A Slice of Heaven . . .

Letters to Julianne #4

2012-02-01T11:31:00.001+08:00

Dearest Julianne,

It was a rather tiring month my sweetie. Mama would say this was the most challenging month to date. We fought a cold, a windy tummy, a nursing strike, a bottle strike and a series of blood in your poop. We made many visits to the doctors and even visited a lactation consultant all in the hope of getting you well. We've been told you've lost some confidence in drinking since your cold when your appetite dipped tremendously. We're working on helping you gain back that confidence now and I'm glad to report that we're making some progress starting with the bottle. I do miss nursing you for all your feeds but I guess it is a transition we have to start making anyway as Mama prepares to return to work next month.

I'm sorry you had to go through the cold and all that came with it. It pained me to see you struggling each time with drinking and I really hated that feed time became stressful for both you and me. But we'll overcome this I promise. You're doing well.

The pains aside, you are still pretty much the sweet happy baby that we brought home 3 months ago. You've learnt to give really big smiles sometimes accompanied by loud chuckles. It is most entertaining to watch. You can also recognise Mama now, greeting me with a huge wide smile whenever you see me. So precious!

Papa gets a share of those smiles to though he wishes for more of them ....

Another thing you're doing alot more is your oohs and ahhs. We have our little chit chats everyday, usually about how you're a smelly little girl who has a poopy diaper or about what a cutie pie you are. You love talking - we can go on for a good 5 minutes. You also like monologue with yourself. Especially with your cot mobile and the moo-moo mirror on your gym mat. Last night, in commemoration of your 3rd month, you happily soothed yourself to sleep at 4am in the morning when you didn't settle back to bed immediately after your feed. Papa and Mama were just lying in bed, resisting not to pick you up just to see if you'll go back to bed by yourself. And you did just that after about 20 minutes of talking to yourself. So proud of you! It reminded me of your cousin Sophie who also talks to herself before she sleeps. For now, Mama shall translate your coos to 'Mama belongs to me and Papa belongs to me' just like what Sophie che che likes to say.

On your physical development, you've putting on good weight (surprisingly in spite of the cold and strikes) and growing taller. Your head isn't quite that steady yet. We really need to work on more tummy time young lady! Por Por has banned Mama from putting you on the bumbo chair until you get your head straight.

We won't able to work on your sleeping out of the rocker this month cos Mama didn't want to stress you further after the cold and drinking strikes so let's work on that in the coming month and hopefully get you to take your day time naps in the playpen - deal? Let's not make things difficult for Por Por and Aunty Joy who'll be taking care of you.

Oh how can we forget your 1st Chinese New Year! All the ang pows you collected and all the smiles you gave out to the many relatives you saw.

Mama only has one more month to spend full time with you. I sure am going to miss having you as company all day. Let's make the fullest of this last month of bonding my precious stream and do lots more growing up with Mama!!

Happy 3rd month my sweet child!

Loving you so much,
Mama

On Strike

2012-01-19T11:41:00.000+08:00

Julianne was on a milk, nursing and bottle strike the past week - it has been most distressing. I've nursed in every imaginable position including walking while nursing carrying her in mid-air. We have been to Dr Hiew 3 times in the past week. What started as a cold turned into wind in her tummy then turned into not drinking all afternoon yesterday which made me panic hence the night visit to Dr Hiew. She was pooping way less than her usual poopy princess title calls for and was barely having a full diaper. I was so worried she was dehydrating. She also had blood in her poop the day before so I was feeling very unsettled with all that was happening to my poor baby, we were contemplating sending her to the hospital last evening.

Thankfully all seems better now. She nursed well last night and this morning. Her poop has returned to normal but requires monitoring. Dr Hiew said the blood was possibly from a small tear in her anus which he discovered. If it doesn't reoccur, we shouldn't be too concern. Her wheezing seems to have gone away which means she ain't as stuffed up anymore and should be more comfortable nursing.

We're truly praying it'll be uphill from here. I've had a mentally, emotionally and physically draining week. Yesterday was most distressing for the both of us ever since she was born. She went on crying for almost an hour the longest ever to date. She has honestly not cried for more than 5-10 minutes continuously. And me the Mama, pretty much spent my afternoon in tears trying to make her drink.

I truly hope the worst is over. Motherhood can be tough at times but last night, after starving herself silly all day, she nursed beautifully and even gave me a contented smile after she was done. That made the pain of the day all go away.

A spoon full of sugar ...

2012-01-12T12:19:00.001+08:00

makes the medicine go down (not)! Today was the first time Julianne had a taste of something other than breastmilk and sadly it had to be medication for a nasal congestion that she has caught.

My heart broke a little when we had to feed her the medicine only to see her spit it out even though we were told it was sweet. Looks like its Mama's milk or nothing.

She must have caught the bug from either me or Sam (who caught it from me) when I came down with a bad cough about 2 weeks ago. Mama's bad. I'm sorry Julianne to put you through this. The hubs and I had a rough night yesterday but I can only imagine it must have been worst for her.

We brought her to the pediatrician who saw Sam some 18 years ago. Good old Dr Junior Hiew, always as patient in explaining to us what was happening to our daughter, why she was restless last night and what we could do to make it better like - no aircon for the next few days.

Still despite the discomfort, our sweet child still managed a big grin for the camera after her feed. And she still maintains her quiet disposition giving us her usual smiley face when we talk to her.

You'll get well soon Julianne I promise. We've been praying and I'm sure God will hear our prayers.

Big smile after my feed, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

Letters to Julianne #3

2012-01-02T13:27:00.003+08:00

Dearest Julianne,

What a December you have had!!! You went places, met new faces and did heaps of growing!!

The highlight this month has got to be meeting Yiyi Rene, Uncle Jude and your sweet cousin Sophie for the first time!! Don't you just love all the wet smoochy kisses that Sophie has been giving you? You ain't gonna get them anymore for a while. Hopefully we can all make a trip to California later this year to meet them again! By that time, you may even be able to play with your cousin.

You celebrated your very first Christmas this month and met many of your grandaunts and uncles and Mama's many cousins whom you greeted with your sweetest smiles. They think you are such a cute little pumpkin! Remember Uncle Daryl and Russell whom you charmed the socks off over Christmas? You also gave your great grandma (Tai-tai) such a big smile, she went on and on telling everyone about it over Christmas lunch. Let's not forget the many presents your received over Christmas - there were pretty clothes from Gong Gong and Por Por, books that Mama and Papa bought you, a lovely Tiff & Co pendant and owl poster from Yiyi Rene & Uncle Jude and that cute little Tiff & Co bunny savings bank from grandaunt Sway Kor. That's plenty for a 2 month old young lady!!

On the growth front, Mama has since retired your newborn clothes and promoted you to 3-6 months outfit. Just this morning, we had to get you new swaddles cos Gong Gong has been making so much noise about how your old ones are so tight you look like a nonya dumpling. I'm not sure how you weigh in, I'm guessing maybe 5ish kg? Papa also just measured you today and it appears you've grown another good 3cm making you abt 56cm now.

You've been giving us alot of your mega watt smile especially in the morning when everyone gathers around you giving you all the attention by talking to you. I think thus far, you give Por Por the biggest smile - you sure know who to charm huh? ("better smile at Por Por and make her happy so that she can let me have a fill of a time when she takes care of me after Mama goes back to work!"). You are definitely more alert than you were last month. This month, you discovered the mirror on your gym mat and love smiling to the person in it - that's yourself silly girl! You like how you look don't you? You're also cooing alot more, often responding with your 'ohs' and 'ahs' when we talk to you. Leg-raise has also become your favourite exercise. You have somehow learnt to turn a good 180 degrees from the position we put you down to sleep by doing leg-raisers. Where did you learn that from?

After 2 months, Mama has finally gotten the hang of this breastfeeding business and I must say that I'm enjoying it alot more than those early weeks of your life. I especially enjoy our feeds in the wee hours of the morning, when its just you and me awake in the stillness of our room and you lay close to Mama with that angelic face as you suckle. Its our special time together and I'm going to miss it when we eventually wean you off.

We are unfortunately not doing as well on the sleeping front. You have not taken to sleeping on the bed during the day this entire month choosing instead to sleep in your new found favourite - the rocker. Its an improvement from sleeping in my arms for hours - something you did alot of last month. Although Mama really doesn't want you to get too use to the vibrating effect of the rocker, I have no choice but to cave in since its the only way to get you to sleep for sometimes as long as 2-3 hours. We do well at night in your own crib though as you've started to sleep for longer stretches this month going as long as 5 hours on a few nights. Papa is reading up on establishing good sleep routines and we hope that by your 3rd or 4th month, you will be able to soothe yourself to sleep and we should really start learning to sleep in the crib for your day naps as well. Deal?

On going places, it has been a hit and miss. More misses I suppose. You were good at yesterday's New Year's lunch at Uncle's Han's restaurant. You also did pretty well on your first excursion to the Underwater World where we brought cousin Sophie to see the fishes. But our Christmas Eve dinner at Akashi turned out to me an absolute nightmare when you simply refuse to hear of that Japanese music playing inside the restaurant. In the end, you spent pretty much the entire dinner outside with Mama and Por Por taking turns to carry you. Take goodness Papa saved that fatty chu-toro for Mama! :p I look forward to the day I can successfully bring you out without you wailing in the stroller wanting to be carried in the arms. Can we try that this month? Mama has got to go shopping for my Chinese New Year clothes.

Something else we did this month - moving into our new room and giving you your new crib finally. After sleeping in the pack and play for the first month of your life, your crib finally arrived as we settled into our new room. We created a cosy little corner for you, with your own night lamp, clothes hanger and your favourite toy mobile. You've grown to like your mobile alot and we can actually leave you in your cot for some time (considering you hate being put down) as you stare at your mobile.

You're growing so fast Julianne and Mama is a little sad that I have all but two more months before I go back to work. Already I'm starting to feel separation anxiety on the few occasions I left you for a few hours to run errands, I can't imagine being away from you for 10-12 hours each day. I hate it that going back to work means that I may be missing out on your few 'firsts' so I hope you'll save them for when Mama is around.

It another exciting month ahead with the Lunar New Year round the corner. You're going to meet even more people, receive more Ang Pows (you already got your first from Yiyi Rene) and do more growing. Let's see what new tricks you come up with this month!

Till then, here's your December in photos. Grow well my sweet child and feel all the love you've been showered with every moment of the day!!

Happy 2nd month dear Julianne.

Love much,

Mama

Julianne's December 2011, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

Reflections

2012-01-01T16:52:00.002+08:00

After what was a somewhat dismal 2010, my 2011 turned out to be an extraordinarily eventful year with the birth of our very first child - Julianne. I couldn't ask for more.

By God's grace, we were able to conceive soon after a previous lost. The months leading up to finding out we were pregnant were both emotionally and spiritually trying as I struggled with coming to terms with our lost. But with much prayer, we kept the faith and believed that God will make all things beautiful in His time. And beautiful it was as He blessed us with Julianne in February of 2011 before adding the icing on the cake in November with her birth. My pregnancy brought me closer to God and brought the husband and I as a couple closer to God as we prayed daily for our child. For nine months, I was thankful for every kick I felt and for every heartbeat I heard at our gynae visits. And finally, on 1st November, I was thankful for her little life that had just began in our big big world.

By God's grace, I was blessed with a promotion given just soon after I found out we were pregnant. How timely. It came with added responsibilities but it also came with supernatural strength from God to handle both my growing belly and heavier workload at the same time. I was challenged with a couple of big projects over the 10 months before I went on maternity leave with the peak period at the 8th month of my pregnancy. It had only got to be God's strength reigning over the final trimester's fatigue that saw me through the projects and for that I am thankful.

And while I may have taken the year off leading the CG, I am proud of them as they continued to meet up regularly to grow in the Lord. The leave also gave me time to fill my own spiritual cup as I found more time to feed on God's word so that I too could grow in Him.

2011 was a year of God's grace and I am thankful for every moment of it.

2012 brings with it brand new and exciting challenges, the biggest being the parenting role I have now embraced. As Julianne grows up, I ask God for all the patience, all the strength, all the wisdom and all the love He can ever give me to rise up as a mother. I pray that in the midst of the attention given to Julianne, I will remember that I am still wife to my husband, my best friend, my soul mate and that I need to make room in my life for Us.

I will also be starting work in a new division when I return to work and that means change. I'm not best friends with 'change' but by the grace of God, I'll adapt and embrace change.

In 2012, Julianne will take her first solids, get on her knees to crawl and maybe take her first steps. I'm excited. In 2012, God will be walking ahead of me, surrounding me with His love and filling my life with blessings and His providence that I don't deserve. I'm humbled.

May your 2012 overflow with love, joy, peace and God's abundant blessings all round.

His Grace . . .

2011-12-31T22:10:00.001+08:00

Two hours to the end of 2011 and to what has been an extraordinary year for me.

On my left, I have my precious daughter sleeping soundly in her crib. On my right, my dearest husband, happily surfing the internet. Outside of our room, my little niece is being tucked into bed by my sister while my parents are in their room, one sipping his limited edition Glenfiddich, the other watching some taiwanese drama. The younger sis, on her way to Watchnight service with a special friend in whom she found both love and God.

We've all been blessed, in our own little ways. 2011 has been good and because I've only one hour to catch a quick nap before my darling daughter awakes, reflections of my extraordinary year will come in a later post.

Thanking God for my 2011 that was filled with nothing but His amazing Grace and looking forward to my 2012 with Him walking ahead of me.

Blessed 2012 everyone!

Thankful . . .

2011-12-25T12:17:00.000+08:00

This Christmas, I'm thankful for

Family for their tremendous love and support,

My husband, for loving me all these years for what I am,

My sweet sweet child, God's precious gift to me

and

Jesus - God's greatest gift to men.

