Life with Ah Zai and Ah Xiang

Danny's visit

2010-06-18T03:18:00.000-07:00

Danny and his family came to SG for a visit. It was really refreshing to have MY relatives around after such a long time. Don't get me wrong, I love being a Phang and I adore the Phang clan but it was really nice to let loose and be my old crazy self with my own cousins. So we met Danny and Leona and her aunty's family at Clark Quey. Dan was amazed at his "mixed" cousin, Olivia. She's adorable... and loves to frown!

Dan had his 1st try of mexican food at the Iguana Cafe. I must say, these stuff are really... UNHEALTHY! I have been cooking and watching Dan's diet for a bit, and he will always his share of fresh rice, meat, veggie and fruits. They are seldom fried, mostly steamed, poached, grilled or stew. Mexican menu has so much frying! Yes, it does tastes good nonetheless... Here he was, waiting for his rice.

A few days later I made a trip to visit Danny and brought some JB delicacies for him - nasi lemak, curry fish head and some toufu. Tanjung Rhu road was a NIGHTMARE to me! I took 2-3 hours to get there... good grief. Honestly, seeing Danny as a dad is a "shocker". He can be pretty hands on but yet he still has his "mean" sarcasms. But I must commend my cousin - WELL DONE! Keep it up!

I wonder how's Rita doing... Maybe I should visit her soon in Perth... It's a wishful thinking. Dan went to KK and once he got back, we brought him to Au Jardin for brunch. Too bad Leona could not join us! It was such a shame... I think she would loved it. I had pork cheek... with rosti. Yumz!

ZX's one had a cover and Dan was pretty excited about it. Almost like "magic box" for him.

Here's Daniel smelling the SGD40 per glass wine. They said it was pretty good... Ya! For that price, sure. Boohoohoo... I miss my Heine draft and wine... probably another year? We finished off with tea and coffee downstairs. Daniel loves his uncle, and couldn't hesitate to entertain him.

Daniel starting school

2010-05-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

For the past 2-3 months, Daniel has started "school". I brought him to Julia Gabriel playclub and he really loves it. He loves the guy teachers. Yes, how rare is that - not just a male teacher but a preschool level male teacher.

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As time goes by, and my belly becoming bigger, I think it's time to enroll Dan to a school FULL TIME. So I put him on waiting list for nursery 1 at Chiltern House whicih is linked to Julia Gab. Yea, WAITING LIST.... That's Singapore. So oh well, waiting list should mean the school's good right? Then, I was thinking... am I gonna send/pick him from school ACROSS THE CAUSEWAY... EVERYDAY?!??!??! I am a Sabahan! I am not prepared for this!!!! We KK-ians take 5 mins to school/church/shopping/yum cha. This will take 45mins!

I started to freak out, and trying to find out when is my mom's free time and checking if I can help GML (ZX's company) to make use of their driver. Haha! Well I was thinking, since he's on waiting list, he might just start school later after my delivery. Still plenty of time...

Lo and behold, he got accepted and school starts on 28 June. My due date is 30 June...!! Not good. I don't want Dan to feel he's going to school because mommy needs to take care of baby sister, or worse still, mommy is throwing him into a school cuz she wanna spend time with new baby. I tried checking out the schools in JB and to my surprise, there are so many Montessori. In one day of survey, I visited 5 montessoris in JB! Talk about being "kiasu".... but nothing compares to Julia Gab or Chiltern. Either the toilet stinks, the premise very run down, pushy teachers, english lousy, can't control kids, no proper value teaching systems (just seems like babysitting). I brought Dan to a trial lesson and he almost RUINED the entire timetable!

Ah well.... and he said he likes school in Singapore. So, in order for him to adapt well in school and not feel being abandoned, I think I will have to opt for the Causeway (again).

I AM BAAAACCCKKKK!!!

2010-04-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I have taken the longest break ever from this blog. Thousand apologies. Many things have changed since 2010 enters in. I have become a SAHM (stay-at-home-mommy). Uh-huh, you can say that again. Even I can't believe it at times. After 3 months of staying at home, I am actually ENJOYING it. I won't want to miss any single moment of seeing how my son increases his vocab and the simple things he thought me.

Anyway, here are some "updates" since my birthday last year!

Daniel's 2nd bday

This year, we were moving in between houses. So we had the party in a restaurant. It wasn't a bad idea that we didn't have to clean up. So we had it at New Hong Kong. I brought my pool and filled it with coloured balls! Yes, I bought 20 packs all the way from SG to JB. My Vios has indeed served me well.

My last honeymoon with ZX (without Dan that is) at Koh Samui

Hi folks, why last honeymoon? I am pregnant again. Tada! With Naomi, a baby girl... And she's due end June. So, once she's out breathing in this world, my life will never be the same again. So ZX and I grabbed the opportunity to go Koh Samui WITHOUT Daniel. I think it was an ordeal for him to go without mommy for 3 nights. Honestly, I missed him like crazy. Nevertheless, ZX and I had great Thai food and the joy of doing nothing but just enjoy each other's company. Oooohhh... I love the beach. I missed it so much. One of my dreams is to have a beach house.

Disney on Ice

Daniel likes "kiki mouse" and "dono dack". But he kinda lost interest when they were featuring good and evil. Maybe to him, the whole world is GOOD. There is no evil except when mommy refuses to give him more than one candy/"tong tong".

Kulai Zoo Trip

It was really nice of daddy to steal time to bring him to the zoo...

Hmmm... why does my son likes to bite his lower lip? And he bends his upper lip like a YEN! And yes, this year, my nanny has left for GOOD. She has worked well for us for the past 2 years. Just that I felt a few months prior to her departure, she kinda lost the passion of taking care of Daniel and became more complacent... which made me not very sad the fact that she had to leave. Did Dan miss her? Erm.... hardly.... Kinda sad, yet relieved that I do not have to do any emotional readjustment for him.

Splash Park @ Sembawang

2009-10-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

I have been hearing raves about Splash Park @ Sembawang and finally Kim and I manage to find a common time to bring our kids there. Needless to say, they were very excited once we arrived. So much so they were stuck to a mini sprouts of water for 5 minutes... just standing in awe of the park. It was not huge but it is a good size for a toddler I must say.

After that we ate at MOF. The kids simply love the kids' meal. Daniel is starting to eat more rice than porridge now and he makes sure he gets his message across "Ng moi chuk chuk. Farn farn prease." (No porridge, rice please) Aaahhh the joy of seeing my son maturing to a big boy now... but why does he still nurse????? I have read some mothers nurse their kids to 3, 4.. 6 years old?!

29 Years...

2009-10-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

Birthdays to me is a big deal... My son's bday, my hubby's bday... everyone's bday except my own. I didn't even feel my birthday coming until ZX asked what do I want for my bday. I thought another bag would be nice. I almost bought a Loewe bag... but then again, thanks to recent downfall of SGX, I don't think I would want ZX to skip his meals just for my crazy collection - Dior, Gucci, Chanel, LV...

ZX brought me to this nice place to eat called OSO. Totally loved it. Fantastic service and superb food. Recommended to anyone who wants a romantic outing.

So I was thinking, I have been walking on this earth for 29 years, what have I accomplished? I have always dreamt of becoming a pastor back in Sabah, what has that become of? Has God placed it on a shelf? Or did I do that? To be honest, when the word accomplishment comes, there's only one thing on my mind - Daniel and ZX. I still have many ideas and dreams... I guess it took 29 years to realise some of them or to even create some of them.

One day, I will be back, Sabah. Just wait...

A side note: I have been praying very hard for the Chin family. They are close to my heart and I pray their baby girl will awake from her slumber. Jesus, please walk into the room and breathe Your healing power upon her. Amen!

Swimming Fun

2009-09-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Before I blog about Daniel's love for swimming, Jeremy came over to stay at my place for a few days. Daniel and I really enjoyed his presence. He brought his hard disk and guess what; I managed to pick up some old pics he took of Daniel.

Just look what a chubby angel he was!

Yea.. he was like a lovely meatball! Compare to now...
You can literally see his neck clearly. Here he was, feeling cold from the pool.
Posing with cousin Xing Ning and Aunty Kim.
Standing by himself with cousin

and of course our signature Colgate smile! Guess he got it from me...
Ah yes, this is definitely mine...

JB Zoo Trip

2009-09-07T01:44:00.000-07:00

That Saturday was sunny. The night before I called Kim if she wanna visit the zoo. She was reluctant and said the zoo takes a whole day to conquer... I was like "JB zoo lah. Not Sing's." She was like OoooooOOoo..... Yes, despite common comments on the JB zoo, we decided to give it a shot.

