Matthias & Shannon - Our Gifts from God

Successful Potty Training...

2010-07-30T01:24:00.005+08:00

I started potty training during the last week of June, whilst at home for the one week school break before Summer Camp starts. It was a challenge, as previously, I wasn't ready for potty training at all. I was even denying that I had poo-ed when Mummy could obviously detect a foul smell. However, there was one time when Mummy had brought me to KFC to buy dinner and on the way, we passed by a rubbish truck and Mummy told me to run as fast as I can coz it was smelly. Since that day, I started understanding the concept of dirty and smelly. So when Mummy started potty training for me, 婆婆 always told me if I don't tell her or Mummy when I poo-ed or pee-ed, I will have to go to the rubbish truck. So I got "scared". Now every time I successfully poo-ed or peed-ed in my little toilet, I always tell them I don't need to go to the rubbish truck. It's been almost a month now and when I go out, although I still put on diapers (just in case), I have been able to keep the diapers dry as I would tell Mummy whenever I need to go to the toilet. In fact, on our flight back from Shanghai to Singapore, I was able to keep my diapers dry, even when Mummy told me to pee in my diapers as we were almost touching down and was inconvenient to bring me to the toilet, I actually endured until we touched down at the airport. Mummy is so proud of me!!!

Latest Thrill - Roller Blading...

2010-06-21T02:43:00.003+08:00

Mummy chanced past a coach giving roller blading lessons at our development. Out of curiosity, she decided to ask the coach if I am eligible. The coach said definitely, in fact, I am the best candidate, given my "no-fear" and low CG. So Mummy went onto Taobao and bought me a set of roller blading gear and I got started immediately.

Here's me at his first lesson on June 6, 2010. Starting to get used to "walking" with wheels. Trying out my balance on the grass first.

Second lesson on June 14, 2010. I simply refused to put on the helmet (as many would know I hate to wear caps too...) So Mummy just had to let me have my way. I can already start to blade a bit on the ground.

..........Third lesson on June 15, 2010. I can blade quite a distance already.

Here's my fourth lesson on June 20, 2010... Doing quite well so far... Hahaha...

The Ah Ah Ah Session...

2010-06-19T23:52:00.006+08:00

For some reason, Shannon seems to be very tickled at the switching on and off of the lights in Mummy's bedroom. I have now grown tall enough to reach the light switches and always play with them nowadays. Whenever I turn off and on the lights, Shannon will start screaming and I follow suit. So now, it then became a famous nightly affair where I call it the "Ah Ah Ah" Session.... Check out the fun we are having... screaming at the top of our voices... Mummy is glad she has not received any complaints so far... Hahaha...

Shannon's First Swimming Session

2010-06-16T23:20:00.008+08:00

It was Shannon's first swimming session at 10 months, whereas Mummy started bringing me swimming at 6 months. Mummy has been delaying this since Shannon has been falling sick during the winter months and only until very recently did the weather really turned warmer and Mummy then felt it was the right time to bring Shannon to the pool. Shannon's funny, she actually fell asleep in the pool. She must have thought this is some kind of water therapy... hahaha.... Whereas for me, I haven't swam for a while since the winter and I finally learnt how to swim with the float on...

End of Term Fun Fair @ Happy Kids...

2010-06-12T23:34:00.005+08:00

Today marks the end of school term as Happy Kids held a fun fair in school for the kids and the parents, even though school doesn't officially end until end of June. Check out some of the activities we had in school today... Mummy has registered me at the Shanghai Singapore International School (SSIS). So once summer holidays end, I will start nursery at SSIS. Much as Mummy likes Happy Kids and Teacher Connie, she felt that she has to let me get back to the Singapore system, since eventually we will return to Singapore. Nevertheless, Mummy was happy with my developments at Happy Kids over the last year. Happy Kids is a Montessori styled school that engages in activities like cooking, gardening etc to help kids like myself learn. I often bring home cookies that I baked myself. Of course, I also learnt to climb the playground and ride the tricycle here.

Random Shots of Shannon and of course, ME...

2010-05-20T23:58:00.010+08:00

As the date of the posts will tell, Mummy has been so busy at work lately. In fact, for the whole month, both Shannon and me haven't seen Mummy much, since we are usually already asleep by the time she gets back. She probably only got to see us two for a short while in the morning...

Here's some nice photos taken of Shannon this month... Isn't she such a darling?

...... And here's ME...

The Spring Look of our Gardens...

2010-04-18T23:44:00.005+08:00

Mummy has been wanting to take down photos of our garden in the four seasons as a remembrance of the four seasons in Shanghai. But for some reason, we've staying here for fours years now and we never took down that memory. So here it is... The Spring Look... With the flowers blooming and the nice green shoots... And of course, this year we have our own Spring-filled Shannon... Hahaha....

My Naughty Stunts...

2010-04-18T23:29:00.004+08:00

Mummy has been wondering why I keep getting bruises on my legs, especially since I am at school most of the time. Now she understands. With such naughty stunts at the playground (there is a nice playground in school too), that explains all the bruises...

Random Shots of Shannon and ME...

2010-04-18T02:17:00.004+08:00

Here are some of Mummy's favourite shots of us for the month of April 2010...

Here's some of Mummy's favourite shots of Shannon this month. Hmmm, you may ask how come not of me? 'Cos I hate to take photos... Mummy finds it so difficult to take nice shots for me... Hahaha...

Shannon and Her Two Little Ponytails

2010-04-11T23:21:00.001+08:00

Finally Shannon's hair is long to tie little ponytails with two little cute bunny clips. Check this out... Hahaha...

Easter Celebration @ Happy Kids

2010-04-09T22:35:00.009+08:00

It was the time to celebrate Easter and of course, the Good Friday with thanksgiving to Jesus. Happy Kids had their own celebration with the kids today... and of course the parents were invited to join them as well...

That's Thieu and Hannah, my two favourite buddies as there are only three of us from the Strawberry class that stay for the afternoon sessions. There's also the rest of the friends in my class. Me at the egg race. That's Ricky and the bunny mascot for the day is Teacher Connie. Next is Lia, whom Mummy thinks is the cutest girl in class. Then check out the stunts we are trying to do, as we try to jump off the cushions in the music room. I painted an easter egg as well. And finally, I am starving and it's time for a feast

Countdown - 26 Days More to Expo 2010

2010-04-05T00:05:00.000+08:00

From these few weeks onwards, we can already feel and sense preparation as Shanghai does its final preparation, counting down to the Expo 2010 that will begin May 1, 2010. From the issue of the no smoking law to the seeing of Expo taxis driving on the streets of Shanghai...

Here's Matt and his favourite Expo mascot, Hai Bao... The Famous 中国红 China Pavilion...The Expo site...

A Day Trip to Wu Zheng

2010-04-03T01:47:00.002+08:00

It was a trip we had originally planned to go to Hangzhou for the long weekend. However, Mummy recently got busier at work due to the pick up of the capital markets. So we did a day trip to one of the water villages, Wu Zheng instead. Alas, it was a wrong decision though, 'cos there were tons of Chinese travelling during the holidays and Shannon ended up catching a cold bug...

The Night View of the Bund Finally...

2010-04-02T01:37:00.000+08:00

Over the past year, there has been heavy construction at the Bund for the preparation of Expo in Shanghai. Finally, the area at the Bund is finally done. We took the chance tonight to visit it although it was quite chilly. Chill out with us, folks...

A Strawberry Farm Outing

2010-03-28T20:07:00.008+08:00

Since the temperature is turning warmer, Mummy and a few friends have decided to organise a drive out to a strawberry farm in Qing Pu as an outing for all the kids to pick strawberries. Check out what fun we had and the strawberries we picked... I contributed to the loot too...

Bedtime Stories...

2010-03-28T01:14:00.005+08:00

Mummy feels that it's a lovely sight seeing the two kiddos seated attentively listening to Daddy or Mummy tell stories at bedtime... Don't you agree with her? Or at least agree that Shannon and I are so cute that you can't resist us? Hahaha...

Glimpses of Spring Finally...

2010-03-20T22:54:00.032+08:00

We have heard people saying that this is the longest winter ever in Shanghai for the last 15 years... Indeed, it has been a long dreadful winter, especially with Shannon falling sick so often. Throughout the entire winter, the temperatures have been dipping and rising with temperature differences of 10 - 15 degrees at times. Check out the glimpses of Spring downstairs in the gardens, finally...

Glimpses of Spring - Check it out...

This weekend was greeted with temperatures of about 15 degrees celcius. So Mummy decided it was time for our little red riding hood to go out to play... I also played the role of a big brother as I attempt to push Shannon in her stroller down the streets of Chang Le Road...

Precious Moments - Shannon?

2010-03-12T17:46:00.002+08:00

Mummy brought Shannon back to Singapore for her ENT visit. Thank goodness she is now declared perfectly alright, although we need to try to prevent her from getting a runny nose, so that it doesn't affect her ears again.

Mummy met her group of friends when back in Singapore and everyone commented that Shannon looks so fair and like a precious moments' doll... Check out whether this is true...

Another Heart Devastating Episode re: Shannon...

2010-03-11T16:21:00.002+08:00

Jan 27, 2010:

It was simply just another routine visit to the PD @ Shanghai United for Shannon to take her jabs. However, while Mummy was chatting with Dr Bristol to update him on Shannon's recent sickness with bronchitis and UTI, Mummy also decided to ask him about the foul smelling yellow discharge from her ears. Mummy told him she had asked our PD in Singapore (at least 2 times) who discharged the case and said there was nothing wrong with her ears. Dr Bristol raised his eyebrows and decided to check Shannon's ears with his otoscope. He then confirmed that it was an ear infection and prescribed us some antibiotics.

