Couplehood

Man, I Missed A Whole Week!

Originally uploaded by Jim Moran

Heya! It's been some time, I'm hoping to get a post in soon. It was a rather tough week. (The post in the works is unpolished, and I haven't had time to work on it.)

Just a quick update then: the Missus is feeling better, but after taking her boys for a learning journey, she's been pretty beat. Good thing she's starting to feel better. It's kinda late into her second trimester, and we were fearing that the nausea might last all the way through.

Okay. It's late. I'll be back later to mop up.

A Somewhat Quieter Valentine's

The lady and I stayed this Valentine's at home, but we managed to grab a quick bite at the relatively unromantic cafe of the Singapore Swimming Club.

It's our Tenth Valentine's Day together, donchaknow. Back in 1998, I bought the little lady a teddy bear necklace-earring set, which she threw away a few months after (severe corrosion).

Still, this year's simple, no-frills dinner felt far more special, somehow.

I sense I'm thinking like a father.

My Lady, My Alarm Clock

Ring, Ring.

Early Schmearly
The Mrs Koh, as you may know, is a teacher in a Primary School. This means that she operates in Fiji Time (kidding). It also means that I have to start the day about 2 whole hours earlier.

Time Emigration
To this date, I've been relatively successful at being a Polynesian. It helps that the Missus boots me out of bed before it's too late (sometimes very tenderly, with kisses; sometimes more violently, with hard and uncomfortable things). Mind you, I've never been a morning person - yet somehow I've taken to it quite well, and I'm actually starting to enjoy it. Thanks dear, for waking me up every morning, and making sure I get my 7 hours of rest.

Sleepus Interruptus
But the real reason behind this post is that the lady hasn't been getting enough sleep. I may have told you that this has been a tough pregnancy so far for her; the bloated-ness, the spotting, the evening-and-morning sicknesses, the nausea, the emotional roller coaster rides, and the gastritis. All business as usual for preggers - from what we've been reading - still, it's a trying time for her, being a first-time pregger. The pregnancy keeps her up a lot at night. I can't imagine what it must be like for her.

"It Was So Soon, But I Had Forgotten."
I was awe-struck one day by we had a conversation in bed, just reflecting over the week's events. It had been a tough week for her, but she was being incredibly strong about the whole thing. Then she asked me, "do you know why I'm able to do all this?" I was silent, anticipating her answer. "Because dear, I love you. That's why."

I'm not worthy, nope.

--------

While I'd love to share more about my secrets of being an early riser, I think you'd find that there are zillions of sites online telling you how to do it successfully. Suffice to say, it's great being an early riser. All I ask is a good chance to sleep in on Saturdays.

Just Sneaking a Post in for the Week

Dog Tired

This week's been a busy week for Mr & Mrs Koh, but the biggest downer is that we've not had as much time to spend with each other as we'd like. It didn't help that we spent a third of our time together this week shaking off the shock of having a cyclist crash into our car.

Sounds like a weekend of togetherness is in order.

We've been keeping track of  the progress of the little one as closely as we can, and while there's still some cause to worry, there's not  much we can do apart from placing it in the hands of the Lord. There will be a scan for Mrs. Koh in  afternoon, which I'm hoping will give us some peace of mind.

I know I should be home earlier, dear. I'll be home earlier today. Maybe we can catch Mary Poppins later if you're up to it?

 

It's a Little Hard to Blog Now

As you may imagine, I'm getting less time to blog as often - and trust me, it'll get less in a few more months - but still, I'm going to see if I can post on a weekly basis.

The wife and I are going to get pretty busy as school reopens, and with more things coming up round the corner (one MAJOR thing really) 2008 is going to be a really busy year for us. We're really happy, but rather anxious at the same time.

Those of you who know, you may carry on laughing.

 

The Wedding Site Recce And Other Things

Our Pretty Flower Girls

Getting Stuff Done
I'm very thankful to all the brothers and sisters in Church who've been truly helpful. We spent a nice afternoon fellowshipping and touring the site for the wedding, as most haven't had a chance to see the place yet. Seriously, I wonder where we would be right now if not for their help. Thanks especially to Pastor Mak, Ziyang, the Chans, the Ongs, the Ongs, the Sngs, and the Sngs. Many more go unmentioned (with apologies)  for their wonderful help. Which only makes me hope that a lifetime will be long enough to return the favors.

Still Rather Weak
I'm still recovering, and it's been 3 weeks. It's interesting how a virus that I've already defeated can come back again to beat me up silly. While I'm well on the road to recovery, it's still someways from 100%. Note to uninitiated: shingles/chicken pox in your adulthood is going to be one of the worst non-terminal diseases you're going to get.


31 Days, And November's 2 Days Away
We're counting down, and with a handy widget from Yahoo, it's ever before us, reminding us that we really don't have many days left. Over the next few weeks, we've probably only got one weekend to relax and catch our breath.

I'm Going to Try to Blog More Regularly; I Miss It Heaps
I do, and I think it's a great time to keep track of the progress and reflect on the way here. Just a list of stuff that's coming up:

1. Last Week's Marriage counseling
2. Book Review on "His Needs, Her Needs" - But I'm holding this off until after the wedding. Special reasons, see.
3. Finding Things to Do When You're Down With the Shingles (A two line post)
   

Technorati Tags: adrian and angela, Couplehacks, wedding planning

Finally, Back On My Feet!

