New Manchesters

I went to the post Christmas sales and bought these classy sheets and quilt set. All 500 thread count of cotton sateen luxury. The salesman claimed that they were the very same ones used in certain 5 star hotels. I'm going to be so paranoid about stains and spills. But note the black colour just in case Bryan draws on them.

Last Trip of the Year

On the last weekend of 2008, Bryan decided he wanted to go back to the zoo. To the new children's playground. Again. This time he went for a pony ride. It's the first time he's actually been on a horse. He wasn't scared at all.


Then we met one of my hubbie's colleagues there. And Bryan made a new friend.

More Photos...

Christmas Presents

And of course Christmas is really not Christmas without the presents. And Bryan had one of the largest ones under the tree. It's a Playmobile Noah's Ark set. We thought Bryan deserved it after behaving so well in school this year. His pre-nursery teachers said that he's so much more well behaved this semester. I'm really proud of my boy.


It's been a really lovely Christmas this year. I hoped everyone else had a good Christmas too. But let's also remember the real reason behind Christmas, when God came down as a man to save all of us. Merry Christmas! And God bless!

Baby's First Christmas

This Christmas was spent at home with the family. But we had traditional Christmas stuff like turkey, ham, chocolate log cake, candy cane. And even a gingerbread house. I didn't want to eat it but the children loved it.


One of my best friends gave Gabriel this lovely christmas sleep suit. And he wore it the whole day since it was so cool that day. He's so red and cute in it.

It's really nice to have the whole family over. There'll be three whole families, with a total of 5 children and 3 babies. It can get quite noisy and messy. But I love the company. And they keep Bryan happy and busy.

Bathtime

Gabriel absolutely loves taking a bath now. He would lie down patiently and wait for the bath to be filled to the right temperature. Then he'd smile and enjoy lying in Mommy's arms in his bath. He'd be very quiet too when he's being pampered with baby lotions and diaper creams. I wish I could take a bath everyday like him. It's so relaxing...

Zoo Outing Part 2

After a very tiring time at the zoo play area, there are two choices to get from the other end of the park to the zoo entrance. The tram or the new boat ride. Both costs the same. But with totally different scenery and routes. We took the boat this time. It was windy and so relaxing. Too bad it was only 20 minutes long.

And Gabriel slept through pretty much the whole zoo trip. He had fallen asleep somewhere between the zebras and the giraffes.

Zoo Outing Part 1

I took my two boys out to the zoo today. It was a lovely sunny/cloudy day so it wasn't too hot. Our main goal was to get to the new rainforest playground. On the way there we saw a baby rhinocerous, tall giraffes, hungry zebras and lions basking in the sun.

The playground was big compared to the old one. Especially the waterplay area. There were fountains, watersprays and lots of waterslides. If you didn't have a change of clothes, there was lots to do too. There was a zipline, water crossing, a dry playground and a petting zoo. Hungry? There's KFC and Ben and Jerry's. Want to relax? Take a horse carriage ride. The whole family could spend the entire day there.

Cousins

From left to right: Gabriel, Samuel and Luke.

We have a family dinner once a week. That's when all the cousins come together. Bryan would be busy playing with his favourite cousin, Katelyn. And Gabriel would share his cot with Samuel and Luke. Meanwhile, the parents would be exchanging notes on how much each baby is sleeping, feeding and pooping. A big highlight of my week since I'm still on maternity leave.

Scraps

I'm so behind on my scrapbooking. And Christmas is just around the corner. Each page takes me a couple of hours. A couple of hours which should be spent reading my notes and studying for my exams next year. But somehow I managed to find some time to scrapbook a few pages.

Also a big 'Thank You' to one of my best friends who gave me lots of lovely scrapbooking stuff for Christmas, including an empty calendar. Now I have more things to put on my 'To Do' list.

My hubbie recently bought a brand new printer which I will put to very good use printing out photos for my scrapping. Thanks dear.

2 Months

Gabriel is now 2 months old. He's very responsive and very alert when he's awake. We have the silliest conversations together. He'd listen intently while I tell him about the day's itinerary. And then he'll agree with whatever we'd be doing. And once in a while, he'd smile as if to say he's having the best time ever. That is just the cutest!

An Early Christmas

My darling hubbie bought me a gorgeous new wallet from Kate Spade for Christmas. Thank you! It even came in a box with a pretty little bow.


