Sick as a puppy

Oh woe is me, I have a splitting headache, fever, cold and killer sorethroat...slept most of the day away. Feel guilty about neglecting Nat today but I just couldn't muster the strength to play with her, plus I didn't want to pass her any germs.

I could feel it coming on Wednesday afternoon but still went ahead with dinner with Joanne, Adri, Susan, Germs and Ginny. Met Joanne first at Raffles Place and we walked around town, she bought a cool gadget for Tarek's Christmas pressie and I bought a bag of Endearmints from Fish & Co.

It's the sweet they give out to customers after a meal and is only available through them as it's manufactured for the African market by Cadbury. Anyway, $16 got me a 1kg bag...or over 200 mints. I don't know how I'll finish it all!

I wore one of my latest dresses tailored in Ho Chi Minh, only realised it matched my quilt cover when I got home!

Dinner was pretty funny, we ate at Crystal Jade Kitchen in Takashimaya. By then I could already predict I would be on MC the next two days. Some of them followed me to Wisma after dinner where Nat and Nick were waiting to pick me up, thankfully she behaved and charmed them all.

Yesterday morning, I woke up with the sorethroat and headed to the docs before going to work to collect my laptop. Hung at Membina till Nick came to get us. Felt worse today and didn't really get out of bed all day but there were so many work emails that came in. I'll have to read them all again tomorrow because my brain isn't registering much.

Before I sign off, I just wanted to note that it's been a historic week for blacks. Not only did Lewis Hamilton become the first black F1 champion, America elected a new president, choosing Barack Obama as their 44th commander-in-chief.

He has his work cut out for him, the US economy is in a rut, there's a global financial crisis that everyone blames on the US, just overall, these are very challenging times for the US and the rest of the world. The stock markets have been in a free-fall, companies are declaring bankruptcy, Singapore is in a technical recession, expect more jobs and salaries to be cut.

I am grateful to have a job, I just hope they don't find my position redundant. Seriously have to cut back on the shopping...gulp!

Nat is Nine (months, that is)

My munchkin is 9 months today and SICK! I don't know why she always seems to be under the weather whenever Nick is away (the boy went to Cambodia for 1 night).

I think this is the 3rd time she is unwell while he's been out of town. She had a mild fever last night and the start of a runny nose, but today she's sneezing a lot and her nose is dripping and she refuses to eat her porridge.

At first I thought the loss of appetite and fever were teething-related, but then the nose started running so she must be feeling blah. I blame Swana who has been sick for the past 2 weeks!

Nat can sort of wave on demand now when you say 'bye' and after 2 weeks of clap training, she can clasp her hands together but she doesn't repeat the action to create a sound. Instead she'll shake her clasped palms as if she's wishing you 'Gongxi, gongxi'...a good trick to know when you want angpows at CNY!

She's been chewing her fingers to relieve her sore gums, still no sign of teeth yet though her lower front gum is getting more and more bumpy. Sometimes she'll repeat the sounds I make, like 'Aaaaah' or 'Oooooh' and she just loves to bend over and put her foot in her mouth, literally!

Feeding her is such a chore these days, she refuses to drink unless distracted with some kind of toy. She loves to play with remotes and phones, I try not to let her have them but she gets so whiny when she spots them!

Gigi is 2 months today and Fattykins as her mother calls her, has cheeks you just can't help but pinch. She reminds me of Maggie Simpson, constantly sucking her pacifier.

She's also not well these few days, down with diarrhea and she still fusses when she's uncomfortable, which is pretty often. She produces the loudest burps for someone so tiny and she smiles now when you talk to her. She's grown so much since birth, a regular butterball!

He did it!

It's 3.30am and here I am blogging cos' I'm just too darn excited after the final F1 race of the season in Brazil. Lewis Hamilton only needed 5th place or higher to win the overall drivers' championship and about 3 laps from the end he looked like he was headed there but then there was some overtaking and he got lapped by Vettel and had only 2 laps left to try and reclaim 5th place.

My heart was pounding as the drivers headed to the chequered flag and it looked like all hope was lost as Massa crossed the finish line in first and the Brazilians went crazy, his family started celebrating and then suddenly the commentators were like, "Oh no wait, Timo Glock slowed down and Hamilton overtook him" which meant 5th place was secured!

The Massa family who had been celebrating suddenly all looked confused while over in the Hamilton camp everyone started hugging and kissing each other! I couldn't believe it! What a stroke of luck for Lewis when I had given up hope, was on the edge of my seat as we waited the final confirmation.

Great stuff! Definitely worth staying up for! Can't wait for next season!

Bumper DD crop

Presenting my latest DD orders, starting with the blues...

And the browns...


And the sundresses...

And the maxi dresses...

And the tops and bottoms...

These next 4 belong to the sis-in-law...

The Deepavali Weekend

Yesterday was Deepavali, Nat and Gigi's first one but it was a very low key affair for us out of respect to Ata.

Stayed home most of the day, in fact I only woke up at 11 am! Spent the afternoon sorting my closet for the upcoming Diva's Day Out and then we went to Membina for dinner. After dinner we went to Vim and Ajen's place to catch up with the cousins. Whole gang was there in their Indian finery, I wore one of my latest maxi dresses made in Vietnam.

