And we wish upon the stars....

2012-01-15T21:52:00.012+08:00

January 2012- The celebrations continue...

We gathered at Derek's 3rd aunt's place for the annual family gathering on 1 Jan 2012. Usually, this gathering is on Christmas Day but as some of the family members were vacationing in Genting during the Christmas period, the gathering was held on New Year's Day instead. The adults took hold of this opportunity to catch-up while the kids played happily as always. My sister-in-law bought a packet of bubble balloons and it kept the kids entertained while the adults were busy blowing the balloons for them. It was very funny looking at the exasperated looks of the adults when their 3 mins effort of blowing each balloon was destroyed by the kids in like a split second as they grabbed and popped the balloons. The relatives also took a family portrait this time round to kick-start the new 2012.

We had a quiet and mini celebration on 6 January 2012 for Derek's 35th birthday. As it was a weekday and we both had to work on that day, I rushed to buy a small cake after work and we sang the birthday song after dinner at home. Gerrard was excited to see the cake and eagerly helped Daddy to blow out the candles. I think one of Derek's best present is that Gerrard said "Happy Birthday, Daddy" to him that morning when he woke up. Despite it being a small celebration, I really wish my hubby all the best at work, health and everything else in this new year =)

2012-01-14T13:06:00.008+08:00

December 2011 - Happy Birthday to Po Po & Gerrard's first movie

We celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday at Changi Village Hotel on 18 December 2011. It was a small gathering with Derek's immediate family and as it was also the Christmas season, the place was decorated with huge Christmas tree and the joyful trinklets. It was raining rather heavily that day but it sort of gave a "wintery" feel to the whole season, where it was pouring outside but we are enjoying great food and company in the warmth of the quiet restaurant indoors. And what's a celebration without some picture-taking to remember the ocassion by? Here it goes...

My dear boy watched his very first movie at the cinema on 26 December 2011. Alvin & The Chipmunks 3 happened to be showing at this time and I decided to "give it a go" and see if he is able to sit through a movie and most importantly, whether he enjoyed the experience. Hence, together with Shirlyn & Wendy, the 4 of us were off to the movies. In fact, this is also my first time watching a cartoon movie!

I brought along some bread for him to snack on in case he was hungry and water as well. I could see that he was paying attention to the movie and rather, it was me who was rather anxious and kept asking Gerrard whether he is ok. Until he got a little fed up and told me, "Shh... you ask Yi-Yi!" Overall, I think it was a good experience for him and the choice of movie was excellent. It's duration was slightly less than 1.5 hours that is just nice for pre-schoolers and the main cast were animals that most kids love. Additionally, the chipmunks & chipettes love to dance and sing and this provided great entertainment to the overall plot.

Up till today, he still talks of the movie and I will start to be on the lookout for future movies we can enjoy together in future.

2012-01-09T23:55:00.017+08:00

November 2011- The month of celebrations

This year, I had a fabulous birthday with my family, thanks to thoughtful Derek who planned a dinner celebration with my family members. The food was sumptuous and we had a delightful time at our house thereafter, enjoying the cake, chatting and laughing.

22 November 2011 marks a significant milestone in Gerrard's learning journey where he performed in his very first concert. This is also a form of celebration of completing his first year of school independently. The event was held in NUS Cultural Centre and this year's theme is "Festivals Around The World". Gerrard's class carried out the second item, Japan Taiko Drum Festival and he is a "drummer". Seeing him on stage stirred up a whole lot of emotions in me that I almost teared... it just seems like my baby has grown up so much. My mind went back to Jan 2011 where he was reluctant to go to class without me, overcoming his fears and now reaching the stage where he waves me goodbye and tells me that he can go inside the class himself. He has been practising his moves and despite their young age, they are so courageous to go up and stage and complete the performance. Kudos to all our future leaders of Singapore!

My little japanese drummer

At the end of the concert, every child went on stage and sang the finale song, "We Are One" and Gerrard was really tired at the end of the day, especially since it was an almost full day of rehearsals and performance. I am sure this memorable day will stay rich in his memory and added on to his life experiences.

The best I could take from my trusty old camera + my limited photo-taking skills

Following the year end Zoophonics concert, we quickly dived straight to 26 November 2011, where it was Shirlyn's big day and Gerrard had the imperative task of opening the car door for the groom that morning. This year, he is a bit older and understands a bit more. But he is also more playful and knows how to test his limits with us. He was running up and down at the wedding solemnisation hall & during the wedding banquet. As we were still maidless then, Derek & me had to take turns to take care of this "whirl of tornado".

We took the opportunity to book a one night stay at Conrad Centennial as the banquet was expected to end late and I didn't want to rush all the way back home. It was a very quick staycation because we only reached the evening before, stayed in the room for a while to doll up & prepare, attend the banquet, slept, woke up for breakfast then we checked out. Nevertheless, Gerrard had great fun with his 7 "adopted Conrad bears" that he kept throwing & playing about and also the huge bed he jumped about in.

Tired as we were from all the events and activities, it was great joy and fun. With children, you can never have a minute of downtime, but at the same time, you will never have a minute of sadness- I guess this is what being blessed is about.

2011-11-08T17:23:00.007+08:00

8 April 2011- Getting silly

Gerrard has a great sense of humour and he was really tickled when I showed him the pair of big, round spectacles that Daddy wore for his friend, Ken’s “gate-crashing” on 5 Nov. After putting on the specs, he even asked me to show him to the mirror in the room where he can then take a good look at himself! It is very entertaining to be with him as his words and actions are so cute and funny.

Here are some of his antics:

- saying "Ha Ha Ha" when he sees something funny; yes, he actually says out his "laugh"

- covering his mouth when he is giggling

- Being very serious at times and "reprimands" us for being "Silly Mummy, Silly Daddy"

- whenever he is singing the "Cat in the Hat" adventure song where he moves his hands up and down like the boy and girl characters

- Doing the "snake dance" where he will close his fists and roll both arms round and round. He does this whenever he hears music and sometimes he wiggles his body along too

Makes me wonder where does he get this from?

Humour- yes, from me maybe....

Rhythmic sense of grooving to the beat? Must be from Daddy. Definitely.

2011-11-08T17:18:00.006+08:00

7 April 2011 - The Mystery of Smell

I smell Gerrard every day.

In fact, I smell him every now and then, especially when I am giving him a hug. I noticed that Derek smells Gerrard whenever he hugs him too, even if he doesn’t have the baby smell anymore. And this is not something I was specifically told to do, nor had I specifically told Derek to do that. Why I say this is because, being first time parents, we literally had to be told what to do eg. How to burp your baby, how to change diapers, how to carry them and so on. However, this action is our natural instinct to do so.

Since the beginning of time, humans “see” the world largely through eyes and ears and we neglect the sense of smell but yet, mothers can recognise their babies by smell, and newborns recognise their mummies in the same way. This seems to have something to do with the fact that smells retain an uncanny power to move us and each whiff of our kids instantly conjure up scenes and emotions of love and protection.

Isn’t this amazing? This kind of emotion and action grows upon a parent... if you have not given your child a hug recently, go on and hug them today, and take in your deepest breath =)

2011-10-24T23:30:00.004+08:00

Art Therapy- Oh what a noisy Zoo!

Gerrard attended his very first play at the Esplanade, Recital Studio on 23 Oct 2011 to watch "Oh, what a noisy zoo!". This play was inspired by a book titled "Silly Animal Poems for Children & Big Kids too! by Arthur Chan.

It was free seating on the floor and there is a small stage where the main characters- Julie, a girl going to the zoo, the zookeeper and 4 other actresses and actors who dressed up as monkeys, parrots and elephants. There was also use of animal hand puppets, together with musical wood instruments and lots of singing and actions during the play.

Although Gerrard was quiet most of the time, I can see that he is observing and absorbing every single detail. His eyes hardly blinked and the whole time, he appears to be in awe with all that is happening. Towards the end, he joined in the "Roarrrrrr" with the last animal, the lion and told us that he liked the play. There is another play coming up in Feb 2012 about an elephant learning the Alphabet. As Gerrard loves anything to do with alphabets, I am sure he will like the next play. However, will wait till nearer the date before I purchase the tickets as I am still trying to do more research about whether the play is suitable for 4 year olds.

As I am exposed to music since young, I strongly believes that it is good to cultivate an appreciation of music and arts because it provides an avenue for one to express ourselves, be in when we are feeling happy or sad. Although I have tried a few times to teach Gerrard to play the piano, he doesn't appear too keen to learn. Instead, he seems to prefer singing and moving to the rhythm.. well, maybe he is still too young as I recalled, most of my students were at least 6-7 years old before they started to actually like playing the piano. In any case, the trip to Esplanade has created a new experience for our little boy and I will definitely be on the lookout for more plays and musicals that we can enjoy in the future.

2011-10-03T15:26:00.005+08:00

A rather scenic spot in Punggol

Yes, you have read the title right... you can actually find scenic spots in Punggol. No offence to Punggol-ians but I have always thought of Punggol/Sengkang as a rather “deserted” and “under-going development” area of Singapore. However, we have a few relatives who stay around that area and inevitably, we will go there for gatherings once in a while.

On Saturday, we had a family dinner gathering at Uncle Leong’s Seafood, which is located at a quiet and quaint part of Punggol East. Upon getting out of the car, the first thing that greeted us were beautiful kites flying in the sky. We discovered that it is a really relaxed place for food, fishing and walks. In the centre of the eateries, there are anglers learning the trick of fishing and experienced ones showing off their skills. There is also the option to BBQ what you have caught. The row of eateries overlooks a park and a river, with a long pathway for people to take a leisurely stroll, cycle or jog. The only downsides to this place are that the pathway next to the river has quite a bit of mosquitoes and I heard from Liting that the carpark is perpetually full so you’ll need to either make reservations or arrive earlier for your meals.

Gerrard with his cousin Baby Sheldon- he has mastered this "signature grin" nowadays as he says this is how his classmate Biacka looks like when she smiles at him

It's rare for us to take a family picture together so really thanks to Liting for this =)

When we were leaving, the night had already befallen and we saw a few kites that were lighted with flickering lights, flying in the night sky. It was very nice and too bad I didn’t bring along my camera to capture the pleasant night scene. All in all, it was a rather enjoyable evening for a family evening out and I believe we may go back again.

2011-10-03T14:40:00.007+08:00

Orchid Mini Bowl at Downtown East

We went to Downtown East for dinner about 2 weeks ago and although we had passed by the bowling alley before, Gerrard was quite keen to go in there to take a look this time round. We had bowled at there previously but because I did not like the shoes rental there, I was reluctant to bowl again so it’s just to go in to watch the people bowl. However, we were met with a pleasant surprise at the side of the bowling alley.

As well as having the usual bowling facilities, Orchid Bowl also has a coin activated mini bowl for the littlies. This is great to play when your kids are just a little bit too small for the bumper bowl. The balls are much smaller, as are the pins and distance to roll. It is a great introduction to bowling for our young ones. We had 2 rounds of games and I could see that Gerrard had great fun although the balls were quite heavy for him. With my assistance and superb skills (ahem!), we managed to knock down most of the pins in each round =)

Eager to start his bowling game

Daddy helping him with Round 1

Mummy helping with Round 2- we striked!

2011-10-01T23:35:00.002+08:00

Maidless Week 3

Just when I thought my luck with maids is improving, my trusty domestic helper, A, decided to terminate her contract 2 months earlier. I admit that I did feel a tinge sense of betrayal as I feel that she should at least stay and help me until the new maid comes, given how nice we have treated her. However, I am sure that for people with maids, you know that once their heart is set on leaving, there is really no point talking to them further. I had a few unhappy experiences during this time so we booked her ticket, chose a new maid and sent A home, all within 1 week. As our new maid takes about 6-8 weeks to arrive, we are officially back to how it was like in 2 years ago when we were maidless.

Week 1 was quite a chaos, in packing to go out, I forget to bring my handphone, when I remember my handphone, I forget to bring Gerrard's school bag... the list goes on. And being the perfectionist, I still want everything to be spick and span, floor to be mopped everyday, clothes to be scrubbed before putting into the washing machine, all admist holding onto a full time job mind you.

Week 2, I had fallen. Literally. I had a bad sprain on my spine and could hardly walk! My left leg felt lifeless and suddenly, I couldn't bend, I couldn't walk properly and couldn't carry my dear Gerrard. Everything seemed to come to a standstill and at this time, my knight in shining armour, Dear, helped out in so many ways. It is the first time since marriage that he took the lead in ensuring that the house is in order. He also took very good care of Gerrard and I really feel so touched and grateful to have him around.

This experience also taught me a very good lesson, to learn to let go sometimes and being insistent on every single detail may not necessarily be the best for everyone. Hence, by end of Week 3, I had learnt to take a step back, focus on what's important and not to sweat the small stuff. I have overcome my personal "hurdle" and accepted the following facts which indeed made me less uptight:

- it is really OK if the floor is not mopped for 1 day
- it is OK if Gerrard's bedsheets are changed every 10 days instead of 7
- when life gets really busy, the washing machine washes just as well even if the clothes are not scrubbed before putting into the washer

Another great thing I observed is that without the maid around, Gerrard has learnt to be a tad more independent. Now he is able to lift up the potty to pee in whenever he needs to and also helps me to carry the smaller stuff when he sees that I am struggling with my bags. He even knows to remind me, have you brought the keys mummy? did you remember your handphone, mummy? He's such a dear.

