Couplehood

Monday Faithful: The Week (And Year) Gone By

 

"Told You Not To Hold Your Breath"

It's been a hectic week over here as the year winds down, but it's getting a little easier to breathe - for now. I'm just done with a major company summit (only 2 more to go!) and will be expecting about 2 more big events before the year closes. Most of them will be over by this week. 

"Because It's Going To Get Stretchier"

2008 was a good stretch for me. I'm at a point of my life where both learning and growing are crucial to the next stages of my life. I've basically stepped out of every comfort zone in my life (except for the precious roof over my head) and I'm dead certain about the next few steps I've decided to take - to be more involved in training and coaching - but where that takes me, only the Lord knows. Looking from where it's taken me so far, I must say I'm glad for the journey. 

Chilli Crabs All 'Round

Pesky work kept us from work on Sunday, but at least there was something to look forward to at the end of Sunday: two medium sized crabs smothered in chilli crab sauce with steamed buns and veggies. The crabs were my doing, but the wife takes teh credit for the veggies. It was a very nice dinner, especially with David looking on curiously, wondering why we were stuffing our fingers into our faces like he does. "It's crab, David," the mother advises. "You'll love it someday."

A Wonderful Surprise

The editors over at Whakate sent me a gift after I mentioned that I really liked the silly old bear, and how it would be one of the most important books in my family's library. So, as a Christmas gift, they sent over the 80th Anniversary edition of A.A. Milne's masterpiece. You can see it here. I dropped them a call in Germany, where they live, and personally told them how lovely their present was. Can you believe they're having a sunny snowy day? 

That's something I'll like to see someday. 

Monday Faithful: The Lives We Need To Lead

Church Anniversary
We had a nice time at Church yesterday, it was the 25th Anniversary. Lots of swell memories and tender moments. It's nice to see how we've grown over the years. (There are pictures, but they're not out yet. I'll post them the first sign on Facebook.) David had a rather non-fussy time at Church, even though it was his longest time ever outside the house. He did, however, choose to poop while the lady was trying to sit in the sanctuary during the celebration service - everyone was "heads down, eyes closed" when he heaved a deep breath and went "HHHNNNNNNNNGGGGHHHHH" in his characteristic, forceful, barbaric grunt. Adorable.

Heart-To-Heart Chats
Over the weekend, the lady and I had a chance to really talk some things through. I found out one thing: the longer you've been together, the more difficult it is to say the trivial things that you've left unsaid long times before. We dealt with something quite close to home, and I'm glad to say that I'm on track to making this family work. "I've always thought God would take care of you, you know?" she said. Man, she's got more faith than I do.

A Book, Small One Only
I'm working on a kid's book, and I'm having a wonderful time. It's not a particularly ambitious book in terms of length, but it's ambitious in terms of actually wanting to get it done. I'm on track for that too, though the timeline's really short. If all goes well, you'll be able to get it for Christmas. I'm working to see how proceeds can go to a good cause.

Hey, if you want to read it, let me know. I'll be glad to hear your thoughts on it. I'll only require you to be brutally honest and relentlessly critical - yup, it's that important to me.

What Are You Building On?

credit: Mulsanne

The History of this Church:
"Sallie Howard Memorial Chapel was built by Col. Milford Howard for his first wife. It was inspired by a church in Glendale, CA which Col. Howard found on his travels. The Chapel is a quiet, inspirational place...but [it is] also a working church, with services held every Sunday. Most of the materials used in constructing the chapel are local..the huge wooden beams, the stone walls and of, course, the huge granite boulder that makes up the front of the chapel."

"... And upon this rock I will build my church..." - Matthew 16:18

What are you building your family upon today?

The Monday (Oops) Faithful: One Week On

(No pictures today, just another quick log - I've got some adorable shots of the little boy, I'll share them soon, 'kay?)

It's Been A Week Without The Car
And it's been fine. My parents in-law have been wonderful in bringing food over and offering to babysit the boy while the lady takes a rest. It's strange how a small tot can bring people together. Anyhoo, we've been to church and it's been manageable. It was simpler when we had a set of wheels, no doubt, but it wasn't worth the sacrifice to own it. I feel freedom.

Reflux
The boy's got a case of acidic reflux - nothing serious really, but it affects his sleep and eating patterns. Though most of the signs that babies show at this stage are mostly ambiguous, the one symptom that got us was his hoarse voice. We'll be looking into it as we go along, and hopefully we'll be able to do something to ensure he gets a good night's sleep.