The wallet is actually brown in colour on the outside with pink on the inside and lined with brown polka dots. The photo doesn't really do it justice.

Kate Spade designs not only bags and shoes but lovely papers, wallets and clothes. There is even a range for the men, Jack Spade. Her designs are fresh and modern. She plays with bold colours and simple patterns. And it's not too pricey either. Perfect for a Christmas or birthday present.

I also love her simple diaper tote bags as well. But as it is, I already have quite a few diaper bags of my own. I do have my eye on a bag or two for next year's Christmas present. :)

Pilates

I had my first pilates class at my club this weekend. It's the first time in months that I've exercised on purpose. It felt really good. Pilates is a set of exercises based on dance training, It improves strength and flexibility. And it also helps the core muscles, posture and balance.

The class isn't very big, with only about 14 students. The coach is a petite lady who is quite good. She explained each exercise and which muscles it's working. The class is easy enough for beginners to understand yet also can be easily modified for advanced students. Some of the poses can be really difficult to hold. For example, you can try this...

Get down on all fours, hands directly below shoulders and knees below hips. Keep your back in neutral position, which is somewhere between arching the back and rounding the back. Then hold your core body muscles as still as possible, raise your right leg in the same line as your back. And raise your left arm to the horizontal position. While you are desperately trying not to shake too much, the instructor goes, "breathe, breathe". I felt like a cat trying to balance on a clothes line while giving birth.

I think it will be great to attend the class right after a quick cardio session. It would then be a all round workout session. If I can find the time...

Meanwhile, I'm quite happy with my weight loss. After delivering Gabriel, I gained 7kg. Since then, I've lost 3kg in 2 months. I'm hoping to be able to lose another 1kg or so by Christmas. I'm also starting to fit into my old clothes, which is really great. Even my wedding ring fits.

Gabriel's First Outing

Bryan, hubbie and me took Gabriel out to the zoo on Saturday. It was a very hot day that weekend. And by the time we arrived, it was already 11am. The sun was high in the sky and even I felt hot. It also happened to be Animal Planet's Day out in the Zoo. And was quite crowded too.

Gabriel slept through the walk in the zoo and didn't really see much. Bryan was happy just to be out of the house. We wanted to go to the new Children's Playground but it was at the other end of the zoo and we all felt it was just too hot to go all the way there. We'll save that for the next trip to the zoo. In the end, we ended up buying KFC back home for lunch instead.

A Sense of Normality

I'm very very slowly regaining a bit of life back. With Gabriel sleeping 4 hours at nights I'm at least able to function better during the day. Gradually, I can manage to go out to run errands and I'm finding the energy to study and blog. I've managed to attend a couple of compulsary lectures. And I've signed up for some pilates classes in December. I'm starting to feel a little more like myself again.

But I only have 2 more months of leave before I have to go back to work. That will be another big challenge.

Milestones

At 1 Month: He is already 4.7kg, 53cm long and becoming very responsive.

Gabriel regards faces and seems to be able to focus on stuff. He listens to people speaking and makes small throaty sounds in reply. The best part is that sometimes he smiles spontaneously at familiar voices and touch.

During 'tummy-time' he is able to lift his head momentarily. Lying down on Mommy's chest and tummy is also the best way to calm him down. He loves being patted on his back as well.

Partridge Pear

There are many online companies these days that do baby announcement gifts. But I was attracted to this one because of the wide array of gifts, reasonable pricing and lovely design. Packages start from as low as $3.90 and includes a lovely customised baby announcement card. You can even customise the contents of the packages itself. It ranges from the traditional red eggs and red cakes to the more modern sweets, cookies, chocolates and even plushies. They also customise the packaging the individual items come in with baby's name. It's really very sweet.

My only gripe is the limited designs that the box comes in. But otherwise a worthwhile way to show off baby to friends and colleagues.

Partridge Pear

Gabriel Turns 1 Month

In one month, Gabriel has gotten bigger and stronger. He's also more regular with regards to sleeping and pooing. But still waking up at least twice in the night which means I'm still sleep deprived. It's a toss-up between giving formula or breastfeeding.

Giving formula = being able to slowly lengthen his feeding times = Gabriel sleeping through the night = more sleep for Mommy.
Also giving formula = establishing a routine earlier = more time for Bryan and hubbie.