As long as everyone plays their part, nothing is too difficult to conquer. What's most important is the whole family stays together and sometimes, "wasting time" to have a good laugh is so worth putting off the laundry cleaning to tomorrow =)

-

2011-09-03T21:57:00.002+08:00

Grown up

I was patting Gerrard to sleep just now when I suddenly realised that he doesn't have the baby smell anymore... he feels like such a big boy now :)

2011-08-03T23:37:00.003+08:00

My funny man

Gerrard has always made a fuss when we ask him to wash his hands or take a bath. I think it's because my timing is never right, it is always while he is in the middle of some important play or something so he will sulk and cry. That day I was telling him that I realized he cries everyday, inclusive of all little cries, long cries and fake cries. I said it's quite an awful lot of crying in a year.

Surprisingly, just now when I asked him to wash his hands as we are getting ready for bedtime, he replied "okay". I did a double turn...

Me: Gerrard, did u say ok?
Gerrard: yes!
Me: wow! (speechless for a moment)
Gerrard: I'm good boy right?
Me: yes! Good boy!
Gerrard: 外婆 say if one day I never cry, she will 中马票 and give me. But it is just today, not everyday ah!! (with a big grin on his face)

2011-08-02T22:12:00.004+08:00

Munchkins or Mummies- Both are learning all the time

Gerrard loves activity books, especially those that has anything to do with the Alphabets. Mention alphabets in any form and it catches his attention instantaneously. My mum does a set of English, Chinese & Math books with him during weekdays and I thought since I am on leave, I could do some with him as well as I have ran out of toys for him to play with.

How difficult could a pre-school exercise be right? Ha, think twice. I had lost to this "Phonics Enrichment Book for preschoolers". There is this particular page that requires us to say the sound of each letter then find and paste the picture that begins with the sound we made. It started out ok until I reached the word "j" and upon seeing a cup sticker, as there isn't a "c" in the exercise, I automatically assumed it is a jug and told Gerrard to stick the sticker in the "j" box. The real challenge came when I saw the "m" box and there isn't any stickers left except for the airplane. As there isn't an "a" and nest is definitely in the "n" box, my heart started to beat a tad faster. I quickly flipped to the last page for the Answers only to realise there isn't any answers page in this book!! OH dear!

All this while, Gerrard has been quietly observing how Mummy started to panic and he didn't really understand why is there no "answer" to the "m" box. He looked to me for directions... and I told him, no worries, this is a very difficult word, the picture is actually a military plane so it belongs to the "m" box. He appeared apprehensive at my explanation but I insisted I am right and that he sticks the plane sticker in the "m" box and we called it a night.

Just as I laid in bed last night with a million other things running in my mind, the exercise page suddenly flashed across my head and at 1.30am, it is as if a light bulb had lit up. The cup is actually a MUG and the plane is a JET. It is that simple- why the world did I not think of it in the first place? DUH, what a boo boo!

Life is already complicated enough as it is, sometimes thoughts just need to be a bit simpler and you'll get the picture :)

2011-08-02T14:07:00.003+08:00

2 August 2011- Living the life of a full time mummy

It has been 4 months since I last posted and my last post on 28 Mar doesn't even count as a decent post as I remember I posted it while lying on the bed at 2am after I have finished my work and looking at Gerrard while he slept. For the hard work I have put in for the last 4 months, I was granted 3 weeks of leave. 3 whopping weeks.. the last I experienced this was in 2006 when I was still in my previous line of work where we get to rest more than 1 week after we had worked our butts off the past 3 months.

I set out hoping to achieve A LOT during my break, thinking that I will go shopping, catch movies, read books, manicures, playing new pieces on my piano, learning to cook (yes, even that), revamp my house, play lots of engaging activites with Gerrard and the list goes on. However, it turned out that I am experiencing the life of a full time mummy. I wanted to put full time "housewife" initially but as I didn't learn to cook at all, I can't be considered a housewife right? This period feels abit like my maternity leave, where I am at home all the time, looking after Gerrard, with my maid doing the cleaning up and my parents doing the cooking. It may seem great that I have so many people helping but I am already struggling. I feel so so tired, even more tired than I was working. I think it has something to do with age and I cannot catch up with Gerrard's enthusiasm and action! And it doesn't help that now he is in the "Terrific Three" stage where he is so active, understands everything except instructions on "No" and "Cannot". Everyday, I am almost yelling "No, don't do that" or "Cannot touch that", "Cannot climb" etc. He will only show a flicker of acknowledgement at my yellings but yet with determined nonchalence.

Gerrard has started to not wear diapers to his Kids Discovery programme at Zoophonics. He is already toilet-trained at home but as there isn't toilet facilities within the school, the teacher would have to bring him to the public toilet which is about 50m away. However, since his diaper is always extremely full after class because his teacher sometimes forgets to change for him during the break time, we decided to let him try out. I kept encouraging him to tell the teacher if he needs to go toilet but being the worrisome me, I was still very concerned, below are the extent of my worrying:

1. I really don't like the public toilet coz it doesn't have toilet paper and there is only one child cubicle. As I am working most of the time, I seldom get the chance to bring him to school nor assess the public toilet "situation". One day, as I brought him to the toilet before his class, I saw the cleaner outside the toilet. He was a man in his mid-forties and he was smoking. I was about to complain when I thought, who can I complain to other than my parents & my husband? Who will care about it since there is nothing much I can do as it is a public toilet right? I thought it was very inconsiderate for him to be smoking while that toilet is being used by young school children. I told myself to calm down and take it in my stride. A bit of cigarette smell should not linger too long by the time Gerrard uses it.

2. Another day before class when we went to that toilet, I saw that the floor outside had a puddle of water. It looks like it had spilled while someone was washing the floor but did not mop it up properly. Guess what, my immediate reaction is to take out tissues from my bag to WIPE THE FLOOR CLEAN so that Gerrard will not step on the puddle of water when he comes out to toilet later. I had to mentally tell myself to "stop it, you crazy woman" because even if I can clean the floor once, how can I clean the floor everyday and everywhere that my son goes??

Breathe Irene, breathe...

2011-03-29T02:09:00.001+08:00

28 March 2011

Gerrard is like my big soft toy ; my source of comfort and laughter that god has blessed me with =)

20 January 2011 - now who's teaching who

2011-01-21T08:19:00.001+08:00

I was waiting for the lift with Gerrard when another toddler girl walked up beside us. She was learning to talk so went bah bah eh eh etc. After we went into the lift (without the girl), I made the remark...
Me: Gerrard, that fat Mei Mei didn't come in
Gerrard: Mummy, cannot say people Fat
Me: oops! (it was really just am unintentional remark) sorry Gerrard, mummy forgot. Then what should we say?
Gerrard: say people thin.....

Now who's teaching who? Haha.. The joy of motherhood ;p

2010-10-23T14:37:00.007+08:00

8 October 2010 - Our First

Kenneth & Liting had their traditional tea ceromony on 8 October and Gerrard was tasked with an upmost important job- to open the car door for the groom! The night before, I explained the task to him and we practiced with 2 alphabet blocks as I told him that after opening the door, he needs to pass the oranges to Uncle Ken.

Getting ready to go to Ah Ma's house

Opening the car door

Part I- Successful!

15 October was the wedding banquet at Oriental Hotel. Gerrard was dressed in a suit and many people praised him for looking so smart!

I love this picture- they look so cute standing together!

Although he could not understand all of it coz in the bridal suite, he said it's Gu Gu's house; overall he appeared to enjoy himself. I reckon he thought it is just a very big dinner where a lot of people were eating together =)

Part II- Grand Finale, well done my boy!

Many people could not understand why I am making such a big fuss over Gerrard attending a wedding but it is indeed a significant milestone for him. It is the first time we brought him along to attend a wedding dinner together and is indeed a significant milestone for us as a family. It really took us a lot to reach this stage and I heaved a huge relief that all turned out so well.

2010-10-11T00:14:00.002+08:00

10 October 2010 - Touched

Me: Gerrard, quick sleep, mummy needs to work tomorrow
Gerrard: I don't want mummy work
Me: Mummy needs to work, then will have money to buy a lot of toys for u
Gerrard: I don't need a lot of toys, mummy don't work

2010-07-06T23:16:00.004+08:00

4 July 2010- Last Day of "Nature" theme at Zoophonics

We've reached the last of the "Nature" theme at Gerrard's weekend Zoophonics class today. For the past few weeks, Teacher Noreen has taught about the different plants and animals in the rainforest and today's session ended with a lovely story about having a Flower Garden anywhere you like; in a box, in a vase etc. showing the children that the beautiful view of the colourful flowers is not just limited to being in a garden.

Gerrard's craft works

Gerrard has been attending the classes for about 4 months now- I can see the improvements he made. Though not by leaps and bounds, but I feel so proud when I see him slowly joining in the songs, dances and story-tellings. He enjoys the craft work too and going to class gives both of us a bright start to the weekend!

His signature cheeky smile

Gerrard is rather talkative and he LOVES to sing. Everyday, he'll be singing and singing, with actions sometimes. And he loves to listen to stories so I've bought lots of books to read with him. Recently, there was the word "enormous elephant" in one of the books so he asked me what is that? I told him it means very, very big. To my surprise, he actually remembered when Yi Yi asked him the next day! We were so tickled and proud of my little darling.

2010-07-06T22:50:00.004+08:00

6 June 2010- 'Peace' sign for the camera

Gerrard has recently mastered the 'peace' sign when posing for the camera. Before this, he was about to indicate number 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 with his fingers but now he also knows how to hold up the number '2' when taking pictures- it's so cute to see him posing =)

2010-05-09T14:33:00.004+08:00

9 May 2010- One of my son's favourite things..

Every night after we switched off the lights and getting ready for bed, here's how the conversation will go:

Mummy: Good night, Gerrard..

Gerrard: Good night, Mummy..

Mummy: I love you, Gerrard...

Gerrard: I love you too... (sometimes, he'll say, I love you three, I love you four... I think he

mixed it up with "two")

Mummy: Good night, sleep tight, sweet dreams...

Gerrard: Sleep tight, sweet dreams, dream of.... toys, books,

Mummy:... cars, balls, numbers, alphabets....

Then I'll sing the ABC song till he falls asleep..

Gerrard is able to recognise and recite A until Z and 1 until 100 before he was 2 years old. He has a natural keen-ness to read out numbers and alphabets whenever he sees them.

Delighted to see the alphabets poster at IKEA

2010-05-09T14:14:00.004+08:00

7 May 2010- "Lilo"

Gerrard met a new friend today- a very chatty "Jie-jie" at the children's slide @T3. She's a lovely girl and even agreed to take a picture with us. At first sight, she reminds me of Lilo =)

2010-05-09T13:29:00.005+08:00

6 May 2010- We are going to the Zoo, zoo, zoo......!

We brought Gerrard on his first visit to the zoo today! Set off around 8.30am and reached there around 9.20am due to the morning traffic jam. The weather was very hot and I packed along water, porridge, milk, change of clothes and shorts, umbrella, mosquito patches...

Having a Barney ride at the kids' shop- it's my favourite place as it's air-conditioned! A great relief from the scorching heat!

Gerrard enjoyed the Children's playground the most- his 1st time playing with water in an outdoors area! He had so much fun splashing and kicking the water with Daddy.

I love this pic- he looks so thrilled to run under the water!

After lunch, we managed to catch the elephants feeding time and I guess elephants are his favourite animals! He was so brave and fed the elephants some bananas and was amused by another elephant nearby who was swinging his trunk in full circle =)

2010-05-09T12:52:00.004+08:00

2 April 2010- Weekend with the ponies

Gallop Stable @ Pasir Ris Park houses imported children friendly ponies which are specially schooled for children riding activities. We brought Gerrard there to have a look but perhaps it was due to his 1st time seeing a real pony, he was rather scared and kept wanting us to carry him. He did not even want to walk on the pavement next to the ponies. Shirlyn & me ended up being the ones who had a fun time feeding the ponies. Their mouths and teeth felt slighly wet when they slurped up the feed from us. We'll try to bring Gerrard the next time when he's older =)

Gallop Stable

61 Pasir Ris Green

Singapopre 518225

Tel : 6583 9665

Fax : 6583 7282

Email : gallop@horseshop.com.sg

Operating Hours : Pony Rides / Lessons

Daily (except Tuesday) - 8am to 11am / 2pm to 7pm

2010-03-30T17:54:00.003+08:00

21-25 March 2010 – Yokoso Japan!

With each day leading to the day we are leaving for our trip to Tokyo (yes, we have finally decided to go after so much contemplations), I tried to tell Gerrard that he won’t be seeing Mummy & Daddy for 5 days and during that time, he will stay at Grandma’s house. Sometimes, he will nod and say ok but sometimes, he will tell me no. He grew more and more “sticky” to me, to the extent that each morning when I was going to bring him over to my mum’s place, he will say that he don’t want to go to grandma’s house. After coaxing and he finally agrees to go, he will hold on to me, refusing to let me go to work. There are so many times when I thought of giving up the tickets coz I cannot bear to imagine him crying when he can’t see me.

