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Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

Letter to my littlest #7

September 18, 2013

Dearest Nat,

What mischief happens every minute with you at 19 months!

You tug and pull Ben and Becks to get your way, pretend to cry to get your “sayangs” and have even learned to smack Aunty S when you’re unhappy. You tear our books and throw paper out the window. You draw on the walls, the floor, the tables and all the chairs when you have been firmly told to only draw on the paper. You even run around with the crayon with a catch-me-if-you-can smirk when I demand it from you! It’s a good thing you do it with Crayolas now, which are washable. Those times you ran with my permanent markers? Argh. You’ve graffitised our walls very permanently too.

Boy oh boy, you’re turning out to be quite a naughty, cheeky one, aren’t you?

Look what you did: we had to run downstairs to pick up paper so Mama doesn’t get arrested for littering!

But you’re not just that, my love. No, no, no – you also happen to be the happiest person in the house! The house is filled with so much laughter because of you. You have an amazing ability to do the funniest things to leave us in stitches. You jiggle and dance, imitate everyone with a straight face and do the darndest things. Every waking moment with you is a happy one; if you’re not up to mischief, that is, and driving me insanely exhausted trying to keep you out of trouble.

You’re our funny boy.

(Clockwise from L-R): Nat sword-fighting; Nat sitting on the floor on board the plane; Nat posing for the camera after demanding for his hat; Nat drawing on the paper and not elsewhere; and one of those rare times he stayed focused drawing circles (taken at the hotel room when we were in HK)

You love Ben and Becks to bits and would want to be with them all the time. Now that you’re a little bigger, they are including you in their pretend play. I’m sure you’re having the best time of your life, being able to run with, and after, kor kor and jie jie.

The happiest boy in the house: learning and playing with kor kor and jie jie

You say a few words now and can call most of the people at home quite clearly. And Mama’s gotta be your favourite girl in town. You call her, and call for her all the time. You can’t be apart from her, it seems. The distance that is 5cm away is pretty much the distance you can comfortably be away from her on most good days. Nothing much has changed, really. You’re still the sticky you that has severe separation anxiety. You cannot be apart from the woman who bore you and is still nursing you, and she has no choice but to take you everywhere she goes. Every day. So when she had to drive everyone around when Dada was out of town last week, guess who wailed for Mama every car ride until he started retching?

It’s you, Nat my dear. My cheeky, happy, sticky you.

Yours to stick to, always,

Mama

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Becks Kao Getting all sentimental now Happy days Milestones and growing up

Becks’ Rainbow Three

July 29, 2013

If I had to describe what parenting a two-year-old is like, I’d liken it to the Flood in the days of Noah. The challenges that come come like a torrential downpour. They just hit you, and hit you hard, like an overwhelming and irrepressible surge, leaving you to wonder what happened to that cute little babe you’ve birthed some 24 months ago. These are the days of the toddler exerting her independence, testing the boundaries and challenging authorities. These are the days of temper tantrums and extreme mood swings where intensive battles of wills are fought. The good thing about this Flood is that we’re all in the Ark (and that is Christ) and we stick it out as a family, and that this too shall pass.

If you don’t already know, I’ve had a bigger share of challenges than most parents out there with my little girl when she turned two. She’s wanted to leave home and sulked at her own birthday party. We’ve had to deal with hissy fits and temper tantrums on a daily basis, and struggle to get her to eat her meals, follow instructions and use the potty. So when the little girl finally turned three, what better way to celebrate than to throw her a RAINBOW party. Afterall, the Flood’s officially over and we’re beginning to see some really good days ahead!

So a rainbow party was what we had last Saturday, to celebrate Becks turning three. Actually, credit goes to korkor, who first suggested a rainbow cake in light of Becks’ indecisiveness of the cake she wanted. She wanted everything – Dora, Barney, Mickey Mouse, guns, her bolster, pigs, a green teddy bear, Angry Birds – and I gave up asking her about cake designs after surfing the net for half an hour with her. It was then when Ben whispered in my ear and said, “How about a rainbow cake for Becks cos’ it will be so colourful!” that we decided on the rainbow theme.

