One-year-old: Counting down

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

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!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: