The World of Gareth

Moving...

2009-02-09T21:26:00.001+08:00

Hi all,

Just to inform you that this blog will cease operations and a new blog has been set up for the whole family at:

http://supersengs.blogspot.com

Thanks for your support and do continue our journey with us at the new blog. =)

What I did for Christmas

2008-12-26T15:54:00.002+08:00

Hi! My name is Gareth and I'm now quite old enough to write occasionally in my blog. I want to share with you what I did for Christmas as there are not many recent pictures of me.

I went to take photos at Orchard Road. Kept wondering why daddy kept pointing the metal box at my face.

On Christmas Eve, Kor kor and I were dressed in identical pyjamas and made to pose for photos under the Christmas tree. Kor kor tried to hog all the presents.

On Christmas morning, I got woken up real early to attend Christmas service at church. I enjoyed the worship and looking at the drums but I slept through the sermon.

After church, we went for Christmas lunch with the cell group. I got a big kiss from daddy for being a good boy.

Finally, on Christmas night, I got to open the presents which I have been stepping on and salivating on (literally) the whole of December.

Blessed Christmas!

2008-12-25T12:01:00.001+08:00

Dear readers,

Gareth and his kor kor Gerald, together with mummy and daddy, would like to wish you a very blessed Christmas. May God's love and joy fill your hearts and home this Christmas and throughout 2009!

Eating an Apple

2008-12-20T00:04:00.004+08:00

Friday night, we went to PP to get some groceries for MY HOPE party. While at Cold Storage, Gareth started fussing a bit so hubby gave him an apple to hold and play with. He was quiet for a while and when we next checked on him, there was a hole in the apple already!!! We were quite surprised that his iron jaw could bite through a whole apple as thus far, he has only eaten peeled and sliced apple at home. Even Gerald would not bite at an whole apple. Gareth is really a little pig. Look at his satisfied face:

Even on the way back, he refused to let go of the apple or even let Gerald have a bite. He continued to munch happily on the apple in the car, all the way home. When we reached home, all that was left of the apple was this:

After taking the photos, I peeled and sliced the rest for the elder prince, who refused to touch the yucky-looking, half-eaten apple otherwise.

Little ladybug

2008-10-25T22:18:00.002+08:00

Titin took out Gareth's ladybug suit and tried it on him. He has lost some weight after he started walking so it could fit him again! He looks so cute... can bring him for trick-or-treat already. Sure get a lot of candy.

P/S: actually should restrict his candy intake.

Lollipops

2008-10-12T18:58:00.003+08:00

I wrote about how Gareth will observe Gerald and imitate what he is doing. Yesterday, he saw Gerald unwrap a lollipop and insisted that he gets one too. Now we must always be fair and give the boys the same things. Gareth had a great time eating the lollipop with Gerald.

I can do everything!

2008-09-29T18:06:00.000+08:00

Gareth is growing quickly. He is walking and has developed an interest in books. His favourite past time is to observe what his gor gor is doing and try to imitate Gerald. He has seen Gerald climb the metal gate and has successfully climbed up 2 rungs himself. Here are some pics of Gareth trying to colour too while Gerald is trying to do some homework.

Hey! What is gor gor doing? Looks fun...

I can do it too! Here, let me try.

Gerald: No!!!! You're making a mess!

Gareth Feeding Himself

2008-09-14T20:06:00.003+08:00

Gareth has been growing really well and is acquiring new skills by the day. He is now trying to feed himself with a spoon. He will take any available spoon when we are eating out and point to the cups of water on the table. He will then proceed to try to spoon the water into his mouth. I tried to let him eat yogurt on his own on Sunday. Here are the results:

His eyes are small small in the photos cos he doesn't like the flash from the camera. Hopefully 3 years later, he will look like this... no more yogurt all over his mouth!

New Haircut

2008-09-07T00:51:00.002+08:00

Gareth finally got a haircut. Look at the handsome boy now.

I have short hair now.

Oh no! My kor kor is attacking!

Two loving brothers.

Standing and Eating

2008-09-05T00:27:00.002+08:00

Gareth can now stand on his own and is learning how to walk. He can toddle a few steps but he prefers to crawl as he can move much faster by crawling. He is quickly developing a personality and he is no pushover. In fact, he can fight quite well and he will go and push Gerald for no reason, trying to pick a fight.

Gareth standing and clapping his hands.

Gareth's hobby is eating. He eats practically anything you put into his mouth, which is the total opposite of Gerald who is such a fussy eater even when he was a baby. Look at Gareth trying to eat a banana on his own.

First, you try to prevent people from taking away your banana.

Then you try to stuff the whole banana into your face.

Finally, you try to chew with your mouth very full.

So cute right?

