Aunty Lichelle Comes to Stay

The two most photogenic people I know

Jordy gets another visitor! Aunty Lichelle flies in from Kampala, Uganda (where she's working on a project) for the weekend - it's Aunty Seto and Uncle Zaihan's wedding. We're all getting excited for the two-day festivities!

"Garcon!"

It was another noisy day of renovations in our building today - so Jordy and I turned mall rats again. He's getting more and more at home in cafes. He had a grand time at Pacific Coffee in Vivo, hanging out and playing peekaboo with me! He also had a great nap at his home away from home, Page One bookstore, where he slept for TWO hours while I devoured O Magazine (call me sucker I don't care!)...

"One grande latte please, no caffeine, no coffee, no cream and err, oh heck, just pass me the boob!"

Just the Two of Us at the Edge of the Island

A hidden spot on a sunny day

It's blisteringly hot today - the kind of blue sky hot that looks better than it feels. Jordy and I brave the heat for a short stroll in nearby Labrador Park. There is no one else walking in the park, but we do see some cars parked with their drivers blissfully enjoying an afternoon siesta. We spot a lone fisherman way out on the jetty in the distance.

Inspired by nature, Jordy composes a haiku in praise of the ocean *mummy's wishful thinking*

Jordy and I walk in the shade, both of us loving the sea breeze on our face. It's wonderful to find a spot in Singapore that is so peaceful. Now, if only we could see some cool, grey days! Bring em on!

Godpa James Comes to Visit!

Jordy's first whiff of a cuppa!

Jordy's Godpa James flies in for the weekend from Bangkok, and promptly introduces him to a promising future of coffee, alcohol (or the lack thereof in the Turnip household) and irony. Err, we just know that his spiritual development is in good hands...

Two men and a baby

We brave the crowds at Parkway Parade to go to Dome, then Borders (where members get 45% off four or more books for the weekend, yay!). I buy a book on weaning and can't believe that in a few months, we get to open the gates for Jordy to the world of TASTE! Something tells me that he will be like his parents, and will really enjoy his desserts!

After book-shopping (between us all, we buy eight books for $100), it's off to East Coast Park for a walk. There are a phenomenal number of tents, and we are again hit with excitement about going camping with the little guy. I dream about retracing our trip to Northland, NZ with Jordy in tow. Growing up in Singapore, what would he make of the profound expanse of land and ocean that defines his other home in New Zealand? In fact, what would he make of a longer than half an hour car ride? Or seeing the sheep and cows from his picture books come to life? Can't wait!

Jordy learning how to flip pancakes from Godpa James

Then this morning, we get up and make pancakes. Our house is out of milk (we haven't replenished since I threw out the Dutch Lady UHT stuff laced with melamine! Ptui!) so we use soya milk in the recipe and they turn out great! As well as enjoying his food, I also get the inkling that Jordy will like helping mum with her baking. Can't wait again!

Standing tall outside Temasek Hall - Man, how we've aged!

We do what we always do when James comes to visit - a mini pilgrimage to Temasek Hall at NUS where we all met... almost ten years ago. ARGH! ARGH! A couple of singlet-y hostelites help us take this pic before hopping in their car to get food. When did so many students start driving to school?

Jordy contemplates Temasek

Then it's off to meet up with Uncle Dean for nasi padang at Arab St. The food is SOOOO good (and hot!) and Jordy snoozes to the calming scent of fried spices. He's my kind of guy!

This is the way you eat your food, eat your food, eat your food...

Arab St is a calm respite from the Sunday crowds. We walk down Haji Lane and sit in a little cafe in a funky design store, where Jordy proceeds to entertain all with his boisterous gaseous tummy antics. Resulting in us having to change his diaper behind velvet curtains on the floor of the changing room! Aiyoh! He didn't seem to mind though, as he stared at the Victorian wallpaper.

Three men and a baby!

We go to the Botanic Gardens for our daily walk. The place is teeming with families, and bridal couples on their photoshoots. We strike the visual equivalent of the lottery, coming to face to face with not one but TWO bridegrooms with mullets! One was balding with a curly mullet do, the other just had a standard mullet. I wondered whether they had friends who cared for them, and how they managed to woo their wives. I still have not come up with a satisfactory explanation.

Oh dear, come to think of it, maybe we should have put a shirt on Jordy, but it was just sooo warm and humid this evening!

As quickly as the trip began, Godpa James had to head back to Bangkok for work tomorrow. But not before one last pic with Jordy. Maybe the next time Jordy sees his godpa will be in Bangkok? *mum scratches her head in bemusement wondering how she'll manage that, but knows it'll work out somehow*

What a weekend! And it's a public holiday tomorrow too. Whee! And Happy Deepavali to all :)

The Air-Con T-Shirt (Or, Jordy's Early Education in Going Green)

Whatchu lookin at Willis?

