Shalom kor kor

Here's Isaac with Shalom kor kor :) Look how big Shalom has grown! He's a big boy now, think Sec 2 this year. Shalom, his brother Isaac, and his family, all hold special places in our hearts. pic above taken on 26th October 2008

Isaac @ 14 and a half months

Blast to the past! Here's us circa 2003! :) We've been friends with the Lims since the Malacca 2002 trip with HappyFriendsClub-MDAS - coz Pey Yng was Shalom's volunteer, and I was Isaac (kor kor)'s volunteer. The pix above shows us all with Shalom, and below us with Isaac.

We used to go to their place once a week during the weekends to play with the boys and have fun. When we started going to their place, hubbs wasn't even interested in me at that time (I think), and at that time, Jeff & PY weren't together as well. After weeks and months of spending weekends there at the Lims, hubbs started to discover what a wonderful being I was, and started to take an interest in me. Helped that I was much skinnier then :p and rebonded hair - yes, mustn't forget that ;p

Jeff too, slowly realised the innate beauty of PY, having already been mesmerised by her outter beauty kekeke... Junhui & Wenbin? kekeke... at that time, if I recall correctly, they were 'finding' each other all over again ;)

Fast forward to present day - we're ALL MARRIED!!! kekeke...

In addition to Chan Peng & Xiaofeng (with Chan Hay & Chan Yu) and Elgin & Ing Shan (with Ayden) - I'd say the HappyFriendsClub has a very good hit rate indeed! :)

Good hearts in good places - do volunteer work, and find your partner in life! GRINZ :D

Pianoboy

Here's our pianoboy, acting very SEH at the piano... like real like that! hahaha... Look at his face, full of concentration hahahhaa...
Well hubbs is really pleased that he seems to be showing some kinda aptitude for the piano... ah well, we'd see... I'm not gonna relent on getting a piano yet...

pix & vid taken on 2nd November 2008
Isaac @ four days to 15 months!

Big grin!

pic taken on 26th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 and a half months

Look at that goofy grin! kekekeke...

ya know, I've decided to stop updating the previous post on what Isaac can do now, he can do too many things and say too many things! hahahhaa... Well, lesson learnt, next time, I shall start a milestone post like that a month ahead and keep it in draft form, then by the time the milestone date arrives - it's ready! kekeke...

By the way, Isaac's hair is much longer now. For awhile, he was increasingly okay with haircuts, but then in the past 2 months, he's started to get terrified again. So, now, when we ask him if he wants to have his hair cut, he'd shake his head violently and say "mai! mai!" which is No! No! in Teochew.

Maybe it's time to leave his hair long, instead of having the crew cut look all the time. Hmmm... we'd see...

Professor Isaac Tan

This is Prof Tan - pictured here at 14 and a half months.
However, now at 18 months, Prof Tan can do quite a lot of things.

pix taken on 26th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 and a half months

For this post, let's document what our dear Professor Isaac Tan can do as of 18 months of age.

PHYSICALLY

1. Isaac can RUN!!! - really! or it's super fast walking - I literally have to speed walk or jog - to keep up with him.
2. Isaac can go up and down stairs on his own - supporting himself by holding the railings/wall. When at Stanford, with carpeted stairs - he literally slides down the steps! Learning that trick from Natalie who's got it down pat!
3. He climbs every low table, sofa, chair, stool - with ease. In fact, he's been doing this for quite some time already. A few months ago, he gave us all a scare, when we found him sitting atop a stool - ya know the $4.90 ikea kind - he actually climbed that and sat on it upright! What a feat!
4. Climb Every Human... (to hum that to the tune of "Climb Every Mountain" hahaha) One of Isaac's favourite activity is to have his Papa hold his hands to steady him while Isaac WALKS up hubbs' thigh... have a vid of that taken recently... you'd see it... eventually :p
5. Cross over obstacles and cross small drains - obtacles were never an issue, I guess. But one thing I got him to learn, was for him to stretch his stride to cross over small drains. So, I'd hold both his hands and tell him to position one foot near the edge, and to stretch the other foot across the drain. He learnt pretty fast more than a month ago.