It's pretty tough to have 2 kids to look at the same angle at the SAME time. Anyway, the total entrance fees is RM4. That's a far cry from Night Safari and to be honest, I think the kids prefer JB zoo than Night Safari. At least my son didn't demand to be nursed halfway. The first stop was actually the tigers which I got so shocked at the lack of distance between the carnivores and the kids. It was only a miserable fence that seperates them. I was so stunned that I forgot to take a picture of them. Yet, I think this is the closest encounter for a toddler to have with a tiger.

The geese section was as always very enchanting for Daniel. They spent quite some time at this section along with the tapirs.

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Some animals were handicapped, like the donkey. The monkey seemed lonely... It's too sad to be captured. Pelicans were the last. After that, we were already exhausted by the heat and the constant demand to be carried by the kids.

So off we went to Lavender cafe for some nice ice lemon tea and waffle with ice cream.

Here's Daniel wearing my sunnies upside down...

World of Electronics - Reality this time

2009-09-07T01:03:00.000-07:00

For the past few weeks, ZX and I have been doing quite a bit of shopping for electronics. I must say, it is a whole new world when it comes to stuff like these. We have to consider so an array of things such as brand, functions, price (of course), physical features etc. We bought what we bought when all these meet at ONE single point. Tough? EXTREMELY. But I must say it was pretty fun. With GSS just over, we managed to get some bargains... or so I thought. I know deep in the hearts of the retailer, they are still earning heaps even when they act as if I have benefited so much from the discounts given.

First stop, we went to Harvey Norman at Millenia. We have been here a few times and only at the 3rd time, we decided to invest in a good sound system. Yea, maybe it will really make a difference after I buy Transformers Blu ray dics.

We got a...
1) Onkyo receiver (dunno what model, let me check the box

2) Mirage speakers (also dunno what model but it looks exacly as shown below... It should be Mirage nanosat)
I fell in love with these speakers immediately. They are small and cute and I love the acoustics coming out from it. Have I heard of them? NO. I have heard about Bose etc but I just didn't get the chance to go to Bose.

3) Sony Bravia 46" Z series
Hallelujah! My dream TV! I have dreamt for a Z series for some time... Daniel will definitely love the Z series with real moving Barney. And it comes with a free Sony Blu ray player. Nyek heh...

4) Bosch Built In Oven

My most common way of cooking? With the oven. So I got a Bosch which has Eco cleaning and decent amount of functions and affordable price from Wong Radio. Yes, you can expect to have more grilled chicken and probably turkey and roast lamb for Christmas.

5) Bosch Side by Side Fridge

Things can't go any grander than this black glass side by side fridge from Bosch. Am I Bosch freak? Probably I am going to be... I really bought this because of the black glass. And also the ice maker. Totally love this fridge. And yes, check out the cool ice maker it comes with... the most amazing thing is... it is MADE IN CHINA!

6) Bang & Olufsen Beocom 6000

Need I say more about wanting a stylish item in the house? Slick... but totally overpriced. Yet, ZX fell for it.

Goodbye Baby Damien. See you in paradise

2009-08-12T04:06:00.000-07:00

A tribute to Damien... my unborn child but conceived in the mind of God since eternity

Today I bid goodbye to somebody who I have never met but someone so dear to me that he's my flesh. I have lost my second baby, Damien and this afternoon at 1 p.m, I had a D&C and Damien is physically out of my life.

I found out when I pregnant when nursing Daniel seemed painful back in mid July. Immediately I knew I was pregnant and the kit was tested positive. I have no idea why this time of pregnancy, I seem to have more "fears" than the time when I was pregnant back in 2007 with Daniel. With unrest, I needed a gynae's confirmation. So on 23rd July, I went to Dr. Tan. He closes on Tuesday. So off I went to Puteri for Dr. Ding. He had so many patients that the clinic had stopped taking in new ones. Great. Just then I recalled seeing a "maternity specialist" at Sentosa. Off I went to Dr. Loke.

Dr Loke let me hear Damien's heartbeat and said I was 6 week pregnant! He even circled the heartbeat to show Damien was alive and well. Wow... 6 weeks... A life has been in me for 6 weeks and I hardly knew it.

I preferred Dr Tan so that very weekend I went to Dr Tan. He too congratulated me. He told me to come back in a month's time. So I lived a life like a pregnant woman... with nausea and lethargy. Dreading the times to breastfeed as it hurt like crazy.

2 weeks passed, I felt uneasy. I dragged my husband to see Dr Tan on 9th August. Could it be Holy Spirit whispering? Maternal instinct? I think God used both. I just had to see a gynae with ZX.

My baby did grow to a size of a 9-week. Good! But Dr Tan has a puzzled look. He said he can't find the heartbeat. He told me to come again the next week as he was sure the baby did grow. I didn't seem to be very shocked. But still, to wait for a week with uncertainties... Would I be able to rest? Immediately I went to Dr Loke who I think is more straightforward. And on the spot he told me he was sorry that my baby is gone.

The heart wrenching moment was when the heartbeat chart was... empty. Just 2 weeks ago, I saw dynamic up and down lines. That day it was... silence.

My breaking point came when I went back to Dr Ding. Dr Ding the gynae who I had for Daniel explained to me more thoroughly. The moment he said my baby is quite big and and pointed out his head, buttocks and his limbs... that was the time it really hit me that I didn't lose some tissue or fats. I have lost a child. I think he deserves a name after all, cuz I know I will see him in heaven one day in the Lord's arms.

His name is Damien, a tamer, a spirit...

Photos Update! Daniel at 20 months

2009-08-06T22:42:00.001-07:00

I know I have abandoned this blog for the longest time! So here are the updates on my li'l cutie. Daniel has a million expressions!

"I love soup AHAHA!"

"Mommy, let me feed myself"

Yes, Daniel insists he feeds himself these days. Thus wherever he goes, there is always 3 spare shirts.

Morning shot! Yes, he is this energetic at the start of the day... You can imagine my off days are more exhausting than my work days.

Daniel doesn't seem impressed with the F1 car

Pics with maternal relatives! Kung kung and 2 Yi yis.

"Cheese!"

Daniel absolutely adores his cousins especially this koko.

"Call me Big Boss"

KK trip

2009-06-14T23:49:00.000-07:00

Aunty Maggie's birthday

2009-06-12T01:23:00.000-07:00

Senai airport on the way to KK

2009-06-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

My dear son is very good at posing for pictures now. As we were waiting for our flight to KK, he got a bit bored so I brought him to walk around at Senai airport. We saw some gigantic kites (Wau Bulan) and I asked him if he wants to pose for pictures. His cute little "ah" means a yes. So he stood there while I took out my phone. He got too impatient and started to run towards me!

He knows a few words now like

ma ma (mummy or grandma)
pa pa
po po
yeh yeh
mam mam (eat)
kakak
bai bai (goodbye)
nyum (drink)
kok kok (chicken)
ko ko (brother or any boys older than him)
bear (bear)
a-beet (rabbit)
pig
sheep
moo moo (cow)
preeas (please)
ma mi (barney)
ah (yes)
ng moi (no)

Tiles from Cotto

2009-05-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

There have been a few outings with my designer, Jasmine. The outings just bring more information to my head about interior design. So we went to see Cotto tiles at a showroom near Molek. Good thing my hubby manage to join us as well, so that I don't need to make decisions all by myself. Hubby really likes R U S T I C. He likes this as the living room display wall.

And not long after that, he needed to zoom off to meet clients. Sigh... and he just gave me a note to choose something nice for the guest bathroom. Something that give a "high class" feel... hotel theme. Since he likes rustic, I thought maybe a rustic toilet for the guest room. Pics are taken with my Nokia E51, so they may not reflect the true colours.

I quite like the circles. I think It will be nice for Daniel's toilet. The "balls" seems to be able to grow up with him. I can't exactly choose a toddler theme, as he will outgrow these styles in no time.

Ahhh this is for the master bathroom. I quite like the flowery tiles. So that's it! Black and white theme for my toilet. Hopefully Jasmine will come out with a posh look.

After that, my stomach began to grumble and off we head to Lavender at Molek. This is definitely one of the nicer Lavender bistros I have been to. Apparently, Lavender has an in-house designer to vamp up all their bistros and it has a 5-digit upfront fees for its design ONLY. That's crazy.

But I quite like the display wall as shown... maybe for my staircase.

More Whacking at Deux

2009-05-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

Milo Dinasour + Peanut Butter French Toast = DISASTER

2009-04-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Look at his satisfying face... That was the reason why I couldn't stop him from enjoying his Milo Dinasour + Peanut butter french toast at Kim's kopitiam. We went there with Kim and her daughter for tea. Yes, Kim is finally on the loose again. Don't kill me for she has not done her confinement strictly. Hehe!

Later that night the 'heaty' food starts to act up. Yes, I do believe in heaty vs cooling food... and he had a BAD NASTY cough this morning... Sigh... Time for the docs again. And no more classes for Daniel this week.

