"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...

A Glimpse into the Future?

Before becoming a mom, I never knew that babies were truly born with their own personalities. Silas has a friend Lexa who is 2 months older and a friend Evan who is 2 weeks older than him. We all go to the same church and so spend time hanging out and joking about how this threesome will grow up together. Lexa is a little tank and just tough! At only 8 months old, she crawls (and has been doing that for 2 months already) and pulls herself up to standing (her mom learned that about a month ago when Lexa climbed out of her crib) and she is saying words ("Hi Dad," "Bye bye," and "Boo"). She will definitely be the dominant one out of our 3 kids and will decide what game and when the 3 of them will be playing. Evan is a mellow kid. Whenever they are riding in the backseat and Silas is having another car tantrum freakout, Evan will look at him as if to say "C'mon, seriously, haven't you figured it out by now? We're in the car, we're going for a ride. They always stop eventually and let us out. Haven't you learned that it's way more pleasant if you just sit and chill?!?" When you lay Silas and Evan down on the floor together, Silas will twist his body about, crane his neck in every direction and kick his legs like crazy. Evan will just... lie there. Evan will be the easy going one out of the 3 kids, he'll probably never want to play with Lexa or Silas unless they're reading a book or doing a puzzle. We figure Silas will be the intense, up one minute and down the next, spazzy kind of kid. He will probably be high energy, with an attention span on the shorter side of things like his Dad wanting to play hide and seek and Star Wars and Transformers and do it at the waterpark and at the playground with Lego.

Last night, Lexa and her parents came over for dinner. She crawled over to Silas in his exersaucer, hauled herself up and snatched the soother right out of his mouth (you can see it in her hand). To his credit, Silas didn't spaz out though- instead he wondered how his friend had a soother that looked so similar to the one he usually sucked on. We were able to slip him another one...unfortunately Lexa eventually got a hold of that one too!

"This Too Shall Pass"

When my friend Katy spent the year after high school in Brazil, she would often repeat the quote "This too shall pass" as she dealt with homesickness and all the other challenges and adjustments that come with living away from home.

It's something I've also repeated a lot to myself since becoming a mom. Reassuring myself that yes, colic does end and no, Silas will not always have to be rocked to sleep and yes, phases of multiple night wakenings do improve.

And yes thankfully, it did not take Silas another 4 1/2 months to get back onto our preferred sleeping schedule! It seems he has adjusted to eating rice cereal (although Josh and I are not comfortable with not-just-pure-breast-milk bowel movements yet). Thank God that Silas is again sleeping around 10:00pm, with a feed between 4:00 and 5:00am and a wake up between 8:00 and 9:ooam. There's often 1 or 2 soother replacements during the night and sometimes he joins me in bed around 7:00am so I can secure another hour or so of sleep, but our little guy is definitely sleeping in longer stretches and more able to soothe himself when he stirs.

I think Silas is ready for a second helping of rice cereal during the day, but we will probably wait until December to add that in. He and I leave Sunday for Dallas, Texas to visit my cousins there for a week. We'll be sharing a room with Grandma Doris and I don't think she'd appreciate a return of multiple night wakenings. We'll try to keep things as normal as possible for little Silas.

And speaking of travelling, I would totally appreciate prayers for patience (for both me and Silas) as we spend Sunday on planes and in airports, for quiet places to calm down in (Silas doesn't do too well with crowds for too long), as easy a transition as possible into staying at a new house for a week and then readjusting to life back at home, and for Josh, me and Silas as we have not been apart so long yet. Thank you!

PS- Yes, Silas is sleeping on his side. When he was 3 weeks old, I let him sleep on his tummy. I think it helped his colic and it was the only way to get more than a 2hour stretch of sleep out of him. When he was about 3 months, he suddenly objected to that position and his since preferred side sleeping.

An End in Sight?

From right about when the books said it could start, at about 6 weeks old, Silas has been King of Spitting Up. He has left his DNA on almost every piece of furniture, article of clothing and inch of carpet in our house. We are pretty sure our house has an "Eau de Dairy" fragrance about it. But just as the books said, as Silas approaches 6 months old, the spit ups are lessening!

Since Sunday, our little boy has been regurgitating only 1-2 times after feedings- a huge improvement on the normal 6-7 lake-sized puddles he usually produces! Yesterday, he only needed 2 bibs to get through the day and over the past 3 days, he and I have only worn 1 outfit per day. I am surprised by how joyful I am at the thought that Silas' spitting up may be nearing its end, but I really am quite excited. I am also relieved we do not have to buy stocks in a bib company and that we can finally hire some carpet cleaners.

Half an hour after his morning feed and still no spit up!

With only Bib#2 at 7:30pm!