toot toot chugga chugga MRT

Hugh rode the MRT today!
Mummy and Grandma brought him to see Mummy's nanny in Woodlands. He was very well behaved on the way there but acted up on the return leg. Good thing the train was more crowded so the noise level was already high with everyone chatting away in their own worlds.

swing of things

Back in Dubai Hugh can entertain himself under the play gym so in Singapore, Mummy is adamant about getting one for him as well and found one that can be attached to the stroller. Well...works again!

this is what excitement looks like

Hugh easily gets excited these days... especially when you make goofy faces at him or sing to him. His favourite seems to be the Alphabet song which Mummy sings and signs to him :)

rolling is hard

 

Hugh almost rolled over today. He was trying on his own accord (several times) without any prompting but Mummy, Grandma, Aunty Vivian were all cheering and encouraging him.

Hmmmm? ...then yummy :)

Mandarins are used during Chinese New Year to symbolize gold and we exchange them with our visitors. It is then said to bring more health and wealth when you actually eat those given to you.

Mummy lets Hugh suck on a wedge which he initially frowned at the first taste. However, after the first wedge the taste grew on him and he was happily sucking away and even grabbed on tightly at Mummy's hand in case she took it away :)

Hugh's the Main Star

Being the newest addition to the family, Hugh is undoubtedly the main star. Once again he was passed around like a parcel but the weather was extremely warm and humid and he was uncomfortable in no time. He also wasn;t able to nap due to the noise and chatter so Mummy left early to put him to bed. Good thing we live at the opposite block :)


Right: Playing with Uncle Benny

3 Generations Gong Xi Fa Cai

On the first day of the Ox year we had "lo hei" which is the traditional tossing of strips of Yusheng (raw fish), most commonly salmon, mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments, among other ingredients. We're supposed to toss them up, the higher the better the good fortune. This usually ends up with a messy table.

Then both adults and kids goofed around a bit before heading off to Aunt Rose's where everyone gathers for makan and chit chat and of course, exchanging of ang pows!

happy 牛 year!

Hugh woke up bright and cheery; it's almost as if he knew a fun day awaits. Mummy was happy to see him smiling away and was even happier to see a diaper filled with real poo with the right colour and consistency! Yippie, the diarrhoea is finally gone!

After his bath, Mummy gave him an ang pow (or hong bao) which he happily mutilated. Thank goodness the dollar notes inside were made of plastic and tear-proof. Phew!

he meets godma cheryl

Today Hugh finally met Godma Cheryl at Ang Mo Kio Hub. He was asleep when she arrived but woke up soon after and was pretty cranky most of the day. Fortunately, he managed a brief moment of good spirits for these photos.

vamos rafa!

Mummy decks Hugh up to resemble...ahem...you know who :)

feed me

Aunty Myung Duk and Hugh getting along here; she wanted a hold and he wanted a feed. Ahhhhh!

cuz's 1st birthday

Hugh had a great time at cousin Cristabelle's birthday party; mainly because he was passed around like a parcel :) He even got to wear news clothes. The Mini Mouse cake was very pretty; so much so it was difficult to cut it.

cool dude

Daddy got me this pair of shades :-)

i'm ready Mummy!

Hugh has always loved to have his diaper changed. The changing table at home in Dubai is one of his favourite places. In Singapore, he lies on his Grand aunt Rose's mattress when he plays during the day. When a changing mat is placed under him, you can immediately see a change in his facial expression: he's all focussed and ready for a bum wipe!

grumpy

Hugh looks unhappy in this photo taken in Katong and Mummy thinks it's the humidity getting to him...it sure is getting to her! Well, Mummy just needs to buy the Chinese New Year goodies and we're off ok?

xu fok sai!

That's the feeling you get after a bath or shower! Hugh sweats for the first time and is sticky most of the time unless he's in an air-conditioned room. Here he's all squeaky clean but not for long in humid Singapore :(

zebra crossing

These stripey fellows also say hello to you.

hello from SA

Daddy says hello from South Africa.
Here are some new friends I met who want to see you.

a guy thing

 

Hugh met his uncle for the first time today. Uncle and nephew hit it off right away despite little boy displaying symptoms of colic. Well, Uncle Ken managed to soothe him by rocking and cradling him. Then it's all smiles again!

lunch with mummy's crew friends

Aunty Jenny came to pick us up and we went to Din Tai Fung & Crystal Jade at Junction 8 for lunch on 12 Jan; that's Aunty Jenny's birthday. Aunty Dewi was late so Mummy and Aunty Jenny ate at Din Tai Fung first. Then they realised there were too many pork dishes served at the restaurant so when Aunty Dewi arrived, we adjourned to Crystal Jade where we had dim sum...of course when I say We, I meant the ladies :)

perfect passenger

There was a slight delay on ground due to airport congestion and Hugh started to get a bit fidgety while the pilots were awaiting the clearance. Mummy tried giving him milk, water and breast to suckle on; rotating all 3 and he finally fell asleep when the plane leveled at 35,000 feet.

The crew fixed the bassinet soon after and Mummy had time to have her lunch in peace and even managed to watch the entire "Journey to the Center of the Earth" while little bub slept soundly for the next 3 hours! Whoopee!

The second half of the flight was more challenging as he was a chameleon of personalities: happy, active, sulky, cranky, bored, etc. Mummy spent that time playing with him, entertaining him, singing to him, walking him up and down the aisles. Pretty tiring but she couldn't have asked for a better first flight for Hugh.

wheel deal!

Luckily strollers are on loan at the new Terminal 3. Hugh seems pretty comfortable in it.

ready for flight

This is Hugh all strapped into his carseat on 10 Jan, waiting for the Emirates driver to send us to the airport.

happy new year!

Goodbye 2008 and Hello 2009! I am really excited about the new year ahead and wish everybody a great 2009. By the way, I am 4 months old today; 59cm long and weigh 6.2kg!