On the actual day, he cling onto me all the time, like a baby koala bear. I really left for Japan with a very heavy heart. This is the 1st time in my life that I actually had such a feeling for anyone.

I called home everyday while we’re in Tokyo and to my surprise, Gerrard was actually coping very well! The first day when he woke up, he asked for mummy but Grandma told him that mummy went to work and will only be back on Friday. He nodded and continued with his playing.. I felt so relieved and glad that my son has sort of grown up and he understands.
We had lots of fun in Tokyo and we miss Gerrard just as much. I hope the next trip we go to, we will be going as a family.

2010-03-28T23:29:00.002+08:00

27 February 2010- First school day

Gerrard started his 1st Toddlers Playgroup weekend programme at Zoophonics Tampines Mart today. He's still very shy as it's 1st time attending a proper class (previously, he attended a trial class at Little Neuro Tree when he was 1 yr old). However, as the parent is allowed to go in with them, I am there to assure him and guide him along. Hope that he'll settle well soon =)

2010-03-28T23:02:00.004+08:00

7 Mar 2010- Gerrard's new house!

We went IKEA Tampines this morning for breakfast- I love IKEA coz the food is nice at a reasonable price, it's rather kids-friendly with lots of parking lots, it's near my place and it's very spacious for Gerrard to roam around.

While window shopping, Ati pointed out this tent to me and Gerrard, saying that Gerrard has always said he wanted to build a house. We bought it back and after fixing it, our boy was apprehensive at first about going in. I threw in all his colour balls and went in to start playing around and slowly, he followed me. Soon after, Gerrard kept wanting to "invite" us into his house; I stuck the fish he made in class to the door to indicate that it's his special house =)

My cheeky son

2010-02-19T22:59:00.009+08:00

19 February 2010 - A busy start to a new year

The beginning of the year used to be rather quiet for me as the only "event" was Derek's birthday in January. The lunar new year was also quiet in relative to some other people as I have few relatives in Singapore and basically our visiting can be completed in 1 day max.

However, since I gave birth to Gerrard, my busy time will usually start from Nov where it's mine & Shirlyn's birthdays, followed by Xmas and New yr hols, then Derek's birthday, Gerrard's birthday, followed by CNY celebrations.

Derek's family & friends came over to our place for steamboat and catching up during Gerrard's birthday celebration.

Self-made birthday card by Wendy

The 1st day of CNY coincides with Valentine's Day on 14 Feb 2010- the last time it happened was 58 years ago. Liting & Ken decided to mark this memorable day by registering their marriage! The function room was nicely done up and during the time there, I was actually more in the "marriage-love" mood and almost forgot that it's CNY :) We spent the whole afternoon there before proceeding to Holland V for the gathering with Derek's family.

Grand Mercury Roxy Hotel- the CNY decor at the lobby was very nice and Gerrard was excited to see the "Dong Dong Chiang"

The solemnisation

Due to some last minute plans, we were unable to visit Derek's aunt on the 2nd day of CNY. As Gerrard has been requesting to go airport for the longest time, we brought him there in the evening. I expected it to be very quiet and was looking forward to a nice leisurely meal but how wrong was I! It was twice as crowded as compared to a typical weekend and even when we were leaving around 9pm, there were still people who just reached!

Posing with the seahorse in his signature grin =)

Giving Grandma a kiss!

Recently, I have been hooked on Cathay Glass. She, who writes under a pseudonym, has been a foster carer for more than 20 years and I just happened to pick up one of her books, Damaged, at San Bookshop and I finished it within 5 days. Her writing style is very engaging and easy to read. And best of all, it is the first time I could read a book in a moving car without having a headache! I was so touched by the story that I wrote an email to her and guess what? I received her reply that I had never expected to. She even posted my comment on her blog http://www.cathayglass.co.uk/ I continued to rent the rest of her books but Damaged is still the best so far- I feel somewhat like a fan chasing her idol to some extent!

Recently, I've been tasked with quite a bit of projects at work and there's gonna be lots of changes and new exposures. I need all the luck I can have so I just hope that everything will go smoothly. Am also thinking of planning a short trip but that's really too early to confirm anything yet. Hope we can make it!

2010-01-28T09:07:00.003+08:00

10 January 2010 - Never ever

A very serious and upsetting incident occured today that chilled my heart. Ignorance, regret, guilt, worry and lots of prayers. I hope it will be the first and last time it will ever happen. *Prays*

2010-01-03T15:27:00.010+08:00

3 January 2010 - A brand new year

Time flies.. we have stepped into yet another new year without realising it. The last few days of 2009 wasn't that great for me as something happened at work. However, after giving it some thought, I decided not to ever waste my time on trying to be the good guy anymore. I would just work to earn my keeps and use whatever energy I have left to spend quality time with my loved ones. Yes, that's my resolution for 2010 ^-^

We have been bringing Gerrard out every weekend for the past months- he's now running very fast and we really gotta keep an eye on him, or rather, to catch up with him. He's learning lots of new words everyday and has a special liking to numbers. He can now recite 1 to 100 and likes to read alphabets wherever he sees them; on magazines, street signs, food menus etc. Gerrard can spell 'No', 'Yes', 'Car', 'Bus', 'Apple', 'Banana', 'Rabbit', 'One', 'Two', 'Three', 'Four' and 'Six'. Gerrard loves to listen to songs and attempts to sing along too! He's quite a talkative boy and it's really very fun to be with him now.

Celebrated my 29th birthday

To eXplorer Kids @ Downtown East. That was the day Gerrard caught a glimpse of Bugs Bunny while we were dining.

Due to his egg allergy, I am very apprehensive about letting him try new foods. Recently, we started on bread and give him a teeny bit to entice him to drink water. Apparently, it helps a lot coz he LOVES bread. Everyday, he'll tell Grandma he wants to eat "面包" haha.

Attended Baby Jack's shower

Dec 2009 was the first time I brought Gerrard for a "Meet-And-Greet" session and it was our first trip to United Square. I specially took a weekday PM off from work so as not to squeeze with the crowd on weekends. So much for being a KIASU parent! The Barney show lasted for about half an hour but we queued for an equivalent time!

T3- our favourite hangout place!

2009-10-12T16:41:00.004+08:00

11 October 2009- My super mum

My mum resolved something for me today which I really appreciated. At times, I find her naggy and unreasonable, insisting on her own views. However, what she said today really made me see her differently. She is my super mum, without her, I don't think I will be able to achieve what I have today in my career. She insists on things which are eventually good for me- and which I can only see and realise when I cross the path.

Her endless love for Gerrard allows me to concentrate fully on my work- I am really fortunate to have her. Mummy, I love you.

2009-10-04T10:56:00.002+08:00

3 October 2009- Why must things turn out this way?

I am feeling very down- we had a quarrel today.

A small matter just blew into a huge spat involving maid, money, exhaustion, family and most importantly, our characters. The 2 people shouting at each other seemed to have changed from the one each was attracted to and married in the first place. People change over time; circumstances and experiences caused people to change. However, what do you do when the rate of change is not the same for both? Can we still stand by and hold each others' hands to walk down the rest of the path together?

2009-09-25T09:37:00.004+08:00

24 Sep 2009- Arrival of Baby Rainee

Derek and me went to TMC to visit Apple today. Her beloved princess Rainee arrived on 23 September 2009 at 2043hr. Both mum and baby are doing well. Rainee looked so cute and I was so tempted to hold her. Never mind, will carry her during her baby shower :)

We also went to look at the babies in the nursery- they were all sleeping soundly in their cribs, covered snugly in their towels and blankets. I guessed that's where the saying "little bundles of joy" came about! The visit brought back a lot of fond memories when I delivered Gerrard- and he is such a big boy now.

Hope all goes well for Apple's confinement and Gerrard will have a new friend soon!

2009-09-21T15:50:00.002+08:00

21 Sep 2009- Our 44th day without a maid

Today is our 44th day without a maid. We are still surviving simply becoz life still goes on whether things are going your way or not. Now is no longer about myself only but I still have a child to care for regardless of me being tired, having to gobble down my food, having no time to catch a movie I really wanted to watch etc etc.. This is the greatness of being a mum! :))))))

I do not hope for a super maid, I just want someone who can get along with my mum and can look after Gerrard properly. Isn't it time my luck changed for the better?

2009-08-10T10:06:00.002+08:00

9 Aug 2009- A bomb dropped on National Day

We sent our maid back this afternoon, within 24 hours of her request to go home. It was a typical afternoon at home then she wanted to make a call. She claimed her mother hurt her hand and no one to take care of her kids. I am just surprised if her mum hurt her hand and wants her to go back, wouldn't they write to her instead? Why is it only when she called back then she knew of it? On the other hand, she told my mum that her mother hurt her back and also said she is going shopping in Jarkarta before she goes back to the kampong. Would you be in the mood to go shopping when you are anxious to go back home to look after your kids? Then the agency said it is common of Indo maids to have such requests when it's nearing the Hari Raya festival so it means she is not interested to work anymore.

Who is right and who is wrong? Anyway, she's gone.

2009-08-04T23:16:00.002+08:00

21 July 2009- Milestone

Gerrard took his first independent steps today!!!

2008-11-18T17:43:00.007+08:00

13 November 2008- My 28th birthday

Received a birthday sms from my sister this morning and was greeted with the news that Gerrard rolled off the bed last night! Mum told me that he had rolled off onto Siti's mattress on the floor. When Siti found him, he was clinging onto the big bolster like a koala bear and his eyes were staring at her. Mum said he looked a bit puzzled, must be wondering how did he end up on Siti's mattress haha. He didn't cry but my parents gave him some "惊风散” in case he had a scare. My mum was so worried that she did not sleep the rest of the night while Gerrard slept in his hammock. And the 24-year-old bed (yes, it had been there since I was 4 years old) was dismantled the next day.

I received a diamond ring from hubby to my utmost surprise and we had a nice dinner at Ichiban. Even though it was late, we still managed to go and see Gerrard. And what makes me the happiest is that Gerrard has entered into our lives to be part of our family and I feel so blessed to have him. This is my happiest bday ever :)

A quick shot of him when he just woke up

2008-11-10T23:09:00.013+08:00

30 October 2008- 9 months old

Gerrard turned 9 months old recently. Wanted to bring him out on Deepavali holiday but on 26 October 2008 morning, after his bath, I noticed a small red spot in his right eye near to his eyeball. I got all panicky coz it was a Sunday and PD is closed. I immediately thought of asking Derek to bring us to TMC for checkup then my mum told me to calm down first. She suggested bringing Gerrard to the GP and see what he says. And Dr Tan has been my family doctor since I was in primary school I think.

On the way to Dr Tan whose clinic was just downstairs my parents' house, I kept asking my mum, does Dr Tan knows how to treat babies? Is he competent? Are you sure? My mum assured me it should be fine, probably Gerrard is a bit heaty. And Dr Tan has 5 children himself, he should know what he's doing :P

Dr Tan diagnosed that Gerrard had a slight eye infection and that was when I realised that the day before, he had some sticky eye-wax on his eye too.. so this is usually an early sign of some infection. Will remember that in future. Dr Tan carried Gerrard and my boy wasn't shy at all. In fact, I think Gerrard seemed to be totally fine with anyone as long as they provide fun! Well, good and bad I guess. He gave Gerrard an eye drop and after 2 days, he recovered. Phew!

So we stayed home during the holidays and Wendy (god-yi-yi) was having fun playing dress up with Gerrard.

"Pirates of the Carribean"

Roarrrrr! Here I come!

"店小二"
Can you see what's on his head? Yes! It's his bedtime pants hahaha- is this Halloween or what?

Ah-ha! I know what you are trying to do....

Mmmm... what do you want me to do this time?

Found this pic of Gerrard in Derek's phone- I think it was taken when he was around 7 months coz now that romper can't fit anymore

Gerrard can't crawl yet and he doesn't really like tummy time too. We tried putting toys to entice him but it just gets him frustrated if he is unable to get them within his reach. Although I can't help wishing he will be "up to speed" soon like his peers but I know we cannot hurry this kind of thing. As long as he is growing up healthily, this should not be the top priority in my list. So just gonna be patient and 加油吧!

He is moving much faster in his walker now- "gliding" from here to there. And he likes to venture into the bedrooms too. My maid and parents must keep a closer eye on him now coz we are afraid he will knock into hard objects.

Mummy placing a ball on his head to tease him

I'm a juggler- Look at me!

Demostrating his "invisible kungfu hands"

This shot shows a double-chin

Shirlyn Yi-yi says Gerrard looks like a big boy here

Sometimes Gerrard will use his hand to tap/pat his head. He does it when he's feeling tired and going to sleep too.. managed to catch a shot here.

Since his 2nd month, Gerrard sleeps with me on the bed and recently, we have moved to sleeping on mattresses on the floor as I'm afraid he will roll over the bed. He is a very messy sleeper like me! Hence, his cot was like a white elephant in the room. I decided to bring it out and treat it like a playpen.

