National Day

Happy 45th Birthday, Singapore!!!



Monday, August 9th was National Day in SG. For the last few weeks, the city has been hanging flags and banners announcing the upcoming holiday.

It was so nice to have a three day weekend. Steven had some work to do, but he was able to do it from home on the holiday. We spent the morning taking Brandon to Royce Gym, and in the early afternoon we went down to the pool. Brandon was mesmerized by the other kids at the pool, so he actually spent some time in the water. He tried on another kid's goggles and seemed to like them. It was hilarious. Sure wish I had my camera then. (As if I don't take enough pictures. Ha!)

Monday evening, we went to a party at Christine and Liam's new apartment. They have an amazing view of the city from their balcony!

Brandon had a great time playing with Lily at the party. At one point, he grabbed her hand and started dancing with her. Adorable!

We watched the city's celebration at Marina Bay on tv, and we could see the fireworks from the balcony. Really fun experience.

Leonie View decorated for the special holiday.

On Tuesday, Brandon and I tried something new. We went with Christine, Lily, Laura, and Tabitha to the Hollandse Club. They have a mom and tots playgroup on Tuesdays. It was great! Lots of toys in a large room for the kids and coffee and tea for the moms. It was such a treat to have a coffee. Since I haven't been feeling well for a while, I haven't been able to enjoy or drink any coffee. I love coffee! Still have to limit my coffee drinking. Unfortunately, I'm starting to have a little heartburn, and coffee sure makes that worse.

Tuesday afternoon, I called Dr. Chiang. Brandon had caught a pretty bad cold and was also running a low fever after his nap. He seemed to have a little breathing trouble too. We followed Dr. Chiang's instructions to do a breathing treatment along with some fever reducer, and we decided to spend the afternoon at home.

It was a nice afternoon. Brandon and I played lots of "whee" together. We also worked some puzzles. In the last couple of weeks, Brandon has gotten so much better at sorting shapes and puzzles. It's amazing to watch him think and improve on his skills. Brandon used to get frustrated if he couldn't get the animals to fit into the Noah's Ark shape sorter. He often had the animals backwards. Now, I've seen Brandon flip the pieces over and turn them around to get the correct orientation to match and fit through the hole. This makes the Geometry teacher in me smile. Visualization skills!!!

Another new part of our night time routine is putting away the toys. I think that Brandon is old enough to help me put away his toys. I also think it's good that Brandon be aware of how his toys get put away. I use to put the toys away after Brandon was in bed. Now, I hand him a toy and tell him where to put it. At this point, he likes helping Mommy. It's another game! :)

After being in all afternoon on Tuesday, we listened to some Elvis Christmas music. It actually just came up on iTunes so I let it play. Big smile. :)

Wednesday morning, I took Brandon to see Dr. Chiang since he was still running a fever and was quite congested. Dr. Chiang said that Brandon's lungs were clear. We'll keep monitoring Brandon and giving him the breathing treatments for a week. Brandon is 81.2 cm tall, which is about 32 inches. He weighs 11. 3 kg or just under 25 lbs. We grabbed some take away lunch at The Soup Spoon and went home to get some rest. We stayed home again in the afternoon. Trying to get Brandon better. His temperature was back to normal, thankfully.

In the late afternoon, Jo, Jessie, and Jake came up for a short visit. Jo's parents are in town visiting, so we haven't seen as much of them lately. We miss them when we don't see them.

On Thursday, Brandon was much better and still fever free. He and I met Christine and Lily at Royce Gym. Afterwards, we went down to Meidi-Ya and had some Japanese curry at the food court. Wow! Delicious! I am so glad that my appetite is back! Brandon tried the curry. He didn't seem to like it. A strong flavor. At least he tried it though!

In the late afternoon, we went over to Arch and Arya's apartment for a playdate. Brandon loves making friends and playing with many different kids. Mr. Social!

Best surprise of the day - Daddy came to meet us for dinner when we left Arch's. Yay!!!

Some more things about Brandon this week -

We give him two different inhalers for the breathing treatments. After I give him the first, he says, "One more." He is all about "one more" of everything right now.

