joel's play yard

This is what's left of our living room after we fixed up Joel's play yard on Sunday morning.

mirror mirror on the wall

O no! I've got a pimple!

please stop

Joel really doesnt like porridge.

autumn

It's autumn and some people are wearing jackets, scarves, boots - the works. But somehow everytime i go out, i can survive just wearing a tshirt - even at night! Maybe for nights, can add a light cardigan too. Without also can tahan lah.

Actually when we're at home, i feel quite cold (maybe coz we're on the 28th floor)...so i'll put on a jacket myself and for Joel...but we always end up taking it off as soon as i get on the cab! So my diaper bag is even more packed with the jackets and all! Hmm...

When can i start wearing my UGG boots?!!! :/

Looking out of the window, today is super sunny (like in Spore)...i just checked it's high of 26˚, low of 20˚. In my opinion, wearing anything more than a tshirt would look silly.

little technician

Joel loves to crawl out of his playmat to this corner. Come next week, he'll know better...coz we're going to confine him within his playmat! Meanwhile, here our little technician...

"Mama...i've checked. There's nothing wrong with this. You can charge your cellphones and cameras here."

more wayfarers

I've blogged about Elvis' Wayfarers before...and the collection just kept growing... The latest are from the Colorize range - blue & khaki green/brown - which he bought at the same time! I think he's kinda crazy about them... Fortunately, not all colours come in his size meant for bigger heads. (Another pair of foldable tortoise shell Ray-Ban is shown in the bottom pix) Actually, some of these colours are quite rare in Asia...some people say it's the ONLY PAIR IN ASIA (outside of Italy)! It could be true coz when we were in Europe, we saw mostly just the red & white Ray-bans. They should be the cheapest there too since it's made in Italy...about 120/130 Euros.

Can u spot the RB-lookalike???
Answer: It's the camo 1st row, top. That's from Shanghai small shops! Keke... I forgot how much...maybe about S$15 (Actually, we were "cheated"...could have got it at S$2. YES, $2!!!) It doesnt have the logo imprinted on the lens & sides. That's about all...o and the material also different lah. But cant really tell when worn lah. ;p

Have u seen those silly looking "sunglasses" with plastic stripes for its lens?? They're also selling S$2 here! We saw in Europe selling 5/8 Euros cheapest...and Spore also selling abt S$20+ i think. But it's just so silly to wear them huh. ;p

500 photoframes

Daddy gave a talk...and he was given a Sony Digital Frame as a token of appreciation! I'm so "lao tu" that i dont even know this hi-tech product exist in the market. (Yes, i cant fight him this time, i'm really laotu!) That's what being a fulltime mommy has turned me into! Keke... ;p
Specs: 7 inches frame, up to 500 images, auto image rotation...
Here's how it looks like... I guess it'll be filled with 500 Joels! ;)
Haha...I think he should give more of these talks...and bring something useful home! He's turned down quite a few invitations coz he prefers to remain low-profile. But the gift is so cool - and it's something i would not have bought myself lor! I like it!

galler belgian choc

When you think about chocolates, do you automatically drool? I do! Haha... I so love chocolates! Anything chocolate...err...except maybe dark chocolate (coz i dont like bitter stuffs).

When we were in Belgium, we bought some bars of Galler chocolates. I love its packaging coz it looks like the Pantone chart! So colourful! It's also relatively cheaper than Neuhaus/Godiva and comes in "snack size" bars of 65 grams.

They're so pretty - esp when you buy A LOT - so i told Elvis to buy ALL the 20+ flavors for his team...but he preferred to buy the Neuhaus chocolates instead. :/

Anyway, i had "chooped" the Orange and Pistachios for myself. The rest, we just picked whichever Pantone colours we liked. They will also pack 2 bars (or more) in a plastic box as a gift. So, we just gave away 2 bars to "whoever"/friends that Elvis didnt specially buy anything for, yet needed to give something to. Keke... You know...it's like those souvenirs people always buy after a holiday. ;p

I just ate the Pistachios yesterday night...and it's so super duper YUMMY! It's white chocolate with crunchy bits of pistachios (kinda like the puffed rice inside Nestle Crunch). It's a little too sweet, but still very nice. It's actually too small for me coz 1 bar = 4 big bites. So, i'm still drooling when i think of it. ;p

If you wanna try them, i saw a small Galler shop in Spore's Raffles City B1 (next to the round fountain). I think it's about S$7/bar - about the same price as buying from Belgium. Yum Yum! ;)

Check out the website first coz it really gives a better understanding of the chocolate - at least selecting from the dark/milk/white part before choosing the flavors - rather than picking from any Pantone colour you fancy (like us).

lao tu

Elvis & i have this "joke" about being so "lao tu" (old fashion)... Nevermind if you dont know the joke...coz i also forgot how it was started (maybe like a few weeks ago)...but we just keep "saying" each other "lao tu" for anything, yes, anything - even if it doesnt make any sense!