Good Sleep
Not happening. Too much to do also. Sigh.

Praying for the Ong Family
They've been going through a bit, with Sis. Suwei getting a case of pneumonia, and a possible HFMD with their youngest. You're in our thoughts and prayers, guys.

Oh look at the time. Got to go now.

Monday Faithful: A Nice Time Of Rest

The Calm
After the labour-pain scare on Friday, we decided to spend a good time over the weekend going out to pig out on things that she'll not be able to eat for some time (you know, healing from a C-section and breast feeding rather limits your diet choices). While we've done a lot of preparation for David, my relatives tell me "I ain't seen nothing yet" (their own words). I agree with them - it's going to be a tough 2 months ahead - but I'm not letting us be too paranoid about it. She's already worried that the swelling on her leg won't go away - though I've been trying to comfort her than balloon-y feet are rather cute.

Oh, and congratumadalations to Bro. Dan Ong and Sis Suwei! Looks like many of us will have play partners in the years to come. Having a number 5 is awesome.  

The Job
It's been a smooth one week at the new job, but I can see it getting busier by the day. We're still in the process of moving to the new location, so in a sense, I've not really been immersed in it yet. I like the independence, the freedom, and the initiative required - no hand holding over here, though my boss is more than glad to guide where he can. It's entrepreneurial training with none of the risks.

The Writing, and Social Media
I've put out a few articles for a website at whakate.com, and thelivingroom.sg, but for the interest of not linking to the site (it's of a different subject matter, see) you could drop by their sites to have a look. I'm mulling over a particular business that goes in line with what I've been researching on the past few weeks for my writing, and I think I may have hit on an idea. Thank God for the awesome world-flattening technology of social media, because I'm seeing increasingly how people all over the world can come together to make something wonderful. More on that in the weeks to come.

 

Home.

Originally uploaded by Christopher Chan

Thank God Everything's Okay
I can only thank God for the fact that everyone's safe and sound. The family and extended family are doing good; the wife and I are immensely thankful for that. It's something that we can no longer take for granted. Especially when one of you is far away, and you're just praying hard that nothing happens to the other.

Making It Work
Apart from missing Church, I've had no regrets about the trip. I'm going to have to learn very, very fast. Hopefully I can catch up. Personally, I feel a stronger sense of "quitting" when leaving this job, than I did from the previous. Perhaps it's because I'm actually leaving defence totally, and I'm stepping into the world of "actually-doing-business". There's a sales target laid out for me already (scary). I'm excited to bits about the new work - though I'm sensing the rather immense pressure of having to juggle that and a few initiatives I have in the bag to free myself from the rat race.

The Wife's Been Feeling Nauseous. Again.
It's back to the (not so) good ol' days of the first trimester, where she was feeling puke-y. It's back, and I'm thinking it could get worse. It's not unexpected; thanks to the books we've been plowing through, we sort of knew that the morning/afternoon/night sickness might come back. There will, however, be cause for concern when the wife has trouble keeping food down. It could be time to be more selective about diets again. 

We've Met Loads of You!
If anything, her nausea's a sign that that we're only ever closer to September 1st (yeah, I know, it could be earlier). We're glad we've had time to meet lots of you and had time to catch up before we David comes. Thanks guys, for being there, and being a bunch of wonderful buddies.

[Next post, the latest ultrasound! And, I can't believe the defence work's finally come in.]

Angela Had A Fall

Hey guys, just a request for prayers. Angela's had a bad fall in the toilet, and she landed on her left side. She didn't manage to cushion the fall in time, so her skull and mid-section sustained the main force of the fall.

We rushed to the hospital, and everything *seems* alright. David's kicking, and his heart's beating normally. The lady's left with a nasty bump on the head, and bruises down the left side of her body. Meanwhile, I'm monitoring her for the next 24 hours to see if anything weird happens.

Man, talk about feeling helpless.

Finally, Time.

That's My Boy!

So, I Had An Amazing Weekend
It's true. I took some time off from the world (just for a bit) and had some fun with my birthday presents (having been among the first in the world to finish the epic event of MGS4, I can now lay a series to rest). I also brought my family out for a nice seafood dinner, since the two preggers in my family were craving for some crab. Jumbo wasn't half bad. But, when you've had Sin Huat Crab Bee Hoon and Mellben's Take On It, the bar is raised forever. Hence, Jumbo was, well, normal. No complaints though, because "Seafood = Happiness". Donchaknow?

