My LightBulb Moments

Vernette and Vernise's 1st birthday party

2009-08-07T01:52:00.000-07:00

A blink of an eye and they are already 1. I can still remember those times when i was in and out of the hospital and that the babies were threatening to be borned prematurely. Although they were eventually borned at 33 weeks, thanks to the Lord that they were safe and healthy.

Only stayed in the ICU for an extra week... and they were home with us safe and sound. Looking back at the pictures, they were so so tiny. I didn't even dare to touch them. But God has been great, the 2 little skinny girls have grown and filled up the gaps.

They are now crawling everywhere... would sometimes even play catch with each other. You should see them laugh and giggle their way through. And when Valerie makes them laugh, they would be rolling on the floor with laughter. It's such a joy to see how much they have grown.

They both have 6 teeth each, 4 on top, 2 at the bottom. Although i can see another 2 coming up from the bottom. Learning to walk, trying very hard to cruise along our sofas. But they can already climb up our sofas, without any help!!

I don't seem to be able to upload photos on the blog, therefore kindly click on the link or cut and paste the link to your browser to see some of the pictures from the party. Will upload more once i solve this blog issue.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31247322@N08/sets/72157621968034276/

Enjoy!

Latest of the Vs

2009-03-15T06:41:00.003-07:00

Have receive many complains of my un-updated blog. Hehhehehee... Sorry guys, been busy working. Here are some pictures.

Presenting, singer & guitarist, Valerie

2009-01-22T23:08:00.000-07:00

Happy BIrthday to me!

2009-01-22T02:37:00.006-07:00

Getting older and fatter!!! Look at the picture and you'll agree with me. Therefore Dr Phil's quote for today is exactly what I need to move on and have a happier day tomorrow.

"Get up each morning, look at yourself in the mirror, and see yourself not as someone who is overweight or out of shape, but as the someone you will become."

Had seafood with my kakis and followed by some drinks at an "ulu" place in Telok Blangah area. Brought the kids with me and we had a relaxing evening. Had free B52, on the house from the pub.

Vernette's happy laughter

2009-01-01T15:58:00.001-07:00

With the gloomy economic downturn recently, let me share with you a great smile in my life.

It's easy to get the twins smiling, not too difficult to get them laughing, what's hard is capturing those smiles & laughters. The moment i point my handphone in front of them, they naturally decides to just give me a serious, straight face.

Finally, managed to get Vernette on video and captured that lovely smile of hers.

Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

2009-01-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year everyone....

Another year has passed and brand new 364 days are awaiting us to put our mark on.

Many has happened the past year:
- Pregnant for 7mths and gave birth to beautiful twin girls, Vernette & Vernise
- Moved back to our "Home Sweet Home" at Teck Whye
- Found a new career path to start the new year

Wishing everyone's year will be filled with happiness & health, but most of all with lots and lots of love!!

Early birthday present from Valerie to her daddy

2008-10-17T23:01:00.002-07:00

Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival @ Chinese Garden

2008-09-15T20:14:00.003-07:00

Went to the Lantern Festival 2008 @ Chinese Garden with our friends Akiko and Chris. Met Akiko when i was studying in Arizona State in 1999. She is in Singapore for 3mths for training and Chris, her hubby is here for a holiday.

First time going to the Lantern Festival and it's quite pretty. The lights and the big lanterns and most of all, i think the theme played a part. Cutey Sanrio cartoons, Hello Kitty, My Melody, Badz Maru and Keropi.

These are Japanese Cartoons that I grew up with. I remember being obsessed with buying their pencils, notebooks, hankies and etc in Primary school and this obsession actually continued on in my early 20s. There is this Sanrio store in Arizona Mills mall (phoenix) that is constantly on sale!!! You would definitely catch me there atleast once a month to check out the sale items and also lugging my purchases home. Was so tempted to buy the hello kitty radio, luggage bags, telephone and even a toast maker!!!

I still like these cartoons very much but have grown out of buying them. Good to admire but a waste of money to buy them. With 3 kids now, got to save for their future and I'm sure the kids will definitely have the chance to use my collection of Sanrio stationeries.

This is a first family outing for us since I delivered. Miss having such outings and hope that we'll have more to come. Although I wish that we could have brought the twins along but i guess it'll be more stressful than fun. Can't wait till they grow a little older so that we can enjoy outings as a "whiole" family.

Spare the rod and spoil the child?

2008-09-04T20:40:00.003-07:00

Was taking my morning nap and was awaken by cries and screams of a boy from another household nearby. He was screaming, "mummy, mummy, I don't want" repeatedly. I was wondering why is he screaming & crying so loudly. Then the little boy continues with "mummy, i don't want bit. I want to study" Then I realise that his mom is probably punishing him (caning/smacking) for not studying.

I started to tear when i heard all that screaming and crying.

I pray and hope that my neigbours will never hear my girls cry and scream that way. It is quite heart wrenching to hear the boy's cries & screams even though i know that he's probably been naughty. Yet i started to feel that if the parents had instill a sense of learning since young, would the child be lazy or not wanting to study? And is there a need to resort to spanking?

I know i'll be faced with such a situation when Valerie starts school.... and to think that Valerie will probably get more disciplining than the twins since she's the eldest and as inexperienced parents, there will be many trial and errors when it comes to parenting and disciplining.

I still remember I have never been spanked by my parents. But funnily, always spanked by my tuition teacher. In my days, it is very common to use the cane in tuition centres. But we were told very specifically why and when were are being spanked. For example, we're given 20words for spelling. And for every word that we misspelt, we'll be caned once. So all of that seems very "diplomatic". And we even get to choose the thickness of the cane and the location of where we preferred to be caned, palm, buttocks or legs.

I hope that I will be able to instill good values/discipline in my children that I will not need to ever use the cane.

I am free to be .....

2008-08-28T08:25:00.002-07:00

It's been a month... time really flies doesn't it? Valerie's already 2.5yrs old... and twins are growing bigger everyday... 1 mth (37weeks).

Got my first hairwash today, phew! And my first shower! It's been a very uncomfortable month. So different from when I did my confinement in Phoenix.

Twin's full month celebration

2008-08-27T08:56:00.003-07:00

It's a Chinese tradition to have a big celebration when a baby turns 1 month old. Due to health concerns, we decided not to have a big party but just a small family gathering at home. As the twins are only 37weeks and we had a namelist of about 80-100 people, we were worried that their little bodies may not be able to handle any germs/bacterias out there. Therefore we'll just skip the full month party and have a bigger 1year old party next year.

Had the usual Red eggs and Ang Ku kueh, and a cake to celebrate. We also had the infamous "Heng hua" noodle - where it is always cooked at any family gathering or major celebrations for this dialect group. Both grandmas, paternal great grandma, Uncle Derrick, Aunty Janice and Aunty Cynthia were there to help celebrate this auspicious day.

I guess not having the party is also a blessing in disguise. I'm super tired and have no energy to plan and organize such an event. Me being the usual me, I always make sure that my parties are extraordinary and special. But I am definitely not in the mood or the mental state to do a good job. So, look out for an invitation next year!!

Everyday life with the twins

2008-08-27T08:50:00.002-07:00

More of the little twin stars....

2008-08-11T07:57:00.004-07:00

Both twins are back at home since Friday. Vernette came home first on Thu, 7 Aug followed by Vernise on Fri, 8 Aug. So far so good... they are feeding well and sleeping well. Going to the pediatrician this Friday for a check up, and it'll be the twins first outing since coming home from the hospital.

Can you recognise who is who? I can't.... ahahahahha...neither can Paul!!

Took the photo and forgot to write down who's on the left and who's on the right.... hehehehee....but my guess is Vernette is on the left and Vernise is on the right.

We do not know "scientifically" if they are fraternal(non-identical) or identical twins. During ultrasound before the twins were born, the doctor said they are fraternal. During surgery, my gynae couldn't decipher from the placenta. The pediatrician feels that they are identical. But, without an actual lab test, we'll never know until they get older and when they do look alike, they are identical.

Anyways, confinement here in Singapore is horrendous!! How i miss the cooling and dry days in Phoenix. No buckets of perspiration and uncomfortness. But this time around... there is no pain to the wound... thank God. Didn't see many stretch marks so far... but will never know till later.

Can't wait for the confinement period to end and i can start putting on my magic oil.... to prevent the marks ever appearing!!

Back in Singapore - after almost a year

2008-08-08T04:15:00.005-07:00

Well.... lots of changes in this 1 year. Was pregnant and have given birth to twins. Valerie has become a big sister, nw with 2 younger siblings, Vernette & Vernise. Paul's now a proud father of 3 daughters.... He's also been transfered to Changi Airbase (an hours' drive one way from home, the westend of Singapore to the eastend)

Here are some pictures taken during this one year back home in Singapore.

First haircut with Uncle Andy. Could see that she's having a lovely time. No problems at all with her sitting still.

Learning how to sweep the floor from NaiNai (paul's mom).

With Snowy, at Jasmine's house. Loves dogs but the dogs are all so afraid of her!!! Hahahaha

Just came up from the pool, Valerie's favourite activity - being thrown in to the pool!!!

Proudly presenting the newborn twins!!

