Guess who?

Now. Why would I post a picture of myself?

Nope. All the months of absence didn't make me so self-loving.

It's just that this picture was taken by Maegan using our camera. Yes, little Miss Maegan, using the camera and snapping away. 

What else did she take?

See her little toes in the photo? :)

I think she has great potential. Might just buy her a DSLR.

What do you think? :)

New photos added

5 months flying

Maegan's now almost 2 years 5 months. That really means that I've not blogged for almost 5 months. Time really do fly.

If you have been an avid follower of this blog, I do apologise for the lack of updates. It's been a crazy few months. From raising funds for Halogen, to buying prawns and fish for Tea Cosy and to making trips to US and India, it has been a crazy few months.

More importantly, the kids too have grown considerably.

Meredith (almost 7 months) can now crawl at lightning speed and stand (with anything that she can hold) at will. Maegan on the other hand is running at lightning speed and be cheeky at will.

Both are growing well and fast.

After 5 months of absence, I would think you rather see their photos then read my blog. So here you go... more photos are found on the gallery.

Two. It's something special.

Something happens when one turns two.

It is like a switch being turned to two where either the fan goes faster or the volume gets louder. Maegan is both when she turned two.


Not only does she run faster, she now walks backwards while looking at you smiling.

She now talks in very clear sentences and comes home singing new Chinese songs she learns in school.

We can now have decent phone conversations with her while we are at work and she is gallivanting somewhere with her grandmother. (which happens often by the way)

Most importantly, she's beginning to ask for the toilet.

Many people call it the Terrible Twos.

I'm not so sure about that. Certainly not for us ...

yet. :o)

Turning 2

Our little Miss Maegan officially turns two today.

Why officially? Well, she has been, for the last few weeks, tell people she is two years old. But today, she is two.

And since she is two this year, she got two birthday parties. One in her school on Friday and one with friends and relatives yesterday.

Lucky girl you say?

I think so too. :o)

Happy Birthday Maegan!

Birthday Party in School


Birthday Party at KidsExplorer

Growing Up with speed

Kids can't stop growing do they?

Yes. I have crossed the mental barrier. I am officially calling Maegan a kid instead of baby.

"Why?" did you ask? Because she is growing up too fast. Way too fast.

Not only is she now in school every morning from 8.30am to 1.00pm at Little Skool House at Thomson Road, she now wears a school uniform to school. Since when do babies wear uniforms? And she looks great too!



Two weeks ago, Daphne and I was preparing to go out for dinner with Maegan. We got changed and stood by the door and waited for our little miss Maegan.

"Ready to go Maegan?"

"No. I want to watch Barney."

"But we are going out for dinner. You don't want to come?"

"No mummy. I want to watch Barney."

And with that, she sat on the sofa and watched Barney. Daphne and I had an unplanned date night but truth be told, we were more amused that our kid who is barely two can choose Barney over going out with her parents.

Sign of things to come? I hope not. :o(

That smile

I always remember that smile.

Right after dinner, I found myself at my in-laws place with only Meredith because Maegan went shopping with Daphne and her mum. It was great fun.


She was at her greatest mood too. She's normally in great mood after a good feed and she was staring intently at the musical mobile above her until her dad propped his head in between her and her entertainment.

And so the ooh ooh and ga ga started. (Kept reminding myself that baby language isn't going to help anyone in the long run.)

It's funny what dad's do when you are playing with your kids. I made funny faces, cover my hands over my eyes and played peek-a-boo and just smile at her in hope she does the same. All in hope that she would smile and break into her gentle laugh that melts even the hearts of toughest men (yes, I am alluding to me. :o)...)

And after a little more coaxing and playing, she finally broke into that smile.

I remember that smile. Wide, contagious and toothless.

:o)

It's been so long

Where on earth have we been?

Didn't realised that it has been so long since I last posted. Truth be told, so much has happened in these few weeks that I really don't know where to start. One thing's for sure. We all have grown.

