Reminiscences of a First Time Father

Dads For Life Run - 4th September 2011

2011-09-03T23:22:00.000-07:00

I Don't Wanna Be

2011-09-03T23:21:00.002-07:00

小羊

2011-09-03T23:21:00.001-07:00

我的家

2011-08-04T06:58:00.000-07:00

Jack & Rai at the Esplanade

2011-05-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

Daddy's Little Girl

2010-09-03T00:33:00.001-07:00

Great shot by Mummy

Pics from First Ballet Lesson

2010-09-03T00:28:00.001-07:00

Kaitlyn's First Ballet Lesson

2010-08-24T20:31:00.002-07:00

Kate at Home

2010-08-11T02:05:00.001-07:00

Little Ballerina

2010-08-11T02:01:00.000-07:00

Margaret River Holiday - May 2010

2010-06-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

Bali Holiday - March/April 2010

2010-06-23T00:20:00.001-07:00

Aunty Ngasmi

2010-05-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

Aunty Ngasmi has been working with Mummy's family for more than 2 decades. She's more than just a nanny to Kaitlyn, she's our friend and our family.

Aunty Ngasmi was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cervical cancer.

We managed to convince Aunty Ngasmi to stay on in Singapore to seek treatment, her radiotheraphy starts later this week.

Please pray for her. Please pray for full recovery. Please pray that she will choose to live strong.

At the Zoo with Sophie

2010-03-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

CNY2010

2010-03-08T18:44:00.001-08:00

Meet Obama

2010-03-08T18:37:00.000-08:00

Meet Obama the cat!

Mummy taught Kaitlyn that the President of Singapore is Nathan, and the President of the USA is Obama. Two days later, Aunty Su and Aunty Kimmie gave Kaitlyn a toy cat for her birthday and she insisted on calling it Obama.

Since then every cat she sees is also called Obama.

Kaitlyn's 2nd Birthday

2010-01-05T22:32:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn's 2nd birthday is on Thursday 7th Jan, but we had a little party for her on Sunday 3rd Jan. Here are just a few pics, I didnt shoot much myself that day, click here for the awesome shots by Kwang.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

Karaoke Queen

2009-12-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

Here's Kaitlyn enjoying her Christmas present from Uncle Bakut and Aunty Christine

Random Pics from November

2009-12-22T02:53:00.001-08:00

Skinny Dipping in Phuket

2009-12-15T06:45:00.000-08:00

100th Post

2009-12-10T18:36:00.001-08:00

Some pics of Kaitlyn in her new home!

St Regis Singapore (again!)

2009-10-13T20:33:00.000-07:00

Yup, we spent another weekend at the St Regis!

Kaitlyn had her own pretty little shoes

but insisted on wearing mummy's bedroom slippers

and doing all sorts of other grownup stuff

September Pics

2009-10-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

We decided that we had to introduce Kaitlyn to music from a very early stage so even when she was in mummy's tummy, we constantly played music and sang to her. It will amaze you, but mummy used to sing "Jesus Loves Me" to her tummy during her pregnancy, and when Kaitlyn was just a little baby, whenever we sang "Jesus Loves Me" to her, she would smile and try to sing along. Nowadays, she can sing the whole song to us!

Kerb Rash. Kaitlyn had a fall while playing with the neighbour's dog. The abrasion on her chin is just the tip of the iceberg, what broke my heart was that her lips and gums were kinda bashed up and bled when I tried to brush her teeth that night.

We still love the botanic gardens very much!

Goodbye Gym, Goodbye Car, Goodbye Home

2009-10-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

September was a month of farewells for Kaitlyn.

She outgrew her age group at The Little Gym and was supposed to move on to the next age group but most of the weekend classes are already full and the only available slot right now is on Saturday morning at 8am. We're on the waitlist for a class with a more sensible timing, but in the meantime, Kaitlyn will walk on any narrow object she can find and say "walk beam", and has a tendency to break out in actions and song, singing the songs that she learnt in class. Here are some pics from her last class at The Little Gym.

We also said goodbye to our car of 5 years, a black Saab 93. We decided 5 years ago that since we wanted to expand the family, we needed a safe car. After 5 years, it was an easy decision to make when we wanted a bigger car and we ended up with a Saab 95 combi, which was purchased almost entirely over the phone! We didnt even bother to inspect her or test drive her!

I think this pic here is of Kaitlyn's last ride in the 93 (btw, if you're looking for a car dealer, we found a really great guy at Ubi)

and here are some pics of our old car just before I handed her over.

We also said goodbye to our home of more than 7 years. Here's Kaitlyn and Mummy just before we moved out

The last few weeks have been pretty exciting because of the new home and new car but we also felt a little sad to have to say goodbye to a home filled with memories (and a car that could run really fast). Both were nothing short of a blessing from God and we will always be grateful for them. Of course, the new home and new car are also beautiful blessings from God!

Will post some pics of the new home soon.