The Mummy Is 6.5 Months Pregnant
She's rosy, happy, shiny, and putting on weight. Which is all good. It's lovely seeing her come so far and still keep good spirits (even through the nausea). As I mentioned in the post yesterday, the Missus went in for an ultrasound and diabetes test. The ultrasound came out nicely this time. In that picture hanging over this text, you can make out his face and hands, which are all looking nice. What you can't see, though, is him licking his fingers in the most adorable way. Yeah. I missed it too.

The pre-natal classes have been booked. This is where we learn how to deliver a baby as a team. Apparently, I'm a cheerleader. *readies the pom-poms*

My Sister's Almost Due
Good thing now that my sister's boy is growing faster now, and that everything is on track for a safe and healthy delivery. There was initially some worry about diabetes, slow growth and a soft heartbeat. Before that, there were the premature contractions. Then there was a scare when he stopped moving for a day. It's been very, very, very tough on her. We're praying that everything - and we do mean everything - gets better.

We're Settled
Over the past few months of preparation, we've had to make many life decisions. I think we've grown immensely as a couple, just by working through it together, and being open with each other. We're clearer on our roles in the family more so now than ever, and we're happier for it. It's awesome.

You know, I can barely wait to be a father.

 

A Week That's Just Gone By, But It's Already June

I wish that, when they speak for themselves, people listen

Ungracious; Tsk, Tsk.
When one of our nation's leaders said that it Singapore would be a gracious community in his lifetime, he wasn't exaggerating. And it's not the older generation, who could be excused on the basis of achier bodies or other physical ailments. It's the younger, visibly healthy individuals on the MRTs who don't give up seats to pregnant ladies (my wife, in this case). Oh well, it's a long way to go. On to the updates.

Bye Bye Roger & Pam!
We had a good dinner with old friends from NUS, who were headed to the wild Downunder (Aussieland) to get some further education. The words "forensic" and "social work" came up during the conversation, though I can't say I know what he'll be studying for sure. Good thing the wife's tagging along - it'll be a long, lonely, year without each other. Seeya soon neighbours! Hope you enjoy Tassie like the missus and I did.

Down With A Sickness
I was down with the flu (or some variant of it) over the weekend. I caught it from my boss, which makes it the ick-iest goodbye present I've ever had (perhaps even the ick-iest anything anyone's ever given me). It's a miracle that the lady didn't so much as sniffle as a result. I think preggers have super-fortified immunity. It stinks to be down with a hoarsey throat.

Can You Imagine the Speed at Which He Is Growing?
The boy's going through some explosive growth. The missus is looking wonderfully swollen now, and the kicking/movement's nearly visible on her skin. We're tracking the kicking now: he's moving consistently every other hour, and resting in between. It's awesome that he's kicking in sync with her heartbeat. It's fun, I tell you, watching them (my missus and son) go at it.  The missus and I can't wait to meet him.

The Wife Relaxes. Finally
It was a good week for Angela, who had a week's break from everything. No teaching, no CCA, nothing. She kept me company through deadlines, seminars, and dinners, but most of all, the bad bouts of the flu. The most I could do was to make sure my face was covered with a good enough barrier to prevent viral personal-protein-projectiles from landing on her.

She even cooked a delicious seafood porridge - well, it was more like a rice stew - to nurse me back to health. Can't say it was a bad week at all. Yeah, it was the nicest week in a while.

(Thinking About) Making Priorities

Originally uploaded by itzick

 

Achy Shoulders From Burden Carrying
It's been a loaded week(end), and I've been lacking proper sleep.

I've got plenty of choices to make. In the next few weeks, there will be financial choices that will have major impact in the next few months. Though I hesitate to say it, I'm pretty much much caught deciding between the proverbial devil and the deep blue sea. I needed some advice.

Pensive Dads Say, "My Wife's A Supermom"
I figured that no one tells it like Dads, so I've been talking to boatloads of fathers. It was interesting seeing how each waxed philosophical about the ideals of parenthood. It was more interesting how many of them admitted how that their wives had sacrificed the most for the young'uns. It could be a streak of humility, or it could be guilt. I wonder what the wives would say.

Anyway. Apparently, if I'm to be a good dad, it comes down to more time, not money, for the kids.

Homemade Porridge Stirs
The most exciting thing that came up over the weekend was the baby's (we nicknamed our baby Porridge - long story) first "feel-able" kicks. To the Missus, it felt like a flurry. It was more like a buzzing for me. Nevertheless, it was an emotional moment for these two first timers.

I can't wait to meet you, Porridge.