Me older, Daphne slimmer, Maegan smarter and Meredith cuter. :o)




Suffice to say, we have been quite busy. :o)

Blogs will shortly follow but I thought, pictures speaks a thousand words so why not let the pictures do the talking.

You can click here to find more of Maegan and Meredith's photos.

Bowling Miss Maegan

Sometimes I look with envy at my friends who are overseas. They seem to have so much more fun as a family than we have in Singapore.

But yet, there are times we we would go out as a family where we would find that Singapore actually has many places that is great fun for families.

Last weekend at Kallang Leisure Park was a great example.




Who would have thought that Little Miss Maegan would enjoy bowling as much as she did. Not just her but all of us watching her pushing the ball along down the alley.

She was so fun to watch that even the family at neighbouring lanes had a great laugh as well.

Perhaps we should do more as a family, things that are out of the ordinary.

Hmmm.... Archery next?

:o)

Meredith's on Steriods

Yes. Meredith's on steriods. Legally.


It seems that all the red patches on her face is not baby rash but a form of baby eczema which her doctor say she needs steroids cream.

It's painful to see your baby cry the way she does, especially when the cream is applied on her but, it does help tremendously.

Poor girl. :o(

A night without Maegan

Yes. We spent a night without Maegan staying with us.

She's a grown up now.

Little Miss Maegan gladly said goodbye to her mum and Auntie Nina (Dad was at work the whole day) as she skipped out of the door with her grandparents. "See you later!" she yelled.

Maegan was one happy girl leaving the comfort of her own home to stay overnight with her grandparents by herself.

She's stayed over many times before but this is the first time that even Auntie Nina isn't going.

We've always thought that she is inseparable from Nina. We were worried because she might be jealous seeing Nina carrying Meredith but nothing of that sort happened with Maegan. She received Meredith with open arms (literally) and now, she can stay overnight with her grandparents without any one of us being around.


Why shouldn't she be excited about staying over without us? The commentary from her grandparents the next day proved it right.

Little Miss Maegan played with all her toys she missed so much. She took every single one out and played with them from living room to bedroom until 1.00am. (Only grandparents would allow her to sleep at 1am.)

She then woke up at 5am only to start asking for milk and Auntie Nina and never slept again until she was back home.

All these while, she just kept playing, running around, went to the botanic garden, ate breakfast and then finally came home.

So what did her parents do while little miss Maegan had her sleepover?

We laid in bed asking ourselves, "I wonder how Maegan is doing?" and "Should we drive over to have a look?" and "What if she poos?".

I'm slowly learning that in instances like this, it's the parents that have the separation anxiety and not the kid.

:o)

Maegan the flower girl

Oh ...

For those of you who do not know, Maegan was one of the flower girls for Junn's wedding recently.

Her very first time being one and she did great. Not sure what the wedding couple think but for her parents, we couldn't be more proud of little miss Maegan.


Don't she look gorgeous like her mummy?

:o)

When does one learn to lie

When does one really learn to lie?

Recently after dinner, Maegan ran to me with her bottle of kids vitamin C in her hands asking for "two". She always says two because thats what she can remember using.

How old are you Maegan? "Two!"
What time did you sleep? "Two!"
How many sheeps are there in the book? "Two!"

Everything she associates with numbers is two.


So she comes running asking for two vitamin C. Being the smart daddy, and knowing that Daphne normally gives her the vitamin C around dinner, I asked her if mummy has already given her for the night.

"No!" was her reply.

I looked at my innocent daughter and almost ready to give her "two", I decided to ask Daphne in her room if she did already give her during dinner. To my "shock" or not so "shock", she said yes.

"Maegan ..." I said in a loud stern voice as I walk towards little miss Maegan in our living room "Daddy is asking you one more time, did mummy give you vitamin C just now?"

Without looking in my eyes and hiding her face in my lap, she nodded her head and said "Yes." And in a jiffy, she started her whimper which means she is about to cry.

It's amazing to see how kids grow and behave over time. It really makes me wonder when does one really learn to lie.

Do you know?

