Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Lovely Surprise!

I was quite excited when I heard the doorbell ring today, accompanied by, "Postman!" I'd been waiting ages to receive some shoes I ordered online for Cherise, so I've been listening out for the postman for quite some time now, but it was a surprise when he handed me not one parcel, but two. The registered parcel contained the shoes, but the other one contained this:

IMG_1562.JPG

A big thank you to Uncle Kenneth, Auntie Evelyn and Baby Kate in Australia for the lovely, lovely gifts! The barrier balm is a much needed item - we're on our last jar! We're going to keep the frame for a family photo once David arrives, and Cherise has already made me read her the book a few times in a row. As for the sunglasses - well, you gotta see for yourselves!

A little diva in the making...
IMG_1558.JPG

Her royal taoness. I call it the Jay Chou look.
IMG_1559.JPG

More Jay Chou...
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A smile at last!
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Thank you once again for the gifts - it brought us a lot of laughter on an otherwise dreary afternoon.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Sweetness....

I haven't been taking many pictures of Cherise lately partly because I don't carry our camera around with us all the time. Thank God we decided to stuff it into the bag anyway because I found the perfect photo opportunity...

Bao Bao...How can anyone look at this sweet little face and resist picking her up for a cuddle? My heart simply melted when she went "daddy daddy bao bao?" Sigh...what will I not give to have her stay like this forever...

This reminds me of a song by Collin Raye, "I Wish I Could". The chorus of this song really struck a chord in me. It's officially my theme song for Cherise and I.

Looking out my window
See you playing in the leaves
It's amazing how a little girl
Means all the world to me
When I tell you that I love you
I love you more than words can say

Smile, say cheese pretty-please
I wanna take your picture
How'd you ever get so big
I gotta take your picture
Hold on to the memory before the whole thing slips away

I wish I could save these moments
And put 'em in a jar
I wish I could stop the world from turning
Keep things just the way they are
I wish I could shelter you from everything
Not pure and sweet and good
I know I can't, I know I can't
But I wish I could


When you kiss me for no reason
It goes straight to my heart
When I feel your arms around me
I almost fall apart
It's time for bed you whisper
Daddy, we forgot to pray

I wish I could save these moments
And put 'em in a jar
I wish I could stop the world from turning
Keep things just the way they are
I wish I could shelter you from everything
Not pure and sweet and good
I know I can't, I know I can't
But I wish I could

And when I watch you sleeping
All my worries fade away
A little bit of heaven glows on your angelic face

I wish I could save these moments
And put 'em in a jar
I wish I could stop the world from turning
Keep things just the way they are
I wish I could shelter you from everything
Not pure and sweet and good
I know I can't, I know I can't
I know I can't
But I wish I could


Here's his live performance of the song, enjoy it.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Happy Birthday Jesus

I was trying to find the lyrics to the song with the above title (which Jas sang for Christmas two years ago, which according to Pastor Pete caused some folks to end up with diabetes...muah ha ha!!) and came across this video.
For the record, this little girl by the name of Stormie Carter was only 4 years old at the time this video was recorded. That's pretty amazing for a kid that age.

Well, I do not have a voice like Stormie and I am certainly not four years of age. But I would still like to dedicate this song to my Lord Jesus. I pray that my family and I will continue to serve and love Him with all that we are and have till the day He returns.

Happy birthday to You
Happy birthday to You
Happy birthday dear Jesus
Happy birthday to You

Happy Birthday Jesus
I'm so glad it's Christmas
All the tinsel and lights
And the presents are nice.
But the real gift is you.

Happy Birthday Jesus
I'm so glad it's Christmas
All the carols and bells
Make the holiday swell
And it's all about you.
Happy Birthday Jesus, Jesus I Love You.


Have a Blessed Christmas everyone!

Monday, December 22, 2008

Why I Love the Christmas Season...

Here are 10 reasons why I love this time of the year:

1) One word...HOLIDAY!!!!
2) Decorations. Lights, trees, glitter, fake snow and the whole lot.
3) Christmas music. Nothing beats Christmas carols, one of my favourites is "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" made famous by Judy Garland.
4) Another reason to meet up with family and old friends.
5) Receiving presents.
6) Giving presents. Surprisingly, I find this more enjoyable than the former.
7) Seeing the faces of your loved ones when they open up their gifts.
8) Shopping for gifts with my family.
9) Staying up late at night with Jas wrapping presents and stressing over who we might have forgotten to buy gifts for.
10) Being reminded that the reason for this season is the greatest gift ever given to us...the Christ of Christmas.

Have you ever wondered why Christmas is such a big deal even to non-Christians? I believe that it is more than just the gifts and parties. I believe that deep down inside each and everyone of us there's a need...a need for a reason to express love and to receive it. And Christmas gives us the reason to do so without the "asian" in us feeling uneasy about it. My prayer for anyone who has yet to receive the greatest gift of all is that you will experience Jesus in a very personal way this Christmas...after all, it's His birthday party and you are invited.

Christmas Isn't Christmas
Jesus brings warmth like a winter's fire,
A light like a candle's glow;
He's waiting now to come inside,
As He did so long ago;
Jesus brings gifts of truth and life,
And makes them bloom and grow;
So welcome Him with a song of joy,
And when He comes, you'll know...