Blessed Christmas one and all!

Cousin Love

2011-12-23T15:53:00.002+08:00

Since I was visibly pregnant with Julianne (at least enough for Sophie to see my baby bump over Skype), my sister has been telling her about Baby Julianne and how Sophie was going to get to see her when she came back to S'pore.

She told her teachers about it, pretended to want to go back into her Mama's tummy "like Baby Julianne" and even wanted to give away her favourite squeaky giraffe!

I was really excited for the cousins to meet even though Julianne probably doesn't understand anything. When Sophie first saw Baby Julianne, she didn't quite want to come too close, only when her Mama carried Julianne did she come forward, as if reminding her mother that - hey don't forget about me.

But over the past week or so, Sophie has warmed up so much to Julianne, it's just so sweet. She plants little kisses on her cousin, helped wash Baby Julianne's hair and loves giving her little pats pats, its so sweet to watch.

She actually looks for Baby Julianne when she comes back to my parents' place and loves to ask "why is Baby Julianne crying?" whenever she hears her cousin's cries. Her other favourite - "Baby Julianne is so cute". Yesterday, at the Underwater World, while I was feeding Julianne under my nursing cover, my sweet little niece came over and stroked Julianne's little feet as if giving her some tender loving care. What a sweetie, learning to love at such a young age.

I'm looking forward to the two of them playing together soon!!

"I wanna be home Mama"

2011-12-17T06:37:00.002+08:00

With Christmas just 10 days away, I badly needed to get my shopping done. Till date, I've only brought Julianne out to very public areas twice; for dim sum lunch to celebrate her 1st month and to church. I really wasn't sure how it was gonna turn out but I thought now that we have the stroller, perhaps things won't be too bad.

So I had her diaper bag all packed the day before, picked out her clothes and made sure both dearie and I got ourselves orientated with her new Bugaboo Bee stroller. We gave her an early wash up and by 9am, she was all ready for her excursion. I had my shopping strategy all worked out hoping to complete it in 2 hours before lunch with my grandparents.

My plan to reach town by 10am didn't materialise - lesson to self: forget about scheduling with baby. Thankfully Julianne fell asleep in the car on the ride to town (which I had hoped) so I managed to shop in peace for about 30 minutes. But with 15 items on my shopping list, I only completed three by noon and then our dear pumpkin woke up.

I managed to check off two more items on my list while Grandma carried her. You should have seen me, I was literally running inside Takashimaya to get from one boutique to another! Managed a 2-hour dim-sum lunch with the grandparents carrying her in my arms half the time before making another dash to try get more shopping done.

By 3pm, I was done with 10 items, a sleepy and hungry daughter and a very stressed out me. I was very proud of Julianne though, no meltdowns, just wanting to be carried as usual. I know she was tired cos she didn't sleep since 6am but she held up real well. Even when it was time to eat and I couldn't feed her cos we were waiting for Papa to drive the car over, she just happily sucked on her tiny fist and exercised patience!

But the outing left her totally stimulated she didn't go down for her nap till 5pm and happily slept past her next feed. When we tried to give her a bathe, she was clearly way to sleepy and I couldn't bear to wake her up with all that splish-splash so we made do with only a clean up.

I don't know how some of these mothers do it lagging their week old baby around town. I honestly find it too stressful for myself and for the child. I think Julianne is happier at home, napping on Por Por's bed, eating when she's hungry and breathing in fresher air than that of the malls.

No more shopping with her in toll for a while now. Home is better.

Sophie's Home!!

2011-12-15T11:46:00.001+08:00

Sophie the cutie!, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

The little one cutie one is home and had a ball(oon) of a fun yesterday chasing after balloons and serving everyone ice-cream! ... It so nice to have her, my sis and Jude back! She's the cutest and her vocabulary amazes everyone - down to her grammer! Its almost scary.

The two cousins finally met yesterday and it was the sweetest thing when Sophie planted Baby Julianne a little kiss on the forehead! Awww ... sweet child. Later that evening, she even washed Julianne's hair! Can't wait for Julianne to grow up so that she can play with her adorable cousin!

Its so nice to have family home. With Sophie and Julianne, our family is growing merrily. What blessings! I know the grandparents are happy - although Grandma just have to learn to live with the mess as the house turns into a play-school for the next 3 weeks!

Time Out

2011-12-09T13:09:00.001+08:00

This morning at 7am, out of exhaustion from looking after Julianne last night, I drove the car out for the first time in 2 months - just me, myself and I, let the windows down and breathed the 7am fresh air, went to the market to get breakfast for the family and finally saw human activities not related to milk, pooping or babies.

It felt really good. Really really good.

Before I left, I told the hubs to take care of Jules. Guess what greeted me when I came home from my short 15 minutes getaway? The entire family - Gong Gong, Por Por and Papa - waiting for me in the living room downstairs with Julianne on her gym mat. It was a funny sight. As if they couldn't wait to return my darling fussy daughter to me.

Oh well, 15 minutes better than nothing and then we start the whole nursing, pooping, rocking and singing all over again.

This everyone is my beautiful life.

Fifi Yew . . .

2011-12-08T13:55:00.001+08:00

Only my niece can be a scientist, fairy princess and ballerina in a tutu all at the same time and still look so darn adorable!!

5 more days to Sophie cuteness!! Yiyi can't wait for you to come back! See you soon!! Baby Julianne is waiting for you to tickle her!

Precious ....

2011-12-08T10:50:00.001+08:00

How to be angry with such a face even when she sometimes refuses to sleep, cries and wants Papa and Mama to wake up with her at 5am?

At 5 weeks, Julianne is growing into such an adorable child with a personality of her own. She likes people to be gentle with her that means rocking, singing and talking to her gently. During her occasional meltdowns, only Mama's gentle talking will calm her down. I'm convinced she has come to recognise my voice and even my face (maybe its more the smell of milk).

She is generally a good-natured baby and honestly hasn't been too difficult, lest for the few off-days. Few things make her cry - (1) Coming out from her bathe. She gets upset with us for taking her out of the water so changing her into her PJs can sometimes be such a challenge. (2) The feed before bed has been challenging. For some reason, she will struggle at the breast, wanting to eat yet refusing it. And strangely, its only this feed. We're still trying to figure out what the reason could be. I'm guessing either she's really tired or she's not hungry cos sometimes, I nurse her just to get her to bed even though it isn't quite a feed time.

I'm enjoying spending my day with her even if it means having nursing, changing of poopy diapers and rocking her to sleep on repeat mode for a good 10 hours before the rest of the family comes home. The wonderful hubs now tries to come back for lunch whenever he can and gets to spend that additional time with Julianne even though its just a short hour or so. Even if she's sleeping, he's happy just looking at her snooze.

Julianne now weighs in at a healthy 4.35kg. Thank God all that hard work nursing her didn't go to waste! She has also grown 2cm measuring 53cm now. At last week's visit to Dr Yip, she had her 1st boo-boo since we were discharged. It was her 2nd Hep B shot. What was I thinking when I wondered if she would be brave enough not to cry ... well clearly she did but a 20sec cry for a 5 week old ain't too bad I suppose.

Oh and we finally cut those nails of hers yesterday after she scratched herself real bad near her right eye. Yiyi Sam did a great job while Jules was sleeping. The first few fingers were a little stressful but we got the hang of it!

I'm typing this entry with her sleeping in my arms cos she refuses to be put down - as usual. Yes, I've mastered the art of multi-tasking - the things motherhood does to you.

Letters to Julianne #2

2011-12-01T14:28:00.001+08:00

Dearest Julianne,

You are one month old today! Just how awesome is that! I hope you have enjoyed every bite of the past 30 days in this world! With all the milk, kisses and cuddles you've been getting, what's there not to like right?

Well, you definitely came and did what we knew you were gonna do - change our lives forever! In the past month, Mama hasn't slept more than a 2 hours stretch, hasn't watched TV, smell of milk all day, had my breast thumped countless times when you have a meltdown, have been going to bed with my glasses on, hair bun up and sang "Jesus Loves Me" a million times. But Mama has also been greeted with the sweetest morning smiles, looked into the face of the most contented baby after a feed - as if saying "Thanks Mama, that was yummy"!

You had your fussy days, like last night when you kept me up from 12mn to 5.30am and this morning when you simply refuse to be put to bed. It's like you knew you were 1 month old and wanted to have a party and decided it was no fun having a party alone so Mama had to join you too rocking and singing with you all night! You sure thought it was fun didn't you? Mama didn't find it very fun though and was running out of patience at that party. It's something I'm still learning so be patient with me ok?

Your favourite time of the day is clearly between the hours of 6pm and 7pm when everyone comes home and gives you all their attention. You enjoy the attention and are always on your best behaviour. Sometimes I think you like to bully Mama cos when everyone leaves for work and its just you and me, the naughty side of Julianne Foo is revealed.

We've introduced you to pretty much everyone you need to know. You've received many presents (mostly pretty clothes thankfully) and love gifts in the past month. You're one blessed child. We even brought you to see Dr Liang and the nurses when we brought them your man-yue cakes. Our journey to having you wasn't easy and she knew that so Dr Liang was especially happy for Papa & Mama. We also threw you a little full month party where Papa and Mama's close colleagues and friends got to see you. You're get to see more relatives over the Christmas party coming up real soon!

You're no longer that tiny 3.1kg baby we brought home from hospital. By your first pediatrician check up with Dr Yip, you had gone back to your birth weight. We tried weighing you at home and think you're probably in the region of 3.8kg - 4kg now. We'll know tomorrow when we see Dr Yip again. On your features, thus far, the verdict has been that you look like Papa. Oh well, Mama takes after Gong Gong too so looking like Papa can't be a bad thing. I chose to think you have the best of both of us - top half like Papa (good thing you inherited his long eye lashes), bottom half like Mama - the Koh chin for sure! Whatever it is, you're beautifully and wonderfully created!

December is going to be even more excited Julianne. Your cousin Sophie is coming home and that's gonna be the highlight of the month. Mama can't wait for the both of you to meet and for Yiyi Rene and Uncle Jude to finally see you! We'll be going partying with Christmas here and lots of other baby cousins whom you'll meet. This Sunday, we're taking you to church to see all the uncles and aunties who have been asking after you. Aint' you excited? But they don't sing "Jesus Loves Me" at church so I hope you'll like the other songs they sing. We'll also be moving into a new room and giving you a new bed soon - you gotta thank Yiyi Sam and Yiyi Rene for giving up their room for us. Big shot huh you?

It sometimes seems so surreal that you're finally here and here to stay. You are so very precious Julianne and in spite of all the meltdowns and difficult moments, Mama wants you to know that I love you with all my heart.

Happy 1st month my sweet sweet Julianne.

Love,

Mama

November . . .

2011-11-30T12:40:00.001+08:00

What a month it has been ... a month filled with a whole concoction of emotions; excitement, anxiety, joy, pain, worry, frustration and absolute bliss.

I won't have gotten through the month without the love and support of family who made coping with my new role as mother alot easier.

There was grandma who took a good part of the month off to take care of me and Julianne. Making sure I was will nourished and helping me take care of Julianne by rocking her so that I could get some rest. She thankfully wasn't too strict about all that confinement rules, I got to bath (and wash my hair), by the end of the 2nd week, was happily in my shorts and tees again, managed to steal some sips of cold ribena and orange juice and was thankfully spared of all that longan drink and gingery food when I came down with a sore throat by the end of the 2nd week.

And grandpa who though can't do much of that rocking and cooking delights Julianne every evening with his conversations with grandpa moments. She'll listen attentively, as if understanding every word Gong Gong is saying. It really is quite a delight to watch. Not forgetting those little kisses he plants on her every now and then, Julianne is so loved.

Then there is Yiyi Sam who loves to entertain Julianne with her favourite stuff toy - Angel. In the midst of her A-levels, she took time to give Julianne daily cuddles (under my close supervision no less) and sing her the rubber duckie song during bath time. The only thing she hasn't done is change Baby J's poopy diaper.

And giving support and love from afar - my sister Serene and little Sophie - whose advise over What's App and Skype has been most helpful in calming my anxiety and worries. I've asked her everything from breastfeeding concerns to sleep patterns to poop issues. Don't know how she went through all this without as much family support as I'm having now - I salute you Chets! And there was Sophie, who calls out Baby J in her sweetest voice going "Baby Julianne". Those moments when she wanted to tickle Julianne over Skype was simply adorable. Can't wait for them to come back in 2 weeks and for the cousins to meet!!

And how can I forget the Papa who has been such a wonderful source of love and support. He is my resource person - checking the internet for info each time I have some concern about how Julianne was doing. He helps us at night despite having to work the next day by helping with at least one of the night feeds and the diaper changes in between so that I can catch some extended rest. He rushes home every evening from work just so that he can spend that precious 1 hour or so with Julianne before she goes to bed. And did I mention he has been the one bathing her ever since, I've merely been assisting. They only think that is making him a little sad is that Baby J hasn't quite taken to him carrying her; we're still working on that.

I feel blessed. Motherhood has been quite an experience to say the least but by the grace of God and and love of my family, I'm surviving and enjoying the journey. Praise the Lord!

18 days old

2011-11-19T11:49:00.001+08:00

18 Days Old, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

Day 18 turned out to be quite a nightmare for me at least for a good 12 hours. Julianne simply refused to be put to sleep and stayed awake from 9am to 9pm with just what was a short 45 minutes cat nap in between. It was completely out of sync with her usual routine since we came home so I got really frustrated and worried all at the same time wondering if she was unwell, or if it was something I ate that was keeping her awake. I've been reading that newborns typically sleep up to 16-18 hours a day so staying awake for 12 hours was simply not the norm!