In tropical Singapore, I've found these air-con t-shirts (name coined by Jordy's big cousin, S) indispensable. Thanks to Ah Ee for buying these for Jordy. Jordy loves lounging about in these at home, as they keep his now very ample body cool in the heat!

It wasn't me who threw out the can with the garbage! It was daddy!

Anyway, just watched a re-run of Oprah's Earth Day special, and in her words, every small step counts. So though I'm not switching to reusable nappies anytime soon, Jordy's air-con top means we haven't turned on the air-conditioning at home!

A Mini Vacation

Doh! Who moved my cheese?!

Jordy and I are based at Aunty J's house for the next two days. We've come to Ang Mo Kio in search of some peace and tranquil while my upstairs neighbours embark on some seriously annoying renovation works (they are hacking off their floor tiles over the next two days... grizzle...)

"No, no! Not so close! I want a full length shot!"

It's actually been lots of fun so far, like a mini vacation right here in Singapore! We drove through the McDonald's drive-thru by Ang Mo Kio park this morning - had a McGriddle for the second time in my life! It's disturbingly good. Then off to Aunty J's where Jordy and I had fun storytelling time with finger puppets (most easily transportable plaything) and Jordy had a good ol feed while I watched Oprah. How much more holidayish can you get?

"Yes... that's better mom. Now if you can just pass me my crossword puzzle and lime and soda, I'm set for the afternoon!"

The little gem of a boy is asleep in Aunty J's guestroom now. He stared around in wonderment at his new surroundings, gave a big smile, and then... went to sleep! Just like that. We'll see how long this lasts :)

Jordy in Camouflage

Some days, you just can't tell where the baby ends and the bed begins...

Art Imitates Life (Or, the Uncanny Confluence of the Turnips and Gilmores)

A scene from Season 5 of The Gilmore Girls: Paris in her pyjamas.

Get prepared for a really, really weird collision between reality and hyperreality. See that picture above? Focus on the PJs...

Now get this... pictured below is my nursing bib, or Hooter Hider (HH) that my friend S so kindly lent me - to the 100% breastfeeding mother, it has meant emancipation! With my trusty HH, I have traipsed the length of town with Jordy with nary a care... Now notice the fabric... FREAKY!!! Or as my ex-flatmate M from Japan used to say, "fleaky fleaky!"

The Hooter Hider - one of the touchstones between my world and the Gilmores'

Still can't get over how freaky that is! Anyway, had to include two shots that D took showing just how much weight our little man is putting on. And we just had dinner with Jordy's Aunty J who says he has a very manly (as in, not really babyish) face - we fully agree!!!

Aunty J has also kindly opened up her home to me and Jordy for the next few days, while our upstairs neighbours undergo extremely noisy renovations (hacking of floor tiles and many other absolutely horrible drilling noises). So we're going to be a bit nomadic this week - how fun! A new neighbourhood (Ang Mo Kio) to explore! And Jordy's godpa James visits this weekend - Yay!

I still can't get over the fabric... Fleaky...

Butt Naked in Starbucks (or, Why I Needed a Good Bath on Sunday)

Happy in Daddy's strong arms

Jordy has pulled a first in the Turnip family. An accident in the Vivo City changing rooms of the liquid kind, plus mummy naively going into change him only with a spare diaper and some wet wipes meant that when the crisis occurred, we had NO spare outfit for the little man, and NO mobile! Which meant that me and a sans clothes Jordy had to sneak back into Starbucks where Daddy was waiting (ok, he did have a diaper on but butt naked just has a nicer ring to it)!

Bath time is perfect contemplation time...

We attempted a walk in Sentosa but thethunder, lightning and rain forced us back after just a few minutes. But think Jordy liked what he saw...

My very own Baywatch men!

And the weekend also marked Jordy's first outgrown outfit. He's now over 6kg and is busting out of the cute sky blue tiki onesie from Mama Maree. To commemmorate this occasion, we will ensrhine the outgrown outfit (once it's out of the wash after said accident at Vivo City!) in the special Jordy box of momentoes I am starting for him!

Err Jordy, the Beach Volley Ball babes are hangin out in the other direction...

Our Little Conchord Loves to Dance

Yay, it's official! Our little man is a Flight of the Conchords fan! This was the scene that greeted me when I emerged from my shower this morning, Jordy giggling while D was dancing with his rattle to Flight of the Conchords! Argh too cute for words!

We had a great weekend - went for a nice brunch at Cafe Beviamo yesterday (alas their menu has changed and prices have been jacked up 10 - 20%). But food and coffee are still very good. We were meant to go for Jordy's cousin's kindergarten graduation concert, but most unfortunately, my sister's kids are down with suspected HFMD! Poor, poor things! We passed them the wonderful DVDs Mama Maree brought with her from New Zealand, so hopefully that will occupy them for a few hours while they recuperate!


