Serangoon Playdate

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Brandon and Ollie



Ollie, Brandon, Thomas, Daniel, and Cheng-Hoon

This week's Friday playgroup was moved to Thursday due to Friday being a public holiday. My Chinese friend, Jasmine, hosted the playgroup at her house this week.

Jasmine's house is located in the town Serangoon. Serangoon is in the North-East Region of the central part of Singapore. It was about a 20 minute cab ride to Jasmine's house from where we live.

Jasmine was such a generous hostess! She made Chinese noodles (lo mein), chicken wings with potatoes and carrots, and congee (rice porridge). She had grapes, oranges, and dragon fruit, as well as fish crackers, cookies and chrysanthemum tea. Everything was so delicious! (Well, I wasn't a fan of the fish crackers, although Brandon and I both tried them. Brandon even gave it a few bites more than me.)

As I might have mentioned before, Jasmine has lived in Singapore for twenty years. Her husband is Singaporean, but she met her husband when he was working in Hong Kong. He now works in Taiwan, while she and her three boys live here in Sinapore. Jasmine became a citizen of Singapore soon after she moved here. Jasmine told me that her husband will retire to Singapore in ten years. Now, he just travels to Singapore one weekend each month.

Jasmine told me something interested about real estate in Singapore. If you are not a citizen of Singapore, you can buy a home, but not the land. Only Singaporeans can buy land. Jasmine did say that Sentosa is an exception to this. Sentosa is an island just off the south coast of the main island of Singapore. The two are connected by a bridge for cars and a monorail. Jasmine said that you don't have to be Singaporean to buy land there, but she said that it is outrageously expensive.

Jasmine has a lovely home, and Brandon and I had such a nice time there.

When Brandon and I took a cab home, the traffic was horrible. Not sure if the traffice was due to the time of day or the fact that it was a holiday eve. Since it took about thirty minutes to get back home, Brandon fell asleep in the cab. He was exhausted since he had been up since 5:30 am. I made it up to our apartment without waking Brandon, and he took a three hour nap. Wow!

After Brandon's nap, we walked to our friend Amanda's apartment. It had been awhile since we had seen her and Kate. It was great catching up with Amanda. We let Brandon and Kate play for about an hour, and then we walked to Somerset 313 for dinner. Amanda introduced me to a great sandwich place there. Yummy!

On our way back home, Brandon and I stopped in to see Jo, Jessie, and Jake. We only intended to stay for ten minutes, but we ended up staying for almost two hours! Steven called while we were there and said that he would make it home from work earlier tonight. I thought that it would be nice to delay Brandon's bedtime a bit tonight, so that he could spend some time with Daddy. Steven stopped at Jo's on his way in. He was in awe at how large their three bedroom apartment is. It was the first time he had been there. Steven enjoyed an Anchor beer before we headed up to our apartment.

As Brandon was still awake, he was able to say goodnight to Grandma D on Skype before heading to bed.

What a busy day!!!

15 Months and Bugis Junction

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Trickshaws at Bugis Junction street market



Shops at Bugis Junction street market

Amazing. Our little boy who was once barely "6 pounds of awesome" is now a 15 month old toddler with quite the attitude, personality, and will. We are having so much fun together, and I think that Brandon gets even more fun each day. But, still. How did it all happen so fast? (Mommy has issues with her little boy growing up, if you can't tell. :) )

Steven, Brandon, and I caught a cab together this morning. Brandon and I didn't have any plans today, so I decided to take him to Royce Gym. Clarke Quay is on the way to Steven's work, so we had the cab drop us off there before taking Steven to work. When we arrived at our stop, Steven was holding Brandon. When I tried to take Brandon so Steven could get back in the cab, Brandon grabbed Steven and yelled, "No!" So sweet and so sad. Brandon loves his daddy!

Brandon enjoyed his hour at Royce, and then we headed home for lunch and nap. I have been taking naps these last few days too. I'm just so tired!

This afternoon, Jo invited us to Bugis Junction with her and the kids. We didn't have any plans, so I decided to join. While we took a cab, Bugis Junction is location right above the Bugis MRT station. Bugis Junction is another mall, but it has a lot of character. The roof in the middle of the mall was glass, so it felt a little like you were outdoors. However, the mall was airconditioned, so you definitely knew you were indoors. :) Across the street from the mall was an outdoor shopping market. It reminded me a little of Chinatown. There were stands selling souvenirs and fruits and vegetables. The place was definitely hopping!

I tried a couple of Japanese pancakes while we were at Bugis. They were in the shapes of fish. Basically, these were stuffed pancakes. I got one stuffed with chocolate and one stuffed with kaya. We also got some chicken on a stick. I was hoping Brandon would eat it, but I guess he wasn't in the mood.

