to a friend's birthday party

We went to Ainsley birthday party that was held in The Little Gym (Ainsley is Caden's classmate). Apparently Ainsley birthday is only one day away from Caden. [He is on the 29th and Caden is on the 28th]
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But they have huge difference in the personality. Ainsley is very calm and quiet, while Caden is loud and (super) active. He is small and light while Caden is round and heavy... hehe... I guess my Caden is unique and you can only find it one of him in this world -- NO ONE can replace him!!!

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Love you always, Caden!!! ^_^

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PS: On the middle picture (row 3), Caden looks like he was going to strangle Ainsley...hahaa...

first (okay) family photo...

It's so hard to take a (good) family photos especially with a baby. It needs lot of luck and readiness to take shots whenever and wherever he is ready. But sometimes, the adults themselves doesn't always look good on the picture. On this one, we (Paul and I) managed to look pretty good but then Caden was looking at the other direction!

*sigh*

but I think it doesn't look that bad...at least we still managed to see his face -- although his eyes didn't look directly to the camera.

I wanted to take many more shots, but Caden was so cranky already. It was almost 8pm (past his bed time) and the whole 4 hours of meeting people + friends and playing with them must make him really tired.

*oh well*

on my birthday party day...

We were celebrating Caden’s 1st birthday at the function rooms at our condominium. We used one function room for the play area for the kids and the other one for the food (dinner).

Nothing much happened as most of Caden’s friends that were coming were still very young to understand a magic show or something like that. Oma told me to hire one but I told her it will not worth it as most of them would prefer playing at the toys that I rent out from the toy rental club and some of Caden’s toys that I had brought to the function room.

I made slides show of Caden’s first year of his life and I let it run throughout the party. I think most of people (the adults) have a great time looking at how Caden's has changed in the past one year. Looking at it, I realized that he is indeed has grown so much and so fast!! Soon he would be a teenager and definitely would not be looking for me anymore…oh..I will miss his childhood moment definitely!!!

Food was really good…the set up was good (with the flowers, the pretty bowls, the heated pan -- just like in a hotel and the great servers that was done by the owners themselves!), but most importantly the food itself was great! Thanks to bu wir and pak wir from Ayam Ojolali in Lucky Plaza. We cannot do it without them!!!

And of course thanks to everyone who had come and celebrate Caden’s birthday with us. Without them, it will not be as fun as what it was!

My first ice-cream cake moment

...and I think it wasn't a truly a good experience

or maybe, the sweetness taste of the ice-cream have not really sink it yet...

I wonder if he is going to grow up to be an ice-cream lover?? ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CADEN!!!

I have been waiting for this day to come. I planned that we should go to Underwater World for Caden’s birthday! He likes fish. We used to just seeing the fish at the pond at our condo then oma bought a small fish tank to home, I believe seeing a huge and big fish will excite him!

So here we were at the Underwater World then off to the Dolphin Lagoon. Not really sure if he enjoyed it. It was a small place, though. I was quite disappointed; it doesn’t have much colorful fishes on it. Well….maybe I shouldn’t compare it with the ones in US. Haha…

But I am so glad that it wasn’t raining!!

I thank GOD for HIS guidance for Caden for the past 1 year and may HE continue to guide Caden to be a better person each day.

At night, before Caden went to sleep, we sing him “Happy Birthday” songs! He was so very happy when we sang him that song. In the end we sang to him again and again, just to see him smile! ^_^

bubble bath

I bought this Sebamed baby bubble bath last week. I thought this would make his bath time more enjoyable and interesting. But unfortunately, he scared of it. haha...

He would keep standing up (refuse to sit) and wailing for us to carry him out while he keep looking down to his feet and try to stay away from the bubbles. If we gave him the bubbles to his tummy or hands, he would try to shake it hard so that it would go off from his body.

I think seeing so many bubbles and the fact that he is not able to see the floor of the bath-tub scares him.