Thank God for sisters and mummy-friends who lent good advise and share similar problems with their newborns. I felt a little more comforted knowing I wasn't alone in this not-sleeping business.

Other than yesterday's fussiness, Julianne has thankfully actually been a really good girl. Here's a peek in her typically day .....

745am: Gets a goodbye kiss from Papa before he leaves for work and continues her beauty sleep

9am: Starts stirring up from her slumber. Slowly opening her eyes. When she sees me, she greets me with the biggest smile. Its the best thing to wake up to. She only started smiling like this a few days ago and she does that just hearing my voice and hearing me call out "Good morning Sunshine"!

930am: She gets her morning wash-up; cleaning her eyes, face and a diaper change before changing out of her PJs into her comfy home-wear including long oversized pants which grandma insists she wears.

930am - 11am: I give her some awake time, playing in grandma's room, talking with her. She's most alert at this time of the day! She'll give you her most attentive stare with her eyes wide open. She'll coo as you speak to her as though wanting to give you a response.

11am: I usually give her a feed to try to nurse her to bed. This though is typically her fussiest time when nursing doesn't get her to sleep. She'll doze off while drinking and when I put her down on the bed, she'll get up again. This is the time I start my solo karaoke session and you'll start hearing "Hush Little Baby" and "Jesus Loves the Little Children" on repeat play for the next hour or so.

12noon: On a good day, she'll be asleep. On a bad one, we continue the singing cum rocking session. I break for lunch while our helper watches over her.

2pm: I give her another feed and here's when she *really* goes down for a good afternoon siesta. She will sleep till about 5ish/6pm waking for a feed in between.

630pm: By this time, she's usually pretty awake lying on her skip-hop farmyard gym mat and waiting for her Papa to come home. She'll be on her best behaviour never greeting her Papa with her cries which she occasionally showers on her me during the day. This is also the time when everyone's including Gong Gong and Yiyi Sam are home so everyone gets to play with her.

715pm: We thankfully still manage to sit down as a family for a proper dinner while our helper; Joy; watches her. Joy has been pretty good with her so hopefully things won't be too difficult when I return to work next year.

8pm: We get ready to bath her which in her early days use to be this huge Operation involving the grandparents and you-tube playing elmo & the rubber duckie song. But she's came to really enjoy her bathe these days and we've also gotten the hang of things so now its left to Papa and Mama. It's easily her other favourite time of the day apart from feeding and poo-ing time. She's dressed in her comfy PJs all nice smelling of California Baby shampoo.

815pm: We bring her to Por Por's room for a little time with the grandparents before she says her goodnight to them and Yiyi Sam (which until now has been more of "Good luck for tomorrow's paper"). I nurse her, once she's done, we pack her into her swaddle and lullaby her to bed.

9pm: Once in deep sleep and we place her into her crib. She takes what is typically her longest sleep, sometimes 4hours, going past her 3-hour feed interval.

9pm-745am: She wakes up for about 3 feeds on average, falling right back to bed after each. We usually give her a bottle of my expressed milk for her first feed after her 9pm one so that Papa too can experience the bond when feeding her. It also gives me the time to go pump so that I don't go to bed (or 3 hours naps I call them) feeling all engorged.

And there readers is the life of 19 day old Julianne Foo.

From Yiyi Sam . . .

2011-11-12T16:52:00.001+08:00

Julianne was already 3 days old when I finally got to read this post from my sister Samantha and it was just the sweetest thing.

I'm re-blogging it here in case my sister decides to close her blog one day (which she has a tendency to) and I never read this again.

***

It’s going to be a very special night for these 2 very special humans (:

(FIRST OF ALL, can i just say that I am kinda disappointed that we didn’t get the whole wake-up-at-3am-emergency-waterbag-burst drama. was really looking forward to that.)

Anyhoo, Sherri Koh is gonna get induced tomorrow morning and we just gave her a send off to the hospital (:

Honestly, as much as people know me for my excitement to be a mother and my innate love for little kiddos, my sisters’ pregnancy has taught me that childbirth and motherhood are rather huge tasks to rise up to. When my oldest sister was pregnant, she was pregnant 200000 miles from home, and i guess that distanced me from the reality of it all. But over the past 9 months with Sherri pregnant, i really got to see the process up close and experience each milestone with her right next to me. Initially i thought it would just be her getting physically bigger..but it’s really not. Over the past 9 months, my sister grew up. I could see that while she expanded her waistline, she was also expanding her heart..to make room to love another human being with more love than she would possibly ever experience. Each day i saw her falling in love with that baby bump that quickly evolved into a baby mountain. She would talk to it, rub it, sing to it..it’s like they went out on dates everyday for the past 9 months and finally tomorrow they’d meet each other face to face. For my sis, that bump would become a child. And for Julianne, that voice would become a mother.

There is something beautiful about witnessing the process of pregnancy. A beauty that I, with my limited ability to express my thoughts, can never ever describe.

Erer, by the time you read this, you’d probably already have Juju in your arms. But i just wanna say that you’re gonna be a wonderful mother, just as you are and always will be a wonderful sister. I love you! And Piao, please don’t faint in the delivery ward. You’re gonna be a super Dad too (:

And i leave you 2 with this! In commemoration of your last night as being just the 2 of you, and waking up tomorrow with just hours away to being the 3 of you:

“With child: there’s a lovely warm sound to that expression, an archaic but tender acknowledgement that for nine months you have company wherever you go.”

-Lionel Shriver

I believe it was a lovely adventure. But now it’s time for another one. One that is greater, grander, and more permanent (:

Letters to Julianne #1

2011-11-11T12:39:00.001+08:00

Beautiful Julianne, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

Dearest Julianne,

We waited 40 weeks and 1 day for your grand arrival. On the appointed day, you still insisted on taking your own sweet time, believing that since its *your* birthday then only you had the right to choose the exact hour of your birth. You must like the number '3' very much. Yes, that's like us - our little family of 3.

Over the past 40 weeks, Mama lived each day by faith that God will protect you, keep you healthy and bring you safely into this world. Having gone through a previous lost, Mama sometimes lived my days in fear and anxiety even right to the very hour of your birth. As I cradled you in my arms, I can only chide myself for having little faith sometimes. Indeed our God is faithful. During Mama and Papa's honeymoon 2 years ago, God spoke to me and promised me a 2011 baby. And here you are, just as God had promised.

"We prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted what we asked for" - 1 Samuel 1:27

You came, turned my night into day and my day into night. I've learnt to put aside my obsession with routine and schedules and allowed you to take over as my official planner - my life now revolves around your cues and cries. For the first time in 32 years, I didn't bother having candles on my birthday cake, I was just thankful you made it home with us on that day - it was the best present I could ever ask for. Papa and Mama spent our 3rd Wedding Anniversary without any fanfare, just us and you Julianne and that was all that mattered.

I want you to know how very precious you are to me and Papa. You have been beautifully and wonderfully created in the image of God and God has done such a great job with you. Know my child that you are so loved. Loved by everyone in the family, loved by us, loved by God.

Welcome to our world dear Julianne. Mama promise to do all I can and more to make this place a safe and happy one for you!

Love you so much,

Mama

Pain Redefined

2011-11-10T17:07:00.001+08:00

The previous post was the happy part of the labour process. After Dr Chan stitched me up, I was all ready to retreat back into the room, just us, our little family of three. After some skin to skin time with Julianne, the nurses brought her back to the nursery for a complete routine check. I was told my parents and sister were waiting excitedly outside - it was comforting to know that as I was tirelessly pushing, family was cheering me on from outside.

I stayed on in the delivery suite for observation as I was running a mild temperature. Dr Chan takes his leave and we thanked him for all the assistance. Told him to also bring Dr Liang the good news of Julianne's arrival.

11.15pm: Before sending me back to the ward, the nurses attempted to drain my bladder only to find that my uterus wasn't contracting as it should. Nurse Yang examines me and tells me she needed to check me further and it may cause some discomfort.

11.30pm: 1st Pain: She performs what has got to be the most excruciating pain ever experience in my life. I'm dead serious. By this time, my happidural wasn't so happy anymore as it had started to wear off. So when the nurse examines me with her bare hands, I really screamed murder! She tells us that I had blood clots in my uterus which explains why it wasn't contracting and that they had to ensure that the clots were removed before sending me back to the ward.

12mn: 2nd Pain - she returns to perform yet another check. I really hated it. She suggested I used the laughing gas to distraught me from the pain so we did. There she went again, 2nd examination. The laughing gas was rubbish and did nothing to help. I screamed like I never did before and was really to rip dearie's arm off. There were still clots and I could sense some serious concern in Nurse Yang's voice and she explained what was happening. My BP was also starting to drop. In my state of pain and bluriness, I heard them saying "Call Dr Chan" and that got me really worried. In the meantime, she left us, asking dearie to massage my tummy to help rid the clots. The nurse from the nursery also ask for permission to give Julianne some formula since I was not in the right state of breastfeed. As much as I had wanted to exclusively breastfeed her, it was what was best for her at that point.

2nd November

12.15am: 3rd Pain - Every time I see her back in the room, my heart will tremble. When she says she is going to check me, trust me, I gave her poor puppy looking face and literally beg her not to. No prizes for guessing who wins. So there we go again, with that useless laughing gas.

12.30am: At this point, I thought I was in some severe condition. Dr Chan returns and repeats that horrendous act of clearing my clots with his bare hands just like what Nurse Yang had done but longer and 10 folds more painful. My scream could bring the hospital down but I couldn't care less. I probably also scratched the nurse and the husband who was holding onto me. After what was like an eternity of pain, Dr Chan explained what was happening but I wasn't in the right state of mind to understand anything.

1am: Dr Chan leaves and I continue to be kept behind for observation. Dearie was instructed to massage me to help the uterus contract.

1am - 3am: I think I went through two more rounds of checks being told each time things looked better and hoping that that meant no more checks.

4am: Finally at 4am, after being in the delivery suite for some 22 hours, thirsty, hungry, in pain and running a temperature, Nurse Yang does one last check and allows me to return to the ward. I was just glad my ordeal was over. I apologised to Nurse Yang and thank her for putting up with my screams and struggles over the last few hours. I felt bad cos I know my struggling didn't make her job easier but the pain was truly beyond unbearable and I have *never* in my life felt gone through anything close to this.

The post delivery trauma rated 100 on a pain score of 10 and made the actual labour seem like an absolute painless experience.

I now have new found respect for nurses who had to put up with all my crap, clean me up and make sure I was in the right condition to be discharged from the labour ward. And thank God for our gynae who returned to check on my condition or I would have probably bled to death.

Looking at Julianne the next day more than made up for what I had gone through. How truly precious was our daughter and I couldn't be more thankful to God placing her safely in my arms.

Julianne

2011-11-08T22:07:00.000+08:00

Julianne Foo

Born 01.11.11

Weighing 3.33kg and 51cm long

After some 15 hours of labour, our precious Julianne finally decided that 21:33hr was her appointed time to finally say "Hello world"!

31st Oct 2011

9pm: Settled into our room at Gleneagles all excited at the prospect of meeting our precious one soon

9.30pm: Sister Koh comes in and gives me my pitocin which is suppose to help soften the cervix get the dilation going. I was that my water bag may burst and I may still go into labour that night. She straps me to the machine to monitor my contractions and Julianne's heart rate for the next hour.

10.30pm: Machine off. Dearie and I even sneaked in an episode of the DVD drame we brought with us.

12mn: Off to bed with some mild contractions believing that maybe, just maybe Julianne will give me all that night-labour drama.

1st Nov 2011

5am: No drama last night. I'm awaken by Nurse So who administered enema to help me clear my bowels

5:40am: Was served some toast and milo. I only managed 1 slice of bread no knowing this was the last meal I was going to have till 23 hours later.

6am: We make our way to the delivery suite, spirits all high! Dearie armed with his camera and ipad all ready to document Julianne's birth!

7.45am: Dr Tay our anesthetist comes in to give me God's best gift to mothers in labour - the epidural or what Dr Chan calls the happidural! He did such a wonderful job, pain score was really 0. He was chatting with me all the time, taught me some breathing exercise and it helped to take whatever pain there was suppose to be away. He even said I had zero fat in my back when he administered the epidural and how I must have been spared of Dr Chan's nagging on weight issues.

8.30am: Dr Chan arrives, breaks my waterbag painlessly, checks my dilation only to inform as that it was barely 2cm. "8 more hours to go" was all I heard after that. I thought he was joking really. But no, he was dead serious. "Your cervix isn't cooperating, still very tight". I got a little discouraged but he didn't seem too concern, I guess he has seen many of such cases so he just told us to rest and wait.

11.30am: The nurse does a check on how far we have progressed and I was told, barely 2.5cm. Wasn't it suppose to be 1cm every hour? We should have been around 5cm by this time! I started to get worried that at this rate, Julianne may go into distress or that I may end up with an emergency c-section.

1:45pm: Dr Chan returns to check on me. *Still* at 2cm! But we were told the cervix had soften significantly and hopefully things will start moving faster from here. He instructs the nurses to increase my oxytocin doses to move the contractions along.

2pm: I start to feel I was running a fever. But this time, 8 hours since we arrived in the delivery suite, I was losing all excitement and steam. Dearie was a champion, reading the news to me, feeding me small little sips of water which was all that I was allowed in case we had to go for c-section.

2.30pm: Rev Joel messages me to check on things and I update him that it seemed we still had some way to go. I asked him to pray for us. Moments later, he called and we prayed over the phone. We claimed God's ways to move the labour along and that I will not fear for He was in absolute control.

3pm: Dearie and I start some breathing exercises to help manage the contractions that seem to get stronger. We kept praying, commanding my cervix to open up in the name of Jesus.

