fighting over laptop!

We took this last weekend! So interesting for me to see them playing together on the weekend! Paul doesn't have much time for him on the weekdays but he surely make a whole lot of time for Caden on the weekends!

First time dining out

I had been wanting to bring Caden out for his lunch and see what will his reaction like -- will he eat better in the new place or worst? Meal times for Caden is not always good which makes me cautions to find the 'perfect' day for him so he won't hate his experience eating outside than the kitchen at home.

Today was the first day after oma came back from Jakarta and she asked us if we want to go out for lunch. Ii Valerie was also on holiday today (after finishing her prelims yesterday). I feel that Caden probably ready for it today... plus, ii could be the photographer on the first day of Caden's important day! hehe...

Arrived at Crystal Jade Kitchen in I-Setan, Shaw Center at around 11.30am. It wasn't packed (good thing!) and we got a table right away. I set up Caden's booster seat --yes, we brought our own highchair from home as I thought Caden would eat better on his usual seat in this totaly strange place for him -- then suster made the cereal and mixed it with my breastmilk.

All of us ready! Waiting for Caden to open up his mouth for his first bite! haha..but first few times, suster failed. Caden locked his mouth so tight that the spoon wasn't able to go in. But in the end, Caden actually eat better there than at home. He finished his meal without wailing (which sometimes he does it at home), without any mess around his face/head/body that we usually have to bath him right after that and lastly (to my surprise) he was able to eat outside with other people around. Yup! His meal times are always a private thing between suster and him or else he will just look at us (even at me) attentively but locked his mouth at the same time -- worst is when oma cheer him by clapping her hands and say "where is the big mouth?" over and over again!! So oma has been banned from Caden's meal time, FOREVER! ^_^

Overall, I am happy that Caden was eating so well today and of course I will bring him to another dining out again soon...

playing near the swimming pool...

We were suppose to swim together today (Anya, Vai, Noah and Caden) but Anya and Vai came too late at 6.15pm... Astrid and I decided not to bring the kids to swim today. In the end, we end up just playing on the pool side with Caden's and Noah's feet touching the water.... it's okay, we were having great time accompanying Anya and Vai swimming (Anya was really looking forward for this!). I hope we have this again next week and this time, all of us (including the moms) will go into the waterr.....!!! ^_^

Caden was tired and cried so much on the way up to our home, while Anya, Vai and Noah were still pretty much awake and rather hungry! Among the three, Caden will always be the sleeping 'handsome' !!! ^_^

on Noah's tricycle

Noah brought his tricycle along for Caden to use...yey!! Had a great time on the tricycle today! Thanks for bringing it today, Noah...bring it next time when you come here again, ok?

@ little gym today...

Another moment of me with my lovely teacher Amy....

Emily and I... isn't she cute and pretty???

Love you, Caden...

mother and son moments together....

Before you were conceived I wanted you
Before you were born I loved you
Before you were here an hour I would die for you
This is the miracle of love.

belated chinese new year

Took this pictures back in February and it took us another 3 weeks for the printing but was surprised when the photo of the 'two' Cadens were not in the angle that we want (above). So I brought it back for another printing and wait for another 3 weeks for it. *sigh..*

going underwater..

There are about 8 of us (4 babies and 4 moms) who are taking the swim lesson but all, except Caden and I, were sick...so we were having a private lesson today. It's nice to have private lesson once in a while because then I could ask a lot of question to the teacher and Caden would be the center of her attention. A lot of activities were carried out today as there were no waiting time to take turns between babies, and that made Caden seems to get tired more than usual days.

I asked teacher Wendy when could we put Caden into the water? and was surprised when the answer was, "We could try today at the end of the lesson so if he cry, you could just go on home." I was definately not sure if Caden would be ready for it but throughout the lesson, teacher Wendy said Caden showed sign of readiness to be put in the water -- such as, when we bring him up then down (as if we want to put him into the water), he closed his eyes and mouth and wasn't crying (and again closing his eyes) when a lot of water run down on his face.

So...towards the end of the lesson, teacher Wendy grabbed Caden from the back (so that Caden won't see her face but rather mine that he saw), sing a song with him, rock him side to side - up and down and count 'one...two...three' before putting him into the water -- she said, the counting will tell Caden that it was time for him to get ready. After a few false trial (bring him up then down but not submerged him yet), Caden then was underwater for a few seconds.

I thought I was going to be sacred but I was not -- *surprised.* Maybe because I trusted that teacher Wendy knew what she was doing and I knew that Caden could do it. This little guy really likes water -- he never cried when we bathed him (rather stopped his crying if we put him in the water) and did not cry too when he bring him to his first swim at 3 month of age.

Up he goes after a few seconds...and was not crying and acted like nothing has happened. Teacher Wendy gave Caden thumbs up! She thought he was going to cry but "Caden did so well in this young age", she said. We submerged him again for the last time before we end the lesson. Good job, Caden! Mommy so proud of you!

PS: I promised myself to bring Caden at least twice a week to swim outside his lesson time and continue what teacher Wendy has thought us.

with teacher Wendy @ Swim School

This is teacher Wendy, Caden's first swim teacher. She teaches a lot of swim safety and tricks how to make Caden's comfortable in the water. Caden loves teacher Wendy unless when she carry him in the water. Caden doesn't seem pleased when someone other than me (even his daddy) carry him in the water -- maybe he just doesn't feel secured as he used to be with me in the water all the time.

traditional sarong vs. the improved one...

Caden is getting heavier --he is almost 8kg right now-- and sometimes when he is not in the mood or sick, he wants me (not suster) to put him to sleep or carry him. We have the traditional sling that I bought back in Jakarta for my suster to use but I am not able to use it as it is get too complicated with the knot that I'm suppose to tie on the back of your neck/shoulder. It used to be okay to carry him without any sling but my back started to ache now.

