Last 2 days of 2012

Sunday: a day spent with the family.

I awoke to these two silly beans. The loves of my life.

Today: it's the last day of 2012 and well, I'm at work. I don't really mind, since I've had all of last week off (reminder: must be thankful, right?) so I take it as a good time to clear some work so that I don't come in all muddle-headed on Wednesday (the official first work day of 2013). I also received a belated Christmas gift that was left on my table in my absence from a dear fellow colleaugue.

Word.

Nothing beats receiving gifts so this was a pleasant surprise. Also, I think it made me laugh and think that I've really become this superwoman. While I whine and say that I cannot do it (indeed, I cannot do it all myself), I know that I cannot stop trying to do all that I can to my best capability as much as I can. Does that even make sense? 

So may 2013 be the year that I take charge. 

Goodbye 2012.

Bring it on, 2013!

The last Friday & Saturday of 2012

So, to continue my record of how I spent the last days of 2012 (I stopped at Thursday last), here's what I did:

Friday - we had a playdate planned but that didn't materialise, though no problem at all cos I just wanted to be with my kids. I hauled everyone to the market for some breakfast (different from our boring bread). I also did some marketing (vegetables, fish, pork, chicken) and I must say that I'm really proud of myself! I'm honestly not the most domesticated person and to know how to do this (no matter how it ain't rocket science) is quite an I'm-proud-of-myself matter.

Kate enjoying some chwee kueh & chee cheong fun

Jake enjoys some chwee kueh (sans the salty toppings) too

We rounded up the day doing craft with Kate. It was a Christmas gift and here's Kate with her completed sock puppet

Today, the husband and I found time to ourselves - yay!

Note: special thanks (as always) to Mommy dearest, who never fails to sacrifice and share her precious time to help with our children (I love you, Mommy; cannot thank you enough!)  

So, the husband and I spent some hours of our lives doing nothing much at all. Haha it was thoroughly enjoyable! I think the husband was napping and reading papers for a bit before surfing and watching videos on youtube (he was just at the laptop). I did a face mask, clipped my toe nails, had a leisurely shower and managed to catch part of the movie SWAT on HBO. Only when the movie end did I finally get off my butt to speak to the husband. Now, this may not seem much at all to most people; unless you are a parent. Then you understand that the time I just spent doing nothing much was sheer bliss!

So anyhow. The husband and I decided to head out to town. It felt like a date (it was) and it was so carefree and we only had to care about each other (no running around chasing kids, keeping our eyes peeled for danger zones...). We managed to exchange his xmas gift from me to him; spent some christmas money (gift from the brother) and have a sumptuous dinner before we returned to our children - all recharged and happy. 

Satisfying the husband's craving for crab. This is 4 crabs cooked in 2 styles. And yes, we finished it all.

Shopping from our xmas loot: a bottle of white wine to share, two new cosmetics pieces that I can't wait to try out and a cap for the husband (not pictured - already worn).

Jake stands

And he has been for the past month or so. It is the cutest thing to watch him pull himself up in his cot, watching the world go by (and a lot of times, crying out for our attention).

Baby in a cot

It isn't so cute though, when he wakes up in the night and by the time I turn to him (sometimes, I'm lagged cos he doesn't make enough noise), he's standing up and staring at me *groans

He's started cruising by holding on to ledges/chairs/tables/anything that he can get his hands on and truly, he seems to prefer to be on two feet than all fours.

Today, I've witnessed him stand unaided for split seconds on more than one occasion! It's mostly cos he forgets.

He was so engrossed in the towel that he let go of his hold and stood like that for at least 2 seconds

This boy's psychomotor skills are definitely a lot more advanced compared to Kate once-upon-a-time. Being a boy, he's definitely a lot stronger too. Which explained his leopard-style crawling for ages, so much so that I worried he would never graduate to the "right" way of crawling. Good thing he caught on *phew

Thrills me to watch him scoot around on all fours

Last Christmas, I was heavily pregnant and like I shared before, I nearly forget that it was just this year that I gave birth to this little chubby one. Am so thankful for my beautiful life, beautiful family, beautiful children.

Jake, 2 days old, 28 Feb 2012

Nearly at the end of 2012...

And there's no better way to end it off by not working. I've been off work since last Friday. And in a blink of an eye, nearly a week has gone by! Like they say, good times pass wayy too quickly when you're having fun. Truly, it's a season of celebrations and it's always fun with good food and good company. But it's also especially precious because it's time that I get to spend with my lovely children. I must say the only thing I lack doing is quality time with the husband. Hope to get some time to catch up with him in the next few days.

And just a pictorial highlight of one activity per day while I've not been at work.

Friday: Went out in town with the sister and kids; dressed in matching outfits with Kate

Saturday: Playdate-cum-xmas-party

Sunday: Family xmas luncheon; 2nd generation

Sunday: the day we all decorated gingerbread men. This is the husband's creation "Psy" (ala Mr Gangnam Style)

Monday (Xmas Eve): Playdate with Eva

Tuesday (Christmas Day): we hosted a party at our house. Love this cute shot of Jake in his christmas pyjamas with the apt slogan "My First Christmas"

Wednesday: Boxing Day special; the kids tore apart any remaining presents they hadn't already gotten their hands on the night before

Thursday: Playdate with ex-colleagues; Jake, Kapai, Shane, Kate, TJ

Christmas parties, part 2

After the first round of Christmas parties, we were ready for more!

The Saturday before Christmas, we met with two other sets of children. The uncanny similarity between the three sets of children are that the firstborns are girls born within a week of one another (with Kate and Faith being born on the same day!); they all have younger brothers who were born within two months of one another. We mothers have always had common topics to share and discuss and complain and .. you get the idea.

