The Boy, the Boat and the Moon

I watch you sleeping for a long moment tonight and saw a face familiar yet new. A tiny mole I did not know of on your forehead, long eyelashes I never noticed before and a nose and mouth just like mine. You are my lovely second born who utters to me "I love you Mummy" every night before you sleep. I love you too sweetheart...always. And may you never stop loving this old lady.

Fabulous 4 hopefully!

Oh my god Dylan! You are 4! I used to laugh when my Pa - your Gong Gong, say to me, "What happened to my little girl?" but now I am saying it to you, what happened to my little baby boy?!?

When you turned three last year, your character was emerging and it hit us big time this past year as you struggle to control that temper of yours. Of all things, you had to inherit that from me, sigh :( But what a character you are, a walking firecracker all of us are afraid to ignite hee hee :) Yet with a smile so sweet and a face that cute, you can talk me into giving you anything. Yup, we wonder too where you got that glib tongue from :)

We want to tell you on this special day, that we love you very much and that life would be a big yawn without my little baby boy! Happy birthday sweetie!

*muacks*
mummy

Let's Boogie

Ok I am angry with my mummy! This is Dylan writing. It's waaaaay past the 11th of the month and she hasn't written my 15mth old update! What has she been up to? FARMING! So what's a baby to do? I am writing my own entry this month!

It's been a really talkative month for me, I've learnt to say the first word that I know the meaning of - Neh Neh! Last month whenever I wanted milk from Mummy I will get into the nursing position on her lap. This month I've learnt to say the magic word "neh neh"! Initially when I first started uttering the word, they couldn't believe it, they thought I am just saying it for fun, one of those baby talk mumbo jumbo, BUT I showed them I mean business by lifting Mummy's top and shouting neh neh while they were all stunned into amazement. Then they started beaming proudly and laughing at me. I think it must be how cute I sound when I utter those words. I use it most often now, the moment I see Mummy in the morning, whenever I am thirsty and each time we get into the car. It drives Mummy mad because I ask for neh neh so often!

Oh and I've discovered a really cute teddy bear in our home, one that moves and makes a meow sound! His name is Mo Mo! Mummy does not let Mo Mo out into the living room often and I like to go into the kitchen to find this furry bear. I will go down on my tummy and call him Mo Mo when he is under the cabinet and I so love to touch his fur, it makes me giggle and squeal in delight! :)

I also understand Bye Bye now. It happens whenever Gor Gor goes to school in the morning or when I leave Mummy's studio with Gong Gong for a walk or when we put a toy away. Does it mean something's going away?

Mummy has been telling Daddy that I can understand her but Daddy does not believe her. Everytime Mummy calls me and says we are going out, I will walk to where my shoes are and bring them to her with a loud, "NAH!". I will then proceed to sit on Mummy's crosslegged lap as she puts my shoes on for me. She is very impressed how I learnt this shoe trick without anyone teaching. She must think all babies are dumb :s You should have seen her face when the other day in the studio I poured the flowers out of the basket and she said for fun (assuming that I will not understand) with fingers pointing to the objects that I was a naughty boy and that I should pick up the flowers and put them back into the basket. I looked at her and swiftly proceeded to pick up ALL the flowers and put them back one by one into the basket! The look on her face was priceless. She tried to tell Daddy about how clever I was to have understood her but he was sure that she was making all this up. One day I will show Daddy!

I've also come to understand the logic of belonging and association. Whenever one of my teddy bears are being used by Mummy while she shoots for other kids, I get mad and points at the bear to be returned to me. It makes me really angry when she ignores me. Doesn't she know that all the stuff toys are mine? I also know what belongs to others, I will often bring Mummy's iPhone to her with a loud, "NAH!" when I see it lying about. The other day I pooped but it wasn't smelly enough for Mummy to notice so I went to her bag and started pulling out a clean diaper from there. She saw me fiddling with her bag and began to tell me off. When I finally got the diaper out of the bag, I brought it to her and said, "NAH!" again. She took the diaper and was about to put it back into the bag when she smelt my poop. Kekekeke! Then her face brightened up with realisation and she started screaming for Daddy to come see how smart I was. Yes Mummy, I love to surprise you with my intelligence sometimes :P

Lately, I've also started to grove to music. Mind you, it's not just the regular up and down dance babies do, I really know how to boogie! Up down, shoulders left and right, head bobbing up and down in headbanging style and all in time with the beats and rhythm of the songs. I dunno where I got my boogie genes from because my parents sure can't dance ;)

Anyway it's really late and I need to get some shut eye, I hope to write to you all again soon.