But breastfeeding has all these good stuff in it for Gabriel and has benefits for Mommy too. It's also more convenient especially at night. I don't have to stumble around making the formula while I'm half asleep.

So I'm a bit stuck.

Belly Button Thingy

Gabriel's Umbilical Cord. The grossest thing I'll ever keep.

The Lost Button

That's the title of Bryan's concert on the weekend. He was a toy car and danced to the tune of 'Grease Lightning' with his classmates. He was actually really good on stage. He remembered the steps and remembered where to stand and what to do. He was really cute dancing to the music up there. Both me and hubbie were there to watch him and were really really proud of him. And he's only three years old. :)

Zzz

What Gabriel does best.
And what Mommy needs more of.

Twins?

Comparing the baby photos of both my sons... Don't they look almost identical? I wonder how much alike they'll look when they get older. Gabriel is almost like Bryan. He's quite a happy baby, just like Bryan. But there are slight differences. Gabriel doesn't take as much as Bryan used to. And he's slightly fussier. Now, he'll only use the NUK teats. Even then, he doesn't like drinking from it much. He much prefers Mommy.

Meanwhile, Mommy is managing fine so far. Somehow, I'm not as tired as I remembered I used to be with Bryan. And I'm not so worried/anxious as before. But I feel like I'm not loosing as much weight as I'd like to. I want to eat less now but I'm feeling hungry a lot of the time. Sigh...

Brothers

So far, Bryan seems to be taking to Gabriel quite well. He is interested when Baby Gabriel fusses and doesn't mind me tending to the Gabriel. And he likes being called a Big Brother or 'Kor Kor'. Also I've been trying to spend time with Bryan too when Gabriel is asleep. Which is why I'm quite tired out myself. And Bryan has been getting lots of presents and new toys from us too. Daddy's also been very good keeping him occupied with toys and new games so Bryan doesn't feel left out. I hope they grow up to be close friends. And I can't wait for the two of them to be able to play together.

Busyness

Thanks to everyone who came to visit us. And a big thank you for all the presents too. I've been really busy this week. With a new born and a three year old. If I'm not attending to Gabriel, I'll try to play with Bryan. Unless he is in school or asleep. But it's still very hard to find time to do much on my own. I'll try to find time to put up more photos. :)

Gabriel

I managed to take it with my point and shoot cybershot camera. *priceless*

Deja Vu

It's POD 1. And already I remember how to hold a baby and breastfeed. Then there is the itching from all the hospital plasticky linens. And yet how fun it is to play with the bed controls and how uncomfortable hospital beds can be.

Kudos to my gynae who remained calm during my operation. My anaesthetist who got everything right the first go, my plug, my spinal. Everything was practically painless. And I learnt that synflex is waayy better than ponstan and panadol combined. And piriton and morphine will make me really really drowsy.

Welcoming Gabriel Tan

Say hi to Gabriel Tan Kwang Joo.
Born: 9 October 2008
Time: 10:37am
Weight: 3.255kg
Length: 49cm

And Happy Birthday to my father-in-law who turns 69 today!

Ready To Go

It's almost time. I will be checking in to the hospital in a couple of days. I think I've got everything prepared. From the baby's clothes to my nursing stuff. I've dug things out from three years ago and gotten them cleaned. I've even gotten medication for standby in case baby falls sick. And a haircut! The last time was almost half a year ago. I've also bought a brand new Medela electric breast pump. I'm determined to breastfeed for a longer period this time so a new pump is a good incentive.

Meanwhile, Hubbie's taking about a week's leave and Bryan will be missing preschool for a couple of days. My own dad will be down from Malaysia for a few days to see his new grandson. And my mother-in-law will be around to help as well. Everyone's quite excited over the new arrival.

Hopefully, I can get my Wi-fi connected and update everyone. So watch this space!

Budding Artist

This is my little boy's drawing of his daddy. I think it's pretty good for a 3 year old. There is the eyes, nose and mouth. Heh. Isn't it cute? In addition to drawing, he can write his ABCs and 123s. His favourite letter is B (for Bryan). He doodles that all the time.

A New Chapter

Things are going to change for us in a couple of days. It's going to be a while before I can settle down and work out a routine. We will have to get used to a baby and a cot in the room again (at least for a few months). And Bryan will have to get used to less attention. I'm not sure how much time I'd have for myself and hubbie. Although I'm quite determined to work something out. Two children is certainly going to be busier compared to just one. Both my and hubbie will have to look after one child each during our free time instead of taking turns. It's great that my parents-in-law are around to help though.