Playing with the wheels on a toy car

Gerrard has 4 teeth now, with a 5th lower tooth sprouting out soon. Last week, he had a new antic; when we ask him "Show me your teeth/ Where is your teeth", he will squeeze his face very tightly and show us his teeth. It looks bad but it is so funny when he does it. Over the weekend, we brought him to dinner with my in-laws family. Although he seldom sees them, he is ok to letting them carry and play with him. They had such fun seeing his funny expressions.

Cheeky shots!

His fav. moments are on weekends where Daddy carries him and kicks balls around. The picture is blur but Gerrard's mouth was wide open in awe!

My current camera is failing me- the pictures seemed to be in an "auto-sepia" mode and there are large "spots" when they are developed. Some of the clearer pictures were taken with Shirlyn's camera. I wanted to get a new one especially one that captures the quick actions of Gerrard.

Gosh, it took me almost 1 hour to type this post. I am not savvy with blog... it takes me very long to organise the format of the entry and the pics! And I'm facing some downside at work recently.. so when I feel down, I think of how Gerrard can make me smile and this makes everything better again. I'm also trying to get Gerrard involved in some trial classes so that he can make some friends- Looking forward to the Jan baby bash in Dec so that I can finally put some faces to the names who have accompanied me during my pregnancy and mummyhood journey :))

2008-10-11T10:31:00.011+08:00

11 October 2008- Updates from 6 months- Pictures Galore!

I realised that my last post was in June- Gosh! 4 months had passed by and it was through a short chat with fellow Jan08 MTB "Mylife" that spurred me to start blogging again. Thanks "Mylife"!

The reason is I have been tied down with work as usual and on weekends, my hands are full with Gerrard. I do have a bit of time to blog but have no energy to do so. Sometimes, it's a choice between slapping on some moisturiser or blogging so I only have the energy to do the "must-do". I have also not logged on to the forum for a long time so hopefully, we can still keep in touch via our chatboards on blogs. Missing you guys- Fern, Kitsune, Godsent, Violetice, Icy, QQ, Steph77, Joyce, Angelsky, Mylife.... and I can see from your blogs that your princes and princesses are all growing up so well- Let us all give ourselves a pat on the back!

Gerrard started taking porridge from Month 5 onwards as recommended by Dr Ho. Grandma prepares the food for him, consisting of fish, pork, spinach, carrots, brocoli, potato, tofu and sometimes ikan billis. He loves his porridge and his favourite fruit is apple!

A typical weekend spent playing with Mummy & Daddy- We were just back from lunch at Ikea

Sneaking a look at us as I "forbid" him to put his hands into his mouth

Gerrard had fever around end Aug- early Sept. I remembered it started on a Thursday and my mum called me at work. I told her to give him the infant panadol and when I went to see him after work, the fever had subsided but I still decided to stay over at my mum's place to be with him for the night.

During the night, the fever started again and I took urgent leave to bring him to Dr Ho on Friday. He was prescribed panadol, running nose medicine and anti-biotics. And the fever went up and down throughout the weekend. It tested our patience as both Derek and me were anxious about Gerrard and in the course of that, we snapped at each other easily. And it doesn't help that Gerrard was sick and hence fussing quite a bit. On Sunday, his fever finally went down but he started to develop rashes all around his body on Sunday night. Once again, I rushed home from work on Monday and Dr Ho said it's Fake Measles. I have never heard of it before but she said it's common among babies usually after a fever. We had to apply calamine lotion on him all over and he got better after a few days. I heaved a huge sigh of relief when he was well again.

Balls and cars are his favourite toys

Rubber ducky float present from YiYi during Taka Baby Fair- we used it to contain balls for playing

Peek-a-boo!

In all serious-ness when he sees me with a camera

Just woke up in the morning and waiting for his porridge

Brought him back to Changi Airport T3 when we were on leave

Till next time everyone!

2008-06-13T09:47:00.002+08:00

13 June 2008- When parenting 24/7 in not enough

I was checking my emails when I read an article on a Tokyo knifeman. Last Sunday, there was a stabbing rampage in Tokyo whereby a teenager drove a truck into Tokyo’s crowded district of Akihabara, the hub of Japan’s comic-book and video-game subculture. He swerved the vehicle into pedestrians, jumped out and started a stabbing spree with a survivor knife in one hand and a smaller knife in another. Five people died and twelve were wounded. He is currently in custody of prosecutors, who could press charges that lead to the death penalty.

Reporters interviewed his parents and his dad apologised and bowed deeply and repeatedly in front of national TV. His distraught mum cried and collapsed after the apology. On the eve of the rampage, the teenager posted in the internet that “I had been forced to play the good boy since I was little” His parents would sometimes complete his homework for him; “I was perfect in my studies as I got prizes for what a parent wrote or draw. As they wanted to brag about me to other people, they would finish everything up to make me look perfect”

Reading the article caused an unsettling stir in my heart. I could imagine how devastated his parents must have felt as it could be just another ordinary day and never in their wildest dreams would they have thought their son could be planning such a terrible activity. One step in the wrong direction seems to have changed their family lives overnight.

As parents, we will always want the best for our children. I can put myself in the parents’ shoes and visualise the image of a mother reprimanding a child when he misbehaves, telling him to be a good boy and not to do this, not to do that. In fact, I recalled the time in primary school where I was tasked to make a kite during art & craft and my dad completed the project for me as I had absolutely no idea how to. And yes, I got an A for that fabulous kite.

However, is wanting the best for our children wrong? How and when do we draw the fine line of leading them in the right path and not cause them to be over independent on us? How do we know how to GUIDE and not to INSTRUCT? How do we make them see that the best to us is also the best for them without them thinking we are simply too controlling and they can hardly breathe?

There is no easy answer to these questions but then again, there shouldn’t be.

2008-06-11T08:54:00.001+08:00

11 June 2008- Stomach upset

Gerrard has been having loose stools for 2 weeks. The first time it happened was on 24 May morning and I thought it was just a one time incident. As he has been on FM since birth, other than the 1st month, his stools have been rather "pretty" in toothpaste texture and he has been "trained" by my mum to poo poo once a day. On 30 May 2008 during his scheduled 4 months vaccination, I mentioned his condition to Dr Ho. She told me that only the following 3 conditions are causes of worry:

1. Stools hard as "goh-lis" aka marbles
2. Stools liquid like water
3. Blood in stools

She explained that anything else in between is perfectly fine and it is not a case of diarrhoea as it is only once a day (diarrhoea occurs 3-4 times a day). As such, she gave him the go-ahead for the vaccination. Loose stools continued after that and I took the doctor's word that it is fine. Others shared with me that it may be a sign of teething and it's common for babies to have loose/runny stools. Both grandmas commented that Gerrard seemed thinner but the fact that it still occurs once a day and he was still active and happy caused us to not worry so much, thinking that it'll probably go away.

I waited to see if it improves but to no avail. I donno if it was Mother's instinct but his condition bothered me at the back of my mind. He doesn't seemed sick but somehow I feel that something is not right. Hence, finally I took him to Dr Ho again. She examined him and announced that Gerrard has a tummy upset. Perhaps he had a virus infection which affected his digestive system and he would have to change to FrisoSoy milk for at least 2 weeks since his condition has been so long. FrisoSoy is a type of soy milk which does not contains oil unlike other FM as oil may worsen his condition. He was also precribed a medication to recover his digestive system.

I have to admit that inside my heart, I was swearing. Didn't she tell me that it was ok when I told her the condition 1 week ago? It was based on her words that I kept telling myself Gerrard should be fine since the doctor said so. If she had diagnosed it earlier, he wouldn't need to go through the upset tummy. And indeed, Gerrard's weight maintained at 7.5kg. He has not gained any weight since his vaccination on 30 May 2008.

I feel upset when I see Gerrard on medication and stopping his usual Similac FM. Although he is not crying in pain but I know it can be uncomfortable for him overall. Adults experience discomfort during diarrhoea, what the more a young 4 months baby.

May Gerrard recover soon.

2008-06-08T14:42:00.000+08:00

8 June 2008- First outing

Today is a significant milestone in Gerrard's life coz it is the first time we went out as a family! And it is not to Grandma's house, not for his routine visit to the PD but his first "gai gai" trip with Mummy and Daddy. Although to many people it is not such a big deal but to me, it really is. I have not "ventured" out with Gerrard unless it was with my mum as I find it too difficult to handle. In fact, we try to limit that to the minimum as well because 1. too many things to prepare to bring out 2. difficult to manage him when he wants to sleep but can't fall asleep in either our arms/ on strolller.

However, this weekend, my parents and Shir-lyn went to Msia to attend a wedding dinner. And as Derek took leave to help out, we decided to bring Gerrard for a small outing. Usual shopping centres were too crowded for our taste and hence we brought him to Changi Airport coz it's near our place.

All rearing to go

Surprisingly, all went rather well. Gerrard was pretty excited upon reaching the place and as we were extremely hungry, we had a quick bite at the foodcourt. While eating, we placed him in his stroller and he was well behaved and smiled/played with us afterwhich we walked around T3. At the viewing mall, it brought back fond memories as 4 months ago (when i was waiting impatiently to pop) a rather impregnanted me had been here with Derek and now 4 months later, we are back in the same place as a family of 3. It feels very special and fulfilling.

With Daddy

With Mummy

Initially we wanted to make our way to T1 but I decided that this may be enough for the time being considering that it is our first outing and Gerrard seems sleepy. After walking around, we stopped by TCC for lunch. I made his milk in a jiffy and fed him while waiting for our orders to come. After drinking, he fell asleep! I held him upright against me for a while as he had not burped. After I lied him down to sleep in the stroller, before I could whip out the camera to take a shot of him sleeping in his stroller for the 1st time, he moved a bit and woke up! I donno what's the matter but he is sleeping very little nowadays!

Looking surprised when he just woke up

Reverted back to his active self almost immediately when I played with him

Overall conclusion: It has been a good trip for a first timer and it has indeed helped to build up my confidence to bring Gerrard out for more outings in future. We shall still start "small" by going for short outings then gradually go further and longer as he grows. More importantly, Gerrard seemed very curious and excited and I hope that outings to wherever can play a part in his discovery and learning journey. Looking forward to our second outing ;)

2008-05-30T16:44:00.001+08:00

30 May 2008 - Something new every time

Gerrard never fails to amuse us. Previously, he would smile widely when entertained and lets out a loud laugh once in a while. This month, he is able to chuckle. Whenever he does that, we can't help but laugh along with him coz it is so contagious. Wendy managed to capture a short video on his chuckling. That's my mum's voice in the background and she was simply saying "Ah... Puu....Tehhhh!" This meaningless phrase caused Gerrard to be so tickled! I guess it is not what we say but the way we say it that entertains him so.

This second clip was taken during Gerrard's weekend stay at our house. For some reason, I can't seem to rotate the clip so it's harder on your eyes while viewing. Again, Gerrard is entertained by ad-hoc words exclaimed by Derek. It started with different states in Japan... Osaka, Narita, Tokyo.... until even "Kopi-O" makes him laugh!

The first time I heard the phrase "Laughter is the best medicine" was from a copy of Readers' Digest when I was about 12 years old. My cousin used to stay with us at the time and I would flip through his monthly copies. The section refers to the jokes section which was easier to read and some short stories/jokes were pretty funny. All along I used to think that the phrase was just a very apt title for the session but what happened recently made me look at things from another view.

Things had been pretty rough at work recently and my plate is really full. My portfolio has increased and I guess it is a good sign as it gives me progress and exposure to more things. However, with this enhanced job scope, it translated into longer working hours. I try my best to visit Gerrard everyday but sometimes time does not permit me to do so. There were a few occasions where by the time I finished my work and reached Tampines, it is past his bedtime. Another time was when I had to attend a department outing and couldn't bring him back on Friday night. Derek's side is about the same as well with his work piled up everyday. I do feel guilty when I am held back by all these.

There was one day when I had a bad headache. People who know me well would know that I cannot bear the pain of a headache; I will pop a Panadol almost immediately. That day, I ran out of Panadol and I was busy rushing something out at work that I had no time to go down and buy. I told myself to hang in there even though I know it will cause me to be irritable and true enough, it got worse by the time I got off work. My head was simply hammering away. I was grouchy throughout dinner and the impending workload kept nagging me at the back of my mind. After dinner, I visited Gerrard to play with him as usual and on the way home, it suddenly dawned on my that my head is no longer throbbing. It seemed to have miraculously cured by itself! The first thought that came to mind was the exact phrase "Laughter is the best medicine" I used to be pretty cynical about things but perhaps this can be true after all. 快乐其实很简单。

Making faces

Trying to turn

Bath time

Seeing him everyday lifts my mood. It seems to set everything into perspective and I am finally experiencing what my colleague told me previously about rushing home just to be with his kids and the joy is indescribable. Although I feel drained after work, being with Gerrard sets my adrenaline pumping again. It is as if you feel like everything may be weighing you down and you can't take it anymore but yet you still can push on just a little bit on.