So today, my Facebook says...
Jo is "lao tu"...but i really like the old FB more :/

Dont you??? Haha...
There's even a FB group requesting to sign petitions here
'5,000,000 Against the New Version of Facebook. (Please Forward)'

shanghai to germany

This is exciting! Lara has received my swap package! I'm glad she likes it. She says, "YOU KNOW ME SO WELL!!! I love EVERYTHING!!!" Phew... (although i did know some of her size before getting the stuffs lah) But before this, i wasnt exactly sure what's her response...coz she's such a wonderful swapper who told me to SURPRISE HER! So, here's what i sent:

printed stockings, mac lipglass, hello kitty pen/pencil, eraser, bling bling stickers, "chocolate" mirror, "fluff" cellphone strap, hairclips, ring, beaded panda purse, hello kitty japanese cosmetic pouches, aerie/AE panties, scarf, uniqlo tshirt & DVDs (not shown)

I hope mine arrives soon too! O...did i mention that mine's supposed to be a swap of baby things for Joel, but Lara is sooo nice to include some things for me too! Such a great swap partner, huh! Lara is actually from the US and she's living in Germany now...but i sent her package to their US address coz her husband's in the military and it will be directed to them in Germany. I think that's why it took longer than usual to reach her. ;)

P.S. Actually, i always cannot view Lara's blog coz of some weird china proxy problem...so i always use YouHide which doesnt show some of the pictures properly... :/

jumping finally

cheap thrills

I dont know what's the name of these 2 kind of flowers...but they only cost ¥20/S$4. And i didnt even bargain much. If you're more brutal in your bargaining or go later, i'm sure can get these at ¥15 or lesser. (I have bought 10/12 stalks of Gerberas for S$5!!!) When living in a place where flowers are so cheap and the seller is outside everyday on his bicycle, you'll just feel like buying some home "just for fun". I believe i would never do that back home in Spore.

I'm not into flowers...but what a pretty sight - even if it's only for a few days! ;)
When we first moved here (and bought flowers home for the first time), Elvis said that we could buy every week since it's so cheap...but we just never got down to doing that. I think i buy once in 3-4 months! Haha... ;p

play yard

After getting Joel a playmat, the next would be a fence - to make a real play yard - and also for a safer play area. I've found some here... Any suggestions from mommies or babies? I wanna get something that i wont regret lor coz this is kinda like buying a piece of furniture...so quite headache. I wanna get it tomorrow/next week (1 day for delivery).

Option 1
S$160 - that forms a square 1.7m x 1.7m (with 8 panels). I like that it's a "no frills" shape...but it will really occupy a lot of space in the living room. Cannot form a rectangle coz it's too narrow for play (about 80cm)...though i thought of an 'L-shape' to save some space. My playmat is 2m x 1.8m, so i can just cut away a bit of the extras to fit. The red door is "fake"...think the green panel can be folded downwards to let baby in/out.


or Option 2
S$90 - that forms a hexagon (6 panels) about 1.2m in length/breadth which is an ideal size for our small living room. The yellow door can be open/closed. I kinda prefer a more "regular shape".

* Price includes delivery. Plastic balls (shown inside) sold separately.

UPDATED:
We have decided to get the bigger fence coz the hexagon seems a bit too small for playing inside (esp with toys). Keke... This meant moving around more of our existing furniture for Joel's sake. ;p

i like his smile

pincer grasp skills

Joel likes these organic Apple Cinnamon Teddy Puffs from Healthy Times...but it really challenges his pincer grip! He can grab it...but he doesnt know how to put it into his mouth! He keeps sticking out his tongue...which kinda doesnt help sending the food into his mouth. He just keeps switching hands...and most of the time, it gets stuck onto his wet palms. ;p
(As i typed this, i saw him ate his FIRST, 2nd & 3rd teddy puff all by himself! YEAH!!!)

I'm thinking we should start brushing his teeth too...

100 bible songs

When we were back in Singapore, PorPor gave Joel this '100 Bible Songs For Kids'. We listened to it today...and I loved it (although we only managed to get to CD2).