That Christmas isn't Christmas till it happens in your heart,
Somewhere deep inside you is where Christmas really starts;
So give your heart to Jesus, you'll discover when you do,
That it's Christmas, really Christmas for you!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

It runs in the family...

Last weekend, we visited our friends Des and XL as it was their baby's first month. Our cell group was in full attendance for the first time in a while, so I had a good time chatting with ZG and Ade while our babies played with Clara's toy kitchen - you know, one of those push around stove-cart thingys with a toy oven below. And so I had only half an eye on Cherise while she was seated on the floor, happily taking fake food out of the oven, when ZG brought me to full attention when he exclaimed, "Eh, what happened to Cherise?" I turned to look at her and found her still and unmoving, one arm extended, reaching into the oven, and her head resting on that arm. I quickly went to her, thinking maybe her arm was stuck inside or something, and when I gave her a tug, I found her whole body very heavy and limp - the little girl had fallen asleep while playing! In mid-stretch, as it were!

Everyone else thought it hugely amusing - but being the concerned parent I am, I was a little worried. Was it normal? I asked my mom and she thought it was amusing and unusual but no cause for worry. Still not convinced, I googled "child sleeping while playing", and "baby sleep problems" but all the search results came back with articles on parents who couldn't get their children to sleep, not the other way around.

And then I read this on my sis-in-law's blog. Ah! So it runs in the family!

Just now, while we were taking a leisurely walk back from Bukit Panjang Plaza, we found Cherise slouched over in her stroller - lulled to sleep by the ride.

I guess I am a little surprised. Cherise never could fall asleep easily - she was always one of those active babies who struggled to sleep - and now, she's falling asleep all over the place! But how nice! It's a good thing.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Family Retreat @ Sentosa - Part 3

Day 2 of our Sentosa escapade started with breakfast at the hotel's cafe. The buffet spread was nothing to boast about, the food quality was not fantastic either. Cherise was not very cooperative during breakfast so we had our hands full trying to feed her and keep the flies away from our food. She got bored of the bread with jam and banana pretty quickly and wanted to be carried, till we gave her this...
Breakfast_2Meiji Yogurt! She liked it so much she finished two cups of it. And she insisted on feeding herself.
Breakfast_1You should have seen the mess she created after she was done.

We went swimming after breakfast and as mentioned here, the swimming pool was indeed a pleasant surprise. The water was so clear and fresh that Cherise kept taking sips of it, much to our dismay. We didn't manage to take her to the shallow area where the waterfall was cos' there was a bunch of other kids playing there. She enjoyed splashing about at the deeper end with us though...
Hotel Pool_3
Hotel Pool_4Doesn't she look adorable in her little pink hat?
Once again, no pictures of Daddy swimming cos' he looks more pregnant than his wife.

We managed to negotiate for a later check out time so that Cherise could take a nap before we headed to the Underwater World. I also managed to squeeze in another solo session in the jacuzzi while they slept. It would have been perfect if I had a nice cold glass of iced tea to accompany me but for some reason the hotel does not serve room service before 11am (yes, not even drinks!!) so I had to make my own hot tea with the tea bags provided in the room.

After we checked out, we left our bags at the hotel and had lunch at Rasa Sentosa's Silver Shell Cafe. The buffet spread was excellent and the service was outstanding. There are hotels that claim to be 5-Star and there are those that simply are. Rasa's got everything! I suspect we may end up coming here for our anniversary next year.

The main event was our visit to the Underwater World. Cherise has always been fascinated with fishes, she can't stop looking at them whenever she passes an aquarium or seafood restaurant. But nothing could ever prepare her for this...
Underwater World_5You call THAT a fish?!? More like a giant sea monster with scales!
Underwater World_2The little girl was quite daring though, she tried to tap on the glass to get their attention but got a little startled when they swam towards her.

She had a whale of a time (pun intended) looking at the sharks and sting rays and observing the schools of fishes darting to and fro.
Underwater World_4
Underwater World_7
Underwater World_9She was clearly frustrated that we kept asking her to turn around for pictures ha ha! We almost had problems leaving the place cos' Cherise kept going "Fish Fish" every time we walked past the aquarium with the giant Arowanas.

We're glad that Cherise enjoyed herself there. At least we gave her the opportunity to see real sea creatures as opposed to pictures in story books or on TV. Our next excursion will be to the zoo! Better go and see the animals before mommy becomes one of the elephants ha ha!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Family Retreat @ Sentosa - Part 2

I think Jas and I are simply not the kind of people who can simply do nothing but chill out when we're having a holiday. It's like we have a desperate need to make the most of our time by doing as many things as we can when what we need the most is simply do nothing but rest. Maybe it's because we get bored easily. I bet we would have felt a lot more rested after the retreat if we had just stayed within the hotel and soaked in the jacuzzi till we turned soft but noooo......

