NYE Greetings!

Dear all out there!

May 2011 brings you your hearts' desires! Thank you for being part of our lives in 2010 and we love to have you around in the new year to come. :)

XOXO,
Anya's Mom & Dad, and our little brood.

A season of Busy-ness and Love

The morning of Boxing Day saw our little family gathered together, unwrapping presents. We were surprised that many of our loved ones and friends actually included our Little Bun's name in their Christmas shopping list.

Now, you may find it strange why we might be surprised. You see, The Husband and I are the first Christians in our immediate families. Generally, both families do not have a tradition of gifting presents on Christmas or having Christmas celebrations of any sorts. Yet, Little Bun's 'Gugu' and 'Popo' made a point to prepare something for her.

On the other hand, our friends (those whom we have hilarious Christmas parties with every year) are all either single, attached/engaged or married without kids. Yet, they all had something for her. Honestly, I'd imagine some of these friends do not even know the existence of a kids' department in shopping malls. And there right before my eyes, were age-appropriate toys and outfits handpicked by them. One of my primary love language is actually gifting. So, I am really touched to receive so many gifts on my child's behalf from our loved ones. That said, we have stowed away some of the toys and would introduce them to her one by one.  Rationing is the way to discourage extravagance, we'd think. So yep, my dear loved ones and friends out there, thanks so much for showering your love upon us. We had a exceptionally blessed Christmas, all made possible by y'all!

Tis the season to be busy!

 The lack of updates here is because we have been extremely busy - which is paradoxical since the busier we are, chances are there are more things to blog about!

So, we have been busy doing Christmas & birthdays shopping, supervising the installation of window grills in the apartment, cleaning up after the apartment, washing loads of curtains, gearing up for my driving practical test, falling sick, recovering, going for magic shows, Christmas gatherings and what-nots. All these additional programs (&/or disruptions) on top of managing our usual responsibilities and chores. Come to think of it, no wonder I fell sick! :P

Meanwhile, our baby has moved onto a new mode of transporting herself - Crawling! Actually, she has mastered this new skill for a couple of weeks now. One to two months back, she has started learning to crawl, only she was always moving backward instead of forward. It was often an amusing sight how she would set her targeted end point, say to where Dadddy was, and then wiggled madly but only to find herself further and further away from her target. At one point, I thought she would abandon learning to crawl as she would try (ended up going backward again) and then she would switch to rolling to get herself to where she wanted to be. Bonus points for being innovative!

Interestingly, two weeks ago, she woke up one morning, and somehow, got it figured out and simply started crawling forward. These days, she can switch from sitting position to crawling or lying down position (vice versa) at ease. In fact, I've seen her attempting to stand a number of times even. 

With her new mobility, we have set up another playpen errr.. let's just call it play-barn so as not to confuse with the existing playpen. This play-barn was a gift from my brother & sister-in-law. This play-barn, I gotta say, is a good thing to have! Gary Ezzo was right! Children need boundaries in order to feel secure and explore creativity! I used to put her in her room (on the padded floor) during playtime and she would get upset when I leave the room, no matter how much assurance I gave her. Her play was haphazard where she would be playing Toy A half-hearted while being distracted by Toy B in the distance. With this play-barn, I would put 1-2 toys in there (switching them every few days), and she could concentrate better. She seems to be more at ease when I am not in the same room too and could do being alone for longer stretches of time at one go. So yay for Gary Ezzo (the author) and Gary Koh (my bro)! Haha.. 

Oh mine! What was intended to be a short update has gone quite long! We have several upcoming events that we are looking forward to. There is birthday BBQ, Christmas party, driving test (please let me pass!!), New Year's gathering and more! Oh, and we are going on two short trips in January! So this buy-ness is gonna stick around till January. For the folks out there, may you have a blessed Christmas in advanced! Just in case, you know, I will not have time to update till post-Christmas. May this festive season be one of love, joy & peace!

What a night!

Last night, we had a surprise belated birthday party for a dear friend. Her friends at work cum missionary trips organized it and invited us along. It was an intimate gathering, with homemade 'momos' with chutney, a Pakistani dumpling recipe they learnt at one of their recent trips.

