Them at Loola's

While I took some time off to get a much-needed haircut, Fuzzy took the kids out for lunch on his own for the first time. Our favourite spot at Esplanade Mall, Ichiban, has been replaced by a new Aussie restaurant called Loola's (run by the same people behind Awfully Chocolate).

Fuzzy ordered a barramundi dish for himself and the most expensive French toast I've ever come across ($18++), for Chubbs. The food tasted great, albeit very pricey, and the best part was, Chubbs almost finished all his food.

I joined them after my haircut, and realised that even though I cherished my "me" time, I actually missed my family, even after just being away from them for just an hour or so.

And I think Chubbs missed me too :)

The First with Two

I'm 29. It's a bittersweet day. But it's extra special this year because it's my first birthday being a Mommy to two little munchkins. Fuzzy got me a wonderful gift; a book called Scanwiches, which holds pictorial and recipes of 67 famous sandwiches from around the world. I'm the only one in Singapore who has this book (for now) because it was just launched in the U.S., and Fuzzy shipped it in for me. Fab!

We took it easy that day, lunching at one of our favourite spots, L'Entrecote at Duxton Hill. Steak frites, salad and lots of bread with butter make us very happy. Mae contentedly slept in her stroller the whole time, which allowed the three of us to have a leisurely lunch.

With our tummies filled, we ventured to check out the new mall, Icon Village, and also to pick up the birthday cake that Fuzzy ordered for me. We discovered a cool bakery called Nick Vina, and picked up a brioche for breakfast the next day.

Dinner was another yummy affair, consisting of roast duck and delicious noodles from Imperial Treasure, and the real treat of the day was dessert, courtesy of the Mont Blanc that Fuzzy got. Chubbs could not wait to dig into the cake. It was a lovely, relaxing, yummy day spent with my family. I could not have asked for more.

I love this pic because Mae was poised to cry with her quivering lower lip.

Oh How She's Grown...

My little girl who was born at a mere 2.83kg, has plumped up a fair bit in her first month. We now have the happy inconvenience of having to pry the many folds on her neck and thighs apart so that we can clean her in the bath. I love my darling momotaro so.

Mae's One Month Old!

Little Mae's been a very sweet girl this past month, and a great blessing and addition to the family. Even though she"s been hit by colic (painful gas bubbles in tummy) and has a big problem with reflux (regurgitating stomach acid after milk's been digested), she has been very tolerant of the pain and will merely whimper and groan most of the time. Maybe it's because of her good nature, or that she's a girl, or perhaps it's because she could very well be our last baby, I find us more patient and gentler with her. Despite Fuzzy and I having had only 3-4hours' sleep every night for the past month (and I fear for more months to come), we find ourselves taking the time even at 3/ 4/ 5/am, to admire her button nose, her perfect rose-petal lips, her eyelashes that are swept to the side, her little chubby hands, and light brown hair. As incredibly fatigued as we are, we treasure these moments.

To celebrate her turning one month old, we held a family dinner at home. It was heart-warming to see how much my kids are loved by the family, and how Chubbs enjoys interacting with everyone, even his 80plus year old great-grandaunts. We were especially thrilled that Tai-Gong made it home for the first time, since he suffered a stroke in June. He was on home leave for two nights and was finally able to see Mae. It was very emotional for us. On nights like this, I truly miss all our relatives who live or study abroad in Vancouver, New York, Sydney and Melbourne. Wish you guys were here with us.

Some precious snapshots of the night...

Resting before the party.

This is us!

Happy Tai-Gong.

The grandparents with their first granddaughter.

Mum with Mae's great-grandaunts, better known as Nos. 4, 5, and 6.

"The Kids are Asleep."

Fuzzy and I say this to each other nightly, almost as congratulations for having made it through the day, and we can finally take a seat and do something for ourselves. E.g., take a shower, have a cool drink, eat dinner, or simply turning on the TV and putting our feet up. Some days this magical moment comes at 8.30pm (truly wonderful), some days later, at 9plus, and on really long days, we don't get to utter those words till past 10.30pm. Today was a long day, with Chubbs finally dozing off at 10.20pm, after waking up before 9am this morning, and enjoying a full, activity-filled day without a nap.

Chubbs' bedtime has been erratic because of the commotion that comes with the new baby girl. He's more excitable at when it's time to sleep, because of the increased activity around the room, and it's been hard trying to get him to wind down. I don't blame him at all, but I'm hopeful that in time, he'll be more adjusted, and it'll be less of a struggle getting him to fall asleep.

The peace does not last, though. Even before I managed to post this, Mae has woken up twice, once for a feed, and once more because her stuffy nose was really bothering her. But I'm happily grateful for the brief moments I get.

She Loves Cuddles

My baby girl doesn't like to be swaddled much, even though it's been purported that all babies need and want to be swaddled :/ But she loves a good cuddle, and can cuddle and fall asleep in any position it seems.