Bet you might be lying too! :o)

p.s. New Photos are out. Check it out!

Meredith Turns One ...

Meredith turned one today ... well, one month that is. :o)


Happy One Month Birthday Meredith!

Crying.

Crying.

Yup. The biggest pastime of babies. I'm not sure if I remembered Maegan crying that much but Meredith does cry a lot.


The good thing is, she only cries during the day. During the night when all of us asleep, she whimpers for milk. (Daphne might say differently given that I sleep like a pig)

Crying is good. It exercises their lungs and vocal chords as well as teaching her parents patience and endurance. I've not found any remedy for making her cry less.

We've started the pacifier, we've cuddled, we've bribed but to very little success.

The only time she stops crying in our arms is when we walk around the house. No sitting down. No standing still but walking. She knows what she wants and is determined to get it until we "got" what she's looking for.

Babies and crying. You just love that combination don't you?

:o)

Maegan Supports YOG

On the 15th day of the Chinese New Year where families traditionally have dinner at home together, Maegan and I went to witness what would be a historical event in Singapore's history. The announcement of Singapore as the winning city for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

With over 5000 crowd gathering and loud music blasting, Father and Daughter traveled from home to Padang and celebrated, cheered and waved our Singaporean flag celebrating the victory that Singapore has been waiting for.


It was a indeed a miracle. Well, two miracles really.

A tiny nation like Singapore defeating the likes of Moscow and Athens is itself a miracle. Who would have thought when we first announced our bid seven months ago, we would be celebrating as a nation seven months later. We all tried and we all hoped. We knew already made history by being the top 2 but winning is a much, much better feeling.

The second miracle was me. I survived my first full outing with Maegan on my own. Armed with a bag of diapers, biscuits and water, Maegan and I ventured into the sacred ground of Padang without anyone else. Yes, not even our helper Nina.

We took the train and walked the streets and all these while, Maegan smiled and waved to everyone. She was at her element best and the most well behaved I have seen.


We both had a great time. I asked her after if she had fun. She smiled and said "fun!". Carrying her balloon and waving her flag, she, together with her dad, had a ball of a time.

Many years from now when the YOG becomes a regular event like the main Olympics, she can say to her friends, her daddy brought her to the place where Singapore made history.


She can proudly say, like I would, "I was there."

:o)

Being number three.

There is a slight disadvantage being number three.

If you count Maegan as number one since Mattheus is no longer with us, than there is a slight disadvantage being number two.

For one, you have less photos. (you can tell?)

When Maegan was born, it was all so new to us as parents. Everything was new. Her slight twitch of an eye was worthy of CNN coverage as ground breaking discovery of the century. A whimper of a cry would jolt her parents out of their beds to see if their daughter is breathing. A little tinge of yellow would warrant a A&E visit, or at the least, a visit to the the paedetrician immediately.

Not number two.


Every movement is something we have seen before. If we make a checklist, we would have checked most of it. Poo? Check. Pee? Check. Twitch of an eye? Check. Twitch of two eyes? Hmm.. looks like the previous. Check. Loud cry? Check. Yellow tinge? Check. (side note to self, can wait for a few more days before deciding what to do) and the checklist goes on.

There are very few things that are new and there lies the perennial question all younger siblings face: Why do I have less photos? I now know.

I'm the youngest of 3 boys. My eldest brother had the most photos. 3 - 4 albums worth. My second brother Ernest had it worst. He had probably one. Of course, I'm discounting the fact that I can't recall if I had any album at all since I was somehow squeezed into some parts of their 5 albums.

So what do we do? I've thought of a brilliant way to ensure that she gets her fair share of limelight.

How?

Since I am a gadget freak, or so my wife tells me, I might probably buy myself a new camera I've been eyeing so that I will spend a whole lot more time figuring out the features of the new camera and all these, while snapping new and wonderful photos the new and wonderful camera will take.

Brilliant? I think so too.

:o)

How do one deal with two?

Seriously. How does one deal with two?