Grandma's Birthday

2009-04-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Grandma's birthday (my mother in law) was celebrated in the span of 3 days! The eve of her birthday, since it was a Sunday which means Hai Sui night, we had dinner at New Hong Kong. It was the 1st time I drank 3 glasses of red wine since I was pregnant and I was immediately bloated the next day.

At first everybody was singing to my mom in law, later everyone started to focus on Daniel.

Everybody was singing 'Happy Birthday' as if it was Daniel's birthday. That's because everybody wanted in the deepest desires to see him 'high'. Haha! Even Ah Kung was fascinated when Daniel laughed non stop.

Grandma demanding her birthday kisses from Daniel.

Daniel observing how the cake was cut.

And yes, there was his infamous birthday handshake now where he would shakes everyone's hands.
It was a great time of food and laughter. And not to mention screams from Daniel. He's growing 2 teeth at the bottom at 1 shot. So I guess that would cause his discomfort and tantrum throwing episodes. To the point my nanny is telling me she's bored of the job (again!). I need to get a maid soon....

Nevertheless, Happy Birthday Grandma!

Oh yes, I just had to take a pic of the cake... It is made by Mrs. Kim (as usual) and even though it's a blueberry cake, it still tastes like hr infamous red bean cake. I think it will be nicer if we just stuck to her red bean cake.

Oh, Daniel made a frame for Grandma. I didn't manage to take a picture of it, maybe next time. It was suppose to have his hand prints on it, but my dear son hates to get his hands dirty and sticky. So the finger paint didn't really work for him.

Meanwhile Zx and I got mum a Dior Prestige Revitalizing eye creme. Costs a bomb but the sales lady at Parkson, Holiday Plaza was really nice to give a sample of full sets of Prestige products. I really like the smell! Miss Dior products... Now I still have a batch of Dermalogica products lined up for me for the next... 2 years?

Wish List

2009-04-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to call this "Wanted List" but then again, some of them are (I honestly feel) too luxurious in times like this. But there's no harm wishing! Seeing is believing!

1.Sony Bravia Z-Series 200Hz 40 inch LCD HDTV
This new model from SONY is the 1st in the market to be of 200 Hz whereby images are clear at fast pace. Often, whenever I watch EPL with ZX, the images are blurry especially when Ronaldo does his fast goals. So I think it's time to invest in one good Bravia.

2. Bosch HBN411E0 built in oven with catalytic cleaning

I promise better grill chicken, baked pasta and turkey for Christmas if ZX gets me this.

3. Philips HTS
This is simply for me experience cinema at home... or maybe Barney will seem more alive for Daniel.

4.Samsung side by side fridge
How can you resist such a gorgeous fridge? Yes, I will downgrade my current fridge to the wet kitchen and place this in the dry kitchen. Gorgeous... Wishing very hard... indeed.

Gwyneth Paltrow's....

2009-04-23T01:51:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a few blogs on kitchen designs, dining designs... but one really caught my attention is Gwyneth Paltrow's home. She has one of the most stunning dining hall I have ever seen. But then again, I have to remind myself I am living in the tropics. If I am to design mine like hers, I would need to switch on the AC every meal I have and that would burn my hubby on the bills. These pics make my heart skip a beat... Can I make Deux look like that?

This is her living room. Her taste in pictures are great and her home seems very clean. Her home seems more to a black and white theme... I can try to make it but with Daniel in a toddler phase... what if my white start to have streams of colourful crayon across them, or spaghetti spots on them.

Her bedroom wallpaper is really nice. Ok, I have decided! I shall get wallpaper for my master bedroom. And I will go for white theme! What ya think? Kinda nice to have a purple grey wall with white furniture, don't you think?

Aiyo!!! If I have a daughter, I would go nuts dressing her up, decorating her room etc! Just look at Apple's room. It's so chic! Well, now I just need to focus on blues and more masculine prints like airplanes and baseball for Daniel.

So far I have never seen an impressive kitchen. This kitchen was so so at 1st glance until I saw the chandeliers!!! TWO some more!!! Wow. There's a breakthrough in my head. It's spacious and almost surreal to have a kitchen like that. I am absolutely speechless when I observe how modern yet simplistic yet... classic this whole concept is. I guess I like the skylight with the chandeliers. I am a sucker for chandeliers aren't I?

I just saw lights like this at Lorgan's at Pasir Panjang Rd. Pretty cute to have them.... Hmmmm.... I may put it at the high ceiling at my family hall.

Gywneth's foyer. I think Zhi Xiang would love this picture. And yes, TIME FOR WALLPAPER! But of course, no cloth sofa for me. I don't wanna see any yellow spots once I start toilet train Daniel.

I was thinking of bright toilets for Deux but aiyo... this picture is so cute! Look at the lights. I will never get such lights if I see them in a light shop but the effect is cute. Interesting isn't it? Hmmm... white furniture against black wallpaper....

I love, love, LOVE her dining hall. Check out her USD$30k priced chandelier!!! I am planning to get a chandelier but maybe not as complicated as hers.

Another designer chandelier... a bit too hard to clean though....

Ahhh... lastly, the outdoor. This will never be in JB. KK maybe. I will name my future daughter Gwyneth!!! (You know I am just too into her designs).

Shopping in these times?!?

2009-04-22T07:31:00.001-07:00

Yes! I have finally bought my stainless steel Franke sink! Totally love it. I bought the Galassia mode GAX620 because the size is big enough for Chinese woks to go in. Also, it is on promotion that comes with a Fremont tap at about $580 for 2 items. I was preparing to spend about $500 alone on Hansgrohe Variac tap with pull-out nozzle alone, but ever since my hubby confidently saying our funds will come from God alone and has not even materialise yet at the very moment, I have decided to reduce as much unnessary spending I can. I actually already bought the Variac tap, but oh well, I just contra it so that I can have another set of Kohler WC and sink for my ground floor toilet. This GAX will go to my wet kitchen.

Some days ago, I also brought my hubby to Rozel at Sentosa as there was a sale going on. My hubby and I are 2 VERY DIFFERENT shoppers. On average, I take about 3 days of research before buying something and at least viewing twice before committing. My hubby takes about 10 minutes and then he would start taking his wallet out and thinking what to eat the next minute. Hence, we got a set of full leather reclining sofa (a bit like my dad's) at 20% off just like that. Yes, that was RM8k damage.

Reno Shots on Deux

2009-04-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Phang Generations

2009-04-17T10:01:00.001-07:00

How can a 16 month old toddler have eye bags?? I guess that remains a mystery for me. Daniel sleeps well and I have no idea where the bags come from. Maybe I should apply some eye treatment on him when he sleeps!

There he goes again... scrambling anything that caught his attention.
My gorgeous darling is really growing very much. He is not as sweet smelling as before as he likes to run about and given that he has pretty high metabolism rate like his dad, he tends to be sweaty most of the time. Even seconds after his shower!

Here is a picture of 4 generations of Phang. Pretty awesome huh?

My Gym @ Woodlands

2009-03-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

It's not fair to keep talking my house... let me write about the class I have been bringing Daniel to. I brought him to a baby gym class called My Gym and since it is at Woodlands Civic Center, it's just 30 mins drive from my place.

Daniel is really an active li'l boy. He likes to run about and explore as many things at ONE time. So the gym is good. Good for his motor skills and for Choy Che and I to have a peaceful evening as Daniel will sleep faster and soundly after the gym activities.

The first thing Daniel runs to is always the pool of balls. He loves being surrounded by countless of multicolour balls!

Then there were swings which he kinda in the process of liking it. I think he still prefers daddy to swing him around... anytime!

And of course with his craze for lion dance, he loves the drums! He would prefer drums to piano. Maybe Uncle Gabriel can teach him once he's older... Hmmm.... maybe I should sound proof his room while we are still renovating.

The next few pictures are what I called "THE GREEDY CHILD" pics.

Like I said, Daniel loves to multitask. Maybe he got it from me. He's trying to prove he can play with two walking toys at one time, with 2 different hands...

"Look mama I can handle 2!"

The suddenly, here comes some competition...

"Can I have one please?"

Choy Che: Daniel you should learn to share. Besides you have TWO!

Daniel: But I can handle them myself...

"Did I do anything wrong?"

I guess in 15 years' time, he would use them to impress girls. For the time being, he likes the toys more. Hallelujah! Till then, I shall prepare my "Mommy's Instructions on Treating Girls Well" talk. Hmmm... maybe Daddy should do it.

Deux... Hacked, Dismantled, Demolished!

2009-03-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

This whole week, the 3 Indon workers were really hacking their hearts out. They hacked out the ceiling... this is before...

After....

Pak arranging aluminium ceiling to be sold...