2008-08-01T21:48:00.008-07:00

Here are some pics of Vernette and Vernise. Can you spot the difference?? Hee hee...
We can't differentiate them yet too.. lol

Pic 1 - New arrivals

Pic 2 - Vernette @ T+30 mins in NICU (Newborn Intensive Care Unit)

Pic 3 - Vernise @ T+30 mins in NICU

Pic 4 & 5- Vernette (above) and Vernise 1 day old

Please Touch Museum

2007-09-21T19:36:00.001-07:00

Today was a beautiful day... sun shining... a little on the warm side, but we're happy that the sun is out!! We went to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. Very simple set-up but most definitely lots of fun - for both kids and adults. It's a centre that has different themed areas of play for the kids, like a barnyard, bus station, supermarket/bakery and etc. They also have magic shows, story-time and puppet shows all encouring learning and play. Here's the link to the website http://pleasetouchmuseum.org/

We started off with a magic show that focuses on the ABCs... very entertaining and educational too. Although Valerie may not be old enough to understand the ABCs yet, but she loved the ending - which was getting to pet a furry, white rabbit!!! (sorry, we were too loving the rabbit that we forgot to take pictures)

Valerie going on a Chocolate Milk slide!!

This is the barnyard section - with Valerie driving a tractor.... she's really into cars... and driving... you think she might be the next race car driver? I know there's one professional female race car driver here in US.

Help... Valerie is stealing the baby chicks!!! Quick, get her before she eats them for breakfast!

Ding Dong, is anyone home? Piglet deliveries.....

Atlantic city: A day in the beach

2007-09-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

As usual, we slept till about 11am. The weather forecast for today was a high of 69F. Was hoping it would be hotter so that we can have a splashing hot time at the seaside. Sadly, the sun was shining but the wind was strong. We stayed in the hotel watching Backyardigans and had brunch and didn't get out of the hotel room till 2pm.

The beach was ok... warm when the sun's shining and it gets a little chilly when the clouds comes our way. But overall we still had a good time. Valerie and Paul playing in the sand, Valerie chasing after birds but when the birds turn her way, she would run the opposite direction.

We couldn't swim in the sea as it was so, so cold... But we did manage to get our feet wet and Valerie had a blasted time. We chased the waves that were coming to the shore. She didn't want to go.... she kept on running to the cold water... brrr....

After about an hour on the beach, we walked back to the hotel. On the way back, we stopped for ice-cream at the boardwalk. While having ice-cream, Valerie wanted me to carry her (so I hand the ice-cream over to Paul) and after that she said "hold" to me and point towards the ice-cream. Hmmm.... she wanted me to carry her and hold the ice-cream as well. I then commented that if that's what she wanted, she could have ask Daddy to carry her. Lo and behold, she put her arms out (her sign for carry) and asked Paul to carry her and straight after that, said "hold" to Paul, making sure he was holding on to the ice-cream. What a character.

It's hard to describe the situation but we just giggled our way back to the hotel. Knowing that our little girl is having a mind of her own... and knows how to get her way most of the time!!

Valerie's vocab has increased tremendously the last month or so. She can have a conversation with you know (that is if you understand what she's saying) and even tell you what and what not do to!!! She can even order you around, asking you to "come", "go out", "take off" and etc. It's so much fun and also

2nd stop: Lancaster, PA

2007-09-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

We flew from Las Vegas to Philadelphia on 12Sep and took a 1hr drive west to Cochranville. We stayed in a farmhouse, kinda like bed & breakfast but on a farm called Elver Valley Farm http://www.pafarmstay.com/elvervalley/index.html . The host Vera and Elvin were farmers and after retiring, they set up this place to welcome guests in their home.

Very beautiful place, fresh air, fresh flowers, fresh grass ... fresh fertilizers too...

Pic 1: Front view of them house we stay in. There's actually another doorway to the section of our room on the right. There's a living room and 2 bedrooms with private bathrooms. There's a door that separates us from the hosts' living room and kitchen. Vera and Elvin were very hospitable. We are allowed to use their living room space (which is where the LCD tv and internet is) and we have breakfast (Vera provides a home-cooked breakfast) in their kitchen.

Pic 2: A hand built playground by Elvin. Lots of swing, slides and rocking horses for Valerie to have fun in.

Pic 3: Valerie and Chip (Vera's son's dog). Chip didn't really like Valerie, he kept walking away when Valerie tries to go near him. He didn't growl though but just kinda distance himself, and Valerie keeps wanting to go to him and pick him up!!! I was so afraid he might snap at her. So finally I had to pet him to get him to stay in place and at the same time get Valerie to pet him too. That's how we got that pic!!

Pic 4: That's Vera and Valerie at the kitchen table, having breakfast. The door on the left of the TV is the door to our living quarters. There's a tv there too but we prefer the big screen in the main living room.

Pic 5: Valerie found her "pocket"!!! All her clothes do not have pockets until this pair of jeans came along. So while trying to keep her occupied in the airport, we would put coin and stuff in her pocket and get her to find it. From there onwards, she's been hanging out with her pocket like a pro - a model in making! hahahahaha The dad says, future Tommy or Guess jeans model.

Pic 6: Clothes dryer for the countryside.... The clothes line run from the back of the house to the tree on the top. Very very long line. We had to wash some clothes and we got to dry it up there. See the colourful flags hanggin? hee hee hee...

Overall, the first day in Lancaster county was relaxing. We slept till we were ready to wake up... which is when Valerie wakes up (quite late in fact as she was still in Phx time... 3hrs behind PA). Had an enjoyable breakfast (brunch actually) and just soaked in the freshness of the country. Taking a walk in Vera's garden... looking for fishes in the creek, sat in the swing gazebo, played in the playground... running around on the fresh, clean grass and smelled the fresh "air" from the goats. We even had time for a nap in the late afternoon. Woke up at about 6ish and went out for dinner at a Chinese buffet restaurant. Most American restaurants close at 5pm or 8pm. There aren't any chain restaurants, all are locally owned restaurants that do not care much about tourists that takes naps and stay up late. Hahahahahaha....

1st stop: Las Vegas

2007-09-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Our holiday started on 10Sep, and our first stop - Las Vegas for 3D 2N. Arrived pretty late on the 1st day... by the time we checked in and had dinner, it was time to go to bed!!! Were suppose to be staying at the Tuscany Inn and Suites for free.... but found out at check-in that we were booked from 9-11Sep instead of 10-12Sep. Had to hurriedly find another hotel. Thanks to my friend Akiko, we manage to find another hotel for a reasonable price not too far from the Strip. Sigh.... one less Coach bag....

2nd day was spent shopping at the outlet... didn't buy much cos we didn't want to lug all the stuff through our holiday and worrying that we may not be able to bring it back with us. So, just a couple of shirts and bags. Was hoping to get a pair of shoes but didn't see anything that I love. At this time, we have to be choosy. Only buy things I love, not only like. Hahhaahahaha....

We didn't take many photos... too busy shopping... and also kinda not in the mood for holiday yet. Still stressed from the packing!!

Wanted to bring Valerie to see the Dolphins at the Mirage, but they were closed. So had to settle for a picture with the statue instead.

Valerie was putting on her daddy's socks and shoes on... all on her own!

Valerie enjoying a Pocky or two. A biscuit stick covered with strawberry cream, mummy's all-time favourite too!

All packed and ready to go....

2007-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

The boxes have finally left...3 weeks of early morning garage sales, a week of crazy packing, and multiple sleepless nights...

With all that gone and out of the way, we're now on our "final" holiday before going back to Singapore on 29 Sept.

Daddy... Mummy... Babiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

2007-08-02T00:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, she has finally called me mummy.... but for awhile it wasn't really exclusive as she calls even Paul mummy. But now, it's kinda exclusive. Yet I'm not very happy. Why you ask.... well, she's been calling and calling mummy non-stop!! Serves me right for asking too much, huh?! She'll call mummy whenever she wants something, don't want something, or maybe just from plain boredom!

A funny thing happened yesterday. Paul & I use the word BABI (pig in Malay) for each other when we wanna reprimand each other in a fun way. Example, Paul farts sitting next to me and I'll say that he was a Babi - which is calling him an "A**hole" for farting in my vicinity. Or if we've done something silly/mean, we'll call each other a Babi. We've been using this word for the longest time and I can't even remember when/why we started it, and only Derrick, Janice and us will know how/when to use this word. It's kinda like a joke among ourselves.

Anyways, as we were having dinner last night Paul did something silly (I can't even remember) and I called Babi. The next thing we heard, Valerie was saying it to him too!!! I nearly rolled on the floor for laughing too hard!!! HAhahahahaahahah..... words can't describe how shocked we were and how funny it was to hear her say it!! And today, Paul used it as a game with Valerie. He asked Valerie "who is Babi?" and Valerie said MUMMY!!!! OMG!!!! She'll be starved tomorrow! Hmph!! haahahahahahahah.....

Wok with Val

2007-07-20T00:40:00.001-07:00

There are times when Valerie would be super, duper clingy and I would be having a hard time preparing dinner. She would try to squeeze herself between me and the sink, hoping I would not stand there preparing dinner. Or sometimes, she'll grab my pants/shorts or shirt until I would carry her. I was washing the vegetables that day and I thought I'd give her some to play with so that she would leave me alone. When I saw her having so much fun with the veges I couldn't help but take pictures and videos of her. And guess who gets to eat the veges on her plate!? Daddy of course!

Valerie at the Shopping Mall

2007-07-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

Forgotten pictures....

2007-07-19T23:44:00.000-07:00

These are just pictures that I took with my cellphone... can't even remember how old she was. Just cute ones that I would like to share with you.....

First pic: couldn't resist the big hat!! And I think there's a club call "Purple Hat Lady" club or something. But it's just a gathering of women who loves hat, especially purple!! Hahahaahaa

Second pic: Playing with Paul's sunglasses while in the car, and caught her with the camera when she was putting it on.

Third pic: Her first taste of Chocolate milk and first time using a straw.

Valerie the Houdini

2007-07-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

Although not with tied hands and legs, guess where she got out off!!?? The PLAYPEN!