Heya Everyone! I'm finally feeling better enough to sit in front of a PC to write! I'm still feeling a little lethargic from all the meds I've been taking, but as the effect wears off, I'll be up and ready for getting all prepped for the BIG DAY. Only 44 days, gentle readers!

Thankful To God For The Timing
I'm thankful to the Good Lord (as many people have been telling me to be) that this episode came long enough before the wedding. Surely, I would have preferred not getting ill and all - but I'm thankful all the same that there's still enough time to ensure everything gets done. Phew - it's a long to do list!

Short, But Just For Today
I'll keep this short for today, mostly because I've got some other posts boiling in the back. Just to share on the events from the days past: those days of quarantine have been filled with pretty interesting things, having had all that time to lie down and think about the the big event and life in general; the lady and I had long conversations (read: arguments) on where we're headed; I've had long chats with some friends on the how married life is going to change things; I've received some unexpected blessings from dear friends; and, most of all, that God's still in control of all the things that have been happening. That perhaps has been most assuring.

Time to get back to work.

Technorati Tags: adrian, sick, wedding, wedding planning

Tinkering With the Blog

I'm still tinkering with how this blog should look like, but I think I'm a step closer having de-cluttered the space. It's always tough deciding which content to include, and which not to include. I held myself back from being too sentimental about it, and cut as much waste as possible.

I think I've streamlined the whole thing nicely enough.

Yeah... Nice.

Technorati Tags: blog, nice

2 Big Fat Reasons Why I Blog

Together

As with all things that start to have a life of its own, the time has come for this blog to question its existence, Or, at least, look for a reason for being. You know, why it *is* rather than *is not*. (You may blame my philosophy lecturers for that incomprehensible philo-babble,)

Well, the short answer would be that I do like writing. I really do. Well, true - I'm not polished, nor am I a reporter for the Economist, but a part large chunk of me really wants to contribute and communicate through the written word. I'm glad that the Interweb's giving immense opportunities like never before to be seen and heard. Everyday I surf the 'net I'm convinced the World grows flatter and smaller in some way or another with each passing moment.

But there's a long story too. In light of of the directions I'm taking in terms of building a Christian Home and family, Angela and I (though I'm more or less the main author) are hoping this blog will work out to achieve 2 big fat things:

1. It will chronicle the success of building a home based on the immutable, solid Word of the Lord. We're being rational optimists here. The odds of marriages failing are on the increase, but why should we work towards managing failure, when we can build something wonderful? So. We believe the only way I'll ever make it is to put God first, No doubt, that path is a straight and narrow one. By God's grace, we want to go the distance. We hope to capture every moment to remind myself (as we're prone to forget) of this purpose, and also to share this story with anyone who needs to know that there is, no matter how bleak, hope.


2. It will be a repository for tips, tricks and hacks on getting stuff done so that you can concentrate on the more important things in life. Wherever you're coming from, you've got more important things to worry about than cleaning, managing paper work, and paying the bills. Get those stuff out of the way, and start to make time for all the things that are really important in your life. Mine's God and Family - I don't know what yours is, but I'm hoping it isn't "more time on the job". (But who am I to lecture.)

So, Who Am I To Tell You All These Things?
Actually, it doesn't matter who I am, because I don't think I'll ever achieve anything to deserve to tell you to do what I say. I'm only here offering some of the best solutions I've come across to help you as you make your way. I'm certainly no Pastor, no coach, nor am I a certified psychologist. I work at a Defense Company, and was an ex-Military Officer, but I'm not an authority or an expert on life. But I do read a lot, and I love tinkering with things to make life work better.

Where We're Headed
As a family, we're just about to start out, come 1st December 2007. As a person, I've still a long way to go. As a blog, this space has yet to grow to where I'd like it, but as they say, "softly, softly, catchee monkey". I think it's going to be a quite a journey, as we go along life's way. You're more than welcome to join us for the ride; so come on, we've got work to do.

(This post will be a permanent page in the "About Us" page I'm building.)

The Lady's Amazing Feast

 
The Whole Meal

It's wonderful when the lady cooks!

I guess she must have taken the not-too-discrete hint on me liking her grandma's cooking. Today, she whipped up a storm and produced 3 re-creations from her grandma's impressive cook book of wonder. On the menu today:

• Bai Zhan Ji - (Translated: "White Cut Chicken") This was a little overdone, but very tasty.


• Dumpling Soup - Lovely broth, and even more wonderful dumplings. I usually don't tolerate water chestnuts in recipes, but this somehow worked VERY well.


• Granny's Noodles - My absolute favorite dish of all time from her granny's cook book. Amazing flavor, which comes from a combination of roasted prok slices, carrot, cabbage, and bean sprouts. Oh, and the egg noodles - seasoned and fried FOUR TIMES for perfection.

What an amazing meal. Good thing Cheryl came over to join us, or else we would have had a tough time finishing it all.

Thanks for the wonderful meal Miss Angela Dear! I love your cooking already. :)

(Oh oh, See the pictures here.)

Technorati Tags: adrian and angela, family, food