Barely 40 mins after checking in, we found ourselves frolicking under the sun at the private beach of Cafe Del Mar.
IMG_1481Day beds and Cabanas on the beach...how cool is that!
After the swim_1

This beachfront dining hotspot even has its own swimming pool (and pool bar)...
IMG_1490Check out her cheeky grin...
IMG_1488Hot mama....
IMG_1487Cherise REALLY likes the water.
Sorry, no pictures of daddy in the pool cos' he's too fat!

After about an hour or so in the sun, we decided to have lunch there. The food was not fantastic this time though, Jasmine's lobster bisque tasted more like lobster consomme, and my spring chicken was more like erm...a spring chick??? Or maybe a quail in disguise. We were so unimpressed this time round that we didn't even bother to take pictures of the food.
Feeding herself_1The little princess was not too thrilled with her home made porridge as well.

After lunch, we went back to the hotel for a nap because her royal highness was starting to get a little cranky.

Later in the afternooon, we took a leisurely stroll to Palawan Beach and made it just in time for the animal show at the amphitheatre. Cherise was probably still in her semi-awake state, so she didn't get very excited when she saw the huge birds of prey. She wasn't even the least affected when the wings of the falcon whisked through her hair when it flew past us. Her mommy on the other hand was quite tense throughout the performance. Cherise managed to get up close to the albino python for the first time though. After the show Cherise gave indications that she was hungry for a snack, so we stopped over at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for tea and bought her a muffin. Mummy also bought her some new toys which she could not resist playing with immediately...
New toys_1

Oh, I have to share this with everyone...never in my wildest dreams would I have expected that Sentosa would take the effort to make the island more baby friendly...well, they did!
IMG_1511A relatively well maintained family room at the train station.
IMG_1512Big changing station for the toddler, and a small foldable one for the baby.

We wanted to go to the Underwater World initially but thanks to my superb navigational skills, we ended up at the Butterfly and Insect Kingdom instead. By then it was too late for the former so we decided to kiv till the next day. It was not a wasted trip though, because we ended up finding Sarpinos Pizza there and decided to order a couple of them back for dinner. My navigation skills did not improve despite having a map on my hands, so we ended up walking along the long and winding route along the main road back to the hotel.

Lesson learnt - Stick to the beach....or at least walk back the way you came!

I was quite impressed with Jas for walking all the way back without complaining though...hee hee, sorry dear!

Anyway, the rest of the night was divided between a bonding session at the jacuzzi and watching the 1st episode of "Don't Forget the Lyrics". I would have won the the 50K if I was the one playing!

So that's the end of day 1, standby for Day 2!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Family Retreat @ Sentosa

I took Jas and Cherise for a short retreat at Sentosa last Thursday. I've been wanting to do this for the longest time but was unable to get my leave approved due to the shortage of manpower at work. But like they always say, "good things come to those who wait", I managed to get a pretty good deal for a 2 days 1 night stay at the Siloso Beach Resort.

A first of its kind in Singapore, this eco-friendly hotel is a heaven for folks who wish to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and just pamper yourself in the midst of nature. You can tell that a lot of effort has been made in the design of the hotel to preserve the original flora and fauna as much as possible. Instead of cutting down trees to make space, they build the walkways around them. It's almost like staying in a treehouse.

We went for the Roof Garden Suite because they were having a relaunch promotion. The main draw of this suite is that it features a private open air roof top garden that comes with a jacuzzi. Needless to say, that was the best part of our stay...nothing beats a nice warm bubble bath with your family under the stars...
Jacuzzi_4
If you are naughty, you can peek over the ledge to spy on your neighbours ha ha!

Jacuzzi_1
It's not as small as it looks...it's meant for 2 adults, so the 3 of us managed to squeeze into it quite comfortably.

Ok, this is not an advertorial for the hotel but I always believe that good things must be shared, so here's what I like about the place other than those I've mentioned.

1) Accommodating service Staff
Official check in time was 3pm but we arrived really early (before 12 noon) cos' we wanted to make the best out of our day in Sentosa, so we requested to leave our bags with the hotel while we go "jalan jalan". The staff upon seeing that we had a sleeping baby in tow, told us that we could check into our rooms immediately for our convenience. How thoughtful indeed.
IMG_1480

2) Location
I love the fact that the hotel is just behind Cafe Del Mar, our other most favourite spot in Sentosa. It is also within walking distance to the Underwater World...the only attraction that Cherise could appreciate at this point.

3) Swimming Pool
They use natural spring water...erm...makes me ask this question - Singapore got natural spring meh??? But who cares? Once you dip into this pool, I gurantee you will never want to use those heavily chlorinated swimming pools again. It's really very refreshing.
Hotel Pool_2Check out Cherise in her new hat...
Our pictures cannot do justice to the pool, so just go the website to see more of the pool if you want to.

But the place does have it's cons too:

1) No room service between 0700H to 1100H.
So if you don't like the buffet breakfast, too bad. Wait till the kitchen opens at 11am. Oh, there are also VERY limited items in the room service menu between 2300H to 0700H. It'll be wise to bring your own cup noodles if you need supper.

2) No shelter from Reception area to the accommodation area.
The two areas are linked by an uncovered suspension bridge, so you will be at the mercy of the elements. They do provide umbrellas though.