I put her in the playpen while I went to take a shower. There were times when she'll sit quietly in the playpen either watching TV or just playing with her toys. And of course, there'll be times when she'll be screaming her head off while in the playpen. This time she was screaming her head off and not long, I began to hear her scream getting louder and louder as though it was very near. I ignored that thinking it's probably just the aircond running therefore causing an "echo" or some form of distortion of her screams. The next thing I knew, Valerie was banging on my shower door while sobbing. I got the SHOCK out of my life! How in the hell did she get out of her playpen? The first thing that came into mind was "someone carried her out?", but it was only just the 2 of us at home. Paul was in Alaska. Then it dawned on me that she climbed out of the playpen on her own. I quickly changed and brought her to the Emergency Room. Although she showed no signs of having a concussion, but I just wanted to be sure. In fact, she went into the shower with me and even played with me. Guess the Kiasi syndrome kicked in. Went to the ER but I guess it was a futile effort. The doctor didn't even really checked her. He just got her to walk a short distance and told me she was fine. I keep insisting that she should be x-rayed but the doctor insisted that there wasn't a need. I kept asking Valerie whether she felt any pain, as we were teaching her the sign for pain, hoping that she'll give me some form of indication of where she was hurting. She keeps pointing to her right feet whenever I said the word pain, I looked at the doctor and he got my message, finally! We went to take an x-ray of her right leg only.... it's better than nothing. Results were normal...

So spent 2 hours at the ER....

Thank GOD she's ok... in fact, she was entertaining the people in the waiting room. She was running around, talking to people, laughing.... guess I over-reacted.

At The Little Gym

2007-07-03T15:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a few movie videos of Valerie while she was at the gym. I've brought her to the Little Gym classes at 11 months with the initial goal to give her an opportunity to interact with other children around her age and to also kill some of her active cells. So far, it has helped develop her motor skills very well and she seem to have a good time there. We have made some new friends. It's a good outlet for me to observe how other parents interact with their child.

This video was taken during Ball time and Bubble time. See her reaction with the bubbles. In fact just yesterday, she's able to throw the ball through a hula hoop!!

This video shows how good she is with instruction. She's able to put things away when told to do so.

First time in the pool

2007-07-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

Went to my friend Ming & Jack's house when Paul was away in Alaska and we spent some time in their pool. The swimsuit, a Gymboree (my fav!) came with a built in diaper therefore there wasn't a need to wear swim diapers (which spoils the whole look! don't you agree?)

These last 3 pictures are just wonderful. Ming did a fantastic job in capturing the essense of Valerie. The spunky child with some attitude!!

The 1st pic is Aaron (Ming's eldest son, 6yrs old) trying to kiss Valerie, or vice versa!! Hahahahaah

2nd & 3rd, I just loved these... It's very difficult to catch Valerie in that mood, especially with a camera. But she was having such a blast that day (thanks to Aaron & Sarah) that everything was so laughable!! hahahahaahaha.... It just lights up my day everytime I see these pictures.

Daddy away...

2007-07-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

Paul was away in Alaska for almost 3 weeks in the beginning of June. As usual, it was just the 2 of us... planning trips to the mall, to visit friends, to exercise (both Valerie & I go to the gym) and to pig out either at restaurants or potlucks held at home.

Paul came back on 19 June, after a fews of waiting in Alaska. He was scheduled to be back on 16 June but was delayed because the plane he was coming back in malfunctioned, and wasn't fixed till 18 June. Valerie was a little hesitant when he first came back, although we tried to chat online with the webcam frequently. By the next day, Valerie was ok and back to playing happily with her daddy.

Just wanted to show you her new hairstyle. Hee hee hee.... Gave her 2 ponytails but didn't get a chance to take a picture before she pulled it off.

The best way to get something done is to begin.

2007-07-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

It's been 1.5 months since I last blogged. Many weekends have come and gone... Valerie's grown alot, developed many new skills and gained a bigger vocabulary box. And I promised myself that I will update my blog today, write about everything that has happened, and get back on track with the latest. No more procastinating.

Prepare yourself for an extensive reading and pictures overload!! Hahahahaha

Having fun at the playground

2007-05-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

Written on 27 May 2007

We found an indoor playground at Arrowhead Mall (the nearest mall from home - about 20mins drive) and Valerie loved it there! She especially love the slides although she's a little wary of sliding down herself. You can see her face just lights us as she slides down.

In this hell heat of Arizona, the city need to build more indoor playgrounds and pools for children. There's alot of outdoor parks, playgrounds and pools, but those are better for the winter months. In the summer, temperatures can go up.... today it's 42C and tomorrow it's forecasted to be 47C.

At the playground... being hentam!

2007-05-27T21:33:00.001-07:00

Yes... my darling Valerie was being "hentam"... and Malay word for being "beaten up". We were at an indoor playground at the mall and the busybody went to touch a little girl's shoes. Before she could get her hands on it, the little girl were already screaming at Valerie and shoving her away. Seeing such aggressiveness, I quickly took Valerie to the opposite side of the playground, just to be safe. And as she was playing at this butterfly (picture below), that same little girl came towards Valerie started strangling her!!! OMG!!! I pulled the girl away as fast and as gently as I could (didn't want to hurt the girl as she's probably only 3 or 4yrs old)!!

Got the shock out of my life. It was so unexpected! The mother of the little girl kept apologising and explained that the girl does not have interactions with other children at home, therefore do not know how to behave. Thank goodness Valerie was ok... in fact, she didn't even cry. She was kinda stunned. I don't think there was much force or pain, otherwise Valerie would have cried, but it was the little girl's facial expression that shocked me more. There was such vengence, hostility in that face. I pray to GOD everyday that Valerie will keep that angelic face forever!

Seeing that scene.... I've enrolled Valerie in another kids class - Gymboree Music & Play!! Just to make sure she is exposed to other children and learns how to behave in public. hhaahahaa...

In truth, I believe it is the parent's guidance and discipline that matters most.

Daddy's little girl

2007-05-21T23:36:00.001-07:00

Owe it to Paul to post this.

When Paul went to take a shower today, Valerie kept banging on the door calling "Da-da... Da-da..." So, officially, Da-da is exclusively to Paul.
And here I am waiting for my exclusive... When will it be?

These "feet" are made for walking

2007-05-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

Almost a month ago I blogged about Valerie taking her first steps and walking a couple of steps at a time. Now, she's going full steam ahead!! She's walking most of the times, but would still fall once in awhile. Especially when she's tired or too excited(the brain must be working faster than her short, fat legs!!). I guess when she's lazy, she'll still crawl a little or her current new trick is to lay on the ground face down and throw a tantrum. Not going to give in, I kept reminding myself.

Besides walking, she's also learning alot of new things. She's been able to say a few words that are specific. We've been teaching her baby sign language.

These are some of the signs that she uses:

*more - as in more food

*thank you - but she adds a "kiss" in the end

*please - only when she wants to

*bathe - she loves doing this

*sleep - won't see this very often!! Hahahhaa...

*no more - it means either there's no more food, or she's dropped something

*pain - she'll do the sign but she hasn't learn how to point to the spot where it hurts yet

She's also been saying some these words:

*muum muum - that's her first word and it doesn't mean me. it means food. Sigh.

*cold - if u give her a cold drink or ice

*wou wou - for dog

Can't remember many of the words she's used. But she does talk alot!

She understands the meaning of these words:

*open/close

*put away - this is very handy when teaching her how to put her toys away

*in/out - especially when I'm folding the laundry

*shoes - she'll get her shoe from the rack and try to put it on herself. I think she has a shoe fetish, cos she tries on every shoes she sees. Even when they are way too big!!

*chair - I got her a chair of her own. it has a little lamp, clock and book on the side.

*sayang - she'll gently touch your hand when she hears this

*kiss kiss - obviously she'll be blowing kisses at you!!

I've probably missed out many more... the brain isn't functioning very well at this hour!! But i'll try to get some down when I remember. This will also help me to remember what she's able to do at this age.

This picture was taken 2 weeks ago at a squadron function. I love the dress! It's a denim dress with a piggy face in the front. Bought it at Gymboree... my favourite brand now. When I first saw it, I couldn't resist buying it but I didn't want to pay the full price. Therefore I waited. And I'm being rewarded for my patience as I finally got it for $20 (and that's already on sale).

This one is by Blueberri. They have very pretty dresses but are mostly cotton/polyster blend. Didn't really like this as the colour is a little washed out. Not bright enough. What do you think?

Splashing fun time

2007-05-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

Aren't they just cute? I bought an Elephant inflatable pool for Valerie to play in. Doubt we will have many chances to go swimming in this summer heat, so having the pool, she can actually just jump in whenever she wants.

We invited Jen(mom) & Kiana over one morning and tried the pool out together. Kiana is Valerie's new friend from "The Little Gym" and she's only 8 days older than Valerie. And the amount of hair Kiana has, oh my, Valerie looks like a baldie!! Hahahahahaaha....

Anyways, they had fun (we hope), and got to try out their new swim wear.

Special thanks to Godma Liz for the sexy & retro bikini hat set.

I did it again.

2007-05-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Today I let Valerie cried herself to sleep again.

We were out for activities and it was way past her nap time. She was sleepy (from her half closed eyes) but apparently, like the books said, she was more interested in playing than napping. She would lay down and start to fall asleep, and suddenly, something catches her attention and she'll sit right up and be active again. I laid down in bed with her for an hour and she did that for that whole hour. She'll lay down and roll around, then out of the blue she'll sit/stand up and go around touching things. And she was doing that over and over again. The moment I thought she might be falling asleep (although her eyes were never fully closed while laying down) she gets up and play.