SPEECH

1. Isaac can 'call' everyone of his immediate family in Teochew/Chinese: Papa & Mama, Ye Ye & Nai Nai (paternal grandpa & grandma), Gong Gong & Po Po (maternal grandpa & grandma), Gu Gu (hubbs' sis), Ee Ee & Tio Tio (my sis & bro-in-law), Cheh Cheh (for both Rebecca & Isabelle), Mei Mei (for Natalie), and Kor Kor - for himself! When I ask Isaac who's in the picture (of himself), he would reply "Kor Kor". Which means "older brother" which everyone says is a good omen since we wanna have more kids! :)
2. Isaac can even call Nek Nek (Malay for 'grandmother') and Kak Kak (Malay for 'sister'), which made our malay neighbours very very pleased! :)
3. Isaac is trilingual - he understands English, Chinese and Teochew. We know he understands coz he can take instruction in all three languages.
4. English words he can speak in full include: car, train, cat, eat, bye bye, away, milk, moon, ball, sit, bag, cup, see, hug, this side, car seat, you (thank you), wait, throw, tree, red, blue, green, purple...
5. Chinese words he can speak in full include: che1 (car), he1 shui3 (drink water), hua1 (flower), mao1 (cat), zai4 jian4 (bye, see you again), xie4 xie4 (thank you)...
6. Teochew words he can speak in full include: MAI!!! ("don't want" or "NO!")
7. Isaac's speech is developing very fast. Every other day we find that he can speak some new word. He now imitates every last syllable of every word we try to teach him to say. Like "cle" in uncle, "ter" in monster and water.
8. He is also able to complete the last word/syllable of songs familiar to him. Like when hubbs sings to him chinese children songs like Little White Boat.
9. actually there are many words he knows... just that I can't recall them all at the moment...

SIGNING - Did I tell you guys that we started Isaac on learning sign language when he was about 12 months old? Watched the Baby Signing Time dvds, and he picked up signs very quickly. Even now, he still enjoys watching the dvds, and he can sign the following words

1. Milk - this was the first sign I wanted him to learn as, at that time, he would always pat and stroke my breast if he wanted to drink milk. Which is well and fine in the privacy of our own homes, but very embarrassing outside. So I really wanted him to learn how to sign 'milk'. And this was the first sign he picked up!
2. Other words include: water, shoes, hat, sleep, eat...

OTHERS

1. Isaac can hug well. But he doesn't 'kiss'. He'd give you his cheek - that's the best we could get outta him for a 'kiss'.
2. He's now very good at holding you by the finger, and pulling you to where he wants you to be - to either, keep him company, or to help him get something, or switch on something - the tv or projector etc.
3. Oh and he's very goooood at shaking his head, and saying "mai!!!" (Teochew for NO!!!) at the same time.
4. Isaac can now sit and watch a tv programme - he only started watching tv when he was about 12 months old. Now, at 18 months, he can sit and concentrate quite long, for programmes he likes.
5. On weekday mornings, when I drop him off at my in laws' place before I go to work, Isaac still clings on to me, and I would have to sneak away, so that he wouldn't cry. My heart still breaks when I hear his panicky "Mama? Mama? Mama!!! Mama!!!" as I walk down the corridor to the lift.
6. Isaac can sit down and play boardgames. He started at about 16 months, when we were in Stanford in Dec 2008. His first game was Go Away, Monster! which he still plays :) More on games in later posts!
7. Isaac can hold his own cup and drink without spilling a single drop - unless he's walking and drinking at the same time, or if he did it on purpose.
8. He can also drink up a straw now!

Okay, that's all for the moment, will update if I think of anything else that he can do at this point in time...