I told suster not to use it everyday. Maybe about 3 times a week and not too much (so that the bubble would be much less). Until he get used to it then we can put more and hopefully he would enjoy his bubble bath time by then

Pooh Pooh everywhere...

"Does Caden loves Pooh?" someone asked me and I laugh I think I am the one who like Pooh Bear and I introduced him (and his friends) to Caden since he was really young, starting from his pillow, bolster, and bed sheets. And now, Caden already get used to Pooh Bear everywhere!

He has a Pooh bear pillow (but not the dolls though, I wanted to buy one but grandma and daddy said dolls are for girls!), Pooh bear stickers on the walls beside the bed for him to look at it before and after he is sleeping, on the mirror in the bathroom for him to look when he is brushing his teeth, and on the wall surrounding the bathtub for him to play with when he is taking a bath.

And he will be having Pooh Bear theme party this Saturday!! hehe...

Bravo to bottle feeding!

For the past few weeks, I introduced Caden to bottle feeding (again). Apparently he takes it very well now. Not sure why and I don’t really bother to find the answer. What I know is, now Caden loves his bottle feeding time and looking forward to it.

We feed him 3 times a day at 120ml (4 ounces) each, about 1 hour after each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Sometimes, when he is in the mood, he could take up to 240ml (8 ounces) per feeding but not often though.

I am happy!! I believe milk is one of the key essentials for babies in their growing stage so that they will grow to be a strong and healthy boy! *I hope he will be!!*

I choose Abbot Family brand -- Similac and now Gain IQ, simply because there were only 2 big brands in US for newborn (Similac and Enfamil). At first, Caden was introduced to Enfamil but then Ai Ayun (our confinement lady) said that his pup was not good. Then we switched to Similac and it got better. My mom also said that Enfamil doesn't make babies get taller. haha....Though I don't believe her on this, but hm...I think I shouldn't even consider using Enfamil cos' later if Caden does not get as tall as Tiger Wood, I will be the one to be blamed! ;)

Unfortunately, there is no more reason for not stopping breast-feeding. He drinks enough milk everyday and he is going to be 1 year old this Friday! Lots of people has been telling me to stop breast-feeding, including Caden’s pediatrics!! *pressure pressure pressure!!*

busy busy busy...

I have been very busy last week.

We have decided that we will celebrate Caden’s birthday at home (in our function rooms). Oma insisted that Caden should have a party for his 1st birthday (joining with oma’s wedding anniversary which fall on the same day, though she doesn’t tell ANYONE about it).

So the search began. I know for sure that I will have a POOH BEAR theme for Caden’s birthday. I will then have to look for POOH paper plates, POOH cups, POOH room decorations, POOH balloons, POOH hats, POOH straws, POOH birthday cakes --- basically POOH in everything!!!

And it is not easy to find one in Singapore. I will have to go to several stores to find all of them and sometimes they don’t have the quantities that I want.

And…it is so expensive here, compare to in US. I should have bought them there but at that time we had decided that we should celebrate his birthday next year when he would be able to fully grasp the significance of the occasion and would enjoy his birthday party more than the adults --- the mommy, the daddy, the grandparents, the maid, the baby-sitter and the aunties.

Actually not entirely all are POOH design, though cos’ we don’t have POOH designs food and toys. Hehe… We rent our toys at The Toy Rental club, they have nice toys for rent and Caden especially loves one of their toys which cost quite expensive to rent but seeing him so happy (picture on the left) playing with it, I decided to rent that anyway. Hehe…

We brought one ‘car’ home that day (picture on the right), hoping that Caden would love sitting on it when we are going to the malls because he is getting taller and heavy for us to carry (until now, we still very seldom use the stroller out --- it is just sitting quietly on the back of our car).

I think my mission has accomplished today. I think I got everything that I need for the party and I hope everyone will enjoy their time on Saturday (especially the birthday boy!)

out for lunch...

Newest hobby: Scream as loud as I can!!

Caden has a new hobby now! SCREAM!