3) The Roof Garden Suite haa a VERY small toilet
Understandably so because they have to make room for the private stairwell that leads you to the roof top garden. So if you are anything like me, you'll let the exhibitionist in you run wild and bathe here...
Open Shower

Overall, it was a very pleasant stay. We would have been more rested if not for the fact that Cherise had a mild fever that night (due to her MMR jab 10 days back) and we (ok lah, mostly Jas) had to keep waking up to sponge her. I'm glad Jas enjoyed the stay, though I suspect she may have preferred Rasa Sentosa. But for the refreshing pool and the hot tub under the stars...we may just come back again next year...maybe without the kids ha ha!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Face the Facts Fats...Vol 1

My waistline is getting bigger...very much bigger. I have a total of 4 pairs of denim jeans but I can only fit into 2 of them. Last month, I could fit into all my 3 pairs of khakis. This month, I have only 1 pair which I can wear comfortably without feeling faint due to lack of blood circulation. Even my uniform makes my already sexy butt look even sexier. Belts are no longer necessary, if I do wear them, it's just to complete the outfit. I dread serving on weekends not because I'm not prepared but because I can't fit into my suit.

Jas says that I refuse to buy new pants cos' I'm in denial - she thinks that I think that if I buy new clothes it means that I am acknowledging that I've passed the point of no return! Actually....she may be right. I don't believe I cannot lose the extra inches. I really must start exercising soon. It's not that I haven't been trying though...everytime I feel the urge to go for a run, something always comes up. Either it rains, or Jas needs help with Cherise. So I try the other method, eat less. Recently I found myself skipping lunch cos' I simply have no time to eat, but it didn't work cos' by the time I get home, I'm so hungry that I compensate by having seconds, so I end up putting on even more weight. Sheesh....

Maybe it's the PPL effect ha ha ha (those in CM will know what I mean)! Well...at least there's more cushion for Cherise when she runs to hug me.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


I'm on leave for the next couple of days so I'm taking Jas and Cherise to the former Pulau Belakang Mati for a short retreat. If we don't return your calls...you know why muah ha ha!

Monday, November 24, 2008

The ridiculous things we say - Instalment 1

Scene: Over dinner, spoken to Adrian's mom.

Jas: Baby's moving a lot more now. Sometimes I can feel my belly make a wave.
Adr: My belly does that every time I do the Dino Dance [from Barney]. (Demos)Shake your dino tail, shake shake.....

*******

Scene: Lying in bed, staring at ceiling, trying to sleep.

Jas: Do you feel like doing it*?
Adr: No. Why? Do you?
Jas: Yah. I'm bored.

2 minutes later.
Jas: Do you ever feel like doing it just because you're bored?
Adr: (incredulous) No..
Jas: (resignedly) Sigh. You're so boring. No wonder I'm so bored...

*: Language has been edited for younger readers.

*******

Scene: Cherise is watching Barney and we are watching her.

Adr: She is such a drama queen.. maybe she'll be an actress when she grows up.
Jas: Yah, the next Zoe Tay.
Adr: Zoe Tay only popular in Singapore leh.
Jas: Well, at least she's prettier than Fann Wong.
Adr: Zhang Ziyi then.
Jas: No lar! Zhang Ziyi not pretty. I know! Maggie Q!.
Adr: Why can't she just be herself??!!

*******

Preggie Diary: Halfway mark!

I'm 20 weeks today! Halfway mark! Woohoo!

Currently sick though. It started with the bak kwa. Ate too much of it. Then a sore throat. And a cough that night. Followed by two days of runny nose and sneezing and coughing.

It's been a hectic weekend. Adrian's grandmother celebrated her 83rd birthday just this Saturday, so we had a good time with family followed by dinner. And then on Sunday, we had to serve in church, where I croaked along with the rest of the team. Today, my nose is less runny, but still blocked, and my throat is really scratchy. I don't even recognise my own voice. Cherise is currently at United Square with my parents, who are probably spoiling her this moment by donating bucketloads of dollar coins to the Barney kiddy ride machine. I thought to take the opportunity to get some much-needed rest but couldn't sleep because of my nose and throat.

Little David has been moving around more these few days. His movements are now strong enough to be felt by a hand on my tummy. Last night, just as we were settling to sleep, I felt him move and I quickly placed Adrian's hand over my tummy. For this pregnancy, Adrian hasn't had the chance to really feel significant baby movements yet, so I thought he'd be quite thrilled. But instead he mumbled, "Mmmm. Dear, sorry, I really need to sleep now else cannot work tomorrow." Snore.

Ok. Ah well. Such is the difference between the first and the second, I suppose.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Preggie Diary: Not again..

[Current mood: Sore. As in sore throat. Been eating too much Bak Kwa. Got Bak Kwa craving.]

Our detailed scan on Monday was reassuring - little David was growing well, estimated to weigh 256g (which is awfully little compared to the 3kg I've gained so far!!), no anomalies detected and head was down. He wasn't very active (unlike Cherise!) and stayed curled up for quite a bit, so the sonographer had to wiggle my belly to try to get him to spread out.

I suppose the only thing which kind of troubled me a bit was the position of the placenta. The placenta is anterior (front of the womb) - which is fine and nothing to worry about, except for the fact that babies tend to face their placentae, which means there's a higher chance I'll end up with a posterior baby. Again.