Riley and Sarah looked adorable in their mini-lenghas, shall have to get Nat one when she's big enough! We didn't stay long because the babies needed to rest so left along with the other parents Kaelash and Jeanette, and Felina and Kenny. Everyone's got daughters! Had to take a picture of the Daddies and their girls! Can just imagine these four clubbing together in 20 years time!

On the way home, we made a short detour so that I could collect the rest of my Delirious Divas outfits from Joanne's brother's friend, who got back from HCM earlier in the day. Everything looks good, can't wait to start wearing them! Will post pictures as soon as someone helps me take them!

Nick was working all of Sunday and it was Arlyn's day off so I hung out at Membina. Kevin arrived back from New Zealand that evening and we surprised him at the airport. Nya-nya and the twins swung by to see the babies so we all had dinner together at Fish & Co.

Watched the Chelsea-Liverpool game when we got home...we beat Chelsea at home, ending their 4 year unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge! Woo-hoo! I think we are a very credible challenger for the league title this year, just need to keep this momentum and stay consistent...keeping fingers crossed!

On Saturday we went to Nick's ex-colleague's housewarming party. Selene and her fiance Joe have moved into a private apartment near Yio Chu Kang, it's so near to Swana's school on Rosyth.

Didn't really get a chance to see the whole house but it was very nicely done from the bits I did see. Food was good, I went for several rounds. Here's Nat with our host Selene.

Since we were near AMK, we popped by to visit's Nick's grandma. His aunties also put in an appearance and as usual, they gushed over Nat. Amah was forgetful and had to be reminded that Nat was the same baby as the one in the photographs she had in her room. Poor thing!

Gigi and Nat hung out in the evening, here's Nat attempting to bite Gigi, who looks surprised. The munchkin also watched footie with her daddy...which reminds me, I need to get her a Liverpool jersey soon!

Obligado Sergio for a lovely evening

Me and Nickypoo went on a date last night, attending the Sergio Mendes concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall, which was part of the Sun Festival. We actually took over Germaine's tickets, the woman had to go to New Zealand for work.

This nice colourful art display greeted us in the foyer, loved the colours.

Had dinner at Glutton's Bay, it was all quite romantic when you think about it. A light shower during sunset, Nickypoo 'braving' the rain to order our food, and then us huddling under a large umbrella to feast on chicken wings, kangkung and sambal stingray, while a cool breeze from Singapore River gently blew in our direction.

I had no expectations of the concert, only going on the basis that Sergio Mendes was legendary and Grammy-award winning, and I liked the song 'Magalenha' from the 'Dance With Me' soundtrack (which he didn't perform yesterday!).

I guess he's best known for his cover of Mas Que Nada and the remixed version with Black Eyed Peas, and aside from this I only knew 6-7 other songs performed, most of them bossa nova classics like The Girl from Ipanema but jazzed and funked up.

The whole performance was quite short, about 90 mins and he actually didn't perform Mas Que Nada till the first encore. That got most people clapping and dancing along and just when they were getting into the swing of things, he left the stage and said goodnight again. But the audience called out for more and back he came for another song.

Overall we enjoyed ourselves, am glad Nickypoo had fun, we don't get out on our own very often these days and it's nice to have some time alone. He mentioned he has to go Shanghai for a day next month and I am trying my darndest to convince him to extend his stay and take me along. Doesn't look like it's going to happen though. Phoooey.

So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, goodbye

The munchkin can sort of wave goodbye now, though it's not quite a fluid movement or gentle wave - more like she's flagging a taxi very frantically! Still, it's progress. She only does it when prompted so she's starting to understand our language!

Swana has been trying to teach her how to kiss cheeks as well but all we get is drool on our faces!

Had dinner at the MIL's on Sunday and imagine my surprise when she whipped out a potty for Nat! Nat is less than 9 months and doesn't know the difference between pee and poop and the MIL wants to train her to sit on a potty already?

And it wasn't even a proper sitting potty, looked like a small flowerpot! I think she felt Nat was ready after she saw Arlyn holding her over the toilet floor last week and the munchkin peed successfully. But that was only a temporary measure.

Nat's nappy rash of the previous week had developed into a fungal infection. Saw another doctor, at KK this time, and she was prescribed a steroid cream. To let her skin breathe, we resorted to cloth napkins for a few days and to avoid pee all over Swana's furniture, Arlyn brought Nat to the loo every 30 mins to empty her bladder.

Anyway, I don't intend to start potty training till Nat is around 18 months.

I do want to bring her swimming though, but haven't gotten round to buying a proper float. We went to Nya-nya's on Saturday and she got her first taste of the playground and pool. Held her as she went down the slides a couple of times, and dipped her feet into the baby pool. She was so excited and kicked her feet, I think she would enjoy being in the water.

Tapau-ed dinner from Old Airport Road that evening, had the Whitley Road Prawn Noodles. It had been a while so the noodles tasted extremely good, the soup stock was sweet and flavourful. Power!