I love seeing new areas of the city, but it is difficult exploring in the late afternoons. At this point, it has been a long day, and we are all tired. It's harder to have patience with the crowds. Today we also had all three kids with us. Definitely harder than just having Brandon, even with all three kids being pretty well behaved.

I'm losing track of all the words that Brandon knows. He now says "uh oh" all of the time when he drops or throws something. He also says "thank you" now. It's so cute. It sounds like "ta to" or "da do". Brandon also says "no" to so many things now. Do you want cheese? "No." Do you want a cracker? "No." Do you want yogurt melts? "Mmmm Mmmm." He knows what he wants and likes. Steven and I have a code word for "no". When we are having a conversation about Brandon saying "no", we use the word "yippee" in place of "no". It's pretty funny. Brandon, let's take your vitamins. "Yippee!"

I talked to my mom this evening on Skype which I don't often do because it's her morning, and she is getting ready for work. I wanted to talk to her about Brandon's lab results. Dr. Chiang called today and told me that Brandon's iron is still low. I was pretty bummed out about this. I have been giving Brandon his iron supplements for almost three months now. Also, Brandon's been eating better - rice cereal, beans, meat, etc. I need to find out if his iron has come up at all. I'm waiting for the copy of the lab report, and then I'll talk to Brandon's pediatrician back home to see what she thinks. Dr. Chiang wasn't concerned. (Mommy is.) Just want to make sure we know why the iron is low. It's strange. Without the iron test, I would not have known Brandon's iron is low. He has no symptoms of anemia.

Tonight was the first night I haven't nursed Brandon before bed. Brandon cried for a few minutes, and then started to doze in my arms. Not sure why I didn't nurse him tonight. After Brandon had his bath and we read books, it just felt like time. We'll see how the rest of the week goes. I hope the final weening process is easy (for both of us). Bittersweet.

Steven is Home!

Steven came home from work last night after I had gone to bed. It was a pretty rough night for all of us. Brandon woke up at around 3:30 am, and Steven tried to get him back to sleep. As Brandon hadn't seen Steven for a week, this really confused Brandon. He wanted Mommy. However, once I was with him, he kept looking at the door to see if Daddy was there. In the end, Steven was the one who had to get Brandon back to sleep, but I think it took a couple of hours...

Brandon was so happy to see Daddy in the morning. Daddy brought Brandon a little Paddington Bear and a Paddington Bear book from London. I got a London coffee mug and some coasters since we don't have any. And, Steven brought Team Bierly back a London magnet. So nice for Steven to bring us gifts. We missed him!

Steven was amazed at how much Brandon has changed in just one week. He was shocked at how many words Brandon can say and at how Brandon mimics what we say. Steven said, "Uh oh." Brandon said, "Uh oh." Steven said, "Whoa." Brandon said, "Whoa."

Steven also asked Brandon to nuzzle his nose, and he did! I wasn't sure that Brandon knew what that was even though I've tried to show him a few times. He loved giving Daddy eskimo kisses!

I told Steven that he left a 15 month old (almost) and came back to a 15 year old. Ha! I hope that time doesn't really pass that quickly!!!

Jo came with me and Brandon to Mt. Elizabeth Hospital this morning. We had another follow-up with Dr. Chiang. The doctor said that Brandon looks good, but he said that we should keep on the inhaler for one more week. We don't have to go back for any more follow-up appointments. Glad about that. Dr. Chiang agreed that Brandon probably has some allergies here. Almost always a runny nose and cough!

Brandon weighed 10.4 kg (almost 23 pounds) again today.

After the appointment with Dr. Chiang, we went down to the laboratory for Brandon's bloodwork. We wanted to check Brandon's labs, especially his iron to see if it has improved since his 12 months appointment. We have been giving the iron supplements, so I'm really hoping that his iron is no longer low.

Jo came with me today in case I needed help/support for the lab work. I held Brandon down, and Jo tried to distract him. Two lab techs drew the blood from Brandon's arm. The one who was actually putting in the needle couldn't get the vein the first time. Then, she just kept poking the needle in Brandon's arm in every direction trying to hit the vein. It took her a few minutes to get the blood to come. Brandon cried but handled it like a champ. Ughhh!!! We should get the lab results back tomorrow or Thursday.

The three of us headed to the Paragon after the hospital. We went to Toys-R-Us to look around for a bit, and then we went down to lunch at Din Tai Fung. (I managed to escape Toys-R-Us without buying Brandon anything. I didn't want him to think that he gets a toy everytime he has to get something painful done at the doctor's office.) Brandon ate almost a whole pork chop at lunch. Hope that meat brings up his iron!!! :)

We hit up the grocery at the Paragon before taking a cab home.