Playing on his yao-lan

I didn't know that becoming a parent means stacking today's unread newspaper on to yesterday's unread newspaper. Sometimes we eat a meal as if we are trying to create a Guiness record for finishing a meal in the shortest time- standing up! There are still times of exasperations and feeling inadequate somehow. But I tell myself that as Gerrard is learning day by day, we are learning to be parents as well. There are times when we fall down but I am sure that before we know it, the day will come where we look back at our silly mistakes/complaints and laugh about it.

Gerrard is 4 months old today and had his routine visit to the PD. He took his 2nd dosage of 5-in-1 jab and the Rotavirus medication. Dr Ho commented that he is growing well - what a relief as I was concerned about his reduced milk intake. This is just the feeling we have everytime we visit the gynae when I was pregnant. The magic words that the baby is growing well will set our hearts at ease. No wonder people say that you start worrying from the day you find out your pregnancy until the day your child grows old!

Looking intensely at my hp when I showed him pictures of himself

In line with the traditional Chinese customs for 4 months old, we let Gerrard have a teenny weeny lick of a ..... DRUMSTICK! He was staring in awe at the drumstick when we brought it to his face and he looked so curious when tasting it!

Thanks for coming into my life little one!

2008-05-19T15:26:00.001+08:00

19 May 2008- DIY Baby Art

Have been wanting to do this for the longest time but time never seems to be enough. Finally got down to doing it during the Vesak day holiday. The instructions on the package said 1. This task is best completed with at least 2 adults and 2. To do this when baby is asleep or in a good mood. With the help of Yi-Yi, we figured that Gerrard is in the best mood in the morning after his feed.

The first time, we tried by pressing his foot against the clay while he was laying down. It ended up slanted so we had to re-knead and roll the clay.

My mum reached home in time just before I lowered Gerrard and she helped to press down his feet to make a lasting print.

What a fun but straining time! Now we gotta wait for it to dry before framing it. The instructions stated 10 hours to dry but it took us almost 2 weeks for it to dry real thoroughly.

Tada- It's completed!

Gerrard's first photo to join ours on top of the shoe cabinet =)

2008-05-11T22:56:00.005+08:00

11 May 2008 - A Mother's Heart

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know the bond between
a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

2008-05-03T15:37:00.011+08:00

3 May 2008 - I am good, thank you

Thanks to my friends for their encouragement and concerns about my previous post. Reading your messages on my tagboard brought upon a warm feeling in my heart, especially since these are people whom I have not even met but whom are generous enough to share their experiences with me. Thanks gals... you know who you are ;)

I went back to work on 21 April 2008. Was greeted with a warm welcome by my colleagues. Many commented that I did not look like I had just given birth and I take that as a compliment. I guess I am lucky that most of the weight I put on during pregnancy went to Gerrard, the waterbag, the placenta etc.. Perhaps it was also because I inherited my mum's skinny genes coz my mum's figure is exactly like this as well. Along with the warm welcome, I was also greeted with a huge present- a big PILE of workload that is. Work that was left before I left, together with work that had accumulated during my absence. Which explains why I have not been logging on much. Enough said.

Recently, I bought a new toy for Gerrard- Ocean Wonders Kick & Crawl Aquarium by Fisher Price. It has 3 main functions- starting out as a soft play quilt, with activity toys for the baby to grasp, bat and kick. The second stage is tummy time, where one end can be folded up to form a wedge and then attach the toys to encourage reaching and pushing up. The third stage is to reconfigure the quilt into a crawl-through play space. When I saw it, I couldn't resist it because it looks like great fun!

Gerrard's verdict: Sometimes he does get fascinated by the music from the activity toy. However, his legs are still not long enough to kick the ball so I placed the ball in front instead of the back.

Gerrard turned 3 months old a few days ago and had his 5-in-1 jab and first dose of Rotavirus. Although he didn't develop any fever, I think he looked a bit SIAN, a bit unlike his usual active self. After a few days, he is well again :) Ironically, I was the one who fell sick. I had severe blocked nose, throat infection and fever. I was so sick yesterday that I couldn't even get out of bed and I was not able to get near Gerrard in case I pass on anything to him.

I love to pinch his cheeks!

The other day, a colleague chatted with me on the way home. He is in his mid-40s, a father of 4. He shared with me that in the past, when his kids were still very young (babies), every day no matter how tired he feels after work, seeing their faces upon reaching home makes him forget about all his stress and problems. And there will be this strong urge in his mind.. that he hopes to work more overtime so as to earn more money and buy things for his kids. He said that is the best part of his life. Now, his kids are grown up and sometimes, when he wish to spend more time with them, they prefer their friends' company instead. I felt a fuzzy feeling in my heart during that conversation. Was it a reminder for me to be patient? Was it an advice for me to keep in mind?

2008-04-13T11:55:00.004+08:00

13 April 2008- Failure

I really need to work on controlling my emotions. I keep telling myself to be patient when taking care of Gerrard as he is still young. However, I am still not adjusting well to waking up for his night feeds. When I do not get enough sleep, I become a super tyrant; snapping at Derek for the slightest thing, reprimanding him for not helping out (although it is even tougher for him since he needs to work). Yesterday night, I took it out on Gerrard when he fell asleep while drinking his milk. I kept stuffing the bottle teat roughly into his mouth and I even shook him, wanting to wake him up. No matter what I did, he simply refused to take another sip. In the end, I gave up because all I wanted to was to get back to sleep.

What kind of a mother am I? It is always the morning after that I feel so guilty for treating them this way. I look at Gerrard snoozing beside me and I tell myself that I have failed yet again. Why have I turned into such a nasty person? May God (whichever one out there) give me strength to keep my temper in check.

I want back the old me.

Only then can I be the best mummy and wife.

2008-04-10T13:17:00.002+08:00

10 April 2008 - Mountain tortoise

I went to the MacDonald's 2 weeks ago and realised that they no longer provides sachets of chilli and ketchup sauces anymore. Patrons need to self service from the sauce dispensers. Likewise for serviettes.

It took me a while to regain my composure as I kept asking Derek when did MacDonalds implement this? Why hasn't I seen it at any MacDonalds outlet? I was akin to someone who has been let out from some mountains/caves as I made such a big deal out of it. And Derek nonchalently informed me that it has been some time since MacDonalds implemented this. Then I started to recall when was the last time I stepped into MacDonalds; not too long ago right? About 3 months ago?

Was I too blur during my pregnancy to not notice it while I was there or have I officially stepped into Auntyhood?

2008-03-30T10:49:00.001+08:00

30 March 2008 - And I thought pregnancy was tough enough

Gerrard turned 2 months old today. A month has passed whereby we have taken care of Gerrard by ourselves since Zhen-jie left. Everyday has sort of settled into a routine.. every morning, he'll have his bath, milk then I'll bring him over to my mum's place until the evening when Derek will fetch us back to our house to settle for the night. His feeds have roughly stablised.. feeding about 3-4 hours. During the night, I am the one feeding him while Derek helps with changing diapers, making the milk, washing the bottles and patting him to sleep.

The 2 most important people in my life

This has indeed been a roller-coaster month. I had a "BCG scare" a few weeks back when I saw a swollen bump on Gerrard's left butt. I even applied the nappy cream on it, thinking it might be a nappy rash only to result in it being even more swollen. I turned panicky and rushed him down to the PD. Upon seeing the bump, the PD rolled her eyes and told me to read the health booklet. There was a piece of paper inside which stated the effects of BCG vaccination and the symptoms of it swelling up is NORMAL. She said I am an ignorant mummy and the health booklet is not meant to be just kept in the drawer =P

I felt like an idiot and this episode made me realised that I still have so much to learn on how to take care of another being. Life is no longer about me, myself and I. I admit I am quite a perfectionist. At work, I have always set high standards on myself to excel and initially, I set high standards to be the perfect mummy as well, aiming to being able to handle him very well. Hence, when I faced obstacles such as unable to coax him to sleep or when I can't make him stop crying, I break down. I feel like I have failed and I don't know why. However, after talking to Derek, I started to see things from another view. I need to be more patient and take things as they come. There isn't any formula I can use or any "template" I can follow as every baby is an unique individual.

Sometimes I really feel exhausted as I need to help my mum out in the daytime as well. I feel like my own life is revolving round Gerrard, with no time left for myself. However, every time when I see him lying beside me, sleeping with his mouth half-open, or when he smiles at me in the morning when I say "Good morning baby!", my heart just melts. Last night, I was burping him and Gerrard was half asleep. His whole body was soft and leaned against me like a crumpled sock. I felt so close to him; it is amazing that he "lived and grew" inside my tummy for 10 months and now, he is out to see the world and learning new things everyday. At that moment, I made a vow to myself that I will take very good care of him, give him my love, attention and affection to support him in exploring the world.

Finally settling in for the night- A mighty task for us sometimes!

Carried by Grandma

Doesn't like wearing hats

Shots captured while he's changing

A happy baby after eating!

His hands are so small!

2008-03-29T13:41:00.000+08:00

29 March 2008 - Some us-time

Derek and I went to Giant supermarket today, hoping to buy Similac at a cheaper price as Giant was having promotions for baby diapers and milk powder. To our disappointment, only Similac Stage 2 (For after 6 months) was on discount. haiz.

After that, we decided to have some "Us-time" and sneaked off for a movie while leaving Gerrard with my parents. Having worked hard for a week, we needed some relaxation and time off to ourselves to restore our energy. Although it was a quick time-out just for the afternoon, it felt really good. As much as we want to spend every minute caring for our precious baby, the Us-time enabled us to bond as a couple. We find that after Gerrard was born, we have been so occupied that sometimes, we do not even have time to talk!

An empress and the warriors

Leon Lai has put on tremendous weight from the last time I remembered him. He was always the image of a 白马王子 to me and imagine the shock I had when I saw him in the movie. He was playing the role of a resigned warrior who decided to live in the woods and wash his hands off the war and pugilistic world. As such, he leads a carefree life and wore baggy clothes which further accentuates his chubby built. Anyway, I had a good laugh at the movies coz the plot was not very realistic and some parts were too exaggerated.

Will try to plan for such Us-time at least once a month. It is a great rejuvenator ;)

2008-03-22T13:25:00.000+08:00

22 March 2008 - BabyCare Festival

Purposely planned a trip down to Singapore Expo for the BabyCare Festival as we expected to have some worthy buys. In the end, it was a huge disappointment as

1. Wanted to subscribe to Mother & Baby magazine and get the Huggies hamper only to find out that the hamper is out of stock and we are left with the baby changing bag, some slimming hoop or Nestle hamper.

2. Wanted to see if there is any discounts for Similac and perhaps buy in bulk to stock up as Gerrard finishes one tin in one week only to find out the only FM brand is Dumex.

3. Wanted to stock up on essentials like Pampers, baby wipes, bottle teats etc only to find out that the only brands available was Pureen and Drypers.

In fact, the whole of Hall 6A didn't look as good as it advertised in the papers and magazines. The various stalls (Yes, I call them stalls instead of booths as some were just selling baby/maternity clothes and they simply hanged them up loosely) were a bit untidy and the goods were placed everywhere.

However, the Tai Sing stall saved the day as they were having a 10% discount on Combi strollers. Got the Combi Well-Comfort for Gerrard as find it the most value for money. At the very least, it wasn't a wasted trip :)

I look forward to the day where we go out together as a family of 3

2008-03-16T14:18:00.003+08:00

Ng Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

2008-03-11T13:22:00.003+08:00

1 March 2008- On our own from now on..

Zhen-jie has finished her confinement assignment with us today. At the moment she was leaving, I was overcome with a mix of emotions; a sense of gratitude to her for taking good care of me and Gerrard during my confinement period and yet a sense of loss, wondering whether I can cope without her around. Although I know that the time will eventually come for us to handle Gerrard ourselves, I can't help but worry that I will not be a good mummy to take care of him. I worry that I can't provide the best care for him as we are so inexperienced.

Much to my relief, the rest of the day went past quite peacefully. Perhaps it was because my mum came to help out and at least I could count on her experience to know that everything I am doing is still "on track" and correct.

The first night handling Gerrard by ourselves took a toil on our sleep. He feeds every 3 hours and even though I try to sleep when he sleeps, I can never go into deep sleep like before. My mind will be occupied with whether he is sleeping ok and I keep looking at the clock to see if he is due for the next feed.

Is this how a mother feels?

2008-03-11T13:18:00.002+08:00

27 February 2008 - Bath time

I learnt how to bathe Gerrard today. He wasn't as wobbly as I imagined so still managed ok. However, I am unable to do so alone yet as my hands still feel clumsy. Practice makes perfect and I look forward to the day I can handle bathing him all by myself.

2008-02-26T16:11:00.008+08:00

24 February 2008 - Full month celebration

Gerrard had his full month celebration although he was only 3+ weeks as his actual full month fall on a weekday. We invited our family and friends over to our place for buffet. It was also partly a house-warming for us as most relatives have not came to our house before.

In the morning before going to grandparents' houses to pray to the ancestors

Looking smart

Gerrard was sleeping most of the time, oblivious to the many hands that groped him as he was being passed around. Ended up with pimples on his face the next day as he was kissed by many people.

The first and only family pic we took (thanks to Kiwi) as we were so tied up the whole day to take any nice pics.

Thanks to the generosity of all who attended, Gerrard received loads of angbaos/gifts! This $$ will go into his "education fund"- talk about kiasu-ism, it starts now!