After the episode, Mummy went back and decided to do a bit of research on ear infections on the Internet. As she read up, she realised Shannon has gotten a middle ear infection. Once antibiotics clears up the bacteria in her middle ears, the fluid can take up to 3 months to clear and during this period, she might be more susceptible to another infection, if she gets a runny nose again. The more Mummy thought about it, the more she got worried, since treatment has probably been delayed for a month. But the saving grace was the antibiotics prescribed when Shannon was sick probably did help to clear up some of the infection but not all. Given that we returned to winter Shanghai, Shannon has been having a runny nose, the infection came back.

Feb 3, 2010:

Mummy then surfed the Internet and got news that there are ENT specialists at Parkway and Fudan Children Hospital. Not trusting doctors anymore, Mummy decided to bring Shannon to visit both of them. Both gave similar diagnosis about a middle ear infection with a ruptured eyedrum. At Fudan, the ENT specialist ordered a flushing of her right ear (this was the ear with the discharge) to remove the infected ear wax and prescribed ear / nose drops and Zyrtec to help clear her runny nose. He also ordered a hearing test to be done and it turned out that Shannon's left ear failed the test. Mummy then asked if she will recover and all that the ENT specialist replied was he will try his best. Mummy almost freaked out and wanted to take the next flight back to Singapore. However, as she calmed down, she called the Parkway ENT and her own ENT in Singapore to check. Both then explained that the test results are not accurate given that the middle ear is full of fluid.

Feb 10, 2010:

It was a terrible one week waiting game. Finally Wednesday came and we went back to Fudan for a follow up. This time, both her ears failed the hearing test and Mummy simply couldn't understand. But the only explanation given to her was to be patient and let the fluid drain. Then over Chinese New Year, the temperature dipped below 0 degrees. Unfortunately, Shannon caught a runny nose and cough. During the one week holiday, we constantly tried to keep Shannon's nose clear by giving nasal decongestant and saltwater spray and pump out her mucus so that it will not aggravate her ears. Finally in one week's time, she recovered.

Feb 24, 2010:

It was a painful two weeks' wait and finally we went for a third follow up. This time, the Fudan ENT ordered her right ear to be flushed and we re-did the hearing test. Her right ear passed this time. But the left ear continued to fail the hearing test. Again, we were prescribed the same nose drops and were told to be patient and come back for a follow up.

Mar 3, 2010:

All along, we have visited both ENT at Parkway and Fudan, simply to get second opinions as Mummy does not trust the doctors anymore. Mummy then heard of another ear infection case for a little boy in Shanghai that the Parkway ENT couldn't handle and has referred to a ENT specialist at Mt E in Singapore. Mummy then decided we should return to Singapore for a thorough check up even if she is ok now. So we went to Fudan to do a final check up to ensure Shannon is alright to take a flight. Both her ears were flushed and cleaned and the hearing test were re-done. This time, she passed the hearing test for both her ears and she was discharged. Advice was given to Mummy to try to prevent her from getting a runny nose, as she might now be more prone to ear infections.

March 10, 2010

Here we are, finally back in Singapore (of course, I didn't go along). Mummy thought it was too much of a hassle to bring everyone home to Singapore, so she left me behind in Shanghai with 婆婆. I woke up early this morning, looking for Mei Mei, only to have 婆婆 tell me Mummy has brought her out. I refused to go to school since I didn't see Mei Mei. Luckily, 婆婆 managed to coax me.

So we finally visited our Singapore ENT which checked Shannon's ears and said she is perfectly fine.

I Miss Mei Mei...

2010-03-10T16:15:00.002+08:00

I woke up this morning, only to find Mei Mei missing in the house. Mummy has left on a flight last night back to Singapore to bring Mei Mei to go back to Singapore to see our ENT specialist. I searched frantically for her in the house this morning, only to have 婆婆 tell me Mummy had brought her out. I refused to change and go to school... It was really strange having Mei Mei with me all this while and today I woke up and she isn't here... Mummy was surprised to hear I didn't even look for Daddy or Mummy, just Mei Mei...

Matt's Achievements So Far...

2010-03-06T01:00:00.007+08:00

Mummy's Thoughts:

I have been keeping tabs of Matt's achievements so far and I realised that he seems to know a lot more now, after a mere 4 months at Happy Kids. These are some of the songs Matt can sing now:

三只老虎
客人来
一闪一闪亮晶晶
ABC song
Thomas the train (most of it already)
Twinkle twinkle little star
Head and shoulders, Knees and Toes

On several separate occasions, Matt has made certain astonishing comments that I find it so hard to believe:

婆婆 gave Matt an empty KFC burger box and has yet to distribute some food for him, Matt actually asked her: What do I eat?
Shannon has been taking medicines and crying. Matt consoles her by saying: Mei Mei, don't cry, Gor Gor is here.
When he returns from school, he goes to Mei Mei and tell her: Gor Gor is home
There was also this morning he saw me wearing a dress and he touched my legs. He actually told me: Wear pants... Hahaha, the silly boy thought I forgot to wear pants that morning.

We also attended Happy Kids' Parents Day yesterday evening and there were good comments made about Matt like he is always very keen to join in all activities, he doesn't fight with other kids for stuff and is always very willing to share, he is developing very well in terms of learning stuff.

It's consoling seeing how Matt is growing up every day. It brings smiles to me, especially since I have been so troubled with Shannon falling sick so often. He helps bring some rainbow into my stressful life now. Come to mention about Shannon, she has also reached another milestone. She is now able to sit relatively well on her own for a while. She has definitely regained her cheerfulness and talkativeness as she babbles and mumbles a lot. I truly hope to see her healthy and not fall sick anymore...

Excuse Me, No Smoking Here...

2010-03-01T20:02:00.001+08:00

The "No Smoking" Law has finally been passed in Shanghai with effect from March 1, 2010, in most public places like restaurants etc, in anticipation of the Expo that will start in May. Mummy's absolutely thrilled by this law since cigarette smoke affects Shannon's ears and increase risks of ear infection.

A Lazy weekend at Home

2010-02-22T21:16:00.008+08:00

The title speaks for itself. It was a lazy weekend at home. Shannon has just recovered from her cold over the Chinese New Year and the temperatures are still cold outside. So Mummy decided we shall all stay at home this weekend. Check out the fun we had at home...

Fun at the Playground...

2010-02-19T15:20:00.007+08:00

It was a long week holiday during the Chinese New Year. Since Mummy didn't have to work during this week, she took the chance to bring me down to the gardens to play my 扭扭车 and play at the playground. It's freezing temperatures out in the open at about 0 degrees celcius. But I had lots of fun anyways. Check out what fun I had... Mummy even managed to take a photo of a stunt I did by sliding down the slide face down...

Shannon is Finally 6 Months...

2010-02-18T23:15:00.004+08:00

Today, Shannon finally turns six months' old. It's been a rough six months, especially the last 3 months, with Shannon battling with falling sick for a few times now. First, a bronchitis, then a urinary tract infection and then a ear infection. Mummy's been feeling so stressed about Shannon's health.

Mummy started giving Child Life Colostrum with Probiotics to me and Shannon again. I started taking this since I was six months but guess at a certain point in time, I stopped taking it. Mummy truly wonders whether the fact that I fell ill for the very first time at 18 months was due to me not taking this. In any case, if it was, then Mummy is simply glad to start giving this to me and Shannon again. Mummy's wish for Shannon is that this will be the last of her falling sick in a long while, as she hopes Shannon's immunity to start to build up...

Unfortunately, Shannon has caught a cold (i.e. runny nose and cough) when the temperature dips over Chinese New Year. Poor Shannon...

My Maglev Experience...

2010-02-16T21:01:00.007+08:00

Daddy was scheduled to leave for Mexico for work for two weeks today. So Mummy decided that we will send Daddy to Pudong airport and then bring me on the Maglev from Pudong airport back to Shanghai, since I love trains so much. The Maglev was travelling at 300KM / hour. I was telling Mummy, "Wow, so fast!!!" I even took a photo with my favourite Hai Bao at the Pudong airport... After that, Mummy brought me to MacDonald's and I finished a Happy Meal all by myself...

Hard At Work at Thomas Trains... HaHaHa...

2010-02-15T22:41:00.005+08:00

Here's me, hard at work playing Thomas the trains... Check these out... Now I know all my trains by hard. Let me introduce them... There is Thomas, he's the cheeky one. James, he's vain but lots of fun. Percy pulls the mail on time. Gordon thunders down the line. Emily really knows her stuff. Henry toots and huffs and puffs. Edward really loves to shares. Toby, let's just say he's square... Hahaha...

Mummy has been watching so many Thomas shows with me that she now can memorise the Thomas song and the Thomas trains by hard... Hahaha...

It's Solids' Time for Shannon...

2010-02-14T17:54:00.000+08:00

Finally, in 4 days' time, Shannon turns 6 months. So with this long holiday, Mummy decided to start Shannon on solids. Check out the messy Shannon... Mummy remembers a similar episode for me when I started solids, creating a mess when I started solids too...

Happy Tiger Year...

2010-02-14T17:43:00.000+08:00

Here's wishing a happy Tiger year to everyone... Here's Shannon and me in our new year outfits...

My "Thomas-themed" Bedroom...

2010-02-08T17:22:00.002+08:00

Mummy has been considering to move me into my own bedroom for a long time. Since Daddy travels more now, it was simply easier for Mummy to have both of us sleep together with her. However, moving me into my own bedroom was now made more necessary, since I started to go to school and more susceptible to falling sick now. We decided we can't have Shannon catching these viruses from me each time I fall sick. In a bid to do that, Mummy decided to buy me a set of Thomas-themed bedroom furniture to entice me to sleep alone. As expected, I was thoroughly thrilled. Mummy thinks I am a silly boy though since I actually imagined myself sleeping on a train. I simply love this new bed of mine...

Mummy even bought me a quilt blanket which I surprisingly agree to use now. Mummy is totally astonished as I hate to get tucked under blankets and would kick it away in the middle of the night. When Mummy checked on me at 3AM last night, I was sleeping so sweetly, properly tucked underneath my quilt.