I got my friend, Karen, and her crafting mom friends, who run Owls Handmade, to help me with the décor, birthday bunting, food placards and jar labels. They got the paper rosettes and all that I asked done within a week! Putting the rosettes up did wonders to the blank wall in the house and immediately brightened up our place. There’s something about red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple put together that makes everything happy. Check out the colours!

I also headed to IKEA to get a pretty orange-striped plastic table cloth ($29.70 for 3 metres) and some spice jars for the party favours. Then it was off to Biscuit King to get some old school biscuits (half kg for $5.80) – and there, the jars were filled with colourful “gems”. The labels that read ‘To more colourful years ahead’ specially designed by Owls Handmade then went on every jar, which the guests took home after the party.

I then logged in to Etsy and custom made a rainbow blouse for Becks with her name and age, and started planning the food menu according to the colours of the rainbow, so the guests had some home-cooked grilled beets and cherry tomatoes (red & indigo), curry chicken potatoes (orange), pineapple raisin rice (yellow), edamame (green) and Pulut Inti (blue), which I ordered from Lek Lim Confectionery, together with all the yummy kueh kuehs like the green ku kueh, ang ku kueh, oh ku kueh, kueh lapis nonya, ubi and mini wang kueh. The desserts were a hit with the guests and the dessert table was heaven for the little ones! I also served a platter of colourful vitamins – pineapples, kiwis, strawberries and grapes – and made Oreo cake pops covered with rainbow sprinkles.

Earlier that morning, the kids’ homelearning activity was to sort four packets of M&M’s by colours into jars (which they had so much fun doing!) – and there was M&M’s galore at the party too.

Becks’ birthday cake was once again baked by Debbie, who made her penguin hummingbird cake last year. I got her to bake a rainbow cake for Becks with a penguin (again) living in icy cold Antarctica, and she did an awesome job with it – the little penguin was even sculpted holding three tiny rosebuds, one for each year! Needless to say, the colours in the cake were such a hit with everyone, and the little girl was mighty pleased to be seeing penguin on her cake again, this time a much more colourful one!

It was a pretty, pretty party – one that was colourful and happy – and I am so glad rainbow days are here! Becks was a happy little girl that day; she kept saying ‘Thank you, Mama!’ throughout the day and reminding all of us at home that she’s three years old. Yes, darling, you’re finally THREE!

P/S: A big thank you to all our good friends and family for coming to make this rainbow party such a special one for our little girl! She was very shy and I’m sorry if she ignored you, but she was one very, very happy girl that night. We all slept at 12 that night (the first ever) because she couldn’t wait to open all the lovely presents from you!

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Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up

My little girl’s three!

July 29, 2013

Three years ago on this day, I had the worst contractions of my life in the early hours of the morning. Fatherkao sent Ben to infantcare and I checked myself into the delivery suite at KKH, begging for an anesthetist every minute of my wait. It was 7 am. Everyone was changing shift, and I was told I wouldn’t get any epidural for a while. I was given the laughing gas. Which I didn’t find funny AT ALL.

8 hours later (and after getting much relief from the epidural), my little girl was born. She had the biggest eyes I’ve ever seen a baby have. She was screamy and feisty, and difficult to pacify. She could cry for hours on end and not settle well. She was tough, and tougher than I’d imagined. Ben was mild and easily contented, so we always had a point of comparison. Still, we soldiered on and soon settled down as a family of four (which became five when she turned 18 months).

Today, we bid goodbye to Terrible Two days and welcome the beginning of the Terrific Three. The little girl still has the biggest eyes I’ve ever seen. She’s still as screamy and feisty (when things get to her), and still difficult to pacify (she once stayed angry with me for half an hour even though I had apologized profusely for accidentally knocking into her).

But we’ve come a long way and the unsettled baby that we’ve known is growing up fast and settling pretty well as the princess of the family. She has her moments of shyness, sweetness and being sensible. She says the darndest things when she’s in her bossy mode. She plays with much abandonment, and yet is extra sensitive to the needs of everyone in the house so I sometimes think she can run the household rather well if I ever need a day off. She takes quite good care of all the boys in the house – by bossing them around – that’s for sure!