Hacked the maid's room....

Took off the furniture....

Took off the lights...

Cover the neighbour's side... that was really considerate of them... so that I would have nice neighbour the moment I move in....

Took off the front porch...

Advertise their expertise at the same time....

Arranged the aluminium to be sold to Garang Guni...

Remove the doors and planks...

Hack more walls...

It was a stuffy time to go to Deux. Jasmine said the construction will begin next week. For the looks of things, I think it can be done... by END of the week. They are pretty efficient I must say but I just hope their workmanship is top notch. Else, my head will really roll. No one believed in Team BJ, except the stubborn me... who has no apparent reason to hire them at all. Well, I guess I like Jasmine's taste in design that's all.

I love Kitchen Stuff!

2009-03-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while Daniel was taking his nap I did some research on kitchen hood and nob. Then I made some comparisons and I actually found out the better kitchen hood is Fujioh. I was planning to buy Teka appliances but since not much review on Teka, I might follow the reviews.

I did some research on Malaysia and Singapore pricing. Lo and behold, Singapore is almost half the price of Malaysia's even after conversion. Then I stumbled on Hoe Kee webpage and there was a promo going on! The shopaholic spiril immediately overwhelmed me and I grabbed Daniel and Choy Che and zoomed to Genting Road, the part of Singapore I have never been myself.

After 3 hours of talking and bargaining, Johnny (a name too young for the experienced uncle), I bought Fujioh FG33SV hob and FX900 hood for S$760, compare if I buy in Malaysia, I'd probably have to splurge at least RM5.5k!

So with all the effort in shopping, I should really make use of my kitchen. Else, it will be like buying expensive appliances for my maid to use! Then of course, since I was at Hoe Kee, I must take a look at their Blanco sinks.

I bought my 1st Blanco sink! Yea, I got a Metra 9 black sink. Think I will place this at the dry kitchen. Will probably get a Franke sink later for the wet kitchen. And since it is missing a tap, I got a Blanconava mixer for it. Johnny was nice enough to give me a T joint for my piping installation for the Blanconava. Very kind of him indeed.

Don't you think my Blanconava looks very much like my Hansgrohe Variac? I was thinking, since I only spent $149 on Blanco mixer and $500 for my Hansgrohe mixer, maybe I should trade back my Hansgrohe mixer for other things.... 1 Johnson Suisse WC maybe. Imagine, a tap the price of a WC!!!!

Hansgrohe... It's a SPLURGE!

2009-03-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

Today we have spent RM 10k on something we have not seen, touched or used until maybe a year later. We bought all the mixers, faucets, WC and sinks from the tap shop outside my house called Bina Warehouse. Oh and also a kitchen tap (Hansgrohe Allegra Variac) with pull out nozzle, which looks absolutely stunning... (the price tag is even more stunning) ....

...something which my hubby wants... he seldoms requires, so whatever little things he wants to see in his future Deux, I shall try my best to fulfill it. It's the last piece, so Tony (sales person) said, so oh well, might as well get it at RM1,200!!!! That's after 50% off. Yes, get me a bed... I feel dizzy. The reason we bought so early was because there was a package deal at Bina. Buy 1 free 1 kinda thing.

So I like the name Hansgrohe, hence the splurge. I am getting these for my master bathroom...

Yes, I will be getting the raindance! Oh well, what's the hype? I have not even tried it. Maybe end of the year I will give a full review of these products. So far, I can only whine about the prices. And a day after I bought ALL these, I actually bought another Hansgrohe tap on EBAY! I got it for only S$130 for a brand new tap!

Lo and behold as I got back, I studied the tap and there were 3 horrifying words I dreaded to see "MADE IN CHINA". I immediately called Tony who swore to the moons and the stars that all Hansgrohe are made in Germany. He told me he will get back to me... oh well, at least he sounded genuinely surprised with those 3 words. Anyway, sanitaryware is definitely cheaper in Singapore but I really can't imagine stuffing a toilet bowl inside my car boot and drive it over the checkpoint... hence, the splurge.

Starting Work on No. 2

2009-03-23T01:01:00.000-07:00

Hehe... I know I know it has been ages... I have decided to blog again so that I can keep track of certain important things. Yes, it's my second house. That's why the No. 2. No, it is not a No. 2 baby. At least not yet. No. 2 is also because my house is No.2 at Jalan Kuning Muda.

The plan above is pasted on the wall early the morning. It tells what needs to be hacked (in yellow) and what needs to be built (in red). Kinda hard to see but look at the images below...

Looks like a bomb has landed in JB, ey? Tee hee! Yea, this wall definitely has to go to give the "spacious" feeling to my new No.2. Maybe I should name No.2. Wait till I get some cool names for it.

Looks like a torpedo has just flown through the wall! And here's Mr Ley dismantling the kitchen. I am going to take a look again later at 530 or maybe tomorrow morning so check it out again.

Apparently I am being appointed as project manager for No.2. Big headache.... So should I name my new home Deux, Zwei, Dos or Shta’im. Deux sounds more polished don't you think?

Oh, and about Daniel, ever since the post on Perth, I have brought him to many places! Which I will slowly update. I just came back from Melbourne with him to visit Shyan, my sister in law. It was definitely nice to see her and Jeremy along with Alvin Siaw, Matthew Liew and Joo Sing (and their kids!). More pics coming up!

Perth Trip - 1st Day of Summer

2008-12-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

Perth Trip

2008-12-08T23:44:00.001-08:00

Perth Trip - Prelude... (wait till I gather all the pics)

Long break

2008-12-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

Hey, Daniel fanatics! I am back! Yes, it has been a long break. It simply means Daniel is getting more mobile and harder for me to watch tv or go online at home. By the time Daniel sleeps, I will probably be dozing off next to him too!

This is the face of my 13 month old Daniel

It was great to have Winnie back with us! Means, another pair of hands to share Daniel's weight and wriggly hands. He just loves to grab anything that is within his reach and throw it to the floor the next. And not to mention his trademark shriek!

Aunty Winnie keeping Daniel OCCUPIED

Cousin Xin Ning tranining to be sisterly... giving Daniel a peck on his cheeks!

Daniel at Paragon playground with Xin Ning

To all my students who are reading this, spend your holiday fruitfully and FEEL TO DROP BY to see us teachers for lunch anytime! More pics from Perth coming soon.

Oh dear, after reading James Dobson "Bringing Up Boys", I wish he will not look like this when he starts driving a REAL car. He's totally excited! Please don't grow up so fast, darling.

The PARTY!

2008-11-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

So the party began.... I shall let the pictures to speak a thousand of words.

We had,

100++ guests (but we projected 40)

a designer birthday cake

(hek em, designed by yours truly with Uncle Jeremy)

the birthday candle

(painstakingly found in Bugis)

the birthday suit

(thought and planned since 3 months ago)

the 'United' parents

(look at the badges properly)

the potential babysitter

the blessing

cake cutting ceremony
(with one of the cousins more eager to cut the cake)

the clown a.k.a cake designer #2

my homemade delicious fruitpunch

the 'lok lok' cart

the kids

the stylo cousin from KL

the presents

the laughter

the bountiful amount of food
(thank God the leftover was minimal)

the minor incident that needed some intellect

the killer look
the slaying of the Cap Monster
and some great pictures

Happy birthday my dear son!

Daniel's 1st Birthday - Preparation Stage

2008-11-03T22:59:00.000-08:00

I got up at 9 am on 1 Nov and I thought "THIS IS THE DAY!". After breakfast, I went over to in law's house and start pumping balloons. My heart was full of excitement and anticipation. The caterers, balloons, cake, guests and my baby boy will all come together TODAY. So, I got Fen to help...

and she got Ivy and Melvin to help.

They were saying I was ambitious with the decorations. To me, I love beautiful things. I love to be creative. Hence, the big dramas and colourful backdrop back in my youth days when it comes to Easter and Christmas celebrations.

The decor was done up by 4 pm. Of course, there was resting and lunch in betweens. I was no longer the slave driver I used to be. Haha! So with this, I promised a TGIF meal with my decorators... probably this coming Saturday. At 5 pm, when ZX got back, we went to get the helium balloons which I think really enchanced the decor to another level!

Guests started to stream in at 6:30 pm. There was once when I was having my shower, I was thinking how to have economical decorations. Then a heavenly idea came. I have seen those party plates which cost so much lesser than banners and streamers but as colourful, why not use them on the wall?? Hence, I got some Pooh plates and 1st birthday boy plates and stuck on the wall. Voila!

Thank you Fen, Ivy and Mel! You are the best!

Touching... Prepare your tissue

2008-11-01T00:48:00.000-07:00

I first saw this video back when I was still pregnant. It was the moment parenthood hit me, that a child will always need our love, guidance, support and above all prayers. I teared when I 1st saw this, and still do when I watched it again.

