At 3 months

Here's giving Summer 2011 a closure for it has been the most eventful since we've got married. It's a wonder how a tiny person is capable of reforming our world completely. We're banished to a phase where romance is extinguished, but it's alright. Baby Bear worths it.


The little thing has turned 3 months on the 22nd. Every single day, he reminds me that he is everything I've wished for! :D






On the 22nd, he joined us at the dining table in his high chair for the first time.







I carry over 6600 grams of him at the present. My wrists really really hurt.


He loves one of mommy's favourite song 'Close to you' by the Carpenters. And smiles wryly when I sing him 甜蜜蜜.











He sucks one mitten delightfully while stroking his head with the other hand, then he would let them switch job. As for why mittens at 3 months, the silly fella keeps pulling out his hair. :(


See that fist? You bet there are several strands within.





He is starting to recline like the Sphinx.

We have conquered the outdoor, YAYS! Third time works like a charm and it's a happy baby we pop into the stroller now.





As for the one on laundry, you already knew. :)


What you didn't know is it's been a fairly turbulent period counting down to his 3rd month.


I had to force the bottle on him with pumped milk as I had trouble with a nipple.


My left wrist is so swollen and painful that I can't even open a jar now. Tendonitis sucks.


I have the cub secured all the time for safety only to realise that being overly protective is only detering him from gaining motor skills. And just when I was assuming that we aren't running into trouble very soon, I froze at a LOUD THUD and my heart shattered to pieces when I realised my baby has fallen from the sofa!


His cries pierced me through and through... This moron promised never to leave him at risk again. :(


Fortunately, he was back to his merry self very soon, but recalling this incident still gives me cramps all over.




The foremost thing now is to get my wrists fixed real soon for my darling loves my arms around him! Also, may his 4th month be kind despite challenges like the cold dry climate, and painful needles for the poor little guy. He's receiving his first tomorrow! YIKES!


I'm sorry if you're sick of stories about the cub already. He's everything I eat, sleep, breathe and bleed now. :P

Mirror mirror on the wall

The baby is asleep, so I'm stealing time to blog.


Seriously, if I could, I want to blog about him every single day. But really, I would rather put away fun stuff to be with him cos I won't know what precious moments I'll miss.


It's a lot like Areosmith's ' I don't want to miss a thing'. I feel pretty aligned with the lyrics.



Don't want to close my eyes
I don't want to fall asleep
Cause I'd miss you babe
And I don't want to miss a thing


Corny I know, but he is such a bundle of joy. I'm hopelessly obsessed with him. :)







Almost every single day, he amuses me with his spring of curiosity, and all that innocence.


When I stood before the mirror with him last week, he was busily shifting view between me and my reflection. I felt like carrying a piece of cartoon when he flipped his puzzled face with that kind of speed.


Then earlier this week, he has probably got it. Ahh~ it's a mirror. And the vain baby took all the time to study himself in it.


This evening, he had hiccups when we were playing 'aeroplane', so I walked him around to distract him from the discomfort, and got ourselves before the mirror again.


The cub looked at himself and went hic* smile~ hic* smile~ hic* SMILE~ hic* smile~+SMILE~ hic* smile~


It was so funny I had to summon Bear immediately. Too bad, Bear only managed to catch 2 hics and the show was over.


Now you know why I want to be around the baby so much.


Mirror mirror on the wall, he's the cutest hic*cub of all.

Watching

These days, I've been watching...




* The uber vain baby, his cuteness overload.



* Beautiful summer sunsets, which I fail to capture for I have the cutie to entertain.



* News... #1 local climate. Typhoon has struck Japan hard for the past week and the southern part has suffered lives lost and serious damages. Tough year for Japan.



*News... #2 Drought in Africa.




I think I haven't mentioned the mails I've been receiving since the arrival of my lil one.



Some of the mails just throw me off when they mention how hard life must be for me now...


A hard life? Hardly! Nothing is harder than watching the people suffering in Africa. Imagine my lil one being the child in this picture. Now this is hard!



Have you ever heard people said, that God isn't fair - The rich gets to squander wealth, while the poor embraces poverty forever. A friend changed my mind when she shared, ' God blesses the rich so that they can help the poor. '



Any amount counts. I think we are all capable of being a blessing to others than just watch.



The World Food Programme is one of the convenient sites to offer a contribution.



“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:34-40

Baby Dedication 28th August 2011

And so one dearest prayer answered.


My very own baby in a white lacey christening gown.





Everytime a newborn don in purity white shows up before me, I'm filled with awe and envy to tears. For every gift that blessed friends' babies, I prayed that the Lord would bless us too.


And here comes my angel finally. See him beaming and all dressed up in finest cotton.