It had all the songs i grew up with at Sunday School and some new songs too. Although some of the tunes were slightly different from what i learnt, it was overall a great listening pleasure. O...there's lyrics inside all the 3 CDs too!

Thanks, PorPor. I'm sure Joel will grow up loving these bible songs. ;)

saturday

Dressed to get hot babes...


for a FREE haircut while Mommy went to colour her hair. (Initially, Daddy had wanted to SHAVE IT BALD!!!) Turned out, Joel's was free coz he was extremely popular at the salon. Half was by Daddy's stylist & half by Mommy's stylist. Keke... ;p

sunday

We met up with our Singaporean friends and 1 of their sister & niece who is here on holiday at Tai Ping Koon Restaurant - which is like the most authentic of olden HK 茶餐廳 "cha chan tang". The food is nice but more expensive than most other 茶餐廳s. I was actually craving for Afternoon Tea's pasta just next door...but they wanted to eat at TPK.

Anyway, the lunch was also kinda for Elvis to meet our friend's sis coz they happen to be from the same secondary school in Singapore, and she was Elvis' dream girl. But i can let you in that he had bad taste. (She's an AhLian through and through...and even her 2yr old daughter is dressed as one! Toddler in black PVC leather pants!!! OMG!) ;p

After that, we went to check out Gymboree (HuaiHai Road branch) becoz our friend said that she signed the package and couldnt get her balanced amount refunded (and her daughter has outgrown Gymboree), hence, we could perhaps take over from her number of leftover classes. Other than Play, Music & Art classes, there's also Baby Sign, Mommy & Baby Fitness, Yoga Fun & Global Kids. But for Joel's age group (for 6-10mths), he can only attend 3 classes - Music, Baby Sign & Mommy-Baby Fitness.

Package prices
- 12 classes for ¥2880 (about S$600)
- up to 96 classes for ¥15300 (that's a whopping $3000)
Unit price/per class
- from ¥159 - ¥240 (about S$32-48)
Registration fees
- ¥360/family

What i dont like about the package is that one need to state/confirm the number of times they wanna attend the classes, and there's also a validity period for the package. Hence, if they're not in town and/or miss a class, they'll have to put in an extra class the following week. I feel it's not flexible lor.

I looked through the glass windows and thought that the Music class looks pretty boring coz the teacher was singing away (and holding some rattle thingie)...there were 3 babies inside who didnt really seem to respond much. Haha! They were sitting/playing around with their parents - who perhaps are equally bored. I asked the Consultant what happens if the baby is not concentrating at all...and she said although they dont seem to be responding physically, the ir mind is actually "responding to the music". Haha! So profound! I thought that the Play classes looked pretty fun with the "sponge obstacles" and all... But only when Joel is able to stand/walk can he attend the Play & Art classes. Anyway...that's something to consider for our growing baby...

joel's play area

Joel has taken up exactly half of our living room. What a "mess"!

After moving the new playmat around the house, i thought that this arrangement might be the best...coz we'll still get half the room for watching TV. ;)

mochis 2

Here's my 2nd time trying the mochis...caramel, lemon, peach, blueberry & chocolate (milk & dark). Elvis had to work (on a Sunday) after our lunch...so we each bought a box...and his colleagues loved it too! ;)

I think what's so nice about this mochis are that they have a cream filling. I cant wait to try more more more...

P.S. They actually stamp the flavors on the tracing paper. The milk chocolate mochi is also bigger than the rest! Keke...

mochis

This is the mochi i ate yesterday. Mochi Sweets/"Mo Ti Gong Fang". It's sooo yummy! I took a flyer and it says there's 17 flavors - dark chocolate, milk chocolate, sesame, sakura, coffee, pumpkin, caramel, red bean, green tea, honey lemon, orange, chestnut, peach and blueberry.

I've seen it a few times when we're at Sogo (in JingAn) and i always say i wanna try...but didnt...coz Elvis doesnt wanna share. Yday, i only bought a few to eat before our dinner, and now, he says it's VERY NICE! It was really not enough to share! (Dont trust him coz he doesnt know what mochi was until yday. Haha!) We must really try ALL flavors next time!