UPDATE: Okay the reason why this is like the only post all week's coz I've been spending all week updating it with words and stuff he can do! hahhaaha... he can do so much now, that I just can't remember them all at one go!

Mummy bite you!!! :)

Mummy bite you, Mummy bite you, Mummy bite you!!! HAHAHAHAHA...

This is one of our favourite activities. We love to karcheow Isaac like that. hahaha think he loves it too! :) I'd always bite him lightly, on his feet, and heels and arms and body, and he thinks it's very funny. Occassionally, I bite too hard and he would look at me and 'complain' by making crying complain noises - but not crying. hahhaha then I would apologise profusely and rub the spot. Then the game continues!!! kekekeke...



Here's Papa having fun with Isaac too! :)

pix & vid taken on 26th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 months plus

Big boy Isaac!

Actually, Isaac doesn't look like this now. This is him in October, like 4 months ago. Hahaha... at first, I thought he didn't look that different. But then, when Lili saw some recent pix of Isaac in my camera yesterday and she asked me: "Who's that?" - then it struck me how much Isaac has grown! hahahhaa...

pix taken on 25th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 months plus

At the time when I took and uploaded the above pix, I thought Isaac looked like a big boy. But now, he looks even more like a big boy! :) But he does look very nice and sporty in the above pix, doesn't he? :D

Queen Regina!

Hehehe... no lah no lah, I didn't pop out a baby since the last time you saw me. I was just continuing on my quest of holding as many baby girls as I can... ;p

Remember I mentioned that Isaac's godparents Kok Pin and Pamela had a baby on 10th October 2008? Here's Queen Regina! The meaning of the name "Regina" is "Queen"!
Hey Pam, Kok Pin, have a boy next and call him Rex! kekeke... "Rex" means "King" kekeke...
Here's Isaac trying to climb the cot to get a better view of the Queen. He started throwing toys into the cot too, as offerings to the Queen. We had to tell him:"Regina says "thank you" to you, Isaac. But she doesn't need anymore toys." before he'd stop throwing toys in.

Then again, I think he stopped after WE stopped giving him toys to play with - guess he was being selfless - didn't want to play with the toys, and so he gave it to Regina! hahaha...

pix taken on 25th Oct 2008
Isaac @ 14 months plus
Regina @ 2 weeks

That was the sight Pam and I came out to after our chat in the bedroom about breastfeeding and stuff, and after Regina and Isaac had their milk... Men!?!?!? hahaha...

Sarah's Kyria

pic taken on 24th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 and a half months
Kyria @ 2 months plus

Remember Kyria? We finally got round to visiting her and her mummy more than 2 months after she was born. So here I am, carrying Kyria, and Isaac got kinda J (our code for 'jealous') and wanted to be held by me too.

But at least he didn't smack or scratch Kyria, which was what Isabelle did to Natalie and Isaac when either my sister or my mum carried them. hahaha...

Actually, it was part of our secret plan, that I should go carry baby girls, so that our next baby would be a girl too! kekeke...

Christel, my colleague, says that she carried Isaac when she visited us in hospital when he was born - and after that conceived a boy! :) hehehe... glad we helped!!! She has, by now, given birth already - on the first day of chinese new year too! We're gonna go visit her sometime this week during lunch then can take pix! Congrats Christel!

Netted!

pic taken on 23rd October 2008
Isaac @ 14 and a half months

Look what we netted? hahahhahaa...

That's Isaac's laundry basket. One day he was playing with it, and crawled into it on his own! :)

Isaac walking steadily at 14 mths

Here're some videos taken in October 2008 of Isaac walking. He started walking at about 12 months plus, and by 14 months, he's pretty steady already.The above two were taken one weekend morning when we were walking to the nearby coffeeshop for breakfast.

The one below's at the airport. Hmmm... I can't recall why we were there. Oh! yes yes, to send my dad off, he was going on a trip, if I recall correctly...

vids taken in October 2008
Isaac @ 14 months plus

Our first nice family pic!

