Esplanade

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Mommy and Brandon by the Singapore River

The Esplanade, Singapore's performing arts venue

Brandon before bed ("Mommy, I don't want to go to bed. I want to go bye bye.")

Eighth picture down - building in the middle of the picture, just to the right of the tree, is where Steven works

This morning after Brandon and I walked Daddy to the train, we headed to The Coffee Club to meet a friend for breakfast. I met my friend and her daughter through the AWA a couple of weeks ago. It turned out that she also had met my neighbor who lives one floor below us. The three of us were planning to get together, but my neighbor had to cancel. We had such a nice time talking about all kinds of topics, such as babies, Singapore, and home (America). It felt good to talk to someone in my shoes. While it is my friend's second trip to Singapore, she has only been here a few more days than us. We are all still adjusting!

It felt really nice to have breakfast outdoors, and we decided to share a couple of items so that we could try something new. It's hard for me to be adventurous with food when I am by myself. I usually need to order something that I know I and/or Brandon will like. I don't want to buy a meal and then still be hungry.

Today, we ordered something called "chicken congee". It was kind of like a soupy grits with chicken. Although I'm not a huge fan of grits, this was pretty good. It had a nice flavor, and we at it with large soup spoons.

After breakfast, we walked to Cold Storage to do some grocery shopping. I broke down and bought a couple of bottles of wine. Alcohol is expensive here, so I bought two of the cheaper bottles I could find. (I'm actually enjoying a nice glass of wine now. Just what I needed!)

During Brandon's nap today, I was thinking about how glad I am that we will be moving. There is a new high rise building being built right next door to us. When I put Brandon down for his nap, it is usually pretty quiet, but about half way into his nap it gets quite loud. I think that the workers are on lunch break when Brandon goes to sleep. I'm pretty sure that the noise has woken Brandon up from his nap early several times. Then, he can't go back to sleep and is cranky. Don't know for sure, but I don't think there are any new buildings being built next to the apartment building we plan to be in soon.

By 3:30 this afternoon, Brandon was standing at the door wanting to go "bye bye". He can play on his own at home for a while, but then he gets bored. We either have to go down to the pool or go out to do something.

We decided to go down and meet Daddy for a very early dinner today. We ate at a restaurant on the river again. The weather was so nice. There was a short rain this afternoon, and it was a little overcast. I actually like when it's overcast here.

After dinner, Brandon and I took a walk to Esplanade Park. The Esplanade is a performing arts venue here that is located on Marina Bay. I hope that Steven and I are able to attend an event there while we are here. Chicago, the musical, is currently showing there. Nice timing!

I saw the Singapore Flyer from a distance. I am really looking forward to going up in it. Basically, it is like an extremely large Ferris Wheel of observation pods. I've heard that the Flyer gives amazing views of the city. Maybe we'll have to try this a couple of times, once during the day, and once at night.

I'm still getting a sense for distance and direction here. As we were eating dinner, I noticed a bridge that looked familiar. I realized that it was the bridge I could see from Clarke Quay yesterday. Then, I walked from Esplanade Park to the City Hall MRT stop. I've been to Clarke Quay, City Hall, and Raffles on the MRT, and I thought that they were all far apart. However, they're each about 5 min. walking distance apart. Very cool for me to put together all of the pieces and know more about where things are. Sometimes maps just can't give me enough perspective.

Brandon and I got home at 6 pm. I could tell that Brandon was tired, but he wasn't quite ready for bed. I wanted to let him play for a bit and run the last of his energy out before bed.

About a minute after we got home, there was a knock on our door. It was one of our neighbors and her two kids. We've played with them down at the pool a couple of times, and they are super friendly. They are from Australia, and the two kids are 4 and 9. They just love Brandon! They came up to our unit to find out if we wanted to play on the tennis courts for a while. Perfect timing!

Brandon had so much fun playing with the children. I wish that I had taken a video of the three kids playing. It was great. Brandon had one of their balls, and he was running away from them. They were pretending to chase him, and he was squeeling and laughing. They ran around for about an hour.

After playing, the family stopped back by our apartment to bring me some ice cream. How nice is that? They also brought Brandon one of their little stuffed toys and three pictures - two of them and one of their dog back home. I gave them a picture of Brandon.

Sigh... Now it makes me feel a little bad that we're moving. However, the other apartment is just a nicer two-bedroom, and it will be a more comfortable place for us. I told my new friends that I am happy to come over to this place still for swim and play once we've moved. It won't be that far. Maybe we can plan to get together once or twice a week. Are we doing the right thing by moving???

