Trick or Treating

Halloween.

Rarely celebrated in Singapore as it's more an American tradition. But thanks to the many expats neighbours we have, Kieran had his first taste of Halloween last night.

Initially terrified by the lit-up pumpkins in the night, the fear was overshadowed by the candies being distributed at the Halloween-participating households.

So, unprepared, without any costume and proper trick or treating accesories, my first born went about the neighbourhood in his tee-shirt and berms, collecting candies in his plastic bag (compliments of the first house he trick or treated at).

Jack O Lanterns paving the neighbour's driveway

Kieran trick-or-treating

Kieran picking candies to fill his plastic bag

Sharing his loot with Kaitlyn

He had so much fun he woke up this morning looking for pumpkins and Halloween.

Thank You For...

Being a wonderful husband.

Being a great father.

Bearing with me and my bad temper.

Your patience and understanding despite my sometimes unreasonable behaviour.

Making time for me and the kids despite your busy work and study schedule.

Most of all, thank you for loving me.

Happy 3rd Anniversary.

And just like that, we have been married for 3 years. 3 years of marriage, 2 lovely kids. Many more anniversaries to go, I'm sure. As for the kids, let's just stick with 2 for now....they're a joy but more than a handful to manage. :)

My Cutie Pie at 8 Months

At 8 months, Kaitlyn has 2 lower front teeth and 2 strands of hair. Ok, I exaggerate, but the hair growth is still slow and sparse.

And she can:

- sit on her own.
- crawl.
- pull herself up to stand. And while she's up, the tries to stand with one hand, while using the other to grab her bolster. One in 5 times, she succeeds.
- wave bye bye.
- cry like she has been hit or has fallen when you stop her from doing something. The cries immediately stop when you let her resume what she wanted to do.
- suck her thumb big time. Just like her brother.

Very cute.

Overheard

I was with Kieran to ELC at Paragon to pick out his birthday present when I overheard this:

Kid: Mummy, why are you always shopping?? (in an exasperated tone)

Mum: But there is nothing else for me to do, darling.

The life of a tai tai.......nothing else for her to do but shop.

Which leads me to another thank you speech I heard at the Singapore Corporate Awards tonight. An award winning CFO makes his acceptance speech and part of it went like this:

CFO: ......I think I have not said this to my wife before. But I want to thank her for giving up her career to look after out 2 daughters. The 3 of you are my inspiration at work.....

Given his title of CFO, I can only imagine what he earns. So his wife giving up her career to be a tai tai is a bad thing???

Oh my.

Just So I Won't Forget

Kieran's vocabulary has expanded. In addition to what he can already say, he now says "Uh-Oh", "Where you go", "ball" "ish" (fish), "chair", "dockor" (doctor), tatak (penguin - don't ask me why). Calls "papa" but not "mummy". WHY??

There's still a lot of signing going on, sometimes coupled with his words. Very cute. What's really impressive is that despite not knowing how to say many other words, he really understands what we are talking about - and this is shown through his association with things. For instance, my parents will be talking about bowling, and he will walk to the bowling ball and look at it. Then just yesterday, he had just woken up and seemed to be chewing something rather uncomfortably in his mouth. So I asked him, "What's in your mouth?" and he pointed to my hair. I think a strand of my hair from his bed got into his mouth.

The other amazing thing is how he remembers stuff. Yesterday I told him we were taking Kaitlyn to the doctor's for an injection. And then in the car I asked," Where are we going Kieran?" And he replied, "Dockor". So I said,"Do you like to go to the doctor's". He shook his head. So I asked, "Where did the doctor check you the last time?" And he pointed to his chest and ears and butt (where the suppository was inserted).

He also recognises nursery rhymes which I hum and communicates what they are with actions! Super cute! I have them on video, but I haven't figured out how to upload them yet. (Haven't tried la. Can't be that dumb not to figure it out).

Speaking of jabs, I hate taking babies to jabs. My daughter will let out a cry and then go silent for almost 15 seconds, and then the actual crying starts! It's hilarious. She recognises people now and tries to grab everything that she sees.

Ok, that's all the time I have for this update. And really, it's so I don't forget all these things when they are all grown up!

Growing Up Too Fast

It's been a while since I last posted. But this "a while" has flown by pretty quickly, really. Life with 2 kids has been pretty challenging, albeit wonderful.

At 21 months and 5 months, both Kieran and Kaitlyn are extremely fun to be around. Naughty but cute. One learning to communicate and the other starting to respond. Cuteness to the max. With limited vocabulary, Kieran's communication, though can sometimes be in the form of screams, head slapping, and signing. But like my kayester says, "Enjoy the signing while it lasts!"

Kieran's first proper word was "Ice". And it either means he wants ice or ice-cream. Takes a lot of effort on his part to say it though. Now, he has progressed to say 'car', 'house', 'up', 'down', 'star' and just yesterday, "ask".