The Little Gym

2009-08-30T00:15:00.000-07:00

Remember back in December when I mentioned that Kaitlyn really enjoyed going to The Little Gym? We've been going there (almost) every saturday evening for the last two terms with Kaitlyn's buddies Emma and Alex. They enjoy the class so much that the three of them now seem to have their own little programme. It doesn't matter what the teachers and classmates are doing, the three of them will run off on their own and do their own little tricks, as if its their own little playground. Here are some pics from this weekend.

St Regis Singapore

2009-08-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed our stay at the St Regis Bali Resort so much that we decided to spend the weekend at the St Regis Singapore, just for fun, but this time we did it with Kaitlyn.

As soon as we checked in, Kaitlyn immediately started to enjoy the adventure, here she is looking for our room

then she immediately attacked the welcome snacks on the table

and decided that the curtains were great fun too

of course she absolutely loved the pool

very tired after playing in the pool

Kaitlyn also really enjoyed herself playing and dancing in the room

but her favourite that weekend was the bathtub... first thing she did on sunday morning was to walk into the bathroom, give the bathtub a pat and say "hello darling"

saying goodbye to the room on our way out

mummy and kate

God Brother Evan

2009-08-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Kaitlyn and her God Brother Evan at Summer's birthday party.

Roseola - False Measles

2009-08-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

I guess every kid has to go through it. Kaitlyn had it a couple of months back. Started with a fever, then diarrhea, and the rashes came out. Fortunately, many of Kaitlyn's little friends already had it recently so we weren't that worried. Kinda reminds me of the liver infection that I had back in Dec 2007!

Bali

2009-07-23T07:38:00.000-07:00

I've only travelled without Kaitlyn 3 times since she was born. We went to Langkawi when she was about half a year old, London when she was about a year old, and so when she was about 18 months old, we took a short holiday to Bali.

I knew the St Regis in Bali pretty well because I was there in December 2008 for Bee & Bok's wedding. This time, instead of taking my arsenal of equipment with me, I brought just one camera and one lens. Here are some images from that weekend:

having breakfast at the St Regis

shopping at Seminyak

hotel library

when we went shopping at Seminyak, we only had Kaitlyn on our mind

hotel gardens

hotel spa

Nusa Dua beach

Martha Tilaar Spa

Prana Spa

the lagoon at the back of our villa

great restaurant

entrance to the hotel's Boneka restaurant - the best breakfast spread in the world!

the man behind the awesome breakfast - Oscar Perez

one of the hotel's many knowledgeable butlers

this happens everyday at sunset

view of the lagoon from our villa

the hotel's main building

I only used one camera and one lens. That's how a holiday should be shot!

ABCs

2009-07-21T02:23:00.000-07:00

June Pics

2009-07-08T06:43:00.000-07:00

As you might expect, a bad back tends to lead to a drought in pictures of Kaitlyn, but here're some pics that I managed to make in June.

Kaitlyn absolutely loves books and her cot

she also loves playing in the dressing area

and of course her paints, except nowadays she seems to prefer to paint herself

time alone in the oval office

a little scared to slide down what she calls a "whee"

posing for a portrait in her cot

bubbles!

botanic gardens with mummy

with her paints again

at the zoo, saying hello to the white tigers

not very pleased with the emu that tried to take a peck at her

trying on a new pair of shoes from Aunty Wong Ping & Uncle Jeff

absolutely love those eyelashes!

May Pics

2009-06-01T21:05:00.001-07:00

Some new pics from the month of May...

Proud Of My Pumpkin

2009-04-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

Remember my previous post about Kaitlyn the artist? Well, she really seems to be growing to love drawing, painting, scribbling, and taking photos! Ok ok, I know its kinda early to tell but as long as she enjoys it, I'm gonna encourage it.

Here she is with her paints...

and rewarding herself with a little treat after painting...

Here's the pondering photographer, in deep thought...

to capture the decisive moment, sometimes you need to put the big SLR down and use the more subtle rangefinder...

reading her flash cards...

Admiring herself in the mirror!

Vain Little Pumpkin

2009-04-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

This is how vain Kaitlyn is... first she took mummy's necklace and paraded around the room proudly...

Then she noticed I had my camera and asked me to take a picture for her!

I wonder where she inherited this vanity from...

Cheeky Monkey

2009-04-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Mummy! Check out my new glasses!

Caught red handed raiding her wardrobe!

Self Portrait

2009-04-09T03:02:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn was playing with her toy camera again today

So I asked her if she wanted to take a picture of herself. She smiled for the camera and took the shot! Here's Kaitlyn's very first self portrait!

Camera: Nikon D3
Focal Length: 35mm
Aperture: f2.0
Shutter: 1/60sec
ISO: 500
Aperture Priority
Matrix Metering

Walk Walk

2009-04-09T02:59:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn with my walking stick, asking me to walk with her!

Spine Fusion Surgery

2009-04-06T02:40:00.001-07:00

Its been almost two weeks since my spine surgery. I still can't carry Kaitlyn yet, but I hope to do so soon.