But I'm committing it to God and trusting Him to position my baby appropriately. After all, women with posterior placentae have posterior babies too, so it could go either way.

Anyway, does anyone know where to get a birth ball in Singapore? I want hubby to get me one for Christmas. I can just imagine Cherise being so thrilled with it too. "Ball, ball! Big ball!" *grin*

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

It's a Boy!

Listen folks, Intelligender really works! We went for our detailed scan yesterday and true enough, we're going to have a boy. And unlike with Cherise, we're not going to withhold his name from everyone. This is because God spoke to us in our dreams and told us, "And you shall call him David"....NAH!!! It's simply because I've always wanted to call my son David, even before I got married. Plus it's the name of my favourite bible character.

Actually, Jas wanted to call him Nathaniel cos' it was a name that popped into her head out of no where, but we figured that since my Dad already has problems pronouncing Cherise's name (he still calls her Cherish), he may just end up calling my son Na Da Niu - "take a big cow" when translated in mandarin. Anyway, I'm just glad that Jas (as ditzy as she is now) did not attempt to come up with a ridiculous name like "Pilot Inspektor" or something.

So David it shall be...my one and only Beloved son...for now...

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Some baby news - Cherise

I realise that when I use the word "baby" these days, I've got to specify which one. Heh. Haven't been posting about Cherise for a while so here are some updates..

Our little social butterfly
Cherise's aversion to strangers has been a source of stress to me for quite some time. We first realised our little girl was different when a stranger came up to her when she was just two months old, and her little mouth turned upside down. We thought, "Babies of this age aren't supposed to feel stranger anxiety," but that's our little girl for you. Doesn't take well to new places and new people. She does terribly in large family gatherings - well, in not-so-large family gatherings too. I recognise that every baby is different, but I couldn't help but wish that she weren't so extreme and intense in her dislike of strangers who aren't quite strangers - aka extended family members.

But it's been getting better. Just yesterday at church, she surprised us by hugging people that she's never interacted with much before. And today when we went to visit Adrian's grandmother and aunt, she did her usual crying thing for ten minutes, and then warmed up considerably, so that by the end of the visit, she was hugging and kissing everyone and didn't want to leave.

I'm so thankful she's becoming more sociable. I know she's loved lots by our extended family, and it must have been hard for them when she wouldn't even tolerate them looking at her. And I feel thankful too, that they didn't stop loving her, even going to extreme measures like using a mirror to catch her antics since she wouldn't let them look at her directly.

Our water baby
Cherise loves swimming! We all had to attend Adrian's command family day at the Civil Service Club at Bukit Batok, which I wasn't keen on going to actually (having better things to do like sleep in on a Saturday morning!), but we decided to make the best of it. We brought her swimming gear (and Adrian's too) so she could play a while in the pool.

Here are some pictures of her frolicking in the water. The pictures aren't too good since silly me forgot to bring the camera. She's wearing her new swimsuit for the first time!









I was really regretting not bringing my swim gear along. She was having so much fun and I could only stand by the edge and take photos. Vain lah - didn't want people to see me in a swimsuit. Anyway, we'll be visiting the club more often as Adrian managed to get one year's membership free of charge. It's so near our place and we really like the pools - there are many different small pools there, even a water slide!

Baby likes nursery!
She's really taken to the nursery programme at church. Of course she still has to be accompanied by Larlar so she doesn't cry, but she likes the environment and enjoys the activities. She came back this week with this:



It's supposed to be a boat. With pictures of animals stuck on it (teacher did it, of course). Noah's ark. Cute eh? Cherise likes her boat, and will point to the different animals, naming them and making their sounds. I think we should start enrolling her in some playgroup soon. Maybe when Babyloh No. 2 arrives, so at least it ensures I block out some alone time with Cherise.

Well, that's all we have at the moment. Here's a lovely pic of Cherise to end off - she's at the playground in our HDB cluster. I've finally relaxed my dirt-and-germs rule. I figure she's old enough now and well, like my mother says, a little bit of dirt won't kill!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Good News!

Sorry to keep you on tenterhooks - been a bit busy so no time to update this -



Yes, he passed! Completed the test in 20 minutes too! So proud of him!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Don't dehumanise me.

Why is it so difficult to admit that we are less than perfect beings? That we sometimes get tempted, that sometimes we feel the very human emotions of tiredness, loneliness, longing?

Just because I say I get tired, just because I say sometimes I'm tempted to be selfish, does that mean I'm not right with God? Does it mean I don't have my values in the right place? Does it mean *gasp* I don't trust God in all things?

Let me explain. My husband's work schedule is crazy. I hate it. On weekends we serve in church. Both of us. Sometimes I'm drained. No, make that many times I'm drained. I wish he were around more. So sometimes do I feel selfish? Yes. Sometimes do I wish he had less on his plate, workwise and churchwise? Yes. Sometimes do I wish he would say "no" instead of always saying "yes"? Yes.

But do we stop doing what we do? No. Is it tough? You bet!

That's called sacrifice. A sacrifice that comes from obedience.