Each piece is ¥6-7 (about S$1.30). You can buy them individually (placed in soft paper and put into a doggie bag) or in lovely black gift boxes of 6/9/12 pieces. It's so pretty as a gift too! Here's a picture of the Sogo B1 counter (not Pacific B2) taken from someone else's blog. ;p

XXX

If you didnt get your hands on those limited edition Dirty Thirty jeans yday, here's how they look. There's also a XXX-rated video on it (a very funny one)...but i better dont embed it here coz my underaged nephews read my blog for Joel updates. Keke... ;p


Personally, i'm not too sure about the "torn parts" although it seems to be all the rage now (Nice meh???) ...and also the colour... Hmm...i think the touched-up pix (side profile, bottom post) looks sooo much nicer! When we were in Spore, Elvis was also looking for a pair of super torn vintage 1947 Levis 501 jeans that costs about S$500/600. I will FAINT if he really found it!!! Spore's Levi's Flagship Store at The Heeren only carries 1 model of the 1947 501s selling at about S$200+. In the end, he found a nice pair of Nudie Jeans at Queen's Coutour that fitted his errmm short legs. Apparently, they have a fit for any kind of body shape. Prices from S$200+ to 400+...and you're supposed to wear them everyday and NOT wash for SIX MONTHS!!! ;p

Heeren has the widest range of Levi's you cannot find in other Levi's stores/corners...or if you are looking for something special. But i feel they're so over-priced for Levi's. Haha! Go check it out if you are also into torn and tattered jeans.  

diesel dirty 30

If you do not know by now...time to shutdown your computer on the dot...and rush to the Diesel store!

TODAY only, becoz Diesel is 30, their jeans are going for only 30 Euros!
EURO COUNTRIES: 30€, UK30£, Denmark 300 DKK, Sweden 300 SEK, Norway300 NOK, Switzerland 50’30 CH, USA $50, Canada CAN $50, Hong Kong 390 HKD, China 390 RMB, Singapore 78SGD, Bangkok 1978 THB, Taiwan 1830 TWD, Korea 59.000 KRW, Philippines 3030 PHP, Brasil 300 REAIS

UPDATED:
Elvis said he doesnt have to work too late today, so we arranged to go out for dinner. Before that, i wanted to go out earlier to shop shop and also look at the Dirty Thirty jeans. But I was waiting for Joel to wake up from his afternoon nap...and he didnt until 5pm (I was already changed by 4pm and waiting)... Then i fed him and by the time we left the house, it was almost 6pm. As soon as i got off the cab, i saw that the lights at the Diesel store was dimmed (OMG)...when i got closer, i saw a paper pasted on the door (in CHINESE). I was thinking maybe it will say "Please Enter From The Other Door" (coz the Diesel store here at Infiniti has 2 levels). Then I tried to read it...and it says something like 'The Shop Is Closed For The Day". I saw a few of the staff having their dinner inside the shop (sitting on the floor), and also a XXX jeans signage with "SOLD OUT" pasted on it. So...the shop is REALLY closed for the day!!! Why is that so??? They only need to sell the Dirty Thirty jeans today??? Weird huh.

Anyway, i just walked another 5-mins to Pacific Department Store to shop-shop and also wait for Elvis. In the end, he only reached at about 8pm. I was so hungry i bought the mochi i've always wanted to try. I was actually hesitating between Beard Papa or mochi. It's soooo yummy! (I must blog about it next time) We ended up eating at Crystal Jade and ordering the "salted egg crab with lots of roe" which we both love! Yum Yum! ...and the dinner is even more expensive than a Dirty Diesel Jeans. ;)

porridge outdoors

When we were in Spore, i checked out some food containers at Taka. Tiger's range of nice "bag-styled" food containers costs about S$59-70+. There's 2 sizes which i thought the bigger size would be more ideal for big-eater Joel. I really liked its rather compact size VS those huge flask-containers.

The lady promoter showed us basically 2 styles (bag & small flask) suitable for kids...and she said that 1 is from Japan, the other from Shanghai (although the price is about the same)! So, i decided to come back and look for it! Haha! Probably can save money too if it's Made in Shanghai! ;p

It's for Baby Joel when we start him on real food-food (i.e. porridge). When we're at home, he eats fish/carrot/vegetables- flavored cereal once or twice a day. I think it'll be quite a headache once he starts to eat anything other than milk. Imagine all the preparation, bowls, spoons, flask & whatever...we have to bring! Haha! We're lazy parents who still feed him milk & bottled baby food when we're outside. ;p

Every weekend, after Joel has had his milk in the morning, we'll head out for our brunch. Usually, i'll bring along 3 milk feeds enough for the whole day - 1 hot water flask, 3 milk bottles (with lukewarm water inside) and 3-parts milk powder. And that is pretty heavy already plus diapers, wipes & mat. Arrgh... So, i kinda fret about the porridge part...and also coz i cant cook. ;p