After Brandon's nap, we went over to Wendy and Sofia's for an afternoon playdate. Sofia had several new toys from her birthday party that Brandon loved, including a tent with balls. Balls, balls, balls!!!

Jo, Jessie, and Jake were at the Great World Mall when we left Wendy's apartment. Since Wendy lives in the apartments connected to the mall, we met them at the mall for a bit. Brandon was ecstatic when he saw Jessie and Jake. He was smiling and laughing with them. He even held Jessie's hand when I let him down to walk.

We all walked home from the mall, and Jo, Jessie, and Jake came up to play with Brandon for a few minutes before his bath.

I can't believe that Brandon will actually be 15 months old tomorrow! Where does the time go???

Something interesting - Jo told me today that Nicole Kidman's sister's four children go to school across the street at the Overseas Family School. This is the same school that Jessie and Jake go to.

Home At Last, Almost

This morning, Brandon was in a mood. It wasn't a bad mood, but it wasn't a good mood either. Just a mood where he was very strong minded and strong willed. His favorite word again today was "no"...



When Jo called to invite us on another morning walk, I was thrilled! Even though we had to leave at 10:15 am for our playgroup, we needed to get out of the house for a bit.



We joined Jo for another walk on the quays. No kids with her today. Their dad walked them to school on his way to work this morning.



We went for about an hour walk. About 50 minutes into the walk, Brandon fell asleep in the stroller. This isn't like Brandon. I think he is getting up in the mornings before he is really ready. I think getting a little less sleep each night for the last few nights is catching up to him.



I let Brandon sleep in the stroller for about 45 minutes while I showered and got ready for the playdate. Then, I had to wake him up as Kristie and Will were picking us up in a cab. He was in a good mood when I woke him up. Sigh of relief. I was worried!



I had a nice time at the playgroup. The Friday playgroup that we joined is now also meeting on Mondays, and today it was at Petra's house. Hardest part about the playgroup today was that the house wasn't really baby proofed. Petra's daughter, Lisa, is about 8 months. Since she isn't crawling or walking yet, they haven't really had to do all that much baby proofing. I spent most of the playdate trying to distract Brandon from all of the tempting household items and accessories that he wanted.



When we returned home, Brandon was in his crazy mood again. While he fought me a little on his normal afternoon nap, he did go to sleep for almost two hours. I could tell that he was tired!



Late this afternoon, Steven called. Yay! He is back in Singapore. Steven had to go to work from the airport, so we probably won't see him until tomorrow, but it is so nice knowing that he is home.



Brandon and I stopped by Jo's apartment on our way out for a walk to find some dinner. Brandon was playing well with Jessie and Jake tonight, and Jo and Dean invited me to stay for dinner. I felt a little bad intruding on their family time, but they insisted. They are so wonderful!



Looking forward to having Steven home soon...

Walk on the Quays

Jo invited me and Brandon to go for a walk with her and Jessie this morning. Jake stayed home with his dad, and Jessie brought her scooter, so we were able to go for a nice brisk walk. We walked down Leonie Hill and across River Valley Road to the river. I have walked between home and Clarke Quay, but I have always walked on River Valley Road. I didn't know that there is a really nice walking path that runs along the quays (wharfs) on the river.








We had an amazing walk along Robertson Quay and Clarke Quay. We left for the walk just after 8 am, so it wasn't too hot out yet. There was also some shade and a really nice breeze. It was one of the very few times I have been really comfortable outside in the weather here.





I also found some really cute coffee shops and restaurants along the river. I'm looking forward to going back and trying some of these soon. Maybe when we have our company visit in June and July.





This afternoon, Brandon and I walked to Great World City apartments for Sofia's first birthday party. They had a bbq outside next to the pool. The weather was great, and the party was really nice. I would have enjoyed it more though if Steven had been able to be there. Since the party was at the pool, I had to watch and chase Brandon most of our time there. The grill was located near a deep part of the adult pool, and the children's pool was all the way across the pool deck. So, it was hard to do any socializing. :(





When we got home from the party, Steven called from the airport in London. Unfortunately, he called to tell me that he missed his flight back to Singapore. I guess he was working and just got crunched for time. He made it to the gate (I think) 30 minutes before the flight left, but they wouldn't let him on. They said that they do the last boarding 45 minutes before the departure time. Bummer for me, Brandon, and Steven!!!





Steven will have to take the next flight which leaves a few hours later. Looking forward to having him back in Singapore tomorrow!