Brandon loves when we rub our hands through his hair. He doesn't sit still very often, but we can occassionally stop him in his tracks with a nice head rub. He must take after his mommy!

Brandon is getting even better on the stairs. He walked up the seven stairs to Leonie View all by himself this week - big boy style without crawling or holding on to anything! Mommy was there right behind him the whole way as he is a little wobbly. Don't want any accidents!!!

Terrible Twos

We had another great busy week here in Singapore. Brandon and I spent time with friends at playgroups. We visited the Forum, Royce, 313 Somerset, and Rochester Park Cafe, and we made one trip down to our pool.





On Tuesday, I had an appointment with a cardiologist. Steven was able to go with me. I've been having some aches in my chest area, and my obstetrician wanted me to get checked out. Thankfully, the heart ultrasound and ECG looked normal. The doctor said that the pains could be related to stress and anxiety. Even though I don't really feel anxious, we are living overseas, I am pregnant, and I am very busy keeping up with a toddler. Lots to handle with no help. Since Tuesday, the pains have subsided, but I'll touch base with my obstetrician at my next appointment.



Brandon and I had a great surprise on Thursday. We walked to the Forum that morning, and we ran into our new friends, Christine and Lily. Since they are new to SG, Christine's husband's company had hired a relocation agency to give them a short driving tour of things to do in Singapore. Valerie, the guide, invited me and Brandon along for the tour. Too good to pass up!



We had a great time on the tour! It actually made me feel good about how I have spent our last 4-plus months here in SG. Most of the places that we visited, Brandon and I had already been to. However, we were also introduced to a few new sites. For example, we had never been to the mall United Square or the MacRitchie Reservoir. The tour was great because we made a stop every 10-15 minutes, and we got to get out of the van for a quick walk and view of the stop.



At lunch time, we took a break so Brandon and Lily could nap. Brandon and I stayed at Christine's new apartment for a couple of hours, and Brandon napped in the stroller. Not a great nap, but it's not something we do often. After the break, the van picked us back up for the afternoon part of the tour. Brandon and I were both tired of riding in the van by the end, but we were so happy to have the afternoon tour with friends. Brandon also made a new friend. Our van driver, Eric, loved Brandon and Lily. When he dropped us off at the end of the day, he told Brandon, "Uncle loves you!" The local people here in SG really love children.



Early that evening, we spent a few minutes hanging out with some other people down at the pool. Below is a picture of the Leonie View children who are often out at the pool. What a gang!









































On Friday afternoon, we went down to Jo, Jessie, and Jake's apartment. Jo, Stella, and Sam were leaving SG for good on Saturday after their three months here, and we wanted to do a little farewell party for them. So sad that they left. Brandon and I will miss them all!





Stella and Jessie

Brandon, Stella, and Jessie

Brandon, Stella, Sammy, Jessie, and Jake. So hard to get all of the kids to look at the same camera at once!

On Saturday, Steven, Brandon, and I went to the zoo. Even though we've been to the zoo many times already, we still see new exhibits when we go. On this visit, we walked through the zoo's Fragile Forest. There were free ranging lemurs, bats, flying foxes, sloths, birds, ducks, butterflies, and more.

Daddy and Brandon admired the lemurs.

Flying fox

Sloth.

Sunday morning was spent at church and a nice lunch at California Pizza Kitchen (CPK, as they call it here). Later that afternoon, we went to VivoCity. Brandon had a blast playing in the water and the rest of the kids' play area. Strange feeling at VivoCity. The last time we were there was our first weekend in SG. So many things have changed and happened since then!

Wow. Brandon has changed so much in the last couple of weeks, even since the grandmas left.

He understands so much. If he throws a toy, we tell him that the toy will go "bye bye" if he throws it again. He often makes the good decision not to throw the toy again. Although, sometimes he has to learn a hard lesson. Brandon also likes to turn the lamp in his bedroom on and off during reading time at night. We tell him that if he isn't interested in the books and turns the light off again, then it is "night night". Brandon has had to go to bed a few books short a couple of nights.