I was so frustrated as I was tired too but can't close my eyes (worried that she might fall). So I had my eyes 1/4 opened, not fully open cos she'll be playing with my face (poke my nose and eyes or stuff her pacifier to my mouth) and not go to sleep.

After that hour, I decided to put her in her crib and went to take a shower. Guess what? 20mins later, she's asleep.

Don't wish to let her cry to sleep, but that might be the way to go.

Took this pic a couple of weeks ago. Cute little top.

Was I a bad mother?

2007-04-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

I did something that I never thought I could ever do.

1. I let Valerie cry herself to sleep during her afternoon nap.

2. I "smack" (very lightly) her cheeks.

We came back from the gym and we were having lunch together at home. Usually she's quite good while having her meals... but she started to spit the food out! Not because she was full... but because she found it funny and I guess it was just play to her. I warned her a few times (obviously she didn't understand what I was saying) and then I just smacked her on her cheeks!! She screamed!! And I screamed too!! And I just walked away. Couldn't take the frustration anymore. Anyways, eventually came back and finish up our meal and got ready for nap time.

Valerie was showing signs of "sleepiness" but she wouldn't go to sleep. She keep crawling around the bed and we were on the bed for an hour! So I decided to put her in her crib and let her cry. I went to take a shower and actually sobbed in the shower. I was just filled with so much emotions, of guilt, of anger, of frustrations. When I came back, she was still crying, so I thought, "Let's try to sleep again". Lo and behold, half hour later, she's still not asleep. I gave up and put her back into her crib and walked out of the room. She cried for awhile (about 5mins) and then there was no sound. I checked on her and there she was, sound asleep.

Sigh.... many a days, it's like a struggle. A power struggle between Valerie and I is what some books/articles said. Valerie's very stubborn and sometimes even when I smack her hand for touching things that she's not suppose to, or I smack her thighs because she was kicking me and squirming away while I change her diapers, she doesn't cry at all. She'll look at me blankly or even look away.

I'm beginning to worry when the time comes to discipline her. I'm sure it's not going to be easy. She's not someone who will do whatever you ask her to.

Just wanna get it off my chest.

Valerie's First Steps

2007-04-17T15:45:00.000-07:00

We have finally seen Valerie taking her first steps. Although only 3-4 at a time, it is still a joy to watch! And my friend Cyndy (babysitter at the gym) said that Valerie walked across the childcare room today. I think that is probably about 8-10 steps.

Have not taken any pictures these last few days. So here's the latest I've got, taken last Friday. She was playing with one of her latest toys. It's kinda like a house, one side features the front of the house with mailbox, garden, house "number" and even a sun/moon face. The other side features the inside of a house with a light switch, windows, radio, clock and lights. It seems fun (hee hee... to me atleast) as it has music, the features make sounds (sound of an open/close door; morning/night sound; children playing when window is open/shut & etc) and I bought it from a garage sale pretty cheap. Am still thinking whether I wanna bring it back to SG or not as my 3rm flat may not have space for that.

As for her outfit, it's just a basic denim jumper (her b-day gift) and I paired it with a lavender polo-T.

I went to play basketball with daddy....

2007-04-14T01:18:00.000-07:00

Thought that the basketball court will be a big enough place for her to learn her walking skills. Bought a contraption call "Walking Wings" and it is suppose to help us parents support the child while they learn how to walk. Have read from articles that it is not helpful to the child when we hold their hands as they are unable to learn the basics of balancing themselves. And it is also not very good for the parents' backs as we tend to hunch over while holding on to them.

Sadly, Valerie wasn't very fond of the "wings" as she keeps hanging on to me! She'll be either holding on to my fingers, or pulling my pants/clothes.

As for the outfit... hee... hee... this I have to love as I paid a bundle for them. They are Hanna Andersson and apparently very "boutique" price. Check out http://www.hannaandersson.com/. I bought a few different sets, some new, some used. I particularly like this set cos of the pattern and if u can see from the picture, the dress and capri tights are the same pattern but different shade. It also comes with a diaper cover (panty) so that it can be worn just as a dress. The size of this set is a little big (can be worn up to 2yrs old) so it looks a little baggy on Valerie. As for the shoes, this I must mention - they are from her godmother Liz. :O) Strawberry Shortcakes sneakers, lovely, can match with almost everything in her wardrobe.

http://www.walkingwings.com/

Target/Garage sale outing

2007-04-14T01:08:00.000-07:00

This was just another outing and we were resting at the Target cafe, having lunch. And Valerie was playing peek a boo with Felicia just being her silly self again.

As for the outfit, it's a 2pc blouse and capri set. Very cute and super feminine, but the material is not stretchy. Therefore might hinder her movements, and she actually started chewing on the buttons. Which could become a choking hazard if it pops out!!

Chilling out in the park

2007-04-14T00:15:00.000-07:00

We went to Anthem, a small factory outlet located 20-30mins away from our home. The goal of the trip as shopping but we ended up spending too much time in a toy store and also at the garden with Valerie. And it was well worth it.

Here are some pics of Valerie... just being Valerie. Hee hee hee...

1: She was so engrossed in this electric toy bike. Once she learned how to make it move, she didn't even want Paul to hold on to her!! What a show of independence. But yet she was trying hard to stay on the bike while it moves.

2, 3, 4: Paul is taking a stroll with Valerie at the Garden. She just wouldn't walk to the grass. There was a very pretty Easter flower garden decoration, but she wasn't interested at all. So we decided to just let her roam whereever she wants.

5: As you can see, she hates the grass. Was trying to get Paul to carry her. We think her Princess skin is just not comfortable with grass. Hee hee.. just like the story about the Princess and the pea (under her bed)!!

6. Valerie was playing peek a boo with paul and we got this beautiful shot! It's so her...

PS. Nearly forgot. Her outfit for the day!! Disney Nemo spagetti strap and checkered skirt. Isn't she cute? But I also realised that Valerie doesn't look too good in 2pc clothing. It makes her look unproportionate. As though her body is longer than her legs, and with those chubby legs... it makes her look even weirder!!

No longer afraid of Elmo

2007-04-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

Paul bought a Elmo TMX back from Florida for Valerie. In the beginning, she was very afraid, she wouldn't even go near it. And when she's in her playroom and I place Elmo in the middle of the doorway (the doorway is wide), she wouldn't even come out!! Anyways, after 2 weeks of "breaking in", she's finally gotten use to it. Now, she would shake her hands, and once in awhile, even "kiss" her. Wish I had recorded it, but today she even danced with Elmo by holding her hands!!!

The last 2 pics, she's actually trying to put on a sock and a shoe. Nowadays, whenever I say "come wear you shoe", she'll lift her leg up to me. And she has tried to do it on her own.

As for the dress, love the material, it's super soft. And it comes with a hat, but I forgot to let her wear it.

Retro Valerie

2007-04-05T00:14:00.000-07:00

Here's another one, taken yesterday. Super retro... so far my favourite. But the material is also retro (the scratchy polyster kind), not cotton, but she seems fine in it the whole day. It's a bare-back halter romper (means it's a short, not dress)

It was such a great day, with the sun shining and still cool enough to have lunch in our backyard. Tried having her walk on the grass... and as u can see, she's not too happy about that. Cos the grass pokes her feet (can't be help, princess' feet are softer and more vulnerable!!) Will try having her on the grass again another time!!

Dress up Valerie

2007-04-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

Bought a lot of clothes for her... and many are also gifts from friends and family. Can't resist, have to take a picture for memory sake. And furthermore, it will allow you to vote your favourite or least favourite dress/clothes. It will also help me decide which to keep and which to sell away. And hopefully this will get more people to comment on my blog!! Hahahahaaha....

Here's the first one,

Took this last Sunday at PaMa Watson's house for Easter. The little boy is Eric (16-17mth old) and they seem to be having so much fun!! He is such a cutie!! He was trying to sit into the walker (folded) and then trying to get up!! Hahahahaaha....

Seafood Galore

2007-04-01T01:01:00.000-07:00

When Paul came back from Florida, he brought back lots of Oysters, Crab, Shrimp and some fish. Oysters, you'll have to eat them raw with lemon and Tobasco sauce. I did thought about "Oh Chien" (Fried oyster omelette) but the oysters were too big!

Eventually, I made a Baked cheese rice in crab shell and Chilli Crab, and ate the oysters raw. The Baked rice was awful; rice was hard, the cheese didn't melt and the crab shell was too small. Oysters were yummy, hard to de-shell though. Thanks to the guys that opened almost 50 of them!! The chilli crab was pretty good, as in the sauce! Hahahahha... and it wasn't from a premix box!! The crab was lousy though. Meat was crappy and very little.

It was fun... Wish I had lobster! Will try the Chilli crab again, this time with bigger crabs!!

Valerie's first encounter with Sashimi

2007-04-01T00:53:00.000-07:00

Brought Valerie to a Japanese restaurant today. Of course we didn't feed her raw fish. But I did feed her some California roll. Her parents love Japanese food, therefore she'll have to learn to acquire a liking for it too! Hahahhahaa....

Yum, it's Finger Lickin Good!

Eeks... it's so slimy.

All my pressies... Thank you very much.

2007-03-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all for all your pressies and angpows. Appreciate your generosity and love showered upon me.

Our 1st movie together

2007-03-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? We watched a movie with Valerie!! Oh my... Thanks to Felicia's instigation... hahaahhaa....We watched Dreamgirls.

I was very reluctant at first... but I guess $3.50 isn't too much a lost if we really had to leave the movie halfway through. But I was more worried about the other movie goers quietly cursing me!!