What would you have me do? We still serve cheerfully, yes we do. I still sleepily kiss him goodbye when he leaves in the morning for his 24 hour work shifts. But when it's late at night and I miss him, or when I've had a tough day without him and I'm facing a tough night ahead, or when I'm out with my family and everyone has his/her spouse with him/her except me, am I allowed to feel a little wistful? Am I allowed to feel a little longing? Am I allowed to feel a little lonely?

You can spiritualise everything. But don't dehumanise me.

Passed!

Ok ok. We admit it. We are slackers. Our youth has come and gone in a haze of hedonistic days and now, almost hitting the big three-oh, with one child and another one on the way, we still haven't gotten our driver's licences.

But all that's going to change!

I went for my Basic Theory Test today. A bit self-conscious of my belly bulge, so I wore something nice and loose to cover it up. Didn't want to hear anyone make the comment, "Pregnant still want to take licence," (which is what my parents think, by the way).

It took 15 minutes. And ta-dah!



First hurdle cleared. Easy peasy.

So yahyah right? Studying and scoring in written exams has never been a problem for me. But watch me sweat once I actually get behind the wheel. Part of the reason why I've put this off for so long is that I seriously doubt I am capable of driving a car. It's so scary out there. I don't want to get a licence and then become one of those drivers who give women a bad name on the roads.

But it's got to be done. I think having babies is a great motivator - gets us off our lazy bums to do the things we've been putting off for so long. Interestingly, we're not the only ones rushing to get a licence before the baby arrives - I saw this sign as I was leaving the building:



What an awful term. Pregnant Learner. Eww. Got to ask my doc about that certification letter when I see him on Monday.

And in case you're wondering, the hubby isn't slacking anymore either. He's currently at the driving centre, due to take his Advanced Theory Test in, well, 25 minutes. He's the exact opposite of me, I think. Written exams scare him. He turns into this monster (like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) because he gets so stressed. But I have faith in him. (I'll just pray really hard for the next hour...!) Go Hunny! I hope to be able to post more good news later on today!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Chill Out @ Grill Out!

It was our 2 years and 9 months anniversary last Wednesday, so we arranged for Jas's parents to look after Cherise for a few hours so that we can spend some alone time with each other. Nights out like that don't come often so we decided to seize the opportunity and go somewhere not so baby friendly.

My cousin-in-law manages Grill-Out!, a cosy little steakhouse at Sunset Way which has gotten pretty rave reviews by food critics. I've been wanting to try it out ever since my dad and the entire Loh clan went down for dinner earlier this year. We couldn't make it then cos' Cherise was still very young and the place wasn't exactly baby friendly.
Grill-Out_01
The ambience is really nice, you tend to forget that you are actually dining at an HDB estate.

This link gives a very accurate description of the restaurant so I will not repeat what's in it. But we absolutely have to tell you about the food to do justice to Jon (my cousin-in-law) and his team! To say that this place is a meat lover's heaven is an understatement. If you want good quality meat at affordable prices, there is no better place. Their primary business is in fresh meat/seafood wholesale (they supply to hotels) so everything is fresh, juicy and tender.

Everything in the menu looked good but we could not eat afford everything, so we had to settle for these:

Starters

1) Grilled Ox tongue
2) Grilled Kobe short rib
Sorry, no pictures for these 2 items because we were so eager to eat that we forgot to take pictures. But trust me...they were heavenly! The Ox tongue was thinly sliced and grilled with salt and pepper and served with BBQ sauce. The texture was a little like grilled calamari, only that it's a lot thinner.
The Kobe beef short rib (no bones) was substantial enough to be a main course. It was almost like eating mini pieces of Kobe tenderloin...soooo...juicy and tender.The meat literally melts in your mouth and you don't even need to chew much. Oh, and did I mention that it was sooooo juicy?!?!

In-between Starters and Main course
Jon surprised us with one of their signature cuts - the Kurobuta pork shoulder.
Kurobuta_1
Now, Kurobuta means Japanese black hog and it's prized as much as Kobe Beef. According to Jon, it's really a pork that wants to be a beef and I can see why. It's just as tender and it does not taste like regular pork. In fact, it tastes a lot better that $10 "airflown" sirloin steak you get at the food courts.

Main Courses
For Him - Black Angus Tenderloin
Black Angus Tenderloin
This was one of the best pieces of tenderloin I've ever sunk my teeth in. So good that you don't need any sauces to go with it. The best thing about this place is that all their meats are lightly seasoned with only salt and pepper so get to taste the original flavour. And they are all grilled over the charcoal flame so you get that natural smokey taste. In my opinion, that's the best way to have your steak cos' it's the real deal.

For Her - BBQ Pork Ribs
Ribs_1
I managed to dissuade Jas from ordering the Yellowtail Cheek (That's fish, people!!!) even though it looked really good! Anyway, the ribs were really soft and tender, you could just tear it off and eat it. However, by the time it came, we were so stuffed that we could only finish half the rack. So we had to pack the rest to go.