I think we are officially entering the "Terrible Twos". Brandon is starting to throw some fits, he is constantly saying "no", and he has taken to some biting and hitting. Nothing major yet, and we still have our sweet, loving Brandon. But, Steven and I are definitely having some conversations about what is appropriate, fair, and best, and we are doing our best to be consistent. We have been doing some reading on the internet about different approaches to dealing with certain behaviors. We are trying to figure out what works best for our parenting style and our goals for Brandon. Definitely the hardest job we have ever had. And, it doesn't end! :)

Some funny stories from the week -

Brandon was in the bath tub one night. I told him that he had "five more minutes". He looked at me with a not so happy face and shook his pointer finger at me. He said, "No, no, blah, blah, blah, Mama. One more." I said, "Okay. You can have one more minute." He gave me the biggest grin! I'll enjoy this while it lasts. :)

While I was in the bathroom one day, Brandon reached up on the table and grabbed my cell phone. No big deal. He was pushing buttons, and he put the phone up to his ear. "Hi. Hello, Dadda." I laughed. When I'm on the phone here, it is most always with Steven. A little later, Steven called our apartment phone. When I answered, he told me that he was surprised I let Brandon answer my cell phone earlier. What? Evidently, Steven called when Brandon was playing with my phone. Brandon answered the phone and was really having a conversation with Daddy. I thought he was pretending. So cute!

We were out for dinner on Sunday night. We ordered Brandon some chicken fingers, but he, of course, saw our french fries and wanted those. We told him that if he ate a bite of chicken, he would get a fry. He ate a bite, and he got a fry as promised. He wanted another fry. We told him the same. However, this time Brandon refused to eat the chicken. So, no french fry. Brandon cried and fussed. In the cab on the way home, Brandon gave me the hungry "mmmmm, mmmmm". I pulled out the leftover chicken. He gobbled down 2 1/2 large chicken strips. Steven and I were smiling and doing our very best not to laugh out loud. Hilarious! Honestly, I felt pretty crappy when we left the restaurant. But, after Brandon ate in the car, it made me feel better about sticking to what we said. Deep sigh...

One of my favorite things right now -

If Steven is home from work, Brandon likes him to do the bedtime routine. Brandon doesn't want Mommy. He doesn't even want me to hold him for a cuddle and a kiss because he is worried that I will take him from his Daddy. But, if I go into Brandon's bedroom once Steven is in there starting to read bedtime books, Brandon will come and give me the BEST kisses and cuddles. He tells me "night night" and "bye bye, Mama". I can often even get "one more" kiss before the final "night night". He is such a loving boy!

Marina Bay Sands Skypark

On Saturday, we took a cab down to the new casino, Marina Bay Sands. We had the most fabulous weather that day. There was a breeze, and it actually felt cool. (Cool was probably 80-something degrees. We are going to freeze when we get back to Chicago!)

We weren't able to go into the casino with Brandon, so we just walked around the mall area outside. The mall is full of high end stores. We also saw the sampans, the Chinese wooden boats that you can ride on the indoor canal. Reminded me of the gondolas at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

Highlight of our Marina Bay Sands visit was the Skypark. The Skypark is the boat-looking structure located 200 meters in the sky on top of the three Marina Bay Sands hotel towers. The Skypark is longer than the Eiffel Tower is long!

The panoramic views of the city were amazing!

Although we weren't allowed in the pool, we were also able to see the hotel's swimming pool, the world's largest outdoor swimming pool at this height. So spectacular. The pool appeared to be on the edge of the Skypark; the water appeared to run over the side of the building. You can stay in the hotel for one night for about $300. Wow.

The rest of our weekend consisted of a doctor's appointment, a visit to the Forum, church, and hanging out with some friends.

On Sunday night, we went down to a neighbor's apartment. I met Christine in the elevator one day. She and Liam have a daugther, Lily, who is almost 18 months. They invited us down on Sunday night for a drink. We had a great time getting to know our new friends. They have only been in SG for a couple of weeks, and they will be moving to a new aparment later in the week. They are from Ireland and will be staying here in Singapore for two years.

We also found out that Christine is originally from Oregon and is also a math teacher. Even though they plan to leave our apartment building, we are going to stay in touch and continue to get together over the next two months while we are here. We have met and continue to meet so many wonderful people here!

