Daddy's night out

You have one night out to yourself. Your wife's on a work assignment and will be home late. Your baby's with your in-laws and you have the night to yourself. What will you do?

Me? Had a quiet dinner by myself and went straight to pick Maegan up. Boring? Not quite.

You see, I had a grand plan for the night. Perhaps, to call some friends to hang out. Go for a drink. Play Xbox for the whole night and so on. There are so many things I thought about doing so while planning, I came home to shower and decide.

And then it happened. I went to the fridge to get myself a drink and there, stuck on a fridge magnet was Maegan's photo. "How adorable!" I thought to myself and then this thought came "Why look at a photo when you have the real thing waiting for you?"

How true. While there are so many things I could and wanted to do, I do really want to see Maegan and play with her.

I did have a quiet dinner by myself at McDonalds, reading a new magazine I got recently. Once done, I went straight to my in-laws much to the delight of Maegan. It was fun because the moment I got there and saw her, she smiled knowing that daddy is home.


It's a great feeling coming home to your baby. Playing with her and hearing her chuckle. We even had time to try on her new shoes I bought her sometime back. Seeing her wear those shoes really did make my day.

So while Mummy is working, Daddy had a great time with Maegan trying on new shoes. I just hope that our fun time together doesn't create a lifelong love affair with shoes. Then again, with her mum's genes ...

I should have known better. :o)

First times

When a child does something new, who has more fun? Child or parents?

In our case, we did. And what new thing was Maegan doing? For one, she was learning to flip and then, the more dramatic, she started swimming.. well not quite. More like floating.

Two nights ago, Daphne yelled out at me to go into Maegan's room. I thought something had happened and when I went in, I saw Daphne and our helper leaning over the cot laughing and giggling.

The circus act currently showing and performed by Maegan was the First Flip. Yes, she was trying to flip over. I honestly wish I have bought the video-camera I was looking at a few days ago. She was really trying hard and getting frustrated.

Finally, with some help from her dad, she flipped and a round of applause was given for her galant effort. She still kept crying and we kept laughing. It was just great watching her in action.

Today was the dramatic new act. Maegan slipped into her new swim suit, courtesy of her Tua Peh (Big Uncle Terence). She looks really cool and cute. In fact, we had to spend over 10min to decide if she should wear pampers under those swim suit. Won't tell you what we eventually did.


Bought her a new float affectionately called Pinky the Elephant and off into the pool we went.

As I lowered her into the pool, Maegan looked apprehensive at first seeing so much water around her. You have to remember that the largest amount of water is her bath tub. Apprehensive or not, she soon warmed up to the idea and enjoyed her first swim.

She even discovered that she can kick her legs under water while sitting in Pinky and move around.


Truly, it was a great moment for us. While she makes sense of the new experience, we were busy taking photos of this great day. We were cracking up laughing seeing her experience and seeing how cute she is in her swim suit and sitting in Pinky.

Even her rubber ducky had a go in the pool.


I'm not sure if she knows that she is swimming. Perhaps for her, it was just one very long bath time in a somewhat, huge bathtub. But for her parents, it was the world. For me, it was simply precious.

Whenever a child does something new that is fun, I think we as parents do have more fun than them. Watching them is itself, a joy.

Oh, if you are wondering about the pampers, we decided against it. Since pampers soak water, we figured that the pampers might weigh so heavy that Maegan may sink. :o)

Maegan's growing

How much has Maegan grown? A lot.

This is her at 5 days.

This is her at 3 months.


How much has she grown? What do you think? :o)

Working from home

Working from home seems very different now that I'm a dad.

For almost a year, I worked out of my home having just started Young Leaders Foundation Singapore. Back then, it was just me and my laptop at home. I could concentrate on what I was doing, listen to the music I want, and at times rest when I'm tired. All in the comfort of my own home.

Yesterday, I had to stay at home in the morning because my mum was late and out came my laptop. Sitted on my sofa, I managed to reply emails, surf and prepare a presentation. But it feels absolutely different.

Why? Maegan was staring at me while I typed away.

Recently, she cries whenever she is left alone. Perhaps like me, Maegan loves having people around her and whenever she cries and fuss, I would walk over, sit down beside her and simply look at her. That is when magic happens. She stops crying, stares back in my eyes and ... smiles.