*boogie* *shake* *bob*
Dyl Dyl

Happy 4th Birthday Kayden!

To my lovely firstborn,

You are 4 today! How quick the past year flew by. From a terribly shy 3 year old, you have now emerged out of your shell and are so talkative that it drives those around you crazy with your incessant chatter and questions :p Your vocab is superb and I just look at you in awe sometimes when you use words that I have never taught you before or when you string together sentences with whatever words you know in order to make us understand you.

You are kind and sensitive. While watching a documentary on elephants the other night, I explained to you that the baby elephant died soon after birth as it was too weak. You were silent and watched as the mummy elephant gave her dead baby a nudge then shed tears as she walked away to rejoin the herd. I hear you silently sobbing then suddenly you bawled your lungs out! It took a good few minutes for me to calm you down. How cute are you? :)

However I've noticed that you are also capable of being a bully. At your birthday pool party, you were enjoying yourself going down the pool slide but as you were slow, the kid behind you knocked onto your back and after you both landed in the water, I saw you turned around and pushed the kid angrily. That was the first time I see you react this way. Maybe it's a survival trait but I do not like it and gave you a warning. I hope you will be more peace loving among your peers. So far we have not heard any bad news from the school so keep it up baby!

The obsession you have with cows for the past year is finally wavering and you are beginning to take an interest in other animals now like the elephant, sharks and crocodiles. You still have the memory of an elephant and I hope you will always remember that your mummy loves you very much although I have to spend more time taking care of didi. Today you reminded me of the dead baby elephant, you say, "Mummy, the baby elephant was two weeks then it die already, then the mummy elephant cry." I didn't understand and kept asking you why two weeks? Was it two weeks ago we saw the programme? Did you mean the baby elephant died two weeks ago? After you kept repeating a few times I finally understood! You remembered what I explained to you about why the baby elephant die, that it was "too weak"! Hahaha, your daddy and I laughed when we finally figured it out :p

You like to announce out of the blue, "Mummy, I want to tell you something!" Then you will wait patiently for me to say, "What?" to which you will reply, "I love you!" Awwww, it always melts my heart :D You also love your baby brother "so so very much" as you like to tell us before kissing him 100 times on the sole of his feet with loud smooching sounds. Yes, that's your favourite spot for kissing your didi. It's hilarious seeing you kiss him like that, it's like an addiction! You are extremely protective of your little brother too especially when we are out of the house. When I let go of didi's hands while walking with him outdoors, your face will tense up tight as you scream for me to hold him, the look on your concerned face fearing that your brother will somehow disappear if I let go of his hands :s

Some annoying quirks you have picked up includes:
1. You will start crying each time the DVD you are watching is ending and you will shout in a panic to either of us to switch to the TV channel for you.
2. You eat so slooooooooooooooowly, each meal takes at least 30mins to an hour! It's especially frustrating as your father and I are fast eaters.
3. When you pass urine at night before you sleep, you will ask your daddy or me to hold your "kukujiao" for you instead of doing it yourself. Yes, only at night. In the day you can hold it yourself :s
4. Whatever baby is playing with at that moment, you HAVE to go snatch it from him just to make him wail for it. Arrgh!
5. You like to make a silly funny face each time we ask you to smile for the camera :p

As parents, we love you because of all these quirks and not despite of them. But please try and eat faster la! ;) And don't bully your didi ok? kekeke

I hope you enjoyed your day out with Mummy and baby today watching the movie UP and here's wishing you many many many more HAPPY BIRTHDAYS my son!

love, hugs and kisses,
mummy

Cheeky!

The cheeky boy is 14 months old! He's always up to some kind of mischief especially when he has his partner in crime with him - Kayden :p He cracks me up when he imitates what he observes, like swinging his arms back and forth like how Braddell View Gong Gong exercises...when you least expects it, he suddenly comes up to you and says "tiki tiki tiki" while tickling your tummy with his little fingers (like how his brother and me like to do to him) :D

The eyeshadow he has been sporting for the past few weeks over his right eye was my fault :( I turned away for a second to get his towel after his bath and he slipped and fell down from the sink. Ahhh, his daddy never let me forget it. That hurt :s

Anyway my cheeky little boy, you make me smile always without fail with your cheeky grin, happy 14th month :)

Dylan is ONE!

