Happy Birthday D!

Dearest D,

Happy Birthday!! Mummy, C, E and I love you so much. Thanks for bringing heaps of joy and sunshine to our lives.

How quickly you've grown!! It wasn't too long ago that you were still tottering about and your vocabulary was limited to signing "Food"! I still can't get over your wicked sense of humour.

Papa: (Lying down on the floor, totally exhausted at the end of the day) D, please go bathe!

D: No, I'm a dirty princess. (Walks over to Papa, and bends over my face) I'm giving you true love's kiss.

That totally cracked Papa up and also recharged my batteries.

I hope you enjoyed both the Birthday Parties that we threw for you at our new home. Given the limited utensils and cutlery, we tried our best to have a decent spread. I'm sure you loved the Dora cake that Mummy ordered and the cake from Brunetti that Godma got you.

Papa's very impressed at the way you have settled in here. You still have your very singlish speak but certainly enjoy hanging out with your "Ang Moh", Asian and African friends in school. I'm glad we'll be home in time to celebrate your 4th B'day so that you don't get to speaking Australian like Kor Kor.

A month after the big move

I was to have updated this blog once we got to Australia and regularly thereafter. I was to have more free time than when I was working. I was to have time to stop to smell the roses.

Alas, often things do not work out as planned. It has taken more than a month before I found time to blog. My typical day is longer than when I was at work. I usually get up by 7:30am and don't get into bed until after midnight. The upside is that I fall asleep every night without any difficulty. And the most common fragrance that wafts through the air is lemon zest from the various floor and dish washing detergents.

Yet, I seem to enjoy the change and can't help but believe that its better than I could have ever hoped it would be. I keep thinking - I should have done this earlier. I don't enjoy doing the household chores and changing soiled nappies. I think only masochistic people suffering from severe boredom can enjoy such things. But its great spending lots of time with the family. It is wonderful watching the boys grow up (although there is a strange sadness that they are growing up too quickly).

To help preserve the memories, I was inspired to start this blog again. Nothing more inspiring than to start with food!!

I do enjoy cooking so the boys are forced to enjoy my cooking. The preparation starts with marketing - which no longer means a lunch at a decent restaurant but actually going to the market to buy raw produce. The stuff at the markets (Vic Mart and Footscray) are really fresh and the selection is eye-poppingly wide.

If we want it any fresher, we send C to the farm.

And after working so hard squeezing the udders, C needs to replenish his strength -

(Those were pics of C eating Claypot Rice (cooked in steel pot), Grilled Ginger Teriyaki Chicken, and Roast Leg of Lamb.)

I've also tried my hand at Jiang Chong Veal, Steamed Chicken with Ham and those red little herbs, Carrots and cabbage soup and Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Hey C,

Happy Birthday!! I'm not sure if you know that you are the reason that Mum and I decided to start the blog. We wanted to note down the amazing things in your life but there were so many that we couldn't note all of them. But Birthdays... there's always space for. We know how much you love birthday parties, especially your own.

That's your 1st Birthday. We had a massive party at the club. I think we had close to 100 guests. You would be delighted to note that since that massive party, we have not had a birthday party for any of our kids at the same scale. (I guess that will be the case until D and/or E can read and discovers this entry.) Anyway, Mum got a cake with a picture of your first car.

I'm not sure how much you remember your 1st B'day but I do remember that you started to totter around just a few days before your party. At your party, you were eager to show off your new skill and we spent most of the time running after you. Well, it's your party after all ...

2nd Birthday! A party at Mama and YehYeh's place. I think we catered for about 50 guests and had tables in the garden. Unlike your 1st B'day, where you probably didn't understand much of what was going on, this time you were very excited to blow out the candles. Between Audrey and you, there was no worry that the cake would be saliva-free. I'm really glad that you are such close friends with Audrey, just like a sister. She's a real sweetie.

A month after your 2nd B'day, you started school at SJCK. Mum and I were really worried that you wouldn't be able to adapt but you sure proved us wrong. The first week or so was stressful for us all but once you got into the swing of things, we couldn't stop you from attending school. BTw you even said you wanted to marry Aunty Stephanie, your DD teacher.