I'm writing this post as a diary, especially for others out there who are facing the possibility of spine fusion surgery. There are plenty of sites out there that explain exactly what spine fusion surgery is all about - removing the disc(s), replacing them with titanium cages, harvesting bone graft to be placed inside the cages, inserting screws into the vertebrae, titanium rods attached to the screws to hold the whole thing together. In my case, it was L4/L5/S1 which means that two discs were removed and replaced with cages, and a total of six screws were inserted.

(I'll post pictures once I figure out how to scan the x-rays into jpegs)

The thing is, leading up this op, I searched all over but could not find anything on what to expect when you wake up. So here's a brief diary:

Day 0 1200h
I woke up in pain. I am allergic to many painkillers, and since morphine (which I am not allergic to) is known to affect the respiratory system (I suffer from a condition called sleep apnea) the doctors did the conservative thing and gave me a safe painkiller just before I woke up - Panadol. Yes, Panadol. I complained that Panadol just wasn't good enough so they gave me a low dose of morphine, under the supervision of my ENT surgeon.

[if you're preparing for spine fusion surgery, you might wanna let your doctor know before they knock you out if you're as terrified about catheters as I am. I made a deal with the doctor - he'd remove the catheter before I wake up but if I have any problems with my bladder, the catheter is going back in, this time while I'm awake.]

Day 0 1400h
I was wheeled into the High Dependency Unit. Most patients don't need to do this but because of the risk of sleep apnea vs morphine, they wanted me in there for observation. I can't find the right word to describe the HDU, I'm torn between "circus" and "zoo". Ironically, patients in here are the people who need the most rest, but rest is something that's hard to come by. Visitors walk in and out, although they're not supposed to. The door is locked but visitors are crouching by the door, ready to pounce in as soon as anybody opens the door, especially the poor little cleaning lady who never knows what hit her. Once they're inside, the nurses are too polite to chase them away, except for this family that insisted on trying to sneak the entire clan into the ward at the same time. There is no space for visitors to hang out, there aren't even chairs, but that doesn't stop them. Some even chose to hang around until about midnight. I think they were visiting patients who were either unconscious or were otherwise unable to explain to their visitors that patients need rest. To make things worse, I had the nurse station and the only sink in the ward at the foot of my bed. The good thing about the HDU though, is that the nursing care was extraordinary.

Day 1 0500h
By 5am, 17 hours post surgery, I was feeling pretty disorientated. It's one of those situations where one had to choose between pain and sanity. The morphine dose was still low, but I was starting to think I was Mark Renton. I don't know for sure if it was the pain, the drugs, or the lack of sleep talking, but I asked the nurse to turn the painkillers off! She halved the dose for me until the doctors arrived and advised against turning it off completely. Apparently I was gonna feel more pain today than yesterday. The good news was that they were gonna transfer me back to the general ward. At least I could have visitors without being inconsiderate to other patients.

Day 1 1200h
I was told earlier that I was going to be moved to the general ward either before lunch, or after lunch. Wow!! Really?? I was thinking to myself, the stockmarket is either going to go up or go down today. Anyway, they moved me upstairs back to room 5520 around noon. At this point, I asked the doctor again if I could have the morphine removed. So here I was 24 hours after surgery, lying in bed waiting for the morphine to wear off and for the pain to hit me like a bullet train. It never came. Seriously. By that afternoon, the physio came in and helped me to stand up. We started with a walking frame but I think my core muscles were still sleeping, I simply could not lift the walking frame to take a step! It was hilarious and discouraging at the same time. Instead, we used the table - you know, the rectangular table on wheels, I think hospitals call them "mobile dining tables" or "over-bed tables" - anyway, we used that as support and walked out of the room into the corridor to the nurse station, and back. I felt like Lance Armstrong, ready to rock!

Unfortunately, I didn't last more than 5 minutes. I was exhausted but encouraged that I was up on my feet barely a day after surgery. I thought of the man at Bethsaida, when Jesus said "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk". I think there was more to it than just getting up and walking away. I think more importantly, that man had a whole new life ahead of him, and Jesus to thank for it.

The next couple of days saw an improvement in pain and discomfort but I still needed help to move around. I used a walking stick on one side and the support of another person on the other side. I could not do it alone because without the support on one side, I did not have the strength and balance to lift the walking stick to take the next step. I suppose I probably would have been able to do it alone if I had two walking sticks. Thank God for waterproof dressings! I think the ability to SSS and brush your teeth is a real morale booster. By Day 3, Doctor Li decided that I was ready to go home.

The last two weeks have been good and bad. There were days when I felt ready to start training for the triathlon and there were days when all I did was lie in bed. There were days when I felt an obvious improvement from the day before and there were days when I couldn't even sit through a meal. When I first got home, i think it was Day 6 or 7, I felt that I really needed to get some exercise and decided that afternoon to take a walk to my in-law's house since that's where Kaitlyn was spending the afternoon. Since it usually took me less than 10 minutes to walk there, I figured I would take not more than 20 and that would be more than enough exercise for me for a start. I ended up taking 45 minutes and was too tired to even eat my dinner.