Anyways, we enjoyed it (Felicia, I hope you did too?), it wasn't so bad. Valerie was asleep 1/4 of the show. And the rest, well... we tried our best to entertain her. Letting her crawl around the carpet. Having her stand on my lap. We took turns to carry her. I even carried her out for awhile... so that she can get some "fresh air". It helped that the place wasn't full and we sat at the back. We realised later on that there was also another baby/child at the movie cos we heard him/her cry. Thank goodness Valerie didn't make a fuss. In fact, she talked to the "movie"!! I might give it a try again... this time, cartoons, and get Paul to come along.

PS: I'm wanting to go watch Premonition (by Sandra Bullock), this time without Valerie. So I'm hoping to get a babysitter for her.

Dishwasher...

2007-03-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

As I was standing in the kitchen sink washing up today's dishes, I told myself I have to blog this done today.

I used to wash the dishes by hand and dry them out in the dishwasher. And after I got pregnant, I started using the dishwasher cos Paul doesn't do the dishes and my back was hurting from standing too long at the sink. Since then, I've been using the dishwasher except for chopsticks, expensive pans (only have 2...hahaahha) and other minute things.

Just the other day, a friend commented "I see that u rinse ur plates before putting it into the dishwasher and isn't that the same as washing it? So u might as well wash ur dishes instead of putting them into the dishwasher?" And at first, I kind off agree with her cos with our asian cooking, I have to rinse and scrub food off before putting them into the dishwasher. So that's kinda like washing the dishes already. But these 2 days I tried hand washing them, and I still prefer using the dishwasher. Reason? Well... it takes me only half the time standing at the sink when I use the dishwasher. That's because I dun have to rinse them... i just get the dirt out and load it in. But by hand washing them, I have to wash then rinse them. And my hands seems rougher than normal... ahhaahahaha....

In Asian culture we hand wash our dishes and the American culture uses the dishwasher. I've had angmohs (Americans/Caucasian) asking me "How clean can it get if washing by hand, especially when we can't use hot water?" and I've also had Asians asking me "Why use dishwasher? Is it clean enough?" Funny isn't it? The similarity in the question yet the difference in choice. So this is my answer. To the Asians, I'm sure it's clean, otherwise wouldn't the angmohs be eating off dirty plates everyday? And with the dishwasher using really really hot water, whatever bacteria would have been long dead. To the Angmohs, it would be the same answer, just change the word dishwasher to hand washing, and angmohs to asians!! HAhahahahahah.....

Enough said, I hate doing housework, therefore dishwasher is my best friend. Best would be I have a maid that can relieve me of all washing.

The star of the day!

2007-03-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

Pictures speak a thousand words, therefore I shall not explain or have any captions.

Valerie's 1st birthday party

2007-03-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY VALERIE!!

pic1&2: The proud mummy and daddy.
pic3: All the yummy food; sushi, ngoh-hiang, salted fish fried rice, seafood horfun, General Tsao's chicken, stir=fry baby bakchoy, Almond jelly with longan & lychee, eclair, cream puff, fruits
pic4: The Princess' cake!

We had to celebrate Valerie's 1st birthday in advance on 25 Feb instead as Paul had to go Florida to work on 1st March. It was held in a clubhouse, at one of the apartments. This time round, wanted the party to be a little different than her Full Month party. As an after thought, the Full Month was not properly planned out and seems to be just a gathering of people having a meal at my home. There was nothing special that showed the party was for Valerie.

So this time round, having more energy and a clear mind, I went all out (almost) and made a big hole in Paul's pocket. Hahahahahaha..... Bought balloons to decorate the place; had pink partywares with a special 1st Birthday patterned napkin. Wanted to have all decor and partyware in that same patterned, but it got too expensive. I had a treat bag for the kids (filled with chocolates), bubble blower and also Pinata (a mexican tradition during birthdays - A paper mache filled with sweets are hung out for the kids to hit till it breaks open and all the sweets will start falling out!!). Here are pictures to show for them.

Chinese New Year

2007-03-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!! It's the year of the Pig!!

Wishing everyone a prosperous and healthy piggy year. Oink! Oink!

Valerie's photoshoot

2007-03-07T15:49:00.000-07:00

It's been quite awhile since I last updated the blog. Have been busy planning for Valerie's Birthday party. I have a couple of drafted posts that are still sitting there. Anyways, will try to update on the important events.

We finally went for a professional photoshoot with Valerie. It's a chain photography store call Picture People. They keep sending me free photos and we finally took the time to go, thinking that we could get a free photo. But we ended up buying a framed package for $150. Thinking back now, it seems kinda frivolous. But Valerie looked so cute in those CNY costume... couldn't help it. And the way they framed it up, just too sweet to reject. Hhahhahaahaa....

I'll have to take a picture of the framed up shots. These doesn't do justice. hahahahaha

Valerie's mealtime

2007-02-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a joy watching what this little "rascal" can do. She now makes funny faces; have "conversations" with the birds, the tv and anyone that is willing to chat with her; she even throw tantrums when she's ticked off.

Here are some pictures of her making a mess while having dinner, and making funny faces at mummy while she's being photographed.

This is for Celia!

2007-01-31T00:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the gifts... Couldn't button the bottom cos she's too tall. So I let it hang down... and realise that she's a hip hopper... just missing a big leather jacket!! Or she could be in the latest trend of wearing tights with long t-shirt/dress!! Hahahahaha...

Christmas party at the base

2007-01-30T23:45:00.000-07:00

We went to a Christmas party at the base, which is a yearly function, but first for Valerie. Bought her a Santarina costume just for the occasion.

10 going on 11 month old

2007-01-30T22:46:00.000-07:00

Time really waits for no man. Valerie is already 10months old... coming to 11months in less than 2 weeks. Alot has changed. She has maintained her weight since 6months...losing also a little after her bouts of viral attacks. Yet, she's still as heavy!! Haahahahaha....

We were trying to get a picture of her 8 little teeth and she's was trying to keep Paul's fingers away by biting on them. Look at that cheeky little face!

This was taken by Felicia the day that I was sick and she was here to help me out with Valerie. Look at that sweet, innocent face... See the contrast with the picture before? Hee hee hee

The last we measured her during her 9mth well check up, she was 28inches tall. See her reaching for the dining table? I hope she's inherited her dad's tall genes.

This last pic was taken last Sunday when we were at a flea market. She seems to just stare at the camera. And she knows when a camera is pointing at her!! Not camera shy at all!!

First handsigns

2007-01-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest video... Valerie's first attempt at handsigns. Albeit we've been teaching her since she was 7months.... It's good to see some results... eventhough these signs are not the ones we'd prefer to see. In fact, in this situation... she should be doing the "more" sign (one index finger pointing to the other palm). But it seems that she's willing to only do the Twinkle and Clap signs.

Valerie's 1st video

2007-01-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

Finally I'm uploading Valerie's video on the WWW....

I went to the gym today!

2007-01-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

Finally, I've got my butt off the floor and went to a Pilates class this morning. It feels good to work out. My muscles have been hibernating for 10mths, and it was very difficult to wake them up this morning.

I've decided to join this gym/spa called Healthnut. It's a small gym, not like California Fitness back in Singapore where I was a member, and it's for women only. So no guys to oogle at or vice versa... ahahhahaaha... Healthnut also has Spa facilities & services like Sauna(free), Jacuzzi(free), Tanning, Massage, Facial and etc. I am quite attracted to the Sauna as it seems to have lots of benefits. It is different from other saunas that I've been to. It doesn't have to much steam, in fact it doesn't have steam at all. It's just heat. Tried it for 15mins this morning and will slowly work up to 30mins. The staff said that 30min is max and will see results, in fact it will burn 600 calories!! Real or not!!?? We shall see...

This place is more intimate and I feel very comfortable and relax here. People are nice and most importantly, helpful. The two main thing that impeled me to join this place is
1. They have childcare
2. They have workout classes - eg. kickboxing, yoga, steps, pilates etc.

I'm not a fan of strength training and stationary cardio, although I know they are important to losing weight, but having the classes is an extra motivation force. It's like "since I'm here for the classes, might as well stay for another hour to do strength and cardio workout.

Check out their website here. http://healthnutaz.com/location.htm

Kampade... hope to see results in a month or two.

Thanksgiving with the Godmas

2007-01-09T15:41:00.001-07:00

Valerie's 2 godmas, Jasmine (Kaima) and Judy (Kaimi) was here in Phx for Thanksgiving. After 2 years of money saving, they've decided to spend their hard-earned money on the famous Black Friday Sale (the day after Thanksgiving) in Las Vegas.

We were in Las Vegas for 5days. And I think only 1 day was spent walking along the famous Las Vegas strip... and the rest were shopping. Hahahahahaa... when we came back to Phx, we continued with shopping till they left for home 3 days later.

This is Jasmine, my Kaima.

This is Judy, my Kaimi.

Hello....the star is down here leh... I'm almost cropped off the picture!!

Guess I'll just have to entertain them for a week... and taking pictures. My jaws are going to hurt. heehee...

And I even have to do amzing stunts... like one-handed push ups....

All bundled up... where are we going? What?! Shopping?!

Finally, we're going into the COACH store... after about an hour of queuing since 5am! We better buy loads of stuff, otherwise it won't be worth it. Furthermore, we have to queue again if we decide to go in again later!!! Aaawwwww..........

Freemont show.... Special light show on the ceiling from the old Las Vegas.

Brrr... this is cold. Can we please hurry up and go home?

Valerie's 1st Christmas

2007-01-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

We spent Christmas day at PaMa Watson's home. (It's Grandpa and Grandma Watson to Valerie). Ma made a full Christmas dinner and filled us all right to the top!