Jurong Bird Park

Either Brandon was just exploring this morning, or he was really ready to go "bye bye". He climbed into the basket of our stroller! I can't believe he even fit under there! :)










We did leave the house early this Saturday morning. We took a cab to pick up our Australian friend, Arch, and her daughter, Aria, and we all shared a cab to the Jurong Bird Park. Brandon has been so excited by birds lately that I thought he would really enjoy the bird park. Arch's husband is also out of town, so it was the perfect day to get together for an outing.



http://www.birdpark.com.sg/


When we first entered the bird park, we saw parrots and flamingos. Brandon kept pointing and staring. When I got him out of the stroller, he didn't even run off. He just stood there and looked at the birds. When I tried to get him to follow me to the next exhibit of birds, he wouldn't budge. I think he thought we were leaving the birdies.





Even though we got caught in a downpour of rain while we were there, we had a great time at the bird park. I will probably try to go back to the park one more time while we are here. There were a few things we didn't get to see, and I think that Brandon would enjoy it again. It was also great walking exercise for me! The park covered a lot of land area, and there were hills. There was the option of taking a tram around the park. The tram actually looked pretty neat. It rode high above the ground at points, and it went through the trees. Probably some great sights from the tram.



































Brandon trying to grab Aria for a hug. She was trying to run from him!

Brandon likes the older and taller women. Aria is 2 1/2 years old!

Wow! Fish!

Brandon liked looking at birds, but these birds were a little scary. Brandon stood and stared at this bird statue, but he would NOT pass it without Mommy's hand.

Late this afternoon, Brandon, Jo, Jessie, and I walked to Orchard Road. Through tomorrow, the Thailand Trade Exhibition is going on at the Thai Embassy. We walked there and visited the booths set up in the main entrance of the embassy grounds. The booths were selling Thai household items, jewelry, and food, to name a few. I bought a unique beaded bracelet. Jo and I also enjoyed some Pad Thai. Very spicy, so I couldn't give any to Brandon. :( I like going to special exhibits and events here when I have the chance.

So, Brandon used the word "no" several times today... This morning, I asked him to come out of the kitchen, and he firmly said, "No." This afternoon, I heard him tell Aria "no" about something. Also, I was holding him at the bird park, and I asked him if he wanted me to put him down. He shook his head "yes", but when I tried to put him down, he said, "No." This evening, he was trying to climb a chair. When I told him he couldn't do that, he again said, "No." While I'm sure that this is something all kids learn to do, I think that Brandon has picked it up lately from Jake and Jessie. Not thrilled about this happening so fast, but oh, well... I just have to try not to smile or laugh in front of Brandon when he says "no". It's hard though! It is cute, and his "no" sounds like "neo". Ready or not, here we go!!!

Fidgets

This morning Jo stopped by for a bit.

Really nice to have some company in the morning, especially since Steven is gone.

Our Friday playgroup this week decided to meet at a playroom rather than at someone's house. We went to Fidgets, which is located at the Turf City mall.

www.fidgets.com.sg

Turf City was a very unique mall. It felt very "local". Old and even a bit dirty for what I'm use to seeing in Singapore. Lots of small stores and Asian food stalls with outdoor seating.

Turf City seemed like a strange location for Fidgets. Fidgets was clean and new. There were three different play areas for the kids. One play area was for small children, maybe around one year old and younger. A second play area was for kids around Brandon's age to a couple of years older. The third play area was for bigger children from around 4 to 10 years of age.

The two smaller play areas were on one side of the playroom, and the larger play area was on the opposite side of the room. In the middle between the two play areas was a restaurant/coffee shop with couches, chairs, and tables. I think the idea was that parents and helpers could enjoy coffee, etc. while letting their children play. Would have been nice, but that obviously couldn't happen for most parents.

I thought that Fidgets was okay. The thing that bothered me most was that there were no gates or doors that separated the different play areas. It would have been nice to be able to contain the children in one area at a time. Then, if Brandon wanted to go to a different play area, I would have to take him and not have to be chasing him in and out of the two smaller play areas.

If Fidgets were closer to where we live, I might be inclined to go frequently still, but it was about a 20 minute cab ride there. Not too convenient. At least I was able to share a cab to and from Fidgets with my friend Kristie.

This afternoon, Wendy and Sofia came over for a playdate. Today is Sofia's first birthday! We will be going to Sofia's birthday bbq this Sunday.

We went down to Jo's apartment again this evening. Jo's husband, Dean, travels frequently for work. He returned from Australia late last night, so Jessie and Jake didn't get to see him much or at all before bed. We were there when Dean arrived home from work tonight, and the kids were so excited to see Daddy. Brandon was also very excited to see Dean, whom he has only met a couple of times. I think that Brandon really missed Steven. He has been more interested in men this past week while Steven has been away.

As of now, Steven will be leaving London on Sunday. Hopefully, he will be back in Singapore on Monday morning!