The birthday girl was truly surprised, causing her to be pink-faced the whole night. There were guitars playing, wonderful singing, and lots of laughter. The organizers did up two videos for the dear friend and one little girl even wrote a poem and had a poem recital on the spot, just for her dear Joy jiejie! It was obvious that everyone who was there love the birthday girl dearly. :)

I had enjoyed myself immensely despite nursing a migraine. Unfortunately, in the car trip home, the pain got worse.

By the time we got home, I was feeling nauseous, and was incapable of helping The Husband to prepare Anya for bedtime. I was breaking out into cold sweat and was feeling chilly. After throwing up, I climbed into bed and hid under the blanket. Thirty minutes later, I threw up again. This time, instead of going back into my own bed, I wrapped myself in my blanket and joined The Husband who was tucking Anya in bed. I must have fallen asleep as I vaguely recalled The Husband waking me up to go back to our bed.

Then. At 130am, I was awaken by my growling stomach. The worst of the migraine was over, though I could still feel slight dull pain at the back of my head - even now as I'm typing away. So I went in search for food and did a bit of read up on the internet while satisfying my hunger pangs. The causes of the monstrous migraine? PMS and cold turkey from caffeine.

I think I'm gonna kick my coffee addiction once and for all.

Update: In the mood for Christmas...

That very day after reading my entry, The Husband swept us off to Orchard Road. I was rather touched by his invitation. It was surprisingly a quiet evening (probably due to the heavy rain earlier). It was a nice change, just walking around peacefully instead of jostling with the crowd, feeling all harassed. Anya had a visual feast, taking in the various Christmas trees & festive decorations.
The following day, I thought to myself, "Even though we cannot have a tree, we can still put up other decorations right?" So out came the Christmas decorations box. Improvised with the ornaments, beads & what-not that are supposed to be up on the tree & streamed them down from the ceiling beam instead. In addition, we had our own special 'tree'. ;)

Stockings for Anya and Muff

Another basket for bigger presents

Our very own special tree!

So yay! It is all very Christmasy at home now!

Her First Wedding Banquet

It was a beautiful affair at The Four Seasons. The ravishing bride & dashing groom were wonderful hosts. The company at the table was great, the service was impeccable, and food, uber delicious! Moreover, we were serenaded by a wedding singer throughout.

Interestingly, there were at least 10 babies, all below the age of 1! That is quite a handful for a 23-table banquet. At the cocktail, we noticed that most parents, if not all, brought along their strollers. We had decided beforehand to ditch the stroller and sit her in the highchair instead.

We were seated with mutual friends and they all took turns to carry her and kept her entertained. Right before the "yum seng", the friend who was seated next to me asked, "Do you need to bring her outside?". Without thinking, I instinctively replied, "No.". But after it came out, I hesitated for a while. Then again, she is used to loud music during worship at Sunday services, so we thought she should be fine. It was only then I looked around and realised Anya was the only baby left in the ballroom. As predicted, instead of showing signs of fear, she was full of curiosity as to the ding dong that was happening on the stage. Atta girl!

When it was nearing her bedtime, she was exhibiting sleepiness - rubbing her eyes. But the couple had just begun taking group pictures and it seemed that we would be one of the last tables they would come to. So I whipped out out secret weapon - the sarong. Just then, the wedding singer was belting out  an upbeat "Can't take my eyes off you". Singing along, I did a little waltz with her sling onto me at a corner of the ballroom. By the song ended, she was fast asleep! - for the next 20 minutes till the couple join us at our table for the group shot. She was jolted out from her sleep as there was a buzz going on as we crowded around the couple, congratulating them. Almost immediately, her gaze fell onto the bride and she seemed awestruck. :) Yes baby, ain't she gorgeous?

Immediately after the group shot, we said our goodbyes as it was already past eleven.

All in all, it was a wonderful night where Anya behaved beautifully! My only regret was I did not get to taste the dessert. :P

I almost forgot...

HAPPY 8 MONTHS OLD, my little bun!

In the mood for Christmas...

.. Not!

I guess it has todo with the fact that we have no Christmas tree this year. All because we believe it will be a road hazard to The One in The Walker. Hopefully, next year.

