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!

First Clear Smiley Shot

Jordy, circa 7 October 2008

Phew! After almost a week of smiling, this is still the closest we've come to capturing the Squirmy One in the act. Ah well, we'll keep trying!

Anyway, I'm typing this as the Squirmy One is fussing at being put down for his afternoon nap. It's tough listening to poor little thing fret but I figure I'll wait a few minutes to see if he'll settle...

He's been wonderful the past few nights though. Take last night, he went down at 7pm, and we had to wake him at around 10ish to feed him again! This evening quiet time is really precious to me and D, and last night we managed to watch two episodes of Gilmore Girls (last two episodes of Season Four, amazing stuff) AND the new season of the Amazing Race! Heh heh...

Ok - don't think he's settling, poor thing. He now cries these big ploppy tears when he's upset. Heartbreaking I tell you! Am off to play a bit of Mozart to calm him down - today's piece of the day, Minuet from Don Juan (he really likes the tune).

My Dad, the Active Ager Infocomm Champion (aka Jordy's First Evening Soiree Under the Stars)

My Dad, the Active Ager Infocomm Champion 2008. I nominated him for this award and am so proud that he was selected as the winner! Yay to him :)

Date: Saturday, 4 October
Time: 6.30 - 9.00 pm
Venue: Cavenagh Bridge, Colonial District, Singapore
Event: Active Agers Awards 2008

I am so super proud of the men in the family:

* My Dad - for showing that age is no barrier to rocking the cyberworld (he went from self-confessed IT dinosaur to master blogger!)

* Jordy - for being a PERFECT gem the entire evening (blissfully snoozing through speeches, amped-up performances by Rahimah Rahim and Max Surin, and host Brian Richmond's antics!), then sleeping peacefully during the car ride home, and more, and just being a all-round champ!

* David - for toting Jordy around all evening in his Ted Baker shirt, and looking like a cross-between a Baby Bjorn ad, and new campaign for MCYS' father of the year... What an amazing duo they make!!


What a lovely evening we had, the venue on Cavenagh Bridge was inspired, the food from Fullerton Hotel was AMAZING (right down to the bread rolls), entertainment was apt and cross-generationally enjoyable, and it was so awesome to see my dad announced the winner Oscars style! Right down to zoomed in live footage, haha.

The family :) Just realised we are all colour coordinated! Thanks also to my wonderful mum who held Jordy when D needed a break and I had to go get my nominator's prize - an Osim U-Trek! heh heh...

Oh and I am going to be a bit immodest and say I'm proud of myself too - after our afternoon walk, we had 40 minutes to a) bathe Jordy, b) feed Jordy, c) dress Jordy in his soiree outfit, d) have a shower for me, e) get ready and slap on some make up to hide those dark rings under my eyes. Am pleased to say I managed to do it all and that my hair didn't turn out like a rat's nest despite my just washing it and running out the door while it was still wet! haha! Only depressing thing is that red dress is the only thing that fits comfortable post-baby. Oh well, that Osim U-Trek I got given for nominating my dad will come in handy! It simulates a hike on a nature trail in the comforts of your own living room apparently. PERFECT...

If you scroll down really fast, it's like watching a film!

D took these of Jordy on Tuesday morning, right after he got up. He's real squirmy alright!

We HEART Hort Park

Jordy and I took a wonderful afternoon walk to nearby Hort Park yesterday. He loved the fresh air and exercise, and the cool swing ride with mum in the shade. Can't wait for him to be able to try out the many amazing playgrounds there - think it's going to provide much entertainment in the months to come!

Oh and have I said how much he enjoys music? Here's us at our usual post-breakfast morning ritual. He seems to enjoy Bach and Beethoven most. Still trying to get him used to Gershwin but he tends to get squirmy. He's a little hobbit in the making though, judging from his response to the LOTR theme tune!