I've always wondered how being a father of two feels like. It would be a wild feeling wouldn't it? It would be fun. It would be lots of laughter, games and endless rounds of hugs and kisses.

There will be play days and funfairs where sisters goes hand in hand into the merry-go-round and asking their daddy for more. There would be two beautiful girls, one in each arm of mine, sleeping and tired from day of playing and running.

It would be like that. But someone forgot to tell me that those times don't come until much later.

Now, it's one crying baby with one jumping off the great wall of sofa. It's one yelling because of dirty diapers and the other grabbing your legs for raisins. It's one breast feeding while the other looks on and asks you for milk. (One I can't give of course)

It's seriously one after the other. There isn't a time to pause to think, to strategise. To come up with action plans or lists of things to buy. You just do from the moment you are up till the night when you have time to wind down when both are finally asleep.

Yes, Daphne does most of the caretaking with Nina and our confinement nanny finally came today but it's funny being dad. You are you and there are some things you do as dads that no one can replace. I can't point a finger to it but it's true.

So how does one really deal with two?

For now, I'll just live in the dreams of the days to come while I enjoy this period where they both looks adorable and totally in love with me. One because I give her raisins and the other, because I carry her till she sleeps.

It works. Part and parcel of being a dad I guess. Twice over and loving it.
:o)

Daphne, Nina and Me vs Baby Meredith.

The time of unknown crying tones is here again.

After two nights in hospital where nurses comes at our every call (well, a push of a button really), we are finally home. No more help in changing nappies or taking over when we are tired. We're just home.

Just us. Daphne, Nina and Me vs Baby Meredith.


As I am typing this post, Meredith is yelling her lungs out telling the world around her something that I have no idea about. Not her mummy, not our helper, not anyone.

So the guessing game continues.

But this time, I hope we guess smarter.

It's either one of the three:

a. Milk.
b. Poo.
c. Wet Diapers.

So far, we're not pretty far off.

Well, like I said, as I'm typing this, she is yelling.

And yes, the answer is b.

Photos of Meredith is finally up. Click here for more photos

From bump to something breathing

Looking at Maegan's bewildered look when Meredith was being pushed into the room for the first time, I ask myself what goes on in Maegan's mind really.

Think about it. For the last 9 months, she hears her beloved parents talk about the coming of another baby. As we knew the gender of the baby, we told her that Mei Mei (younger sister in chinese) is coming and for her, the idea of a mei mei is that of Daphne's bump.

As the bump grew bigger, so did Maegan's re-inforced idea that Mei Mei is but a growing bump. A bump that she kisses and touched and said "Hi!" to.

Fast forward to yesterday as she waited to see her "Mei Mei", she realises that mummy's bump is no more and all of a sudden, her dad pushed a baby thru the door and the bump she knew and loved so affectionately is now a living baby that looks just like her.


I wonder what went thru her mind?

Whatever it might be, she fell into her role of elder sister naturally. She wanted to see Meredith. Wanted to touch her, "love love" her and planted a kiss on her cheeks. Even when adults are talking, she would climb to take a sneak peek at her.


And finally, she got the chance to carry her. Sweetest image seeing your eldest daughter carrying her little baby sister.

I'm going to enjoy this moment. I'm a realist. I know it's not going to last for long because the last time I asked Maegan "Can Mei Mei sleep in the same room as you?"

"No! I don't want!" is her gentle sweet elderly sister's tone reply.

Oh boy.

:)

Announcing the Arrival ...

The heart doesn't stop pounding.

You think that you have seen it before. You think that having witnessed the birth of one child, you will be prepared for everything. You think you can take it easy and be calm or zen when the next one pops out. And so you think.

And so I thought.

The fact is, your heart doesn't stop pounding. I can't help it. I tried to be as zen as I can be and be as calm as I can be but I still cannot help but feel excited, exuberant, and ecstatic all at that the same time.

It was the same when Maegan was born and now it's still the same.

So with all the joy being dad all over again ...