Bye Bye Grandmas

When I woke up on Monday morning, it was so quiet and lonely! I can't believe that the grandmas are already gone. So sad. We miss them so much!

Brandon looked for his grandmas when he woke up. "Do?" I reminded him that they had to go "bye bye". He seemed to understand, but he was a little clingy to me. Maybe he was lonely.

I was so happy to have a Monday morning playgroup. It was so strange and quiet at home, and I needed something to keep me busy.

Jasmine, Trang, and Trudy at Debbie's house.

















Brandon was so fascinated with Debbie's dog. He was also finally brave enough to touch the dog. He patted and chased the dog. Brandon and the dog fought over balls. Brandon didn't quite understand that the dog wanted to play with him. Rather, he saw the dog as a threat to his toys. What is Brandon going to do when his new little brother or sister takes his toys??? I think Brandon was more interested in playing with the dog than his friends. He loves animals!

Brandon's friend, Cheng-Hoon.

The rest of the week involved a couple of trips to Royce Gym and a trip to the Forum.

On Friday, our playgroup met at Fidgets. Unfortunately, only three of us showed up. I don't know if it's because people are traveling or having company, but our Friday group is dwindling. I hope it picks back up. This playgroup has been a lifesaver to me here in SG.

Friday afternoon, I walked to 313 Somerset with Jo, Stella, and Sam. Jo showed me that there is a small covered, outdoor play area there. I didn't know! Always nice to find another play option!

Brandon, Stella, and Sam played in the play area, and then they played some chess.

We had a nice week. It is hard to believe that we will be leaving Singapore in two months. While I am looking forward to our return to Chicago, this has been an invaluable life-changing experience. So happy that we have had the chance to experience this.

So, I've decided to blog less frequently for the rest of our Singapore trip. We have been here for four months now. We are settling in and are less like tourists than we were for the first few months. Plus, Mommy is growing a baby. More sleep, please! :)

Last Two Days

On Saturday, we took a walk to the Orchard Ion. Brandon was attacked again by the paparazzi. Peace!

We walked down Orchard Road to 313 Somerset, and then back home to the apartment.

Saturday evening we went out to dinner, and then Steven and I took off for a date. Yay!!! The grandmas put Brandon to bed, so we really felt like we got a break! We took a cab to the Night Safari, located at the zoo. We didn't know what to expect. I had heard missed reviews. I kind of expected to just ride a tram through the zoo at night. However, the Night Safari was a whole new area. We first walked through part of the "jungle". There were small trails, the lights were dimmed, and there was distance between the exhibits. It felt very natural and not very zoo-like. Our favorite part of this walk was the bat cage. This was a large aviary with free-flying bats and flying foxes. Creeped me out a bit as the animals were flying all around and so close to us! Even though the Night Safari was packed with people, the trails were open, and the jungle felt quiet. The most popular part of the Night Safari was the tram ride. We bought tickets for the ride but decided to do it after the walk as the line was so long. The line had shortened by the time we were ready for our safari ride. The 45 minute safari was great! We saw elephants, lions, giraffes, and more. For part of the ride, animals were free and some even came up to the tram. For example, large tapirs were only a couple of feet away from the tram as we slowly passed. We are so glad that we experienced the Night Safari!

Sunday was our last day with the grandmas. We walked along the quays to Boomerang and had a nice brunch. We kept Brandon entertained with Mommy's sunglasses.

In the late afternoon, we walked to 313 Somerset so Steven could visit QB House for a haircut, and then we got some Din Tai Fung take away. The grandmas had to experience the pork dumplings and the pork buns before they left!

The grandmas took off for the airport at 3 am. We miss them!!!

It's amazing how much Brandon has changed in the past two weeks while the grandmas were here. He is picking up more and more words. I think that having two more people to talk to daily really helped him. Brandon loves to play games. He is always moving and soooo busy! As Brandon gets older, life get tough. :( He is learning that he doesn't get everything he wants. He is learning that things are frustrating. He is developing new emotions. He tests Mommy and Daddy. But, Brandon is so much fun! He communicates and is definitely a little boy. He pushes cars around and says, "Vroom, vroom." We can't leave the house without at least one car and one ball in Mommy's bag. What an adventure the little man gives us!