So here I was, typing away trying very hard to concentrate on the presentation while Mozart was playing in the background because it's Maegan's Bose System these days. No longer mine.

And while I work at my presentation, I get the occasional "Ah gu", the many sounds and chuckle that she makes lying in her bouncy chair staring at her dad.

What do I do? I stop what I'm doing, look at her and she what she's up to. The moment my eyes reach in contact with hers, she stops and smiles and starts "Ah guing" away happily. Obviously pleased with herself that she managed to get Daddy's attention.


Did I manage to reply my emails? Yes. Did I manage to finish my presentation? Nope.

Working from home with a baby that loves to play with you every moment she is awake may not be the most ideal situation but, just being able to still do work while having her company is enough to make me keep trying.

Especially when the going gets tough, just looking at her smiling at you, makes every hard work you put in worth it. :o)

Mummy's back to work

The dreadful day has finally arrived for Daphne and I. A day that we weren't really looking forward to. One that Maegan certainly wasn't happy to see. But alas, it has arrived.

Daphne went back to work today. And boy was it tough.


I guess it doesn't really hit you until it happens. Since the night before, Daphne was already anxious about how she would do when we need to take Maegan to her grandmother and when we finally arrived at grandma's place early this morning, the inevitable happened.

Daphne held on to Maegan tightly and started crying. She don't usually do that. Not that kind of cry at least but she did. As if she know that Mummy's leaving her for the majority of the day.

That did Daphne in. She started crying too. I know it would be hard for her but I didn't know it will be so difficult. Daphne really felt bad about leaving Maegan behind. Having spent almost 3 months at home with Maegan, leaving her and not seeing her for a good part of the day is a new thing for her.

I'm sure Daphne would cope but is seeing Daphne cry broke my heart. Seeing Maegan cry, somewhat knowing that mummy's going to work, shattered it.

A start of a new episode in our lives as parents. A teary start but you know what, coming home has now a new added meaning to Daphne. And trust me, the excitement is not me. :o)

Daddy 401

I've just graduated into Daddy 401 yesterday. Not quite 501 yet but getting there. Reason? I've just showered Maegan for the first time. And in Daphne's words, I've done well. And Maegan didn't complain.


Why the sudden decision to shower my daughter? Well, blame it on the tele. The night before, I was watching the BBC documentary "Child of Our Time" with Daphne one ArtsCentral. It's a great documentary that followed the development of 5 toddlers since their birth and how parents play a huge role in their growing development.

In this particular episode that we watched, the child pyschologist said that children who are bathed by their dads often than not, grow up to be more confident kids. It's something about the emotional connection that takes place when dad's bathe their kids.

The program also says that kids with active dads develop their physical abilities better because of the physcial play dads often have with their children. The throwing of the baby up in the air, the wrestling on the floor, the running around all enhances the physical growth of the child.

So with a "they seem to know what they are saying" attitude, I told Daphne that I will bath Maegan sometime soon. And that soon was the next day when I came home after work.

All my lesson at Thomson Medical Centre paid off. I knew the steps. I held her tight. Soaked the cloth and cleaned my daughter.

She stares at her dad, talks a little and enjoys that little moment she had with me. Special moment. One I'm sure with more to come.

And yes, she did seem a little more confident after that. How do I tell? Well .... I just like to think so. :o)

Faulty Remote Control

As mentioned previously, there's so much that took place during our first family holiday that I'll take some time to share a couple more interesting episodes.

For a start, Maegan the faulty remote control.


Every remote control has a function. It allows you to turn to different channels on a TV or skip differerent tracks on a DVD player. It allows you to turn the volume loud or soft, gradually by the pressing of buttons. Such is the wonderful technology of remote control.

Sometimes, remotes gets faulty and don't function the way it should. Much like Maegan on this trip.

She can do wonderful things like play, smile, laugh, cry, bluff cough (where on earth did she learnt that I don't know), scream, talk (rather ah gu gu) and everything but during this trip, her remote is faulty. She either cries (loudly I might add) or she smiles (makes you melt).

Either she is very happy or she is very upset. Nothing in between. Much like a faulty remote, we can't seem to turn the volume up or down. It's either LOUD or silent. However you try to troubleshoot, it just doesn't seem to work. Even changing batteries (diapers in this case) don't help much either.