- he screams when we change his diapers
- he screams when we put him on his high chair
- he screams when we put him on his car seat
- he screams when we change his clothes
- he screams when he is playing
- he screams when he want something but we don’t let him do/have it
- he screams when he is full
- he screams when he is angry
- he screams when he is happy
- he screams when he is annoyed!

Basically he screams a lot this days and his super-loud-high-pitched-voice could hurt people’s ears sometimes (especially when he screams next to your ear).

Despite of warnings from us, he still does it. Well, I think he is still exploring his own body parts that amazingly could do wondrous of things.

I just hope he would stopped it soon because it’s kind of annoying and embarrassing – especially when we are outside (though he seldom do it when we are not at home).

stopping the swimming lesson...

Swimming lesson today was not much different compared to last Monday. Again, he cried a lot and refused to do most of the swim skills (I would have to force him and he would cry while doing it). He would just cling to me tight.

So I thought, being next week is the last week of the term and Caden does so well swimming with me in our condo pool, I might stopped his swimming lesson for a while and teach him myself the basic skill in swimming. Maybe when he is older and need more intensive and 'better' coaching, then I will start the lesson again.

In the mean time, I could try some other classes for him. I am thinking of a phonics class that a friend introduced me to. We’ll see!

no pain for Caden...

We were at Centrepoint, had lunch with Caden's cousins. We wanted to take a picture of them but Caden wriggled a lot and in the end bump his head to the wall behind him. *Ouchh..*

Now that Caden can walk (still wobbles a lot though), we have to be more careful in looking after him. He could occasionally walk wobbly (which he used to crawl) by himself towards us suddenly. And if we are too far from him, he could fall and we could not catch him in time.

That’s happens a few times this week. His lips and gums had bled a few times and bang his head, too causing a blue-black mark all over his head ….. this scares me.

I had told suster again and again to be more careful but I know it’s not entirely her fault if Caden fall and bumped parts of his body. He is a very active boy after all and I would not want suster to be Caden’s rescuer every time cos’ then he would not learn from it.

Buttttt… I don’t want him to feel pain, too!!

For the past week, there are times that my heart jumps when I heard a thump sound from outside my room. Although most of the time it’s not followed by Caden’s cry (which mean it’s something else and not associated with Caden) I would then impatiently wait and listen closely. I know suster has been quite careful about it but it’s just my super-protective-motherly-instinct that controls my thoughts.

Hehe…

Oh well, I hope he would not bang his head and bled his lips/gums anymore from now on. *dreaming mode on*

clingy boy...

This is what happen when Caden missed his little gym class for 3 weeks in a row and only spent his time with me and suster and home. He was so clingy to me today! I am sure he will get over it soon, but it just looked funny seeing him like this! ^_^

just chillin'

I had been really worried about Caden’s swimming skill. For your info, the 2 weeks before we went to US were raining almost everyday (including on his swimming lesson days). Then we went to US for 2 weeks and did not get a chance to swim at all. Lastly, both Caden and I caught flu on the way back from US, so we missed another 2 weeks of swimming (at school and at home).

In total, Caden has been off from swimming for 1 ½ month. Which is bad because I read somewhere that babies tend to have shorter time span in remembering. *oh nooo….*

Yesterday, was one of Caden’s make up lessons. And the article was right, I thought!!! The moment we stepped into the pool, he immediately cried and only stopped when we were almost done. We hardly followed what the teacher instructed us to do. He cried so much when he was carried by the teacher (actually he already cried when the teacher was approaching) and clung to me tightly in the whole lesson.

He was so gooooddd at swimming (even the teachers say so!) but now, looked like he forgot most of the skills and going backwards! *sad*

So today I brought him to the pool downstairs and promised myself to bring him down as often as possible like before (only rain could get us on our way) and hope that he would caught up on what he forgot.

To my surprise, he was different than yesterday. He enjoyed his time at the pool, going up and down the stairs, playing beside the pool and occasionally walk or crawl around the area, laughing hard a few times and I managed to make him swim underwater lots of times – well, in summary, he wasn’t seems to forget his passion at swimming -- He indeed an excellent swimmer and the so-called someone who LOVES water.