The End of Term 1 @ Happy Kids...

2010-02-01T18:12:00.001+08:00

It was the end of term 1 in Happy Kids. I came home today with a present in my school bag for Daddy and Mummy. It was a term book full of photos that Teacher Connie took for me during school. Mummy decided to snap a few shots of it...

Shannon's New Hair Cut

2010-01-31T18:20:00.002+08:00

婆婆 has been complaining that Shannon's hair is getting long and messy, although Mummy really didn't want to cut her hair. So, we decided to bring Shannon to the hairdresser's earlier this evening... Shannon's a better kid at the hairdresser's as compared to me. I hate getting my hair cut, always making a big din at the salon. Nothing Mummy and Daddy do can help in making me agree to sit down willing for a haircut... Sigh...

BEFORE

AFTER

Shannon - The Super Model

2010-01-30T10:37:00.002+08:00

Doesn't Shannon look so much like a super model here??? I love this magazine cover...

Mummy's Super Kids...

2010-01-30T02:56:00.003+08:00

Mummy remembered that a photograph of me in a similar pose was taken before. Check out how I compare to Shannon, in our flying stunts at 4 months... hahaha...

Me and My 3-Letter Word Puzzle...

2010-01-24T02:17:00.000+08:00

Mummy brought me to Robinsons once when we were back in Singapore and I wanted her to buy Thomas for me... So in an attempt to make me forget about Thomas, Mummy took a box of word puzzle with a picture of a bus on it and we went to the cashier to pay for it. I was actually pacified...

So I have been playing with it for 3 weeks now and see, I can now make all of them. There are 30 words in this set. I also can do similar card games, like matching similar cards or opposites and puzzles up to 6 pieces... What an accomplishment... Now I am moving on to the 4-letter word puzzle...

Shannon and Mummy...

2010-01-24T02:08:00.003+08:00

As Mummy looked at Shannon's photos taken over the last 5 months, she realised there isn't very many photos that she has taken together with Shannon. I guess, that's because Mummy is always the photographer since nowadays Daddy's been travelling. So this weekend, whilst Daddy is back, Daddy now took the role of the photographer...

Getting Ready for Solids...

2010-01-20T01:44:00.002+08:00

In another 3 weeks' time, Shannon will be turning 6 months. Time really seems to zoom past really quickly these days... especially since Mummy's been so busy with work and us. Shannon's been drooling a lot lately and staring at us taking our dinner. So... We got Shannon ready by training her to sit in the high chair.

Outdoors Finally...

2010-01-18T01:51:00.001+08:00

Based on discussions that Mummy had with the guard in our block and even taxi drivers, many told her that the coldest part of this year's winter is over, although Mummy found it a bit strange as usually the coldest part of winter in Shanghai is during Chinese New Year. However, based on the lunar calendar for 2009, there was double June last year. So that's probably why...

In any case, I am the most thrilled about it. Cos it's time to go outdoors again on my favourite 扭扭车... Hahaha...

Shannon @ her Gym session

2010-01-11T01:23:00.000+08:00

Check out how Shannon is getting better at grabbing stuff with her little fingers and holding on to things...

Posing with My Thomas...

2010-01-11T01:06:00.005+08:00

It was a lazy Sunday morning. Mummy was spending some quality time with Shannon and me. Mummy knew I don't like taking photos, so she coaxed me into posing with my Thomas. Strangely, I agreed.

Mummy even taught me how to get ready by saying, 1 2 3 Thomas... and SNAP...

Some more "1 2 3 Thomas" photos....

Me and Little Shannon Again...

2010-01-10T23:36:00.002+08:00

Finally we are back into winter wonderland Shanghai. When we touched down in Shanghai on Wednesday morning, the temperature was freezing cold at -2 degrees celcius. The water in the fountains at the garden have all turned into ice...

Despite the freeziness, we felt really warm at home with the heater running on almost 24 hours a day now... Check out some fun Mummy had taking photos for us... Here's a perfect shot of me and Shannon...with all smiles...

An Eventful New Year's Day 2010...

2010-01-05T22:08:00.000+08:00

What a way to spend the first day a new year... It was 4AM in the morning when Mummy gave up waiting for 姨姨 to return home from her new year's eve partying. As Mummy was getting ready to go to bed, she touched and felt Shannon very heated up. So she got up and checked Shannon's temperature. To her horror, it was running at 39.2 degrees celcius. Mummy was shocked. Shannon has just recovered from bronchitis and given a clean bill of health by Dr Ngiam two days ago. Mummy immediately fed Shannon some fever medicine and sponged her with cool water.

Shannon's fever remained at 38-ish degrees celcius even as she woke up the next morning. Luckily she was still quite cheerful and finished her milk. All the PD clinics were closed as it was public holiday. After much thought, Mummy decided she will bring Shannon to the A&E department of Glen E, hopefully, the doctors on duty will be able to contact Dr Ngiam. Luckily for us, Dr Ngiam was actually around in the hospital that day. Dr Ngiam checked her throat, lungs and ears, they were all clear. So Dr Ngiam decided to get a urine test to determine if it was an urinary tract infection ("UTI"). Although the nurse got a urine bag done for Shannon, it was not secured and Mummy had a hard time thinking of ideas to collect her urine. At last when she did, the nurse confirmed that it was UTI after doing a urine test and Shannon needed antibiotics. Dr Ngiam said Shannon cannot leave for Shanghai yet, so we had to delay our flight to until a few days later. Sigh, I will miss the first few days of school. I was so looking forward to going back to school to ride my favourite bicycle and play with my classmates from school...

What a way to spend the first day of a new year... At the A&E department of Glen E.

On a subsequent visit yesterday, Dr Ngiam explained to Mummy we needed to find out the reason for the occurrence of the UTI as Shannon is still very young, whether the UTI caused by an inborn structural abnormality with her urinatory tract, which would need her to be on a few years of antibiotics or surgery, depending on the severity. See link below for more information.

http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utichildren/

So we had a series of tests / scans done earlier this morning. Luckily, the results show that the kidneys are functioning normally and there is no sign of reflux. The UTI Shannon had was probably caused by a bacteria infection. So we finally received the go-ahead to return to Shanghai. And so, we are leaving tomorrow night. Hopefully there will be good weather when we touch down in Shanghai as it is forecasted to be snowing tomorrow with a temperature around 0 degrees celcius. Back to winter wonderland...

The Chan Look-alike Meter II

2010-01-03T00:28:00.002+08:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Descendents - Family name history

Hahaha, Daddy will be really disappointed. Even Shannon looks more like Mummy...

The Chan Look-alike Meter I

2010-01-03T00:23:00.003+08:00

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family web sites - Free genealogy

Well, it isn't true when everyone says I have a photocopy face of Daddy. The above look-alike meter tells me I actually look more like Mummy as I grow older... Check out Shannon's look-alike meter...

New Year Resolutions 2010...

2009-12-31T10:20:00.004+08:00

It was that time of the year again, the very last day of a year, that Mummy sits down and reflects on the past year, which seems to be an eventful year where we see the very ups and downs of a worldwide economic crisis. Despite the ups and downs, Mummy feels that it is the time to give thanks as God has seen her and our entire family through 2009, especially since God has blessed her with wonderful and lovely kids like Shannon and ME (hahaha...) and giving protection to Daddy during the Ritz Carlton bombing that took place in Jakarta just one month before Shannon was born...

Work tended to be slower in the earlier part of 2009 as Mummy is basically working in the capital markets where all IPOs died when the crisis hit. That was why Daddy and Mummy decided it was time to give me a little sister this year. And so we had Shannon added to our family in August. She is so adorable and I simply love her. Mummy is definitely glad when friends and family commented that Shannon looks more like Mummy (especially after having dealt with all comments about me being a photocopy image of Daddy...)

Daddy and Mummy also had their long awaited annual vacation to New Zealand with little Shannon in Mummy's tummy. It was a place that they had wanted to visit for a long time. And finally, they had the opportunity to do it in April. It was definitely a trip worthwhile as they enjoyed the beautiful scenery at a lower cost due to the depreciating NZD.

Since little Shannon arrived, Mummy's always had her hands full, either busy with me or Shannon. It's been really tough especially since Daddy recently took on a new project role at work that requires him to be travelling and away from home for more than 50% of the time. So it has been rock-and-roll every night as Shannon and I bunked in with Mummy on her king-sized bed... As the capital markets recover in the latter part of the year, Mummy has also taken on another US IPO and that has definitely kept her really busy since she returned to work in mid November.

So as we look forward to a better 2010 (as all the economists have predicted), we continue to ask God to watch over our lives.

Some of Mummy's Favourite Shots...

2009-12-29T12:20:00.009+08:00

Mummy has been snapping a lot of photos for Shannon and ME this month, as she breaks from her job for Christmas. Here are some of Mummy's favourite shots...

Visit to the Doctors...

2009-12-28T23:12:00.001+08:00

All three of us - Mummy, Shannon and I returned from Shanghai with a flu bug. In fact, for Mummy and Shannon, it grew bad for them as they developed a fever during the flight.

On the very next day after we arrived in Singapore, we all went to see the doctor. Mummy's doctor told her she shouldn't have flew since she had the ear infection and couldn't equalise her right ear during the flight. As Mummy was still breastfeeding, she only asked for mild antibiotics that could allow her to continue to breastfeed Shannon. However, after finishing one course of antibiotics, Mummy's right ear is still not alright. So now, she had to go on stronger antibiotics and has to stop breastfeeding for a week at least. Mummy visited a ear specialist who explained to her after doing tests that her middle ear was infected due to the flu and will take up to 2 weeks to recover. It's been a week already, so hopefully by this coming Sunday, Mummy would have recovered and be ready to return to Shanghai.