Ain't this a nice pic?! Well, I think this is the nicest pic we have of the three of us, so far! Well, yes, Isaac could have been more smiley, but at least both hubbs and I look nice and smiley PLUS I don't look fat!!! kekeke... Well maybe I do (upon closer inspection) - but at least Isaac hid most of it! Okay, stop scrutising and scroll down to see nice Isaac pix!!!
hehehe cute pic huh - was trying to catch the crown on Isaac's head. Didn't quite make it, but still a pretty nice picture. We're actually at my cousin Alvin & his wife Claire's church wedding. Now that I think of it, pity we didn't catch a pic with them together with my camera.
Oh it's the Immaculate Heart of Mary church - IHM, not IMH - which hubbs always says by mistake :p It's a great church! with nice stained glass and all. Congrats, Alvin & Claire!

pix taken on 18th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 months plus

Swimming with Papa!

It was Ayden's one month bash. After eating our fill, we popped down to the pool where Isaac and Papa went for a dip.

As you can see, Isaac's having a great time. He loves going swimming. We go swimming in a number of places - usually to Fitness Network at The Science Hub where hubbs and I are members - great place, hardly anyone there usually ;p it's like having our own private pool sometimes. Sometimes we also go to friends' condos to swim. We've been wanting to bring Isaac to the Jurong West public pool - it's got like a playground in the water hahaha...
We have a big round float for Isaac where he'd usually sit in for awhile. But we will make it a point to take him out and let him float without the float with us supporting him - don't want him to get too used to having a float and be scared of the water.

We also started him on these arm floats which he seems alright with. But here, he's in the baby pool where he can stand.
See, now, so why is it that I can capture such nice shots of Isaac and hubbs smiling while swimming, but hubbs can't do that??? sighz... well, rather than believing that Isaac doesn't tend to smile when he's playing with me (which is NOT true, ok!), I tend to believe that it's coz my photography and especially my "catching the moment" skills are FAR SUPERIOR than hubbs. *grinz* kekeke...
So it looks like I may have to resign myself to fate that I will not have nice pix with Isaac (and the rest of my kids, for that matter) - UNLESS hubbs improves.
Hmmm... actually his skills aren't THAT BAD. I think it is a matter of patience - you have to patiently hang around with a camera to catch the moments. Or, be quick to whip out and snap a picture when the kid is in a smiley mood, ya know.
Which, with Isaac, it's not THAT difficult, is it?!?! Hahahaha... alright, enough already. Otherwise later hubbs fan1 lian3 with me. kekeke...
I couldn't resist uploading so many pix - nice mah, I thought - share them all! kekeke...
Then again, I must give hubbs credit - he IS very good at 'playing' with Isaac, and making him laugh and all. He's more anything-goes - not like me, who can be quite anal at time about rules, and how to do things properly - which is more for games, than for stuff like swimming I suppose. But, you get what I mean.
Anyway, here are the two favourite men in my life! hubbs & my Isaac boy! :) Recently, when I ask " Who's Mummy's darling?" Isaac would pat his chest and say "Me!!!" kekeke...
Then I would reach over and pat hubbs' chest and say "You too, you too!" :)

pix above taken on 12th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 months plus

ET & Isaac @ 14 months

You miss our ET posts? kekeke have been forgetting to take with ET. Here they are! In October, with Isaac at about 14 months.
As you can see, Isaac is about a head taller than ET already. ET also has problem holding up his head - head too heavy, neck too long, I think! hahaha...

pix taken on 12th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 months plus

Some people say ET looks kinda scary, with his big staring eyes. Well, Isaac is quite comfortable with him, maybe coz he's seen him since young! :)

Lil' ah pek sitting on steps again!