That's Ma, Elsie, Paul, Lionel, Paul, Valerie and Pa, standing in front of the dinner table. Had to take a picture before dinner starts. Otherwise you won't be able to see the yummy food.

That's Valerie with her American grandparents.

Valerie and me infront of the Christmas tree.

All of us at the Watsons. Elsie, me, Paul, Lionel, Ma, Valerie and Pa.

I had a wonderful time...eating food of from my mommy's plate, unwrapping my Christmas gifts. See my new dress? Isn't it pretty?

got a car, got a car

2007-01-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

My old and trusty Mitsubishi Montero. Been driving it for the past 2 years... sold it before Christmas. Miss it a little... Cuz it gives me the feeling of being in control as I'm above most of the other cars around me. Being high up there has its advantages. Hee hee...

Just bought a 2000 Toyota Camry yesterday. Only drove it twice so far. On the day that we tested the car and yesterday when I had to drive it home. Drive seems good... although it's only a 4cyl 2ltr car. Putting Valerie in and out of the car is definitely easier than before, and so is transporting her stroller. But I hate being so low, having the trucks and SUVs shine their headlights at me. Guess I'm at the other end of the car-chain now.

Looking forward to start driving it around. hee hee

Thank you baby for getting the car! Love you lots.... for not keeping me stranded at home and so that I can have the freedom to go whereever I want to... and bringing Valerie along on my joyrides.

Thank you!

2007-01-07T01:10:00.000-07:00

Would like to thank all of you for being patient with me, and taking care of me throughout this trip. My mummy & daddy would have gone crazy without all your help. I appreciate all your time and understanding... that going out with a baby is alot of work... therefore going on a holiday with me would be a much greater task. Guess I've given you all a heads up on being parents. Arigato...

Hugs & kisses,
Valerie

Last day in LA - at Venice beach

2007-01-07T00:51:00.000-07:00

I wish I could just change into my bikini and jump into the water!! But they are 2 things holding me back.... my out of shape body and the freaking cold water!!

Universal Studios Hollywood

2007-01-07T00:16:00.000-07:00

Universal Studios... where the crowds are...

It's been 6 years since we last step into Universal studios. Nothing much has changed except for a few new rides. But I did enjoy them... Shrek 4D was hilarious... Fear Factor Live was an eye-opener. The Studio Tour was quite interesting, especially if you are an avid movie and tv fan. We saw the sets for War of the Worlds (Tom Cruise & Dakota Fanning), Desperate Housewives, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, the snow-covered town of Whoville from "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" and many more. I think it's a good place to go every 5 year or so. Hee hee.. when they put in new rides and attractions.

Paul and Valerie at the front of the theme park.

Valerie is too mesmerized by Shrek to look at theh camera. Princess Fiona was a bitch! She was grumbling and making sarcastic comments under her breath the whole time we were standing there. Horrendous!
Taking the Studio Tour. With Gavyn, myself, Paul and Lionel. Elsie is the photographer.

In the queue waiting to watch Fear Factor live.

More of LA... Six Flags Magic Mountain

2007-01-06T23:43:00.000-07:00

Spent a whole day at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Lovely weather there and not too much crowd earlier in the day. We took turns to go up the rides while taking care of Valerie. Wish I could go on all as I love thrill rides. The higher the better, the faster the better... as long as dun give me merry-go-round types that will get me puking all over the place. Anyways... missed this place dearly... came here twice before (all during winter season.. ) therefore the days are short and once the sun sets... the rides gets too cold to be on. Can't wait till Valerie gets old enough and I'll bring her along... yeah... hope that when that day comes, my heart will still be in good working condition. Hahahahaha...

Special thanks to Gavyn for taking care of Valerie while Paul & I get to go on the TATSU.

Met up with relatives in LA...

2007-01-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

We met up with Jennifer and Clifford for dinner, then went over to Jennifer's home to meet up with Trevor and baby Caitlyn.

Jennifer and me at the HOUSE OF SHABU SHABU.

Shabu shabu is kinda like steamboat but famous for the beef and the special soup.
Look at these fresh red meat... yum...

At Jennifer's house with baby Caitlyn.

Journey to LA...

2007-01-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

We took a short trip to LA after Xmas. Visited Universal Studios and Six Flags Magic Mountain. Met up with relatives... Here's Valerie giving her report on the trip.

With my cousin aunty Elsie

Lounging in my 1st class seating.

This is a huge van... lots of room, even for a box of water.
You want a bottle of water? $5 please.
Me and Lionel Koko... my business partner.

HAPPY 2007

2007-01-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2007 ahead. May every hard work be paid off, every sweat be replenished and every tear be dried up by the wind.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2006-12-25T00:33:00.000-07:00

Training for NASCAR

2006-12-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

The princess in her new car....
The princess only can move backwards... just like when she was learning how to crawl

The princess.... hmm... just like to strike a pose... not camera shy at all!!

Better vision, better world

2006-12-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

Finally have succumbed to the forces of cosmetic surgery. Went under the table (actually, the optometrist chair) and got my eyes beamed with LASIK.

Got it done on Saturday and it's been 4 days without glasses. I have 20/20 vision with both eyes but my left eye is still a little under weather. Doc said that there's still some swelling in both eye... but it's normal. Will be goin back to see him next Wed. Vision is good... except for night as the light from the cars can be very distracting. It'll take awhile before that goes away.

The whole procedure was fast. Went for a pre-op check up the Saturday (9 Dec) before and the following Saturday had the procedure done at 8.30am. It's not painful at all... but it's a weird feeling. Having your eyes numbed and stretched apart; then having something suctioned it up and then smelling the burnt odor (think this was the worst).... it's all just too freaky. There's no pain whatsoever... except for some achy stretchy feeling. But emotionally, knowing that something is pooking at your eye... it just gives me the creeps. Knowing what it feels like now, won't think twice about doing it again.
But it is the after effect that drives me crazy. No TV, no computer, no reading!!! Argh NO CIVILIZATION!! I'm slowly coming back.... not with full force yet cos wouldn't want to stress these pretty eyes of mine. Will have to take things slow. A little at a time.... Thank goodness my cousin Elsie is here. To help out with Valerie, especially when I need to rest; and also to keep me company. Therefore, TV, computer and books can be chucked aside for awhile.

Let's pray that my eyes will continue to recover and my vision will continue to improve. Atleast now I don't need to worry about Valerie grabbing my glasses or feeling nose ache when I have my glasses on for too long. And hey... can play pool now without constant adjustment of the glasses!! Hahahahaa...

Have to go rest now ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Climbing up the steps

2006-12-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Wow... another new skill today!! Valerie climbed a step on our step stool at home. Took a video of her amazing feat but sadly I can't upload here like I do for the pictures. So here's a picture of what the stool looks like and you can use a little of your imagination. She places her left leg up a step and followed by the right leg.

Kai Ma & Kai Mi wuz here...

2006-12-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Valerie's godmas were here for the holidays. Kai Ma (Jasmine) and Kai Mi (Judy) arrived on 22 Nov and only left us the following week, 29 Nov. We spent 5 days in Las Vegas and we had a blast.... mainly shopping, shopping and shopping!!

Keeping this slot reserved till they send my the pictures. Come back soon and check this space out.

This is for "Gu-che"

2006-11-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the pretty shoes!! Yeah!!

Here's me and my Gu-che

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for thanksgiving dinner.
I'm ready... let's go.. go.. go..

I'm so tired... mummy, please go home...
Sharing a chocolate cake with Ailing, Felicia & Hoonie (fr left to right)

Ah... Thanksgiving.
Turkey with cranberrry sauce; pumpkin pie (yummy); turkey stuffings (yucks!); many holidays & festivities, which means many opportunities to stuff ourselves with food (yeah!); shopping, sales galore! ; winter (brrr...), skiing; Christmas; the New Year is near, my birthday is near, getting older . Oh my, Thanksgiving counts down to so many events!

A year ago this time, I was a pregie... and it was an exciting month, cos that was the time when we were going to find out if baby is a boy or girl. It was also the time when u first got to see Valerie, with her hands, legs and alien looking face. And I even managed to go on 2 holidays, with our friends Bernard & Ailing, to San Diego & Las Vegas. And guess what, last year I was strutting around with a babe inside of me, my friend Ailing is strutting around with one too this year! CONGRATULATIONS! (The lady on my left in the pic above).

Valerie is growing tall and strong, and full of energy. Except for yesterday. She only had 1 nap in the early afternoon and by the time she was ready for her late afternoon nap at about 5pm, it was time for us to attend the Thanksgiving dinner at the base. Sadly she didn't sleep during our car ride to the base, therefore she wasn't her usual perky self. But she still manage to stay pretty calm... and when we got back home. She knocked out immediately after washing up and drinking her milk

Valerie's godmas will be coming this wed... and we'll be travelling to Las Vegas. Won't be around during Thanksgiving. So, wishing you all.....

Having fun in the big tub

2006-11-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

Valerie has graduated to bathing in the big tub. She's been terrorizing her baby tub, and the whole bathroom floor will be wet after every bath. So I bought her a seat that is placed in the bath tub and she can splish splash all she wants!! Yippee!!
PS: Wish it was summer now... can play water in the backyard.

4 teeth and counting

2006-11-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

Valerie's got 2 new teeth...The right upper kinda showed first... then followed by the left upper, which I saw today.

Not bad for a 8 month old. She's accomplished quite alot. Got her teeth... crawling... sitting up straight... standing...eating solids... learning to wave bye-bye with fingers... making funny noises....

It's been a wonderful 8months... looking forward to many more to come....

