A Shameless Flirt

Our little guy is still not a fan of carseats or car trips. He also tires of the MRT after about 15 minutes, but a definite plus about riding the subway is all the strangers Silas gets to interacts with. He continues to love to look at and play with other kids and babies, and now young, pretty, Asian girls too. He will shamelessly lock his eyes on a girl, let a smile creep across his face and coo as if to say "Hee-lll-ooo. I'm Silas. What do you say we ditch these two companions of mine and go somewhere together?" If takes a bit to get a girl's attention, Silas doesn't mind, he'll just start yelling at her or reach for her hand or pull at her skirt.

When we're out walking and Silas tires of his stroller, Josh will hoist him up onto his shoulders. Silas, of course, loves the attention and giggles this pose draws. He will flash smiles and even do a sort of leg pumping/jumping dance on his perch up there for any and all who glance his way.

He enjoys playing with all his relatives too, but definitely the aunties and girl cousins most it seems. Especially my cousin Eric's wife Priscilla (the couple we're staying with). One day at the table, Silas was babbling away at and playing with Priscilla. When Eric put his arm around her, Silas actually yelled at him as if to say "Hey man, back off, she's mine!"

He loves women so much already, it's just going to get worse isn't it?

A family Surf Trip

Besides his first trip to Asia and all the other "firsts" that that encompasses, this trip to Singapore has also brought about Silas' first trip on a bus, first ride on a subway, first spin on a bicycle... and now his first dip in the ocean and first ride on a surfboard!

We just returned from a 5 day mini-break to Desaru, Malaysia. As it is currently monsoon season, the ocean was too rough to really swim in, but just fun enough to catch some (small for Josh, but just perfect for Karen sized) waves to surf. Being monsoon season, the resort we stayed at was also deserted during the week, which was nice as there was nobody to mind the mess or noise Silas made in the dining room!

Thank you to Uncle Francis and Auntie Julie for treating us to the stay at the resort! And to Grandma Doris, Auntie Sock Hong, cousins Wilfred, Emma, Matthew, Patria and little Timothy for joining us on the weekend. Thank you for baby sitting Silas while Josh and I snuck away for some surf sessions together- Silas didn't mind hanging with Josh or I on the shore while the other surfed, he smiled seeing us "stand" on the water and liked having water splash against his legs and loved crawling around on the beach, but trying to keep sand out of his mouth was always a losing battle. We just feel bad we had monsoon rains while you were there and not the sunny skies like our first 3 days in Desaru.

A Day in the Life of the Langner's in Singapore...

Silas' bedtime is a bit later here and so he usually wakes up around 9:00am. He nurses, and then is ecstatic to be out of his "cage" to attack the bedroom- climbing over the mattresses, digging through the suitcases, attempting to scale the bed and, of course, mouthing anything he comes across. He's recently started throwing tantrums if we disagree with and remove something that crosses his lips! He is able to crawl from the bedroom to the kitchen where we prepare his (solid) food breakfast, as he plays with a basket of plastic clothes pins. When he's had enough of the basket, he typically attempts to access the kitchen drawers or the adjacent bathroom.

To work off breakfast, Silas cruises around the living room couches and coffee table, half-heartedly playing with toys while trying to pounce on the real objects of his affection: the wastepaper basket and the DVD player shelf. As Josh watches Silas (becoming ever more familiar with the phrase "No Silas, you can't touch that...") and gets him dressed, I pack up our day's supplies of snacks, meals, water, toys, clothes, diapers, wipes. If we're lucky, we get out the door before Silas needs his morning nap.

And where do we go? Often either to meet up with a relative for lunch or to the local pool for some laps and splashes. Unlike most Singaporeans, we try to walk as much as we can. The heat and humidity and high heeled shoes all the women wear are definitely good excuses not to walk, but we did laugh when we asked for directions to the pool and MRT (subway) station and were told the 10 minute walks were "much too far" and taking a bus was necessary.

Some afternoon stops have included a trip to the skateboard park. Silas LOVES his dad's board and enjoys going for spins on it too.

In the evenings, we usually meet up with family to eat and visit.

So while there definitely hasn't been as many sightseeing stops or little backpacking excursions this trip to Singapore (will we ever remember a baby changes everything?!), we treasure getting to spend everyday hanging out the 3 of us as a family.

"Food of the Gods"

When asked what we do in Singapore, our first response is usually "Eat, eat, eat!!" Singaporean food includes a mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian dishes that are about a million times more delicious than anything we have in Canada. We have indulged in many old favourites already including: Roti Prata, Murtabak, Hokien Mee, Pompiah, Curry, Chicken Rice, Nasi Lemak, Milo, Kaya, Ice Kachang, duck and other noodle dishes. While I beg off the really unusual dishes, my family definitely enjoys Josh's willing spirit to also try foods like Fish Maw (fish stomach), crab eggs (they all exclaim the inside of the crab is the BEST part!!) and of course... Durian fruit.