Today, you turn three, Becks. Happy birthday, my precious. May you live each day laughing, learning, loving.

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Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

Letter to my littlest #6

June 26, 2013

To my dearest Nat,

It was worth the wait, baby love. You finally uttered the sweetest sound I’ll ever hear in my entire existence. Totally worth waiting for, after 16 months.

‘Mmmm-maa-maa’, you now say when you see me, and when you’re looking for me. It’s music to my ears.

I make you say this to me every day. Close to 10 times in any given day. I love the way you drag the ‘Mmm’ and say ‘Mmmm-maa-maa’.

At 16 months, you’re the most responsive toddler we’ve ever had. I don’t remember Ben and Becks being like that. Perhaps it’s because you watch kor kor and jie jie every day and imitate their every move. You can jump lifting both legs off the floor (and that’s really fast). You can crash onto the mat from the sofa’s height, and then tumble and roll (that’s really the craziest daredevil stunt you can pull on us). You can indicate where you’re hurting when you fall, “say” sorry and express remorse, and even tell us what you want to eat and what you don’t want to, with the sounds you make. You shake and nod and babble non stop in gibberish we do not understand. It makes you soooo funny.

You’re the resident clown and comedian, and the king of total randomness. I’ll be reading to all three of you and you would walk away suddenly only to return with a basket over your head. You’ll gladly carry Becks’ bags, wrap yourself in a towel and take off your clothes. Yes, all for no reason. You take the cane and bombombom me like a gun because you saw your brother do it with his huge paper roll. You smile for the camera by tilting your head to one side just because I say ‘cheese’ this way. When I tell you I love you, you frantically blink your eyes (Eye love you, geddit?) and wait for my laughter and nonstop smothering of kisses with anticipation.

You love to make us laugh. You love to make me laugh.

And the more I laugh, the more I fall in love with you.

Loving you so much,

Mama

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Becks Kao Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up

Before you turn three

June 10, 2013

Dearest Becky,

I need to tell you a couple of things before you turn three.

You’re Mama and Dada’s beautiful princess. I know we don’t tell you enough that you’re beautiful.

But you are. Every day. Even in your tantrums. Even in your tears. Even if you refuse to wear a dress for the longest time now, and pretend that you’re a boy. You’re beautiful, my love. At one year, at two, and before you turn three.

You’re precious to us, so very precious. I know we don’t tell you enough how precious you are to us.

But you really are. We cannot imagine our lives without you. You’re not sandwiched between two brothers. You’re not the middle child. You’re you, and you’re the only little girl we’ll ever have in our lives. You’re precious, my dear. From the day you were conceived, till right now before you turn three, and always.

It hasn’t been that easy, this Terrible Two thing, and we’ve learned so much about you this year. We’ve watched you blossom into a confident little girl who speaks her mind, laughs a lot and plays with much abandonment. You’re without a care in the world, yet you can be so focused when you set your mind on something. I pray you will always set your mind on loving, laughing and living strong, like what you are doing now, before you turn three.

Before you turn three, can I just say that I love you so much, and I will miss the little you that was two – all giggly, random and funny? I don’t know what three would bring, and there’s still a month more before it comes. But I know we’re going to grow deeper in love with you.

With all the love in my heart and more,

Mama

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Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up

My sentimental you

May 3, 2013

To my dearest, sweetest Ben,

What a shock I got when I sat you on my lap today. I have forgotten how it’s like to hold you up and carry you. You’ve grown so much, so quickly.

You don’t sit on my lap anymore during story time. Because everyone else pounces on me, you choose to lean against my side.

I don’t carry you anymore. You’ve gotten too heavy for my arms. You watch me while I babywear your brother and carry your sister. You’re happy just to hold my hands.

Sometimes, you don’t even get to hold my hands. Every day, when we head out to school, I have Nat in the Beco, your school bags over one arm, and a hand clutching Becky tight (we all know how far she can run, even on the road). You’re just contented to hold on to my shorts.

