Sunday, December 31, 2006

Alice in wonderland

Ok, you can say I am kind of 'cheapo'. I saw a similar piece in Wild Child that cost more than $150 bucks, so I thought it would be nicer and cheaper if I did it for the boys myself. It would at least truly be from me to them. So I went to Spotlight, picked up a board, some acrylic paint and sandpaper, downloaded some pictures of 'Alice in the wonderland' and piece them together to form a drawing.
< ----------- See the raw layout (decided to do away with Cheshire Cat) It was hard work. I am fine with drawing and painting, but I am not particularly good with crafts. But I am quite please with the final piece, notice I even signed off as Papa 2006 Dec - impressive hor. (Think it looks better tinted) Ha Ha.

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Brotherhood

It's funny and endearing when you see your sons bond. This is the advantage of having your children close in terms of age. En and his bro is only 15 months apart, and En is too young to understand that this other being is here to share his parents love and toys. He is likely to grow up getting use to the shared attention with his bro (I hope) though the downside is they will probably fight through their growing years. The grandpa said they will likely form a brotherly alliance to terrorise other kids in the neighbourhood and school.

At the moment, he is curious about his bro, respond well to the term "di-di" (brother), but seems to stick to me like glue more than ever. Maybe he does sense something. He doesn't take well to me carrying his bro, and his beloved nanny tried once and he wailed.

Well, we tried taking a brotherly kind of photo and clip before I tear down the X-mas tree. As I mentioned earlier, this is probably the last time they are celebrating X-mas in 16 Cantonment Close. Next year, it will be at College with all their cousins.

Let's go to the zoo, there's lots of things to do...

Plans to go to the zoo was aborted since the wife is too tired. Pretty good weather today, but ended up browsing the zoo website instead. Found out a few things about the zoo, first - is damn bloody expensive now to go there. I thought "Friends of the Zoo" membership used to be cheap, now cost a bomb - family package from $170 - 280 bucks! Ok-lah, maybe if I go every weekend, maybe worth it. Second, the "adopt an animal" programme caught my eye, good to get for the kids as their birthday present one day - can teach them some lessons in wildlife preservation some more, not bad - can adopt hippopotamus (love the word) and "big-nose" probi-something (and too lazy to check) monkey. Wish got tiger or lion, En loves 'em and can "roar" fiercely too (must take a clip someday). I also clicked on the Career option, wonder whether I can be tram driver for a career change, like not bad. I know when I retire, I will become a tour guide, I love showing people around and helping tourist in distress ha ha.

Is there such a jingle, or is it my imagination. It keeps ringing in my head as I type this ... "Let's go to the zoo, there's lots of things to do.... blah blah."

Also recently, there's big publicity about Inuka the polar bear. Which reminds me, CL was the poster girl for the Zoo ad featuring Inuka mother (I think) many years ago. Ha Ha. She's all grown up and still as cute (maybe now should be pretty) as ever (though I haven't seen her for a while - how are you doing Cai-li) ha ha. Maybe they should like recall all these people in some Zoo Anniversary or something, quite interesting. Like the time when my cousins (all five of them) appeared in the MacDonald's Ad decked in white shirts and jeans when it was Mac's dunno how many years Anniversary. Ying told me she was one of the first in the queue when Mac's first outlet in Liat Towers opened. (They stayed in Anguilla Park then). Ha Ha.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

Baby Xuan Video Clip

First video clip of baby Xuan.



Ok ok, I know this video is a bit boring. But it's not much different from the other boring video that new parents take of their children and force you to watch them a gadzillion times rite? At least I put it on the blog and you can CHOOSE to watch it if you like. But do watch it, it's boringly kind of cute. Anyway, of course it's boring, what else can a newborn baby do leh? If you want a funny one, see En En one below - now that's cute. I think a use the word boring a little bit too many times. Boring.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Baby En and Momo the dog

This is probably the best video we have taken so far of En and Momo, which also explains why it is in all our blogs. It shows how En interacts with Momo, with a rojak of intrigue, love and fear all at the same time. En is totally in love with the dog, either that or he's little mind is already scheming on how to ride that short and long moving mammal, once he gets over the fear factor. I fear for Momo once the two boys grow up and she's older... sigh.

Of family portrait and 16 Cantonment Close


Every year, we will take a family photo by the X-mas tree. This was taken half-way through a mahjong session and before Xuan popped, courtesy of Binghong. As usual, we had a tough time getting a fatter momo to sit tight and En to look at the camera and smile (which he did not). This year's photo probably will carry more sentimental value given that this would likely be the last X-mas photo we take at 16 Cantonment Close before we move to College Green early next year. Sigh... an overwhelming gush of nostalgia just came all over me ...