When we thought that we've survived a night of gluttony, Jon brought out another surprise for us...a selection of desserts not from his menu but from the cafe called Peaberry just next door...
Desserts from Peaberry_2
For once, I could not finish my sweets...but Jas lapped them all up!
Contented

So for all meat lovers out there...Grill Out! is a definate must try. They are opened for lunch and dinner everyday except for Mondays. Do make a reservation if you wanna go during the weekends for dinner, they are usually quite packed. I'm gonna make a return visit soon...still craving for the Kobe Short Ribs!!!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Preggie Diary: Weird dreams and other thoughts

I dreamt of my baby last night. Or rather, I dreamt I gave birth to twin girls. Both had no hair, were rather short (47 cm long) but were quite fat. If dreams are the opposite of what's going to happen, does it mean I'll have one hairy boy who's rather tall, and not-so-fat?

Anyway, I think the reason why I had this weird dream was because I couldn't get to sleep last night and was reading all sorts of pregnancy-related articles on the internet. I came across this article which I thought was really cool.

Having gone through a labour that was full of interventions, leaving me feeling totally out of control (imagine: the doc didn't even tell me she was going to break my waters before she did it), I really really want this birth to be different. We've switched doctors - our obstetrician is Dr Paul Tseng whom I picked because he's known to be more pro-natural - but what I secretly desire is to be able to give birth at home.

I don't want to be confined to a bed while I'm in labour. Don't want to have to lie on my back, which was so uncomfortable the last time round. I don't want the bright lights, the horrible hospital gown, and most of all - I don't want stirrups!

I want to labour in the comfort of my home, to be able to snuggle in my bed if I so choose, to have the room dim so I can try to rest, to shower if I feel it will help and to chase everyone out of the room when I need to be alone.

Hardly anyone in Singapore ever gets to have a homebirth (planned and attended by a trained midwife). It's just not done here. Maybe too many of us women have lost the confidence that our bodies were made to have children. Even I have my doubts when I think about it further. Little thoughts sneak in. Thoughts like, "What if something goes wrong? What if I can't do it?"

So it's going to be the hospital again for us. Maybe this time it will be vastly different - after all, we got a good doctor. And now I know what I absolutely don't want so I won't be such a pushover this time round. Plus, we've got a plan. We're going to wait as long as possible before we head to the hospital. So I can just go there and push the baby out. Hooray! Target: half an hour in the labour ward! Haha!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Preggie Diary: It's not the same thing this time round.

I'm a little blue today. Found a varicose vein on my inner thigh. It's bulging and blue and looks absolutely awful.

My body's not taking this pregnancy too well, I think. I know all the literature states that every pregnancy is different - but really, my body seems to be in complete upheaval this time round.

I didn't really have any skin problems the first time round - no breakouts, only perhaps an increased sensitivity to my usual facial cleanser which was resolved once I changed products - but this pregnancy's got my face looking like the "Pacific Ring of Fire". Little volcanoes erupting all along the hairline. And on my neck. And on my ears.

And I've got dry patches on my body - I'm not telling where! - and no amount of shea butter or whatever moisturiser seems to do anything to make it better.

And my hair! I wash my hair daily with my usual shampoo and my scalp's still perpetually oily.

But all that's just external. My morning sickness, while thankfully subsided somewhat, hasn't gone away totally. I get horribly carsick. Cooking smells make me want to throw up. And I have food aversions. A lot of food aversions. Don't want to eat seafood. Or garlic. Or red meat. Don't like ice cream. Milk doesn't go down well. Curry is too spicy. Soya sauce too salty. Desserts too sweet. Yah, I have food aversions. As in to food in general.

Only thing I feel like eating is fish. But can't eat fish now! Not after the unagi incident!

I injured my tailbone during my first pregnancy. Coughed so hard during an illness that I injured it. Hurt for the remainder of that pregnancy. It never really recovered after childbirth, as it would still be a little sensitive when I sit in a bad position for some time and try to get up. But the pain's coming back in full force - I had trouble getting up from the couch just now. And I'm only 17 weeks along. Does that mean it's going to hurt for the rest of the 23 weeks left?? I can't bear to think of it.

But it's not all bad I guess. I'm emotionally more stable this time round. Less needy, less insecure of Adrian's love. After all, he's seen me in labour and through childbirth! I can't possibly look worse than that! I think our relationship is much better than during my first time. We don't argue so much. Maybe he knows what to expect and which buttons not to press. Maybe I don't cling so much, don't read so much into his grumps and mumps. There's less of that restless energy too. I'm more relaxed. Less anxious. Less busy. More lazy. More peaceful and restful.

I do pray that one thing will be different though - that this baby will position himself nicely for an easy delivery. Cherise was stuck in the OP position - she never turned and was born facing up. Labour was long and slow to progress - I still remember 3 hours of contractions coming every 5 minutes or less, no pain relief, not even gas, and only progressing 0.5 cm in that time! Don't want to think about going through that again.

So, I'm 17 weeks today. Not feeling so good at the moment.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

A glimpse into the future

My little Cherise came back from nursery yesterday with homework!! When I went to pick her up after service, the helper at the counter presented me with this:


I was a bit baffled at first, and I asked him, "What's this?" He replied, "Oh, it's her homework."

My darling's only 15 and a half months old and she's got homework!

It's so cute.