5.30pm: 11 hours later. The nurses check on me again. 5cm with very very thinned out cervix!! Plus I started to have some "show". Praise God! We continued with the breathing and praying! I was very drained out by this time. My face was all flushed, I was tired, in mild pain and worried all at the same time.

7pm: Our every helpful nurses return for another check. 7.5cm I was told! Almost 8cm. She helped me stretched my cervix as the contractions came on. Just needed to get it to 8cm and we would most likely avoid a c-section. So the nurses helped me along and proceeded to update Dr Chan who was still in his clinic on my status.

7.45pm: Dr Chan arrives and measures me! "Just fully dilated" was all I needed to hear!! God is good!! But Julianne's head was still pretty high so we continued the wait. The contractions were getting stronger. The nurses stood by me, encouraging me to breathe and to push at the right time.

8:30pm: I was told to start pushing each time I felt a contraction. They lowered my epidural dosage so that I could feel some degree of pain which was helpful in the whole pushing business. I did as told with my husband by my side encouraging me along.

9pm: I was close to giving up. The feeling was like heavily constipated 100 folds over. I was screaming "Get her out, I can't do this anymore"!! Julianne's head was huge and it seem that I wasn't making very good progress with the pushing although the nurses and dearie kept cheered me along, telling me I was doing good.

9:15pm: Dr Chan arrives and suggest that we go with an assisted delivery using the forceps. At that point, I was just exhausted and worried that she would go into distress so whatever, just get her out! He even bothered explained that the forceps was centuries old instrument and made sure we were clear about some side effects it would have - marks on the face which will clear up within days. I really didn't care and I knew there was no harm in using them so I just nodded and nodded hoping he would just get on with it.

9:30pm: I was asked to push as Dr Chan worked his magic and as the nurses assisted him.

9:33pm: Julianne Foo arrives into our world, placed on my bosom. As her eyes met mine, I found myself falling in love all over again. This time, with God's beautiful creation. Every minute of the last 15 hours was so worth the pain.

Beautiful Nine Months

2011-10-31T14:34:00.001+08:00

Beautiful Nine Months, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

DearestBaby J,

Ina few hours, the nurses at Gleneagles will be sending you an invitation, aninvite to the world. Hopefully byafternoon tomorrow, (depending on how cooperative you are), we will see you forthe first time. After 40 fullweeks of going where Mama went and eating what Mama ate, you are finally goingto have a life you can call your very own.

Iam going to miss having you in utero. Your mischievous kicks and tiny hiccups are definitely something I’mgoing to miss. They were ourspecial moments and no one shared in those moments as much as I did. I will recall how Mama was constantlyobsessed with whether you were active enough (you averaged 10 kicks in 15minutes) and how I got worried just the same when you started going crazy withyour kicks (hitting 10 kicks in under 5 minutes) making me think you were indistress!

Mamaand Papa found out about you on the morning of 17^th February thisyear. It was the last day of theLunar New Year. We didn’t tellanyone and Mama still happily went to work in my 4” heels. It was a very pleasant surprise, Mamaremember going through the day in a little disbelieve. Our God is good. Your Yiyi Rene was the first to findout about you! Three days later,Mama did a test again just to be really sure you were there and this time, thereality sank in a little deeper. We happily shared the news with your Por Por, Gong Gong and Yiyi Sam.

Overthe past nine months, you have been well looked after by everyone in thefamily. The nourishing meals PorPor prepares for you, not forgetting all the bird’s nest. The many pretty clothes that Yiyi Renesent home and how Yiyi Sam always entertains you after dinner. And there’s Gong Gong who’s mostinterested in making sure your bassinet and car seat were properly set up. Andof course the hero Papa who has been your biggest fan! We hope you have enjoyedyour nine months stay in Mama’s tummy. It’s now time to say “hello world”!

Wehave been praying for you unceasingly everyday. You are such a precious gift from God and He has been sofaithful in answering all our prayers, taking away all our fears andanxieties. You have brought mecloser to God. You have broughtyour Papa closer to God. At thisage and God is already making use of you to do great things for Him. It is Mama’s prayer that we will bringyou up in a manner that will honour and be pleasing to Him so that you may goon to do great things for Him.

Welove you very much Baby J and we cannot wait to see you so very soon! Our livesare about to change forever and we are so glad you are the reason for it.

Loveyou much,

Mama

Fashionably Late

2011-10-27T21:02:00.002+08:00

She has been a pretty punctual kiddo thus far. During the first trimester, her alarm clock was set at 6pm - the time Mama would start feeling nauseated. At 13 weeks, the 1st trimester queasiness went away just like what the books said. Punctual yet again. But somehow, between week 14 and 40, our daughter forgot all about being punctual and have chosen instead to be a fashionably late baby.

And so, with no sign of her yet at full term, Dr C has decided today that we need to issue Baby J an invitation instead. Prima donna this one. So if nothing happens between now and Monday, we'll be admitted on Monday evening to be induced. So by Tuesday, 1.11.11, the stork will have landed.

At today's examination, I was told I'm barely dilated. I'm feeling a little anxious that this may mean I'm in for a long labour. Please pray with us that we will have a safe and smooth delivery and that the induction will be a success.

Apple Cheeks

2011-10-21T16:28:00.001+08:00

Baby J @ 39 weeks, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

We're at 39 weeks and clearly our daughter is still all comfy in there and not quite willing to come out just yet. At today's gynae visit, we were told soon, next week likely so Baby J, please be good and come out soon. You're already 3.2kg. Get too big and Mama is going to have trouble getting you out.

We got some really nice shots of her today and I think baby J looks alot like her cousin Sophie! Dr C likes to make fun of her chubby cheeks. He called them apple cheeks today. I never thought my pre-pregnancy considerably small frame could carry a 3.2kg heavy baby with such chubbiness really.

Its just a waiting game now. I go to sleep every night wondering if this will be THE night ... everyone in the family is making a guess on when she'll arrive. Dad and Sam have their bets on this weekend, the hubs think mid next week - which makes it my sister's birthday, while I have a nagging feeling she may go pass her expected due date. Oh well, its anybody's guess.

Stay tune!

Nesting

2011-10-13T16:52:00.001+08:00

Just in time for tea, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

I've officially started my leave. No work till 1st March 2012!!! Woohoo!!! Before Baby J arrives, this really is the best time to just have some "me-time". Chill, laze and relax. I'm trying really hard to be still - not quite something I'm accustomed to. I did pretty well yesterday - watched Food Network, worked on my sewing and pretty much kept still at the couch all day in the cool rainy weather.

But my stillness lasted only a day. I just had to find something to do today. So other than whipping up lunch, I decided Baby J and I could do with some baking fun! So just in time for tea, we put together some bananas, illy ground espresso, choc chip and the usual flour, butter, sugar and eggs and 25 minutes later *ta-da*- banana espresso choc chip muffin!! We just munched it down - moist and delicious to every bite!!!

When Baby J is old enough, I think she's gonna enjoy baking adventures with Mama!! Can't wait!!

Chubby chubby chubby . . .

2011-10-08T13:36:00.001+08:00

Baby J and her drumstick arm a video by pz.sher on Flickr.

In the words of Dr C ... "She's got chubby cheeks, even her arms are meaty ... nice drumstick to eat"

Here's Baby J at 37 weeks weighing a nice 2.7kg.

The count down starts now!!

Lost of a Creative Genius

2011-10-06T18:37:00.000+08:00

Steve Jobs

1955 - 2011

To the boy who turns 35!

2011-10-04T22:14:00.001+08:00

Dearie's 35th Birthday!, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

When we found out Baby J was due end Oct, we were wondering if she may so decide to arrive on her Papa's birthday. Well clearly, she didn't want to share her special day with anyone, not even her Papa so yes, its still just us two, celebrating dearie's 35th!

We took the day off and it was a perfect day to laze at home with the early morning rain that kept the weather cool throughout the day. I busied myself in the kitchen all day fixing up a lunch of eggs benedict with parma ham (which erhm, didn't quite turn out as it should cos we failed on the hollandaise sauce but oh well, never mind that, what mattered was that we both had fun in the kitchen!). Chilled the afternoon away watching DVDs and working on my cross stitch. Such bliss!

On the dinner menu today was mentaiko pasta and grilled lamp chops. Since I stumbled on Chubby Hubby's recipe a few years ago, I've faithfully followed his recipe each time I whipped up mentaiko pasta. It's not often that I do cos the dish is just too decadent, you can't afford to eat it often - trust me, your heart will thank you. But it's amongst one of the hub's favourite pasta that I whip up so on his special day, I had to indulge him.

We winded up the day with some yummy banoffee tart and cupcakes from the good people at the MilkBar. I like the banoffee tart alot more than the cupcakes though. Presented the hubs with his pressies and made him a very happy boy!! I think Baby J knows its a special day. She's been kicking all day and got really excited when we sang "Happy Birthday". She even obediently responded when I asked her to wish Papa "Happy Birthday" by giving him a kick! How adorable can she get!! ....

Happy Birthday Dearie!!

Before Two Becomes Three

2011-10-02T20:20:00.001+08:00

Our Babymoon, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

One of our travel plans this year before we found out about Baby J was to visit Spain. Then Baby J came along and we thought we'll save the money we would have blown on a Europe holiday and settle for somewhere nearer. So Melbourne came to mind and we were close to planning for a trip around April/May. But we had to shelve those plans when Dr C said I had a low lying placenta and should therefore be more careful so we decided OK, maybe we should wait till after our 20th week detailed scan. By that time, it was June and the start of a really busy period for me at work all the way till August by which time I would be close to 30 weeks and physically not that all up for travel. And so all travel plans were shelved I resigned to the fact that I'm officially grounded this year - pay back for having travelled 4 times to the US last year!

So just that we get sometime to ourselves before Baby J arrives and changes our lives forever, the hubs packed us away for a 2-night getaway at the Four Seasons Hotel for a pre-wedding anniversary cum Babymoon cum his birthday and my birthday celebration. The last time we were here was to celebrate our 1st anniversary. We didn't make it back last year cos we technically spent the day on the plane en route back from LA. So here we are again albeit about a month in advance.

Our wonderful wedding coordinator arranged a really nice room on their Couples-Only floor complete with thoughtful amenities - selection of love songs, DVDs, lots of pillows (meant for pillow fight which I would have so challenged the hubs to if not for my current state of well .... clumsiness) and even a bath butler! A lovely "Happy Anniversary" cake and mini chocolate fondue was also delivered to our room, compliments from the hotel.

We had a wonderful stay. Not that I was expecting anything less but it was just total relaxation. No need to check work emails, reply to work sms-es, no mindless surfing of the internet. Just us, lazing on the comfy bed and duvet watching TV, indulging the hubs in silly photos, working on my cross -stitch, soaking in hot baths, chilling by the pool and sleeping in till 8am (yes, that's late by my standards).

It was a much needed escape from reality for the both of us. Without sounding too indulgent, I think breaks of this kind once in a while is good for the mind, just to recharge and rejuvenate. This is about the last time the hubs and I are going to have time like this to ourselves. I think I'm going to miss it but I also know what's ahead of us is so much more!

Thank you for a wonderful weekend dearie!

Growing beautifully @ 36 weeks

2011-09-29T21:19:00.001+08:00

Baby J is 36 weeks old!, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

We really can't wait to see you precious little one!!

Love,

Mama & Papa

To Baby J with Love

2011-09-18T20:54:00.001+08:00

To Baby J with Love, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

With most of the items on my must-do-list-before-baby-J-comes crossed out, I decided it was time to work on a little something for our precious one. It was between knitting her a sweater or doing a cross-stitch of her name. In the end, I decided to go with something more familiar - cross stitch. I remember working on something similar for my younger sis 18 years ago. I also did one for the hubs some years back. Little Sophie too had her share of Yiyi's love when I altered some wooden alphabets with cute lady bug patterned paper! So of course Baby J wasn't gonna miss out on a love gift from Mama. It's just that this Mama took 8 months to get started on Project Love. With more time on my hands now that I'm clearing block leave and with my tummy getting so huge that all I want to do on weekends is laze at home, I figured it's a good time to keep myself occupied with putting this together for Baby J.

I ain't very fast with this whole cross-stitch business. 4 hours yesterday and all I finished was what you see here. We brilliantly gave our daughter a fairly long name so it looks like Project Love will take a while before we see the finished product.

Stay tune to see the progress!

Happy Mid Autumn Festival!!

2011-09-12T21:31:00.001+08:00

Mid Autumn Festival, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

There's something about decorating the garden with pretty lighted lanterns and sipping chinese tea while savouring some mooncakes. I'm glad our family still preserves some of these tradition.

Baby J @ 33 weeks!!

2011-09-09T22:05:00.002+08:00

Our beautiful daughter is 33 weeks, 2.2kg, at the 70th percentile for her fetal age and

wonderfully created in His image!

Love you Baby J!!

When Mondays aren't blue

2011-09-05T13:36:00.005+08:00

We're on leave today with nothing specifically planned for the day. I have tons of leave to clear and the hubs just decided he'll stay home with me and Baby J. It's nice sleeping in on a Monday knowing we have the entire day just to laze. But those who know me know that 'laze' doesn't exist in my vocabulary. Yes even at 32 weeks pregnant, I find it hard to 'just laze'. So here's what I've been up and about doing since 730am.