Baby approaching one year

2008-10-19T03:01:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went to the most dramatic wedding dinner - ever! My mother in law told me to get ready by 645 pm for Ah Hong's wedding. But by 640, Daniel was still asleep after playing with cousin Sing Ning. So I gently woke him up (to maintain his mood) and get him dressed. Surprise surprise, almost no one was ready in the Phang clan. Haha! Once everyone got ready, they all looked so nice that I couldn't resist a picture.

Their li'l grandsons

Dinner was very nice at Kang Yi Restaurant. Daniel wasn't able to sit well as the place was pretty crowded and noisy. Occasionally he would want to cry because everybody was being too warm and loud for him.

This is a great pic by William... which the pink menu only kept him still for 20 seconds the most. At the end of the last dish, there was a BLACKOUT! To my horror, Daniel was not with me in the midst of the darkness. He was with Choy Che, Chen Ku and Aunty Mag (one of the most trustworthy ladies in Daniel's life). The lights came back but went off again the next minute. I knew I had to leave, so I grabbed my stuff and walked in darkness to where I knew my mother instinct would bring me. Voila! I was with Daniel at the stairs and we rushed out as we saw sparks and smoke at the fuse box. I really thought the whole restaurant will go up in flames! There was a guy with fire extingusher but he fell from the stairs. Apparently, at the peak of karaoke session, the power was overloaded and snapped. Wasn't a big deal really but the only thing I miss was shaking the bride and groom's hands goodbye.

Daniel was being a fantastic baby. He didn't cry a tear. I think he was too amused with the lights coming on and off plus the smoke and sparks! Haha!

The next day, the wedding was really a hot topic. It was godly timing as well, as people had no choice but to leave. The party was getting a bit too loud and drunk by the second, so it was a good thing.

Next morning, we went to San Low to eat the noodles. Daniel's 1st try on mee hoon! And he loves it! But I really think he just slurped it up without much biting. He has been eating a lot of fish! San Low has got new rides for kids too!

Daniel is a boy who I should say cheap to maintain. He would not play with his expensive Fisher Price toys for more than 5 minutes but he likes my Dior shade CASE and he could spend 10 minutes fiddling it. Next time, I will just get him some cardboard boxes or shoe boxes for him to play instead.

Birthday Party Coming Up!!

2008-10-16T22:59:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Tauke Phang

2008-10-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

" See what see? Never see before?"
My son never ceases to amuse me...

.

Too busy or too lazy?

2008-10-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

I know I know... I have been missing in ages. Too busy? YES! Life is never the same ever since Daniel knows how to creep around on his belly and points at anything that might interest him. Not only does he point, he demands to be carried towards the object of curiosity. Too lazy to blog? Why, yes! Everytime after getting him to sleep (still on nursing, sadly), I will be too exhausted. My attempt of reading a book didn't last me 5 minutes before I was nodding my head to zzz land.

I have been busy surveying, comparing prices for Daniel's birthday decorations and I found ebay is still the cheapest. These days, amidst the recession looming on our heads and our weary bank books, I am trying not to be tempted with all the attractive birthday themes ; Pooh, Sesame babies (my fave), Mickey Mouse, Thomas the train (which I find utterly irritating) and so forth. I am planning a baby recipe for the kids coming. At first, I do have ambitious Nigella's recipe for the kids, but then again, naybe just puree pumpkin will do. ;)

Daniel has been loving kids' rides a lot. He just know these brightly coloured amusement objects are for him to play with. And he's excited everytime he sees rows of soft toys in any toy shop. I think he wishes to be an octopus, to touch as many new toys at one go and loses complete interest in them after 30 seconds. Sometimes, I wish I am an octopus too. So that I can change 8 hands carrying him (you have no idea how tiring it is), changing his diaper while feeding him haha!

All in all, I really wanna thank my mum for standing in while I was buying LVs in Paris, getting altitude sickness in Switzerland, sipping beer with Ah Tien in London and getting lost in racks of G-Star denim in Germany.

Ahhh... Tien, my friend, my brother, my love guru.... Ladies, he's VERY available!

Daniel... grow, grow, grow

2008-09-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

As my mum saw Daniel after not seeing him for half a year, she said he has changed so much. So I am gathering a changes of baby's face thus far...

1st day - Nov

1st month - Nov

2nd month - Dec

3rd month - Jan

4th month - Feb

5th month - March

6th month - April

7th month- May

8th month - June

9th month - July

HFMD

2008-09-16T00:49:00.001-07:00

What an episode... as much as I am so crazy over the HK drama series "Moonlight Resonance", it was quite a drama when I was in HK too. The next morning, Fen called and said the doctor has confirmed that Daniel has HAND FOOT MOUTH!!! I almost screamed in the car, as ZX's client Rex drove us to Causeway Bay.

I was dead worried for him and all my shopping spirit just left me. It felt so horrible and I wish I was back home taking care of him. So ZX changed our flight and we flew back 6 hours earlier. No more shopping? Still enough time for me to grab a jolicouer at Gucci at HKIA. Haha!

When I reached home, baby was asleep. He immediately hugged me once he saw me and was being very sweet indeed. He has been really cranky when I was not around and refused anyone to carry him except Choy Che. So Choy Che was my stand in. He did have some ulcers and a number of spots on his butt, feet and fingers. The doc told me to stay home with him, so I had a week off from work! Of course, I got the paper back to mark, and caught up with my drama series... while nursing him. I read up a lot on HFM and apparently, it's pretty common. The most painful part is giving him medicine. I had to use a syringe to push all the medicine down his throat 4 times daily. And he cried very loud each time. Good news is, by the 3rd day, he's pretty good with it.

So when I thought breast milk will make my baby invincible, free from all germs, there my baby is falling sick. First, cough and now hand, foot, mouth! Maybe I should get as much supplements for him to boost his immune system. Anyway, baby has been changing in temperament. He's definitely way more active, and persistent. Hmmm... what happened to "easy Daniel"? Regardless, he's still as huggable.

In-dependence...

2008-09-04T00:53:00.000-07:00

I will be flying to Hong Kong tomorrow night for 2 nights with ZX. It will be the 1st time Daniel is sleeping without mummy by his side. Gulp! I hope all things go well for him. So I have come out with "soothing" measures by sending him and Choy Che to my in-law's place for those 2 nights. And of course, how can we forget his "yao lan" (or simply known as "sarong") where he can be soothed to dreamland without being nursed. Oh, did I mention, Daniel actually BROKE the yaolan! Thank God Choy Che was holding it when it broke so Daniel didn't hit the ground. ZX and I got a thicker material this time.

God, please be with him when I am not around... Sigh... I guess it's a process every parent would have to go through, that is allowing your child to grow... independently. With my office table acting like a shrine for Daniel, I am constantly reminded our 1st gaze at one another (taken on his arrival day) and his dependence on his parents.

Surprisingly, after my in laws came back from a 4-day trip to Macau, he refuses to be carried by his granny! As we all know, he loves his granny more than his mummy (sometimes) because granny can bring him "kai-kai". But these days, he is just refusing her to carry him. I wonder why... Will he do that to me if he doesn't see me for 2 days?

Anyway, Daniel is especially clingy now, making it real hard for me to get to work. Sigh, baby baby... I need to let you grow... but at the same time, in the secret corner of my heart, I wish you'll always be my li'l baby who always screams in excitement whenever I reach the door after a frustrating jam at Causeway. Definitely lights up my evening. :)

So off to Hong Kong...! Time for me to be... independent.

Daniel's Coughing ~ boohooo

2008-08-25T01:12:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday, I brought Daniel to Growing Up Gifted (GUG) at United Square. He loves it! He loves the songs and actions and he's definitely very curious when the Magic Bag was passed around. The teachers were praising him at how good he is during the 1st class, and saying he's very ready for school. I felt good of course, but maybe it's a marketing gimmick. Then again, Daniel did benefit from it. Whether he can recall anything from it, that's another thing.

The only thing I regretted is as shown below. He put the toys into his mouth!!!! Nooooooo.....!!!!

Baby being soooooo curious and attentive to the teachers. I am glad he was exposed to some chinese words and songs.

"What's that?"

"Is it edible?"

After that eventful day, baby was tired with the activities. Then he started having fever and some dry cough in the evening. ZX thought the fever was mild so we just slept. At 3 am, I touched his forehead and measured his temperature, it was 38.9 celcius! Yikes!!!

