Merry Xmas 2012

Merry Xmas everyone at home...we miss you all so so much and feel so bummed we couldn`t be there to celebrate this year and exchange gifts!! But we hope you all had a good xmas celebration. Over here in Tokyo, it feels very Xmassy coz it`s so cold right now. I have to say though this is our first Xmas here and it feels nice too.

Gabe`s cousin Sebastian and Esther GuGu is here too. We had a lovely Xmas eve dinner at Yokohama eating seafood!! Mummy`s favourite and she`s been saying she hasn`t had any since Singapore. In Japan it`s hard to find a buffet that incorporates fresh seafood like prawns and oysters, Not sure why especially since their prices aren`t cheap anyway. Perhaps Japs aren`t so favorable towards seafood??? We had another guest joining us, Uncle Justin. Yummy yummy dinner it was

The other day i brought both kids to Skytree to just walk around after Gabe`s doc appointment. Packed it was but think both kids enjoyed themselves

And we went for a short trip to Mt Fuji too

2012 is coming to an end and it`s been a great year. All because of this lil boy Gabe. He`s filled us both with so much love and joy, i can`t imagine a life without him.

I used to pray that God could make his DownSyndrome go away...how silly now that i think back. I mean of course i believe God can perform miracles. But sometimes, there are some that God just can`t do away and maybe it`s because He knows much good comes out of it. So now, i wish and pray that GAbriel remains healthy, happy and grows well. I pray that he overcomes his shortcomings with strength and determination. I pray that he will be independent to live life on his own after both Terry & I have gone. I hope that one day, he becomes someone useful to society and helps others to see that life with DS is not a burden or barrier.

In fact, I`ll be realy honest with you. I have never felt that him having DS has been a burden. Truly....all the therapies n all, i can cope. His slowness at learning...no problem..i can cope. What i cannnot cope with is his heart problem which seems so much more major. The worry if he`s ok, can he breath properly, is he turning blue due to too much moving around, the medication and the dreaded operation.

Him slow at learning to walk or crawl, is OK. It just means i get to Baby him a little longer:) And you know what, he learns quite fast especially for songs and actions...and has so many funny actions you just can`t help but laugh.

Oh Gabe Oh Gabe......stay happy and healthy, dun ever scare Mummy yah.....

We love you so much, you`re our WORLD.

In case i don`t get to post anymore postings due to our trip to Hokkaido, and advanced Happy New Year to all!!! Happy 2013

I`ll Climb If I want to

The other day while Terry & I were busy doing our things on the laptop, I happened to just check up on Gabe since he wasn`t making noise. I turned around, and there he was, on the chair on the way climbing to the table. I was amazed coz usually he`s a scaredy cat and just learnt to climb one step only.

So you can imagine how surprised i was he managed to do this all by himself..and get this..while carrying the rabbit toy of his. If you look closely at the pic below, you`ll be able to catch a glimpse of the rabbit in his arms. Amazing....

Another Masterpiece

Gabe has done another beautiful piece of artwork. An owl glued with leaves....my boy is talented...whaddya think?

So who wants to sponsor this future `Picasso` to art school?

An Early Xmas Gift

Gabe has received an early Xmas gift..which i bought on behalf of Grandma n Grandpa....a new lunch box set...

I found it at The Loft and couldn`t resist especially since it`s Mickey Mouse. But it`s a good buy coz it`s so convenient and compact to store. So perfect for our coming trip to Hokkaido. The set has a food tin and 2 small tupperwares. Plus a space to keep the spoons. So i use the tin to put in Gabe`s cereal and the tupperwares for his food topping. And everything stores so nicely in my bag.

Thank You Very Much Grandpa n Grandma, Gabe loves it.

Gabe`s Missing you both very much

I`m Vain and Proud of It

At Gymboree, while other kids are all climbing n running around, Gabe has found a different activity. One that has him preening and posing much to the amusement of his teachers. He can sit in front of the mirror for a long time, oblivious to his surroundings.

Such a funny boy to watch. enjoy

Gabe knows how to say Grandpa

Remeber i said Gabe knows how to call 2 people? Yup one is his Daddy who he refers to as `Dad Dad` and the other is his loving grandpa who he refers to as `Pa`.

So i always ask him `Gabe, where is Grandpa` and he will say `pa`. And sometimes he shakes his head meaning `no grandpa` or he will put hands to head to indicate sleeping. Funny boy.

He Can Do It!

Today we had Portage lesson, and Gabe just surprised us all. I tell u, this boy is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you{re gonna get with him.