Anyway, back to the bag-styled food container... I got it today at only S$28 for the bigger size which would probably be enough for 2-3 porridge feeds. HAHA! (The smaller size is about S$20 and has a lot more designs for the bag)

Time to learn how to cook porridge! (click)

* Only the rice container comes with a stainless steel "thermal pot" which can keep food warm for up to 6 hours. All other plastic containers are microwavable.
720ml Size (for Ladies):
- Rice container 280ml, 2 side-dish containers 220ml/each
1250ml Size (for Men):
- Rice container 470ml, 2 side-dish containers 390ml/each

gross things

which i wonder if it's normal...
- move his finger/hand back & forth (like a pendulum), rubbing against his tongue which is always dangling outside his mouth like a dog's
- he does the above with anything! Eg. pacifier, toys, cloth books...
- lick his palms so wet, open & close it to make a swooshing sound (just like the handsign for milk)
- open his mouth so big to "contain" the bottom part of his pacifier (he's actually using his 2 lower teeth to bite the pacifier INSIDE his mouth)
- you have probably seen him pout his lips and make some sounds...sometimes, it's so bad that he can even spit saliva out
...
Sometimes, when i look at him...i cant decide if it's "cute" or plain digusting! ;p

blanky with tags

Stella made a cool blanket with tags for Baby Joel! The fabric is very soft and double-sided too! WOW! Here is it!

She was the one who told me about Taggies which her friend told her kids love. True enough, i realized that Joel likes to lick & suck the tags on his toys! This is just 1 of the disgusting things he likes to do! Haha...

round-angled

This morning, i started baby-proofing the house starting with the table corners. Almost all the furniture in this rented apartment is made of super heavy & chunky wood-wood and it is really OUCH! to knock into them. Even for us, it can give a really bad blue-black. In fact, it's all so sturdy that every part can be a hazard. :/


The "plastic corners" were really cheap at S$1.20/pack of 4pcs. (There were at least 3 brands from the LiJia Baby catalogue costing $1.20 to $5+. I bought the cheapest and i'm happy with its quality)
LEFT: Mickey's hands (from Ikea) is also very cute and has a bit of "shock-proof" from the rubbery gloves. But it's a little prominent (unless you have white furniture) and dust actually sticks onto the rubber. I ended up using it only for our study table...the bottom, i used the cheapo $0.30 corner. The toilet countertop also needs to be "angled-off" but Daddy says it's still out of bounds for now.

our family & friends

i made noise every time when Daddy & Mommy are eating (Mommy likes the middle picture)

playing at home with cousin YiChen who is 1.5 months older than me - i am 2kg heavier than her - she doesnt like to smile and play - she looks like a boy with less hair than me - charm everyone at home especially AhGong & AhMa - i had to stay at home for 1 day becoz Daddy wanted to watch a movie and shop without me (sob sob) - i had yummy banana becoz i have constipation - keep taking very short naps - Mommy thinks it's so funny that i sat still and waited for Daddy to make my milk milk - YiChen & i likes the organic Apple Cinnamon baby snacks Aunty Sandra bought (but I dont know how to put it into my mouth)

cousins Xavier & Xan showing me their turtle soft toys becoz i'm too small for their toys - PorPor & GongGong who hasnt seen me for 6 months (i'm much heavier now) - cousin Xavier is worried that i'm hungry & cousin Xan tried ways to make me stop crying - Aunty Janis likes me and i kinda look like her too (she says, "When it's fat, all look the same! Haha!") - finally got to meet Aunty Agatha in Spore (instead of in Shanghai) - i tried fish porridge (YUCKS!)

at Ikea to help YiChen's parents pick out furniture for their new home - saw many nice Tag Heuer watches at Paragon (Daddy likes one from 1975) - i begin to notice other children play (looks fun) - met many Uncles, Aunties and 2 very cute boys Noah & Johan - Shanghainese Aunty Susie is also in Spore now - Uncle Tomy is bad influence (HAHA!) - i like Singapore except the heat ;)

baby playmat

Yeah! I've finally found a playmat for Baby Joel. Many people in Singapore are selling these Korean LG playmats for anything from S$100+ to $300+ (depending on the thickness/design)... and i got it for only ¥268. That's only about S$54!
(It's a 1.2cm thickness/foam mat. Not the thin silver foil backing ones which costs about S$20+. They look like car sunshades to me. Yucks! And the LG double-sided foam ones are selling here for about S$140...but i dont wanna spend so much on a mat. Also, i think my $50 foam mat can cut into any size i want. Maybe even can use the extras on the walls too. Keke...)