Recently there's been news of not only the electricity fee hike but news of the economy not doing so well. And hubbie's quite upset over recent credit card bills so he's cutting down my spending. Well, I'll be busy over baby Gabriel over the next few months so I wouldn't have time to go shopping. I have made sure I have most of the things I need over the next few months as well. Meanwhile, I have to make myself stick to the essentials for the next few months. It's not going to be easy since shopping is probably the only way I have to relax and have time to myself for now. I can't wait until I can find the time to go to the gym. That's another way I love to relax. Oh and another way is through scrapbooking. But that I have to wait until I get enough photos, lots and lots of baby photos.

I realised that hubbie's been actually great through these past months. He's been there for all the important moments. Even though I've been pre-occupied with other stuff, hormones and all, he's been really understanding. I think even with all those changes coming up, we still need to find the time for each other. I need to make sure that no matter how busy things are, that I still find the time to sit and share stuff with him.

Meanwhile, I'm hoping for a smooth month ahead. No post-natal blues and the energy to keep on going. The first month is the worst, then it gets better... It's worth it in the end. Having children is a joy everyone should share in.

Fire Station Visit

Did you know that you could go down to any fire station in Singapore for a tour? Their open house is every Saturday from 9am to 11am. Their aim is to educate the public on what they do. It's a great place to take the kids if you haven't been there before. You get to see and climb up into the fire vehicles. And try out the fire hose. And even if you want to, you can try out sliding down the fire poles. It really looked like fun. Bryan got a fireman's hat as a souvenir which he was really excited to have. Now, when he plays with his Playmobile fireman, he knows what to do with all the equipment.

Answered Prayers

I recently was studying a booklet published by the St Andrew's Church about Prayer. And there was a chapter in it about prayer requests. The writer was trying to make his point about how God answers prayers.

Then it struck me that in a way, God our Father, actually works a bit like one.

He has His reasons for not giving us something we want. Or delaying answering our prayers. Or in the end giving us something else totally different. It took being a mother to understand.

For example, if Bryan were to ask me if he could have a sweet, I'd say No, because it's bad for him. I'd give him an apple. Or I'd say 'Only after dinner' because it would ruin his appetite. And if he wanted to play with his toy at night, I'd say 'Tomorrow' because he has school the next day and he needs his rest. And I'd put his 'ang pow' money into his bank instead of letting him spend it because he needs to have some savings. Bryan also wouldn't understand my reasons at the time because he is so focussed on what he wants.

Looking back, I realised that there was probably a reason why it took us 6 months or so to conceive our second child. The timing was perfect. I happened to get a new job which needed me to work for 6 months before taking maternity leave. And the government just announced 4 months maternity leave plus increased childcare benefits. If I had conceived even a month earlier, I would have missed out.

I guess only God knows what's best for us and He knows what we really need. And we just have to trust him. If we don't get the job/promotion we want, there maybe another reason/opportunity ahead. Or if we are put in uncomfortable situations, there maybe something He wants us to learn from it. Maybe His ways aren't so mysterious after all.

More Scrapbooking

I'm on leave at the moment, resting and getting ready for baby so it's a good time to finish up my scrapbook. It's a olive green 8" by 8" scrapbook. I'm down to the last few pages of that one. The 8" one is small and rather easy to fill up. But I think I still prefer the big 12" one. I can put more photos on one page and lots of bigger embellishments.

Meanwhile, it's down to the last week before my scheduled C section. Been there before, so it's nothing new. Of course it's still exciting to bring a new life into the world. I find it very fulfilling actually, to have children. But I think this is going to be it. Two is going to be a handful already. And with me and hubbie with full-time jobs, there wouldn't be enough time for more than two. With education being so expensive nowadays, I don't think we can afford to have so many children either.

I think I've made peace with not having a daughter. It's really ok that I wouldn't have someone to pass my beauty and fashion secrets on to. Or that I can't buy all those lovely pink dresses to dress her up in. :) Now I focus on making sure my sons get good daughter-in-laws...

Singapore (Public) Cord Blood Bank

I just met up with one of the nurse coordinators for the Singapore Cord Blood Bank. I'll be arranging to donate baby's cord blood to the bank. Cord blood is kept because the stem cells can potentially be used currently for bone marrow transplants if a match can be found. There maybe further uses for it in the future as well.