Now for those of you who have had the good fortune to yet encounter a durian, it is the most noxious smelling fruit you can imagine. Even those who love it must plug their noses when consuming. The fruit is made up of creamy, milky white, mango-textured pods (about 12+ per fruit) enclosed in a spiky, hard, beige shell you cleaver open. People who love it, LOVE it. Josh and I do not fall into this category and may therefore not be welcomed in heaven as my family insists, "This is the food of the Gods, it is the only food eaten in heaven!"

Silas, on the other hand, will be welcomed with open arms! He sucked on a pod without flinching... maybe it's soothing to his bottom 2 teeth that are coming through?

Congratulations Kelvin and Yvonne!

We celebrated the marriage of my cousin Kelvin and his sweetheart of eight years, Yvonne, yesterday. The celebration provided the biggest family gathering of our trip so far.

Early Saturday morning, Kelvin with his brothers (groosman) went to fetchYvonne from her parents' home. Upon arrival, Yvonne's sisters (bridesmaids) demanded Kelvin complete certain, slightly embarrasing, tasks (like eating foods he doesn't like, singing silly serenades, paying ransoms, reciting poetry) before being permitted to see his bride. (After the wedding day, traditionally, the wife may no longer tease her husband.) Having completed the required tasks, Kelvin and Yvonne paid a visit to their new flat, where they turned on their bedside lamps and ate some "prosperous" food dishes. We had Silas, Ezra and Timothy ready to play on their bed (to hopefully bless them with children, especially sons, in their marriage) but their services were not requested!

After visiting their new home, Kelvin and Yvonne came to his mother's house, my Auntie Siew Geok, for a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony. They paid respects to their dead ancestors, ate some more prosperous food, then proceeded to serve each of the elder relatives present their cups of tea. As my Uncle Francis jokes, "it is expensive tea," because after being served, the relative will offer a blessing and place an Ang Pow (red packet) containing money or jewelery on the tea tray. Having served so much tea and thus being "thirsty" themselves, Kelvin and Yvonne sat down to be served cups of tea by their younger, single, relatives, gifting each of them with an Ang Pow too.

Once the tea ceremony was completed, we ate a buffet lunch while Yvonne changed out of her white wedding dress into a Chongsam (traditional Chinese dress) to return to her parents' home for a tea ceremony with her relatives.

At 7:00pm, (after a much anticipated Starbucks pit stop for Josh) we gathered at a downtown hotel for the fanciest wedding dinner we have ever attended. Kelvin and Yvonne chose a beautiful ballroom and showcased the coolest wedding photos and video around. The dinner included the servers and head chef parading out the food, a grand entrance by the wedding couple admist special lighting and dry ice and a rousing Yam Seng chorus (toast) to Kelvin and Yvonne. Just like at Christmas Silas, drank in all the festivities... but was too played out at the end to do little more than smile during our closing family photo.

In Singapore

After spending a relaxing weekend with the Stimpson's in Calgary, we embarked on a 26 day trip to Singapore. Having had Grandma and Opa Linemayr book us Business Class Singaporean Airline tickets through Aeroplan, Josh and I would normally have been quite excited about the flight over. For you see, the last time we flew to Singapore, we hung out in ariport lounges, Josh drank around12 cappucino's on the plane and we watched about 4 movies during the trip (when we weren't sleeping in 90% reclinable seats). This time though, with a 7 1/2 month old baby, we DREADED the 22 hour long flight. (And nearly regretted booking the trip before Silas was born, before we understood how a baby changes EVERYTHING.)


But as prayer has a wonderful way of doing, our little boy did AMAZING on the flight! Praise God! And thank you to everyone who remembered us in prayer on our journey. Silas napped and slept well in the airports and on the plane, enjoyed the little play area we made for him at our feet on the plane, loved all the new strangers he was seeing (loving how they were all quick to play peekaboo with him) during the travel and soaked up having 2 parents available to entertain him at all times. He tasted kiwi and mango and croissant for the first time and loved them all. He even vegged out to Ratatouille for 10 minutes a few times. We brought a bag full of toys for Silas, but as irony would have it, his favourite toys during the flight were a Singapore Airlines toothbrush and toothbrush holder. And like any man, Silas' favourite thing to look at were the beautiful Singapore Airline stewardesses. Not kidding at all. Silas stopped anything and everything when one walked by, smiled and cooed as soon when one came over and crawled after them, fast, when they walked away. He's already a ladies' man!