That's another thing to take note of after surgery. It's important to eat. You need the nutrition.

Right now, two weeks into recovery, I am feeling extremely stiff. Can't sit in the same position for more than half an hour, can't pick things up if I drop them. I still can't lift most objects, not just heavy objects. Kaitlyn wanted a particular book the other day and I couldn't pass it to her! I still haven't taken my cameras out of the cabinet yet, will probably start light with the M7. The D3 will have to wait.

The stitches came off this morning. Doctor Li used dissolving stitches but he still had to cut off the knots at both ends. As of today, I can walk on flat ground unaided, but I still need help with uneven ground, slopes, stairs, etc. I am looking forward to starting physio on wednesday. I'll also probably start walking in the pool by the end of the week.

I think the physical challenge is over, the bulk of the pain is gone. What lies ahead is the mental challenge, the willpower to work hard and Livestrong.

A Few Of My Favourite Things

2009-03-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

Another shot by mummy that i really like

At 14 months, some of Kaitlyn's favourite activities include...

Playing with Emma

Brushing her teeth

Using mummy's make up

"practicing" her swimming

and of course playing at the playground and at home

here we are at the zoo on my birthday

and showing off the pizza in her mouth

Kaitlyn suddenly decided one morning that it might be fun to raid my tshirts and pull them out one by one

Mummy The Photographer

2009-03-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

Mummy's been getting lots of compliments lately about her photography skills. And my buddy Jeff has said to me several times lately that I ought to just enjoy my time with Kaitlyn rather than always trying to shoot every moment, so here are some pics by mummy on a hot saturday afternoon out at the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden.

Great pics of Emma and Uncle Jeff too!

Kaitlyn at Home

2009-03-01T06:40:00.001-08:00

Some new pics of Kaitlyn at home...

My little polka dot girl loves mummy's hair band

Waving to herself in the mirror

Kaitlyn's gotten so used to having the camera pointed at her that she seems to know how to pose!

and I'm so happy that she still loves to play in mummy and daddy's bed

Jurong Bird Park

2009-02-18T07:28:00.001-08:00

We took Kaitlyn to the bird park today, and what a day it was. I have a feeling I enjoyed the afternoon more than Kaitlyn did. Not that I'm fascinated with birds or anything but its so nice to see Kaitlyn so excited and happy.

Here are some pics from the afternoon...

Ok Mummy, where do we start?

Enjoying the show... she especially loved the colourful birds.

Look Ma! More birds!

We stopped at the souvenir shop while waiting for the monorail train to come and Kaitlyn absolutely refused to let go of this Regent Bowerbird stuffed toy.

I think the highlight of the afternoon was the penguins.

These birds were supposed to talk but they just refused to say a word to us!

Saying hello to the flamingoes

Thanking Mummy for a wonderful afternoon when we got home.

Natalie's First Swim

2009-02-16T19:52:00.001-08:00

Sunday 15th Feb 20009

Bakut and Christine took Baby Natalie for a swim for the first time.

Of course Kaitlyn was there to join in the fun. Great pics below by mummy!

My Little Artist

2009-02-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

I've always wondered why parents have ambitions for their kids to grow up to be doctors and lawyers and other crappy jobs like that. Ok, I know that these guys earn truck loads of money. I had lunch with an old lawyer buddy last week and he was trying to decide between a 911 C4, an S5, or an M3. Nice. That evening, we went for a movie at Vivocity and it was his first time at Vivocity! Seriously! He's been working so hard that he hasn't been to Vivocity??? My twin brother gave up law a few years ago and he works for the casino now. He goes to Vivocity almost every day!

Sometimes I look at the young photographers around me and I wish I had the guts to pick up photography when I was a kid, and not in my 30s. I've always enjoyed admiring photographs, but always told myself that I could never be good enough. If Kaitlyn wants to be an artist one day, I hope I have the confidence and the resources to encourage her all the way.

Chinese New Year

2009-01-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

Some pics from Chinese New Year...

Learning to Walk

2009-01-27T07:17:00.001-08:00

Kaitlyn's been so comfortable with crawling that she hasnt really been motivated to walk. But with a new walker for Christmas from Aunty Vanessa and lots of coaxing from us, she's starting to realise that walking can be lots of fun!

First Birthday

2009-01-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

We decided that we didnt want a big party on her first birthday, so we kept it really really tiny and had two small lunches over the weekend - one with Kaitlyn's two pairs of Godparents, and the other with immediate family.

First Christmas

2009-01-27T06:53:00.001-08:00

Frankly, I'd hoped that Kaitlyn's first Christmas would have been more significant. I wanted to explain the real meaning of Christmas to her and I wanted her to understand and experience Jesus's love for her

If she understood anything we told her, she didn't show it. But I still hope that in His own way, God was able to touch her heart this Christmas.