And I am so gladdd!!!

PS: I think he forgot his teachers at the school. He got scared easily with new faces.

just for fun!

brushing his teeth while doing the number 2...

hehehe.....

I am in my tux... again!!

Went to Auntie Marselyn's weeding at Chimes!

Mommy and I

Right before we went home!
The sun was too bright for daddy!

He walked!!!

A lot happen today! Caden walked for a few steps. Although he still wobbles a lot but it's a big improvement for someone who like to crawl than walk. I think the plastic container (fill with his toys) helps a lot. Since a few weeks back, Caden LOVES to hold onto the edge of it and walk back and forth (I think he does this about 100 times a day... REALLY!).

Caden also say the BIG words today! 'ma ma' and 'pa pa' ! WOW!! I have been waiting for this moment the whole time and he said both on the same day (although he say 'pa pa' more often than 'ma ma').

I also gave him HALF-boiled eggs today! TWO of them! Well, I gave him one at first, he LOVES it and refused to eat his usual food, so I gave him another one. ^_^ Thennn...I found out about the samonella disease in half-boiled eggs!! *sad* He LOVES it so much but now, I have to wait until he is a little bit older to have one. Well, let's just hope he likes hard boiled egg, too!

[Some say he really looks like daddy (AGAIN!) in these pictures! Maybe he knows! Maybe that's why he like to say 'pa pa' more than 'ma ma' =p]

PS: His jet lag is much better today. He only woke up once (at 4am) and play for an hour then goes back to sleep until 6am.

Happy Caden!

the aquarium

Oma came home with an aquarium and lots of tiny fishes (maybe around 20 of them) for Caden. Now Caden have a chance to enjoy looking at small fishes at home or big ones at the pond downstairs.

I think he loves fishes! He seems so excited everytime he look at them and he would make so much noise, as if he was telling us stories. hehe...*cute*

jet lag (AGAIN!)

It's been 3 days since we were back from US and Caden still in his own timing -- not really at US time but not at Singapore time as well.

I feel bad for him! He had not really adjusted well with US time and now he has to adjust back to Singapore time.

[The picture taken at 1 am -- the second time we woke up (first was at 11pm) and demanded to play. After 4am it's got worst as he wakes up more often and more difficult to be put to sleep]

He seems to be very well awake when he woke up in the middle of the night. Suster and I tried to carry him again to sleep but sometimes I let him play for about an hour because I pity him so much. He did look like he was trying to sleep but can't as he has slept too much during the day (he would wail a lot and moves his body all the time in the sling).

In the afternoon, I did try to wake him up half way through his sleep but he became so cranky and refused to eat or play. So in the end I let him sleep about 2 hours in the morning (9am-11am) -- then have his lunch-- and 5 hours in the afternoon (1pm-6pm) -- then have dinner.

I know he will overcome the jet lag, but he just need more time and that means, less sleep for me for a few more days! :(

at the hospital

We went back to North Austin Medical Center hospital, the hopital where Caden was born almost a year ago at 10pm (after dinner). We took some pictures for remembering how Caden have grown for the past year. When I look at the pictures, I realized that he indeed has grow so much!

When Paul saw Caden wearing something that is almost doesn't fit anymore, he sometimes says to me that the clothes could be shrinking, though I told him again and again that it's Caden has grown and it's time to buy new clothes for him. ^_^

Inside the newborn crib. He is too tall for it.

before and after pictures
At last Paul got the chance to see the hospital himself. Too bad both the rooms (the labor & delivery room and the postpartum room) that we were in last year was occupied.

with nurse vivi....too bad she was not working here yet when Caden was born! But thank you for your time to bring me and Caden (who was still inside my womb) to the hospital. Or else, Caden would have to be delivered in the apartment! hehe...

dinner with friends!