Prepared a breakfast of oatmeal for the recovering-from-pulse surgery father
Went for a nice brisk walk while the hubs did his 5km run
Made oatmeal for the hub's breakkie
Organised Baby J's newly laundered clothes and brought out her socks and hats for the wash
Went out to get the father a swimming float to sit on. We ended up with a yellow tweety bird float which I think Sophie can use when she's back
Mixed flour, butter, eggs, mash bananas and choc chip together and made a yummilicious banana choc chip loaf. I think Baby J liked it alot cos when I had it for tea, she was dancing big time!
Put together the parma ham we bought yesterday, brie cheese, olives and semi dried tomatoes to feed a greedy father, husband and cheese-crazy sister. Of course, I had no share in the said lunch. I was happy with left over lasagna from last night's Peperoni take out
Indulged the hubs by playing model so that he can perfect his studio photography skills with all the gadgets he bought. He did create some really awesome pregnancy shots though! He's been told he'll be billed in the form of night-feeds

Yap, so it wasn't quite a 'just laze' day. Not that I'm complaining. It was nice just doing mindless things that I enjoy. If the number of kicks she gave me was anything to go by, I think Baby J had a good day too knowing that she didn't have to go to work with Mama but spent the day at home with her Papa, Yiyi and Gong-gong.

Yes, our little girl loves being home and she knows it when she is.

My top 10 pregnancy must-haves

2011-09-03T21:01:00.004+08:00

10.Good pregnancy and parenting books. The What to Expect when You're Expecting was a easy to read guide. I believe most expectant mothers live by it. I also found the La Leche League book on The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding most informative and encouraging when it came to the 101 on Breastfeeding - which I'm hoping I'll be able to do for at least a year. The other good read that we found useful and well written was Dr Medina's Brain Rules for Baby.

9. My hot thermos flask. While most people fought morning sickness, Baby J was more a evening baby, which made my nights in the first tri challenging. Drinking warm water helped so since then, I've always had a flask of hot water in my room. It has accompanied me throughout this pregnancy and its the first thing I consume after waking up - which I read, is good for the body too.

8. Burts Bee belly balm. I've been faithfully applying them since round about 10 weeks. Well its doing a fabulous job so far although I was told genetics play a part to in this stretch-mark business. My sis didn't have it so I'm thinking belly balm or not, I may have been spared too. Still, doesn't hurt to apply.

7. The Leachco Preggie pillow that helps me with a better night sleep especially in the 3rd tri.

6. My Ferragamo "My Joy" ballet flats. I bought this on one of my many trips to the US last year. It certainly came in handy since I had to ditch my 4" heels. Thankfully, my feet hasn't expanded and even if it did a little, the shoe still fit me comfortably.

5. Belly bands. They are the reasons why I still fit into my bottoms today at 32 weeks! Least for a maternity work skirt and one other berms I bought, I actually haven't had to invest in any bottoms despite my growing belly.

4. Ribena. The one food item that has remained essential since Day 1. I thought it was a 1st trimester phase but no. I think I've gone through three 2 litre bottle concentrate already.

3. My mum for all the nutritious soups and meals she prepares for me. For all the bird's nest and chicken extracts she has been brewing. She's a big reason Baby J is growing so well today. We always tell her Por Por feeds her well.

2. My dearest husband for everything he does; from faithfully reminding me to take my vits to making me my comfy bed surrounded with all the pillows so that I stay comfy lying on my left. For looking into all other aspects of Baby J's arrival that don't fall into the fashion and deco department.

1. Our great God who has blessed us with Baby J and who has walked every step of this pregnancy and before with us. We know that our daughter has been beautifully and wonderfully made.

Winding down

2011-08-29T20:34:00.002+08:00

Every year we find ourselves lamenting how fast the year has passed. How it seemed liked yesterday that we ushered into the New Year. For me, I'm just glad we'll be in September in a couple of days. The past months has had its share of excitement, moments of anxiety and fear mixed with days of contentment, peace and thankfulness. Its like a whole multitude of different feelings all concocted together. It's hard to explain.

While coping with all that emotions not forgetting all that hormonal changes taking place, I had to make sure I continued giving my best at work. The last thing I wanted my colleagues to say was that I wasn't doing my job well just because of my pregnancy. It was the perfectionist in me at work - not always a good thing. I'm thankful that I pulled through. August and the months leading up to it was just crazy with a $24 million budget to defend for and a mega career fair to handle. At some point, with all that stress, I was so afraid I was going into preterm labour! I had to constantly remind myself of what my sister said - that some stress is OK for baby!

With the toughest months at work now behind me, I can finally breathe. I'm determined to take September easy preparing my hand-over to my colleague who'll be taking over my portfolio and generally just not freaking out over work. Our EDD is end October but with quite a fair bit of leave to clear, I'll be pretty much staying home for the entire month waiting for Baby J's appointed hour. By God's perfect timing, the management decided too that it was time for my next internal posting so I won't be coming back to my current division after I return from maternity leave. That helps a deal knowing that at least I don't have to spend my 4 months of maternity fretting over the mountain of work to catch up on when go back to work!

So as Baby J approaches 32 weeks in a couple of days, Mama too is starting to wind down at work. I'm so looking forward to my 4 months of leave and even more excited knowing that I'll be spending it with our precious little pumpkin!

Love box from Yiyi

2011-08-16T23:09:00.004+08:00

Love box from Yiyi, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

Three years ago, my sister shipped back a love box - filled with our wedding favours, ribbons, wooden fans, brocade purse and ten thousand other stuff we got for our wedding. Now, fast forward three years and here's what we came home to yesterday!! A similar love box filled with all things baby carrying the Ann Arbor smell - specifically her house's basement - that made us all miss our time there last Christmas!

Other than the stuff I've been purchasing online over the past few months, my sis filled the box with precious hand-me-downs from Sophie that I'll love Baby J to have! Like her "pat pat animal' book that I remember her reading every night before she went to bed when she came home at 4 months, her "praise God" swimming costume that looked adorable on her and I hope will too on Baby J, her first mirror that tickled her so much, I'm sure it'll do the same for Baby J and the many books that Baby J will inherit hopefully with her cousin's intelligence as well!

And so we begin the count down!!! I think we're all set lest for the stroller and crib! That'll come later. Very excited and I'm just glad that far from home she may be, my sis can share in the excitement with us as well as she put this together for us!

Thanks Chets!

Favourite sounds

2011-08-14T21:18:00.002+08:00

As I hit 29 weeks, Baby J's kicks and movements have been getting more forceful. Not that I'm complaining (yet) cos I truly enjoy her kicks even when they hurt - especially when she kicks me at the belly button area!

Its funny how she responses to the various noises though. It's like at 29 weeks, she already knows what she likes and what's on her no-no list. So after observing her for the past few weeks, here're what gets her dancing....

The water from the shower. She better like it as much when she takes her bathe in future!
Elmo's Ducks song
The worship band playing on Sundays
The sound from my mechanical toothbrush. Whenever I brush my teeth, she starts her dancing.
Her dada's voice - I think she's bored with mine. When she hears her dada's voice, its like her world is lighted up! I call him the guest star!

It's all happening very soon and we're clearly very excited as the day draws near. Watch this space as we start the count down!

National day 2011 in photos

2011-08-09T21:40:00.003+08:00

National day 2011 in photos, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

So here's how we spent our National Day ....

skype with the birthday girl who happily showed the world her purple helmet and telling us she's sophie and that she's 2!
a lazy breakkie of kaya toast and soft boiled eggs
seeing grandpa and the dada sweat over fixing up baby J's car seat
yummy lunch with the grandparents, aunts and godbrothers who're finally back for their break. we also had a cake for all the 4 august babies
shopping for baby J's cot but didn't find a suitable one.
picked up dad's birthday present
staring at my tummy for long moments in amazement as I see baby J's kicks and movements. she almost scared her yiyi sam yesterday with a big wave she created!
helping sam - who thinks she's giada - prepare roasted tomatoes to go along with our takeaway pizza dinner
tuning in the the NDP and thanking God for where the nation is today
turning in soon and feeling relaxed knowing that i'm on leave tomorrow!!

Look who's 2!!!

2011-08-08T20:22:00.004+08:00

I hope you liked your Madeline toy & book!! Oh and all the other goodies yiyi threw into the love box!!

Happy birthday to the cutest 2 year old!!!

***Muaaahhh***

I'm Baby J and I'm 25 weeks old!

2011-07-19T20:57:00.006+08:00

Sharp chin - checked!

Pouting lips - checked!

Long fingers - checked!

High nose bridge - checked!

Her features scream she's our daughter and beautiful!

At 25 weeks, she's growing just like she should. Praise God! So precious are our monthly gynae visits where we get to catch a glimpse of her. Today, she was naughty and despite Dr C's nudging, simple refused to move that arm of hers so that we could get a better look. This was all she wanted to reveal as if saying, just wait for me to come out in about 100 days! Yap, 100 days, that's about the time from now to when our lives will change forever.

I still recall writing a blog post 100 days before our wedding, it has been beautiful since. Now 100 days before Baby J arrives, I know it'll be just as beautiful henceforth!

Uncle Piao's Sunglasses

2011-07-15T20:42:00.004+08:00

Conversations with a 23 month old . . .

Sophie: UN...CLE PIAO! (very loudly without prompting with a big smile on seeing her uncle piao appear on skype)

Sophie: where uncle piao sunglasses? (the hubs wasn't wearing his glasses cos he just woke up)

Me & Hubs: (breaks up into laughter, decide to humour her so I took off my glasses and passed it to the hubs to wear)

Sophie: smiles (on seeing the hubs wear my glasses. I take my glasses back)

Sophie: uncle piao wear yi yi sunglasses

Me: (passes the hubs my glasses again)

Sophie: so silly (then breaks up in a big smile)

This little munch'kin can really brighten your day!

Kungfu Panda

2011-07-05T20:44:00.003+08:00

Baby J is just about coming to 24 weeks and always happy to let Mama know that she's around and that she too wants to join in the lives of Dada and Mama!! And that's just what she has become - a huge part of our lives today! Our conversation revolves around her, we sing to her, I think twice before deciding what my next meal should be, making sure that its gonna be good for Baby J too, even strangers come up striking a conversation about my very round belly!

In the last few weeks, what has been really special were those kungfu panda kicks that she has been practicing. What started as little butterfly flutters have today become pretty powerful kungfu kicks!!! Not an easy feat for a barely 24 week old pumpkin. But I look forward to those kicks everyday. They're special moments I share with Baby J and only Mama has exclusive rights to feeling them. The hubs tries to steal a share of such moments in the evening by placing his ear to my tummy but Baby J has been cheeky ... always withdrawing her kicks when she knows Dada is here!

It has been a pretty amazing journey thus far and I'm enjoying every bit of this pregnancy. Yes, I can no longer see my toes and yes, I've long hung up my 4" stilettos, but the privilege of carrying this miracle of life in me is priceless and truly a gift from God. We can only pray that God will grant us the grace to embrace parenthood and bring up Baby J in a way that will honour and please Him.

Halfway mark!

2011-06-11T18:43:00.005+08:00

We're here at the halfway mark!! Praise God!!! What better way to celebrate it then hearing at our 20th week detailed scan that our little pumpkin is growing superbly well!!! If the scan is anything to go by, little pumpkin has a cute little nose, small head, long limbs and loves somersaulting in mama's tummy!!! Oh and baby sure knows her manners, always ready with her trademark wave whenever we see her!

We've been getting increasingly excited about little pumpkin's arrival!! I've to admit we spent most of our 1st trimester feeling anxious more than anything - sorry God for the lack of faith. Now, I'm finally enjoying the pregnancy, loving my time talking to baby with her daddy singing her whatever little nursery rhymes he knows (I think he learnt more from little Sophie than actually recalling them from his childhood days!). Praying for her everyday and giving thanks for this very precious gift that God has so blessed us with.

It's heartwarming knowing that we're not the only ones excited about her arrival. Bringing the little aunt to our ultrasound scan and seeing her get all excited, seeing grandpa hard at work fixing up her pack 'n' play and how grandma comes back from her holiday with cute little outfits for the little pumpkin and not forgetting the big yiyi who's busy making space in her basement for all the amazon orders coming her way and always ready with a tip or two on preparing for little pumpkin's grand entrance!!

Our baby is so loved!!!

Hello Mama are you there?

2011-06-04T07:30:00.002+08:00

I think I just felt those first kicks!!!

How exciting!!

Bye bye abs ....

2011-05-29T22:23:00.002+08:00

Food Cravings

2011-05-15T17:49:00.004+08:00

Its funny how my taste buds have changed since we became pregnant. I mean we've all heard about how women have food cravings etc but until you experience it yourself, you never really know how drastic a change it can be - the power of hormones!

Here are some food quirks I've gone through over the past four months ... not sure what other changes awaits me in the next 5.5 months!

1) I've not touched yakult in four months!! I use to drink four bottles in 2 days! I don't know how it happened. I was just having my after-dinner fix one day, took a sip of it and decided, gee, I can't swallow this drink!

2) Baby LOVES ribena!! We use to drink quite a far bit of this but not in recent years especially since my elder sis left for the States. There's something about the tanginess that stirs my taste buds and it has taken over yakult as my after-dinner treat!

3) No to ice-cream. I think I'm slowly getting over this phase cos just last week, I asked the hubs to go get my favourite haagen daz coffee-almond bar. But in the first trimester, I was almost adverse to ice-cream. We use to have ice cream treats at least once a week - be it Mac's 70cents ice cream soft serve or a nice after lunch treat of Awfully Chocolate's creamy chocolate ice cream. Not anymore. Ditto for chocolates.

4) Tomato sauce phase! Throw in tabasco's sauce into this phase as well. I was drenching my sandwiches in tabasco's sauce and having major cravings for tomato pasta, hainanese pork chop with tomato gravy and stuffing tomatoes into my sandwiches - something I never liked to do cos it makes my crusty bread soggy! I think it was just a case of Sour -100 Sweet - 0.