Here's our lil' ah pek sitting on the steps again - though this time, at Commonwealth. Did I tell you about this set of pyjamas? I love it! It has drawings of little train carriages on it all over :p Couldn't resist buying it when I saw it, helped that it was on sale too.
Oh and these were the fake crocs I got Isaac - coz I was thinking:"What if I spent like $50 bucks on a real pair and he didn't like them!?" what a waste of money that'd be! But I needn't have worried - he loves them! He would want to wear them all the time, so much so that his grandparents have to hide them on top of the fridge!
In fact, he liked them so much, that even though he had blisters from wearing them (coz the knob at the side was kinda big) he still wanted to wear them!? I realised he got blisters, brought it to the attention of hubbs - and he promptly binned the fake crocs. hahahaha...

Some weeks later, there was a Crocs sale at the expo - we went and I bought enough pairs for Isaac in ascending sizes that he could wear till he was at least 5 years old, I think! hahaha... But at $20 a pair (compared to $50 a pair) they were a pretty good buy, I guess. I'm not sure I would have paid $50 a pair for them, still kinda pricey for some foamy rubber.

pix & vid above taken on 10th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 months plus

Enjoy the vid! :p

Playing with socks

Remember those lovely hampers we received when Isaac was born? I loved some of the baskets we got. So I kept the nice baskets and thought of stuff to use them for - one of which I placed at the shoe rack to contain the clean socks.

Sometimes, when the mood suits him, Isaac would take down the basket of socks, and play with them. Yes, he's actually strong enough to take down the basket on his own. He'd unload the sock basket, and load it again.

Well, I much prefer he plays with clean socks... than wearing our shoes!!! He's a tendency to do that!!! more on that another time. enjoy the video now... :)


pic & vid taken on 9th October 2009
Isaac @ 14 months

Hamster!

pic taken on 9th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 months

This is taken just outside our front door, in the common corridor we share with this neighbour of ours - their door is just adjacent to ours, on the right. So, this auntie, is our Malay neighbour. They're very nice and treat us just like family! :) We like them too!

Auntie & Uncle has 3 kids, two daughters and a son. The oldest daughter, Sutinah, is married to a police officer, and expecting their first kid in May this year. The son is in army now, in civil defence. And the youngest daughter is in ITE. Actually, we dunno all their names until we went to Sutinah's wedding. hahaha... now we only know her name and her hubby's - which currently slips my mind ;p

Anywayz, they love to play with Isaac. So, they're constantly trying to find ways to entertain him . So one of these ways was with the hamster that the youngest daughter brought back one day.

Initially, Isaac was very curious about the hamster, but yet, a bit wary, hence he didn't dare to go near the hamster cage at all. However, in no time at all, Isaac would come close to the plastic cage and look at the hamster closely.

Then he proceeded to want to touch the hamster. Even going so far as to put his hand into the plastic cage to try to catch the hamster. Or he would shake the cage - though we would always stop him! "Isaac! Don't be so violent!" we'd exclaim!

I knew it got a bit out of hand when one day, Isaac tried to climb into the cage itself!!! Gosh!!! I was like "ISAAC!!! NO!!! You're NOT a hamster, okay?!" geeez!!! but it was hilarious!!! we were all laughing incredulously at what he was trying to do. I think Isaac actually wanted to get into hamster's home to play with it! hahaha...

Well, we recently learnt that dear hamster has passed on. We'd like to thank the lil one for the entertain she brought us, and in the same breath, we'd like to apologise for all the terrorising Isaac has done - though we have been reassured that the hamster's death was in no way due to Isaac - whom we always managed to stop in time before any damage was done.

Thus, we'd like to assure everyone that no hamsters were harmed in the production of this blog post.

Have a good weekend!!! :)

Sitting on stairs @ Jurong West

As part of his Ah Pek need to rest his tired legs - Isaac loves to sit on the steps too! Think coz they're just the right height for him... :)

pix taken on 9th October 2008
Isaac @ 14 months plus