Most of my Christmas shopping are done online so far since there isn't many opportunities for me to stroll down Orchard road, basking in the atmosphere. When I do skip down to town to shop, it is usually a mad dash.

The Christmas present that I wanted to get for myself has been met with many obstacles. Now I'm wondering if I will ever get hold of IT before 2011.

Meanwhile, the usual gang finally confirmed the Christmas party date & theme. We cannot host the party anymore since it will clash with Anya's bedtime. And I have no inspiration for dress-up at this point.

So.. yeah.. not in the mood for Christmas.

Trash & Nerd Christmas 2009

Chairs, chairs, chairs!

Look at me!

Like a little grown-up

Last Saturday saw us at the Furniture Mall shopping for a couple of items for our flat. In one of the shops where we bought some new dining chairs, Anya was particularly interested in their chairs that came in all sorts of shapes, sizes & texture.

She was thrilled when I put her down onto one of the big red armchairs. Her face broke into a wide grin while she shifted her legs inwards & then outwards repeatedly (she likes doing that every time she sits on a new place to feel the texture). So, we carried her around, putting her down into a few other different chairs and couches.

The last picture, unfortunately, is not another chair taken in Furniture Mall but at the 24 hours clinic as she developed a bad cough over the course of the day.

Update: The Vaccum-cleaner Situation

Every time we flick on the switch, there will still be a look of alarm on her face. However, after some assurances from us, usually involving the adults clowning & dancing around the machine as if it were some tribal celebration while the dog barking madly at the sudden commotion , her face would gradually ease into a smile.

Yesterday, I put her into her walker after she was accustomed to the roar of the vacuum cleaner - just to see how she would respond.

Slowly & steadily, she sashayed over to where her father and the machine was. Thereafter, she was hot on their heels (father & machine) as the trio (occasionally four as Muff tagged along as well) moved from room to room. Occasionally, she shrieked, squealed and giggled. Every now and then, The Husband had to move her away as she had jammed herself between the machine & him, obstructing his progress. As I quote him, "It is a happy problem that I gladly do. It sure beats seeing her cry and having one of us stay by her side all the time while the other vacuums."

Yay! Our little woman has outgrown her fear!

Laundry Day

Taking shelter?

Easing those itchy gums

Superman or Tarzan?

I was at the corridor, hanging the fresh laundry out to dry. The little woman came along, assessed for a while, and decided that the corridor shall be her playground for the day. She toddled up and down, arching her back with her outstretched arms, grabbing whatever that was within her reach. I couldn't bear to stop her although I was keep an eye to ensure her safety. I suppose they looked like multiple colorful overhead mobiles to her.Very tempting, I would think.

Dental Care

Some weeks ago, we started using toothpaste. Misled by the instructions on the box, we had thought that a toothbrush would come with the toothpaste. To our dismay, there wasn't. Since she has only two little ivories at the lower front so far, we made do with our index finger.

Anya enjoys brushing her teeth/gums. At bath times, she seems to understand when we ask, "Are you ready to brush your teeth?" and would open her mouth, stick her tongue out with a smile in response (we suspect it has to do with the apple banana flavour). We will then stick our toothpaste-smeared index finger into her mouth and sing "Brush, brush, brush, brush... ..." to whatever tune that comes to mind while brushing away. When we finally pull out our finger at the end of the song, she would show her satisfaction by smacking her lips together.

All in all, dental care has been a rather pleasant experience for both the executors and the receiver so I did not see the need to replace a our fingers with a real baby's toothbrush.

Yesterday, I changed my mind. All because at bath time in the morning, I heard The Husband singing to the tune of "Twinkle, twinkle, little stars" to:

"Brush, brush, brush, Ouch!, brush..
brush, OucH!, brush, OUCH!, brushhhh..."

I think the upper front teeth are coming.

Thanksgiving

It is Thanksgiving! While in Singapore, it is not celebrated, I thought it is an opportune time to reflect and give thanks for the blessings He has granted us for Year 2010.

As I look back, the realisation that there have been countless blessings & favors came quickly. Here, I just wish to highlight the 10 blessings that have held great significance to us - inspired by one of the children's book that I have borrowed from the library, "Count your blessings".