A couple of friends recommended this sling that you can buy practically anywhere in the department stores in Singapore or you can buy directly from the warehouse, Moms In Mind. The trick with this sling is the two ring that can be adjusted to your own comfort and long-term use. Now I am able to carry Caden with a sling that is so easy to use but yet feel very similar with the traditional one that suster use. Thanks to my friends; Astrid, Leony & Andrea who has convinced me to buy the sling!

love my toes...!!!

This is a new skill that Caden has mastered for quite sometime now! Suster used to let Caden hold his feet to clean his bottom when he is in the shower...then one day, he found out how tasty his toes are...and now, he would just grab his feet and put one toe at a time in to his mouth.. ^_^

PS: Granpa said not to encourage this 'bad' behaviour because it could continue until he is older (even until teenager)...but I thought..."hm...how cool it is if Caden would still be able to do this even when he is all grown up??" hehe....

with daddy @ Din Tai Fung

First time that Caden actually allowed to hold chopsticks! And of course...in no time...it goes in to the mouth!!!

meeting tante nani

Met the first time with tante nani @ Din Tai Fung, Rafless City

Nani went back for good to Indo but transit in Singapore for a few days so we got a chance to meet her... and Caden has a chance to meet with tante nani, too...All the best for you in Jakarta, tante nani!!....

wo wo shou...

Mrs. Chung, ii Valerie’s Chinese tuition teacher, came to our house on March 15 and taught Caden the ‘wo wo shou’(translated: shake hand). At that time, Caden didn’t understand so she had to grab Caden’s right hand (which was behind my back) to teach him how to shake hands. I thought it would be interesting to continue teaching him ‘wo wo shou’ so that he may understand what ‘wo wo shou’ is and thus learn to do it without my prompting one day soon.

So now, Caden has mastered the art of ‘wo wo shou’. We begin by saying ‘wo wo shou….wo wo shou…’ then bring one’s right hand forward to shake it with his. Although we only required 2 days for him to ‘wo wo shou’ with us, Caden would not do it with people that he is not close with… He is such a shy Prince…wonder who he got it from… hmm…

Anyway, I always make sure to repeat it a few times a day so that he won’t forget this important skill. Maybe he will learn to do it so well he can charm any girl with his touch. ^_^

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hair hair hair...

It's been a week since Caden's last hair cut and his hair is growing already. I hope what I had put Caden through it's all worth it -- that he will have more hair in the future.

For info, Caden has been doing lots and lots of 'cream-bath' every single day. Even suster said that Caden is the most modest baby that she ever work with, probably the most that she will ever encounter. I have told suster to put celery (which supposedly can stimulate hair growth), 'kemiri' or candlenut tree oil (which could also stimulate hair growth) and 'cem-cem oil' from Martha Tilaar. Suster will rotate those three items everyday.

Caden's daily saloon time not just ends there, he use a special shampoo from Zwitsal baby products (bought from Jakarta) that says contain candlenut tree oil, celery and aloe -- all are for hair growth and to make hair looks darker (I think Caden also need that -- he has kind of light brown color hair noww...some people thought he is caucasian..oh nooo!!). After that, Caden also uses hair lotion from Pigeon (bought also from Jakarta...not sure why they don't sell it in Singapore).

We have been doing this since last December but around early February was the time where we put this thing really serious. So I hope all this effort that we put in will be worth it! We'll see....

Caden's Prison!

I bought this from Mothercare Suntec City. It was the only one left and was on 20% off. I was not sure if I should buy it but mom told me that it's good and firm and would give a good and interesting play area for Caden when he is older. What I like about this play tent is it provides a large hexagonal play area, complete with comfy padded mat and a gate for him to go in and out. As for now, I have to watch him play in it as he might bang his head into the metal stripes.

For fun, we called this Caden's Prison! hehehe....

with the 'new' oma

Oma (word for grandma) picked up her new glasses today and she was kind of surpise with the outcome (she said, she looks nerdy). Mommy told her that it's gave oma a new look. hehehe... It's okay oma, you look younger and stylish using this glasses... ^_^

PS: and tommorow oma is going back to Jakarta... "Have a safe trip, oma...come back soon!"

made in india...

At last Caden has a decent photo with his aunt Valerie.. so mommy is going to post this picture on the blog but too bad that Caden has his "made in India" mark on his head -- hehe...that's what aunt Valerie called Caden now.

The mark is actually a mosquito bite and was actually rather small then soon its gets bigger and swollen -- just like a big pimple. ^)^ Caden had one on his arm, then leg and then this...right on the MIDDLE OF HIS HEAD!!! Went to the doctor and he confirms that Caden has sensitive skin that made the mosquito bites into huge red pimple-like mark. Doctor give him a medicine for it. I hope it will heal soon so Caden won't be look like an "Indian" boy anymore.... hehe...

up-side-down

Little gym teaches a lot of tumbling activities (being up-side-down is one of them) as part of their activities to build a child's confidence. Caden loves this activities a lot; maybe being upside down shows him a different perspective of the world that he sees -- that's what teacher Amy said, too. Everytime when I put him upside down, he will laugh and get so excited that he continuosly move his heads, hands and upper body.

I try to do this everyday with Caden so he will not forget how fun it is be upside down... plus, I am hoping this will stretch his legs and body to the maximun height (Paul wants him to be as tall as Tiger Woods - 1.86m)...haha...I wish!!! I like doing things a lot with Caden especially those that involved him to trust me fully. As what teacher Amy also like to say, this up-side-down activity that involving the parent/s could increase the bonding between the mother and the child.

PS: Oma said he looks like a bat..especially with the stripes t-shirt that he wore.