He was good throughout the dedication, asleep to be exact, so he had no idea how mommy was moved to tears during prayer, no more envy for reason this time.


To raise the child with Lord's wisdom and strength is all on our mind now, that he'll be a blessing to all around him. Alongside, may we grow as parents responsible for the cub's being, that we may be answerable for this marvellous gift entrusted to us... :)


Also, the family clan thing went good.


Apparently, Baby Bear is the only hope that carries on the family name, all the other relatives are having girls and have passed reproductive age. Everybody can't be more pleased with the new addition to family 'O'.


We're blessed.


Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Psalm 127 :3


Thanking all for the kind encouragement earlier, we shall take on each outdoor as it comes.

Cheers!

Enjoying a nice cuppa hot cocoa on a rainy afternoon.







This is not a parenting blog. :P

And the challenges continue...

The cub is a happy baby at home.


I mean, at home.


When the main door is closed behind us, he starts getting antsy. Then mom gets antsy, and dad joins in.


It isn't too hard to understand what tremendous stress the outdoor imposes on a baby out from the womb for mere weeks. Everything at once is just too much!


Do you know, even the mom isn't the most outdoor person in the world and fidgets at meeting new people!


But we can't stay at home forever. :/ This weekend is going to be especially challenging.



Baby Bear will be formally introduced to the family clan on the 27th. We have relativesssss travelling from different parts of Japan just to meet and bless the child. All these people I don't know, but I must pretend that I still do because I've met them once years ago. There'll be endless exchange of formalities, bowing, and cordial conversation from one cluster to another, I just hope I won't forget which one I'm done with. It will be a very mentally exhausting experience and if I'm not careful, I may end up embarrassing my husband. I don't wish for tongues wagging at his behind, ' This is how things will be like when you get yourself a foreign wife.'


I can only imagine the clanking of glasses, loud excited folks who want to tell how much they are happy for us, karaoke and merry-making... and how uncomfortable Baby Bear will be.


Then on the 28th, he'll be making his debut at church for a baby dedication. I'm excited on this one! And I'm hoping that the cub doesn't cry his lungs out on what's meant to be a very dear memory of my lifetime. The child at the previous dedication obviously didn't like the microphone.



Darling, I know you must be trying so much harder than I do and I better not buckle under nothing yet! Come what may, we'll ride it out. Just try not to turn into a dipped nugget on these days ok?

At 2 months

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We've ushered the cub into his room 2 weeks ago!






Yes, this is the cross-stitch project completed 12 days, and framed 2 days before his arrival!



We miss hearing his cute grunts and fussing up close, and did worry if the transmission delivers his soft calls at night. Fortunately Bear has a better ear!










With the cub around, everything takes place faster than I can blink and Baby Bear is 2 months old today!





He's a smiler, still a faithful fan of the indoor laundry, and coming up with new tricks under his sleeves.


He gives me that ' Admit it. Don't you just love me? ' look with a seductive smile every now and then, oh see me blush! When he's probably full, he cleverly does it with hope to get away from the boob.


He coos, coos and coos mainly to me and the laundry. Daddy is too boring and has to try harder.



He is definitely starting to play! But he's probably better at flirting.














He laughs with eyes shut as he bobbles, and when he does he makes me cry.





He's quickly losing those cute furry baby hair on his back and other body parts before I could snap them.

He now waits for my return from the washroom and chores knowing mommy is coming back for him.

He loves me singing 'Do-Re-Mi' and 'Edelweiss' from Sound of Music.


I can't place him anywhere without second thoughts anymore cos I swear I caught him flip thrice already!











The biggest challenge would have to be his poo! It isn't diarrheoa but sometimes he poos so much that it leaks from his crotch and back, he needs to be showered! It's like a nugget half dipped into curry sauce whenever he poos that way.






And for being such an angel, mommy is giving him a corner here : ♥ing my Cub. For my nugget so deserves it.

I can't walk away without mentioning how grateful we are for this precious gift from God, and I'm thanking everyone for blessing us too. :)

In a heartbeat

Just moments ago, I was watching the closing of the National Day Parade online.



Yes! It's National Day, and the birthday of my dearest brother. This day last year, I was back home to celebrate his big day!



It's very stirring humming those oh so familiar songs sung during school days. I bet every Singaporean stationed overseas are connected with home in the same heartbeat. I couldn't help the tears when reciting the national pledge!



I remember the first time I gave Baby Bear a bath, the boy actually flew into a panic and of all songs, the frantic mom blurted out the national anthem hoping to calm him down. ( By the way, it worked ) It's harder than you think that one's roots can be easily forgotten!


Take me out of the island, but you can't take the island out of my heart. Majulah Singapura.