As for Shannon, Mummy's decision to let Shannon rough it out was caught offguard as Shannon ended up with bronchitis. Or rather, maybe if we had not flown and without the changing environment, maybe Shannon wouldn't have ended up like that. Of course, we never know. It was scary when Dr Ngiam told us Shannon got an infection in her right lung and needed an X-ray to determine if it was merely bronchitis or peumonia (which she will have to be hospitalised). Luckily or not, it was bronchitis and Shannon had to be on the neuboliser for one week. She is recovering and still waiting for Dr Ngiam to give her the go-ahead before we can return to Shanghai...

As for me, I am left with a mild cough and running nose, so Dr Ngiam figured that this would be relatively easy to treat.

I guess, it will not be an easy winter, since the temperatures have been dipping so quickly. In fact, Mummy just heard from her colleagues that Shanghai has snowed for the very first time this winter yesterday afternoon.

Our Flight Back to Singapore

2009-12-21T23:57:00.004+08:00

It was a big trip for us, with just Mummy and 婆婆 bringing me and Shannon back to Singapore alone. Now that I have turned two years old, I have my own seat.

Unfortunately, due to the erratic weather in Shanghai, all of us have fallen sick over the past 1-2 weeks. In fact, it all started with me as I brought the flu bug home 2 weeks ago, with a fever, cough and running nose. Since I started out school, I seem to be getting "updated" with the various strains of flu bugs.

The worst thing is I have spreaded them to Shannon for 3 times now. The first two times, Mummy has brought Shannon to the PD who said Shannon needs to rough it out and get well on her own as medicines will not work for her. So this time, Mummy decided to let Shannon rough it out. See later post on what happened when we got back to Singapore...

Then Mummy also caught the flu bug the weekend before we were leaving for Singapore for Christmas. It appeared to be relatively mild so Mummy left it to recover on its own. On the morning that we were supposed to leave for Singapore, Mummy woke up with her right ear really blocked and was wondering whether she should take the flight anyways. She decided it should be ok, but she was proven wrong as her right ear really hurt badly at the take offs and landings as Mummy couldn't equalise her right ear. See later post on what happened when we got back to Singapore...

The Shanghai Christmas Story...

2009-12-18T23:17:00.015+08:00

Over the last two weekends now, Mummy has brought us out to look at the Christmas lightings in Shanghai, although this is really little compared to what we will see in Singapore when we get back in a few days' time. In preparation for Christmas, Mummy has started teaching me words related to Christmas like Merry Christmas, Christmas tree, Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas presents, gloves, winter, snowman, snowflakes and of course, most importantly, Jesus... It's really funny cos Mummy has taught me Christmas tree before Merry Christmas. Now whenever Mummy ask me to wish friends Merry Christmas, I would say Merry Christmas tree... Hahhaha...

Here are the lightings at Jiu Guang...

See how bundled up I am with the temperature dipping almost 12 degrees celcius over the past two days. It's -3 to 2 degrees celcius this weekend as the cold front comes past Shanghai. It was freezing cold as we were walking outside, even to take photos. So whilst Mummy planned to bring me to view a few Christmas decorations, we did not manage to accomplish it. This is going to be a cold winter, given that it has gotten this cold in December. But Mummy doesn't seem to think this will be an issue for me, since I was born a winter baby and is not afraid of cold...

Here are the lightings at Plaza 66...

Shannon @ 4 months...

2009-12-18T23:01:00.002+08:00

It was a tradition to give a chicken drumstick to a baby at 4 months, to signify that the baby is going to be ready for solid foods soon. I remember going through this process as well. Here's Shannon at 4 months, licking her drumstick. Watch how I participated in the process too as I also licked the drumstick... Hahaha...

Winter Shots of Shannon and ME...

2009-12-15T11:09:00.000+08:00

I have been having so much fun with Shannon around. Mummy involves me in every aspect of Shannon's routine, including getting her diapers, throwing soiled diapers away, playing with her, carrying her and even feeding her and playing with her. I simply love this little sister of mine!!!

This is one of my favourite toys when I was as small as Shannon. Now every time Shannon has fun here, I like to join her too...

Christmas Fair @ Happy Kids

2009-12-12T23:15:00.009+08:00

It was almost the end of school term @ Happy Kids. We had a Christmas fair celebration where small items made by ourselves are being sold at the fair with the proceeds being donated for charity. Check out the cookies I baked during my cooking class.

Here's my favourite bicycle and aeroplane at school...

Spot which is ME and which is Shannon...

2009-12-06T13:14:00.005+08:00

Can you tell the difference between me and Shannon? Which is me? And which is Shannon?

Developments of Shannon...

2009-11-30T11:34:00.000+08:00

Shannon has been growing so quickly. Now she loves to smile, laugh and make noises. She recently also learnt to lift up her head when lying on her tummy and even sitting down with some support. Check her out here...

My Craze about Thomas...

2009-11-29T23:18:00.003+08:00

As you can know, I am crazy about cars and trains... Or to be more specific, anything that has wheels in them, hahahaha... Recently, Mummy just bought me this set of Thomas the trains that connects via magnet. I am simply thrilled!!!

To add on to this craze, my latest words learnt are car brands like Lamborghini, Porsche and Ferrari (Mummy thinks this is going to be such an expensive hobby!!! Hahaha...) Other related words learnt are taxi, crane and ambulance.

Shannon and ME!!!

2009-11-29T23:06:00.004+08:00

Here's some photos Mummy took for Shannon and me this weekend. Look how well-behaved Shannon is compared to me...

Now I can also say: SHANNON when Mummy asked me what Mei Mei's name is...

I Am Sick Again...

2009-11-18T22:17:00.001+08:00

It was just a few days after my 2nd birthday. I have been running a high fever for the last two days now, with a temperature as high as 39.8 degree celcius with no other symptoms like running nose or cough. Mummy had given me a depository in my butt and it has brought my temperature down last night so low that the thermometer was unable to detect. Mummy was so scared, but to her worse fear, after the temperature dipped, it shot back up again. So this morning, Mummy took me to the clinic.

After the doctor checked me, she told Mummy that my fever was caused by a throat infection. Whilst waiting for me to pee pee to get a urine test done, Mummy felt me shivering. When we retook my temperature, it was 40.2 degree celcius. So the doctor decided to give me some medicine in the meantime to bring my temperature down. Luckily this time, after the temperature went down and coupled with the antibiotics that the doctor prescribed, my fever subsided permanently. But I had to miss school for three days this week as Mummy decided that even though my fever was gone, she needed to keep me at home to make sure I only return to school when I fully recover in case I fall sick again or I spread the virus to the other kids in school... Sigh...

I Am Two Years Old...

2009-11-15T22:22:00.005+08:00

I am finally two years old... And now I can tell others very clearly when they asked me the following three questions:

What is your name? Answer: Matthias (Sometimes, I say "Bus". Probably something to do with my craze about anything with wheels... Hahaha)

How old are you? Answer: Four!!! (Haha, cos I know this will make Mummy mad)

I am a BOY...

Our family shot...

My birthday present from Mummy. I am always "eyeing" this when I see other kids riding this whenever Mummy brings me down to the playground to play. Finally I have my own!!!

My Birthday Celebration @ Elite Happy Kids

2009-11-14T21:45:00.005+08:00

Mummy held a little birthday celebration for me in school. Here's some of the photos taken at school with my little classmates...

Mummy and ME!!!

My little classmates, waiting for me to distribute my birthday cake. Giving out my birthday goody packs...

Mummy's Thoughts - Going Back to Work Soon...

2009-11-08T07:59:00.007+08:00

It's been official. I am returning to work on November 16. I have been back at my office and my bosses have been asking me when I will be returning to work. I guess with the gradual recovery of the capital markets, US IPOs are starting to pick up again and my department is quite understaffed. Much as I would like to spend more time with Matt and Shann, I think I am also pretty eager to return to work. I guess it keeps my sanity intact. I am definitely not cut out to be a full time stay home mum, given my limited patience. Being a working mum helps to keep a better balanced lifestyle for me.

I guess again, just as in 2007 when Matt arrived, this coming year is going to be a challenge for Mummy for several reasons:

Adapting to having 2 kids at home, with the addition of Shannon, as compared to only Matt in the past
Picking up a new US IPO
Daddy also taking a new project role that requires him to be away for as much as 2/3 of his time in Mexico and Indonesia

Logistics have been worked out and has been working smoothly so far. We got Matt attending school at Elite Happy Kids, that will keep him in school learning new things, until he returns home on a school bus at 4pm daily. He's made good progress for his first week at Elite Happy Kids. Teacher Connie also commented that he is participating in the activities and he is playing with a few of the other kids in class. He goes to the reading corner and picks up books for the teachers to read to him. On Friday, when I left him, he even told me that I forgot to give him his school bag. We then got our domestic helper to come in for 3 hours on a daily basis, instead of twice a week previously. Once I return to work, I guess she will have to take over the role of cooking dinner from my mum.

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope things work out smoothly...

Autumn Glimpses of Shannon...

2009-11-07T18:59:00.007+08:00

Mummy says Shannon has grown a fair bit in the last month since we returned. Since Shannon was two months, she started sleeping through the night (as opposed to me at 3.5 months of course...) Shannon has also started to laugh and smile and she is really talkative, always making baby noises and wanting us to "chat" with her...

Here's some of her photos since we returned...

Enjoying Last Moments of Beautiful Outdoor Autumn Weather...

2009-11-05T20:56:00.005+08:00

Except for two days last week when we had a sudden dip in temperature of 15 degree celcius as a result of the cool air that came from the North (where we had to bring out our winter gear) to only 6 degree celcius, we have been enjoying nice cooling sunny weather of about 20 degree celcius. Check out my outdoor moments. It won't be too long more before the temperature dips again, cos based on the weather forecast, it's going to be rainy for the coming week. Sigh, no more outdoor playground time for me this week...

First Day @ Elite HappyKids...