The instructor asked me if Gabe could move from one end to another while holding on. I said no, he can only stand and when he wants to move he{ll sit down n crawl there. Then, while he was in the class, he saw something on the table and stood up holding the table. Then the instructor moved it further away to see what he`d do. Gabe moved....yes he moved his tiny feet toward the object. As in moved along the table!!! Can u believe that??? And i thought he couldn`t do it. Geez Gabe, you`re full of surprises huh.

And secondly, she showed him flashcards, which we hadn`t done before, so i was like `uh-oh`...she showed him 2 cards, and asked me to ask him which was the DOG...and guess what, our friend immediately grabbed the card WITH THE DOG PICTURE!! Hallelujah...but, being skeptical, i took the cards n mixed them up again and asked him again..true enough, he chose the DOG AGAIN...

Next, she showed him cards and one had a chair on it...the instructor asked me if he would know, i said i don`t think so coz he probably only know if it were his Mickey Mouse chair and the picture ain`t look nothing like Mickey...anyways, we did ask him and yup yup yup...he chose the right one!!! Seriously..he made me look so damned good today, like i was the bestest Mummy in the whole wide world who taught him so many things....and look how i underestimated him...

I`m just so so proud of him, my lil boy...everyday is full of tantrums and screaming with him around, but it`s so fully rewarded with days like this.

I love u munchkin...carry on your greatness, show us how this extra chromosome makes you so extra special.

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

Teeth at Random

Good news!! Gabe has another 2 teeth coming out...just saw a glimpse of white this morning. And..now i know why past few days he`s been sleeping badly at night and why he`s suddenly requesting more of cold milk. And why he`s been refusing bread in the morn for more milk...

For some of you who do not know, kids with DS may not have the usual teeth coming out in order. And in Gabe`s case, yup, very weird. Usually the front middle teeth comes first, but instead, his upper left & right molars came first.

This is the usual order which i got from Peninsula Kids website:

However, Gabe`s is like this (circled in RED):

Funny isn`t it? But good i think coz then it makes it easier for him to chew on tougher stuffs like meat....good huh? So let`s hope now when the lower 2 are out, he`s gonna be a champ at chewing on say.....steak??????

Some of Gabe`s Fave Foods

There aren`t many foods that appeal to His Majesty`s liking. So when we do find one, we stick to it like superglue. But when he likes some, he really LOVES it. Here are some of his LIKES:

His fave Oatmeal n prune cereal

Udon noodles! Fave noodle

Yummy awesome buns which he eats for brekkie with butter n cream cheese

Sweet potato n butter bread

His fave snack fruit puffs which Er-Yi bought to last for next few months!!

Waffles for brekkie

Rice crackers and his sponge egg biscuits

Cake!! Pumpkin cake..or any cake for that matter

The Week We Ran Out of Cereal

Ok, last week was tough, very tough. Due to my lack of attention, we ran out of Gabe`s fave oatmeal & prune cereal...which translates to BIG TROUBLE. He is a fussy eater and that was his main food. So running out of it sent me into stress mode and he into difficult-picky-stubborn-wailing baby. He has other cereals like chicken n fruits, but it`s NOT oatmeal.

So, i substituted noodles into his diet...noodle for lunch n dinner, 6 days straight.He loves noodles by the way, Udon, flat noddles, etc. But i think it was a bit too much overdose of noodles. So to ensure he didn`t get sick of it too fast, i spent 2 days in the kitchen making the `liao` or rather the topping to go with the noddles. In the end, i made 5 types, also for future use with his cereal since he hates porridge topping:

1) Mined beef fried with onions and carrots and potato with a lil soya sauce.
2) Minced pork with carrots and mushrooms topped with bolognese sauce.
3) Butter fish with long beans and pumpkin
4) Minced chicken with carrots and beans topped with mushroom cream sauce
5) Cheese hamburg with pumpkin

Yup....all for His Majesty. No choice, i was NOT going to allow him to regress in his eating. Not when he has finally started to really eat. I told myself when it came to his eating there is no way i was going to take it easy and let him `just eat a few bites`...i know he can eat. And i will do anything to ensure he eats even if it means me doing all sorts of food for him. I tell myself it`ll pay off in the end when i see his weight gain.

So yeah he had his noodles and i have to say lots of it...think he likes the chewy texture. In the meantime, i got his Esther Gugu to send the cereal ASAP.

We got the cereal, thank u so much gugu and the yummy yummy biscuits too.

At first, he kinda rejected the cereal coz he got used to noodles, but he`s adjusting to it now. Phew!!!! I thought i was gonna suffer a meltdown.

