, would receive them and hence have some pocket money to spend! A page ripped from a newspaper's obituary section was also part of the ensemble. The message? "If you do not pay up, yours will be next!"

What fascinates me about this particular case of illegal loan collection is how creative the scare-shame tactics have become. If this particular "installation" was found in an art exhibition, it would be deemed expressive or artistic. But at the ground floor of a residential apartment, it's plain disturbing!

Fourth of July outing

2009-07-04T20:52:00.016+08:00

Daddy explaining to Craig what happened on July 4 a long time ago:

"I think I'm going to devour some hotdogs!"

Guess who found his thumb?

Having fun!

First July Fourth

2009-07-04T15:12:00.009+08:00

Today is Craig's first July Fourth. The day had a perfect start when he snoozed with us, after waking up to a feed at 6 am, till 9 am. Typically, when he wakes up at 6 am, I would change and feed him and then have him on our bed for awhile before we start the day. We would play with him (last few days it has only been me as Brian leaves for work at this time). He would then fall back asleep for a short nap about an hour later. But this morning I was too tired to play with him as I have been nursing a sinus-migraine for the past 3 days. So, I left him to play on his own between us on our bed. I soon drifted off to sleep and the next thing I know, I found the little boy sweetly napping next to us.

To get into the spirit of day, we are planning an early evening outing at the July 4 Fun Fair organized by the American Association here. We look forward to the jazz, hotdogs and fireworks. Hopefully Craig will not be tired and we can stay for the fireworks display.

Little boy and his big feat

2009-06-27T14:20:00.006+08:00

It has been fascinating to watch Craig grow from an unresponsive newborn to an infant with a fast emerging personality. While he is fondly known by many as the frowny baby, he is, on the contrary, a pretty happy boy. Nowadays he is hardly short on smiles, giggles and laughs. A little over two weeks ago, he also did not hesitate to make his displeasure known by turning all red in the face, screaming and kicking when we gave him his bath - this little boy has a temper already! (Typically bath time is his favorite but on days when he's over-tired, he gets impatient and cries).

Lately feeding time has also been a tug-of-war with him trying to either fight off or grab the bottle. The pictures below captured one of the episodes when he actually held on to the bottle on his own. We suspect that he will soon be able to bottle-feed himself!

This morning just before Brian left for a day-trip to Malaysia, the little boy gave daddy a little surprise - he finally rolled over! Unfortunately, his elated parents forgot to capture the moment on camera. Little C seemed very pleased with his achievement and kept trying to repeat the feat all morning but he only managed one other roll-over after the first one. Frustrated, he was fussy and nap time has been a challenge all morning until an hour ago when he finally gave in to Mister Sandman.