2008-02-23T10:25:00.006+08:00

22 February 2008 - Haircut

Brought Gerrard to cut his hair today in preparation for 满月. As Gerrard was born with a lot of hair (as compared to other babies), we couldn't bear to shave him bald. Hence, we decided to just trim his hair shorter so off we went to the hair salon. I am not sure whether is it because the hairstylist does not understand what is TRIM or that he has his own view of what to cut regardless of customers' requests; the haircut did not turned out how I wanted it to be. He simply used an electric shaver and cut Gerrard's hair into a 榴莲头 hairstyle. At the first shave, I was horrified as it was so short but was already too late to tell him to stop. Gerrard fidgeted a bit during the haircut and all the time goose bumps were also popping up on me as I am so afraid that the hairstylist will just lose concentration and injure Gerrard. Thank god everything was ok.

Before & after

I feel that Gerrard seems to look like a different person after his haircut and his face seems so much chubbier. Derek came home and when he saw Gerrard, he laughed and said "So cute!"

Not sure whether he felt much cooler with this new haircut coz he slept the whole of the afternoon. I still prefer his old hairstyle but well, everyone's telling me babies' hair grows very fast so it'll be very soon when I bring him for his next haircut.

Not to the same hairstylist though :)

2008-02-17T21:35:00.006+08:00

17 February 2008 - A week of change

Gerrard's antics has increased this week. He is not sleeping as much as last week and will not be satisfied with just lying down all day. He will cry out of boredom and once we carry him or talk to him, he'll stop crying and listen. When he is hungry, his cries are louder and his whole face will be red with impatience for his milk :) When he has finished his milk, he'll even smile in his sleep.

Napping with Daddy

This morning, Derek mentioned that since Gerrard was born, he has never slept beyond 8am. This is quite a feat for him as he loves to sleep and can sleep more than 12 hours if he is not working. As Derek is a light sleeper, he is the one who will wake up in the middle of the night when Gerrard cries for his milk. He will also wanna carry Gerrard and talks to him everyday when he comes back from work no matter how tired he is.

I can't wait for him to grow up and play with us!

2008-02-17T21:00:00.000+08:00

16 February 2008 - Our car

Derek went to collect our car today. Looking forward to our first ride as a family of 3!

2008-02-17T20:41:00.006+08:00

14 February 2008 - Love is all around

No vday celebration this year as I am doing confinement. In fact, I did not even expect Derek to get me anything as his time has been fully occupied since Gerrard's arrival. Especially since I am confined at home, he is the one running around to get the things that baby needs; every other day, Zhen-jie will say that diapers are running out, wet wipes are finishing, need to stock up more tins of milk powder, nappy cream not enough etc etc.

Derek has been really sweet and got me the Winnie the Pooh 4 leaf clover keychain which I simply love! I first saw it when I was shopping for Hazel's xmas present in Dec 07 but I found it a tad too expensive so I decided against it. Was very touched that he still remembers it.

Changed into my new keychain

2008-02-17T20:25:00.004+08:00

13 February 2008 - Birthcert registration

We went back to TMC today to register Gerrard's birth certificate. There wasn't any queue today so it was done in a jiffy. Applied for the government baby bonus scheme as well. Derek mentioned that 2 weeks ago, we were at the same place waiting to be admitted for delivery, with Gerrard still in my tummy. The feeling is so different from now..

There was a funny episode during the birth registration today. We wrote his name as "Huang Yijie Gerrard" as nowadays, names are mostly in Hanyu Pinyin as compared to Dialect names during our parents' time. While registering the name, the nurse at TMC was amused, or rather, puzzled as to why is Gerrard's surname "Huang" while Derek's surname was "Ng". We told her it is because "Huang" is the Hanyu Pinyin translation of "Ng" but she said we can't do that. Next time when Gerrard goes to school, people will question why is his surname different from Daddy, regardless of Hanyu Pinyin or Dialect or whatever.

I was a bit taken aback, thinking how in the world do we know how to spell Yijie in dialect. I know "jie" is usually "Kiat" but I wasn't 100% sure and what about "yi"??!! In the end, to simplify things, we changed the spelling to "Ng Yi Jie Gerrard (Huang Yijie)" - Just a change of the surname- Problem solved :)

2008-02-10T22:06:00.000+08:00

10 February 2008- Umbilical cord stump

Gerrard's umbilical cord stump dropped out today! At least now he will feel more comfy. Zhen-jie said we have to dry the stump and keep in a red packet. When he grows up, we can "return" it back to him... Hmm.. and perhaps let him know that this is the cord stump that connects and delivers the nutrients from mummy to baby during pregnancy.

2008-02-06T12:17:00.002+08:00

6 February 2008- Gerrard is 1 week old

Finally have some time to blog about my baby boy as the past few days has simply flown by. And with CNY coming just round the corner, everyone is busy preparing for the baby as well as the new year. I am truly blessed to be able to find a confinement aunty at the last minute as my mum is unwell. Zhen-jie is a great help indeed and she has everything under control. It was like a huge weight taken off my mind the day she came.

Gifts from our friends

Sleepy Gerrard on Day 2

As Gerrard has slight jaundice upon discharge, we had to bring him back to the pediatrician ("PD") for review on 4 Feb 2008. I decided to bring him to Dr Loke near my place instead of Dr Koh who was allocated to us as Dr Koh's clinic is at Tiong Bahru which I figured will be inconvenient for now and future. Blood test result- jaundice has gone down and everything is ok- Phew! Next appointment will be on 3 March 08 for the 2nd Hepatitis B injection. I also went back to Dr Woo for review on 5 Feb 2008 and everything is fine, stitches are healing well. Next visit will be in 6 weeks' time.

Initially, Gerrard was sleeping most of the time. (I wonder if he was sleeping so much that was the reason why he refuses to come out from my tummy) Everyday, he looks different and seems to be changing. Now, he sleeps a bit less, he knows how to pull his hands out when we wrap him up and he smiles in his sleep!

Day 5

Day 7

He was sleeping soundly for almost 4 hrs when I captured these shots- Gerrard likes to do the "Ultraman" pose with his hands

Playing with him after his feed

A one week old baby's eyesight is still pretty fuzzy. Babies are born near-sighted and can see things best when they are about 8 to 10 inches away, so they can only see our faces clearly when we are holding them close. However, babies recognise our voices and in 2 weeks' time, they will be able to see us and put the face to the voice they have been hearing!

We have consulted the fortune teller and will be naming him 黄奕介。May this name bring him through a smooth-sailing lifetime of good health and wealth.

Today is Lunar New Year's eve.

Although I can't eat all the CNY goodies,

Although I can't dress up and do re-bonding for my hair,

Although I can't buy nice clothes to wear,

Although I am perspiring like a pig most of the time,

Although I am constrained in the four walls of my house and confinement sucks...

...

.....

Seeing Gerrard smile makes up for it all

2008-02-06T12:05:00.001+08:00

30 January 2008 - Our bundle of joy has arrived!!!

Baby Gerrard Ng has arrived on 30 January 2008 at 12.46pm, weighing 2.975kg. Head circumference 33cm, length 49cm.

2008-01-28T17:09:00.000+08:00

28 January 2008 - Changi Airport T3 visit

Yes, I am still here. Looks like we will be waiting another few days to see our precious darling. I have decided to stop pondering over it as there is really nothing much I can do. Hence, to lift my spirits, we have decided to take a trip down to check out the new Changi Airport Terminal 3. Let this be the last outing I have before confinement starts.

T3 is really much bigger as compared to T1 & T2. However, it was very quiet and there wasn't much activities/tourists around, probably as it is still new and some of the airlines & facilities are not established yet. We went to the viewing mall and there were only like.... 3 SIA planes waiting to take off hahaha.

Everything is sparkling new

Derek said that his face looked big so I told him to place it behind me for creating a smaller face effect

We had lunch at Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, a fast food outlet. It was started in 1972 as a restaurant in the small New Orleans in suburban Arabi. We felt that the food tasted a bit like A&W (but oilier- yes oilier than KFC even!) and for about $14, we had 2 drinks, 4 pc chicken, 2 fries, 1 mashed potato and 2 biscuits. Actually, their so-called biscuits are more like fried scones which we can spread with strawberry jam. For tea, Derek and I shared a cup of Ultimate Ice-blended at The Coffee Bean; it felt so good. I have not had it for quite some time and again, this is another indulgence before I get stuck with the confinement food :)

I read this interesting fact from babycentre.com on Why does labor begin?

"What starts labor is one of the great mysteries of medicine which is a Nobel prize-winning question. One current theory is that stress hormones are released from the adrenal gland of the baby, which creates chemical changes in the placenta that causes the muscle of the uterus to develop involuntary contractions that turn into labor. These regular, frequent contractions and the resulting opening of the cervix signal that labor has begun."

Amazing isn't it?

The website also included a comfort tip on how to keep from going "stir crazy" and bide your time until labor begins- Tired of people checking in on you? Let the answering machine pick up messages for now. And only talk to the people you want to.

I shall do exactly that.

2008-01-27T09:58:00.000+08:00

27 January 2008 - Overdue?

Today is my edd and there is still no signs of popping. Most of the mummies in the forum have popped and I can no longer relate much to the topics that they post; now the topics are post-delivery related issues like breastfeeding, baby crying, jaundice therapy, post natal massages which though relevant to me in time to come, but frankly speaking, does not interest me a bit at this point in time. And it doesn't help much that a lot of people are asking me & Derek the same questions over and over again- "Have you delivered?" It stressed me out big time a few days ago as of all people, we are the ones who are most concerned about that question and if you still see me on MSN, obviously the answer is that I am still waiting. Do you expect me to have delivered and immediately have the energy to chat with you on MSN? Duh.

We went to see Dr Woo yesterday and the next time I see him will be at the delivery ward itself. He said my amniotic fluid level is still good and from the cervix check, I am already 3cm dilated. Was rather surprised to hear that! He mentioned that it could be within these 2 days but nevertheless, we have also scheduled to be admitted on Wednesday, 30 Jan 2008 morning to be induced if Gerrard continues to feel so comfortable in my tummy.

It feels exciting and yet exasperating to be waiting for labor, absolutely something that you have no idea of and no control over. Our lives seems to be living by the hours and days.. every bedtime thought is whether tonight is the night? And every morning, a dash of disappointment sets in as another day has passed and I am still waiting...

Thank god I have Derek by my side during this period. He has been there for me, listening to my complaints, massaging my calves when I shriek in pain during the night, hugging me when I feel down and so much more... I can sense his excitement and slight disappointment too when everyday passes with no signs but he still tries his best to cheer me up. He will not be frustrated like me but instead, he talks tenderly to Gerrard and ask him when is he coming out. Telling Gerrard that we are all awaiting his arrival and don't stay inside Mummy too long as Mummy also feels difficult with him squirming around. When I get irritated with people asking if I have popped, he will explain to me patiently that people are just feeling excited for us. He encourages me in everything.

Well, I just gotta stay positive. May the many mummies out there who are experiencing the same feelings as me stay positive too :) :) :)

2008-01-21T20:43:00.000+08:00

21 January 2008 - The waiting game starts

Today is official first day of my maternity leave as my expected due date is this Sunday. I went to see Dr Woo last Saturday and I am 1cm dilated. However, Gerrard is still not fully engaged as his face is facing the left side. Dr Woo mentioned that if I do not deliver by 27 Jan 08, he would have to induce me as baby will be 40 full weeks already. I hope I will be able to pop naturally instead of being induced.

Mum washed the mittens and booties

My tummy at 38 weeks

On Saturday night, I was chatting with a few mummies on MSN. They are all from the Jan 08 Motherhood forum and we were all waiting to pop. Although we have never met, we are bonded by our experiences and it felt very good chatting with them. One of them, Honey was even monitoring her contractions and it was exciting.. like having a "real-time" account of her contractions and how she felt. She delivered the following day :) Another friend I made on the forum is Fern. As she is not working during her pregnancy, we chatted almost everyday on MSN; we are rather similar in terms of character (always easily pissed, tempremental, unreasonable haha) , age (she is one year younger than me) and extremely scared of pain! As such, we clicked really well from the start. Last week, we even said that if we deliver on the same day, we can just scream and yell together. I just read from the forum that she has delivered her darling Elias today- I feel really happy for her.

Gerrard, we are waiting for your arrival, do cooperate with us and may I have a smooth delivery ok. I played the piano for Gerrard today and he was moving throughout :) Or are you coming out on the actual edd so that you can be a little Mozart like what Lovell says?

2008-01-11T23:07:00.000+08:00

11 January 2008 - Excited

Eleanor has delivered her Baby Tricia today! As I was instructing this morning followed by a department meeting, I did not logon to MSN nor the Motherhood forum until the afternoon. I did not see her online and thought perhaps she was napping. Then halfway while I was doing my work, my phone beeped. Before I read the message, I was still thinking.. "Scarli it's Eleanor sms-ing me that she has delivered" True enough, that was exactly what it is! I was so excited and happy for her. It took me a while to "regain my composure" and "calm down"; I couldn't concentrate on my work. It was as if I am bursting with excitement and happiness and I am not even the one who has delivered!