She was of course showered with lots of gifts this Christmas. We are very very grateful to family and friends who made Christmas morning a blast for her...

A Month of Random Pics

2009-01-27T06:37:00.000-08:00

Its been more than a month since my last update, here are some random pics from the last month...

Godma Tyen & Godpa Harry and little Sophie were back in Singapore for a couple of weeks so we hung out at their apartment pool a few times.

Kaitlyn also loved the swings next to the pool. Here she is with Nikki and Summer.

My little pumpkin is starting to think that she's a big girl and sometimes refuses to drink from her little cup, or refuses to be fed from her little spoon. She'd rather drink from a grown up glass and feed herself with her own hands.

and of course, she has to use the grown up toilet bowl...

Pumpkin's First Holiday

2008-12-18T05:59:00.000-08:00

We took Kaitlyn to Bali for her very first holiday. We were afraid that she might not be too pleased with a long flight so Bali felt like the ideal first destination. Of course it was perfect timing for us because of B&B's wedding that weekend.

Kaitlyn took to the plane immediately and turned it into a playground as soon as we boarded.

And as if on cue, she fell asleep at the exact moment that the plane started to accelerate for take off!

Because of Kaitlyn's love for swimming, we chose a hotel with several pools. We spent most of our time in the salt water pool because it was in the shade and had the least people.

That's Grandma pretending to be a big yellow floatie monster:

We also got ourselves a suite with two bedrooms - one for Mummy and Daddy, and one for Kaitlyn and Grandma.

The second bedroom came with a baby cot and three single beds and I thought it would be a great idea to put the three beds together to make a big play mat for Kaitlyn. I went straight to work and lifted the bedside table and immediately heard a pop. With my back nicely out of place on the first day, I spent the rest of the five days in excrutiating pain.

As a photographer, it turned out to be sort of a blessing in disguise because it forced me to slow down and frame every shot before putting the camera to my eye and releasing the shutter.

Many friends suggested that we should go to Ku De Ta. Although most recommended going for the sunset, we decided that the hour long drive would be kinda tough on Kaitlyn in the evening so we went there for lunch. It was beautiful! Kaitlyn enjoyed having the incoming tide brush against her feet but drew the line at actually getting sand on her feet!

That's me. Neglecting my bad back and of course paying the price for it shortly after.

More pics at Ku De Ta:

And of course, what's Bali without a romantic wedding by the beach? Here are some pics of Bee & Bok's wedding:

First Hair Cut

2008-12-16T22:45:00.001-08:00

I desperately needed a haircut between London and Bali so off I went with my little pumpkin to see Kate who very patiently gave Kaitlyn her very first trim.

Play Time With Daddy

2008-12-16T22:28:00.000-08:00

I had to squeeze in as much play time as possible before I left for London. So I took Kaitlyn to the zoo and also to The Little Gym. We went for two different trial classes, for different age groups. She seemed happier at the younger group, she probably wasn't ready for the older group yet because everyone else was walking already. Nonetheless, I like The Little Gym very much and we're probably going to sign her up for the next class starting in March or April 2009.

This is how she reacted when I told her that Daddy was taking her to the zoo:

But Daddy forgot to tell her in advance that she wasn't allowed to touch the animals...

2 Weeks In London

2008-12-16T21:33:00.000-08:00

I spent two weeks in London, two weeks away from my little pumpkins. Oh boy was it tough! I missed her so much! What helped most was knowing that as soon as I got home, we'd be going to Bali together for 5 days!

It was so cold most of the time. We went to Stamford Bridge to watch the Chelsea vs Arsenal game and I was tempted to leave at half time!

Here are some pics from London...

The d'Amico office in London:

Cousin Olivia:

Cousin Rebecca:

Ai Leen & Aaron:

Sleepy Feet

2008-11-07T08:56:00.000-08:00

Mummy & Daddy's Bed

2008-11-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn still loves to play in mummy and daddy's bed, I hope she always will...

Feeding Time

2008-11-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

Remember the old post back in July with pics of Kaitlyn having her first "solid" meal? Well here she is in the same high chair feeding herself, and loving every moment!

Parties

2008-11-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn and friends at Charlotte's and Nikki's birthday parties...

My Little Bumble Bee

2008-11-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

9 Months Old

2008-10-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the last few weeks....

Langkawi

2008-10-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

We finally took a holiday, our first since pregnancy. Many of our friends took the opportunity to travel during the second trimester but we didn't and our last holiday was way back in March 2007 when we went to Beijing for a few days.

We initially considered bringing Kaitlyn along...

But we decided against it. We needed some time to ourselves anyway.

The hotel was beautiful, secluded, and serene. And even though it rained down on us everyday, we were grateful for the time that we had together.