So now, he has been coughing for 6 days. After 2 PDs, and a cough mixture, his dry cough has turned to wet. He has puked on my bed twice! It felt like I was swimming in his vomit that night, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. But poor baby, today he didn't wake up with a smile. It was my fault! For not pulling out that toy he was gumming! It must have contained millions of germs that was harmful. AAARRGGHHH!!!! If only I can turn back the clock, then he won't be awaken by his own cough middle of the night. This is the 1st time Daniel is so sick. Sigh... the sign that most of my antibodies (from umblibical cord) is used up (quoted by Dr. Tham from Puteri Hospital).

The Return of Shyan Ku Ku

2008-08-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

It was nice to have Shyan back from Melbourne even though it was only for a weekend. Daniel was not very ready for her warm enthusiatic embrace at first as he is more aware of the identities of the people around him but her warmth love has soon won him over in no time!

One of the nights, we celebrated Melvin's birthday. Daniel was having a fantastic time fiddling the karaoke set as we were assigned to a karaoke room. Then everybody took turns to carry him around as we eat in turns.

Baby with Shyan

Baby with Grandma

Baby with everyone

Baby with Dad & Mum

This is by far one of my fave shots. Daniel can be a real laughter. I must say he's a very smiley baby. He wakes up smiling 98% of the time. He just loves being wherever he is. And if you love playing with him, you are his best friend. Compare to his peers (other babies) I think Daniel is a social butterfly. He loves to interact and enjoy as much attention as he can get. He definitely got that from me.... or more accurately, I have 'downloaded' it to him. I realise I can live without handphones on weekends. That's how much I devote my weekends to my baby. I am definitely not as noisy and active compare to my pre-mummy days. I love sipping tea now, can you believe it? And just stroll for SIMPLE shopping. If I go off more than 2 hours without my baby, my guilt-o-meter will start to rise to ALERT zone. Yikes! What has motherhood done to me?

Baby loving to be on Daddy's shoulders

I told myself I must get a good shot of Choy Che, Daniel's nanny. And there she is! The heroine who stands in for me on weekdays whenever I travel across the causeway to teach. Daniel is a bit mischievious too... whenever I am around, he would refuse Choy Che. He doesn't even want her to touch him! Naughty naughty.... but whenever I am not around, he would want her to carry him most of time. Or lets him go on the walker where he can literaly zoom here and there.

I must say Daniel has one of the best grandparents. They are totally in love with him and sometimes even spoil him (gulp!). Daniel loves especially grandma to carry him cuz Grandma = kai kai. Due to my mother in law's hand operation, thus she didn't carry Daniel, he cried a river.

On Sunday, we went to Carlton Hotel for dim sum. It was a loooong queue, thank God Huey Wen my sister-in-law who stays in Singapore made a booking. The dim sum was simple but their cha siew was gooood. Cha siew soh, cha siew pow.... yummy! All the buns are good.

And with a long wait, comes long entertainment to keep Daniel occupied. Shyan Ku Ku joined us after her best friend's wedding night for the dim sum. After that the whole clan adjourned to Taka for some classy shopping ; Raoul, Bally etc.

It was a bit weird to eat so near my workplace. I would be settling for SGD3 chicken rice normally and here I am at a 5-star hotel eating dim sum just opposite my school! What a contrast. Next time, I shall not eat so near my workplace. I'd better stick to Crystal Jade then... but can't beat the cha siew.

Miri Trip

2008-07-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

On 4th July, the whole clan (all 40 of us) flew to Miri to attend Hong Ko's wedding. So all of us took the bus from Grandma's house all the way to Senai. Daniel loves the bus. He gets to interact with countless of relatives and amuses everybody with his new skill of blaberring.

At Senai, we were very 'kiasu' indeed. We queued before the counter was opened!

Off we go!

So as to kill time, Daniel was being brought around to play with anything he can get his hands on...

Dad's specs

Touch screen on flight info

Candies

The moment I arrived in the hotel, I immediately unloaded my burden... putting Daniel on a huge sofa which was later shared by cousin Xing Ning. Baby is 10kg now... causing me to demand some massage from ZX everynight.

This is Miri. Most amazingly, it's as clean as Singapore! I did not see a single rubbish or even pot hole on the roads. Amazing... And there are quite a lot of Chinese living in the town as well. I took this view from my room, we were staying at Imperial Hotel. Not bad at all, as the banquet was held there as well and there was a shopping mall connected to it, it makes the whole journey very convenient.

This is the place we had our 1st dinner. The seafood can't beat Sabah's of course but I guess if you bring a big group of 40 to eat, people tend to be stressed - the chefs, the waiters and not to mention the host. That reminds me, I guess I have to applaud my dad for managing a bigger group when the clan came to Sabah for our wedding.

The hotel lobby... a background where we can shoot "We've been to Sarawak!"

Daniel is still refusing to crawl! He'll cry in frustration and fury if we don't lift him up ASAP.

So while ZX and I went for a massage, everyone else from ZX's family took care of him. Feeding him apple, cereal... and pineapple!!!!

Church wedding was interesting... we had a wedding mass.

Apparently, Hong Ko is marrying a bumi (Kenyah, to be exact) so it makes the whole trip to be very cultural indeed. I have never been this close to the bumi culture, not even the Kadazans back in Sabah. Don't get me wrong, I do have a lot of Kadazan friends but I guess they have definitely rid some of the old practices.

Wedding dinner was at the very hotel we were staying. Thumbs up for the convenience!!

Hong Ko's mother in law actually have long ears, from the enlarging of the hole piercing. Then I concluded, Sarawakians tend to keep the culture more fervently than Sabahans.

And our last meal in Miri where I realised Daniel really likes being part of the eating community.

Daniel's fave activity - bathing!

2008-07-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

Red Day - Meet up with KK friends

2008-07-07T23:56:00.000-07:00

It just so happened that on the night before we left for JB, Daniel, ZX and I were dressed in shades of red. We went to Kolombong Restaurant where we had stingray, wo tie, satays etc... all the Sabah goodies. I forgot to take a pic of the food we ate, guess we were too hungry!

It was also the last night for Daniel to interact with my Sabah gang...

Uncle Leonard

Aunty Audrey who also had just came back from KL

Uncle Felix, undoubtably Daniel's fave...

During dinner, while ZX and I took turns to eat, with my friends carrying him here and there, chasing some dogs, showing him the moon, anything to keep him occupied! Daniel loves to ride on people's shoulders these days. His new game, being a hair stylist!

Mummy's hair is definitely more fun than Uncle Rickie's...

Daniel the Social Butterfly

2008-06-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

My son... My son...

He never ceases to surprise me. He's learning new tricks everyday! One thing for sure, he's definitely an extrovert. He loves hugging people (especially babies!). He's extra friendly to people his size, and sometimes it scares the other party! There was once he got over-friendly with a 9-month old baby girl, and she cried while he was trying to hug her, which in his love language, is grabbing her face and hair.

Just look at how he hugged Xing Ning, his cousin.

These 2 will have a lot in common as they grow together in JB. I wonder if they will end up in the same school...

Here are some everyday shots of Daniel. ZX would come back in late evenings and he will spend the remaining precious time catching up with his son. Daniel's fave game with daddy is walking around while daddy arches his back to guide him to walk.

Below is daddy walking him along our infamous toilet, with an "Adam-and-Eve" theme (no doors, all glass).

If Daniel happens to stay up at night, he'll be helping daddy with his work on the laptop.

On other times, Daniel loves his Donkey Time, where Donkey will sing some silly songs like "Staying Alive" by Bee Gees while waving his tail and wriggling his ears (all done by me of course). I won't mind buying a toy that sings Bee Gees gigs.

Daniel has an expensive potty, a present from his maternal granny. It's a Mothercare Fun-at-the-Zoo potty chair. He simply loves it, as he can sit and hang there as long as he wants. Daniel is very cute when he does his "business". His face will turn into a mini tomato!

After observing my son has a liking to jump and to be up on his feet since 2 months old, I invested in a Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo. Pricy? ABSOLUTELY! It is the most expensive toy I have ever bought. I got it cheaper straight from a bulk purchase from a distributor at SGD $180. Yes, I know... It's still a ridiculous price to pay for a toy. But hey, it does let the nanny have some breather! Or at least for my back.

Yippeee! I am flying!

And lastly, you can see how my house has changed. Cluttered with baby swings, yao lan, babychair, playmat etc. Everything has changed. (I have been diligently blogging because school is reopening next Monday, thus, I foresee my next blog will be a considerable period from now). Thank you for reading!

2nd Trip back to Kota Kinabalu

2008-06-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

As I had a 2-week break, I brought Daniel back to KK via Malaysia Airlines. It is definitely much better than Air Asia. With the promotional zero fare season, I flew JB-KK for about RM 300 ++ and it was a good time for Choy Che to go home as well. Daniel is really in an interactive month right now. He tried to interact with the passengers next and behind him. I must say he's pretty good at flying now. Sleeping throughout the journey. I wonder if I can bring him to my Europe trip in Sept. At the moment, he's not arranged to travel with us (ZX, my parents-in-law and myself).. yet.