Dear Gerrard seems to be still rather comfortable in my tummy. His movements are still rather strong so I wondered if he is engaged already. Tomorrow is my gynae appointment again- hope that everything will go well. I hope I will have the bravery and strength to go through the delivery process. Focus on the outcome of a baby in your arms they tell me... this is "good pain" they say..

2008-01-06T08:14:00.000+08:00

6 January 2008 - Derek's birthday

Happy birthday To Derek Daddy-to-be! There isn't any celebration this year but I bought him a wallet as his old one was spoilt; the compartments were splitting open and he said "Still can use"- and I know that if I had not bought the new one for him, he can really continue using it for another few years.

A small gift from me and baby Gerrard

Yesterday was my 36 weeks gynae checkup. Gerrard is about 2.4kg and Dr Woo commented that he has grown quite a lot from the previous checkup. We were relieved to hear that; may he continue a steady growth till delivery. From now onwards, our checkup will be a weekly affair till due date. I was also given my hospital admission letter. Derek asked Dr Woo whether baby is considered premature if born now and Dr Woo said, if he is born today (5 Jan 08), then yes. If from tomorrow onwards (6 Jan 08), then is not! Haha... coz technically speaking, 37th week onwards is OK to give birth as the organs are fully developed. However, I have a feeling it won't be so early and the fact that I am still blogging here today means I have passed the "premature" mark- :)

Yesterday was also our first visit to car showrooms. Yes, we will be getting a car after Gerrard is born- for convenience and also because the recent cab hikes are ridiculous. I have not stopped complaining since the hikes and I shall not comment further here. Glad that Derek and me are practical people when it comes to cars. As the main purpose is really to have a convenient mode of transport, price and practicability are our concerns more than fanciful designs (which translates to higher prices too).

Despite the weekend promotions enticing us to make a decision, we decided to consider more carefully and wait to see if better promotions will come up again. Basically because we will only need the car around Feb/Mar after Gerrard is born so we are not in a big hurry now. On the other hand, the risk we are taking is that prices may head north. Well, we'll see how it goes. Yes, people who knows me will know that I hate this phrase "see how it goes" as I do not like uncertainties. I prefer things to be planned and in this case, I can manage my expectations if need be. However, I have learnt that for some things, hasty decisions doesn't mean best results. Especially when buying a car is a big investment and it is good to consider longer and weigh out the finances.

Nissan LatioToyota Vios

These are our 2 choices and each have it's pros and cons. Guess that we can never have the best of both worlds- important thing is to know which suits our priorities more.

2007-12-30T21:32:00.000+08:00

30 December 2007 - Baby Horoscopes

My EDD is 27 January 2008 (Sunday). However, if Gerrard arrives before 20 January 2008, he will be a Capricorn Baby. If he arrives after that, he will be an Aquarius Baby. This is what I found from the internet about these 2 signs.

The Capricorn Personality

Your little Capricorn will have a quiet, meditative nature ruled by reason instead of impulse and may seem older than his or her years at times. These children are thrifty, reserved, diplomatic, deep thinking, and determined. They are cautious in what they do and say. They know what they want and they usually get it by methodically planning every detail ahead of time-they like to take their time with things, learning lessons well along the way.

Capricorn children are receptive to down-to-earth activities. They feel a deep sense of responsibility and love being praised for a job well done. Parents should take time with their Capricorn child to show them the joy of touch and sharing comfort. Though typically practical and serious, the Capricorn often has a well-developed sense of wit and humor and is also known for being reliable.

Capricorns are industrious and ambitious. They often love wealth for the power and prestige it brings them. The Capricorn is talented in mechanics, engineering, and politics. Literary and religious things also interest them. They make excellent executives and love responsibility in any field they enter. Capricorns often delay marriage until late in life, but once married they are faithful and devoted.

Capricorns are most compatible with Virgos and Taurus signs.

This sounds really like his dad!

The Aquarius Personality

Your Aquarian has a faithful and dependent nature and at times may be difficult to understand. He or she is patient, unobtrusive, faithful, and very kind. Aquarians may not always defend themselves against injustice and can be quiet when they need to stand up for themselves. Aquarians avoid arguments and are easy to get along with. The Aquarian child likes people and wants to be liked in return. This child loves learning and is curious about life and its mysteries.

The Aquarian child may want to approach plans quickly and with gusto. Aquarians tend to start at the top rather than the bottom but can usually handle challenges with their ability to learn new tasks quickly.

Aquarians are talented in many areas and can succeed in scientific research as well as executive management. They can sell anything to anyone and are well liked in social circles. They do their best in large corporations with performance incentives.

And Wolfgang Mozart was born on 27 January too! Hmm...

Anyway, this is just for fun. Most importantly is that I have a smooth delivery and Baby Gerrard is healthy :)

2007-12-12T09:40:00.000+08:00

12 December 2007 - 10th year anniversary

Just wanted to drop a short note as today is a really special day. It marks the ocassion of our 10th year anniversary and 12 December 1997 was the day we got together as a couple. When I think back, time seemed to have flown past so fast but the path has definitely not been easy. It was always when I start to see a glimpse of light then something will happen to dim it once again. Only my closer friends and family would understand what I mean by this. However, despite having experienced lots of rough patches, there is still a part deep down in my heart which believes that with love, it can help us to overcome obstacles. In fact, it is through those obstacles that allow us to realise and see things from another angle, right? I will try and stay positive :)

Extracts of our years together

Yesterday I chatted with Apple on msn and they may be coming back next month to visit their family. I hope she'll come back as I miss her but I too understand her reason for thinking of not coming back as well. Sometimes there are just many options in life but we have to prioritise as we can't have the best of all worlds. Nevertheless, I look forward to seeing her, provided that I still have not delivered by then as many people have told me that usually will deliver before EDD.

2007-12-09T09:04:00.000+08:00

9 December 2007 - Lazy sunday

It's pouring heavily at the moment as year end is usually the rainy season. This is the closest to "winter" that Singaporeans can experience.

Went for my gynae appointment yesterday. Gerrard is growing well and Dr Woo seemed pleased. Our baby is currently about 1.6kg which is the average weight and my own weight was maintained at around 47kg. I was worried about the weight of Gerrard being on the small side so yesterday's results took a huge load off my mind. Perhaps the durians and Anmum helped! From now on, I'll be seeing Dr Woo every fortnight.

On Friday, I watched a movie alone while waiting for Derek to get off work. It took gave me some time off for myself after being pretty bogged down by work the past few weeks. It is not the first time I have watched a movie alone and although it may sound sad to some people, I am totally fine with it. To me, it's no big deal and I remembered once when Derek and me wanted to watch different shows so we ended up watching alone respectively then meeting up again after the shows ended.

I watched "The Heartbreak Kid" starring Ben Stiller. In the movie, he met this incredibly sexy and seemingly fabulous Lila and proposed to her after a few weeks of dating, fearing that this could be his last chance at love, marriage and happiness. However, while on their honeymoon in sunny Mexico, Lila reveals her true awful nature; singing non-stop, wants lots of sex, snores, ex drug addict and no job. Meanwhile, the guy meets another woman whom he realises to be his actual soul mate and he attempts to woo her while keeping his horrid wife at bay. The show was ok, average, typical boy-meets-gal comedy which I like. However, I am not sure if it was rated RA(21) due to some sexual content, I actually saw some old/ middle-aged men watching by themselves. I felt a bit sick as I couldn't help but imagine the reason why they were there.
I bought a 4-leaf clover keychain for Hazel during my company's secret Santa gift exchange. The 4 leaves are supposed to represent love, health, happiness and wealth. I hope it brings a smile to her face and everything will turn out better for her.

Hazel's gift

There were actually other keychains available and I really liked the Winnie the pooh one. It had 4 charms- Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore and a Honey pot which the 4-leaf clover was embedded in. It looked really sweet and cute but it costs $32 which I found was too expensive. Should be because of the Disney trademark and I was really tempted to get it but I stopped myself. Nowadays, I will be less willing to "pamper" myself as there will be this thought in my mind that "the money can be better spent on Gerrard next time..." I don't know if this is a sign of "maternal instincts". I suddenly remember a scene in Desperate Housewives where Lynette wanted to buy an expensive suit as she rejoined the workforce but Tom stopped her, saying "Parents have no indulgences". How true.

2007-12-02T19:12:00.000+08:00

2 December 2007 - Sharing in the joy

X'mas is around the corner and this year, I have finally fulfilled my wish of having a christmas tree at home despite it being a really mini one. Have decided to wait till next year or so to get a bigger one; at least till my baby is older and he can join in the fun of decorating the tree.

Miniature Xmas tree

Was in town to attend Daphne's wedding lunch today. Too bad it was a lunch and hence ended around late afternoon. Was hoping to be able to catch the x'mas lights in town as I love seeing the x'mas decorations; everything seems extremely magical albeit us living in a crazy world of stress, traffic jams, crowds and upside-down climate changes.

We went to Carrefour Suntec City to buy the Toyogo container box for storing the baby's stuff at my mum's house. I have tried going to many places to find the container as my mum was so particular about the size. I reckon that with this settled, I will be able to start washing the baby clothes already as most will be kept at my mum's house since I will be there for my confinement.

We have decided on a name for our baby boy - Gerrard Ng. As for the chinese name, will be waiting till Gerrard is born then we will seek consultation from the fortune teller. Gerrard has been moving quite a bit these days, especially in the middle of the night. And now the movements are stronger, as in I could feel the left and right sides moving together as compared to last time where movements are usually concentrated on one side. However, what is most important is that Gerrard is growing healthily inside me. That is what all parents wish for I guess.

8 months pregnant

Gerrard, we are waiting excitedly for your arrival!

2007-11-20T22:37:00.001+08:00

20 November 2007 - The world can be beautiful after all

Have been very busy at work lately and I guess this will continue at least till mid-December. Although I am pregnant, but I am still working and to be honest, sometimes I really get frustrated over the fact that people seemed to have the thinking that we are very free just because we are in IFS. In a way, we are made to feel "inferior" to those in the main LOS even though I can proudly say that the efforts I put in to my work are no less than when I was in ASSUR.

Anyway, enough about these complaints. A few weeks ago, I was working late and feeling extremely tired and hungry, I decided to buy Mac's and take a cab home. When I got on the cab, the uncle asked if I bought Mac's and told me to eat while it's hot. Initially I was paiseh and told him it's ok but he insisted. I guess he saw that I was pregnant and think it is better I eat then.

Another time, a taxi driver was approaching the traffic lights which were turning amber. He beat the lights as he told me that initially he wanted to step on the brakes but he is afraid it will affect the baby.

Today, another taxi uncle asked if it is my first child and he said that my tummy is pointed so my baby must be a boy. Then he advised me that these last few months must be extra careful and don't go out too often as some escalators can be slippery, some steps are rather steep and dangerous etc. It brought a warm feeling to my heart that a stranger is kind enough to give me such advice.

The short encounters with these wonderful souls showed me that the rainbow will still appear, it is only a matter of when.

This reminds me of a phrase that I have read before. " As a symbol of hope, a rainbow over the Amazon offers a sense of optimism for this threatened world."

2007-11-16T23:25:00.000+08:00

13 November 2007 - My birthday

Today is my 27th birthday. It is the first time in my life that I spent my birthday with another life inside me. Derek and me went to this Seafood restaurant at Boat Quay and had "Zi Char". The food was average but both of us loved the Thai Coconut Juice. The meal, consisting of 4 dishes came up to about $70 which I felt was too expensive. Last week, Derek also bought 6 bottles of concentrated bird's nest from Eu Yan Seng to pamper me. He refused to tell me how much he spent but I reckon that it must have been quite a lot because of the brand and the fact that everything is getting more expensive these days.

Since about 2 months ago, we have started to prepare for our baby's arrival. I bought some baby stuff at the BHG sale in October and last month, we also bought some from Derek's aunt's shop. As for clothes, Derek's sisters have bought a few sets for us since they knew of my pregnancy. Most of the clothes that I have gotten are white in colour as I think it is the best colour for babies. I do not like the idea of "boys wearing blue all the time" and "girls wearing pink all the time".

Sleepsuits, rompers, booties and mittens

Nappy liners, wet wipes, changing mat, bolster, brushes, etc stocked in the cabinet

Derek's aunt will be lending us her grandkid's cot. Hence, that is another thing that we can save on as I think babies will outgrow cots very soon. She will also be passing us some second-hand clothes that her grandson has wore before. We are waiting for the Kiddy Palace at CS to re-open so that we can get the Pigeon sterilizer.

2007-11-16T22:47:00.000+08:00

10 October 2007 - Pregnancy books

Derek bought this book for me in July 2007. It was recommended by his colleague and is something like a pregnancy manual that talks about pregnancy in a month-by-month format. I am almost reaching the end of the book but will still refer to it every now and then to re-read or simply to find answers to concerns or doubts that I have.

Another book that I have started to read is this book on Breastfeeding given to me by Eleanor. Speaking of Eleanor, we did have many things in common and our EDD are only 1 week apart! Due to this, we will always share with each other how are our bodies changing during pregnancy, where are the latest baby sales, what we have read from the Singapore Motherhood forum and so on. She is the only one among my friends who is pregnant. In fact, I do not have any friends who had given birth before to ask for any advice. The only ones I know of are my cousins but they are at least 10 years older than me so we are not so close.