Yesterday, when I had to leave for class, you bravely said bye and gave me a smile. It started to pour and I returned for an umbrella. I found you tearing at a corner. I asked you why you were crying. You replied that you missed me. You hugged me tight like I’m the only one you’ve got in the whole world.

This is you. My little, sentimental, you.

You watch daily as I frenzy around, handling one sometimes unreasonable and temperamental child, and one whiny, clingy baby. You see me getting drained, day after day, by the endless tantrums and screaming, and you offer a kind touch, always. You observe, quietly, as I trudge on, exhausted by your needy little brother who refuses to be away from me and you offer help by distracting him. You wait patiently for Mama; you want her and need her too. She’s got stories to tell you, answers to your questions and lessons to teach you. You hang around her every minute, waiting for that moment she finally has time for you.

You sometimes bear the brunt of her anger and her impatience. And because you’re so mild and gentle, you take it, swallow it, and continue loving her, because Mama is the apple of your eye. You do things to get her attention, and when you mess up, you end up lashed and broken. Mama always expects more from you. So you try everyday, to do things right, to make her happy.

I see all these, my son. I see my many expectations of you. I see how I am answering your questions with ‘I don’t know’ more often now than before. I see how unfair I’ve been, always making you give in to the younger ones.

Today, we took the bus alone – just you and me – and finally explored the upper deck of a double decker! You were delighted, even though it was only for a short while. We had to leave a sick and screaming Becks at home, and I saw in your eyes that you were as drained as I was having to put up with her tantrums and hissy fits before we left the house. If it was you, you’d only sob quietly at a corner, and miss me in your heart.

How different the two of you are.

How blessed I am to have you in my life. Your gentleness is a respite on such days of mothering madness.

How I need to learn to treasure you.

I love you to the moon and back,

Mama

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(Self) Examination Getting all sentimental now

A walk down memory lane, to a day I was princess & queen

April 1, 2013

The mom bloggers in SMB were invited to share special memories of our wedding day as part of a linky party hosted by MummyMoo. So I took a slow walk down memory lane amidst the mothering madness, to a time and place on 11 Dec 2004 and gave thanks for that special day. That day when we said our vows and when he sang me ‘I love you for sentimental reasons’ and told everyone who came that he’s come home.

I remember that Saturday. I was all nervous and anxious. Some parts of the day went by in a blur. Truth be told, there are some things I wished I could change that day. For one, I wished I was more relaxed. I should have focused more on enjoying myself rather than worrying that my guests didn’t – a classic case of misplaced priorities here. I wished I had looked into my husband’s eyes a little longer and thoroughly enjoy my first dance with him, instead of looking around and making sure everything was going ok.

I wished we’d gotten a better photographer, because 9 years on, I’ve found the photos wanting and wished that more candid moments were captured. I am not particularly satisfied with the photo quality for most of my pictures. I also wished that the hotel didn’t print out the announcement for our wedding in black and white. So cheapo!

But there are some things I wouldn’t change for the world.

I wouldn’t change the fact that I married a man who meticulously made everything possible on my wedding day, from getting someone talented to design my dream gown to engaging our favorite jazz band to play at our wedding.

I wouldn’t change the fact that I’ve said my vows to the man who’s never failed to encourage me with words of kindness and love; the man who’s seen me at my worst, yet loves me despite; the man who has always stuck around when the going got tough.

Thank you, my dear, for giving me your heart and telling me that I was meant for you, and for making me the harbour for your ship to come home to.

Thank you for telling me that we’ve only got each other and that we will go through thick and thin together.

Thank you for believing that this is forever.

Thank you, for making me your queen.

Linking up with:

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Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up The darndest kid quotes and antics

Letter to my littlest #5

March 27, 2013

Dearest honey bun,

13 is such a wonderful number, because every day with you at 13 is a day filled with laughter. You’re so funny you crack us up every single day with your antics and babbling. Oh, how I wish you would stay 13 months forever.

You love anything round and you’re totally obsessed with balloons. You snatch little children’s balloon-on-a-stick whenever you see a kid with one when we’re out. It’s becoming embarassing; I have to apologise to older little children on your behalf. In your first gym lesson you made an older girl cry because you grabbed her rubber ball. I still can’t believe you did that.