Kaitlyn fell sick for the first time the day before we left. On one hand, it kept us worrying while we were away on holiday, but on the other hand, it kinda worked out well that she was in the good hands of Grandma and Grandpa (and two helpers) who were happy to dote on her 24 hours a day while Mummy and Daddy had a good break!

Holy Cow!!!

2008-09-08T05:56:00.000-07:00

Typically, frozen milk can be kept for 3 months in a freezer, up to 6 months in deep freeze. This doesn't usually pose a problem if the quantity of milk consumed exceeds the quantity of milk being frozen and stored.

Sometimes, one has the tough job of throwing out old milk that has gone way past the expiry date.

This is what approx 100 to 120 litres of milk looks like!

But don't worry, Kaitlyn still has two freezers full of milk that hasn't expired... yet.

Look Ma! I Can Stand!

2008-09-08T05:55:00.001-07:00

8 Months Old

2008-09-08T05:46:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's been 8 months already??

Kaitlyn turned 8 months old yesterday and what a weekend it was for us! She's cutting her 3rd tooth and it's been giving her a really really hard time. We hardly got a smile out of her all weekend.

Moments of the Week

2008-08-31T05:24:00.001-07:00

Some of my favourite moments this week...

Meal Times:

Mummy Moments:

Playing in Bed

2008-08-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

More pics of Kaitlyn playing in mummy & daddy's bed...

Good Joke

2008-08-27T06:23:00.001-07:00

Looks like Kaitlyn's learning to laugh at a good joke!

Happy Birthday Godma Tyen!

2008-08-27T06:21:00.001-07:00

Photo Drought

2008-08-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

It seems like I haven't been shooting many pics of Kaitlyn lately. I feel so guilty because I've been so busy shooting other people instead!!

Her latest "trick" is to wave at everybody and everything but her hand is kinda reversed so it looks more like a "come here" rather than a "hello". I've been so tickled by this cute little wave that I haven't gotten around to picking up my camera to shoot this. I'm still enjoying every waving moment. I'll get around to shooting this wave eventually. She waves at herself in the mirror, at the birds in the sky, even at the portrait of mummy and daddy hanging on the wall!!

Anyway, here are the highlights from three recent weddings:

Crawling 101

2008-08-10T05:35:00.000-07:00

Here's Mummy teaching Kaitlyn to crawl...

Happy Birthday Summer!

2008-08-05T20:16:00.000-07:00

Sam & Ping celebrated Summer's 2nd birthday on saturday. I had the privilege of shooting her 1st birthday last year and had a great time shooting her 2nd.

It was a fantastic day for me because I had a really nice morning swimming with Kaitlyn. Then we went to Summer's party, and Kaitlyn had so many aunties doting on her. After that, we went to Aunty Carol's house to celebrate Nadya's 1st month. It's been awhile since we had the chance to spend so much time together.

Here are some pics from Summer's party.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2008-08-03T05:13:00.000-07:00

We has a small lunch at One Rochester on Sunday to celebrate Mama Doris's 61st birthday, which is on 5th Aug.

7 Months Old

2008-08-03T01:09:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn turns 7 months old this week. Here are a few pics from the last month.

1st Tooth!

2nd Tooth!

Kaitlyn loves playing on Mummy & Daddy's bed.

Swimming with Buddies

2008-08-03T01:07:00.001-07:00

Our usual saturday morning swim. Me and my buddies. Kaitlyn and her buddies.

Ice Box

2008-08-03T01:05:00.001-07:00

Here's Kaitlyn in Uncle Jeff's ice box!!

Rambutan

2008-08-03T01:02:00.000-07:00

We felt it would be a good idea to introduce Kaitlyn to different textures, since she's always curious about new surfaces.

I guess an old rambutan was a little too much for her...

Happy Birthday Mummy!

2008-08-03T00:58:00.001-07:00

الله أكبر

2008-07-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

I’ve been asked a few times about the first couple of posts in this blog but I never wanted to talk about it. I guess the joy of having Kaitlyn in our lives heals the old wounds.

We live in a world of instant results. And I had fallen into that trap. I wanted results and I wanted them now! I spent years wondering why our prayers weren’t answered. I wanted results, damn it!!

Why did we have all the problems? Or rather, why is it nobody else seems to have any difficulties? Why were we given the joy of finding out that the first IVF in 2006 was successful, only to be disappointed a few weeks later when were we told that she had to be removed because she was growing in the fallopian tube. It was a terrible weekend in October 2006 which I still remember very vividly. We stayed in bed the entire weekend and cried. We refused to talk to anyone. We refused to be comforted.

Was it envy that everyone else had it easy? I don’t know if I was just being sensitive but I felt that even our closest friends were hesitant about telling us about their successful pregnancies. Or was it a lack of faith? Or was it both?

And why did we have to do the same to Kaitlyn’s twin in March 2007? Has Audrey not had enough surgeries already? So many times I wanted to give up. Not because I didn’t want a child, but because I couldn’t bear to see my wife suffer anymore. Now I am wrecked with guilt when I look at Kaitlyn and recall the times when I wanted to give up! What kept us going of course was that Kaitlyn was still growing well despite the surgery and the loss of her twin. The determination that Audrey had was inspiring.