Dearest Abba Father,

Thank You for preparing us for parenthood and equipping us with the knowledge to raise Anya in Your way.

Thank You for the smooth & speedy delivery when I was in labor.

Thank You for a healthy, joyful & good-nature baby! She is indeed beautifully & fearfully made!

Thank You for Your protection over The Husband and I. Despite the times when our little one fell sick where we struggled with nursing her, our respective responsibilities and disrupted (& very little sleep), our immune system were not compromised.

Thank You for Your pruning & protection over our marriage - it has strengthened in times of diversity.

Thank You for Your healing & protection over our Dads in their times of sicknesses.

Thank You that brokenness in relationships amongst our loved ones is mended!

Thank You for Your provision. You prepared me to be prudent in spending even before Anya came along, You lead us through our financial/investment decisions and You blessed The Husband with favors in the marketplace.

Thank You that we finally have some breakthrough in treating Muffin's chronic UTIs & skin allergy. This breakthrough, we pray, that it will prevail.

Lastly, thank You for never forsaking us. You always reach out when we cry out to you. If You didn’t, it is really because You haven’t. It is by Your grace that we can live out each and every day.

As I was typing this, I am reminded of Proverbs 3:5-6 which says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.". Indeed, He will never bring us through an adversity that is beyond us, but it is only when we submit ourselves to Him that His goodness will flow right into our lives, making things right.

Moving onto Grown-up Food...

...well, partially.

Today, we started Anya on proper porridge. Mixed brown rice & crystal white ones. We had the same thing as staple for lunch too. The Husband thought it was quite tasty, the sweetness derived from homemade vegetables stock. The Daughter, however, seems to need some getting-use-to. Hmmmm...

Before

After

The Niece's birthday

We celebrated The Niece's seventh birthday over the Deepavali holiday (I know, Deepavali was almost 2 weeks ago).

In the past, I would always make a point to bring her out twice a year -once in the June holidays, the other around her birthday. The tradition had to come to a halt last year after I came down with hyperemesis gravidarum when I was expecting Anya. So, this year, I was determined to bring the tradition back. The last thing I wanted to happen was The Niece to feel left out of my life now that I have a baby of my own.

It was just a simple outing where the birthday girl gets to shop for TWO presents (one from us, one from Grandma). My mom wanted to get her a pair of shoes / a nice outfit while we wanted to buy her a toy.We deemed that turning seven comes with more independence, therefore decided that she should be the one choosing her own presents (given our pre-determined category - apparel/shoes and toys).

Gift 1: she settled for a pair of pink "bling bling" pearly sandals (the likes of what you see below).

Courtesy of gojane.com

I was highly amused that my mom had to restrain herself from telling the birthday girl that she thought white was prettier. She had to keep murmuring to me in a low voice, "I know, let her make her own decisions." Ah.. all was well eventually when the birthday girl tried on the shoes as pink looks really good against her fair complexion.

Gift 2: The Husband and I gave her a budget of $50 for a toy. Now, I was quite surprised to know that there weren't many choices for a seven-year-old in Toys"R"Us. Well, not unless you include video games (budget bursting) and Barbies (she does not like them). We combed through the entire store twice. Eventually, the birthday girl settled for this:

A budding domestic goddess?

As the price tag that came with the sandwich maker was much lower than our stated $50, she decided to pick something for her little brother as well. A sweet and kind girl, she is. :)

After leaving the mall, we met up with the rest of the family for pizza & pasta before retreating back home for a cake cutting. Here, we tried to capture the moment by getting the 3 cousins to pose together. And boy, it was a daunting task! Between The Brother and I, we must have taken close to a hundred shots! Now, here is the best shot that I could find in my camera.

At dinner. My girl, not shy one.

Add captionHappy 7th birthday, C!

With the grandparents

Return of the Sarong

Before Anya was due, a friend had passed me one of her sarong carriers. She swore by it, saying how much she loves using it, that its helps to lift off the weight of carrying her baby & at the same time, encouraging bonding. In fact, she uses it at home sometimes when the boy is fussy - just to comfort him & soothe him to sleep.