Nobody expects her to do it, of course. The other side of the paper's got a short bible story which I will read to her since she likes reading so much. And then, maybe I will frame it up. Or put it in my scrapbook. "Baby's first homework assignment".

There'll be plenty more to come in the future. And I think it won't be quite as cute, or funny, then. There may be stuff that I might end up doing for with her. But that's then. For now, I'm just going to laugh at the fact that my poor little baby, who can't even hold a crayon properly, has got homework!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

My Pride and Joy.

Jas once told me I have to be careful about "showing off" Cherise's accomplishments because I tend to overdo it. I don't mean to be ya ya papaya about it but it's just not easy to contain my pride when it comes to my little princess. For the record, I think my daughter's brilliant! But which doting father doesn't right?

Ok...since it's not nice to show off in public, I shall do all the showing off here!

Here's Cherise reciting "1-2-buckle my shoe". With a little help from mummy of course....


And here she is with "This Little Piggy"


For more videos of my little genius, please visit my Flickr page.

I'm still trying to video her singing. She's so adorable when she attempts to sing "I Know Who I Am" by Israel Houghton...she can only do the "am" though, but at least she tries to follow the tune. It's hilarious...

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Third Time's a Charm...NOT!

Jasmine's got a thing with fish bones...they like to give her a hard time. She's got choked by these nasty buggers twice before. The first time when she was barely 5 years old, and the second time when she was about 14. Both times, she had to go to the hospital to have it taken out. One might think that she's learnt her lesson but noooo......she had to do it to herself one more time - this time with the help of the mighty unagi!

It all started at Sun and Moon Cafe where we were having dinner. Knowing how bad Jasmine was with fish bones (especially the small soft ones), I protested strongly when she wanted to order some unagi with rice thingy, but she went ahead with it anyway because she had a craving for unagi. Barely halfway through our meal (I hadn't started yet cos' I was feeding Cherise), my worst fear came to pass, Jas complained about something stuck in her throat and that she had problems swallowing. I knew something was really wrong when she rejected the piece of foie gras I offered her. So like any smarta@# husband, I told her to try and dislodge it by swallowing some rice. But it didn't work so we had to head to the hospital for some professional help.

Being an experienced fish bone victim, Jasmine decided to head down to the 24 hr clinic at Thomson Medical Centre where she had her previous two fish bones taken out. However, this time the doctor could not see the bone so to play it safe, he referred her to the A&E. So we ended up at Mt Alvernia Hospital A&E where the doctor also could not find the bone. Thus, we had to wait another 45mins for the ENT specialist to arrive with his equipment. For the first time, I saw this cool device they call the scope which the ENT doctor inserted into Jasmine's nose so that he could locate the bone. I was more interested in the scope (looked like the kind spies/police use in the movies for surveillance) than what Jasmine was feeling at that time. Well, the scope did the trick and we managed to locate the offending bone which was deeper down than where the doctor initially thought it was. I later learnt that it was probably my fault that the bone got so deep in - remember the swallow-a-lump-of-rice trick??? Bad move!!! The doctor says that in future the first and only thing to do for such an event is to go straight to the doctor. Attempting to dislodge it by swallowing will only make it worse.

Jasmine was quite brave throughout the ordeal though, she did everything the doctor told her to do. It was quite comical observing the whole process though. She had to pull her tongue and go "eeee". The doc was pretty skilled - he managed to get the bone (about 1.2 cm) out in a matter of seconds.

When it was all over, Jasmine was really relieved. As the doctor left the A&E, she went, "There goes my hero!" to which I retorted, "I would have been that hero if you had listened to me and not ordered that unagi in the first place!"

Lessons learnt today:
1) Always listen to your husband when he warns you not to order something detrimental to your health.
2) Never listen to that same husband when he tells you to do stupid things like swallow a lump of rice to dislodge a fish bone.

On a serious note, always consult a doctor immediately if you suspect that you have a fish bone (or anything) lodged in your throat.

Lastly, if you happen to be like Jasmine....PLEASE DON'T EAT UNAGI!!!!

Monday, October 27, 2008

The reason why this Hubby is Chubby...

Sinfully chocolatey Chocolate Cake with thick vanilla cream from Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie.
Muah ha ha ha ha!
Yum
The Macarons are to die for...beats Bakerzin anytime man.

Swimming Pools + Babies = ???

Wet daddies and even wetter babies!!!! (Thank you Roy and Ade for the pictures!)


Our carecell organised a BBQ for our friends and families yesterday and boy was it fun! The food was great, the company was even better. We even had free Christian music courtesy of the friendly folks from another church using the next BBQ pit, that really brightened up the whole atmosphere. Thank God for that.

The only problem was that it was really humid and there was no wind at all. So when ZG brought Zoe for a little dip in the pool, the rest of us daddies gladly followed suit. But none of us had brought our swim suits along so you can imagine how drenched we got - I'm talking about the the daddies. The babies had a change of clothes so they were more than happy to stay in the water with their clothes on. Cherise was a little hesitant initially, sitting quietly on the step, kicking her legs in the water.

But once she got the hang of it, there was no stopping her!




Note to self: Always pack a change of clothes when bringing kids to places with water fixtures.....