I can always ask my mum but the last time she gave birth was to Shirlyn, which was like 26 years ago! And after chatting with my mum a few times, I realised that things have changed so much now- in terms of medical and baby care. My mum told me that in her days, they did not have ultrasound scans during the visits to the gynae. Hence, it was only until the day you delivered then you know whether you had a boy or gal. And people will usually "tell" or rather, guess from the shape of your tummy to "assess" if you are carrying a boy or gal. I guess that was how those old wives' tales and myths started! Fish oil supplements were also unheard of. Moreover, very few people used breast pumps - they simply latch on the baby and surprisingly, breast engorgement were not a complaint. Likewise for steam sterilizers- people simply put the bottles into a pot of boiled water to sterilize them.

I guess society advancements has its pros and cons. Despite the improved medical care and technology in childbirth, it somehow feels less natural compared to the "olden days". And with more advancements especially the internet, books, magazines, I am sure many mummies-to-be are more informed but yet at the same time, exposed to more things which may cause unnecessary worry. I myself is guilty of it; when I read that someone is the forum is experiencing baby movements and I have yet to feel it, I start to worry. When I see other people gaining more weight than me, I worry again despite knowing that every pregnancy is different. It is only when I hear from my gynae that the baby is doing welll then I feel assured. The word "supposed to" ought to be erased from a pregnant woman's vocabulary and ear-plugs
should be made compulsory for all expectants!

2007-11-10T17:37:00.000+08:00

6 September 2007 - Detailed scan at TMC

Today we went for my detailed scan at TMC. It was also my first time going to TMC. We waited for about half an hour for our turn despite having made the appointment at 10.30am. While waiting, we saw some parents bringing their newborns for injections- they are all so small and cute!

Finally we were being ushered into a room and our radiologist was Ms Tee. She informed us that the ultrasound machine in that room was a 3D one (compared to others which may be 2D). We were excited as we thought we could finally see our baby more clearly. However, baby was facing inwards most of the time and using his hands to rub his eyes or cover his face! The clearest picture I could see was the spine.

Baby's spine

During the scan, it was confirmed that we are having a baby boy. The estimated weight of our baby is about 342g and I don't know why in my mind, I kept trying to imagine a packet of preserved sour plums as you know, we usually buy in quantities of like 500g. Hence, I was telling myself, it is lighter than the packet of plums which I buy...

The radiologist also measured the size of the head, abdomen and checked for organs like heart, kidney, bladder, spine, nose, lips, the bloodflow and the level of amniotic fluid. Luckily my placenta is normal, not too low (as some mummies experienced low lying placenta). Everything is good according to the report and we rushed down to our appointment at Dr Woo's. There, he also told us that I have cleared the Triple Blood Test. Phew!

I told Dr Woo about my morning sickness and he said to give it another month :( I was thinking, shouldn't it be gone by end of 1st trimester like most people? Sigh, looks like I just gotta be more patient. So far, I didn't gain much weight, in fact, the vomitting and poor appetite has attributed to me losing weight instead. Dr Woo told me it is fine, the mummy's weight is not important as long as our baby is growing.

2007-11-10T17:10:00.000+08:00

11 August 2007 - Morning sickness

It is getting worse. I feel very uncomfortable when taking the train and it doesn't help that because of my small built and tummy being not obvious, no one will give up the seat to me. Not to mention the bus, the jerking and braking of the bus is simply unbearable. Sometimes I have to resort to taking the cab but you know there are lousy drivers around Singapore as well. Once, I even vomitted on the cab. Derek and I just had Pasta Mania at Plaza Sing and again, my appetite was not good. Hence, I just ate 3/4 of a regular sized pizza then we bought some bread home in case I was hungry. When I was reaching Bedok reservoir, there was a sudden surge of vomit at my throat and luckily I had a plastic bag with me!

Although I felt better after vomitting, it still feels uncomfortable as I had never had this kind of feeling before. Many colleagues told me that so far, I still look ok as in, I didn't look pale or very tired like some pregnant women they have seen. All I could do is smile as I was thinking... it is because you have not seen me at night man! Only Derek could see how "black" my face was and how easily irritated I have become.

At our third gynae appointment, I took the Triple Blood Test. It is to test for Down Syndrome- crossing our fingers that everything will be fine. From the ultrasound, Dr Woo said that 95% we are having a baby boy as he could see his "thing" :) We will know when we have the detailed scan at TMC one month later. Baby has grown to about 9.5cm.

2007-11-10T16:40:00.001+08:00

14 July 2007 - Second visit to the gynae

Today was our second visit to Dr Woo and we also signed up the package with him. $550 for consultations till delivery, inclusive of vitamins, calcium tablets etc. The nurse also explained to us the estimated charges for delivering at Thomson Medical Centre. Cheapest is natural delivery, followed by assisted delivery (which is with the assistance of forceps/ vacuum to "suck" the baby out), caeserean and emergency caeserean.

The moment I found out I was pregnant, no... in fact I should be saying that, even before I got pregnant, I was determined to deliver my baby via c-section. I do not want to go through the stress of a natural birth as the thought of it freaks me out. To me, c-section is like a surgery and I find it the most hassle-free. Hence, while the nurse was explaining to us, I only concentrated on the charges for c-section :P We were asked to go back and think about it as now is still too early to make the decision.

Baby has grew to about 5cm- still very small but Dr Woo was about to point out where is the head, the limbs etc. I couldn't make out the features at all.. all I could see was the "flashing light" again which is the heartbeat.

I hate taking the fish oil supplements as when i burp, the whole fishy taste will come up in my mouth and I feel like vomitting! However, for the sake of the baby, I have to tolerate... this is my first feeling of how a mummy feels. Now is no longer about doing what I want or what I like, I need to think about the baby as well. Just like how i simply HATE drinking milk powder. All along the only milk I drink is HL milk but because of my pregnancy, I heard from Shirlyn's friend that Annum is very good for pregnant women. I forced myself to drink a glass every morning.

My morning sickness is starting... and perhaps I should be considered lucky as my "morning" sickness only comes in the evenings and nights. In the morning, I do feel a little nauseous when I wake up but it was over in a while. However, when it comes to evenings and nights, I really feel like vomitting, bloated or simply no appetite. And when I have no appetite and do not eat, my gastric acts up again. The feeling is terrible... When will this end?

2007-11-10T16:20:00.000+08:00

30 June 2007 - My first gynae appointment

Today is my first time visiting a gynae- we went to Dr Woo at Tiong Bahru, Central Plaza as he was recommended by Derek's friend. The first impression that Dr Woo gave me was a very patient and nice doctor. He has a smiley face too. Today is also the day I would never forget because it was the the first time we see our baby on the ultrasound machine. The baby is sooo small.. just like a nut! Baby measures about 2.78cm and we could see something "flashing" on the baby- Dr Woo said that it is the heart beating....

The first glimpse of our baby

2006-08-09T23:00:00.000+08:00

9 August 2006 - Preparation of wedding invitations

Finally... a day where both of us need not work and can settle some of our stuff. Derek and I spent 4 hours plus today folding the invitations and glueing the inserts onto the cards. Contrary to what I had expected (initially budgeted about 2 hours to get it done), it is not an easy feat at all. Every single card need to be handled carefully so as not to smudge the ink and to ensure that it is placed in the centre of the card.

Inside of card

Front cover

The auspicious plastic bag that the printed inserts came in from Focal-Ad.

We were exhausted after the completion of the cards but felt a great sense of satisfaction. It's really great to do things together, especially when it is preparing for your own big day.

I'm so looking forward to everything...

2006-08-03T23:03:00.000+08:00

1 August 2006 - Collection of wedding photos

We collected our wedding photos today and as we were not satisfied with some parts of the editing of the main album, we asked for a re-do. Will probably collect it back 2-3 weeks later and by then, our dads can go for the jackets fitting.

Like any other brides and grooms to-be, we were excited by how the albums will turn out. When we reached home, Derek and I looked through the photos again and the softcopies using my laptop. The next day, my mum came by in the morning to see and Derek's family came at night to see.

As each day passes, the big day draws near. The wedding invitations are all printed and once we have collected the main album, we can concentrate on the stuff to prepare for our "Guo Da Li", "An Chuang", sending of invitations and confirming the guests.

It is really not easy to prepare for a wedding.. imagine the amount of time and effort you need to spend... just on sourcing for various wedding packages can be a headache. Luckily for us, we have families and friends who are more anxious than us so they give suggestions and pointers to guide us along the way. We must be the most "relaxed and laid-back" couple around.. =)

Here are some pictures of us.. the rest would have to be revealed on the actual day itself

2006-06-26T07:17:00.000+08:00

25 June 2006- Food Tasting & Collection of Invitation cards

Went for our food tasting today. However, due to my cough and blocked nose, I could not really taste the food very well. Other than just tasting the food, this is an opportunity for both families to meet up and interact with one another.

Seeing the elders making an effort to engage in conversations despite the fact that they do not know one another very well sort of touched my heart. It made me see that actually marriage is not just solely between 2 people in love (which was what I always thought) but a union of two families.

And to our pleasant surprise, my mum's cousin is actually the in-laws of Derek's first aunt... what a coincidence!

We finally decided on the ivory-coloured invitation cards so the next step is to source for printers and try to finalise the guests list. Feeling tired and drowsy due to my medication... I must recover soon and get back to work. I'm not gonna let a host of germs get me down. Life's too short for that.

2006-06-05T08:37:00.000+08:00

05 June 2006 - Moving House

We are moving into our new house today... woohoo! Have been busy buying loads of miscellaneous stuff for the house the past few days. Everytime after buying, I will realise that I had forgotten to get something else. Guess its our "kiasu" nature, wanting to buy as much as possibly needed first- it was as if the shop/supermarket is going to close down after today or something :P

I have also made many trips to the new house to put my barang barang as well- bags and bags of them. I am trying to set a resolution- to not buy so many things on impulse as 1) alot of space is wasted to accomodate these impulsive buys 2) money wasted as well.

This is a new step in our marriage life... wish us all the best!

2006-05-09T01:43:00.000+08:00

09 May 2006 - Our photos are ready!

Our photos are ready, we can view them anytime from tomorrow. I'm so so excited and worried at the same time. *Crossing my fingers & toes that everything turns out OK*

2006-03-06T02:50:00.000+08:00

06 March 2006 - Sunday First appointment- Wedding gown fitting

Went for my first appointment at EB with Derek and my dearest sister, Shir-lyn on Saturday. It was tiring but fun! Had quite a hard time deciding on what I wanted but finally chose the 1st one I tried on.. Somehow, I took an instant liking to it the moment I put it on and hence, I think I should follow my heart and choose that.

There were some other gals trying on the gowns and we were like models, changing and posing and changing and posing. Everyone was busy taking photos, asking for comments and hoping to find the perfect gown for the big day while the husbands/bfs watches on. I think the experience was not as exciting for the guys as most gowns look the same to them whereas the gals were more concerned about the minor minor details. Poor Derek was having running nose that day and I think it must have been rather terrible to sit there for 5 hours! After I have chosen my day and night gowns, Derek went on to take his measurements for his pants and suit.

Two weeks later, I'll be having my trial make-up and we scheduled on photoshoot on 23 April 2006 which happens to be our wedding anniversary as well!! :) Here's a sneak picture of my outdoor gown...

2006-03-05T19:10:00.000+08:00

05 March 2006 - The Start of our Story

Have been wanting to start a blog for the longest time but have not gotten down to actually doing it until now. What better time to kick-off than now, I thought... as may this be the place for us to pen our memorable moments as the story unfolds.

We got to know each other on 5 Dec 1997 (I still remember it was a stormy Friday night... kekeke) and became a couple on 12 Dec 1997. Despite knowing each other for only a week and meeting up only once, we clicked quite well and decided to follow our hearts, give it a try and see where it'll lead us. From then on, the rest is history.

I would say that the journey is full of many ups and downs and as the saying goes "The course of true love never did run smooth". I am very grateful to my family, Derek's family and all our friends who have given us support along the way. Derek proposed to me on 14 Feb 2004, slightly past 12am at East Coast Park. He totally caught me by surprised as I recalled I was working on one of the most stressful assignments in my portfolio, working past 12am almost everyday and did not even have time to meet him. He placed the ring and flower in a paper bag and as I was quite tired after work, I did not even suspect anything was going on. To me, it was just another supper time at East Coast and I even carried the paper bag for him when getting out of the car! I will never forget that moment when he asked if I would marry him, it was the happiest moment in my life.

We solemnised our marriage on 23 April 2005 at Swissotel Merchant Court by the poolside. It was a joyous occassion with our families, some close relatives and friends. Our dads were our witness and after the solemnisation, we adjourned to the Ellenbourgh Market Cafe for lunch. The solemnisation process was over in about 15 minutes but it held great meaning for both of us. The start of our marriage life.

"As both of you have given your consent before me to live together in matrimony and have solemnly promised, each to the other to do so, I now pronounce you two Man and Wife."

My Favourite picture