So instead of heading to Victoria Theatre, we went to Borders (where for the first time in my life, I bought a parenting magazine... HELP! but don't blame me, they had a really good article on weaning, and Borders was having a big magazine discount sale for members!). I bought two books from the Man Booker prize shortlist, The Secret Scripture and The Clothes on Their Backs. Can't wait to get into them. And... we also got a DVD. The most supremely awesome music movie, Once. Watch the goosebump inducing song Falling Slowly on Youtube here. It's the most lyrical tribute to music and friendship I've ever seen - anyone that's ever sung, harmonised or played music with a friend will know what I mean!

Twilight time chez Turnip

After Borders, we officially entered the realm of the Singaporean Experience, and took Jordy for a jaunt at the new Changi Airport Terminal 3! We saw our doppelgangers there... A couple with an empty stroller and an infant in a Baby Bjorn! In fact we saw this repeated in many permutations. The terminal is so huge that we actually managed quite a good walk, taking in the viewing galleries, the shopping levels and the wide expanses of space at the Arrivals and Departure halls. Seemed to us that day visitors outnumbered actual travellers. Oh and the Parents Rooms at the airport are by far the cleanest we've seen...

Then it was home and our movie night while Jordy slept his day's adventures away.

A perfect day really.

Behind the Scenes of Mommyhood

Lunch with a view, and a good companion, my trusty copy of Great Expectations.

If you had asked me two months ago if I ever would describe motherhood as tranquil, I would have snorted with laughter in your face! Either that or grow another white hair in protest.

But against all odds (imposed by myself, in my brain, those early manic days) I have been managing to have pretty tranquil moments all this week. Not that motherhood is a zen retreat in a spa mind you, but honestly, those early weeks, I remember thinking, "I'll never be able to get the hang of it. I'll just be sitting in my chair feeding Jordy all day. I'll never be able to have a shower when I'm alone with him, let alone cook a meal! HELP!!!"

But things have gotten better, the dust (or rather my nerves) has settled and dare I say it, I think we've fallen into quite a nice rhythm here! Even allowing me to put some Mexican chili in the slow cooker to be had with tortilla chips tonight, and make myself a yummy Hungarian salami sandwich with diet coke (one of my horrible little addictions, I only have a small glass once or twice a week! Blagh). And of course continue my amazing epic viewing of all seven seasons of The Gilmore Girls (loving, loving, loving it)!

Feed me Seymour!

Of course, credit goes to Jordy (who must know I am singing his praises, as he is right now, stirring from his nap and making cute little sounds of protest).

As geeky as this sounds, I find that my journey to this present moment is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs come to life. We started off at the base of the pyramid - in pure survival mode, sleep and nourishment being at the top of the list. Slowly we're working our way up. Case in point, I took out my ipod dock last night and set it up on the kitchen counter so now I have music on in the day!

The action itself may not seem significant, but to be honest, the last few weeks, I've been so wiped out everyday by the act of caring for Jordy that things like listening to music seemed superfluous to the task at hand. Having the music back out is just one more step to us finding our rhythm as a new family, and hopefully, having lots of fun in the years to come.

Is it me or has Jordy inherited his dad's air of contemplation?

Anyway, a bit of introspection there, heh heh. Am halfway through Great Expectations and I'm really glad I'm reading at this time (i.e. credit crunch and massive financial turmoil in the world). The themes of the book resonate with what's going on around me. Will post a review of it once I'm done. Will be a while yet as I'm savouring every word. Forgot how funny Dickens is! Laugh out loud at some points!

Our Man of Letters

Just a matter of time before he graduates to Dickens!

Jordy's First Immunisation (or, Santa's Little Helper Gets Jabbed)

Santa's Little Helper... Peacefully asleep after his first experience with the needle!

We did it! Or rather, I think the outfit did it!

Poor little Jordy had to get immunised today - he had two jabs simultaneously in both thighs. One was the 6-in-1 jab, and the other for pneumococcus, AND also an oral dose of the thingamajig for Rotavirus.

While daddy held him tight, two lovely, gentle nurses at KK's The Private Children's Clinic immunised him. He cried for a total of five seconds (we'd never heard that cry before, a mixture of "I'm in PAIN!" and "What the @$!#?". At the risk of sounding a bit evil, it was very, very cute!), then promptly fell asleep!

Jordy, two minutes after the jabs

Then we had to stay on for while before administering the Roravirus one orally, so the three of us went to McDonalds (terrible I know... but for some perverse reason, I like the Wasabi Filet O Fish,) then went shopping for a bit at the KK Mall. Bought a great mesh cover thingy for this stroller to ward off mozzies and other stingy bugs.