2009-11-02T17:25:00.002+08:00

Today is my 1st day at Elite Happy Kids. Here's how my school looks like...

Here's how Mummy has decided on the logistics. As Elite is a 10 minutes' walk from Mummy's office, she has decided to drop me off in school before work and get the school bus to send me home. Obviously, on the 1st day, I refused to let Mummy out of sight and cried badly when I suddenly found Mummy missing.

At the end of the day, when Mummy came back and checked with Teacher Connie. Teacher Connie said that I have cried for a while and was ok after that.

Here's what Elite Happy Kids focuses on: Physical development, theater, music, art, gardening, cooking, reading and languages (English & Mandarin)...

The Little Artist...

2009-10-30T20:24:00.002+08:00

Today, I learnt about the colours purple and red at the Gymboree Art class. The teacher in class also taught me how to mix yellow and blue to get the colour green. Check out my master pieces...

Watch What I Can Do with My Building Blocks...

2009-10-29T20:29:00.009+08:00

Since I returned to Shanghai, I have been exploring all my toys. I have kind of forgotten all about them, given that I was back in Singapore for 3 months now.

Now I can identify all the 9 shapes: Moon, star, circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, diamond and semi-circle.

Watch me as I stack and build a high and colourful tower... Identifying and separating my building blocks by colours...

My New Favourite China Characters...

2009-10-28T01:21:00.008+08:00

Since I came back, I have been crazy about two China characters...

One of them is the mascot for the 2010 Expo, "HaiBao". This is supposed to mean "a sea of treasures". I have been seeing HaiBao everywhere on the streets of Shanghai, either on posters, figurines or even plant figurines...

Check out the news on 2010 Expo here. It's officially 185 days count down to 2010 Expo... http://en.expo2010.cn/expo/expoenglish/mascot/index.html

The other character I am crazy about is 猪猪侠 (AKA GG Bond). This is a new cartoon introduced in China in the last few months while we returned to Singapore. Now every day, I am always waiting for the cartoon to be screened on TV at 8pm...

For more information on 猪猪侠, check out this website...
http://www.zhuzhuxia.com/

Searching for a School in Shanghai...

2009-10-27T01:22:00.001+08:00

Until very recently, Mummy didn't believe that schooling was a big headache that any mummies can ever imagine. Since we returned to Shanghai two weeks ago, Mummy has been either spending her time, bringing me to the doctor's (I have been to the doctor's three times as I was down with a stomach virus...) or visiting potential schools in search of an "ideal" one for me to attend. All the schools are either full with long waiting lists or too far away or too expensive. Mummy finally knew how other mummies felt about schooling in Shanghai.

Mummy brought me to visit Elite Happy Kids and Happy Marian today. Both were located about 10 minutes walk from Mummy's office in the XuHui area, which was a good thing as Mummy can drop me off at school in the morning on her way to work and then get the school bus to send me back home in the afternoon. Of course, that is not going to last, as Mummy's company is going to be shifting offices to Pudong next summer. But I guess till then, we will have to find a school for me in Puxi.

Both Elite Happy Kids and Happy Marian are housed in old houses in the French Concession and Huai Hai area respectively, with large play areas in the garden and nicely decorated indoor facilities. I have blended myself in when I saw the toys and the motor cars I can play with. Some boys at Elite Happy Kids even helped themselves to the toy cars I brought along with me. Elite Happy Kids is a place that more westerners send their kids to, so true enough, Mummy saw that for the Strawberry class that I am going to attend, a large majority are western kids. In comparison, Happy Marian is a school with a more balanced co-hort of asian versus western kids. Mummy has kind of decided since Daddy and 婆婆 speaks a lot to me in Mandarin, a more westernised environment would be a good balance for me to pick up more English at this age. So we have decided to take that last space in Elite Happy Kids. Yippeee, I will be starting school in a few days time...

A New Look...

2009-10-19T17:11:00.004+08:00

Mummy brought me to the hairdresser today near our place. My hair's getting long and super unruly and of course, Daddy and 奶奶 kept insisting that I get my "tail" cut away, since I will be going to school soon. Anyways, I finally did today, after keeping it for two full years since my birth. Mummy kept it as a remembrance and when she showed it to me, I smiled... When Mummy asked me about my tail, I touched the back of my head and say " NO MORE HAIR!!!" It was really funny...

Well, our dear PRC has banned both Blogspot and Facebook again, after the Xinjiang riots. Mummy can only upload the photos via Daddy's company's VPN...

I Hate Stomach Flu...

2009-10-16T11:12:00.000+08:00

We have been back in Shanghai since Tuesday morning. But both Mummy and 婆婆 have been kept really busy. You guessed it wrong... Not with the unpacking. In fact, two of our luggages are still lying in the living room, not unpacked.

Daddy and Mummy attended a wedding the Sunday before we departed back to Shanghai and had a buffet high tea. That very night, both Daddy and Mummy were down with vomitting and diarrhoea that very night. At one stage, Mummy couldn't even stomach water that she took. She was puking water out. Then both had fever the very next morning. We almost couldn't make the flight back to Shanghai. Luckily, by the time Monday evening came, both Daddy and Mummy felt quite well enough and we returned to Shanghai as planned. But alas, the virus was spread to me on Wednesday and I started having exactly the same symptoms as Daddy and Mummy. I visited the doctor yesterday morning, who commented that at least I still appeared to be rather active given that I am down with a stomach virus. Mummy was glad to hear that. Dr Grace gave me some medicines to stop the vomitting and the diarrhoea. Mummy was to bring me back to her if the vomitting has not stopped in 2 days' time. I am still not well today. Hopefully with the ample rest and medicine, I will get well very soon. But for now, I think I have developed the phobia of going into the bathroom and getting cleaned from puke and poo... Poor me...

Mummy also checked out the following with her:

1) Mummy was worried that it might be her breast milk that has caused the virus to be spread to me, even though she has discarded all the breast milk since she got sick. But Dr Grace confirmed that the chance of my infection through consumption of breast milk is very low. The spread could have been caused by touch and saliva etc. Dr Grace also assured Mummy that it is unlikely that Mei Mei will be down since infants below three months will usually be protected by the immunity they have built up.

2) Daddy has also asked Mummy to replace my feeds of breast milk with formula milk so as to solidify my stools. However, the doctor mentioned that this is worse since the dairy content in the formula milk will cause more upset in my stomach. Breast milk is definitely good and beneficial for me.

2) My cradle cap that has appeared very unusually at this age is probably due to the hot weather in Singapore with the oil glands clogging up the pores on my scalp. But thankfully, the weather's getting cold in Shanghai now, so this should go away soon.

The Little Princess, Shannon...

2009-10-11T19:44:00.002+08:00

Mummy bought this very nice purple princessy dress for Shannon and finally got a chance to wear it for her during Aunty Li Fern's wedding.... Check out how our little Shannon looks...

Another HFMD Scare...

2009-09-30T23:20:00.001+08:00

It's my last day at Sparkletots since we are returning to Shanghai on October 13. Mummy even bought a lot bunch of tidbits for me to distribute to my little friends in class today. However, she received a call from one of my teachers this afternoon who warned about the likelihood of getting HFMD as there are two confirmed cases and two suspected cases under observation in my class. Sigh... what a letdown... This is the second time something like that has happened when we returned to Singapore. The last time we returned in October 2008, we had a scare too as Zoe 姐姐 got it and I was playing with her. As a precaution, Mummy decided that I should stay with 婆婆 for a few days until my incubation period is over, as I always like to touch and kiss Mei Mei nowadays.

Well, as Mummy picked me up from Sparkletots today, the teachers all gave me huge hugs. One said it was a pity as I have already adapted very well there. Another said she loved me for cheeky grins. One even said I was cute that I always like to play hide-and-seek with her. Mummy was glad that my short stay at Sparkletots left the teachers a good impression...

I had my usual flashcard sessions with Mummy before I left to go to 婆婆's place. Mummy's glad that now I am able to say certain animals in Mandarin, including cat, dog, cow, horse, pig, chicken and duck. However, after a while, the cheeky me grew rebellious and no matter whatever animal flashcard that Mummy showed me, it all became CAT... Mummy didn't know whether to get mad at me (for being so uncooperative) or happy about it (that I am smart enough to know that it irritates her) Hahaha...

A Kite Flying Experience...

2009-09-24T14:32:00.005+08:00

Aunty Pauline's company organised a kite flying event a few Saturdays back and 姨姨 brought me along. Check out the colorful kites in the blue skies out there...

More Acts of a Big Brother...

2009-09-22T23:04:00.002+08:00

Mummy taught me how to carry little Shannon today. So now, the big baby (That's ME!!!) that always screams "抱抱" to Daddy and Mummy now learns to carry a smaller little baby...

Another new phrase that I have learnt today: "抱妹妹". So now, Mummy is trying to teach me to add "我要" so it becomes "我要抱妹妹".

Other acts of love:

Daddy's Thoughts - Reflections & Crossroads...

2009-09-20T20:33:00.003+08:00

Daddy was on the way back from church today that he noticed the early darkening of the evening that signals the changing of the seasons again. Daddy always enjoys the walking down Chang De Road alone as it is a time of reflections and walking and talking with God. Here’s Daddy’s reflections and thoughts:

This is the fourth autumn that we are in Shanghai. Time really flies and it has been almost three and a half years since we left Singapore to work and live in Shanghai. God has been faithful all this while, from having paved the way for us in Shanghai by surrounding us with friends and a church which made integration into new life easier, to providing for us financially and blessing us with two wonderful children of our own.

Through these years, by God’s grace, we were given opportunities to be of service to Him and to draw closer to His Word, which enabled us to grow spiritually and to mature in His wisdom. Whilst we sometimes still do wander off the narrow path, but by God’s grace, we are always able to find ourselves back onto the path again.