My baby boy, you turn one today! Seems like just yesterday you came into our lives. Time really flies with the second child, it's true!

You have achieved all your developmental milestones, most of them in advance. I break into a smile when I think of your beaming face when you took your first steps unassisted, how you give a fake wail when you know you can get your way by doing just that or how your mouth opens into an oval "O" when you sleep. It's all just too cute sometimes it makes me wanna give you a big squeeze :)

Your giggles and laughter that sometimes escalates into guffaws are the funniest and most infectious sounds ever! I don't think there's anybody who will not laugh along with you when they hear your guffaw :D I hope you will keep your cheer with a ready laugh anytime.

I must let you know that I totally enjoy this first year and may the rest of the years be just as enjoyable. You have a way about you that makes people love you, your brother is one of them. He is seldom jealous of you and you always break into a smile when you see him. You both are just the best gifts your father ever gave me :p

Happy 1st birthday Dylan, we all love you very much! May you stay cheerful and be happy always.

*muacks!*
Mummy, Daddy & Kayden

Here are some photos we took today.

At Grandma's house for lunch, she spelt your name wrongly on the cake!


Is this for me?


Hurray!




Catch phrase for the day "oh oh!"


Hanging around while the adults try to get the candle lighted


Gor Gor singing Happy Birthday song for DiDi


Dyl is eyeing the cake


still eyeing...


still...


Gor Gor has been eyeing this piece from the start and attacked it the moment the candle was blown out!


I must have a bite of it too...


Ummm, it's yummy!


Savouring the sweetness


Can I have some more please?






At the studio for a few shots


Watch out...


Flying cupcake!


Oh oh, sorry mummy *twiddles fingers*


How about a cheeky smile?


Check out Gor Gor's face! :D














Ok now what?


Haha this one I cropped in close becoz the expressions on these two were hilarious! Kayden snatching the cake away from Dylan and Dyl wailing




Can I eat the cake now?!?

One more month...

Of cos the big news leading up to his 11th month was that Dylan walked! And curiously about the same time as big brother too. We haven't been able to stop him since, it's walk walk walk all day long and I must say he's really steady from day 1, no fall forward accidents or anything like that. If he loses his balance or had to fall, it will be sitting down. He's like Momo (our cat), he knows how to fall without injuring himself. Amazing this boy :D I am so proud :)

And he shocked me too a few days ago, I was introducing him to a wind up duck toy during his bath, saying,"Look Dylan, it's a duck!" and he went (in that oh so cute little voice) "A duck!". I was stunned for a moment and got him to repeat it and he did! So off I ran to get the camera but knowing in my heart that he probably will not repeat it and all I have to boast about will be my account of the incident :s Flashes of people nodding their head in mock belief came to me BUT ho ho ho! he did repeat it for the camera and well, just watch the video!



He also has a thing about doors shutting in his presence. If we go into a room and shut the door with him outside, he will give a blood curdling scream and start crying his eyes out! This never fails to happen each time I go into the bathroom to take a bath. He will cry and scream outside the door like I have left him for dead. Same thing happens when I have to bring out the garbage and shut the main gate. What can I say, my boy loves me :)

All these developments are also making me nervous, signalling to me his birthday is approaching. Arrgh my problem now is I can't schedule his birthday party before the actual day and they say it's no good to celebrate after. The weekend after we come back from Perth is already booked with shoots, the following weekend we will be busy manning our booth at the Motherhood Exhibition and the weekend after that his birthday would have past already! How? :( Sigh, maybe it's destined my poor son will not have a grand 1st birthday party like his big brother did. I think I will just organise a small one on his actual day (which is a weekday) and get him a nice cake and take plenty of pictures of course. The more I think about it, the more guilty I feel, so unfair to Dylan. Arrgh!

Don't worry son, Mummy will think of something. Hope you will have a great vacation with us in Perth next week! Please go easy on us! :D

That toothy smile

Ok I am almost a week late posting Dylan's 10th month old entry! My apologies to the toothy smiler, this is THE smile I so love from him, showing all 4 teeth with 2 more on top peeking through the gums:


He also has a new toy, a finger lollipop:


Dearest boobu,
I have to say I am rather disappointed that you have not started walking unassisted yet! You started standing with support at 2 months old and I really thought you would beat your brother's 10.5mths record at walking but nooo, you are such a cautious little thing that the moment you feel unsafe, you drop like a hot potato and revert to crawling :p You still have a week left to match your bro's record so "jia you"!