Steven and I were talking tonight about how we feel that we are having to learn and adjust to a new toddler. Every day Brandon is doing something new. He is like a little sponge right now. He understands so much. A month ago I felt like I had a little baby. Now, he is definitely his own person. Little big man. Brandon is saying "bye bye" to me now when he leaves the room I am in. He gives hugs and kisses when asked. He knows many of the body parts. He knows basic "commands", like "sit" and "stand". He knows so many of the words we say to him. I can't keep up with all of the new things that are happening.

We feel like Brandon is starting to go through a little "Mommy" stage. It could be because I am weening him. Maybe he is trying to be sure that there is still an connection/attachment between the two of us. However, little man still loves his Daddy. When we met Steven for dinner tonight, Brandon reached for him right away and then laid his head on Steven's shoulder for about a minute. What a hug!

Hoping that some family members will be booking flights to Singapore soon. It will be nice to have company to look forward to in the next couple of months!!!

Oh, and happy, happy birthday to my brother today! Love you, Ryan!!!

Clarke Quay

Pictures -

Clarke Quay

Brandon playing at Royce Gym

Today, Brandon and I had no plans, so when we walked Steven to the train, we decided to also get on and head to Clarke Quay (pronounced "key"). Last Friday, we went to Royce Gym located in Liang Court near Clarke Quay, but we took a cab since I wasn't sure how to get there by train. It was a quick train ride - only one red line stop, a transfer to the purple line, and one stop on that.

Clarke Quay is such a cute area. Located right on the Singapore River, there are lots of restaurants and shops. I think that we need a babysitter soon so that we can go on a date there!

Wasn't really sure where I was going once I got off of the train, but after asking a couple of people, I found Liang Court (a mall). Not a far walk from the MRT station.

Royce Gym is amazing! Tons of space and tons of toys! You pay to play for one hour, and at the end of the hour someone comes to tell you your time is up. The nice thing about this is that it keeps down the crowd. They even take your temperature and your child's temperature and sanitize your hands before letting you into the gym. Clean and nice.

I met a couple more really nice people at the play gym today. One woman from New Zealand and another from Australia. The Australian woman actually lived in Naperville for three years before moving to Singapore. Nice to talk to someone about home for a bit. Since she and I were leaving the gym at the same time, she invited us to have coffee with her and a couple of her friends. People are so nice here. Especially when they find out that we are new to Singapore, most people are quick to offer their contact information and coffee and play dates.

I decided to take a cab home from the gym. It was time for Brandon's nap, and I really wanted to make it home before he crashed.

This afternoon, we went to the Forum playground. When we returned, a bunch of the kids in our building were down at the pool so we hung around down there for a bit. The children were playing with water balloons today, and Brandon loved them! He kept throwing a water balloon trying to pop it, but he couldn't throw it hard enough. A little girl had to help him.

We have decided to move to the other apartment. Not sure when the move will happen, but I'm thinking that it will be in the next week. A little sad that we will not be seeing the same children we've seen over the last few weeks down at the pool any more.

Has anyone seen my baby? I feel like Brandon has changed and matured so much in the last two weeks. His face is starting to look older, and he is even acting older. Even more personality.

When he waves now, he says "ha", which is his "hi". I feel like he is starting to imitate us more, so I don't think it will be long before he starts to say even more words. We've been singing, dancing, and listening to music more lately. Brandon is learning how to turn in a circle. It's kind of funny. Not sure if he is trying to dance or just being silly. When I sing, he also makes noise. I think he is starting to try to sing. He's going to love to sing just like Daddy! I have a feeling we're going to have a very noisy home! We aren't a quiet family!

Took a really cute video of Brandon in the bath tonight, but I don't think I want to post that on the blog and have it all over the internet. Just don't think I want to do that to little Brandon. It might surface someday when he is trying to find a good job. :)

New Week

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Brandon in his tent made from chairs and a blanket



This morning Brandon and I walked Steven to the Somerset MRT. Lately, our routine has been to grab some quick breakfast at a bakery located in the MRT station mall. The place is called Marche, and it is delicious! They have amazing breads for good prices. It's nice to enjoy a quick bite with Steven before he heads off for the day. Mmmmm.... Swiss cross buns.... Yummm...


After waving goodbye to Daddy, Brandon and I walked down Orchard Road to Tanglin Mall. I met a mom online through the New Moms Support group of Singapore, and we were meeting at a restaurant in the mall (Oomphaticos). Her daughter is only ten days older than Brandon.


My new friend is from the UK, and it was so nice meeting her. She told me that her parents are actually in Singapore right now. They have been here visiting her for a bit, and they were suppose to go back to the UK a couple of days ago. However, due to the Icelandic volcano, they are here until they can get a flight back to the UK. Also, her husband is in the UK now on business. He, too, was suppose to be back in Singapore by now, but his flight was cancelled. He is waiting to get a flight back.