Why the public bank? Well, the chances that we'll need it for either Bryan or baby is very very slim given that none of our relatives have a history of leukaemias/lymphomas/anaemias. So it's a wasted resource if we keep it in a private bank for our own use. At least there is a chance that it will be a match for some other child. Also the American Association of Paediatrics (AAP) also recommends public cord blood banking rather than private.

Anyway, the nurse coordinator is really nice. There isn't much hassle because the SCBB staff will arrange to meet up with you to sign the consent forms at your convenience. This service is free. There will be no charge at all. The actual collection will be done during the delivery itself in whichever hospital you choose and the cord blood stored in the bank at KKH. Quite professionally done.

I hope every expectant mother will consider the SCBB. You never know, you may save a life. For more information or to make a donation, please call +65 6394 5011.

Lilli Putt

Discover Funtastic Singapore in 18 holes.

It's actually quite well set up and in typical mini golf style with mini MRT trains, elevators, cable cars. Quite fun really. And it took us through almost all of Singapore, from Changi Airport, Esplanade, Bird Park, Zoo, Haw Par Villa, to Mount Faber and Sentosa.

It's also Bryan's first time handling a golf club. He was given the shortest one which suited him fine. He enjoyed himself but ended up putting the ball at tunnel entrances, and the edge of the cup so that he could putt the ball in. I think all of us should try it out at least once.

Zoo Playdate

On Sunday, after weeks of Bryan bugging us to take him to the zoo, we finally relented. We were joined by Steve and his family, with his three year old son, Oliver. Bryan was really happy that day and ended up chatting non-stop the whole time to everyone.

The zoo also just opened their new amphitheatre and there was a animal show on, so we went to watch it. It was ok. I preferred the old one where the animals played a bigger part. I hope they do improve on it. I was actually looking forward to seeing the new children's park open but it wouldn't be ready until November.

It was a very very hot day. But we managed to catch the Baboons and the Elephants. And sat down for Ben & Jerry's ice cream after that. Phew.

Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix

The inaugral Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix at the brand new Marina Bay street circuit was held this weekend. Not only that, it's the first ever night race. I have to say that it's really something. Hubbie bought tickets for the both of us. We were only planning to go for the qualifying night and gave the other two night tickets away.

We tried to take some photos but this is the best we came up with. The cars were really really fast and really really loud. It wasn't too bad walking around the circiut. There was lots of space and some of the smaller stands were quite empty. We could just about make out the cars whizzing by. I think it would be much better on the grandstands. It was quite an experience though, so much different from just watching it on TV. Definately looking forward to next year's race. Especially after all the drama of this year's.

Why Having Boys are Great

1. It's easy to buy clothes for them. T-shirts and short/bermudas will do. And the very popular Crocs will go with everything.

2. The clothes will fit for a long time. Long pants become bermudas. My 3-year-old can still wear his 18-month-old pants albeit much shorter.

3. Boys can pretty much pee anywhere in an emergency, if no toilets can be found.

4. Their hair is always cut short, no tangles to detangle.

5. It's ok if boys pull their shirts over their heads just because it's fun.

6. It's also ok if they're sweaty/muddy/dirty, they're boys.

7. They are easy to keep occupied. Just get them a PSP/Nintendo.

8. Mommy gets precious time to herself when boys prefer to play with Daddy.

9. Daddy's the one that has to explain how things work 'down there'.

10. You don't worry so much about boys when they are older and stay out late.

Scrapbooking Finds

I have been slowly stocking up on scrapbooking stuff to last me to the end of the year. Just in case I want to scrap stuff and have no time to go shopping.

So far, I've got some stuff for the baby, for Bryan and for Christmas. I'm currently working on an 8" X 8" album which I plan to finish before the baby arrives. Then there are 2 projects to work on while on maternity, there is a baby journal. And a large 12" X 12" album as well. I'm not sure how much time I'm going to have for myself after baby comes. But I'm crossing my fingers for at least a couple of hours a week. Other than the baby and Bryan, I have to not forget my darling hubbie and some gym time too.

These are a couple of online places to get scrapbooking stuff in Singapore. But personally I'd prefer to see the product in hand rather than buy it from photos.

Laines - They do have a store in Wheelock Place.
Scrapbook Cove
Scrapoholics
Made With Love - They don't sell stuff online though.