As with the changing of the seasons, many things have changed over the last few years. The first batch of friends who came alongside us to Shanghai have now either all left or are planning to leave, with Wan Pin and Fiona being the most recent couple to relocate out of Shanghai (By coincidence, we met them whilst Daddy and Mummy was firstly scouting for a place to stay and happened to view their old rented place. They definitely provided a lot of help to us when we first came to Shanghai). In fact, we are very much on our own now, save for our colleagues, cell group, and a handful of remaining friends.

Over these years, we are thankful to be able to experience alongside our Chinese friends the pride and the challenges of China. We have seen how China has grown from strength to strength, from the recovering from natural disasters like the snowstorm and earthquake to the unrest from Tibet and Urumuqi, to the launching of Chinese rockets into space, to the hosting of the 2008 Olympics, the celebration of 60 years of nation building, to the preparation for the 2010 Expo. Even the landscape around us has changed dramatically with skyscrapers now towering in Nanjing Xi Lu when there were few back then.

Three and a half years down the road, with the birth of Shannon, it appeared that we are standing at the cross-roads once again, seeking God for a new direction for the family. Subsequent to the financial crisis, the world has become a more uncertain place, as the economy and job situations do not look as rosy as in the past. Companies have restructured and are becoming more cost conscious whilst placing greater expectations on employees. On the flip side of things, there are more days than in the past that we feel that our energy levels are not as high as we wish they are, not to mention that 24 hours a day never seemed to be sufficient.

Even though we have been praying for a new direction for some time, God seems to be silent in His replies. I must admit that waiting can really be trying from a humanly perspective. Finally, during my walk with God today, I was reminded of His promise in Isaiah 40:31: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings of eagles; they will run and not feel weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

It was a reminder that even as the world changes so rapidly around us and whilst we may not know what tomorrow brings or how our job situations may change, we can still place our hopes in the One who never fails us, that all things will come to past in God’s perfect timing.

For now, all we need to do is to continue to trust Him and to lean on His strength. To God be the glory.

The F1 Car Racer...

2009-09-16T15:49:00.006+08:00

Check out my love for CARS... Will I be a F1 car racer in the future???

Reflections - Search for A Dream Property

2009-09-15T23:38:00.003+08:00

Reflecting on the recent property buying experience, Daddy and Mummy decided to pen it down as a reminder to us as a family that “A Man plans His path, but the Lord directs his ways (Proverbs 16:9)”. In all things, it is important to commit our plans to God and to trust Him for His timing and purposes.

For the last two months, despite the ongoing economic crisis, Singaporeans have jumped into the property market because of several favorable conditions:

The economy has stabilized
The bank lending rates are low
The returns on bank deposits are low
The property market had took a dip to almost pre-2007 peak levels
The rental yields are more than sufficient to cover for monthly interest (ie. Some properties become self financing after the 20% downpayment)
The 2010 IR looks to bring property prices higher in the near future

For the same reasons, both Daddy and Mummy decided that it was probably a right time to invest in a property with the objective of securing higher returns for our deposits. However, it did not dawn to us that we did not commit our plans to God.

Along the way, we made several other mistakes as well. Being first timers in the property investment market, we lost time because we lost focus and prices caught up with our indecisiveness. Some of our mistakes include:

We did not have a focus on what we really wanted. As such, targets changed from spacious 3 bedroom apartments to those near MRT, to those in nice residential areas, to those where there is good rental yield, from new launches to the resale market, etc.
We did not stick fully to the budget we started out with. At a certain point in time, our budget very much exceeded the amount we had in mind to invest as we were following our hearts (nice showflats) rather than our minds.
As prices were appreciating at $10,000 per week, we lost focus of our initial objective and became a slave to the chasing of prices and bullish market sentiments. This is dangerous as people can end up paying unreasonably high prices which is artificially propped up by the market frenzy.
Most importantly, we almost lost sight of God as we start to shrug off biblical principles of contentment and affordability (from sermons and friends’ advices) as we sink deeper into the market frenzy.

For two months, we spent hours surfing the Internet for information on ideal properties and using our humanly analytical minds to try to understand, calculate and minimize the risks involved. Being accountants, we ran simulating models to weigh the risks and benefits. We relied more and more on ourselves and less and less on God in the search of a dream property.

Perhaps it is not in God’s plans that the timing is NOW because, by His saving grace, we encountered many obstacles and warnings along the way, each seemingly to suggest that we should act contrary to our humanly wisdom to invest now:

Delays from HDB approving our request to invest in private property
Warnings from sermons to invest within means
Advice from friends/parents’ to stay off the overheated market
Missing out on the possible closing of one deal
Being delayed by an agent for 2 weeks and eventually losing a bid by $5000
Potential changes in Mummy’s job situation
Market dampening measures by the government

Despite all the obstacles, we continued to be caught up in search of that dream property that it eventually almost climaxed to the closing of a deal yesterday. As Mummy proceeded to execute the deal, Daddy (who is back in Shanghai) did not quite feel the peace in his heart. It suddenly dawned on us that we were paying a much higher price than our personal valuation of the place if not for the market frenzy. Deep inside, Daddy was hoping to call off the transaction, but was thinking that it was too late in the process.

By God’s grace, for some reason, there were some delay in the process and we managed to hold off the closing until today. (Our sincere apologies for all the inconvenience caused to Uncle Kit and the seller.)

Although it was a real struggle today to decide whether to proceed with the deal, God’s voice through close friends and daily devotion (which read “Letting Go”) appeared too strong for us to ignore. Though all our humanly analysis still points to this being a feasible deal, we decided not to proceed as we felt that God is not with us on this transaction.

Whilst we do not know at the moment whether this is the right decision (as prices could continue to escalate despite the dampening measures), we decided that God needs to be in the plans in order for things to work. Though our search did not materialize this time round, we benefited from other areas such as better understanding ourselves and each other (our risk adversity, our tolerance for investment losses and financial freedom) and most importantly to always commit our plans to God.

For now, we have decided to stay off the market until God gives the green light. All glory to God.

I Am 22 Months Old...

2009-09-15T16:49:00.010+08:00

Time certainly flies. I am already 22 months. My vocabulary has improved tremendously in the last 2 months plus since we returned to Singapore.

New English words include: ok, big, girl, boy, blue, there, star, robot, pear, wolf, bee, uncle, auntie, call, hello, school, yes, no, deer, bus, come
New English phrases include: One more, no more, big cup, big cupboard, throw away
New Chinese words include: 爷爷，奶奶，姐姐，哥哥，姨姨，好，怕，下，还有，还要，包包，抱抱，走，盖，笔，画，拿，给，要，车，大，煮，骂
Can count 1,2 and 4 in Chinese
Hum along and singing the chorus "Yipee Ya Ya, Yipee Yipee Ya..."

I Kissed My Little Sister...

2009-09-14T16:38:00.000+08:00

I have always know that K is for Kiss as I have learnt it from my Baby Einstein board book. I always liked giving kisses to Mummy and Daddy. Today, other than asking me to "sayang" Shannon, Mummy asked me to give her a kiss. How's this???

Mummy's Little Rascal...

2009-09-12T17:08:00.002+08:00

Going into what the people call "the Terrible Twos", Mummy definitely thinks of me as a little rascal, who can be really naughty at times. Like using the toy golf club to hit against 爷爷's LCD TV, climbing up the dining chair and then the dining table or even the TV console... But on the other hand, Mummy also thinks this little rascal can be really adorable at times, especially how I treat my little sister... being a little BIG brother. Mummy loves to see me running into the room to watch over and stroke Shannon gently whenever she cries. I even help Mummy bring Shannon's milk bottle to the kitchen when she's done with her feeding (although the bad thing is that whenever I see Shannon having her milk, I make noise for milk too, when it's not time for me to have a milk feed).

Our Little Princess, Lil' Shannon

2009-09-04T15:40:00.010+08:00

It's been a week since Mummy had the time to sit down to update my blog again... Trying to adapt to be a mother of two is definitely not easy, especially at times when I refused to be pacified by anyone other than Mummy. Imagine the scene of Mummy running back and forth to Shannon and myself when we take turns making noises. That was exactly what happened yesterday evening when I came home from Sparkletots, down with a running nose and refused to be pacified by anyone else except for Mummy...

Anyways, Mummy thinks it's time to start training Shannon on a routine. For several nights now, she has been able to sleep for a straight six hours without waking up for milk... Cross our fingers - Let's hope this carries on, cos Mummy doesn't want to spend a first three months being a panda, sleeping only 3-4 hours a day, just like what she did for me. Shannon's definitely smaller milk-drinker than me, so Mummy now has quite a bit of milk stored away in the fridge, that she started giving them to me too...

Shannon's been sleeping a lot for the first two weeks, only started to be more awake these few days. Today, whilst she slept away the morning s Mummy slinged her to the ICA to collect her passport and then to the China Embassy to apply for a visa, she has kept herself awake for the entire afternoon up to now (Haha, that's why Mummy has some time to blog...)

Here's our little princess...

Mummy's Thoughts - Being a Mother of Two Now...

2009-08-25T11:07:00.002+08:00

It's been a week since Shannon has arrived in our family and there definitely has been tons of adjustments all of us are going through and we expect there to be even more adjustments, going forward. From me being a mother of one to a mother of two and likewise for YJ. Even for Matt, he has to adjust from being an only child to an elder brother now.

I must say I have been proud of Matt so far, except for a small hiccup that took place 2 evenings ago. We were giving Matt his milk before bed time. As he was trying to clear space on the bed for himself to lie down, he flung a tub of California Baby Calendula cream and it accidentally hit Shannon on her forehead. She wailed in pain and I supposed everyone in the room was totally shocked. Although we all knew that Matt did not do it on purpose, we were mad at him and I think he knew that he had done something wrong too, as he didn't resist as he was sent off to bed immediately. We brought Shannon to the PD for a check the very next morning and he assured us that she is fine. Other than this, Matt has been very open to Shannon's addition to the family. He loves to lean against our bed to watch her. Whenever she cries, he will run into the room and watch over her. When we ask him to sayang Mei Mei, he will stroke her gently. He's even become my good helper, bringing me clean newborn diapers and throwing away the soiled ones into the bin.