Halloween Ladybug

2006-11-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

Here's my baby at her first Halloween, dress as a ladybug. It's actually a 12-24mth size... as you can see... the head is too big... but we had trouble getting her in. Cause the neck opening is small. Guess my baby's got a big head!!

Valerie's daily exercise routine

2006-11-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

Valerie has been crawling forward when she got back to Phoenix in early Oct. And recently, she's been learning how to stand up. And she's been using this small stool to help her so that. She first crawls to the chair, then puts her right hand on it and followed by the left hand. Once she feels stable on the chair, she lifts herself up to a kneeling position.

She even has the time to turn back a give a special smile to the cameraman!!

She then continues with her amazing exercise...

She actually can't stand upright with the chair. Mainly cos it's too low and also it skids on the floor. But she still loves to try.

More photos from California holiday

2006-11-04T00:49:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a relaxing afternoon on the hammock.
Our new family in LA.

First visit to "In & Out Burger" with Grand aunt Hing.

Watching her first Sunset in Yosemite.

Reno, a place where I won't want to go back... but have to atleast show that I've been there. See, even Valerie is not interested. She'd rather sleep.

Learning to master computer skills from Grand uncle Nick. And Corkscrew is just plain tired after a long day of sightseeing.

A tribute to the women...

2006-11-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

This is a very important picture. And I'm already before I can write the next sentence. Let me introduce you to these women who have loved, cared, fed, entertained me and Valerie while we were in SG; and also spent many sleepless nights with us.

From top left -
Liz, the Fertility godma who can have a full conversation with Valerie and get a respond from her!
Kim, who lovingly gave up her princess throne and passed it over to Valerie.
Ju, the Karaoke godma who speaks only Mandarin to Valerie, and thanks to her Valerie now has lots more clothes to wear.
Jas, the Mahjong godma who first sat Valerie on the mahjong table and impart her skills to Valerie.
Jan, the one and only gu-gu that Valerie has. Wakes up earlier before work to spend time with Valerie, and sleeps late at night to spend time with mommy.

Thank you so much for all your time; all your sacrifices to be with us. you all!!

Our long journey home

2006-11-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

Just a brief description of the pictures.

1. Paul sending us off at Phoenix airport. Gave Valerie her breakfast before going through the security checks. With the strict ruling of no water/gel/aerosol on board, I didn't dare to take the risk of feeding her only on the plane. Knowing that the crew would be busy with getting ready to take off, they probably won't have time to entertain us until we up in the sky.

2. It's so exciting, our first time on a plane together... from Phoenix to San Francisco.

3. Valerie enjoying her view of the sky... from San Francisco to Japan.

4. Her very own bassinet. And she barely fits in it! But she probably feels quite cozy in it. And this would be the very first and last time she'll be in the bassinet (story of that coming up later)

5. See my poor little girl? On our way from Japan to Singapore and the plane didn't have a bassinet and she didn't want to sleep on the chair. I had to improvise. Place her on the table with blankets on the bottom.

6. It's not too early to start networking. Valerie may be a pilot in the future hey....

7. Finally we've arrived at Changi Airport.

Food... glorious food.

2006-11-03T00:07:00.000-07:00

See how much fun this dirty little kitty is having? Just finish feeding her sweet potato. I think she loves it... finished 2 boxes!! The other vegetable boxes I've given her, she would only eat 1 box and peas, she didn't even finish the box. Guess my Valerie is a "sweet potato" Get it? i've started to feed her solid food once a day. Usually for lunch, so that I can bathe her after the meal. I've heard from other mommies that they are feeding their kids 3 times a day!! My oh my... I would have to bathe her 3 times!! Actually bathing is not the issue... it's dressing her... Oh my goodness... she's like a contortionist. That's another story for another blog entry. And it will come with pictures too!! ahahahahaha....

Friends of mine bought this feeding chair furing Valerie's Full month party. It is suppose to be tied to a dining chair so that she can sit with us at the dining table during meal times. But my dining chairs are with wheels, they roll around. Therefore we do not dare to place her on it. Worry she might topple over. Maybe should just go to a garage sale and buy one. But, who in the heck sells one? Unless that broke the others... ahahhahaha...

Anyways, enjoy these cute pictures.

Vanna White teeth...

2006-11-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

We found 2 front teeth at the bottom gum!! There were no signs of her having teeth.. except for the constant drooling and chewing. My dear Valerie did not have any fever or show signs of fussiness. To satisfy your appetite to see her teeth... we tried ways to get her to open her mouth.

Finally manage to take one that is quite clear. Below is the magnified version.

Pictures from our California holiday

2006-10-16T17:42:00.000-07:00

Bringing Valerie for a hike to Bridalveil Fall at Yosemite National Park. Finally up in Bridalveil Falls with grand aunt ChowHing and grand uncle Nick.

Happy Family at Sequoia National Park, in front of the widest tree (and oldest too i think) on earth.

Taken at Lake Tahoe. Very nice little, but expensive town. Very popular for skiing during the winter.

The first picture is taken at Golden Gate Bridge. Valerie was still asleep when we took the picture of the actual bridge. So we decided to take her pic with the landmark seal.

2nd pic was taken is Union Square. She was having lots of fun there. So many things to see... people walking by. We even change her poop right on the table where we sat. Hahahahaahaa...

Valerie is 7 month

2006-10-16T00:23:00.000-07:00

Half a year has past... time flies isn't it? Valerie is already 7 month old. At the last count, she was 9.3kg (20.5lbs) a month ago. She's gaining... and fast! She's now already wearing clothes for 1-yr olds.

Besides her increase in size, she's also able to sit upright on her own. She's not very stable yet but can sit quite long with me behind her. I won't support her but incase she does fall, I'll be there to prevent her from hitting her head. Sitting gracefully, she's keeping herself busy with toys.

Valerie's got 2 front teeth on the bottom gum. I wasn't expecting any teeth yet cos she has not fussed or had any fever like the other kids. I think it's been there awhile but I only noticed it on 12 Oct 2006. Was feeding her carrots and I heard this scratchy noise from the plastic spoon. And out of the blue, 2 white teeth materialized in front of me. And they are sharp! The picture below doesn't do justice to her cute little teeth, but even her mouth is so beautifully shaped!!

Enjoying daddy's company and relaxing in his bony arms!!
Hey! What's that in my daddy's mouth? It looks so familiar, hmm...my pacifier!

Valerie's also learned to crawl forward now... previously she was only crawling backwards. She's still not very stable and would lunge forward sometimes. Especially when she sees something that she wants to get hold of immediately. Sometimes she'll fall to the side, guess her arms must be tired from the crawling. It's fun to see her crawl... but it keeps my eyes busy. Have to pay 100% attention when she's on the ground. She can get to places that she's not suppose to very quickly. I'm almost crawling with her at times...
Can't wait till she can walk!! hahahahaha....

It's been 2 months...

2006-10-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

hello there everyone...

It's been a very fast 2 months. Have been very busy and also lazy...but I'm back... not with full force, but atleast I'm back.

Alot has happened in these 2 months. My last blog was about our first long holiday with Valerie and with my Aunt & Uncle from New Zealand. Well, we had another longer haul... 26 hours... back to Singapore!! Was back for 3 weeks, with half the time also spent in KL. Our trip back to SG/KL was a last minute decision. Had to go back to get my PR re-entry permit endorsed in my passport.

It was Valerie's very first plane ride... and a very long one too. One thing that came out of this trip is, DO NOT TAKE United Airlines (International). They sucked big time, especially the AngMoh crew!! The Japanese and Singaporean crew were fantastic, sadly can't say the same for the Americans. Am very, very disappointed with their service. Told myself that I'm going write a complain letter to their CEO!! But haven't gotten around doing that. So, if you do manage to talk to me, remind me about it, ok?!

Got back to Phoenix on 1st Oct and I'm taking care of Valerie myself. Mom has went back to Singapore and may or may not come back. So far so good. Valerie's been a wonderful baby... was only a little difficult the first week we came back cos she was still in SG time. She wouldn't sleep between 12mn to 6am... and would sleep after that and won't wake up till 2-3pm. It's been rectified now... she would still wake up once in awhile in the middle of the night for feeding. Here are some photos from our trip back to SG/KL. Will have another entry on her developments so far. Enjoy!

Isn't she a sweetie?! My darling Valerie.

Valerie with her grandpa aka Gong-gong (my father)

Valerie with her great grandma and cousin aunties. (from right to left: Terry, Justin, Vanessa, great grandma, Grace-cousin aunt that is younger than Valerie by 2mths)

At the airport with Great-grandma, grandma (nai-nai), aunt Janice (gu-gu) & uncle Derrick (shu-shu)

Valerie's first long haul

2006-08-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Yes... we dared to bring her along for a 9-day road trip. And it's all in a 4- wheeler (7 seater van to be exact). It is definitely an experience... and we would do it all over again... but of course with some adjustments to the driving times and also the the number of stops we take along the way.

We drove to LA-Irvine to meet with my aunt & uncle (chow hing & Nick) from New Zealand. Stayed over at a relative's (Clifford) place for the night and went on our way the next day. Stopped over at Sequioa National Park to see the oldest tree on this earth and we continued our journey to Yosemite National Park to stay the night. Spent 2 nights there and we left for Reno on Tue to spend a night there. On the way to Reno, we stopped at Lake Tahoe to enjoy the views of the beautiful lake. We went on our way on Wed to San Francisco. Spent 2 beautiful but cold nights there and our journey back south continues. Spent a night at Lompoc (halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles) and stayed at another relative's home (Jennifer & Trevor) for the night. Left for Phoenix on Sun and arrive home tired, hungry and ready for another road trip!! Heeheeheeheehee

Took this at San Francisco, Lombard St, the crookedest street.

