Mama in the morning

I started work earlier today (oh, I really did regret not sleeping earlier!) and when I left home, Kate was still asleep. I just rang home hoping to chat with her but she was taking her afternoon nap. The MIL shared that she called for me the moment her eyes opened though - and that pleases me to no end! I can imagine you calling "MAMA"... as you usually do. *beams

Dear Kate,

I miss you so much. You turned 19 months yesterday and you are a lovely, lovely child. You brighten up my life (and Papa's) and I cannot imagine you being any different - I love you just the way you are, whether you're defiant, cheeky, laughing, naughty or not.

Love you, my little cheeky miss

Au naturel pistachio flavoured ice-cream - yum. There's a mini baluku on your forehead.

HAHA. You're so adorable, little princess. Mommy loves you very much.

Much ado

I'm really going to regret not sleeping when the alarm goes off tomorrow, especially since I have to be at work 1hr15mins earlier than usual, but I figure you cannot fight inspiration nor the urge to write. After all, it's therapeutic to release thoughts.

The past few days have been rather exciting and hectic, starting with two nights of work events. Levi's was the official apparel sponsor of Timbre Rock & Roots 2011. We got a hospitality booth and for those two nights, I had some work to do but also the chance to hang out with colleagues, friends and watch some pretty amazing music acts. I must say that I was rather excited about the entire show - I expected amazing atmosphere, wild crowds; but I must say that the entire experience was less than my expectations.

To be fair, the line-up of artistes were not what I was familiar with, safe for some very big names the likes of Bob Dylan and John Legend. And though a crowded place is inconvenient for many things - long Qs, smelly sweaty people etc - it does make a concert better as it is the people that also maketh the experience.

For me, the best act across both nights has got to be John Legend. He was very charming and totally mesmerized me - and every other girl (and maybe guy) - at the concert. He has a velvet voice that croons very sexily. Nice. At this concert, I saw some friends and managed to hang out and chat with them in bits and pieces. I also discovered that old me could stay up past midnight! Haha.

The husband joined me the first night of the concert, and early Saturday morning, Kate and I sent him off on his work trip at the airport. Kate and I then spent the rest of Saturday with her favorite Grandma and Yiyi, before I went to work again.

Today was spent sleeping in till noon - feeling like crap really when I woke up because sleeping late is such a tiring thing (!!). I accomplished the errands of the day - doing an exchange for the husband, going for a birthday party, buying milk powder for Kate - and watched a bit of TV after Kate knocked out.

This documentation is beginning to sound rather boring, and I wish I had the energy to zest it up. But strangely, Im feeling mildly melancholic. May it be PMS? Perhaps it's because I miss the husband (it's only a week that he's gone though and very manageable). Maybe it's because I miss Kate? Somehow, I feel that I don't spend enough time with her - I have to be more focused and spend quality time with her when I can.

Right - that's what I'll focus on for the week in the husband's absence. I have to do more to help the MIL since it's only her and I that will care for Kate this week, so I may as well set my mind to do it better. She's growing up so fast. She's such a lovely little lady and she amazes me to no end at her intelligence. I also really feel so loved every time she calls out for me, and when she gives me her signature hug. She gives me kisses willingly. She is my baby.

Alright, I guess I really ought to sleep because I'm becoming mildly incoherent.

Here's to a good week ahead.

Rock & Roll

I have an event tonight and tomorrow night, where I'll get to attend my first live musical concert with the likes of big names like Bob Dylan and John Legend!

WOOT!

Sleepy-heads

Morning times are most cosy, where everyone is half-dazed and still in slumberland. You know, that feeling where you're cuddled up in bed, where you half-open your eyes and see that it's still dark-ish and you quickly shut your eyes again and continue to snuggle in the warmth of the bed amidst the cool air-conditioning in the room.

Shot this morning, just before I stepped out of home; my babies.

The husband took this pic of Kate and I the night before, I had no idea of it until I was going through my phone and saw the picture!

Our weekend past

The weekend started for us late, as we did not do our usual Friday dinner. Instead, I was at work (15 hours!) from 9am to midnight overseeing the fashion show that Levi's was taking part in. FSO (Fashion Season @ Orchard) celebrates Fashion in this quarter alongside many other shows such as the Audi Fashion Fest, Men's Fashion Week, etc. The day was spent clearing up work in the office for half the day, then the latter half was spent at Orchard Road. Here are pictures from the day.

Make-up corner, backstage

Our ladies had smoky make-up, love the kohl eyes

Our men did too!

Our only female model with short hair, love how rock she looked

Dressing up, backstage was getting increasingly more stressful. Rizal, the stylist, doing touch-ups to the models

Levi's looking sexy

My favourite male model, how hot is he!