Because of your obsession, we’ve started to blow balloons in the house and now the house looks like one of those Singkids Play System playgrounds with balloons and balls everywhere. You say “ball” the first thing you wake, and “ball” even in your sleep. Oh, but now there’s also “up-ple” (apple) and “bb-berd” (bird) that you say non-stop every day. You love to crunch apples and chase the birds and dogs when we’re downstairs.

You have zero sense of fear, we’ve come to the point we are scared to bring you to the playground. Have you seen the way you climb up slides and stairs not meant for your age? You do it so well the neighbours are awed and tell me they cannot believe you just turned one. Yes, we’ve all seen you go down the slide at the playground downstairs all by yourself. I was thrilled and flabbergasted at the same time. You, my son, are the only one capable of letting me experience this. I’m not sure I should say ‘thanks’ or ‘no, thanks’, but you’re definitely one gungho fella!

Speaking of gungho, there was this time you saw your older siblings jump from the sofa onto the playmat, and you decided you would do the same. Once again, I experienced that feeling of being flabbergasted, watching you jump off the sofa, laughing and squealing at the top of your voice. You didn’t care if anyone was waiting to catch you, you didn’t mind if no one did, you just JUMPED. Gawd, are you 13 months or 30 months?

At 13, you do the funniest things. You blow raspberries on my thighs, you laugh (in such an exaggerated way) when we laugh, you imitate people around you, you do what we tell you to do – sit down, lie down, stand up, throw away the rubbish please, change diaper, go and bathe – it’s totally amazing you understand so much. You snuggle up with kor kor and jie jie when they are fast asleep, and you say “WOOOOOOOO” in all kinds of pitch and volume when its time to sit on your trike / glide on kor kor’s Y-Bike / wear your shoes / play ball / read a book.

It’s been so fun with you every day. Stay this way, ok? I love you to the moon and back, Nat, please stay at 13. Please?

With all my love, and then some more,

Mama

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Ben Kao Getting all sentimental now Happy days Milestones and growing up

Happy 4th birthday, my boy

February 26, 2013

My dearest Ben,

Wasn’t it yesterday you were four days old? How did you turn four years old so quickly?

You were the gentlest and sweetest creature my world has ever witnessed. I remember holding you in my arms in the wee hours of 26 February 2009, looking at a dream come true. We waited almost a year for you. We were trying so hard then, and finally when we stopped trying, you came.

You came and rocked my world, son. You showed me tenderness and what little boys were made of. You’ve got heaps of unending cheekiness, curiosity, and that tremendous keenness to learn and grow. You, my boy, have taught me much as a mother.

Through your questions, I’ve learned to be patient.

Through your mischief, I’ve learned to let go and have fun.

Through your sensitivity, I’ve learned what it means to love and feel.

How did you grow up so quickly? The years have flown by fast and I’m unwilling to let you grow up. I wished you’d remain my little baby boy forever.

Happy birthday, Benji boy. I love you always and forever. I loved you before I knew you and now I’m loving you with everything I’ve got.

Affectionately yours,

Mama

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Getting all sentimental now Happy days Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

My baby is one!

February 22, 2013

My youngest turned one just a few days ago and I am getting really sentimental. I miss holding the baby that was him at one month old.

He no longer has that sweet baby breath to smell.

He no longer whimpers and looks helpless.

He’s learned to walk (run, almost!) and yell and act like he is the king of drama.

He’s beginning to assert his independence by pointing where he wishes to go, pushing you away when he wants to get down to walk, and throwing a fit on the floor when he needs you to carry him.

He’s a funny one to watch, too. He goes around kaypoh-ing and disturbing his older siblings when they are reading / writing / drawing / playing, and gets really excited when they start bullying him. He absolutely loves it when they stick tape on him, stamp ink all over his arms and colour his legs.

On his birthday, he smiled at everyone who gathered around him at school and clapped along to his birthday song, before blowing out his own candle – huffing and puffing with all his might. (Ok, he couldn’t in the end so I helped him out.)

Thanks for being the happy, funny you, Nat. Happy birthday!

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