Your 3rd B'day also marked a new phase for Mummy and Granny - All B'day cakes for the Kids would be baked by them. And I'm sure you must be thankful. The cakes were not only yummy, the decorations were only limited by your imagination.

As you can see from the photos above, your 4'th B'day was Dinosaur themed. Mum noticed that you took a real liking to Harry and the Dinosaurs and was ever willing to make your wishes come true. She even got your Godma to make a Harry clay figurine. I think it was in that year that she went for cupcake baking classes and, as you know, she has put them to good use.

As usual, you had 2 celebrations - one in school and the other at home. At your request, we had a magician/balloon sculptor. You know your birthday celebrations are never simple and even when we wanted a simple BBQ for your 5th B'day, we ended up having a catered BBQ with a Satay man and lady making Roti Canai. Aren't you lucky!!

Before we get to your B'day bash at Mama's house, the photos above show - That's right - your 5th B'day in school. It was meant to be Shreked themed after your 2 visits to Universal Studios and watching Shrek 4ever After. But due to some postal errors, Mum found out only 2 days before that the Shrek decorations weren't going to arrive in time. She went into hyper mode and managed to get you Toy Story decorations, which she placed ever so artistically on your B'day cake.

And that's a really photo of Aunty Sylvia and the Birthday Boy. You are really blessed to have her as your teacher and friend.

And that's the Satay Man at your home party celebrations.

Superman also needs to eat his favourite food - fishball. We are really proud of the decorations that you made for the party (with a little help from Granny). It gave the party a Shrek - under the sea adventure feel.

And you really have to thank your Mummy for the fantastic cake. She not only made the "Keep Out" sign, she also created the toilet! Ultra-realistic!!

Happy Birthday Caleb!! Papa and Mummy pray that your birthdays will forever be filled with happiness and joy!

Our Sweet Elijah ;-)

Elijah has just turned 3 months old, and looking back at the last 3 months, he's really grown quite a bit. From a birth weight of 3.25kg, his most recent weight 2 days ago was 6.915kg! He's more than doubled his birth weight already, and Daddy says that that proves that Mummy's milk is best ;-) (haha, and free and convenient too, since he doesn't have to wake up at night to feed Elijah ;-))

First bath at home

At 2 weeks ago.... comfy in Granny's arms

Daddy makes a real good pillow

Is that a smile I see??

Is it nap time already?

Other than growing in size, the last 3 months have also seen Elijah progressing from near constant sleepiness, to now cooing and playing. He has a really nice and pleasant temperament... very undemanding... I don't think it's only because as 3rd time parents, we are a lot more relaxed, but rather that he is really not a fussy baby. We very seldom hear him cry very loudly, and although he fusses on and off and wants to be carried (which I guess is normal for any baby), his cry is usually a whine or a whimper (unless that is ignored for prolonged periods), and he can sleep through his brothers' endless chatter, singing (which is very loud), quarreling, temper tantrums and crying. I don't know how, but he seems to understand his brothers' need for attention, and in his own way is willing to share the attention with them.


Lazing around on a late morning...


Mummy making me "do a workout"...

Caleb and Dylan have also been darlings in their own right... from attempting to change Elijah's pampers when he is dirty and fussing (see earlier post), to offering to give him milk (even breastmilk!) when he is crying and hungry. They even sing to him in the car when he cries in attempts to calm him down...


Dylan trying to wear the breastfeeding pillow so he can "feed baby Elijah".

Caleb thinks Mummy also produces Milo and Apple juice.... Gosh... is Mummy really a vending machine???

Dylan looking on as Elijah sleeps, trying not to make too much noise so that he doesn't wake up...


"Er Ge" paying extra special attention to his "Xiao Di"..... always wanting to carry "baby Elijah"....

"Da Ge" carrying "Xiao Di"


Guess u can see how difficult it is to take a nice picture of the 3 of them all together???

I just thank God for our 3 lovely boys, and I won't exchange them for anything!