Just over the weekend, the kids went swimming with their cousins. And getting Kieran and Lauren out of the pool was like pulling screaming pigs out of the water! Terrible.

The kids are growing up too fast, and being a working mother leaves me with so little time with them.

Somebody give me the winning numbers for toto, so that I can afford to stop work! :p

20th February

Kaitlyn's baptism happened on my birthday. Probably the best thing that happened on this day.

You never really understand how the romance dies after marriage until the reality of it hits you. And then you wish you never got married. Or maybe it varies from couple to couple. The luck of the draw. And I happen to get the short end of the stick.

Finally

We finally managed to meet up. All three of us, to celebrate mine and Linda's birthday.

With the new baby, it's been a while since I managed to meet up with the 2 girls. And then again, what could have lasted longer ended earlier cos I had to head home to either feed or pump (one of the few things the men will never understand. They just go out and return as and when they feel like it.)

Anyway, it was a great catch up/update session. From mine and Linda's weird recurring dreams (which Lynette feels are a result of unresolved issues), Linda's huge above-the-mouth-acne which she felt was easier to explain if she had coloured it black and camouflaged it as a mole to her pogged claws, to the adventures of the widely travelled Lynette.

Be it unresolved issues or just wrong timing, moles or acne, we've all come a long way and have our very different lives to lead, with very little time to meet up.

So, it was good to catch up. Really good.

Linda, please remember my advice. :) When it's too late, I can't help you anymore. Believe me.

And thanks Lynette for the birthday treat at Etna. Next time try to make it on time, cos when we pre ordered for you, it looked like Linda and I had an imaginary friend. Then again, we had a complimentary glass of wine. :p

Chicken Essence

Something I have never liked. Cos it tastes like cockroach. (Ok, maybe smells like, since I haven't actually tasted a cockroach)

But yesterday, I decided to try a bottle of it as I am fatigued from these two...



It still tastes like cockroach.

How the LNY Has Changed

I used to love it.

Now I absolutely hate it.

But much as I hate it, an episode of it this year has enlightened me on who was the more important party in someone's life. And it is contrary to the verbal acknowledgement when asked.

Ooh. How I hate liars

One Month

Kaitlyn celebrated her first month today.

Which means the end of my confinement. Which also means the end of help from the confinement lady. Which translates to waking up every 3 hours in the wee hours of the morning to feed, burp, change diapers and rock Kaitlyn to sleep.

I think I will be zombified.

Well, like my last confinement and contrary to what many say, the confinement month really isn't all that bad. I liked the longan-date drink, and the food can be really quite yummy. And of course, the help rendered by the nanny, Siew Hoon.


If anyone needs a confinement lady, you can consider this one. Food's not too bad and she's pretty good with the baby. She can be reached at 84203549/60163760125.

Baby Kaitlyn

So on 17th Dec, I went for my weekly check up. I was 39 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Upon doing the usual urine test, I noticed some pinkish spots. I mentioned it to the gynae, and she said, "Ok, let's see if you are in labour." So she did the usual VE (which I totally hate) and after prodding for about half a minute, exclaimed, "Oh, she's in labour. 2 cm." And the next thing I knew, I felt water tricking down my legs. She had burst my waterbag. Next thing I knew, I was on my first wheelchair ride to the labour and delivery room. Then the usual shaving, enema, passing motion and changing into the hospital garb. Only this time, I had to do all these while dripping with water.

"Can I get an epidural now?" I asked. The nurses got my requested anaesthetist and she came down within half and hour. The pain was still very much bearable.

"Painful or not ah?" I asked. "The last time, the contractions were so bad I couldn't feel the epidural being administered."

"If I tell you it's not painful, I will be bluffing la." the very motherly doctor replied.

It was quite painful la, but nothing compared to the contractions though. And then Ron and I started our wait for our second born.

"The second time round, it will be faster and easier. Don't worry." That's the typical reply I get from people when addressing my fears of labour pains and the aftermath.

My second time round took five hours (the first was four and a half).

My epidural this time somehow did not fully work on the right side (the first time it worked fully on both sides).

The second time round, I started crying 4 hours into labour and needed the gas as additional painkiller. "You don't cry la. Wait you cry you cannot breathe, cannot push how? the nurse asked. " I check how come so painful ok". She checks and then says, "Oh! No wonder la! 8 cm already!"

Then another nurse comes in and says, "You want to try to push? What for you breathe and breathe gas. Just push and get baby out la."

"I cannot push la. I can feel on the right side you know. Wait pain." I said

"No la. Now I press like that not pain right? That means not pain la." she said

"Then I push wait Dr Tan come and sew I can feel also cos I can feel on the right side!" I said

"No, not pain la." she said.

Tsk. How can be not pain????

In any case, Dr Tan came in not soon after and baby was out at 315pm.

So here's the latest addition to our family, Baby Kaitlyn.