The husband has his own agenda for Friday night and while I don't have any pics of him during the night, here's one of him post:

Hung-over

He was pretty much in a bad state all the day till 4pm on Saturday afternoon. Ha ha.
He was feeling so crap that he asked me to drive, which is practically an unheard of! Here are some pics of my babies crashed out.

The husband's personal leg-rest

View from my mirror in the front

The drunken one

We spent the afternoon at Suntec City to catch a work fashion show, where I also got to spend an hour alone with Kate while the husband rested (from his drunken stupor). She is at a stage now where she is very comfortable sitting in the pram (in fact, she wants to!) and she will sit there relaxedly, enjoying the ride, talking/singing to herself the entire time. How lovely.

The husband and I dropped Kate off with my mom, her weekly sleepover with Grandma & Yeye. The husband and I managed to get a night of nothingness to ourselves where we talked, lazed, ate & attempted to watch a movie. Such nights of no-kid is quite enjoyable. We were also preparing for our 2Xu run the next morning... which got off to an awkward start because we both missed hearing the alarms and instead, woke up startled when the husband's colleague rang him at 5.30am asking "where are you?" Oops.

We very hurriedly washed up and prepared to head out of the house and we did so in record time. By 6.15am, we were at the meeting point @ Marina Square.

This was my 2nd run (the first was Run for Hope 2008) & I was rather psyched about it because I reckon I'm in pretty good shape now, post-birth. I've been exercising regularly for the past 4months and I was rather looking forward to it. I wasn't stressed, and all I wanted to achieve was to keep running (no stopping!) the entire time. I am very proud to say that I did it! I did not stop throughout the entire 12km! I did stop, however, to climb up a set of stairs after the 8km mark. I am not sure of my timing, but if I remember right, I probably did the run in about 1hr 26mins. Wonder if 2Xu will follow-up with a certificate with my actual time, then I'll know for sure?

Feeling victorious post-run, with Eileen, my fellow-female runner

Proud me, with my number tag & finisher medal

The husband and I

We rewarded ourselves with a hearty breakfast

Burrrp

It was only 10ish am after all that hard work, and my parents were super-marketing with Kate and so the husband and I arranged to meet them at the park. This is their new weekly activity with the baby.

The silly husband who spoils this picture with his closed eyes *ggrr

The husband doing what he really wanted to (see picture above), while we waited for Kate & my parents to arrive

Family fun at the kiddy playground

Happy baby!

Sang nila Kate checking out the horizons at Bishan Park

It started to drizzle so we had to make our escape

My loving parents

Nana

The drizzle stopped so Kate continued her exercise in the park, chasing dogs (you can make out the puppy just at the tip of her head from the pic, it just looks like a blob)

We spent the rest of Sunday eating & resting (oh my poor feet) & I got to reward myself with a manicure & pedicure session. Finally! My nails look human!

Sunday ended with the cousins playing together. Lukas can walk on his own already!

Social networking, fashion runway, front row seat & tired feet

That pretty much sums up what my day was about.

It started as usual at 7am where I bus-ed to work and went about my day. I then hit my event site by 2pm and started my very own "catwalk" from Paragon to Ion several times, checking out the hair & make-up for my models for the fashion runway event taking place tonight.

I met many people through the day, from high-ranking people from different organizations, to a friendly uncle who owns a chain of hair boutiques, to work associates that may be very helpful to know, to other randoms... before I knew it, it was showtime and while I was very glad that I didn't have to be involved in the actual show operationally, it was still rather nail-biting to be in the front row alongside your principals waiting to present them all the work that's been put in the apparel selection, hair & make-up style directive...

The show went fine (I did see a lady's chair collapse when she was sitting on it. But, that's not on-stage so... ), and I'm very proud to say that the Levi's segment went off without a hitch. The choreography was quite interesting, but what really really made it go "WOW" was the styling of apparels with excellent make-up & hair that really brought the essence of the brand alive. We looked very sexy.

Through the night, I saw familiar faces, some nice some not so, and all in all, it was very exciting (I do need a better adjective than over-using this same word!) to be in the front row watching my show materialize in front of my eyes.

At the end of it all, I felt a little boo that I didn't have anyone to hang out with; it would have been super if I could have hit No5 for some beer & chicken wings, but it's just as well that I managed to fill my tummy - every trustworthy junk food at all times, Maccas, and - can you believe this - take a very cheap bus ride home (it was midnight!) and now that I'm in the comfort of my scruffy pjs and bedroom, I look at my beautiful sleeping beauty and I think - aahh, just as well that I'm here with my precious.

What a day. My feet, oh, my feet.

Mid-day treat

The day has been quite sh*tty really.

So thank you, for taking the effort to send this to me.

Love