Faith, Kate and Janelle

Love this silly shot of them. This was nearly the end of the night and the girls were obviously a lot more warmed up already!

Shane, Jake and Jayven

Gift exchange - enthusiastic Kate

Gift exchange - Kate and Janelle

Sunday, which was also two days before Christmas, was reserved for the family. Just like past years, we had a lunch-cum-gift-exchange-session.

Peperoni's pizza

Kate, the first to receive a gift 

Jake, with his presents 

Papa Foo. Prop for the year, glasses

Kate in her cool, opaque sunglasses

I found a pair that matched my outfit

My brother in his monobrow-pair, and he came as a pair this time

A traditionally spastic one of the sister and I 

Family!

Christmas Eve was spent visiting another friend, before a family dinner.

Ex-colleagues; Jake, Kate and Eva

And finally, on Christmas Day, we hosted dinner at our place. Traditionally, we've always had the pirates' dinner (pirates referring to the gang of the husband's); this year, though, because the headcount isn't complete (work travel), we're postponing the celebration; thus the low-key affair. What mattered though was the fact that we were all with friends who mattered.

The best company makes the best celebrations

And to end off this season of Christmas fun, here's one of my family.

Merry Christmas, from the Seahs!

Our very own Christmas Tree

It's been nearly a year since we moved into our own home. And it's the first time we bought our very own Christmas tree. Actually, there were two hiccups before we finally got this tree. The first was our unfruitful trip to Ikea to purchase the tree. Then was the unfortunate non-delivery of our Christmas tree after we made an online purchase. Finally, the husband made a trip to the mall (where there were trees available) and lugged one home all by himself. Gotta give this man a medal for his doggedness (though... in anticipation of our tree we'd gone shopping for much ornaments before we got the tree haha!)

So it's with much pride, love and joy that I share these pictures with you. Jake's still too young, but we engaged Kate to set-up, decorate and marvel in the beauty of our very own Christmas tree.

Spreading the branches of the tree

Putting the ornaments up

Placing the presents under the tree

Our beautiful tree. There was a magical moment when the husband first switched off the lights for us to take a look at the completed tree, lights and all. It was absolutely delicious watching Kate gasp in sheer amazement and delight. I'm so proud and thankful of my beautiful little family of four.

Merry Christmas to you, hope you're having a great Eve this 2012.

2012

The husband and I had a last-minute date night dinner last night. It was sombre, loving, fun, happy - all rolled into one. Sounds like life, doesn't it.

My hot date. After 16 years of being friends, and nearly 5 years of being married, I still love you with all my heart.

The year has been eventful, to say the least. I had a baby. I HAD A BABY! That, really, pretty much takes the cake for highlight of my year. I nearly forget that it's only at the start of the year that I delivered my precious boy, but that's what time does to you. It zooms by too quickly so that you barely have time to catch your breath.

My 2month old zitty son with boomz hair, April 2012.

Jake, 9mo. No longer zitty, hair a lot more stylish.

It's been extremely lovely and fulfilling to watch my children love each other. Nothing can truly describe it - it's just amazing - you know that feeling when you have a warm cup of sweet hot chocolate with milky froth topped with marshmallows in cold weather? Well, it's just like that but tons better. OK. I lied. It's just better than anything you can ever imagine.

My beautiful daughter has grown so much this year too. Her vocabulary has grown, so has her attitude and truly she's changed too in how she looks. Just comparing her pics from a year ago... I feel wistful that my baby has truly become a toddler.

Last Christmas

Picture was dated Dec 20 2011; that's nearly exactly one year ago.

Her hair at its longest in her lifetime

Before it got lopped off (again)

I am thankful for my family. All of them have helped in one way or many others with my family's addition of Jake. Childcare has become major priority (not that it wasn't previously). And honestly, I cannot express enough gratitude to all the kindness, patience and giving that my family has shown to help me out.

Wouldn't be possible without these superheros

We were very fortunate to have gone on our first family holiday last month. It was 4 days spent quite simply, but so thoroughly fulfilling because it meant being together 24/7, being happy, experiencing amazing times together to create family moments to add to our memory bank.

Krabi, Thailand November 2012

Another big event of the year is that the husband and I and Kate (& then Jake) moved into a space we can call home. The husband did most of the work before we moved in and I remember all the packing and cleaning I had to do when we first moved in (when I was still heavily pregnant). Nearly a year on, I'm still loving every corner of our cosy little home. It may not be big, but it's ours.

Work has been fair, my health could be better. I'm still breastfeeding, which is my lousy excuse for not exercising; I really need to get off my flabby ass and start a regular workout next year (I must!). I've been indulgent, eating too much of unhealthy foods so I need to be more mindful. I've been good with my skincare regime - don't dare to slack off given that I'm beginning to fear ageing. Truly, the year has been orbiting around my then one, now two children and it has been quite a challenge juggling them with work and life.


Finally, another event that the family has been hit with is illness and having to deal with it. I pray for the best and I know that everything happens for a reason. The family who loves together, stays together. I know that no matter what happens, we will become better and stronger and deal with it. I pray and pray for the best, I pray for no pain. I pray that we will be the victors. I pray.

My theme for this Christmas, is giving thanks. While there has been challenges through the year, I'm aware that there is plenty for us to be thankful for. Especially in the face of adversities this year, I wish for no more than a peaceful, harmonious life.

It's honestly been an awesome year, and I know that we will have another great one next year. If nothing at all, it's because we have love and hope and family.

Hope 2012 has been good to you.