Another really fun memory came during our refuelling stop in Hong Kong. We exited the plane with Silas riding high on Josh's shoulders to the delight of the lined up (predominantly femlae) ground crew, who giggled and ooh-ed and ahh-ed as we walked past. Silas, of course, soaked all that up and smiled and and cooed and bounced around even more. He received the same reception through security and in the Hong Kong airport stores.

Arriving in Singapore, Silas still had lots of energy to be carried by and play with his Grand Uncle Stephen and Grand Uncle Francis and my cousin Eric who met us here. We are so thankful he never had a "What the heck am I still doing on this freakin' airplane?!?!?" freakout. We've been here a few days now, it's hot and humid, but our little guy continues to adjust well to the new place and the time change and the crowds. We admit that we've got a pretty happy baby (especially since he flew the whole way while cutting his (first) two bottom teeth!)

He's mobile!

Silas got up onto his feet with his palms on the ground Christmas Eve and looked ready to attack crawling. He didn't quite get the hang of it and had to settle for creeping commando style along the ground (but at least was now going forward instead of pushing backward like before). Since Christmas, he has continued to take stumbling crawls forward- not quite strong enough to support his weight or able to figure out the pattern of alternating hands and feet. But to his credit, he never got frustrated.


Yesterday morning though, Silas started crawling with a purpose! He zeroed in on my peanut butter toast and zoomed right across his playmat to my plate. I beamed and swelled with pride. Josh was so sad he missed it while at work, but thankfully Silas performed for his dad in the evening too. Silas now loves crawling up to the shelves in his room and emptying the toy baskets, as well as crawling into the kitchen after Grandma and Opa and crawling up to the laundry basket to pull up to standing. I am definitely thankful Silas didn't start crawling over Christmas- I know he would have enjoyed pulling at all the ornaments like he loved pulling the DVDs off the shelf today. Josh and I were hoping Silas wouldn't get the hang of crawling until after our long plane ride to Singapore next week, but we're both all smiles watching our little son motor around. It was pretty cute when instead of simply sitting in the living room bored and wanting to go to bed, he crawled around the couch (whining with every step) to tell me in person.


PS- I guess "Christmastime" was the closest right answer on the crawling survey. Maybe the next survey question should be "What's the first non-baby proof thing Silas will get into?"

Happy New Year!

We pray the year is starting off well for you all! Josh and I became parents in 2oo7 and I look forward to settling in to the role in 2008.

We rang in 2008 by first attending an "All Pink New Year's" party (hence Silas' outfit)and bonfire, then made our way to a second party with a fondue and rousing Cranium game.

Silas passed out before we got to the second party and spent the night in his clothes. Sigh, it's probably how he'll celebrate some of his future New Year's too...

Merry Christmas!

A belated Merry Christmas to everyone!

It is hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day go by so quick. I thought a lot about Christmas 2007 while I was pregnant last year- how Smalls would react, what Smalls would enjoy, how spoiled Smalls would get... Christmas was as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be. (Maybe a bit busier than hoped, but when isn't it?) As expected, Silas had some fun with the wrapping paper and bags, but he surprised me by being quite taken with the actual toys and presents he was given. He even seemed to figure out that a wrapped BIG box was something extra special. And he definitely got spoiled by everyone- lots of new books to read and toys with flashing lights and sounds and toys to help him with crawling. Thank you everyone for the many gifts.


We worried that Silas might get overwhelmed with all the parties and excitement and people, but our little guy thrived on it! He seemed to embrace it all.

Silas enjoyed his first taste of presents at Uncle Zach and Auntie Tanisha's Christmas Eve lunch with the rest of Josh's family. He got wired enough at the lunch that he decided to skip his afternoon nap and hung out in the nursery with Dad during the Christmas Eve church service.





After a brief nap back at home, he awoke ready for our traditional Christmas Eve European dinner with my parents and brother. And though he got long overdue for another nap, there was no way he was going to miss an opportunity to sit around the table or dive into some wrapping paper and presents!



Josh and I were excited to open our presents with Silas Christmas morning, but the little guy seemed a bit played out by then. He was not so keen to explore and get into things as the night before. By Christmas dinner time though, he was raring to go again and had a great time watching us all stay up late.


I was relieved to awake Boxing Day to a quiet, relaxed morning and get back into our normal routine. I think Silas enjoyed the slower pace too. Life is getting back to normal, but every so often it does seem like he looks at me wondering when the next party will be or where all the fun people are...