And then Jordy slept all the way home in the car, even after we dropped daddy off back at work! And I didn't have to sing nursery rhymes at the top of my voice!

Oh well, I'm monitoring the little man's temperature now. So far, he's been just a champ!

ps: Highlight was meeting one of the nurses that took our antenatal class! She took one look at the cutie and said, "He looks like daddy!". That's what everyone says. Sigh...

Jordy's Saturday with Daddy (& Mommy)

D and Jordy at our second cafe stop of the day!

At severe risk of repeating myself, what a little gem Jordy has been!

Saturday saw the unenviable task of me having to trudge back to work to clear out my desk (my work has been wonderfully flexible and has given me a year off to take care of bub). So while dad entertained Jordy (they were busy choosing which digital photos to print out at Harvey Norman), I was packing away two years of things into three huge bags. When I next return to work, all my Middle Eastern postcards and duck photos will be joined by lots of Jordy prints I'm sure!!!

Anyway back to Jordy (all roads - or blog posts at least - lead back to the Squirmy One somehow!). He again was a perfectly turned out cafe hanger outer, first snoozing through our lunch at O'Brien's (officially the quietest and most restful place to lunch at The Central), and then our chocolate crepe dessert at Java Dreams, which was a favourite pre-Jordy pregnancy hangout of mine, being at the basement of my office building.

At the Bonsai Garden in Hort Park

After all that food, we decided to go for a walk at, surprise surprise, Hort Park again! Haha. Well, being literally a two-minute drive, or ten-minute walk from our place, it's just too handy really! Oh and D has just reminded me that Saturday wasn't just a two-cafe day, but a two-walk day. On top of cleaning out desk, I had my six-monthly dental check-up and so while I was cleaned and fluorided, father and son went for a most calming walk at Labrador Park! Sigh, we love weekends!

PS: Main lesson learnt on Saturday (in hindsight) was this: there IS such a thing as too much chocolate. After my chocolate crepe overload at Java Dreams, I went on to munch on Pepperidge Farm's dark chocolate brownie cookies, while watching the lyrical Thai film The Tin Mine (recommended for a lazy evening in) on DVD that same evening. End result? A curiously squirmy and wakeful Jordy! He woke up at 1255, 330, 5ish and 6ish! Oy Vey!

Happy 2nd Month Birthday, Jordy!

The wheels of the bus go round and round...

Jordy turns two months today! Happy Birthday, my little friend!

To commemorate the occasion, Jordy and I take a bus trip into town to meet daddy for lunch. We start off at a lovely little cafe in Temasek Tower called Zest - I had a baked pasta (spicy with bits of chicken schnitzel) with grapefruit flavoured bubble tea! Yum! D had a healthier wrap and juice (blagh, haha)...

Cake for the birthday boy - chocolate royale and a gingerbread man!

Then, in true celebration mode, the three of us adjourn to Gloria Jean's where D and I share a slice of chocolate royale, and Jordy has a gingerbread man! Ok, I embellish a bit, D and I are in fact, going to have the gingerbread man for dessert tonight, and what mummy ingests, Jordy does too! So he IS going to have gingerbread man after all, haha!

Aunty Janice and Jordy at our third cafe of the day! Whoa!

Then, it was an adieu to daddy, as Jordy and I cafe hopped to Eclectic Attic at Plaza Singapura to meet Aunty Janice, who is on her way back to Kyoto. Sob! We will really miss her, Jordy especially, judging from how he enjoyed his cuddle with her. Can't wait for Jordy to grow up and properly look at the antique map of the Middle East that Aunty Janice got him for his one month celebration. Well, the next time he sees her, he may even be able to thank her himself!

What a day! Our little champ has turned in for the night, this is the fifth night in a row he has gone down at 7pm, no problems. I know I've said this before, but... What a gem!

ps: Note to any nursing mums out there - Eclectic Attic is a great sanctuary amidst the manic bustle of Orchard Road to do your thang. It even has a sign that welcomes children! And their lemonade and nutella gelato are awesome! Oh and Gloria Jean's at Temasek Tower is another great place for nursing too(but not between 12 and 2pm).

Oh and here's another gratuitous shot of him just for the heck of it :)

That Time of the Year Again

D just smsed to say that his team came in Best Dressed again at Hari Raya festivities at work! You may recall that D also clinched the top prize in last year's National Day celebrations.

D has now donned the traditional apparel of the Malay and Indian community, as well as err the Singapore flag. How about the Chinese side of the family eh? Chinese New Year is coming up! Maybe D and Jordy can go visiting in silk kung fu suits! Hmm, as long I don't have to wear a cheong sam. Can't imagine getting my poor postnatal body into one of those clingwrap dresses!

Anyway, congratulations D!

Smiley, Smilier, Smiliest!