5) Noodles - 100, Rice - 0. I've never been a rice person but never a huge noodle fan either. Just generally not a carb person other than bread and pasta. But our little pumpkin is a typically Asian kiddo. Not impressed with Mummy's fancy italian diet, little pumpkin much prefers Asian noodles! Teochew kway teow soup is high on the list, followed by thin strands of bee hoon in rich prawn broth aka Hae-Mee. The cravings were so great, I ate my hae-mee despite the itch it gave me! (I'm midly allergic to prawns!) And the strangest thing - I'll happily eat up the mee-sua my mum prepared. I H-A-T-E mee sua all my life. I hated how it turned all soggy and slimy when soaked in soupy broth. Boy does pregnancy turn your diet upside down!!

6) Vinegar rules! It's the sour over sweet thing. My meals request baffled the hubs when I started asking for bar chor mee and lor mee for lunch. I've not even eaten lor mee in like a gazillon years!! I figured it was a combination of craving both vinegar and noodles that's why.

7) Simplicity is the order of the day! In the early weeks of the first trimester, I went through a strange plain white porridge and perserved spicy beancurd phase. That's all I wanted to eat really and I recall having it for both lunch and dinner one day. Nothing else, just porridge and my preserved beancurd! Comforting and perhaps just the kind of diet I could stomach at that point.

But I've been a pretty considered pregnant women. The hubs hasn't been sent on mid-night supper errands just to satisfy my crazy cravings. The most he had to do was whip up of a peanut butter sandwich late in the night just so that I don't run hungry. Not too demanding I reckon!

Stay tune to see if little pumpkin decides to have a change in menu this 2nd trimester!

Love ya mum!!

2011-05-08T21:13:00.003+08:00

Spending the day with the lady who deserves it most!!

Love ya mum!

The Alphabet Game

2011-04-28T20:48:00.003+08:00

With the 1st trimester and all the discomfort it brings behind us, I think we're finally a little more settled in with the idea that our lives are about to change forever!!

We've since shared our joy with family and most of our close friends and colleagues. Their prayers and support makes us feel loved! My boss was especially happy for us and I'm really glad he was more concern for me than stressing over who will cover me in my absence. All this, with a less-nauseating me generally made us feel better and more confident of this pregnancy.

I've ditched my usual online shopping websites for sites like Zulily and Totsy. The hub's usual geeks websites have been replaced by reviews of prams and cots. Conversations of whether I should get my red soles now revolve around whether we should name the little pumpkin A or J (for a girl) or J or Z(for a boy). Its a refreshing change. We're enjoying the journey!

So little pumpkin is due end October. Dr C has made a guess on little pumpkin's gender and I'm inclined to trust his experienced judgement. But I shan't spoil the fun for everyone so early so have fun guessing! Suggestions on names are more than welcome and yes, it can be any other letter of the alphabet!

Our New Season

2011-04-21T21:56:00.004+08:00

And so it seems that by the grace of God, we have found our new season - season of our little pumpkin!

God's perfect timing in this and how He even made it possible is a testimony that deserves a post for itself.

For now, we just wanna share our joy through this post with the people we love!! Our little pumpkin is 13 weeks old today and we're finally into the 2nd trimester or what is suppose to be the best 3 months of the entire pregnancy.

In all fairness, the past 13 weeks haven't been too bad. Other than finding myself shunning my usual faves, read; ice-cream, chocolate, yakult ( i use to drink 2 bottles of this a day!) and fish, I think I didn't have it too rough. Little pumpkin was also rather considerate I must say and pretty much left me to get through work without much fuss. But this little bean sure knows a thing about punctuality cos at 6pm *everyday*, my nausea never fails to act up. Nothing tremendously unbearable but uncomfortably nonetheless. I know of women who have it a lot worst. Our God is good!

Little pumpkin is growing beautifully and for that I can't be more thankful to God. Hearing the heartbeat for the first time at 6 weeks has got to be the most amazing sound we have heard. From the 0.5cm fetus then to the 6.5cm complete with little toes and fingers it is today (look he can even give a salute!), we truly stand amaze at God's beautiful creation!

We are clearly excited about the journey ahead but also naturally a little unsure and apprehensive about this unfamiliar season we're entering. But we'll walk through this by faith, trusting in God who's with us all the way.

1. Baby @ 11w3days, 2. Baby @ 12w6days, 3. Our little bean's heartbeat!, 4. Baby salute

Sweet 18!!

2011-04-20T20:35:00.002+08:00

Sam's 18 Birthday Nite, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

When you're the baby of the family, every birthday is special! I'm one day late with this post but she had a blast of a time yesterday .... special song from the cutest 20 mths old, checked. Balloons, checked. Yummy dinner, checked. Surprise from friends, checked .... and that's all that matters!!

Happy happy birthday mei mei!!

By His Grace

2011-03-05T10:49:00.004+08:00

By His Grace a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

The past nine months at work has been nothing short of challenging. An entirely new job role on top of staff management stretched me beyond what was expected of my current grade.

By His strength and wisdom, I rose up to the challenge. In my weakness, God was glorified.

Not that I don't have to work hard anymore now that I received the recognition but I do hope to slow down a little this year. There's a season for everything and I'm just off to search for that new season.

Praise God!

Hope of All Hearts

2011-02-24T20:39:00.005+08:00

The world may fade
You will remain
In the midst of the trial
You will always be, I'll sing
Our God never fails
Our God never fails

With hope and light
You reign over all
Though my heart may fail
You will always be, I'll sing
Our God never fails
Our God never fails

Praise in the morning
Praise in the evening
Praise when I'm laughing
Praise when I'm grieving
There will be dancing
There will be singing
Upon injustice we will tell of our God

The hope of all hearts
The hope of all hearts Is you
Your love never fails
Your love never fails

In darkness,
In trial, my soul shall sing
Of his mercy, and kindness
Our offering of praise
Our God never fails
Our God never fails

Vessels.

2011-02-24T20:33:00.000+08:00

Feels good knowing that God used you to bless someone today.

Koh cousins rock!!!!

2011-02-14T21:36:00.002+08:00

In words only they will understand ...

Kekex love you guys ttm. Can you feel the fiiireeewurks?

Just the way we like it ...

2011-02-14T21:26:00.004+08:00

No fancy dinner or overpriced flowers.

Just us and our banana split ice cream on Valentine's Day.

The way we've been spending it all these years!

Gong Xi Gong Xi!!!!

2011-02-04T09:07:00.001+08:00

Wishing everyone a Blessed Year of the Rabbit!!!

My last weekend of January

2011-01-31T20:39:00.007+08:00

Here's how I spent the last weekend of January . . .

Gave myself a pre CNY pamper at the eye lash bar
Revamped my room. We got a new clothe stand, scented drawer liners and I doubled my wardrobe space with this ingenious conception - a double hang closet rod. The hubs no longer has to share his side of the wardrobe with me!
Spring cleaned my room, threw out lots of stuff I've been hoarding all these years and packed aside clothes I haven't worn in the past year. There were some I really couldn't bear to throw so my cousin shall be inheriting them.
Made our annual pilgrimage to Chinatown. The rain stayed away for a brief hour or so while we were there. Commercial as things have become, I still do look forward to joining in the festive mood year after year.
Snuggled under the blankkie on a rainy Saturday with the hubs and finished all current episodes of Modern Family. The show is addictive and hilarious! I love Gloria!
Busked at the thought of a long weekend cos I got to spend my Monday at Universal Studios on a division retreat instead of returning to work!
Skyped with Sophie and watched her entertain us with her 'Jingle Bells' and 'Gong Xi Gong Xi' at the same time. (ya, she's a little behind time with her Christmas Carols!)

It was a relaxing weekend and I felt accomplished with my mini revamped room! You should see how I was showing it off to everyone - though dad wasn't impressed cos his wardrobe already came built in with the double hang rod 18 years ago!

Empower Me

2011-01-30T13:55:00.006+08:00

Nobody knows how weak I am

better than You

Nobody sees all of my needs

better than You

And nobody has the power to change me

from what I was born to be

Jesus be strong in my weakness

Empower Me

Chorus:

Empower Me

Like a rushing river flow into the sea

God send your Holy Spirit flowing now through me

Till I'm living as Your son

Victorious and free

Send the power of Your love

Empower me

Nobody's eyes sees through my soul

better than You

Nobody's love can make me whole

No one's but Yours

And nobody has the power to lift me

to reach for eternity

Jesus break through all my defenses

Empower me

Repeat Chorus

Time Out

2011-01-22T18:12:00.003+08:00

For the first time in the week, I got to knock off before the sun set yesterday. It was a rough week at work. I don't recall Januarys being this busy. What happen to 'people still on holiday mood' or the 'pre CNY mood aka no mood to work'? Started the week being told by the boss that I now have to take on a new sector - Finance. And as if Early Childhood and Finance aren't different enough sectors, the personality differences among my staff are now even more diverse. Help me God.

So to make up for a lousy week at work (and to make me feel better about having to work the next day, yes a Saturday - for the 3rd time this month), the sweet hubs brought me on some retail therapy. With CNY round the corner, no better reason than to be pampered with a new wardrobe. I'm loving the new line of clothes at Tangs - simple and structured design, no prints just great colours! Simple was the order after the day after splurging on my Shanghai Tang cheongsam last year. So I picked up a simple coral-coloured dress for the New Year and a sapphire-blue dress for work. The little sis gets a cute cheongsam blouse embellished with little buttons - perfect for the more casual 2nd day of the CNY. Of course, no CNY is complete without new shoes! Ditched the 4" this year for a humble 1" blue sandal - a perfect match to my coral dress! With the dresses in order, my CNY is finally on its way to coming together! Cookies collection next week - looking forward to my kueh bangkit!!

Another rough week awaits me ahead. I just need to get through next week where I have two very important meetings scheduled before I can take a breather at least to enjoy my CNY. I sometimes wish work was more forgiving - life would be alot better that way.

January

2011-01-12T20:29:00.004+08:00

For some reason, going through it this month was hard. It just brought back a lot of memories. Maybe its cos the 'would-have-been' is drawing near and I just can't help but think about the 'if onlys'.

Till then, in the words of my wise sister ... "my faith shall keep me strong".

The many faces of Sophie Yew

2011-01-01T17:36:00.004+08:00

Compare to when we last saw her in April, my little niece may not have grown very much more in size, but that little brain of her most certainly has. Not surprising, considering she has the combined intellect of her two PhD parents.

Words her two crazy Yiyis taught her and some new words she picked up over the past 10 days ...

Giraffe
Owl
Monkey
Sing
Again
TV
Juice
Help
Tired
Neigh neigh (referring to the sound horses make when she sees them)

Seeing her on Skype just ain't the same. Its only been 2 days but we all miss her so much already. Miss her "more, more", her roll calls for "yiyi and por-por", her endless request to sing on demand "round-and-round", her sweet, melt-your-heart "I ro (love) you too".

My beautiful niece.

Hello 2011!

2011-01-01T10:59:00.007+08:00

I end 2010 with mixed feelings. It wasn't exactly a year that I'll like to re-live though our recent family holiday to Ann Arbor and Chicago added a sweet note to an otherwise forgettable year. Here's a glimpse of my 2010 ...

Visited 7 cities across 6 States over 4 trips to the US, making 2 trips to LA, Ann Arbor and Chicago. The rest being Pittsburgh, Seattle, San Francisco and New York. Before you think "what fun!", half of them were work trips!
Took on so much more at work I should demand a raise. There was a period I was hugging my laptop to bed, dozing off while working late into the night - not funny!
Lost my grand-ma to kidney failure but takes heart that she's in a better Place.
Had Sophie greet me with the biggest of grins a then 8 months old could give her Yiyi after a 30 hour journey.
Then heard Sophie call "Yiyi" for the first time at 16 months. The heart melts.
Lost someone so precious but have came to accept that God has better plans. We can only continue to pray and trust that all things will be beautiful in His time.
Overcame challenges in leading the CG and give thanks that despite so many of them moving away for studies and the guys being away at NS, we made things happen for Christ. After serving for 8 years, I take a break from leading CG in 2011. I hope I've taught them well, now it's their time to serve.
Saw my dearest cousin Desiree exchange marriage vows and couldn't be more happy for her!
Started to take better care of myself - Brands Chicken Essence rocks - and was reunited with my friend "Beef". My blood cells thanks me.
Saw my younger sis step up for Christ and command Youth Camp 2010. That made me very proud of her.

So you can probably understand better now why 2010 was pretty much a hit and miss. I don't know what my 2011 will be, I just know that each day of my 2011 will be in God's hands and His plans are far greater than what I can imagine. For every hit, there's much to give thanks, every miss is a lesson in His plans.

Blessed 2011 everyone!

Blessed Christmas!

2010-12-27T07:04:00.002+08:00

Our very first white Christmas. And nothing like spending it in the company of family's love! Being able to spend Christmas with Sophie, Chets & Jude here in Ann Arbor made this year's Christmas extra special!

This year, I was spared from the crazy Orchard Road crowd shopping for grand-dad. It was nice to just chill at Chet's place, receive lots of snuggles and kisses from Sophie, go sledding and come home to piping hot chocolate! No multiple presents like we use to have, just little tokens of love!

This may be a little late but still ... Blessed Christmas everyone!

Love,

And we are here ....

2010-12-23T10:40:00.003+08:00

Sophie has got to be the cutest little munchkin'!!

Hearing her call "Yiyi" can just melt your heart!!

Too cute!!

At last ....

2010-12-18T23:46:00.009+08:00

She says "I do".

Her speech made me cry ... I'm so very happy for my dearest cousin.

There was a reason why God took His time.

She found herself a good man and I just know they are meant to be.

[click for snapshots of the beautiful couple]

Just 30 more days!

2010-11-18T21:47:00.002+08:00

Just 30 more days to Sophie goodness!!! We're all counting down!! Even if its to sit there and watch you pout, we'll be happy to do that! ... And with both your crazy yiyis with you, it'll not just be your dada's shirt that you'll be wearing! :D can't wait ... so exciting!!!