In fact, even before Joel started crawling, i've been looking all over for these playmats. Due to space constrain, i was quite set on getting the ABC-123 puzzle-mats to fit our living room. That would cost about S$10-30 depending on the EVA material (and the maximum "empty space" of 1.2m x 0.9m i could find in our hall). I didnt think that China would have these Korean playmats...but...almost everything is Made in China...so...i can actually "save" lots of money here - esp on kids stuffs which are so expensive and such a waste of money coz they outgrow everything so quickly! Hmm...but come to think of it, Daddy is right...i do tend to buy more stuffs than what Joel really needs. Anyway, the playmat design (of cute animals) that i wanted was sold out, so i decided to take Thomas the Train. It was this or another boring animal print. Is Thomas still in or out (already)? Anyways...

...here's Joel before the real (HUGE 2m x 1.8m) playmat arrives. This is half-dining/living area, just outside the door of the study room (where the Mac is so i can keep an eye on him) and the future Joel's bedroom.

And a vain baby in front of the mirror with a really cheeky smile! ;p

it has arrived

The DHL man just delivered ELVIS C! Wait till Daddy comes through the door and sees the parcel! ;)

Chey... Daddy wasnt surprised at all coz he said that DHL called him before the delivery. But i could tell that he tried to "act cool"...when he actually cant wait to open the box! Haha! We couldnt decide which colour shoelace is nicer - pink or grey. (Each pair of NIKEiD comes with 2 shoelaces)
* Photo taken with flash.


P.S. We were told that NIKEiDs were made different countries namely China, Vietnam and Thailand. From the box, it seems that ELVIS C was made in Thailand!

happy baby

Hi everyone,
We're back "home" in Shanghai! The weather here has turned chilly...like winter is almost here.

It's been an exciting week of meeting up with so many family & friends back home in Singapore. Last night, Aunty Michelle also came to our house to see us just before she goes back to her work in HK today. Daddy also managed to do some "damage shopping" in Singapore, Mummy only a little bit, Baby NOTHING (!!!) ...yes yes, a $3.90 Ferrari from 7-Eleven store. HAHA! ;p

This is Joel grinning after his breakfast today. He's wearing this thick sleepbag for the first time and i'm quite worried he'll get "choked" coz the neckline seems pretty tight and he can turn 180 degrees when he's asleep. (I think i heard him cough) :/

Anyway...God will bless us & you.
See you again in Chinese New Year - only 3 more months! ;)

un-pack

It's 11.30pm and the little one still doesnt wanna sleep and/or doesnt show any signs of sleeping soon. OMG, my luggage is still unpacked... only Aunty/PorPor's things (in the 2 separate bags)...and half of Joel's things. He's got a bit of separation anxiety...so i cant leave him to pack too. That's why i placed him on the floor near the suitcase so i can at least grab some stuffs.

So far, i've packed in his diapers and about 10-days of clothes...only to realize it has already taken up almost a quarter of the luggage space! Sooo many other things havent even go in yet (and i also tend to over-pack lah). The sterilizer is also going to take up quite a bit of space too. That will be the last to go in. I've decided to bring his diapers (even though it's cheaper in Spore) coz he's kinda "in-between sizes" and i wanna finish them before he really gets too fat.

Baby, what time are you going to sleep huh?

P.S. Those who have been to our house...you can see from the picture above that yesterday i've moved the armchair to the far end of the living room (just in front of the balcony) to create a space in our small apartment for Joel to play on the floor (where the Jumperoo is). I will buy those puzzle foam mat (90 x 60cm/piece) when we come back. Planning on doing up a 90cm x 120/180cm area. Decided that those 2m x 2m Korean playmats are way too big. Hmm...hope it wont be too cold either on the floor. :/ The weather suddenly turned cold today - like in aircon room.

Our timing today is a little haywire - although Joel doesnt really have a fixed schedule. Coz Daddy has been working late late nights for the past week (since the weekends) and he had to work through the night yesterday. He only came home at 6+am to bathe and then went back into office again for his very important presentation at 9am. So, Joel actually woke up at 6am when he heard Daddy's voice! Daddy came home today at 6+pm and has been sleeping like a log. Our day started so early and i'm surprised Joel is still so active now - playing with a packet of tissue paper.

sadist baby

Last night, Baby Joel was very happy (an understatement) when his good friend Monchichi accidentally fell down from the bed... Then, i decided to show u guys how MUCH he enjoyed it! Hahahahahahahahaaaa...
(Pardon Joel's super mismatched pajamas)

This baby also likes/love to
- pull peoples' hair (Grrrrr!)
- pinch those flabby bye-bye arms (OUCHHH!)
- scratch people with his fingernails (HEY!)
- push back your nail cuticles (ouch)
- play with your ear-rings...and pull! (OUCH!)
Dont say i didnt warn you! ;p

joel's first trip back

This time tomorrow, we'll be at Shanghai PVG and coming back to Singapore! It's China's National Day - 1 week holiday! We'll be here till 6 Oct, Mon. ;)

It's Joel's first trip back - in almost 6 months - since we came in April. I'm sure all his GongGong, PorPor, aunties and uncles miss him a lot.