I really enjoyed meeting my friend, and it was also nice that Brandon could be around another kid his age. I'm hoping that we can get together again soon, and maybe next time the two kids can play together.



This afternoon, I was thrilled when Brandon woke up from his nap happy. The weekend was so busy, and I really wanted to take it easy this afternoon. Since Brandon was in a good mood and playing on his own, we just stayed in and made it a "home" day - playing, reading, listening to music, doing laundry, and catching up on dishes.



We did make a trip down to the pool. Lot of other kids there today, but mainly older kids. Brandon just wanted to stand on the pool deck and stare at the other kids. Two older boys, maybe around 9 or 10 years old, were wrestling by the pool. Brandon couldn't take his eyes off of them. Great. He is really watching and learning...



We made it back from the pool just before a huge thunderstorm. We've had many days here lately where it has rained for a while in the late afternoon/evening. Many people have been telling me that this is unusual. They say that usually the rainy time here is in November and December.



I've been a little frustrated with the food and cooking situation as I think I mentioned before. When we got back from the pool, I made a salad, some chicken, some mashed potatoes, and some carrots. Really, because Steven gets home so late from work, I am just cooking for myself and Brandon. Brandon didn't want the chicken or the mashed potatoes or the carrots. All he wanted was grapes. (Oh, and I was so bummed when I found out that we bought grapes with seeds yesterday. Darn!) I was really trying to cook for me and Brandon, but I'm not sure it's worth it. Sometimes he eats what I make, and more often he doesn't want it. Then, I have a huge pile of dishes to wash. Wouldn't be that big of a deal if we had a dishwasher... I'm just so tired at the end of the day. Don't mean to sound spoiled and complain that I have to wash dishes by hand. Maybe the most frustrating part was that the dinner didn't even taste very good to me. Something different about the milk and butter here, so the mashed potatoes were a little off. On a good note, the eggs in the salad tasted pretty good! (I was worried since they are stored at room temperature at the grocery.)


Craving some sleep now! Selamat malam! (Goodnight in Malay)

GLEEful Weekend

Pictures -

Singapore Botanic Garden, Orchid National Garden


Water play at the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden



Brandon with Daddy's new stylish headphones

Today, Steven wanted to check out the Singapore Botanic Garden, and I wanted to check out the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. The gardens are right next to each other, so we took a cab to the "adult" garden first. The garden is so fantastic, and there is so much to see. I enjoyed my second trip to the garden just as much, if not more, as my first trip there. We went through the bonzai garden and the cactus garden. We saw the National Flower of Singapore, a hybrid orchid called "Vanda Miss Joaquim". Unfortunately, there were currently no flowers in bloom. They do grow throughout the year, so hopefully we can see them on another trip to the garden. We also saw a "rubber tree". When this tree is cut, it exudes a sticky substance that is the raw material for natural rubber. There was a actually a sign next to the tree asking people not to take pieces of the tree for latex.

Since Steven was with us this time at the garden, we did pay to visit the National Orchid Garden. Wow. So many different orchids and so many different colors. Such a perfect flower.

I found out last week that Andrea Bocelli is performing at the ampitheater in the botanic garden in early May!!! It's a free concert. However, because it will be so popular, they opened up a lottery for tickets on the internet. You had to submit your name, and then in a week or so, they will let you know if you were chosen for tickets. Unfortunately, I missed the deadline for submitting my name... :( I wonder if there is a way to buy tickets from people who get them free? I am sooooo sad!!! I told Steven that if I could go to this concert, it would quite possibly be my most memorable moment during my stay here in Singpore. It's possible that it would be one of the most memorable events of my life too. :) I LOVE Andrea! I'll keep you posted on the tickets. I'm not holding my breath. Part of me even wishes I hadn't found out about the concert... :)

We walked from the botanic garden to the children's garden. We didn't plan to stay long at the children's garden, but we wanted to let Brandon run around and play for a while before heading home. I have heard so many great things about the children's garden. As soon as we walked into the garden, we saw a water play area for children with several fountains spraying water. Pot of gold!!! Brandon went wild! We spent enough time there that we didn't see any more of the garden. We'll be back there several more times!!!

Busy, busy, busy. We were really hoping to have a few down hours later in the afternoon. However, Brandon woke up pretty cranky from his nap. The only thing that he seemed to want was to go "bye bye". I guess we'd be walking some more!!!