Thank God KK was not as hot as I expected but with Daniel teething, he was pretty cranky and only wanted me to carry him at all times. So with a new environment, it was pretty tough for him. Things only got better when ZX came to KK on Saturday. He even had diarrhea from the 2nd day onwards! Had to buy new diapers in KK for him. I found Huggies to be quite good, apart from the usual Mamipoko and Pet Pet that I normally use.

Daniel was very fascinated with the dogs at KK, especially Saucy, an old daschund at home. He probably thought it is a horse!

Daniel only lets Grandpa to carry him on the LAST DAY, before he left. Guess he finally warmed up with Kung Kung.

A hot afternoon with Daddy catching up on Euro 2008 replay and him feasting on some snacks. Daniel is very good with his fingers now. He can feed himself snacks now. He definitely has a HUGE appetitide now! He can't sit still while looking at us eat anymore. He must has his share too.

I brought Daniel out almost everyday. So he was pretty acquainted with my friends especialy Felix and Philip. All in all, Daniel prefers guys to carry him. Maybe they have more strength to bring him around longer. Hehe! He's 9.4 kg now. So the guys are really "working out" when they carry him.

Here's Daniel trying out my Dior shades. He loves to balance it on his nose.

And yes, I am trying to capture some precious moments of Daniel with his Grandpa. I just bought some 9-12 months Mothercare bodysuits for him, so that should be well last for a while.

Poor baby has 4 more mozzy bites added to his face. As usual, my maternal instinct will make sure those mozzies are killed, flattened and mutilated. Haha!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-06-03T22:14:00.001-07:00

On 11th May,

I celebrated both Mother's Day and Zhi Xiang's birthday.

A day when it was never aboout me

and I was always the giver,

this year was different.

I celebrated a new me.

A new role, a new life, a new beginning...

which I realised it would last a lifetime!

I thank God for this whole journey of motherhood.

My heart still feels SINGLE at times,

forgetting that I am actually married

but once Daniel's or Zhi Xiang's face surfaced

in the window on my mind,

my eyes suddenly opened up to see the reality.

The reality which is full of God's blessing.

Isn't it nice to be awaken

to a more beautiful world than your dreams?

That's what God can do...

I am truly awestruck.

Baby is a big boy now

2008-06-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

I am definitely getting lousier in blogging. Not that I don't have the heart, but I hardly can find a good decent time to update my blog! I have been so busy marking scripts, celebrating Champion's League and EPL, breastfeeding (yes, I am still on it... or rather, Daniel is still on it), going crazy with GSS (Great Singapore Sale) and of course still trying to finish my Heroes Season 2 and Desperate Housewives Season 4. One episode would take me a week to finish! Now I decided to dedicate this very precious time, my lunch time at EC to update as much as I can.

As you can see, Daniel is a big boy now. He'll be exactly 7 months tomorrow! How time flies. One thing I realised about my li'l darling... he loves to eat! He likes all the fruits and cereal. So far, he has tried bananas, apples, pears, grapes, oranges (he's loooovveess oranges) and rice cereal. I was a bit concerned and tried getting him organic food but after what Rita has told me, it is actually not as important as I thought it would be.

After my mum left, she came with Choy Che from KK. She's my mum's friend who happened to have nothing to do. So my mum coaxed her into coming to JB and work for us as Daniel's nanny. She's simply perfect for the job! She's a Hakka lady who's honest and down to earth and Daniel simply loves her!

Daniel is begnning to be very interactive now. He's teething as well (and he bit me while I was breastfeeding him last night... naughty boy!). He laughs whenever I play Stitch with him... singing and talking Stitch.

And yes, thank you Uncle Lenot for the lovely Donkey as well. It is Daniel's fave chewing soft toy and he sleeps with it.

Avillion, Port Dickson on Labour's Day

2008-05-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

On Labour's Day, ZX drove baby and I up to Port Dickson. It was a 3 hour drive from JB. We've booked a 2-night stay in one of the best resorts in PD - Avillion.

When we reached there, it has a very rainforest feel to it at the lobby. Once I saw the sea, my heart sank. It has been too long since I last saw or even smelled the beach. Growing up in Sabah, I am definitely a person who finds the seaside calming and rejuvenating. A clean seaside with a clear horizon of course (unlike the horizon we see at East Coast). My dream is to have a nice house by the seaside when I grow old. Then again, with the tsunami incident a few years' back, maybe I should rethink about it.

Daniel loves the sea as well!

We got a garden chalet, which is quite big I must say. They gave us a room with 2 double beds! My mistake, I didn't really check when I was booking it. They couldn't change the room for us because the resort was running full for the next 3 days! Oh well... that means more backache if Daniel and I are to share on a single bed. The service was good, nothing to complain about... Given Malaysian standard, this is actually not bad at all. The next time I come here, I would definitely try the water chalet. This place kinda reminds me of Ana Mandara, my honeymoon spot in Vietnam.

Our garden chalet...
the day bed where I placed Daniel to sleep (in case he rolls over and falls)

Spacious toilet with 2 sinks!

One of the reasons I chose Avillion is because of their facilities. Without a baby, I would opt for an island trip ANYTIME. With Daniel, I need to make sure there's clean hot water, good facilities and air-con available. My life has officially changed.

Kids' pool

Large pool

Daniel getting ready for a dip

Daniel dipping in!

Daniel trying out the neck float

Ok... he loves it!

One good thing about this trip is that ZX and I get to spend loads of time with Daniel. So much so, after the trip, he doesn't want to be carried by the nanny or even the grandparents! He wants to follow wherever we go now! Uh oh...

Daniel's wish is to be on daddy's shoulders 24-7!

Grandma's Big Birthday

2008-05-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, it was grandma's birthday. So after church service at Jurong, we rushed down to Raffles City to see if we can pick any "classy" gift for her. Something nice she can wear, but not something which she already has - which is the hard part. She already has so many purses, wallets and jewelleries... that we really didn't know what to buy. I have been cracking my head since a week ago.

It was only when God revealed the answer when a SOT aunty carried Daniel... 'She has a very nice watch' I thought and I looked closer, it was an Aigner watch. So off I went into Aigner bouique. Indeed they do have some decent ladies' watches.

Daniel having fun sitting on Sing Ning's shoulders

Perhaps daddy's shoulders are nicer to sit on

Grandpa cuddling Daniel

A family portrait

Choy Che (Daniel's nanny) asked us to get a cake from Singapore as well. Apparently the chocolate classico I bought at Raffles City was the 4th cake that she has!

Dinner at Kings Park

2008-04-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

The same night, we had reception at King's Park. The view was beautiful... and we had raw oysters for starters! I had been craving for raw oysters ever since pre-pragnancy days, as raw food was considered unsafe for preggers, I didn't touch any of it until that day. I think I ate a record of more than 10 pieces! Yumzzzz...

Perth's sunset

Ku Cheong gave a great speech I must say and I caught Danny who was sitting next to me to be in tears! I won't say in tearsss, but tearing at least- a side of my cousin which I have never seen.

Danny to my surprise, was pretty good with Daniel! He carried him around to "entertain" him, but he was carrying him he was carrying a lamb about to be sacrificed. Nevertheless, I think Daniel likes his Unle Danny's Ausie accent. He was totally mesmerised when Danny speaks.

I may be flying to Perth again in Nov to attend his and Leona's wedding!

An adorable pic - Uncle Danny and Aunty Leona

Western dinner for a change!

Cake cutting... one of the best hazelnut cake I have ever tasted!

Finally, a picture with the newlyweds!

Rita & Clayton's Big Day - Wedding at The Sunken Garden

2008-04-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

The next day, after a good night sleep from a full dinner, we arrived at UWA's Sunken Garden. The weather was beautiful! God's wedding present for my cousin, Rita! Bear in mind, the temperature was dead hot a few days before the big day but God sent rain to cool things down.

Sunken Garden is absolutely lovely... with greeneries and flowers all around.

Here's Daniel waiting for the bride to come...

Nothing is more beautiful than the bride herself! Her gown is absolutely lovely... drop dead elegant. Lucky Aussie!

Her bride's maids looked fantastic too. I am very happy that Rita is getting married. I can't wait to see her future juniors too! That would be fun for Daniel, to have some "mixed" cousins. Hehe!

Ladies in red... love the bouquets!

The father and mother of the bride

The bride & groom happiest day

As the reception went on, Daddy took the opportunity to entertain Daniel, who loves walking!

Family portrait in the nature

Aunty Liyen & Uncle Rodney were in Perth too!

Uncle Rodney's parents...

Yes, observe his eyes... he was about to go to dreamland

Within seconds... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

The mother and father of the groom

As we went on to take pictures, Daniel had really konked off. So Daddy brought him to a tree nearby and I took some "artistic shots".