As for me, it's been hectic dealing with two now, even though I do feel I seem to have a better grasp this time, being a second time mummy. With Matt settling down well at Sparkletots, it gives me more time to take care of Shannon. But I do feel that I have been spending less and less time with Matt. Usually I have to be the one putting Matt into bed every night, as his daddy always complain that Matt only wants me to put him into bed. Yesterday night, Matt woke up in the middle of the night, looking for Daddy instead. Well, a part of me felt terrible but then I guess this isn't such a bad thing after all. That Matt reduces his reliance on me and becomes closer to Daddy. I do hope that as we get through the stage of putting Shannon on a nice routine, I can get round to spending more time with Matt. That's why I say there have been and still will have tons of adjustments taking place... Sigh...

As for breastfeeding, I never thought there will be any problems at all for a second baby, given that breastfeeding had been a breeze for me during Matt's time where I actually breastfeed him until he was 13 months. But then, at Day 4 after my delivery, I panicked when I tried expressing and there simply isn't much milk. I didn't recall this happened during Matt's time. I have consulted with the PD and a lactation consultant, who both explained that this feeling of engorgement and no milk is normal at Day 3-5 and should subside. True enough, they were right as I did manage to latch on Shannon better and express more milk eventually. I guess, the breastfeeding experience for each baby is different and we shouldn't take it for granted. Definitely, I am glad things are working out well and I am able to total breast feed Shannon since her birth. When we got discharged from the hospital, she was 2.5kg (as compared to the birth weight of 2.64kg). When we weighed her again yesterday, she is now 2.6kg. So I guess she is starting to gain weight. Hopefully as she gets past the first 1-2 weeks and sleeps less, we can start her on a routine, which I have always advocated, it helps keep sanity for both Mummy and baby...

A Striking Resemblance???

2009-08-23T11:29:00.005+08:00

Mummy dug out some of my old photos after several of Mummy's friends commented that Shannon looks a lot like me. Wat's your take on this?

Here's the photos that Mummy has used or will be using (for Shannon) for our passports. Once Shannon gets her name registered next week, we will need to apply for a passport and China visa for her to return to Shanghai with us...

A Big Brother...

2009-08-22T12:36:00.004+08:00

Here's a first photo I have taken with Shannon. Mummy said that though I appeared to be still oblivious to Shannon's appearance when I first saw her at the hospital, I am growing to be more aware of her...

I actually watched quietly when I saw Mummy changing Shannon's diapers when she poo-pooed. I even learned to stroke her gently when I hear her cry. Now when Mummy ask me to "sayang" Mei Mei, I will go to her and stroke her gently.

Mummy's also very proud of me, as now, I don't cry and throw tantrums anymore when I get dropped off at Sparkletots and even at nursery in church when Daddy and Mummy goes for their church services.

And Now, Mummy is a PROUD Mother of TWO...

2009-08-18T23:26:00.003+08:00

My little sister, Shannon, finally arrived on August 18, 2009 at 1821 hours. Mummy's birth story is simply so short and sweet as the entire process from the point where pain and contractions started to the arrival of little Shannon, it only took 5.5 hours. This is really "chickenfeet" compared to my delivery, since Mummy was in pain for 5 hours at home before she made it to the hospital and then it took another almost 15 hours for me to arrive...

Here's Mummy's birth story...

At close to 1PM, contractions started, about 8-12 minutes apart. As it took a long time from the time contractions started to my delivery, Mummy had thought that she needn’t hurry to the hospital. So she slowly packed the last few items she need in her hospital bag and took a bath first. She also called the nurse at Dr Chan’s who suggested that she gets herself monitored at the clinic first. By the time Mummy had her contractions monitored at 415PM at Dr Chan's, her contractions were 5 minutes apart and she was already 6cm dilated. Mummy was admitted into the hospital immediately. It was fortunate for Mummy 'cos she made it in time for epidural. If she had been dilated for more than 6cm, it would be too late for epidural. Thank goodness... At 6PM, Mummy was 9cm dilated and the midwife had asked Mummy to start pushing. At 2 pushes, Mummy’s waterbag broke. Dr Chan arrived at 605PM. After 2 pushes, Mei Mei was delivered at 621PM.

Here's some photos taken at the hospital...

The Moment is Coming, Time to Pack Mummy's Hospital Bag...

2009-08-13T22:10:00.003+08:00

Mummy went to Dr Chan for her weekly checkup earlier this afternoon. After doing an ultrasound for Mummy, Dr Chan said that Mei Mei is engaged. Based on me, he thinks Mummy still have about 1 week to go, or it could be anytime from now onwards. The other tell tale sign is whilst Mei Mei actually grew 200g heavier (she is about 2.74kg now), Mummy lost 700g from last week. Definitely, this was very well complimented by Dr Chan, since he is so concerned about weight gain all the time. So to date, Mummy put on about 10.5kg, much less than the 12kg that she put on when she was expecting me. Mummy could also feel more frequent contractions although it hasn't reached the stage whereby there are contractions every 5 minutes.

So it's probably time to pack Mummy's hospital bag. The last time, Mummy packed tons of stuff based on a hospital list that were circulating around the mummies. Guess what? She ended up not using anything in the bag at all. So this time, Mummy thinks she won't bother to bring anything much except for herself into the hospital. Haha... Of course, the most important things to bring is my present for Mei Mei - a nice teddy bear, to show her my welcome of her into the family. Mummy says Mei Mei has a present for me too, and I will definitely be very thrilled about it. That leaves me scratching my head, thinking what it is...

Of course, let's not forget about Daddy... He has booked his flight to come back to Singapore this Saturday. So Mei Mei got to hang on until Daddy arrives. The last time when Mummy gave birth to me, Daddy was only back one day before. Hopefully Daddy is able to perform the same "stunt" again... We are keeping our fingers crossed...

Mummy's Thoughts...

2009-08-10T23:21:00.000+08:00

It's been a long time since I posted my thoughts on Matt's blog. I guess nowadays, I am always so busy running after Matt. He's really been the joy of my life, especially after a hard day's work in the office, although very often, I think he tires me out more taking care of him (or should I say running after him...) than working on a complex accounting issue at work.

In preparation for his little sister's arrival in the next 1-2 weeks (most likely), we have decided to enroll him into a childcare centre @ Sparkletots. As you can see from previous posts on the blog, he is trying to adapt to the place and I was allowed to stay with him for the 1st three days. He's been really clingy these days. At times I just wonder what is causing that. As my mum would always say, he probably knows a little sister is coming to "fight" with him for Mummy's attention. Of course, whenever my mum says that, I will always correct her and not let her speak into Matt's life. I also wonder whether it is an environment / weather change, cos this happened the last time we returned to Singapore in April as well, but the moment we were back in Shanghai, he was very much back to his old self. This really leaves me scratching my head for answers. Nevertheless, I can tell he is settling down and of course, his grandparents here in Singapore love having him around.

So some thoughts about the little one in my tummy... I guess this pregnancy really went past so fast, that suddenly I realise, I am able to deliver very soon. This little girl is definitely more active in my stomach than Matt, moving so much at all times of the day. Of course, Dr Chan have shown me lots of ultrasound pictures of her and he's really funny. Always tell me my baby girl has lots of hair (which isn't bad, of course). At my last check up last Thursday, the little one weighed about 2.5kg. Well, I guess a bit small as compared to the average but certainly comparable to Matt at the same stage. A lot of people were astonished at the size of my tummy when I tell them that I am able to deliver soon in the next 1-2 weeks. I guess, the little one really hide herself well and obviously, I am thrilled as that means easier weight loss after delivery. To date, I put on about 11kg and I hope to stay at that. Dr Chan gave me a hard time after I put on 2kg in 2 weeks when I first came back to Singapore. It's the last lap and let's hope it finishes quickly (ie a short and fast delivery)...

Third Day @ Sparkletots...

2009-08-05T20:11:00.011+08:00

It's the third day @ Sparkletots and things are getting better, although I am still relatively sticking onto Mummy. But somehow after following the schedule for 3 days now, Mummy seems to think that they feed us too much. There is breakfast at 830AM, lunch at 11AM and then milk at 1230PM before we nap. Then when we wake up around 3PM, there is afternoon snack again. My appetite seems to be really good, at times asking for additional helpings. Mummy's worried I will end up eating too much. Maybe it's time to cut my milk intake then.

Here's a playdough session...

Here's a Dora session after lunch to settle us in before our afternoon nap.

Look what I am doing, trying to climb across to the other side where infant care is. Guess what I saw to prompt me to do this??? I saw CARS...

Second Day @ Sparkletots...

2009-08-04T17:39:00.014+08:00

It was my second day @ Sparkletots today. I made a real good start by walking on my own all the way to and fro Sparkletots. It was also a better day.

Here's a session whereby the teachers taught on sea creatures. They actually brought live crabs into class. I actually held one crab (of course, it is tied up!), but Mummy did not manage to capture that shot.

Here's a colouring of another sea creature - a fish...

During the play session, Mummy thinks I was being naughty, cos I had collected all the cars and refused to let other kids play with them.

We had a gym session later this afternoon and I learnt to balance myself whilst walking along a narrow bench.

Today, I even had the chance to feed myself today during lunch and tea time, after seeing other kids in class feed themselves. I had spaghetti and apple for lunch. The spaghetti is so yummy that I helped myself to another helping. Considering it was my first day trying to feed myself, Mummy thinks I have done a very good job...

I managed to take a nap after lunch @ Sparkletots...

First Day @ Sparkletots...