We will miss this place. The small but cosy den we have called home for 5 years. We took great pain designing it and the good fengshui gave us two lovely boys (though I would love to find out how to re-position certain things so that I can still have my girl). The boys will probably not remember this place - hence the family photo! Can't find time to take with Xuan though... and Momo is currently having her little holiday at my parents place while we cope with Xuan, so we are one family member short!

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Silent Night





Geez, another year-end holiday spent at the hospital. Ronald MacDonald Family Room at KK Hospital is actually quite cool and feels like a clean and quiet hostel with no drunk teenagers rampaging down the corridor. Facilities include a library, computer terminals (I am using one now), kitchen (with nice designer chairs, tables and ambience lights) and a kids room. We seem to be the luckier parent(s) as we believe other parents who stay in this place probably have a more serious and tramatising reality facing them. So far, I have seen a couple with a hollow glaze in their eyes (they have a baby who keeps crying) and a woman on wheelchair.

However, living away from home means we spend minimum time with baby En. While it is already common fact that I'm nos two in En's list of favourite person (his fav is his nanny), I have never really seen him so possessive as he did this evening. He seemed to know I'm going back to the hospital after fetching him home from nanny's place and kept his antenna on full alert once I attempted to slip off. The maid kept distracting him but it didn't seem to work. It finally worked after he was totally engrossed in his musical instruments. I felt bad. Think we should really spend more time with him - thinking of bringing him to the zoo to put a certain realism to the animal flash cards he had been taught. So far, he can recognise lion (he roars when he sees lion / tiger), giraffe, monkey and zebra. He also recognises dogs, cats and birds (which he will start to flap his 'wings') - which I suppose you cannot really find in zoos. But I realise that unless you are friend of zoo, the tickets bloody expensive hor.

Monday, December 25, 2006

Baby Xuan Part III


We survived the first night with baby Xuan at home with virtually no sleep and no confinement lady (who could not leave her village due to the "great m'sia flood"). Xuan poohed the whole night and could not seem to feed well. He was also turning redder and redder by the minute - which, from our fretful experience with baby En (see my earlier blog), we knew it was jaundice in the making. The first thing this morning, we sent him in to K.K Hospital (decided it was cheaper than Mt. E) where the Medical Officer confirmed our diagnosis, but deemed the jaundice level (at 230) not high enough for Xuan to be admitted - duh. Asked him how then would we know when to admit him, he said if the baby feeds well and passes out urine at least 5 times a day, he should be fine. He asked me to come back tomorrow morning to check on his jaundice level again and decide whether to admit him or not. Eh- not very convincing leh.

So both of us were well zonked for our first day. Luckily, Ling-jie (confinement) lady managed to hijack a bus which ploughed through the flood and came to Singapore at about 7.30 pm. We heaved a sigh of relief. And the moment she stepped in, everything fell into place. Even Xuan's seemingly oversized clothes seem to fit after she dabbled with them (when we dressed him, he looks scruffy and odd).

Am looking forward to my good night sleep tomorrow. And pray that Xuan's jaundice level dip.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

The arrival of Xuan II











With babies, I reckon I am always like one-step behind. Can only upload photos today, but still haven't shot any photo of Xuan at home yet.

Today Xuan is officially named Yap Bao Xuan, Noel (which means Christmas and gift apparently). I am resisting Gillian's proposed Ye Bao Bei, and was extra careful not to write the wrong name due to some Freudian slip thing.

His birth cert is currently the hottest 4-D digit in the family with various permutation. As per baby En, I wrote the Chinese character of his name 叶保轩 , but did it better for the carbon copy. The original birth cert got one ugly handwriting. The officer asked whether anyone told me I could type using computer and save it as softcopy. Er.. no leh, nobody told me that. (My thoughts - why can't your bloody computer just incorporate a Chinese software leh. But the officer quite a nice lady so couldn't bear to scold her.)











Mummy and baby were discharged today. Bill was obscene. And cos' it's Saturday, I didn't get to go home in a limo...darn. And I though I could so didn't drive. It was raining when we got home.

Anyway Welcome Home chap.

Friday, December 22, 2006

The arrival of Xuan

At 1340hours this afternoon, the wife gave birth to our number two - baby Xuan.

It was a chop-chop affair lasting only a grand total of 7 hours (people who have gone through labor will understand that this is not too bad at all). The wife was admitted at 7.30a.m on a rainy morning. (We had to drop Baby En at nanny's place at 6.45a.m). She was on the bed, put on epidural and all set for induction by 10.00 a.m.

Our midwife Sister Cheung (from Hong Kong) was the same nurse that delivered En. We knew we were in good hands. She was also damn nice- staying past her shift to help us deliver Xuan.