God had given me the responsibility of being the head of this household, and I had failed. But you know what, Jesus never fails. In fact, He said that, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”

God promised: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know – Jeremiah 33:3.

Firstly, He said “call to me”. Looking back, did we really call to Him? Or did we just pray blindly and hope to get it over and done with?

He also said the he will answer. He did not say that He might answer. He said that He will answer. Did I really have complete faith to believe that?

Then He said that he will tell us great and unsearchable things that we do not know. Great. Unsearchable. Things you do not know.

So what is God trying to tell me? I don’t know. But if I have faith in Him, and I trust and believe that His love for me and my family is so overwhelming that we will never fathom or comprehend, then that’s all I need.

To trust and obey.

"Solid" Food

2008-07-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

Don't believe everything you hear.

New parents are told that they need to introduce solid food to their kids when they are about 6 months old.

There is nothing solid about this food.

Kaitlyn had her first taste of "solid" food on Monday 30th June, right after her 3rd round of vaccinations to mark her 6th month.

First Bump On The Head

2008-07-02T06:51:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn got her first bump on the head this week. Now that she's learnt to roll over, it's dangerous to take our eyes off her even for a few seconds.

That's all it took for her to roll right off our bed!

I know... I know... it's just a bump and it's just the first of many to come... but it didn't make me any less worried, and it didn't prevent us from surrounding her with cushions for the rest of the day.

Little Drummer Girl

2008-07-02T06:48:00.001-07:00

We realised we were spending way too much money on clothes, which Kaitlyn can't really appreciate. So we decided to spend way too much money on toys instead!

Is this how Uncle Mark plays the drums?

Gimme That Crab

2008-07-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

Joe McNally said "get your camera in a different place". So I handed a new toy to Kaitlyn and shot her from different angles.

Happy Daddy's Day!

2008-07-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

I'd been wanting to take Kaitlyn for a swim for a long time. Afterall, she loves bath time so much right? Mummy kept insisting that she was too young to go swimming, and then surprised me on Father's Day by getting Kaitlyn all ready for a swim at Tanglin Club.

I had no idea it was gonna happen, right up to the point when I ordered my fish & chips and she came back from the changing room in her swim suit.

We had a nice morning swimming with Emma and Uncle Jeff.

Thank you Mummy, for planning the swim and for taking the beautiful pics!

Why does Emma have more hair than I do?

Tasty Floaty!!

Hello Mummy!!

I'm tired Daddy...

Bath Time!

2008-07-02T06:23:00.000-07:00

More pics from Kaitlyn's favourite activity...

These are the first pics taken with my latest toy, the Nikon D3. Absolutely love the power of an FX sensor.

5 Months Old

2008-06-04T00:15:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn is 5 months old this week!

Here's a happy smile for each happy month...

Use The Force, Luke

2008-06-04T00:06:00.001-07:00

Luke Chee was born at 1102h on 28th May 2008.

Apparently, I was initially supposed to be called Luke because Luke comes after Mark in the Bible.

Of course my brother Mark couldn't resist saying to him "Luke, I am your father". And I'm pretty sure we're gonna be hearing that line from him many more times...

That's Kaitlyn & Emma playing on Aunty En's hospital bed while Baby Luke is sleeping behind them.

Botanic Gardens

2008-06-03T23:58:00.000-07:00

It was one of those ridiculously hot saturday afternoons a couple of weeks ago... but we decided nonetheless to take a walk at the Botanic Gardens together with Elaine & Ed & Russell.

Mummy Moments

2008-06-03T23:50:00.000-07:00

I love those special moments between mummy and baby. Its a very special relationship that cannot be expressed in words. Even pictures barely begin to illustrate them...

Crying

2008-06-03T23:33:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite photogs, Joel Sartore, said that you're not being fair if you don't photograph your kids when they're crying.

After all, that's what kids do.

If you intend to document all the significant moments, you really ought to capture the crying too.

To be fair, Kaitlyn really doesn't cry a lot.

When she wakes up, she just lies there and sucks her thumb until we realise she's awake. When she's hungry, she doesn't really complain. When she's tired, she will "chat" and coo a lot and try to suck her thumb to soothe herself. It's only when she's really tired and can't soothe herself to sleep that she cries.

Happy Mummy's Day!

2008-06-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

I attempted to make our first mother's day special by cooking dinner. How wrong can one get with pasta and salad anyway?

The salad was easy enough so i tried to create my own dressing but it ended up tasting like syrup.

And the pasta... well, I thought a little soy sauce would give my crabmeat pasta that hint of an oriental taste. It ended up tasting like a bad hokkien mee.

Nonetheless, we had a nice quiet evening by ourselves at home. Kaitlyn even joined as at the dining table, or more accurately on the dining table.