2009-08-03T17:34:00.004+08:00

It was a first day for me @ Sparkletots... My big day... First day in school cum childcare... Appears that everyone's concerned as Mummy kept receiving calls from Daddy, 婆婆, 姨姨 etc how I was doing. As expected, I was really sticky to Mummy (I have been since I came back to Singapore, since this is a new environment for me...) Mummy had to stay with me the entire session. It was a reasonably good start though. I was tired out by 11AM and when all the other kids in my group were having lunch, I had konked out. Mummy had to carry me for a 10 minute walk home.

Here's me having breakfast with the other kids @ Sparkletots...

Here's me having a fun time building blocks...

But alas, I started throwing tantrums and Mummy had to bring me to the glass door entrance so that I can see the passing by vehicles...

Mummy's Bloom Shots...

2009-08-02T21:59:00.000+08:00

It's been something that Mummy has been wanting to do, since she knew she was expecting my little Mei Mei... Finally, she did it this morning... Since Daddy isn't around, Mummy thought she would bring me. Alas, I was more interested in the toys that Uncle David (today's photographer from Foto-U) has in his studio and only managed to take a few.

However, Uncle David managed to capture my "glutton" expressions... Hahaha... Obviously I was more interested in having my morning snacks than doing a photo shoot...

Shoes Too Big???

2009-07-28T22:07:00.002+08:00

It seems like all kids go through this phase of wearing adults' shoes. In fact, Mummy did the same when she was young. See how I attempt to walk with 舅舅's shoes...

Brushing My Teeth...

2009-07-28T21:59:00.003+08:00

Mummy has been using the finger toothbrush that came together with First Teeth toothpaste to brush my teeth for a long time. But for the recent few months, I have always bitten Mummy's finger when she attempts to brush my teeth. So now, she decided to get me a mini toothbrush. See how I am having fun brushing my own teeth...

A Joy Ride...

2009-07-24T22:34:00.003+08:00

Mummy brought me out on a joy ride alone today on the bus. She had to see Dr Chan for her routine maternity check up at Gleneagles Hospital. Nowadays, the buses are getting so much more baby-friendly, that Mummy can push my stroller up the bus without having to close it. Of course, the bus driver was very nice to help Mummy lift me cum stroller up onto the bus.

10 Ways to Prepare Your child for their New Sibling

2009-07-24T20:37:00.001+08:00

Mummy chanced upon some tips to help me cope better with the arrival of my little sister. Hope this will come in handy when Mei Mei arrives next month...

Prepare a sibling gift for your newborn. Ask the elder child to give this present to the baby when he is born. This signifies that the elder child welcomes and accepts his sibling
Allow your elder child to be involved when you are expecting ( e.g doing up the baby's room, arranging the baby clothes , toys etc)
Talk to your child about your pregnancy. Tell him he was once a baby and now he is grown up. Share with him that he is going to have a younger sibling
Reassure your child that mummy will still love him the way it was and nothing is going to change that.
Borrow books from the library about sibling love. Read and explain to your child.
Bring your child along when you go for your ultrascans.
When your newborn is born, get him involve to help to bring the diaper, the wet wipes and he is welcome be around the baby ( a lot of parents make a simple mistake that is to ask the elder child not to be near to the baby in fear that he may hurt the baby. Remember your child may thinks that mummy does not love him anymore)
If you are a breastfeeding mum, allow your child to see and be in the same room while you are breastfeeding. This helps to strengthen the bond between your child and the baby and also your bonding with him.
Try to keep routines the same with your elder child after your newborn is born. This will help your child to ease the transition.
Talk to your hubby and your parents in law (family members) not to neglect your elder child when the newborn arrives. ( many adult tends to be overwhelmed with the baby and indirectly neglects the other child). Spend as much time with the elder child, still giving him the attention as before.

A Trainee Doctor???

2009-07-22T22:22:00.000+08:00

Mummy has been teaching me how to "play" with my doctor's set... She taught me how to use the doctor's instruments on a toy bear. How to feed bear bear medicine, giving bear bear an injection and even using the stethoscope to listen to the breathing and heartbeat sounds of bear bear...

A Joy Ride...

2009-07-20T10:42:00.003+08:00

Mummy realised it has become a great task to bring me out, without a stroller to confine me. Last night, we were at Great World City and I was having loads of fun running in between the shelves in G2000 whilst 舅舅 was trying clothes. To pacify me out of there, Mummy had to bring me for a joy ride on this train. However, not only did Mummy realise that it now costs S$1 for each ride, each ride only lasts for a very short period of time. Things are getting so costly in Singapore...

My NTUC Shopping Encounter...

2009-07-20T10:31:00.004+08:00

Mummy brought me to NTUC today to stock up my daily needs. Look at my astonished face as I see loads of Dumex milk powder and diapers stacking up in the shelves.

Daddy’s Death Encounter at Ritz Carlton, Jakarta

2009-07-17T22:15:00.006+08:00

Daddy was on a one-week business trip in Jakarta, staying at the Ritz Carlton where the terrorist bomb attacks took place. I thank God that He has protected Daddy from harm and that Daddy was able to come home safely. Here is Daddy’s encounter:

It was an ordinary Friday morning on July 17, 2009, at the Ritz Carlton Jakarta where Daddy was having breakfast alone at the Air Langga. Unlike his previous trips where he usually tow his luggage along for breakfast so that he can check out directly after, Daddy had decided to leave his luggage back in the room this time round and pick it up after breakfast since he had some extra time. This 10 minutes was all that made a difference between life and death on this fateful day.

At about 7.35 am Jakarta time, Daddy left the breakfast area for his room on the 20th floor. At around 7.45, he heard a loud explosion coming from the streets below. The explosion was so powerful that he could feel the building shake. Daddy brushed off the noise as being some demolition work carried out at a nearby construction site. However, following the explosion, there were sirens going off and a lot of commotion going on in the streets below. Out of curiosity, Daddy looked out towards the Marriott hotel across the road and saw smoke coming out of the building and people scrambling. As he was rushing for time, Daddy did not think much about it but went about checking the room for items that he may have forgotten to pack.

Two minutes later, another explosion rocked the building, but this time, Daddy was not sure where the explosion came from, though he could sense it was very near. Thoughts of terrorist attacks did come to his mind, but Daddy brushed them aside because to him, this Kuningan area where the Ritz is located is a relatively safe place as security is even tighter than other areas because of the large number of foreigners frequenting the area. Moreover, the Ritz has got security checks on incoming cars and visitors and armed security forces at the entrance of the hotel. Anyway, as he was due to be picked up by the company’s driver at 8.00 am, Daddy left the room without further thoughts.

When Daddy stepped out of the lift with another 2 hotel residents, they were totally shocked and confused. What greeted them at the lobby was smoke billowing from the restaurant area, broken and shattered glass all over the floor and a fire alarm in the background. There was nobody at the lobby area to tell them what was happening and what they should do – one thing they did figure out…. the second explosion came from within the Ritz itself.

Within the split second, two options came to Daddy’s mind – 1. Dash 100 metres down the vehicle ramp to a nearby field, and risk being hit by scattering debris if there was a second explosion. 2. Head back up to the room and wait for rescue, and risk fire hazards and chances of the building collapse if there was a second explosion. Eventually, Daddy took the 1st option and sprinted 100 metres to the nearby field to safety.

There were already many people gathered at the field, including bystanders who have stopped to look at what happened. Some of the residents were in the state of shock; others who were injured were helped by bystanders. There was confusion as to what happened. Just then, the company driver, Mr Denden located Daddy, and briefly told him that the Ritz had been bombed. Both of them hurried towards the car, and drove off from the scene.

In the car, Mr Denden shared that he was waiting at the lobby at around 7.45 when the explosion took place in the Air Langga. The explosion was so powerful that he was thrown off his balance. Daddy really thanks God that Mr Denden was not hurt in the incident. In fact, Daddy truly grateful that despite Mr Denden’s own shocking encounter, Mr Denden was still very professional to have searched for him frantically amongst the crowd gathered at the field, just to make sure that Daddy is ok.

Within the next one hour, many calls keep coming in from Daddy’s close friends and colleagues who had learnt about the news and were concerned about his well being. Daddy is truly grateful to these friends and colleagues who had showered much concern during this period of time.

Evening news and papers review that the 2 bombs were the result of suicide bombers detonating themselves in the restaurants. Daddy is a little disturbed by the state of the restaurant and the pictures of the injured, some of whom are waiters/waitresses that he had seen at breakfast time as it reminded him of the encounter that was a little too close for comfort.

However, there were a few things that we can all learn from this incident:

Security can never be taken for granted and such incidents can take place anywhere around the world, including Singapore. All security checks though bothersome are necessary and the public must play a part by being alert to their surroundings.
There are people in the world who can be extreme and radical in their thinking. This makes them extremely dangerous, as they would not think twice to sacrifice their lives and those of others for a cause that they believe in.
It is a reminder that our God is a sovereign God. All that we own including our lives are in His hands. As such, we should be focus on His purposes and learn to make our days count for Him, because we never know what would happen the very next moment.
Though there is much evil in this world, we do not need to live in fear of these evil ones, because we know our Sovereign God watches, guards and protects us, His flock.

Finally, Daddy and I would like to pray for all those who have been injured in the incident that God grant them a speedy recovery. We would also like to pray for those who have lost someone in the incident that God would comfort them and our hearts are with them in this time of grieving.

Photos Complimentary by Uncle Aaron...

2009-07-11T22:12:00.001+08:00

These photos are taken by Uncle Aaron at Uncle Jay's ROM solemnisation that we came back earlier for...

The Sweet Tooth...

2009-07-07T18:21:00.000+08:00

Daddy thinks this is something that I have inherited from Mummy... the sweet tooth for sweet drinks (hates to drink water!!!). Here's an occasion where we were out for dinner and I actually demanded to drink the orange juice Mummy has ordered. Check out my satisfied look...