He ...

2010-11-10T10:41:00.002+08:00

... completes me.

Nevermind that we spent our 2nd wedding anniversary on the plane.

It meant the world that we were together.

"These three remain; Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love."

1 Corinthians 13:13

Thirty-One . . .

2010-11-07T15:16:00.005+08:00

I had a really wonderful birthday . . . calls/sms/facebook messages from home since yesterday (since it was technically the 6th back home), morning kisses and the sweetest card from the hubs, relaxing brunch by beverly hills, hearing Sophie wish me with her screams, blowing out my candle on the cutest cupcakes ever, window shopping down rodeo drive, flowers surprise from my sister and rounding it all up with a nice dinner in the heart of disneyland!! ... what more can I ask for, I'm loved!

Hello LA!!

2010-11-04T12:53:00.005+08:00

... 6 months later, I'm back again. This time to Anaheim specifically where's its Mickey overload. But we managed to take in some sights of LA over the weekend at the Farmer's Market which I visited 2 years ago and to Santa Monica Boulevard over our long lunch yesterday.

I'm here for work and just so that I don't end up spending a lonely birthday and wedding anniversary, the wonderful hubs decided to come along with me. He's more than happy to be sleeping in till 11am, lazing around with his SLR, hunting down In-and-Out burger joints and enjoying his can of beer while I'm at the NAEYC conference.

Its been really warm here in LA. This has got to be my warmest US trip ever! Its hitting 32degC everyday only dipping down to mid 10s in the evening. We're having a good time here taking it as part work, part holiday. I've never been a huge fan of this city though. I've been here 3 times in the past 2 years - all for work - and somehow haven't grown to love it much. The traffic is bad, the people ain't particularly friendly (even the cast members at Disney didn't make me feel I was in the happiest place on earth) and the food nothing to shout about. I much prefer San Francisco.

But its a good break for both of us nonetheless. The past few months at work has been challenging and we needed to get away albeit partially and I'm thankful all the same. It also helps that the conference is just across from my hotel so I can just pop back into the room during those 30 mins break - makes work a little more bearable!

So looking forward to the weekends! We'll be heading to Beverly Hills on my birthday and spending Sunday at Universal Studios before heading home on Monday - I'm missing my sambal blechan!

Red Velvet

2010-10-24T17:11:00.008+08:00

I chanced upon a cupcakes and muffins recipe book recently written by the good people at the famous The Hummingbird Bakery, Portobello Market, London.

I remember sinking my teeth into one of their famous red velvet cupcakes last year during our honeymoon!

Excited by the prospects of recreating that little slice of heaven myself, I bought the book and got down to work. The result my friends, brought back sweet memories . . .

The recipe may sound a little fiddly, but let me assure you its worth the effort.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

60g unsalted butter (i used Lurpak)

150g caster sugar

1 egg

1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (i used valrhona 70% dark)

2 Tbsp red food colouring

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (i use madagascar bourbon)

120ml buttermilk (herein i believe is their secret)

150g all purpose flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1&1/2 tsp white vinegar

1 quality cream cheese frosting (see below)

a 12-cup cupcake pan lined with paper cases

Preheat oven to 170 degC(325 degF)

Cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer up to high speed and slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well incorporated

In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa, red food colouring and vanilla extract to make a thick, dark paste. Add to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined and coloured.

Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed then add half the flour and beat until everything is well incorporated Repeat this process until all the buttermilk and flour have been added. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. Turn up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or unitl the cake bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to col slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To make red crumbs for sprinkling on top of the frosted cupcakes, slice a thin sliver off the top of a couple of the baked cakes and crumble between your fingertips. When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the Cream Cheese Frosting on top and dust with the red crumbs.

Cream Cheese Frosting

300g icing sugar, sifted

50g unsalted butter

125g cream cheese, cold

Beat the icing sugar and butter on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed

Add the cream cheese in on e go and beat until it is completely incorporated Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed, Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat as it can quickly become runny.

A new Angel . . .

2010-10-17T19:23:00.003+08:00

Coincidentally enough, today was Dialect ministry Sunday. The choir sang a Hokkien hymn. Couldn't help but think that it was Ah Ma who's now in Heaven, joining in the angels and singing us this Hokkien hymn.

She's safe in the arms of Jesus, safe on his gentle breast. There by His love o'ershaded, sweetly her soul shall rest.

A Eulogy for My Grandma - Ah Ma

2010-10-14T23:46:00.004+08:00

Some of my fondest memories of my Ah Ma were the times spent in her home back when I was in Primary school some 20 years ago. I recall how after my Saturday ECA classes, I’ll take a long bus ride – the orange number 8 bus to be exact - from my school in the east to her home in Bukit Ho Swee where the family will gather for lunch. It wasn’t anything fancy, just simple home-cook dishes cooked with grandma’s love. My favourite was her Szechuan vegetable with pork slices – I haven’t eaten that in a long time. Lunch would be followed with the cousins messing up the room playing with blankets and toys. I fondly recall that big plastic basin under the bed filled with toys of all sorts. No matter how messy the room got, Ah Ma never raised her voice at the grandchildren. I honestly cannot recall my Ah Ma ever losing her temper at us. Never.

As the grandchildren grew up and as age too caught up with Ah Ma, lunches at Bukit Ho

Swee became a thing of the past. Ah Ma started to move around staying at the children’s homes instead. It was time we returned Ah Ma the favour of cooking us lunches. I recall one dinner when she was staying at my place. I had prepared pasta for dinner – spaghetti with garlic. We weren’t quite sure how Ah Ma would take to it but thought who said Ah Mas can’t eat Italian pasta! To our surprise, Ah Ma polished her dinner! We just told her it was “mee char xing tao”! We always enjoyed having Ah Ma over. Her presence brought much joy, noise and laughter to the home. When she was more able, her favourite pastime would be to ‘niam tau guay’ and ask for clothes that needed mending – like my shorts that have lost its elasticity. When her hands got weaker, we kept her occupied by making her pose for photos. She hated it, not because she was camera-shy but because she was ‘vain’. She would always say the photo would come out ugly because her hair was out of place or that her clothes weren’t pretty enough. I always retorted “Ah Ma, mai hyao la!” and then we would both end up laughing with her affectionately hitting my hand!

There was also the side of her you don’t get to see often. Things she does as you quietly observe her from afar. This was probably a few years ago, not long after she received Christ as her Lord and Saviour. I heard my Ah Ma saying her prayers in the quietness of the living room with birds chirping in the garden. It was a very serene sight. My Ah Ma looked happy, she was at peace. It was her personal time with God. Until her very last days, I believe my Ah Ma kept talking to Jesus even in her state of semi consciousness. God must have heard her because today, she is with Him in Paradise.

I love this photo of Ah Ma. It was taken on my birthday 2 years ago just 2 days before my wedding. Ah Ma had came over to my place to stay and to join in the celebrations. Her smile encapsulates it all – she knew she was blessed. So as we gather to mourn her passing, we also gather to celebrate her beautiful life. Blessed indeed she was as a lady who had lived her 88 years to the fullest. As wife, mother, grandma and great grandma – she has taught each generation well, she has loved each of us selflessly. Her story will be told to our children and our children’s children for generations to come.

Our lost is Heaven’s gain. We will all miss her. Miss her child-likeness, miss her curly white hair, miss her physical presence. But we take comfort in knowing that my Ah Ma is in a better place now and she will want us all to know that she is happy where she is.

We love you Ah Ma.

Happy Birthday Dearie!!

2010-10-04T22:01:00.005+08:00

Look who celebrated his 34th birthday!

Better Place

2010-10-02T09:44:00.005+08:00

"I want to go home to be with Jesus, He is better"

Spoken in Hokkien

My Ah Ma

Lemony Goodness!!!

2010-09-19T20:27:00.003+08:00

I needed to occupy myself with something. A new project, something to keep me busy. So the hubs threw me a challenge a few weeks back. Think Julie & Julia but on a smaller scale. So he gave me 6 months. The deal - 30 recipes (they didn't have to be my own original recipes) and to write this all down as if I'm creating a recipe book. I was pretty game. My baking has taken a little hiatus lately and I wanted to get back at it. What's more, the kitchen now boost a spanking new electric oven - none of all that convention cum microwave nonsense! We can finally fit 4 muffin trays into the oven!

So to kick-off my little project, we got down to working on a lemon loaf. Taken from this gorgeous recipe book " Baked" present to me by my dear Aunt Veron. The recipes in this book are great. The best brownie I've baked was from here. The marble bundt cake didn't fail either. Its in the little details that make the recipes in this book work so well. The ingredients are a little fussier where it's not just all-purpose flour but a mixture of cake & all-purpose flour. The techniques are precise where you're called specifically to fold not with a whisk but a spatula.

Today's lemon loaf was a huge success. The kitchen smelled so good all afternoon, the Dad couldn't resist a slice even though we just finished dinner.

So stay tune as I work on this recipe collection of mine. Next week, we're attempting kaya - a local egg & coconut custard jam. Ambitious I say, but I've a greedy husband to feed.

Moving on ... but not forgetting

2010-09-04T21:40:00.001+08:00

I thought I would be over it by now. But when I found myself still tearing every now and then, I realised that I will probably never get over it and that I don't have to. It will forever be a chapter in our lives and part of our story, nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to run away from. Yes we move on, yes we'll try again, but doesn't mean we have to forget ...

A POEM OF COMFORT

I thought of you and closed my eyes
and prayed to God today.
I asked what makes a mother
and I know I heard him say...

"A mother has a baby."

This we know is true.

But can you be a mother

when your baby's not with you?

"Yes, you can,"

He said with confidence in His voice.

"I give many women babies.

When they leave is not their choice.

Some I send for a lifetime,

and others for a day.

Some I send to fill your womb

but there's no need to stay."

"I just don't understand this, God.

I want my baby here."

He took a breath and cleared His throat

and then I saw a tear.

"I wish that I could show you

what your child is doing today.

If you could see your child smile

with other children and say,

'We go to earth to learn our lessons

of love and life and fear.

My Mommy loved me oh, so much

I got to come straight here.

I feel so lucky to have a Mom

who had so much love for me.

I learned my lesson very quickly.

My Mommy set me free.

I miss my Mommy oh, so much

but I visit her each day.

When she goes to sleep,

on her pillow is where I lay.

I stroke her hair and kiss her cheek

and whisper in her ear,

"Mommy, don't be sad today.

I'm your baby and I'm here."

So, you see, my dear sweet one,

your child is okay.

Your baby is here in my home and

this is where she'll stay.

She'll wait for you with me

until your lesson is through.

And on the day that you come home,

She'll be at the gates for you.

So, now you see what makes a mother.

It's the feeling in your heart.

It's the love you had so much of

right from the very start.

Though some on earth may not see

you're a mother with a child.

They'll be up here with me one day

and know you've always been one."

I got my answer ....

2010-08-26T21:38:00.003+08:00

"Yet you brought me out of the womb;

you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.

From birth I was cast upon you;

from my mother's womb you have been my God"

Psalm 22:9-10

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-08-11T21:41:00.001+08:00

Blowing out the candles
Originally uploaded by pz.sher

Daddy turns 61 today! For being such an amazing dad, he gets treated to my home-cooked squid ink pasta and juicy char-grilled lamb chops!

He's a blessed man! A wonderful wife, 3 beautiful daughters, 2 great son-in-laws and a cutie pie of a grand-daughter (who learnt how to say 'duck' on grandpa's birthday) - what else can a man ask for!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Happy Birthday(s)!

2010-08-10T08:33:00.001+08:00

Hello Dada!
Originally uploaded by ghetto of our mind

As little Sophie blows out the candle on her little vegan cupcake, so too does this blog.

And with the new year comes a new blog skin! I <3!

New year, new beginnings. Like Sophie, I too feel I've grown!

Happy Birthday Little Darling!!! Yiyi love, love, love!!!

ttfn . . .

2010-08-04T20:41:00.004+08:00

Your stay with us was brief, but we love you all the same

Its like you came, checked out the place and figured you didn't quite like it yet

Maybe the playground up there is more fun than the small little pool here

So to make you happy, we let you go, you playful little one ...

Have fun but know we miss you much so promise us you'll come back soon k!

Its amazing though what you've taught me in this short time.

That life is precious and that seriously, certain things are just not worth that much - like work

I'll work on that I promise. I'll work on prioritising my life and getting things in order.

Thanks for the lesson -I had to learn it the hard way.

So till we meet again, be good! We love you!

The Answer

2010-08-02T20:58:00.003+08:00

I believe you are the answer to every tear I’ve cried

I believe that you are with me,

My rising and my light.

Give me strength when I am weary

Give me hope when I can’t see

Through the crosses I must carry

Lord, bind my heart to thee

That when all my days are over

and all my chores are done,

I may see your risen Glory

Forever where You are.

************************************

Grace, Mercy & Peace

2010-07-20T19:35:00.001+08:00

The very words I need .... extracts from today's ODB

Grace is what our holy God gives that we, as sinful people, don’t deserve. In Acts 17:25, we learn that “He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” His gifts include our very next breath. Even in our darkest hour, strength is given by God so that we can endure.

Mercy is what God withholds that we do deserve. In Lamentations 3:22, we read, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed.” Even when we’re wayward, God gives time and help for us to turn back to Him.

Peace is what God brings to His people. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27). Even in the worst of times, we have inner tranquillity because our God is in control.

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added affliction He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. —Flint

God’s grace is immeasurable, His mercy is inexhaustible, His peace is inexpressible.

Enough is enough ....