I am always amazed at how hospital knew how to catered to local populace need to buy 4-Ds for such auspicious occasions. Most of the records have four numerals. Baby Xuan was brought to this world at 1340hrs (first 4-D), He weighed 2.925kg (to 3 decimal points?! Nvm 2nd 4-D) and is 48cm (cannot buy cos' only got two numbers). It's also quite amazing how I can remember these numbers even though my mathematics and stats suck big time. I can even remember my first boy En's weight was 3.040. Maybe cos' it's also related to the 4-D lottery thingy or some mysterious father thing.

Anyway, several pictures were taken (As usual) but I left the #$%^ camera in the hospital so cannot upload today.

Bits and pieces of memorable moments (as all fathers will concur, in the delivery suite - one can either remember the long arduous wait or the frenzy and panic during the actual delivery - for the latter - everything flashes by) Other things I could remember include:

a) Unlike the first time, the anesthetician (is that how you spell?) who did the epidural did not ask me to leave. Actually, she demanded that I stayed and watch. Yeeks. Not a nice sight - the needles damn long, so was my wife's fingernails that clawed deep into my skin. The amused anesthetician asked why I was pale. Duh.

b) I lingered around the delivery suite and hospital like a lost soul. Drank countless cups of tea from the vending machines which, I believed, were purposely not built on the same floor. Also read Baby Blues on the super comfy Lorenzo couch to get inspiration of being a father of more than one kiddo. Quite nice - I mean the couch. The thought of being a father of two sons was daunting.

c) Wife must be bored. Out of the blue, she suddenly decided that we should name our Xuan something 'christmas-sy' - like Santa. I cannot register that though. He would be the joke of the townand anyway, his older brother seemed to detest the bearded man in red suit - he would cry everytime he saw Santa. Alternatively, we could name him Nicholas or Noel - I suggested instead. I would prefer the latter - though I was duly informed by Jou Hwei that it meant shout of joy, praise, christmas carol and the name of a local hamper store. I don't even know how to pronounce the name - No-erl or No-ell? Duh. I will just stick to Xuan-Xuan (as girly as it may sound).

d) About 5 hours later, the midwife said that my wife was fully dilated. She called Dr Yeoh in and in three pushes, baby was out. Very efficient.

Xuan is smaller but comes built with dimples. Welcome to the world son, hope your brother likes you... ha ha.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Secret Garden? (From 叶深人静)

今天与孩子的干妈喝下午茶, 就在观音庙附近的 Secret Garden。 还真的很秘密, 人不多,甜品别致好吃,但价钱稍微贵了点。最喜欢他们的 outdoor seating, 还有沙发咧。 恩最喜欢外面的秋千。我吃很不起眼的 hamburger, 老婆吃 crayfish and scallop spagetti (这个好吃!但价钱不便宜,$20)但最令我们陶醉的是那里的的甜品 - triple choc and hot dates! 不知道他们的户外桌椅哪里买的-不错。最近在物色户外家具 hee hee。








开 cafe 一直是我们俩人的梦想。曾经就跟好友一起开过,他晚上开pub, 我们早上开cafe。 由家人打点 - 最终失败收场,还亏了钱。还好朋友还有的做成- 他们夫妻挡现在专攻 whiskey - THE WHISKEY SHOP, 还不错。现在才知道做生意不容易。很佩服朋友的坚持。我呢,还是打工好啦,要做生意需要一股热忱,坚持和蛮力。生病还的开店,又没有 annual leave。
^---- the whiskey shop at cairnhill
- 叶子言

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Christmas Lights

The photo is not clear. Somehow, i really dun know how to use digital cam... funni. Apparently, this time my setting was on "document" - no wonder there is this paper like thing with words on the screen. I was wondering what it was.

Anyway, it's baby en second Christmas and we decided to bring him out to see Christmas lightings. The last time he went, he was only about 2 months old and slept when we walked down Orchard Road, and only woke up when we are in the car going back home. Well, he seemed to enjoy looking at the street lights.

This year, he seemed to identify with Christmas trees. He can just stare and stare at the twinkling lights and shiny ornaments. Either that or he's bored, we can't really tell.

Anyway, he perked up when we went to the Takashimaya toy fair. Well his grandma seems eager to carry him, I dun really mind. The last time I brought him to Robinson Toy shop, he kicked up such a big fuss and started to struggle out of my arms. His eyes were focused on the toys. I had to haul a screaming boy in the opposite direction, with pass-by staring in amusement. I know what they are thinking - I used to think the same when I see other parents with hysterical kid - spoilt kid, parents' fault. Hey, I don't spoil my kid o.k., at least I totally ignored his piercing wails and did not give in, I showed him nice girls clothes instead - quite proud of myself after that. At least now in Taka, he didn't pull the same stunt.