1,2,3...A,B,C

2006-08-03T00:14:00.000-07:00

Here's something new for the princess. My friend had these foam squares at home for her baby to crawl and play on. What a great idea, especially with our tile flooring. Went out to source for nice ones... but only manage to find them in Numbers and not Alphabets. So, bought 2 sets in order to have a big surface area. And there is the princess posing on her new mat.

The expert rolls again...

2006-07-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

It was a monumental stunt. Valerie was able to roll to her back from her tummy!! I think she got the hang of it and kept turning back and forth.... it was such a sight!!

My princess' happiness is my bliss.

My roll over expert

2006-07-24T00:08:00.000-07:00

After many tries in learning how to turn over on her tummy... Valerie has finally able to turn over by herself today!! Not everytime though, but we've seen it happen a couple of times.

She's been trying to turn herself over the last week or so... but always only able to flip to her side and not totally on to her belly. We've been trying to help her, sometimes just giving a soft push forward and sometimes practically turn her over. She would get very annoyed and frustrated when she's stuck at sideways position. Now, she'll get annoyed again cos she can't turn back form belly position!! Hahahahahaha....

Me in my new car seat... and stroller!

2006-07-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

Like my new stroller? It's really big and comfy. And I don't feel hot in it at all. Although it's not a sweet, princess colour which I would prefer, my parents think that it will be a neutral colour for my little brother or sister later on. Oh well, since I'm using it new... doesn't matter.

Don't I look cute? And do you see my friend, Pooh Bear? Guess what is he whispering to me? He's telling me to be brave cause I'll be going in to get my immunization shots... and it's 3 of them!! Yikes!!

New Car seat and stroller

2006-07-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

We have finally given up on Combi. Valerie would perspire profusely while in her car seat.... and being summer over here, we're usually in air-conditioned places. But the back of her head would be wet with perspiration and her back would too sometimes... if not, it'll feel hot & warm. Furthermore, her tiny feet was protruding out of the car seat and she seems to be very squashed in it. And it was so difficult to maneuver the stroller, the wheels would be stuck in one position when we try to make a turn, and on certain surfaces, it would just be such an arduous task to push it around.

Finally, we decided that this is just not working for us or for Valerie. Although she has not complained but who would want to see their child being soaked through everytime she's in her car seat? And I get to irritable pushing the stroller that it's just not worth it.

Remember before Valerie was born, Paul & I were debating on 2 particular strollers that we each preferred? Well, this time, Paul won. We returned the Combi and exchanged for the Graco Quattro. Although this is a breeze to push around and Valerie has not perspired much in it, it's disadvantages are still prominent. The stroller is super duper heavy, very strenous to lift it in and out of the trunk. It's 28 freakin pounds as compared to Combi's 13lbs. The car seat is so much more roomier for Valerie, Graco can fit infants up to 30lbs while the standard ones can only fit infants up to 22lbs. But it is bigger in size, heavier in weight and therefore more exhausting to carry around too. And driving an SUV which is higher isn't helpful either.

I guess Paul's wish of me not going out so often has finally come true... hehehhehehehe.... but not while my mom is still around... hahahahahaah.... she's been great help. Didn't want me to strain my C-sect wound, she would be the one lifting Valerie in and out of the car. God bless her heart and her strength too!!

Below is the new Graco stroller... in this exact colour and style. Let's hope that it will be as useful when I bring it back to Singapore. I hope the stroller can fit into our car trunk!!

Sleeping beauty

2006-07-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

This is a funny but yet heartaching story. Contradicting isn't it?

For the whole day, Valerie didn't nap much. Probably an hour in the morning and then another hour in the afternoon. But she's been such an angel... she wasn't very fussy, even after the immunization shots yesterday... except for not wanting to be left alone.

After Valerie woke up from her last nap and playing a little while, my mom had Valerie seated on her lap facing outwards while she was sitting at the dining table talking to me. As I prepare for dinner, my mom would entertain Valerie, and being in the kitchen, she' s kind of keeping me company too. Valerie would usually be looking around, playing with her fingers, drooling and just being a contented little girl...sitting on her grandma's lap.

Anyways, the story is... while we were chatting away about some curry spices and not paying much attention to Valerie, my mom suddenly asked me, "Is she asleep?". I looked at Valerie and gasped, "Yes! She's nodding off to sleep while still sitting up". Oh my goodness!! Her head was just nodding and eyes were closed...

My heartached as I carried her and put her down to sleep. She must be so sleepy that she didn't cared what position she was in. But she wasn't fussing either. It must be very comfortable sitting on grandma's mushy lap. Hahhahahaaha..... The after thought was, I chuckled to myself and said, "Shucks... should have gotten the camera out!!" Well... luckily I didn't. Cos what kind of mom would I be if I'd rather take a picture of my sleepy baby than to put her to sleep.

On this similar note, I actually saw a video clip recently of an infant sitting on the floor and nodding himself to sleep and eventually fell over flat on his back. And I was thinking, "What are these parents thinking? They'd rather tape their child's actions instead of putting him to sleep!"

She looked something like that but imagine her head falling forward repeatedly.

A brave little girl

2006-07-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

Today was Valerie's 4mth check-up and 2nd set of immunization shots. I wasn't there when she had her 1st set of shots (I was hospitalized with Pneumonia for 1 week). The nurse had 3 needles ready to poke her. I didn't really pay attention to the nurse cos was busy talking to Valerie, trying to calm her. Well... it turned out quite alright. Just a soft cry when she was jabbed, but soon calmed down. Below are the 2 "wounds"from her jabs, 2 on the right thigh and 1 on the left thigh.

Had the shots in the morning, and by early evening, she was as alive as a dragon! The shots don't seem to have any effect on her. No fever, she didn't fuss with discomfort, only had constipation for 3 days... that's all. That's what I call a brave little princess

Happy Independence Day

2006-07-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

It's 4th of July today... and we just got back from watching the fireworks at the nearby Surprise Community Park. Yearly the local towns will have fireworks and other forms of celebration (eg. concert bands, food, kid's activities) for the residence. This year, we went with Pa & Ma... and for the first time, my mom and Valerie. It was fun.... not as many bugs as last year... and the fireworks were prettier and nearer than when we watched it at the base last year. Here are some photos....

Fireworks that we got on camera. enjoying the summer wind (mostly hot) with Grandma & Grandpa. Valerie's first Independence Day celebration... and of course it adds extra meaning to this day as she's also an American.

Just the 3 of us...

2006-06-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

Just a short update....

Paul left for Bonnyville, Canada to work on 10 Jun. He'll only be back on 24 Jun (which is our wedding anniversary... 8years... wow... time flies)

My mother in law left for Singapore on Wed, and has arrived safely back home on Friday afternoon (SG time).

Now, it's left with me, my mom and Valerie at home. In fact, today is 2nd day "home alone"... hehehehehee... As my mother in law was taking care of our daily meals in the last 3 mths... will have to learn how to handle things at home with 2 person now. My mom and I will have to take turns to have a shower or take meals (unless Valerie is asleep). Later on, it'll be just me alone taking care of Valerie...only less than 3 mths away before my mom leaves too...

We have lots of activities planned ahead, will be having Felicia over for dinner tonight and Ailing & Chen Fong (with 2 kids in tow) will be coming over for lunch tomorrow. Going to dinner with Pa & Ma tomorrow night and then will be attending Koen's first month party (son of Jess & Vincent) on Sun. Later on, will be going to Evelyn's house for dinner on Sun... so as you can see.... our schedule is jammed pack this weekend. Will try to remember to take pictures during all these outing... so that you can also share our activities with us.

Most of the time, I think we'll be watching Cantonese serials.... downloaded a few titles when I was still pregnant, but didn't get to watch them... and my aunt from NZ sent me at least another dozen titles. So it's either Valerie time or movie time... hahahahahahaha....

That's about it.... nothing interesting happening so far... till my next adventure happens... Ciao

Here's Valerie's latest picture, taken on 14 Jun. It's very hard to capture her smiling... cos everything she see's the camera... she kinda stares at it intensely. And sometimes when she does smile, the digital camera is not fast enough to capture her beautiful smile. Therefore, savour this cheeky grin while you can.

The next picture was taken on the changing table. She loves to bring her legs up high... and then hits the pad with so much force that I worry she might get bruises on her heels. But my Valerie is a strong girl... and with the "meat" surrounding her, I bet it helps take away some of the trauma!! Hahahahaahahaa....

Valerie is 3 mth old

2006-06-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Took this pic in McDonalds, Flagstaff ...a stopover to feed Valerie on our way to Grand Canyon. She's so alert isn't she? It was 8am arh.... Mummy was still half asleep.

This is Valerie's daily exercise. Tummy time... to help train her arm and chest muscles, so that she can lift her head and chest up higher and longer.
Here's the latest hairstyle. The Onion Head..... Hahhahaa... a nickname given by her paternal grandma. "Yeung Choong Tou" (in cantonese it means Onion head)

Talking about nicknames.... Valerie has acquired many. To her mummy, she's Stinky Pinky. To her daddy, she's of course the lovely Princess.

And recently the grandmas have started calling her "Xiao Ge Ge" (in Mandarin it means Little Princess)

Phoenix Suns didn't make it to NBA finals

2006-06-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sigh... all is lost... no more chance to see the Suns play or see them proceed to the NBA finals. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks 4 - 2 games, and the last game, the score was 102 - 93. Very disappointing but it has been a very exciting season. Hope that the Suns will get another chance next year.

My favourite player Raja Bell... what a unique name huh? I wonder if his parents know Raja means King in Malay. Isn't he cute with that lovely smile? Hee hee hee....