I tried giving him rice on it`s own, but nope, not to his liking, so I`d better make sure i keep better track of his cereal stock.

Work of ART

Gabe`s daycare is really great. They have all sorts of fun activities week to week. This week my lil boy made an artwork. They put paint on fingertips and smush smush smush it on paper. Then, his teacher said he had to choose a `smiley` face to top it off.

Also, in the morning, they went digging for Daikon also known as Radish...yup...got their hands all dirty n all. And as part of their hard work, each kid brought home half a radish...big one...I think i`ll be boiling soup with ours..

So, looking at his artwork below, do you think we have a Picaso in the making?

Thanksgiving

It`s Thanksgiving today. And I`ve alot to be thankful for. We don`t celebrate it here in this household, but still, it`s a day to reflect on, at least on my part.

Alot has happened, some good, some bad. But all in all, I still feel very thankful indeed. We`ve got a nice roof over our heads, plenty of nice food to eat, money to buy clothes to keep us warm. But most of all, I am thankful that I am Mummy to wonderful baby Gabe. He`s brought so much joy and laughter what with his cheekiness and funny actions. He`s also brought me so much tears and heart ache. But I`m thankful that he`s a cheerful, smiling baby. And so loving. He even waves Hi to the cats and dogs that we pass by on the streets.

I`m thankful for the time i get to spend with him, the walks we take on good days and the nice cuppa that we both enjoy from time to time. And i bet the lil rascal is thankful also for all the lovely toys he has to play with and the plentiful clothes I have splurged on him.

But more importantly, I am very thankful that even though he has DS, he has a great shot at living life to his fullest and will have many opportunities to learn and become independent. He has a great daycare where he has adjusted beautifully and a great hospital and doctor who take good care of him.

So yes, I feel very blessed and thankful for this chance at motherhood.

And thankful that I have a wonderful family who showers us with love and care and that we`re all so tight-knit.

And i pray that we`re all blessed with great health and that our lives will always be filled with laughter n joy.

Happy Thanksgiving All.

Grandpa & Grandma Comes To Tokyo

We`ve been waiting for their visit for the longest time after so many delays.　Finally on Oct 27th they arrived and stayed at a nearby hotel. Gabe bonded well with his grandparents and didn`t fuss when they carried him.

We took the opportunity to go out alot, but unfortunately Grandpa fell sick upon his arrival with cough n fever, so if you do not see his face in the pictures, it means that he was unwell and stayed back at the hotel to rest. Poor Grandpa, the cold weather doesn`t suit him....and it`s not officially winter yet....

This is gonna be a long post with many pics, so brace urselves..

Ashikaga Flower Park
Terry & I had visited this place few weeks back when his friends came. But the night illumination had not started then. I have to say, i really liked the night lights alot. It looked like a winter wonderland with the brilliant lighting effects. It was chilly, but we still enjoyed ourselves alot.

I realised i didn`t have many photos coz we used Grandma`s camera..so these will need to do for now

Asakusa
We went for the Sumida River Cruise, departing from Hinode Pier to Asakusa. Took about 40 minutes and it was a pleasant soothing ride, plus the weather was sunny that day. After that, we visited Skytree since it was nearby but boy we had to walk abit to get there...thankfully the 2 oldies didn`t complain...

Odaiba
This place is like a city on it`s own coz you need to cross the famous Rainbow bridge and there are plenty of malls and eateries there. We took a ferris wheel ride and window shopped for awhile with a coffee break

Yokohama
Here, we went to the redbrick warehouse where there are cafes and eateries beside the sea. Afterthat we headed for dinner at my fave Tonkatsu shop

Hakkejima Seaside Paradise
This is one of the trips where Grandpa didn`t join us. But we had a good time, though i`m not sure if Gabe knows what he was seeing:)We got to see all sorts of fishes and the dolphins n whales.

Grandma singing to Gabe

He`s trying to do the twinkle twinkle actions...

Mount Fuji
Another trip where Grandpa didn`t go...too bad coz we had great food and fun time...anyway Grandpa doesn`t like noodles and we had it for both lunch & dinner...and the portions are huge huge...Gabe enjoyed his share very much as u can see..

Some pics taken at home on the day itself

Our lovely lunch, huge bowl, and you can see how Gabe enjoyed the noodles too..he ate alot..

Tears, coz he didn`t like the hoodie on his head

Our dinner..yummy noodles again...

2 weeks went by too fast...it`ll be some time before we see Grandpa n Grandma again...all depends on when Gabe has his operation. Hopefully, next year Feb or March we`ll be able to head back to Singapore...

Gabe will miss you both very much....he had a great time....see u soon!!