Life in Miri: April 2008

Sunday, April 20, 2008

New album

I've started on a new album for Jonathan, and this time the pages are all black in colour. I quite like working with black pages coz they show a greater contrast between the black background and the colours of the photo and scrapping. Love journaling in white ink too.

So loving his bathtimes

His first playmate - Patrick

Playtime on activity mat is fun time...

Love the brids from the Robot seriesOn the opp page - Simon and Jon

Simon loves this LO and so do I...all circles

With my bro and sis-in-law

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Where does Jon sit

Initially, we bought a baby chair in the house for Jon's cousin who's going to turn 2 in May. But she's all grown up and prefers to sit and her parent's laps. So now Jon's in the baby chair during our meal times. No, he doesn't eat with us, more like he watches us, if he's awake during our meal times.

Jon's favourite - the rocker. He's taking rice cereal now and porridge too. It's easier to feed Jon in the rocker coz of the angle. Although pretty soon, we can't put him in the rocker coz he may just flip over, rocker and all.

Jon loves to sit on the car seat....where he watches the world go by as Daddy drives him to church on Sundays or when we go out for dinners.

An unlikely place for Jon to sit - the sarong! One day, Jon was awake after a nap in the sarong and we decided to sit him up in there, after much adjusting. He loved it!

Jonathan at 6 & 7 months (Feb to Mar)

Jonathan could sit up when he was six months. From a wobbly beginner sitter, who would rest on his hands a forward props, we encourage him to raise his hands off the floor by placing his fav toys in front of him. We also had to sit on the floor with him between our oustretched legs so he uses them as "rails".

Here was Jon sitting up for the first time

His sixth month was also a turning point for him. He's raising more of his torso off the floor. He could let go off his hands and raise his feet, and rock on his belly. Sometimes he will get tired and frustrated having to use his arms and hands for support and not for play. So we had to wedge a little bolster under his chest for support.

Then Jon could pivot himself on his abdomen, which still seems stuck to the floor. We helped to encourage him by putting hos toys in front of him, so he would flip onto his belly and reach for them. While he has learnt to pivot himself, he can only propel himself backwards and not forwards....sometimes, he has to go one whole big round to get to where he wants. Funny to watch him.

He started teething during towards the end of his six months. No wonder our sleeping angel has become a night waker. The saliva faucet seems to be on too and coz of that he's sputtering. Every now and then, we woul dbe gently wiping off excess salvia to prevent drool rash. At this stage, jon's putting everything he can grab into his mouth. Fingers and toes...anything goes.

Bathtimes - ooh, how he loves them. He's splashing so much that I usually get wet too. We wonder who's giving who the bath.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Singapore - Mar 2008

I went back to Singapore for a week to run some errands as well as celebrated my mom's birthday. Simon stayed in Miri to work, and I didn't bring Jon coz my schedule was tight.

Here's my family. Dad went to bed already so he's not in the photos

My niece Winnie is attending primary 1 this year, and she has very neat handwriting. She had her hair cut short coz it's very thick and it takes quite a long time to prepare her for school.

My nephew Eason, and niece Winnie

Check out the drawing by Winnie of our family

I had dinner with mr brother-in-laws, Stanley and Darien, and their girlfriend and wife, respectively, Grace and Ee Chiew. We were so hungry that we wolved down our Japanese dinner at Sushi Tei.

Stanley has his own interior design firm called Design Lab. If you need someone to help with your interior design work, please call him on 9144 3099. Here he is in his office at Jalan Telok, opposte One George Street.

I caught up with Chwee, Wen Tan and Wen Kwek. We had a good time over dinner at Cicada at Portsdown Road.

Just outside the restaurant

Wondering what to order

Lamb cutlets

My fav - foie gras

Duck a la orange

I had yummy lunch with my mom and bro, aunty, and cousins at a Teochew restaurant at Robertson Quay. Thomas did the honours of ordering and he did an excellent job too!

Healthy steamed pomfret

Braised duck with silky soft tofu

Fish cooked in some sauce (forgot what it was, but delicious)

Good old haezhor

Steamed beancurd with minced chicken on top

After lunch, we hung out Jenny and John's place where 14-month old Sophia was the highlight
We had had some cakes from Canele to celebrate my mom's birthday.

Mom (on the right) with my aunt

Cakes by the slices...we were too full after the lunch
Catherine with Sophia
Suifang and Sophia

Me and the little star

I stayed at Chwee and Andy's place coz my bro and family moved back to mom's place and it was bit crammed. In between running errands, I spent some time with the kids.

Sophie's getting prettier and prettier by the year14-month old Sarah can feed herself now. Her fav snack is banana star cereals

On Good Friday, I attended service at Wesley Methodist Church and went for lunch at Hong Lim Market with my small group. I had yummy bar chor mee. Again, I was so hungry that I didn't take any photos.After that we caught up over drinks and toast at some coffee shop at Chinatown Point. I miss chatting with them in person.

On the last day in Singapore, I had to leave early for JB to catch my flight back to Miri. Afraid of the traffic jam at customs, I had to leave even earlier. But coz of that, I could join Chwee and hre family for sunrise service at Baker Road Methodist Church.