Love the trees in Down Under. They look so mightily tall.

On the way home, on grandpa's shoulders...

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-04-11T00:57:00.001-07:00

Trip of Perth, Australia

2008-03-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

The view from the plane was amazing... too bad it didn't come with comfy seats. On early March, I brought Daniel along with ZX and my parents to Perth for Rita and Clayton's wedding on... not Qantas, not SQ but Tiger airways.

The anticipation was high. How is Daniel going to endure 5-hour flight? How is he gonna survive without his steam sterilizer, bathtub, rocker and many baby equipments for 4 days? How is Daniel going to behave during the tea ceremony/ wedding ceremony/ dinner receptionsssss?

But after looking out the window, I was once again reminded - God was a way better creator than I can ever imagine. Babies are created to strive and survive... and enjoy life.

Here's the daddy of the year... relieving me by carrying and entertaining Daniel in chamber-like seats.

Convicted not to use dummies, I would have to breastfeed him thoughtout the flight. That was not a problem at all. It was more like manouvering around the tight seats. Not very baby-friendy really.

The next morning, we headed to Kuma's house for tea ceremony... Met up with Danny and Leona who are due for marriage end of this year in November. If we are going again, I'll definitely opt for Qantas or SQ.

Here comes the bride! San wore a lovely violet cheong sam with very simple make up. Totally elegant with a Chinese taste to it.

Ku Cheong and Ku Ma giving their wedding presents to them. This is the expensive part of the ceremony! Ku Cheong looked as if he was looking for approval of the jewellery from the bride, hehe!

Here's Danny... who got his ang pow from his older sister.

Later, I brought Daniel to sleep in Nora's room. I think he likes the Autralian atmosphere; quiet and cool, with a fuzzy warm bed, that's what he needs for a good break. Ku Ma heard him crying and carried him.

This is the older generation's entertainment set - FUTSAL! Apparently, dad was a champion back in his uni days in Sheffield!

Baby at 3.5 month old

2008-03-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is Daniel at 3.5 month old... he's getting more adorable by the day and more alert. He loves to put anything he can lay his tiny hands on into his mouth! Sometimes I thought he's teething because of the amount of drool... Thus, wherever he goes now, he'll have a bib.

Daniel is getting more sociable too. He has made friends with daddy's ex-classmates. Also, he has begun to recognise people other than daddy and mummy!

Here's his fave teether... a colourful butterfly.

CNY Part IV and Bye Bye Jia Jia

2008-03-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

After coming back from pai nien in Singapore, we rushed to New Hong Kong and there was the Hai Sui gathering. It was nice to see all the relatives from Singapore, Sabah and KL to gather around. The kids were carried to a more spacious area. Daniel was carried by Ah Chong Ko with his kids, Thong Thong (my li'l flower girl) and her brother.

Nuo Nuo then came over... (to find his beloved Thong Thong)

Every child is indeed unique and I believe every parent would want to believe their own child is smarter/prettier/lovelier than the rest but I believe God gave every child a unique character... one that can't be copied or even be generalised. Just look at the picture below!

Pose!

At the end of the meal, we bid farewell to Jia Jia who was flying to Melbourne that very night. Yes, she was all tears... so was some of us. You will be dearly missed!

CNY Part III

2008-02-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

This is the 2nd day of CNY, the day I brought Daniel out to my boss' (Kenny) home. Daniel was being passed from one collegue to another... I must say, some of them are really great with babies!! Can't wait to see them having one of their own (soon soon)! It will be great if EC has a nursery...

Here's Clara with Daniel. She's a natural babysitter... Daniel actually sat on her lap for quite some time! Amazing... Normally he'll fuss to be walked around.

Here's Aunty Pauline... who's due to marriage end of the year. She's absolutely radiant in red... almost like a giant ang pow to Daniel. Hehe! And I can see she really love kids (or maybe cubby babies).

Awww... almost like a family potrait

Aunty Xiao Yee thinks Daniel is good-looking... I do too. He actually captures a lot of passer-by's stares.

Here's Xiao Yee... our China mama!

We had some thrill playing mah jong too... No real money involved. Just showcasing each others' skills and tactics (and joy if when we win).

CNY Part II

2008-02-10T09:43:00.001-08:00

Ahhh... Finally I have found time to update my blog. Yes ever since school started, I have been busy preparing assignment, timetable and pumping breastmilk at work. I must say it is really not easy to work and rushing back to spend time with Daniel. Regardless, he always welcomes me with a toothless smile... adoroable!

Here are some pics during 1st day of CNY. Daniel wearing some new clothes... the white overall was bought by his grandparents.

Daddy has something new too! His 1st True Religion jeans... I refrained myself from getting one... I am sure I will lose weight...!

We went to my in law's place early the morning...

Morning greeted by Shyan Ku and Grandpa

Grandpa now carries Daniel with ease

Receiving ang pow from great grandpa and grandma

Then Zhen Ku's family came...

Here's a nice pic of Ivy with Daniel. Daniel looks like a China doll, but actually it was when he still had his horrible milk rash. It's all right now, due to the steroid cream... Yes, it works wonders I must say. Just a little bit will do.

!

Daniel is very good at grabbing things now... especially if they are red in colour! I went to Mothercare with Daniel last week, and he was starring at this soft toy that was bright red. It was the last piece and was bought by another lady. I really wanted to ask if she can let me have it but oh well, he has many toys and he doesn't know how to fuss for toys (yet).

After that we drove for 20 mins to eat vegetarian food. We had to wait quite long, thank God Daniel came as an entertainment to a lot of people.

Uncle Blue entertaining (or entertained by) Daniel

Swimming baby!

2008-02-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

I brought Daniel to the pool for the 1st time today. As I saw the good weather, I grabbed the car keys and off to Kim's apartment. I've alwasy wanted him to swim like those babies I saw on health documentary where they say babies can swim naturally within the 1st 4 months.

Thank God the water was not too cold but Daniel took a few minutes to overcome his fear. I think he had to get used to the temperature of the water.

There there... he loves the water... though I wish the water was a little warmer.

Within a few more minutes he's totally enjoying it! He likes to waddles his feet... abd check out his chubbs! (and my chubbs... ignore it)

Then I made a boo-boo, I slipped and he drank some water! In total he drank 3 times! What a lousy swimming instructor I was! I think I need the training 1st before I bring him again. Thank God Kim was there and she actually went into the pool (with her clothes) to helped me out! Good grief...

When I went back, I checked out about teaching babies to swim in the book 'What to Expect... the First Year' and it said better not to bring babies into the pool too early. Germs and water temperature are the factors. I felt even worse! Maybe I should call my PD the next time. Silly mommy...

Chinese New Year Part I (Reunion Dinner)

2008-02-06T08:01:00.000-08:00

I realised both Daniel and ZX have new clothes for CNY, but not me! Ahaha! I think due to my "excess baggage" , I am pretty reluctant to get new clothes now. And yes, I don't have anything red that looks nice on me this year. So a black dress that makes me look slimmer would do.

My fave men in my life

Daniel wore a Baby Gap, a present from Stephanie Yi Yi. Awesome, he looks like he's attending a wedding dinner!

As we waited for the rest of the Phang clan, ZX let Daniel have a taste at the driver's seat. He doesn't seem to comprehend the power of being in control yet.

The dinner was held at Kang Yi, whereby all the elderly were there...

Great Grandma with Fen Ku

Great Grandpa with 3 Maria's

The dishes were elaborated but not as good as their normal standard. Maybe the main chefs are on leave. So here, we see Uncle Blue cutting up the roasted piglet's head.

It was very timely that Daniel fell asleep when dinner was served. Although he sleeps lesser now compare to the 1st month, but he still sleeps pretty regularly and amist the desibel level in his surrounding. I owe this to all my CHEC students for contributing the noises in my class when I was pregnant!

I call this the golden bucket. It has got lotsa abalone, prawns, sea cucumber and other exotic CNY goodies.

When we were almost done with dinner, everybody was seen walking around and I took the camera and snapped more pics of Daniel. I wonder if I would do the same for my 2nd child next time...

Daniel with Chen Ku Po and Uncle Blue

Daniel with Grandma

Daniel with Grandpa and Fen Ku

Daddy with Shyan Ku and Fen Ku

Daniel with Uncle Zhi Liang

Daniel happily playing with Ivy

Yay! A family potrait

Daniel with all the ladies who adore him

And not to mention monkeying around the camera!

Almost at the end of dinner, Daniel is getting a bit restless.

So we took a final group a photo and

"GONG XI FATT CHOY!!!" everybody.

Here's Daniel unwinding to bedtime soon. He looks totally 'cool'.

"Hey momma..!"