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!