Friends and family say that you have slimmed down, we can now see your neck and your face is sharper. It's no wonder, you've been stuck at 9.something kg for the longest time and you have grown longer/taller. Lookwise, I would say you look better as your features become more defined. The double eyelid on your left eye is quite permanent now but the right eye's fold remains hidden. Your daddy say you look weird like that but I think it just makes you unique :)



You love your brother so much, evident from your big smile each time you see him in the morning and when we pick him up from school. I enjoy seeing the both of you interact and play with each other. You respond to your talkative brother's ramblings with squawks and soothing noises which sound like the whale's singing.

We have to be wary of how we speak around your presence as you are sensitive to speech tones and patterns now. For example when you misbehave or fuss for no reason, I just need to give a stern "hey" and you will instantly turn your mouth upside down and drop your head with exaggerated force to rest on me, apologetic and acknowledging that you have done wrong. When your brother raises his voice, you scrunch up your face and wail immediately, looking to me for justice, tearless of course :p If you get no attention from us, you will stop just as soon as you started :s

There are a few words which you understand and respond to. They are "Bye", "Clap", "Pose" and "No". I don't know where you picked up "pose" from but it's certainly not how I tell my clients to do while shooting! hahaha! Your brother started this pose too on his 1st birthday exactly. Looks like it runs in the family :D



Oh and you had your first hair cut at the barber's on Good Friday!

You screamed the shop down and by the time they were done with you, your face was a mess of tears, snort and hair :s I am dreading your future visits already.

Little boy, I hope your toothy smiles will be with you always, even when you are an old man with just that many teeth as you have now.

Love,
MUMM-Ma (that's what you've been calling me lately ;P)

*photos (except the last one) taken with the iPhone at Marche*

It's tough to be my husband :p

i lose my temper easily when you disagree with me
we often argue over what's best for the boys
and you say i always think i am in the right
well ok, maybe 80% of the time :p
if i am not working or looking after the boys
i am nuah-ing in front of the tv
the housework is mostly done by you
and your favourite complain is i treat the home like a hotel :p
things have improved since i found a part-time maid
but i know you would still like to see me chip in more often
i cannot promise you i'll be able to do it
but i will try harder to keep the house tidy
thanks for being an understanding husband
although you are a tad naggy ;)
i think you are a great father!
to kayden especially
i secretly love how you fuss over things
with that deep burrow on your forehead as you frown
while fixing your helicopter or trying to solve a problem
the way you don't care what others think
and always in your Led Zeppelin tee, bermudas and slippers :D
my dear husband of more than 7 years
i wish you a very happy 30 something birthday!!!

love,
your messy wife :D

The Sticky Cruiser

Today, Baby Dyl has equalled time spent inside my womb, outside of it :p He's 9 months old.

I thought he would have walked by now since he started standing when he was 2 months old but no, he's a happy cruiser, stopping only to inspect something or to be carried. He has also developed separation anxiety from yours truly :s It was fun at first feeling needed and wanted. The moment I stepped out of his sight, he screams for me. "La lala lala, somebody loves me!" I thought to myself each time this happens. But now, I wished he wouldn't need me that much :s Especially since he's so mobile now, he will come looking for me if I chose to ignore his cries :p So sometimes when I am shooting and he's in one of his sticky moods, I can hear the squeaks his knees make rubbing against the timber flooring of the studio as he's crawling towards me and tah dah, look who's come through the curtain and flashing me the sweetest smile? He will then proceed to pull himself up to standing position using my body for support, then giving you a proud grin once he has completed the act as if to say - "Look at me mummy!" If I am in a crouched down shooting position, he will give me a big hug from behind which makes my heart melt like chocolate between fingers and I will then put down the camera and scoop this cute baby up and kiss him a million times while he chuckles and guffaws when my hair falls on his skin and tickles him :D That's how cute this little boy is!

He's still not really into solids but does eat 2 meals a day. Biscuits do not go down well with him. Somehow I think he's not ready for any chewing action. Although he has 4 teeth already, he only uses them to bite us, not eat. I don't know how other babies his age can be eating raisins and bread because I tried letting him munch a raisin but it stayed in his mouth forever and the other day he grabbed a slice of apple from his brother and while attempting to chew on it, he gagged and vomitted out his dinner :s I guess he's really not ready so I shall let him take his time.