I was totally sold. When I got back, I enthusiastically checked up The Internet on various guides as to how to use the sarong carrier. I bookmarked the websites, and even experimented the carrier with a baby-sized stuffed toy.All was good.

Then the real baby came. I remembered using the sarong a number of times when she was still a pimply-faced newborn, mainly to the polyclinic for her jaundice checks and the occasional groceries trip. And boy! I felt a world of a difference from what my friend felt using the sarong carrier!

What bonding is she talking about? All that I felt was... hot, sweaty and frustrated. At least during the process of wearing the carrier & putting her into the carrier.

Then, there was the thoughts that run through my mind AFTER the baby got into the sarong. There would be numerous "what ifs" that passed through my mind every time she is suspended in that carrier against me. I mean, she was a newborn, with literally no control of her neck muscle whatsoever. What if I sprain her neck because my movement was too big?  Or her arms? Or what if she feels uncomfortable with her legs bended in that funny manner? Does she feel warm? Am I doing it correctly? Can she breathe properly or not? (although the website emphasized that they use breathable material) The biggest "what if" of all: WHAT IF I DROP HER?

So, even before Anya turned three months, I threw in the towels, in this context, sarong. In fact, at the very last time I tried putting on the sarong, I took 30 minutes and yet I still could not position her nicely in a way that I deem comfortable & correct. Even though I already had the A/C and fan blasting at us in full speed, both of us were still hot & sweaty (my make-up was merrily melting away). I was frustrated, silently cursing away and I was certain Anya was equally frustrated for she was screaming & crying. That made me swore off that piece of green cloth to the storeroom and never to see daylight again. Ever.

BUT. Well, as the fickle-minded woman that I may be.... Four months passed. Anya outgrew the Baby Bjorn leaving me with no choice but to carry her when I am out alone with her. The last cell meeting that left me with a sore right arm for the next two days got me thinking & reconsidering.

Last week, the sarong carrier saw daylight once again. And again. Thrice in a week, to be exact. The experience this time round is much more pleasant. Now that Anya can hold her neck and sit up on her hold, I use the 'hip carry' instead of the #$%@$ 'cradle hold'. Finally, I can relate to what my dear friend was gushing about. With my baby literally plastered to my body and often contentedly leaning her head against me, the amount of bonding was erm... addictive. Thus, the thrice in a row. Heh.

Closure

This is a post not pertaining to the mommy/wifey side of me. Rather, I'm penning this down as a closure to something that I held close to my heart.

No longer do I wish to be caught in a situation as if I'm questioning you. To begin with, I am in no position to judge. And I did not want to pass judgment. It matters to me, simply because you are special to me, and I thought the feelings were being reciprocated. Maybe they aren't. Or maybe it is just a typical case of drifting apart. Or perhaps it is just that the way things are are somehow too complicated to go back to being what we used to be.

At some point, I feel hurt. Betrayal. Being left out? But not any longer. The reason why I do not feel so anymore, is not because you have stopped being special to me (at least what I used to know remains special), but rather, I think I have finally learned to release this to God. For I realized that who I'm battling with all these while wasn't you, but the void between us. Too many things have been left unspoken with omission in each others' lives.

Maybe our lives were intended to cross only at a point, then diverge again. Whatever it is, I shall commit this to God and I know He has greater plans for us and our friendship. He always does. The uncertainty is always to do with our willingness to obey. I think I am ready to.

No hard feelings, really. It is just things has reached a point that it seems the choices available are either being awkward or be strangers - at least for the time being.You will always be that special "little sister" to me.

Reflections: Seven Months!

Hello there, my little one!

Happy seven months old! It is funny how Mommy always get an initial loss for words whenever I try to recall your month-to-month progress. Here, I see you every day, changing, growing, developing, and yet when I look back, I feel that surge of affection & love rising, drowning out  any ability to form coherent sentences. Yes baby, you are such a lovely and endearing child, and Mommy can't help but reiterate every now and then that you are one of the greatest gift that God has given us!

Now, let's start with your biggest milestone for the month. 

Can you spot it?

Yes, you have sprouted two little ivories! They are coming out very fast! Just within a span of less than two weeks, they have grown from invisible (Mommy felt them when I'm washing your gum at bathtimes) to apparent to the eyes. Amazing  how God forms our bodies huh? 