So while cramping in all the shopping, food and the occasional sleep, taking care of Maegan was our top most priority. With her being a faulty remote control, it took much more energy and focus to attend to her.

Sigh... The wonderful world of fatherhood. One thing's for sure, much like a remote control (faulty or not), daughters are inseparable from their dads.

:o) Like me.

A wonderful break

How do you sum up a wonderful 3 day holiday? It's hard really.

We've done so much in the last 3 days. Gone on a holiday for the first time as a family. Maegan's first real holiday (she did go into Johor Bahru once with mummy but since Daddy wasn't there, it didn't count :o) hee). Did it without our helper which is somewhat a challenge but we passed with flying colours. Lot's of milestones in this one holiday but most important of all, we managed to spend time as a family. Something of a little luxury with me being busy the last few weeks.

Togetther with Daphne's parents and brother, our journey up to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was somewhat a simple affair apart from the one moment that made our day, Maegan wearing her first sunnies. A gift from her uncle Ernest.


The moment she wore it, we cracked up laughing.

Moving around K.L. on public transport was another challenge with a pram, a macpac baby carrier, diaper bag and an oversupply of diapers. Oh yes.. not forgetting carrying a baby around. The good thing about moving around with the above, you get priority. We never had to queue because the barriers are too small for prams to go through so we get to push it pass a gate they open for us.

Eating was somewhat of an experience as well. Between her grandma, mummy and me, Maegan loves to choose to wake up while we are eating. That means either one of us needs to swallow our lunch down quickly to make sure she don't get the eyes of every diner staring at us.

Between Maegan's crying and laughing, we managed to get some shopping done, eat some fantastic out-of-the-world meals, get some decent sleep and take some photos. Not a lot I realised but enough to prove our holiday stint.


So how do you really sum up a holiday? I guess you just don't do that sort of thing. Holidays are moments to be treasured. Not just a summary I guess. But if you really want to put me in a corner and ask for one word that sums up our last few days, I guess it would be ....

Timely.

Maegan speaks

She spoke.

Ok, I know I'm jumping ahead and proclaiming this but Maegan started talking. Yes, they are just mumblings but she was looking at me and talking to me. She's telling me something.

It's great fun. I went to my In-Laws place for dinner and went straight into the room to play with Maegan the moment I arrive. And there she was lying there knowing that her dad has come home. Her eyes looked around and matched the voice that was talking to her.

She smiles and started ... ahh guu ...

There you have it, she talked. I was estatic! We don't understand what she is saying but she started talking. It's so exciting. And I continued talking to her, telling her how much I missed her at work and she kept talking back.

I wonder what she is saying.

"Daddy, you have bad breath!" Don't think she's that smart yet.

"Daddy, it's been a while since I saw you!" Quite possibly given that I was away so often the last two weeks.

"Daddy, I missed you today" Hmmm... I'll take that.

And you know what Maegan? Daddy missed you a whole lot today too. :o)

Home to normality

How much does a baby grow in one week? HEAPS!

Saying that I'm busy this last one week is a little of an understatement. Leaving home at 7am and back at about 2am does make watching Maegan grow quite hard.

While One Degree Asia was a success in itself, missing watching Maegan grow in the last one week was a bummer. Had to live with it but hopefully it doesn't happen too often.

Yesterday morning was the first morning I got to really play with her. She's really attentive now. She notices me coming in her room when Mummy is playing with her and her eye focuses on me really well.

It's quite a feeling seeing her fixing her eyes on you and smiles when I start talking to her. The fact that she tries to talk back was worth a broad grin on my face. She shakes her head and moves her legs wanting to play with her dad who seemed to be missing for ages.

Yesterday, she even tried to stand up while Daphne's holding her, perhaps trying to show her dad that she is a big girl now. Strong, cute and adorable. All of which her dad agrees!

Since last week and mid week, I reckon that Maegan has put on at least 3/4 of a kilo. She's getting bigger, stronger and ... do you say taller or longer? I wonder when do we actually change our terminology from longer to taller. Either way, she's grown heaps.

All said and done, I'm glad I'm finally home to normality. Life seems in order now that I can wake up at a time I get to play with her and kiss her goodbye when I leave for home and come back to a baby that smiles at her dad and haggling for some playtime.

Work continues to be busy but at least, I get to be dad again, and not just being boss.