We have a million and one toys for Dylan to play with and although he likes a few of them, he gets more fun out of simple everyday things like flapping a plastic bag with his arms to hear the sound or just today he took my mineral water bottle and started waving it up and down observing how the water droplets move, then pressing hard on it with his little fingers to get the plastic crackling. I think I'll put some green beans into the bottle and that'll become a cheap maraca for my simple hearted son :)

People ask me how I can juggle the business while looking after Dylan full time (of course I have help from my in-laws and from Charlene and Ashley in the studio), the answer is simple - I love doing it! :)

Happy 9th month Dyl Dyl! *muacks*

Three and a half

My dearest Kayden boy,

Today you turn three and a half years old. I really enjoy being with you at this age - you are chatty and cheeky, jovial and funny! It's a marked improvement from your third birthday where you still suffered from extreme shyness.

You are also, FINALLY! toilet trained :D I have to give credit to Daddy for persevering in this area and our incentive to you will be a vacation to Australia this May :) hurray to no diapers!!!



You have become quite a "disciplinarian" with Dylan, often scolding him in mock sternness like your teacher, "What did Miss Juliana say? Don't touch my toy!" hahaha! You make me laugh whenever you do that :D Or when you get exasperated from trying to keep baby from touching your toys, you will say to him,"What shall I do baby?!?!?!" and throw up your arms :p hahahahaha!

Diet wise, you've been eating better and not as fussy as before. I feel VERY happy when you ask for second helpings of what I cooked. You will still not eat any visible vegetables so I have to puree them and cook them within the rice you so love. But as long as you are getting your nuitrition, I don't mind :) You love apples and can eat a whole one (peeled) after dinner.


Getting you to smile for the camera is now a terrible idea as you will scrunch up your face into the "no eyes grin" :s (see above picture) I have to catch you unaware for more natural smiles.

We can hold longer conversations with you although most of them will end with you asking why? and us not being able to answer your question :p The past 2 weeks I was incharged of packing your bag for school while Daddy was serving the nation and one day after school you chided me when I picked you up, "Mummy, you forgot my cookie crisp today." Me, "Did I? I packed them into your snack box what!?" You, "No, that was coco krunch!" oops sorry dear ;p



You have an obsession with cows. And I think the one thing we must do while in Perth is to bring you to see a live one. Hopefully it will be an experience that will not disappoint your high regard for the animal. By the way, mummy is a cow you know? I was born in the year of the ox kekeke

Darling boy, you have grown up so fast the past year and all too soon, you will become a young man. Mummy, Daddy and baby loves you heaps and may you stay forever sunny :)

xoxo,
Mummy

A Letter to the Hatemailers

My father taught me that in business, even if it were not my fault, to just apologise. So I say sorry to you for making you upset, angry or unhappy.

I am sorry that we cannot give you another saturday slot when you miss your scheduled saturday appointment by not showing up at all or giving us less than a day's notice. I miss spending saturdays with my family because of the nature of my job which has fullday shoots lined up on saturdays. When you do not show up, that is an hour of time I could have spent with my boys.

I am sorry that I did not receive your email, I do not know why some emails get lost in transmission. I will check with my service provider to make sure this doesn't happen again. Generally I reply all my emails within 24-36hours of receiving them. Please call us in the studio for faster response.

I am sorry that we "force" you to wear certain clothes for your shoot. We were merely offering our professional opinions and suggestions on what would turn out better in your photographs. You need not show your displeasure by refusing to smile or cooperate, simply telling me how you feel there and then would suffice. We would have respected your decision, thereby resulting in less friction during the shoot and a better outcome altogether.

I am sorry that we are "unoriginal" in using certain props/fabric/poses over and over again. If we can take your suggestion of pasting your faces over the same props/fabric/poses, that would really make our job easier, thanks for the brilliant idea.

I am sorry that I wasn't Singa the Courtesy Lion when replying your SMS as I was busy shooting when your text came through and had to multi-task. I apologise for the typo in my text which you repeatedly made fun of by posting it on my forum thread.

I am sorry that you feel the need to pass judgement on me or my business when you have never met me or come for a shoot before.

I am sorry that I am too direct when speaking and that I am no good at honeycoating words. I wear my heart on my sleeves and I understand now that this is not a good trait for running a business. I will try my best to improve in this area.

I apologise that I have no training in customer servicing, marketing or running a business. This shows up as flaws as I try to do all these roles while being a mother and wife. And no, I do not have a maid.

I am sorry again for all the above but will continue to learn and improve as I go along, taking all that you will throw at me, because I love what I do and for the 2 reasons below.