With these two little fellas making their presence felt, your gum must have itching like crazy. We can tell because you put everything you can get your hands on into your mouth. Rubber duckies at batht times (head in mouth) , your blanket & hankies, your teething rusk & teether toy, your Rabbit's ears, corners of books, newspapers (NEWPAPERS!) and other random toys & items in the house.  The urgency that you display in putting something into your mouth somewhat resembles a drug addict in need of his fix, we think.

Then there are the items that you can't lift with your little fingers. In such cases, you crane your neck, edging forward and attach your mouth against the target, sucking away! We have already caught you attaching your "suction plate" to the legs of your high chair a few times when you are in your walker. Once, you even tried attaching yourself to poor unsuspecting Muffin who happened to be lazing right in front of you! Gotta say, it was ridiculously comical!

In addition, there is a whole string of little milestones this month. Mommy shall do my best to recall and name a few here.

You can truly sit on your own now, often at a stretch of 15 minutes at one go. With this new found independence, you start to detest the Bumbo chair. Although I suspect it is also because your chunkier-than-ever thighs get really uncomfortable wedged in that purple chair. 

These days, you make your displeasure known. For example: if you have had enough of your cereal, and Mommy still repeatedly placed the spoon at the entrance your mouth, coaxing you to eat, you would give a cry of annoyance. 

This month, fruits (in addition to veggies) have found their way onto your plate. So far you've tried steamed pears (love it!) & apples (hate it!), avocado (okay with it). Your selection of veggies has also widened though your favorite remains to be sweet potatoes & carrots.

You absolutely loathe Kailan

In terms of mobility, you are now very adept in your walker. You can maneuver around tight corners, zipping in and out of rooms, exploring things around the house. Very often, you startled Muffin, forcing her to retreat back to the kitchen (her safe haven!) where you are barred from entering.

You always like us to sing to you. When you are fussy in the bath, we will sing & there is always a good chance that you will stop fussing and listen to us raptly. Lately, you will even try to sing along! In a soft coy voice, you will go "ya...ya..ya..". Very endearing!

Mommy, do you like my singing?

Now as we move into your eighth month, we know that there will be simply more surprises awaiting as there is so SO MUCH more of you that is still developing. Let's hold our hands tight and keep on moving forward, my baby! 

You have a thing for hippos, it seems.

Love, hugs & kisses, 

Mommy

The 2nd cell group meeting with Anya

Given that it was peak hours, I was reluctant to take a cab all the way from our flat to town. It was something that I swore off since the 35% (or was it 30%?) surcharge during peak hours. In addition, I needed to takeaway dinner for myself as well as to pick up a bottle of pureed vegetables for Anya's dinner (we ran out of homemade veggies!). Therefore, my plan was to take a bus with her in my arms (no stroller! Too bulky!) that brings us straight into the heart of Orchard Road from the bus-stop right below our flat. There, I can conveniently pick up our dinner from  before taking a short cab ride to my cell leader's place.

So, we made it! - notwithstanding the fact that my right arm (that was carrying her) felt like it stretched 2 inches longer. The bus arrived almost immediately after I walked up to the bus stop. It was a nice, clean & new bendy bus, so I let her sit on her own beside me for a while. The tiring part came when I had to carried her as we walked from FEP to Isetan Scotts to buy the stuff, and then walk back to FEP again to take a cab. Thankfully, she was at her best behavior, smiling at any unsuspecting aunties who happened to come our way. A few could not resist but stopped in their track just to talk to her. One Isetan supermarket promoter thought that we hailed from Ni-hon (must be the slitty eyes) and started talking to us in Japanese - I only understood "kawaii ne... blah blah blah..."

The cell meeting itself was spiritually fruitful & I enjoyed the fellowship. The Cell Leader's two young daughters was wonderful helpers, taking turns to feed Anya, bringing her toys & playing with her. So all in all, it was a smooth trip. Although her bedtime was slightly later than usual, she showed only a wee bit of fussiness (pray it will stay this way!). Just a note for my own future reference: Just 'dabao' my dinner from FEP next time. Save my right arm from all that muscle ache!