Mother's day lunch:

Grandma Doris

Grandma Patsy

En & Liana

Being a mother is gift too great to comprehend. Having a mother is a gift too beautiful for words.

Happy Little Pumpkin

2008-06-03T23:07:00.001-07:00

Computer Breakdown

2008-06-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

You don't realise how much you rely on your computer until it breaks down on you... here are some pics from the last month or so...

New Sunnies from Godma Tyen

Reading a book with Grandma

Do I look like Victoria Beckham in this?

Happy Feet

4 Months Old

2008-05-07T05:51:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn turned 4 months old today and we had to mark the day with vaccinations - two injections and one oral medication.

I must say, I was extreeeemly proud of her for taking the jabs so well.

Here are some pics from the last couple of weeks:

Sound asleep on Mummy & Daddy's bed

Loving the musical toy from Uncle Jon and Aunty Yin Fern

Does Grandpa realise that I can't sit up on my own yet?

That's more like it!

Grandma, why do I have pink legs?

Tasty Tasty Toys!!!

3 Months Old

2008-04-16T03:50:00.001-07:00

Kaitlyn turned three months old about a week ago.

It's a really really big milestone for most babies. This is the point at which babies develop many many great abilities, depending on whose calender or schedule you're looking at.

If you're looking at the Government's schedule, this is the point at which baby is expected to start to feed herself, go to the toilet on her own, and basically start to become an independent adult.

Unfortunately, Kaitlyn's development doesn't even come close to these expectations, so I guess she's not destined for the Administrative Service. Mummy has no choice but to return to work this week, leaving Kaitlyn in the very capable hands of her parents.

Here are some recent pics...

Grandma always said that we should learn to laugh at ourselves!

Diaper time!

Enjoying bath time as usual...

Wow! Keeping these parents of mine entertained is really tiring work!

Enjoying every moment with Mummy...

Sigh... I'm sure gonna miss Mummy when she goes back to work tomorrow...

12 Weeks

2008-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Lots of fun stuff to do this week!

Kaitlyn got a new bathtub for that favourite time of the day.

She also had a great time on Saturday at Sam & Ping's, hanging out with Nikki & Summer.

We spent the afternoon today at the Botanic Gardens.

It was Kaitlyn's first time there and she seemed to enjoy it very much. She had a great time soaking it all in; the sky, the trees, the dogs, and the people.

We even spotted this couple taking their wedding photos.

Here she is chilling with Grandma on a park bench. Kinda tired but still curious about exploring the Gardens.

Come along daddy! Are you coming with us or not?!?!

Enjoying the afternoon with Mummy and Grandma.

John 3:16

2008-03-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

It's Kaitlyn's first Easter! We'll never know how much she knows about the meaning of Good Friday and Easter but I pray all the time that even at her age, she will experience God's love and His guidance. I couldn't help feeling touched when I found her "praying".

Some developments this week... She's discovered how tasty her hands are.

She's getting a bit big for her sling.

And I think she's starting to realise what my cameras do!

My favourite shot of the week:

Happy Easter! God bless you...

2 Months Old

2008-03-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn turned 2 months old this week, and what a 2nd month it's been! For the first 3 or 4 weeks, we had our confinement nanny, Aunty Siew Kim, to take care of all the little details.

48 hours after she left, I thought I was going to have a stroke. Seriously.

I really can't believe that it's only been 5 weeks since she left because I think I've kinda improved on my parenting skills since then. For starters, I don't panic so easily.

I still pick her up as soon as she squeaks though... my favourite sounds this month are the squeak that she makes after a sneeze, and when she tries to sing along with me when I sing her a song.

She doesn't sing along to any old song. Specifically, she only sings along to Jesus Loves Me, probably because mummy sang that song to her so much when she was still in mummy's tummy.

Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong

Jesus loves me He who died
Heaven's gate to open wide
He will wash away my sin
Let His little child come in

Jesus loves me He will stay
Close beside me all the way
He's prepared a home for me
And some day His face I'll see

Four Little Golden Pigs

2008-03-09T06:06:00.001-07:00

Four little golden pigs, two of whom were due in the year of the rat but they they had to come out early to hang out with their buddies...

1. Emma Kwek: daughter of Jeff & Wong Ping

2. Gillian The: daughter of Henry & Vanessa

3. Joshua Low: son of Zak & Imelda

4. and that's Kaitlyn at the end, she's the oldest of the four, and also the smallest!

Even When She's Sleeping

2008-03-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

Two months ago, Lionel warned me that having a baby is like a high school crush; your whole life revolves around that person but she does not respond at all, and it really breaks your heart.

Thank God Kaitlyn is starting to move out of that non-responsive phase and is really starting to show us lots and lots of affection!

She still absolutely loves bath time and shows her gratitude by smiling at us and coo-ing, as if to thank us, or to tell us how much she's enjoying herself!

But what I like best is the way she falls asleep on top of us...

My Shopping Bag

2008-03-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

Have you seen my Takashimaya shopping bag?