Aunties Yen Yen, Audrey & Sandra: I've packed your Longchamp bags already! U can use them on Monday! ;)
Sandra: I bought some girl stuffs for Jerome's little niece...your (authentic) Paul Frank bermudas...and Jerome's stuffs.
Xan & Xavier: I've got your Adidas tshirts in size-150 coz you are such BIG boys now!
PorPor: I'm bringing back some sweaters and 2 nice jackets for your coming Beijing trip. Hope it'll fit (coz i figured the rest are too small for u). Keke...

9 months & my big bag of rice

Baby Joel is 9 months old today...and i just weighed him...he's 10kg!
Yes, a big bag of rice. ;)

baby swap

I'm excited that my swap with Lara in Germany is in the mail as i type. My package should reach her soon. I've sent her a swap of sorts and she's sending me baby-swap (for Joel). I cant wait! ;)

Keeping my fingers crossed that there wont be any problems with the customs (at both ends). Coz when i mailed out the package, it's sooo strict now that they need to inspect literally EVERYTHING that's inside the package! So many restricted items. Anything "written" (even a small note) will also have to go into another envelope and be sent separately as a 'Letter'.

!!!???!!!

P.S. Her package sent via SHA-US-DE (Germany) which might take slightly longer...

ugly betty 2

I have finished watching Ugly Betty Season 2! The ending is sooo Felicity - having to choose between Ben & Noel. (Ben! Ben! Ben!) Usually, i'm on the side of the follow-your-heart-guy (who is almost always hotter)...but i'll definitely want Betty to be with Gio...and he's also much hotter than the nerd Henry who happens to have too HUGE a chest for his small head and a tiny waist. I wonder why sometimes in the show, they actually call him "hot"???

I also realised halfway through that Wilhelmina Slater is actually Vanessa Williams (yes, the singer-songwriter)...and Salma Hayek is in the show becoz she's also the Executive Producer! I was like "She's in Ugly Betty?!" when i first saw her appeared and took off her top (HAHA!). No wonder her name keeps appearing at the start of every episode.

I just had to google again and see if Betty looks anything like what she does in reel life...and she's actually quite pretty. America Ferrera. Look at this shot of her in the cannot-go-wrong Jennifer Aniston hairdo...and also check out some other photos! Some are really quite Betty-like. ;p

Anyway, catch Ugly Betty if u can! Two thumbs up! I really enjoyed watching it! The sad parts also didnt make me sob as much as Felicity or Alias. Yes, i always cry - even for sitcoms! Haha!

haiku yum

I also wanna write about this amazing Japanese restaurant we went last Friday with some friends. Haiku. Their sushi rolls are really really really yummy! Nothing like what you'll get in other fancy Japanese places. I didnt bring my camera...so these shots are taken from the link.

This sushi roll is called The Butterfly becoz of the shape that it was displayed on the plate (my guess). We tried about 5/6 different kinds of sushi rolls (¥60-¥80, 8 pieces on each plate)...all of which is totally yummy! Their sashimi is also as elaborately decorated...and the spotlights on the ceilings did help made everything look sooo good. The restaurant deco is very fancy...though not exactly as hip as Shintori. Both are overly priced but i think that Haiku is more expensive. I guess both are just targeted at foreigners/expats who would pay for the ambience. Hmm...but still, it's kinda expensive to eat there - even if it's a once-a-week kind of dinner. Maybe more like a cool place you wanna show your friend who's coming into town. It's a really nice and yummy part of Shanghai - something people wouldnt link with C-h-i-n-a. ;p

ugly betty

We watched disc 1 of Ugly Betty a few months ago...and didnt exactly have the time to watch it again. Last weekend when Daddy was work & baby sleeping, i continued from my disc 1...and am currently at disc 5! It's like your regular show where a "misfit" tries to fit into a world that's totally not hers. Sometimes the plot is kinda expected. But Betty is hideous and hilarious to watch...and with all the heart-warming bits every now and then too. It's so neat (in the "cool" way) what this geeky gal sees through her red-rimmed glasses! Betty Suarez!