We decided to take a different walking route to the Forum to let Brandon play. There is a street here called "One Tree Hill", so we took a short stroll on it. Couldn't pass it up. :)

At the Forum, I saw a woman that I've run into three times now at a couple of different play areas. Found out that she lives very close to the new apartment that we're looking at. I think that many people I am meeting live in the new area, so moving could cut down on some cabs and/or cab costs for me.

After dinner, I had to grab an ice cream sandwich from one of the hawkers on Orchard Road. We watched the Singapore episode of The Amazing Race, and I was curious about whether or not they actually put the ice cream on a slice of bread. So, they pull out a big block of ice cream, cut a slab of it off, and slap it either in a slice of bread or between two wafers. The one I got was in wafers. Pretty good!

Before heading home, we walked to the grocery. It was nice having Steven's help there! An extra set of hands for help with Brandon and for carrying the groceries.

I've noticed that the eggs in the grocery stores here are kept at room temperature. A little weird. I bought some eggs for the first time yesterday, so we'll see how it goes. :)

I was happy to find Brandon's favorite rice cracker at the grocery. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, the crackers are called "Mum Mums" at home, but "Baby Bites" here. Same, same, but different!

On our way home from the grocery, it was just starting to get dark outside. It felt so nice to be out after dark. There a nice breeze, and the weather was very pleasant. I think that we need a date night soon! I've had several babysitter recommendations from people I've met. Maybe we'll try one of them.



A little behind on getting my blogs up this weekend. I was treasuring my time with Steven. Plus, we started to watch Glee from the very first episode. This weekend, we've been trying to catch up on the show while Brandon is napping and sleeping. We are addicted!!! Steven is up to episode 11, and I'm up to 8. He watches some while I'm sleeping, so I'll have to catch up while he's at work. Like I said, it was a very, very GLEEful weekend!!!

Saturday!

Pictures -

Brandon sleeping like a big boy! He now sleeps on his back instead of on his belly!

Brandon and his cute little naked body

Shopping Gallery near Tanglin Mall. I loved the architecture!

This morning we were in the mood for a good breakfast, so we walked to a place that was recommended to us by a friend. We were told that they had good crispy bacon. Yummmm!

We're still getting use to the business hours here in S'pore. Most businesses don't open until 10 - 11 am. As we arrived at Dome before it opened at 10:30, we had to let Brandon run around in the mall a bit to kill time. He didn't mind. :)

The breakfast was indeed yummy. I especially liked my cappucino. I've been loving those here lately.

After breakfast, we took a cab to check out the apartment that we have the option of moving to. We both like our current apartment and location, so we don't want to move unless the new place is much nicer. We both liked the new apartment quite a bit! It is in a newer building, and the serviced apartment has many more amenities. For example, the new place has maid service more days of the week, and it has an included continental breakfast Monday through Friday. Hard to pass that up! There is one more apartment we might look into this week. We're thinking that we'll do the move though.

The new apartment has a free shuttle that leaves every hour and has several drop off locations on Orchard Road. As we were leaving the new apartment building, we planned to take the shuttle part of the way home. We got on the bus, sat for a few minutes waiting for it to leave, and then decided to walk instead. We were curious about the new neighborhood and how far we will be walking to things if we move. As we walked out onto the street, we weren't sure what direction was best, so I stopped a woman on the street to ask for directions. She was also American and very friendly. It was the funniest thing; I have to laugh at the timing. If we would have taken the shuttle, we never would have talked to this woman. It turns out that her husband and son were ETHS grads! Small, small world! The woman's husband is no longer living, and she is only in Singapore for a short time. She does come here often on business though. She and Steven exchanged business cards. Maybe we will connect again someday either here or in the U.S.

After Brandon's nap, we all went for a swim. I really did feel like I was on vacation while we were down at the pool. Hot weather, palm trees, a refreshing swim. It's strange to live in a place with this weather. I think it's great that we are getting to experience this different life here. I do miss the seasons back home though. Right now, the weather is starting to get nice, and I miss taking Brandon to outdoor parks in the middle of the afternoon. Most of the play that Brandon is doing here is indoors. We are outside a lot, but mainly just when we're walking. I could definitely let Brandon play outside here, but it would probably be best to go very early in the morning. It's just not as comfortable as a nice cool spring day in Chicago. We haven't adjusted to this climate quite yet.

In the late afternoon, we took a cab to Tanglin Mall. It was our first visit to the mall, and it seemed very kid friendly. Brandon played in some of the toy stores there before we went to dinner.

We are doing so much walking here. It is great, but it is very exhausting!!! By the end of the day, I am cashed!

Brandon finally cut his fourth molar! Yay! I hope that the teething and pain subsides for a while.