Meat Eater

For months Silas has been chewing on his fingers, everybody else's fingers, toys, paper, cups, phones, spoons... anything and everything. So for months, we have heard his Opa joke "Poor boy, please feed him- he's so hungry he's even eating his own hands! Don't worry grandson, one day they will let you have steak." Well that day has arrived! Silas started eating chicken mixed into his baby cereal last week and has since moved on to roast beef. So far he prefers the red meat. But funnily enough, Opa, his fingers and everybody else's still seem to be his most favourite thing of all to have in his mouth...

Our favourite stage yet...

Dearest Silas, your dad and I think you are in the funnest and most enjoyable phase of your life so far. The first week you were born was full of adrenaline surges and definitely memorable, and we loved your "Winston Churchill" and adorable pouty lip phases too. Now though, there are quick smiles (that involve your WHOLE face) for everyone and we can tickle and tease you to make you laugh. You are so curious about anything and everything, from new toys to new people (and continue to be oblivious to the concept of personal space) to new situations and don't want to miss a second of anything. You love being sung to, especially "Old Macdonald had a Farm," "Twinkle, twinkle Little Star," "The Wheels on the Bus," and "Jingle Bells" (with clapping). Everything from swimming and going underwater (and then spitting the gallon you swallowed out) to riding sitting in a shopping cart like a big boy is a new adventure. Even the way you throw a fit if we take away the remote or cordless phone before you've finished with it is cute. The way you demand an audience watch you sit on the floor to play with your stackable rings or jump in your Jolly Jumper makes us chuckle too. And although it's a habit we're breaking, the way you want us to hold your hands or rub your back until you fall asleep- and then how we'll return to find you up on your hands and knees howling when we leave you to cry it out, but will instantly calm down as we lay you back on your side and replace your soother- we will look back and see as endearing too. All our parent friends say it just gets better from this stage on, wow- how blessed we are!

He did it!

It's taken 6 months (and a bit of "crying it out"), but... Silas fell asleep at 10:00pm last night and did not wake for a feed until 6:30am!! Yipee!


(What woke me at 5:20am? Leaking and hugely engorged breasts. Yep, about as pleasant as it sounds.)

The Best and Worst of Times

Although Silas and I returned from our trip to Dallas over 10 days ago, I just have not felt rested enough to blog until now. (Actually I probably felt able to blog again 4 days ago, but life's getting busy with Christmas stuff now!)

Silas travelled just awesomely. He napped great during our flights and in the airports and played quite contentedly on the plane. His favourite toys during the flights: the orange juice container, ice in a cup, the safety brochure and paper napkins. There were a couple melt downs (only a couple!), so nothing like I feared. As a CBC writer seated behind us reassured me, "He's only acting his age."

Sadly, the week we spent in Dallas did not go as expected. After about 10 hours of travelling, Silas arrived at my cousins' house quite happy to meet his new relatives and play, all smiles and happy cooing.

Upon waking the next morning though, he seemed to say to me, "Uhh Mom, what the heck are we still doing here?!? Where's my crib, where's my living room with my bouncy seat and exersaucer?! I don't like this!!" He proceeded to make strange until the day before we left. If I was away from him for more than 10 minutes, he would have a cry reminiscent of a colic outburst.

He also teethed something fierce during the week- complete with sore gums, runny nose, changes in bowel movements and unstoppable drooling- though he still does not have any teeth to show for it. And Silas also awoke with a major fever his 3rd night and caught a wicked cough and cold that he's just recovered from. Needless to say he, and therefore I, did not sleep well during the week. When it wasn't the waking up every 2-3 hours disturbing my sleep, it was his Darth Vader league snoring and breathing that would make me toss and turn (and eventually need earplugs).

I definitely did not get to leave the little guy with my mom and head out for some marathon Christmas shopping sessions (we went, but thinking clearly and purposefully about what to buy was near impossible with a fussy Silas in a Baby Bjorn, the lack of sleep and my increased stress level) or long walks or bike rides or nights out with my cousins. However, our week in Dallas did reconfirm the importance of praying in ALL times about everything and as a mom to have anticipations versus expectations.

I could not have hoped for better company to spend such a trying and tough week with though! It has probably been 10 years or so since my cousins and I were all together- at that time only Wilfred was married. Now all 3 of us are married, with kids! Alvin and his wife Huey Pin, with their 2 1/2 year old son Ezra, Wilfred and Emma with their little 2 month old Timothy, my mom and Uncle Thiam Hock and Emma's father were all so understanding and supportive of the difficult time Silas and I were having. Thank you for taking Silas to give me little breaks even if it meant he would have a freak out and for the hugs and reassurances when I had my own crying episodes. You are all wonderful, patient, loving, caring people.

There here were happy times and laughs too, like when Silas watched the mahjong games and Ezra play with a train set. But I guess at this age, like his Opa says, sometimes the best/easiest place for a baby to be is at home...