Her wardrobe is also as interesting to watch as Sarah Jessica Parker's - in geeky retro chic! I cant wait to finish all of it - Season 1 & 2... There'll be more than just Season 2, yes/no?? I wanna go get the soundtrack or Lenka too!

getting organized

Daddy has to work yesterday (and today), so I decided to wash Joel's new clothes myself. While trying to pack them into his wardrobe, i'm really convinced that he has too much clothes!

This scenario happens very often when Ahyi folds and puts away his clothes (and our clothes):
Ahyi: "Where do i put this?"
Me: "Just put it here first. When i have the time, i will arrange a bit."

I have this fetish (pun intended) of putting clothes "where they should be". They have been invisibly categorized - home clothes/onesies, sleep clothes (suits, tops & bottoms, sleepbags), gai-gai tops, gai-gai bottoms, gai-gai onesies, jackets, socks, beanies & caps, towels (big & small), blankets, bedsheets - and best if Ahyi folds them all in the same manner. I can get quite pissed when she doesnt and/or "misplaces" them. But i'm nice, so i dont tell her that it's "wrong"...and coz there really isnt any right/wrong. I'll just do it myself again the 'right way' when she's not around.

Now that Joel has more warm clothes, i came up with a new category. Thick clothes. To save space, Ahyi has also combined the home/gai-gai onesies + tops, bedsheets + blankets + towels into ONE category each (and some miscellaneous + miscellaneous). I have repacked the Not-In-Use and Inventory Sections, but i still seem cant find the perfect way of organizing his clothes!

I know of Singapore parents who "pre-buy" so much clothes for their kids! Actually, i've thought about it... Since kids can wear their clothes for about 3-6 months (for Joel's case, it is 6 months), when buying gai-gai clothes...you only need a maximum of 8 pieces/sets per month (for the 4 Sats & 4 Suns)...and you can keep repeating them. So, the maximum wear for 1 set/piece is actually only 3-6 times! So parents need not be wasting money on kids clothes. And Joel should only have a maximum of 16 sets of clothes if he's living in Singapore. This should be easy and not cause any headache when packing his wardrobe.

I also realized that Joel has a lot of gai-gai clothes but i keep dressing him in the more comfortable ones (comfort in my opinion). I think Joel has the same problem as us...too many clothes but nothing to wear. ;p

the perfect bow

For my wedding, i had a Vera Wang lookalike gown with a nice bow. I was shown many many many times how to tie the ribbon...but i always cannot remember how to do it. Since then, whenever i need to tie a bow, i will go "Arrrhh...why didnt i learn the proper -proper way!" (even though i can still tie a very nice bow).

While doing my online shopping, i saw this! Haha! Have to put it up in my blog! It's very helpful when u need to tie any of your clothes with ribbons...or when gift-wrapping! ;)
I know Elvis is shaking his head when he knows i'm shopping (online) again! He doesnt "scold" me...but he just feels i'm at it when i'm awake! Keke! ;p

more new clothes

Baby Joel's jackets, sweaters and pants just arrived! 20 pieces in boring boy colours - black, grey, blue... Boring! These are all from a Japanese label Skipland. The workmanship is ok, the material are not that thick, so he can wear them in autumn and layering layering (plus a thick jacket) for winter. The pants are all too long so need to get them altered soon. Some are too big...so maybe have to keep first. ;p

Somehow, they dont look as good as the pictures online. But that's STYLING huh...photography...and those kawaii Japanese kids! Haha!
(Buying clothes online can be tricky sometimes, but these are cheaper than in shops.)

Here's what i bought (below). I had to copy/paste all in a jpeg for Daddy to 'Approve & Pay $' coz he's too busy and tired when he comes home to see everything. Keke... ;p

mischief

New milestones:
- sitting up (from lying on his stomach)
- pulling himself up (and trying to be a "kaypo")

Now, Baby Joel was up to some mischief (this is the first)...

And this is him having fun making the "clang clang" sound... He can go on for a loooong time!

baby shoes

Actually, i'm in the midst of preparing for winter especially for baby Joel's first real winter. These are the Old Navy shoes i got for him so far... The 2 brown ones are to be worn at home. The furry boots will match with mine. Keke... ;p

Everything here costs about S$20+ only! (The tag on the boots says US$9.50 already. The rest are about US$7.50 each)

The sandals are for sunny days (now) and when we're back in Singapore the following week! ;)