I have the pleasure to announce the latest arrival to the Tan family:

Meredith Tan Shi Ning 陈诗宁


Born on the first day of Chinese New Year on 7 February 2008 at 6.10am.

What a way to start the Year of the Rat!

Happy New Year everyone!

I brushed Maegan's teeth

I brushed Maegan's teeth today.

Serious! I took her small little toothbrush and went brushing her front teeth and her new molars that is so small that I have to look very hard to find them.


It was wild! For me at least. She's 20 months and 3 days and this is the first time I get to brush her teeth and I loved it.

She did too.

I think. :o)

1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,TEN!

In about eight hours, I'll be on a flight to Beijing for a four day trip.

Yes. Right in the middle of winter where the best news is temperature ranges from 5 to -5 degrees celcius and the bad news is that -10 degrees is not unheard of.

But this post isn't about my trip. It is about the night before leaving.

As usual, my frantic self tries to pack as much in as I can, last minute which leaves me very little time to play with Maegan. Thankfully, I have Janice that came over and played rounds after rounds of hide and seek.

I've always knew that Maegan loves hide and seek.

She would go into her room, stand beside the door and wait for people to look for her. Last night was different.

When Janice asked her play hide and seek, she zoomed off to my room and started counting ...

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, TEN!

And off she ran to look for Auntie Janice who's hiding in the most obvious of places. She would find her and back she goes again into our room and starts counting all over again.

I just sat there beside my bed of packing that needs to be stuffed into my luggage amazed at how my little miss Maegan is now counting to 10. It just came out of the blue. The most she counted was two and now, she's right up to 10. And audibly too.

It was such a joy simply watching her run after Janice looking to find her to only start counting the numbers all over again.

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, TEN!

Apart from my goodbye hug and kiss, watching her having so much fun is probably the best night I can remember of her before any of my flights. I've got it on my mobile and I can watch it over and over again when I miss her.



And yes, she did always miss counting 5, but being able to count to 10 already is an amazing thing to me.

Not going to let the missing 5 spoil all our fun together do we?

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, TEN! And off she goes again.

:o) Hide and seek anyone?

Who needs an alarm clock?

For every new baby born, it would mean one less alarm clock bought.

Babies have that ability to wake even the heaviest of sleepers (like me) but nothing really prepares you for the inevitable, them growing up.


I've always thought that it would a wonderful feeling to one day have my daughter running into our bedroom, jumping on our bed and give you a big huge morning kiss and say "Good morning daddy!"

Wouldn't that be really sweet? I mean, the idea of having your daughter, running over to you and give you a big morning hug would be every dad's dream.

You slowly open your eyes and you see that smile on her angelic face and you start your day how you should, feeling happy.

Well, often things don't really turn out the way them seems.

Yes, my beautiful Maegan has grown big enough to open our bedroom door and yes she runs into our room with zest and excitement. She pushes the little stool by our mirror so that she can climb onto our bed her self and she jumps on her dad and utter the most beautiful words ...

"Wake up daddy! Wake up!"

She tosses and turns and as I slowly open my eyes, I see her treasure filled pampers right in my face feeling the full force of her jumping on me.

She climbs on our latch and grabs hold of my glasses and utters ...

"Daddy, wake up! Daddy, spec-taa-cle!"

Signaling the order given by the young general that her daddy now must awake, wear his spectacles, brush his teeth and change so that the young general could give her final command for that morning ...

"Daddy, outside!".

With that, the young general leads her dutiful dad by his hands and walks straight towards the front door.

All these while her dad still eyes half closes, hair exploding like a tree on wild fire and trying to make sense of what happened to his dream of a beautiful morning with this daughter.

Well, at least I got the hug I dreamed about.

So. Who really needs an alarm clock this days? Not me anymore. I've got little miss Maegan doing just that. She just needs to be tuned slightly to understand that daddy needs to wake up sometime at 3.30am for Champions League football matches and most of the time, prefers to only wake up at 8.30am instead of the 7.00am rude awakening happening most morning.

:o) Keen to buy a second hand alarm clock? I've got Maegan so I'm selling mine.