2010-06-29T21:43:00.003+08:00

Imagine slogging 11, 12 hours everyday in the office where there are no tea breaks and when lunch means eating out of a plastic box while cleaning up other people's crap work.

Now imagine your team mate, blatantly skiving, going for morning tea breaks, long lunches and shutting down his laptop at 3pm and disappearing for the rest of the afternoon.

I had enough and finally plucked up the courage to report this to my boss.

I've worked a good 8 years and have never told tales. This is a case gone too far.

Enough is enough.

God through ABC and 123 ....

2010-06-27T22:43:00.006+08:00

If you think you are Good, you are actually O (nothing) without God
You can't be Good, without God
J0Y is when there is 0 (nothing) between Jesus and You. No sin, no obstacles.

Let earthly desires like wealth, promotion etc = 0 and Let God = 1

If you put earthly desires before God; the value of your life = 00000000001
If you put God before your desires; the value of your life = 1,000,000
=> Get your priorities right, put God 1st

World's Coolest Grandpa!

2010-06-22T19:04:00.001+08:00

This is how cool our grand-pa can get!!!

An ipad each for every Koh family!!! Woot woot!!!!

Weekend Talks

2010-06-21T06:40:00.006+08:00

For posterity .....

A) Over lunch @ P.S Cafe, on taking on your husband's name

Me: Do you know that when you talk your husband's family name, you should take his entire names as well? So technically, I should be Mrs Foo PZ not Mrs S Foo.

Sam: Eee, Foo goes better with a Chinese name

Mum: Who say so, you got Grace-foo, Beauty-foo, Wonder-foo

Me & Sam: :o

B) In the car, on convincing mum to get a dog for Sam

Sam: You know I almost convinced mum to get a dog yesterday

Me: Oh really! How so?

Sam: I told her she can take the dog for walks (our mum is into a walking phase at the moment) and she was like 'oh yeah!' ... then after that she say 'No lah no lah - who's going to look after'

Me: Mei, you sure you can take care?

Hubs: Ya, you have to walk the dog *everyday*, rain or shine

Sam: Just get a threadmill and let it run on it lah!

Me & hubs: :o

C) In the car, on what Sam's going to do with her life

Sam: I really don't know what I want to do with my life

Me: You should go be a journalist

Sam: No way, I'm not going to wake up at 4am and go down to some scene to report a news

Me: Maybe you should be a civil servant too, both your sisters got Civil Service blood. Continue the tradition.

Sam: No way,I can't imagine myself as a teacher or doing some office job

Hubs: I know, I know what you can do - go work in SPCA (see B)

Me & Sam: :o

Desert Song

2010-06-14T21:21:00.004+08:00

Just so that you know you're not alone in the desert,

here's something to get you through the coming week.

Things that made my week . . .

2010-06-06T20:37:00.002+08:00

Work really has been quite quite insane. We're clocking in 12-13 hours everyday and on top of that, we continue working after we get home. While work may be crappy, some things made my day the past week that reminded me that sometimes, we just need to slow down, put work behind and enjoy life and the people around us .... So here's what made my week (in no particular order)

being reminded at service today that I worship an awesome God who's far far bigger than all my work stress put together!
relaxing with the hubs over episodes of Glee - all that dancing and singing takes away all that thought of work in my mind
getting myself a nice big order on Etsy for a bride who liked my daisy button place-cards enough for me to create them for her wedding!
pampering myself at the eye lash bar and treating the little sister to a relaxing mani pedi session before her church camp
receiving news that my darling cousin is finally getting married!!! finally all four of us are settled down!
making space in the store room for a new pair of 4 inch heels - this time, its a nude pair for Zara! Its the only thing I told myself I'll get during this GSS.
being appreciated by one of my kids for the support that I've given her as she goes through a rough patch
seeing dad and mum share a stick of magnum ice-cream after our pizza dinner @ Pepperoni's and how that lead to dad cracking us up with his usual 'embarrassing' mischiefs and to top it all,
being entertained by the cutest 10 month old kiddo not just once but twice in a day! that's precious man!! seeing that 'happy face' of hers is enough to take all that stress away!!

What made your week?

Amazing Love ....

2010-06-06T20:25:00.002+08:00

There is an endless song

Echoes in my soul

I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come

I am holding on

To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise

How can I ever say enough

How amazing is Your love

How can I keep from shouting Your name

I know I am loved by the King

And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes

In the darkest night

For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You

Knowing You'll see me through

And sing the songs You give

I can sing in the troubled times

Sing when I win

I can sing when I lose my step

And fall down again

I can sing 'cause You pick me up

Sing 'cause You're there

I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord

When I call to You in prayer

I can sing with my last breath

Sing for I know

That I'll sing with the angels

And the saints around the throne

My kind of day . . .

2010-05-28T23:58:00.004+08:00

After clocking in crazy hours at the office this past few weeks, I declared today no work day - read: no checking and replying emails even though it was a public holiday!

The family had planned for an outing to visit Resorts World, not to visit the casino or universal studios. Just to check it out and see if it lived up to its hype. I started my day with a nice 7ish

km run. I had wanted to head to the beach to do a longer run but had to shelf those plans since the oil spill had polluted the air at the beach. Waited for the sleeping beauty of the family to get up at her own appointed hour before we headed out for some brunch at our good ole Tiong Bahru chiok.

While if the entrance signage was anything to go back, we certainly didn't have high hopes of the place being great. For some reason, the 'R' was missing in the 'Resorts' - shame! Typical as my family is, we had nothing but criticisms. My dad even loudly (and by that I mean *really* loudly) declared that he will never check into any of the hotels! He did it intentionally and

Sam and I really wanted to bury our faces in the ground! Nothing particularly memorable except that we went home with $40 worth of Garrett Popcorn (which sadly falls short of the real stuff in Chicago) and a really huge Reese's orange mug from the Hershey store!

Managed to stay away from the office laptop for the rest of the afte

rnoon, chilled in bed catching up on my mindless fashion magazines, pampered myself with a DIY manicure and watched the bio of Vera Wang on cable. More great stuff awaited our evening - chilli crabs @ Palm Beach and a trip to Abu Dhabi with 4 of my favourite ladies!! Woohooooo!!

Love the crabs, love more the movie! I remember 2 years ago around this time, I watched SATC by my lonely self when I was in LA on a work trip and how I made the then boyfriend watch it with me again when I got back. He knew how much I wanted to watch SATC 2 so he got the tickets the minute they were released and brought me on a treat with my favourite ladies! Still as entertaining, still ever so fashionista - even in Abu Dhabi. Makes me want to spend my weekend re-watching all 6 seasons of the series that I have on DVD!

Such days are precious these days with work driving both of us crazy. The hubs promised that we'll have some chill time out tomorrow too! I'm so looking forward already!

High Risk

2010-05-21T23:26:00.002+08:00

If the article from yesterday's edition of Mind You Body is anything to go by, I'm said to have 60% higher risk of suffering from heart disease if I continue working at this rate!

My Saturday . . .

2010-05-15T21:26:00.004+08:00

chomped on a prata kosong for breakfast. yummy!
read all about our former DPM Goh Keng Swee's contribution in the ST
packed up my room in anticipation of mummy's return tomorrow
registered for an ebay account cos I'm contemplating selling off some of my clothes (to make room for new ones naturally)
brought the younger sister out for some wantan mee fix @ Roxy where she and the hubs discussed her GP essay - "Should freedom of speech be constricted?"
rented some videos from Video Easy
napped
worked out at the gym alone cos the hubs was too lazy to come along
came home to freshly squeezed orange juice
went to Made with Love to replenish our scrapbook stash and got 25% off our entire purchase!
chomped on really good pizza, squid ink pasta and fried mozzarella cheese wrapped with parma ham @ Pepperoni's at Greenwood!
had fun seeing the hubs and the younger sister battle it out over Angry Birds on the iphone - they are obsessed!
watched the younger sister finish her first Pina Colada only to see her knock out in the car from all that rum!
came home and made her some Trader Joe's Bedtime tea - hopefully that will cure that mild hang-over
set the alarm for 4.30am tomorrow morning to welcome my parents home! we've been told lots of Hokkaido chocolate awaits us!

Cool Gramps

2010-05-07T23:46:00.002+08:00

I think its kinda cool that I have a 87 year old grandpa who can still meticulously check through his travel documents, sort them all out properly by the flight sector, sign where his signature was needed and was so eager to direct my parents to the right counter for check-in. Did I mention he was all dressed up in his cool denim long sleeve shirt - definitely a far cry from the white singlet and khaki shorts or serious office attire I'm so accustomed to seeing him in! That's my cool gramps man!

On that note, the Koh folks are off to Hokkaido! Let's bring on that $15 organic milk!!

Air Time

2010-04-28T22:07:00.002+08:00

I calculated. I spent 87 hours and 30 mins of my past 1 month flying.

So here's how I survived . . .

a good book
my ipod with
the hub's Bowers & Wilkins noise canceling headphones
emergency exit row seats!
my Muji neck pillow
absence of crying babies
aromatherapy scented eye mask
Professor Layton on my Ninetendo DS
loads of orange juice
my very own Trader Joe's peanut butter sandwich - by the 36th hour of flying, I was going to puke just seeing another box with an aluminum foil cover!

To the cuz out there, if you're reading this, I hope you survived yours!

gwork

2010-04-20T13:58:00.002+08:00

Imagine ....

having your employer make a donation to a charity of your choice each time you choose to cycle to work
enjoying free buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner and we're talking good food from pizzas to naans to a full salad bar, grills, chinese pork in 2 sauces, aglio olio. Odwalla juices and organic cookies
having a pantry in every division of the company with free flow of cereal, coffee, smoothies, chips, M&Ms, candies
getting 1 day of the work week off to do anything totally unrelated to your area of work - the gmail was invented as a result of this initiative!
bringing your dogs to work
having a workstation done up anyway you like it even if it means building an inflatable tent around it
playing volleyball with your team at 11am in the morning on the sand pitch and hearing your boss say - 'they're having a meeting, its collaboration at work!'
doing some stationary swimming over lunch - think small shallow pool and you're swimming against a strong current aka swimming on the spot!

Cool enough? You can start sending your resume to Google!

One God

2010-04-19T06:49:00.003+08:00

After being away from home and missing church for the past month, I found my way to the Glide Memorial Methodist Church - a street away from my hotel here in San Francisco - this morning. The place was filled with so much energy all ready to worship God. The band was armed with their saxophone and the works. The gospel choir really got the congregation onto their feet! The atmosphere was amazing and the hearts and passion of the people as we worshiped was truly an eye-opener for me. We held hands throughout the sanctuary, said the Prayer of St Francis and exchanged warm hugs with the people around us. Strangers came forward and gave me a hug making me feel most welcome! ....

2 hours later, as I was waiting for my colleagues to finish their dim sum brunch at the San Francisco Chinatown, I found myself walking into the United Chinese Methodist Church were a cosy, intimate worship session was being conducted in a hall that looked like a basketball court by day. The songs were sang in Cantonese and in contrast to the morning's service, there was all but a keyboarder, guitarist and a violinist. I was ushered to my seat where I found myself just enjoying listening to those Cantonese hymns. I may not understand Cantonese very much myself but I figured it out a little and did quite well deciphering the Chinese lyrics projected. Funny how the very first Mandrine service I ever attended will be all the way here in San Fran.

It was a Sunday morning well spent and a good reminder that across continents, time zones, races and skin colour, we can all worship the same one Great God.

Cupcakes

2010-04-12T09:35:00.004+08:00

Magnolia Bakery - Cupcakes redefined!

Home

2010-04-08T14:16:00.003+08:00

After 18 hours of flying, a 4 hours transit and a plate of tuna sushi set and negitoro maki at Narita, we are finally home. The very first thing I consumed - a bottle of yakult from our ever stocked-up fridge. Came home to a chilled room, new linens and heated bathe - our helper Jess is the best!

Breakfast this morning was a packet of good old nasi lemak with otah. This is our default next day's breakfast after arriving home from a long trip! We are surprisingly doing very well coping with our jet-lag - Melatonin rocks! Managed to unpack, repack, slot in a quick touch up at the eye-lash bar, pick the younger neglected sister up from school, chomped on popiah for lunch and am now pampering my badly dried out skin with SKII moisturising mask. My skin is definitely not happy with the US and airplane air!

Come tomorrow, I brave myself for another 23 hours of flying and bad airplane food. Thank God for mothers with good connections at SQ - I managed to secure a emergency exit seat! I think I'm going to be terribly home-sick by the end of my 2 week work trip! New York City, here I come!

Bye Bye For Now . . .

2010-04-06T07:45:00.004+08:00

We said our goodbyes to my sis, Jude & Sophie today as they left Chicago to return to Ann Arbor and it broke my little heart saying bye bye to my little niece. I don't think I felt as sad when they left Singapore in January. Maybe its cos I knew then that I was going to be seeing her in 2 months but I think more because the last 10 days with Sophie was just so so very precious.

I teared as we parted ways outside the Chicago Arts Institute and again when we got back to the hotel room as I was looking through the many photos we took in the past week. A call from my sister and a quick skype with Sophie who greeted as with her mega watt grin brought this Yiyi some reprieve knowing that somewhere in that little inquisitive mind of hers, she remembered her Yiyi & Uncle Piao.

Darling Sophie, Yiyi misses you much much already! We'll snuggle you come December again OK? In the meantime, Yiyi better go rescue your Ergo from the Disney store. Maybe Yiyi should hug it to sleep tonight - perhaps all that Sophie-smell might make me feel better!

Power of the Cross

2010-04-03T08:19:00.012+08:00

POWER OF THE CROSS
Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

Chorus:
This, the power of the cross:
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Every bitter thought,
Every evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the victory cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

This, the power of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us
What a love! What a cost!

We stand forgiven at the cross.