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Friday Play

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Brandon at our playdate

Brandon playing in one of our cabinets

Last night was the best night of sleep Brandon has ever had! He slept from 7:30 pm to 6:45 am without waking up once!!! Wow! I wish that I could have gone to bed a little earlier and slept well too. Maybe Brandon will do it again tonight???

This morning, Brandon and I went to a playdate with the same group from last Friday. It is so nice for people to invite us into their homes. It's a great, safe place for Brandon to play, there are new toys, and there are other kids! Brandon plays so well when there are other children. I'm able to enjoy myself and talk to other adults too! We are both happy! It is so much harder when our playdates are at coffee shops or restaurants. Still fun, but harder on both of us.

This afternoon, we were invited to play at Royce's gym. It's basically a big play area with lots of toys and things to climb on. There were three other women there from the AWA. I also ran into a woman that I met last week at the Forum. She introduced me to a couple of her friends. I hope to meet up with her soon.

It is really difficult not having a car. While it is a luxury and not necessary, it would be really helpful. I can walk to most things, but today I had to take a cab to the morning playdate and the afternoon playdate. I walked part of the way, first, this morning before jumping in a cab. That was nice. And, this afternoon, I could have probably taken the train, but I wasn't quite sure how far of a walk the gym was from the train. It was looking like rain, and I didn't want to get stuck in a downpour. At home, it is so easy to throw everything in the car and put Brandon in his car seat. Here, I have to carry everything. Also, it's not easy having Brandon on my lap in the cabs. He is squirmy, and he doesn't love being strapped down to me. I do my best to entertain him with snacks, toys, and anything else. Even though the cab rides are cheap, I hate spending money on them.

I was talking to more people about helpers today. While it would be nice to have someone cook, clean, do our laundry, and look after Brandon some, I just don't think that I want to get use to something like that. It's not something that I'm going to have when we return to Chicago, and I don't want to come to expect that someone cook Brandon's food for him. Yes, it would be nice. But, I like being self-sufficient. Plus, even though helpers are cheap, they still aren't free. It would be really nice to get Steven's law school loans completely paid off very soon instead!

Brandon was rather fussy today when we were at home. He has another cold... Big sigh... So, I think that his nose is bothering him. When we're at home and he is a little bored, he has time to think about the fact that he's not feeling 100%. Plus, I'm in the process of weening Brandon right now. It's really not been that bad... We are down to nursing only one time a day, which is right before bed. I thought it would be hard to cut out the feeding before the nap, but it wasn't. I just take Brandon out in the mornings and wear him out so he is exhausted and crashes for his nap. :)

The bedroom that Brandon is sleeping in has his crib and two single beds. This afternoon, I had the managment send a couple of people to remove one of the beds. I wanted to give Brandon more space in his room for play. Taking out the bed really opened up the room! I moved Brandon's new ABC playmat into his bedroom, and now it feels even more like it could be Brandon's room.

We are really enjoying our time here in Singapore. However, I do miss the comforts of home - my car, the rest of our stuff, our bed, our family and friends. It takes time for new places to feel like home. People keep telling me that in six months I will love it here and want to stay. Yes, Singapore is great, and I do expect that I will love it even more with time. But, it is just so far away from family and friends, and we are so close to those people. I'm sure that when expats stay in foreign countries for so long, their friends do become their family. But, the distance is hard.

Not sure that we will move to another apartment, but we might look at a few more this weekend. I love our current location. So, if the other apartments are much like the one we're in, then I think we'll stay where we are. If one of them is much nicer and/or larger than where we are, then we might consider moving for the rest of our stay.

While Brandon napped today, I watched the last episode of Survivor on our Slingbox. It was awesome! The quality wasn't bad at all today. Loved watching one of our shows!!!

Hopefully this weekend we can stock up on some more food for the apartment. It's been really hard to cook, and I feel bad about that - especially for Brandon. I have been trying to feed him a healthy, well-balanced diet, but it is soooo hard. We haven't completely settled in yet, and I feel out of place in my own kitchen. So many things to buy before I can think about my cooking options. Been a little bummed about that...

So, one new think with Brandon - We have been giving him iron drops since we found out he was anemic at his 12 month appointment. He hated the drops! For over a month, twice a day, I have had to sit on Brandon, literally, to hold him down. Then, I have had to squeeze him mouth open, jam the drops in, and then hold his mouth closed so he doesn't spit out the vitamins. All of a sudden, Brandon decided yesterday that he wasn't going to fight me anymore!!!??? Why now? Just weird... I still lay him down, but I don't have to hold him down. I say, "Aaahhh" and down he takes them. Strange...

Looking forward to the weekend!