At first we thought we couldn't meet our Austincell friends in this trip as it was a long weekend and most of them were have their own plans. But they managed to put aside a time to meet us today for dinner. Yeyy!!!

So here we were at Pho Huang Round Rock (a Vietnamese Restaurant that I used to go to A LOT when I was pregnant if I have no food).

Glad to see our friends again! They are the one who fill my times when I was alone and pregnant here. They are also they one who keep looking at their cellphones for a call from me to ask them for (any) favor. They are the one who were scared and worried when they checked their cellphones and found out that there were miss-calls from me and thought I might be in labor. hehehe...

I also meet a new friend Margareth who was 6 months pregnant and planning to use ai Ayun as their nanny after the baby is born.

Thanks guys for everything that you have done! Paul, Caden and I do really appreciate it!

PS: These are not all of them though. Some of them are not able to come today! :(

inside fitting room

We went to Barton Creek Mall earlier today. I was trying some clothes in the GAP. Caden and daddy were there to give their inputs on how do I look with the new clothes on.

Before we left, I took a picture of us facing to the big mirror. It was pretty good picture, don't you think? ^.^

outlet shopping!

We went to Round Rock Outlet today. It was a whole day trip, we wanted to stay until the stores closed, but too bad, rain got us in the way. The weather was perfect for outdoor outing (not like yesterday when we went to the other outlet -- it was super HOT!).

I carried Caden 80% of the time when we go shopping. At first my shoulders ache but after sometime, I get used to it. This almost 10kg baby doesn't like to be in his stroller, so in the end, we have to carry him everywhere we go. Thanks to Baby Bjorn Active carrier, it divide the weight of Caden unto my two shoulders.

Caden has not used to sleep while we shop. It took him lots of efforts to sleep on the go. But I was happy that he was able to sleep (at last!) for less than 1 hour (ONLY!!). *sigh*

Maybe he is big enough to choose his own outfit? He looked so happy browsing the aisles of clothes. ^_^

Met Uncle Yance and Auntie Vivi along the way! What a coincidence!

all messed up!

I like routines for Caden and Caden loves his routines, too. But we have to do some adjustment when we are travelling, especially to US when there are about 10-12 hours time difference involved.

Caden’s schedule has been messed up since the beginning of the trip. He eats whatever, whenever and as much (or not at all) as he wants – I offer him food (either milk or solids) every time he wakes up (even at 1am or 4 am). Throughout the trip, Caden eats baby can food and baby cereal only. I think he hated it, though, but we have no kitchen around for me to cook and plus, we have too much things going on everyday.

He sleeps whenever he feels sleepy – sometimes he has difficulties sleeping because we were at outside and he loves to see what’s going on around him.

I did not put him in the potty when he does his number two cos' either I am too tired for it or we were outside when it’s time for Caden to do it.

I did not sterilize his bottle and utensils as there was not any bottle sterilizer or hot water around. And often, I would just wash his bottle and utensils using hand soap that the hotel provided us with! ^_^

Caden bathed only once a day, not twice like in Singapore.

He knocked his head a few times to furniture around the room. I wasn’t exactly next to him the whole time so when he lost his balance and fell, I wasn’t there to catch him on time. In the end, he has a few blue-black marks on his face. ^_^

Yes, everything kinda messed up! hehee...

to a friend's house

Went to auntie Vivi's and om Yance's house tonight and met a few other friends there. Caden also met a new friend named David. They came long way from Dallas, TX just to meet us. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to chit chat as Caden was sleeping soon after we arrived. But it was a great night, we managed to update ourselves and meeting new friends.

Of course, all of them was surprised of how big Caden is now! He was born 2.9kg and now he is 9.5kg. He grows quite a bit indeed. ^)^

kuku Lala's Wedding day!

Auntie Grace met Caden for the first time and said that Caden has super thin hair. While others said, "well done, Caden! Your hair has grown quite a bit!" hehe....I think Caden's hair is still to thin to cover his big head.

Reception at 7pm

at 11pm ==> fully awake and ready to play!