He who needs a haircut

2008-08-30T14:59:00.000+08:00

Gareth's hair has been growing really slowly. He doesn't have as much hair as Gerald and his hair is softer and finer. It is really cute to see his hair flapping in the wind. However, I think it is now time to take him for a haircut cos it really looks like a mop.

View from the top.

View from the side.

Getting more active and cheeky

2008-07-31T23:04:00.000+08:00

Gareth is 13 months old and he is really getting very active and mischievous. He will fight tooth and claw (literally) with Gerald for toys and will scream and complain loudly if he is left alone or if he is unhappy with anything. He is really fast at crawling so he has no incentive to start walking at the moment. However, he is very good at climbing and he has figured out how to get down from the sofa and the bed with his feet first. So he hardly falls down anymore. Once, I found him on the telephone table. He has climbed up the sofa, crossed the armrest and was squatting on the side table playing with the telephone... looks like I've got another active boy to deal with!

Gareth splashing around with Gerald to cool off on hot July afternoons.

Gareth enjoying a bicycle ride.

Doesn't Gareth look cute in his duck towel? When he crawls around in this towel, he looks like a runaway duck!

Gareth trying to go for an adventure in his motorised car, but he didn't go very far as his legs were too short to reach the pedal!

Happy Birthday Gareth!

2008-07-01T21:28:00.004+08:00

Time has really flown by and Gareth has reached his first birthday. With the second child, you really don't count the days to his milestones and in what seems like a flash, he is already one. I'm really happy that Gareth is an easy baby with a very sweet nature. He is easy to feed and easy to entertain. Hope he will continue to grow in wisdom and stature, in favour with God and man.

We had a simple family gathering over the weekend to celebrate Gareth's birthday.

Gareth waiting for the guests to arrive.

Gareth thinking, "Why you keep taking my photo?"

The huge pile of presents waiting to be opened.

However, little Gareth fell asleep just before all the guests settled down to dinner and he slept through the whole dinner to celebrate his birthday! He didn't wake up until about 11pm, long after all the guests have gone home. Gerald had more fun during the party playing with sparklers by himself.

It was only the following day (Monday night) that we finally got to cutting the birthday cake.

Family pic.

Gareth cutting his cake and Gerald can't wait to eat the Tweety Bird.

See the look of satisfaction on Gareth's face? He loves eating!

Present time!

Singapore Flyer

2008-06-13T23:41:00.003+08:00

It has been a long time since I last updated this blog. Work has been crazy. Gareth has grown a lot since pics were last posted. He has even gotten his first haircut.

Since it is the school holidays, we took the opportunity to try out the Singapore Flyer. Gareth had a great time there.

Trying on a pirate hat.

A pic with mummy on the flyer.

A pic with the whole family.

The ride was so long that Gareth needed a milk break!

Gareth at play

2008-04-13T22:19:00.005+08:00

This is a visit to the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. There is a corresponding entry on Gerald's blog. Gareth is now old enough to explore more of the world around him so we try to bring him out and let him play in different settings. Playing with sand and water is supposed to stimulate a baby's brain so here we go.

Gareth with mummy on the see-saw.

Gareth driving the sand-digger.

Gareth was so exciting when he saw all the water...

that we decided to let him in to play in his diapers.

Gareth managed to snatch the specs from daddy while posing for this photo. He is very quick with his hands now.

The day ended at the Paragon playground where Gareth joined kor kor on the slide.

Nine Months Old

2008-04-11T21:59:00.003+08:00

Gareth has grown and changed a lot since birth. He now has 8 teeth and can pull himself up to a standing position and walk along the whole length of the sofa while clinging to it. He is still a very happy baby and he loves to eat... very different from Gerald who has shown little interest in food (except french fries and grape juice) since he was little.

Gareth standing in his cot. He is very good at complaining now. He will scream if he sees no one in the room and if he is on the floor, he will crawl all over the house in search of company.

Gareth is no longer botak. His hair has grown back into a unruly mop. Can you see his 8 teeth and his cute dimples? It is strange that nobody noticed that I have dimples until they see the boys. Then they ask who they inherited the dimples from... heheheheh.

Crawling

2008-03-16T18:33:00.004+08:00

Poor Gareth has been sick. He had a fever that went as high as 39.5 degrees one night. Then when the fever subsided, he came down with flu. All in all, in took 3 trips to the clinic and about 3-hour waits each time. But what to do? The little precious is sick.

With lots of TLC, Gareth is happy and active again. He has mastered the skill of crawling and has been following T, our maid and kor kor Gerald around the house. Here are some photo updates of him.

Gareth is happy and healthy again.

Crawling... he can crawl up the platform too!

Trying to catch his doggie.

Very proud that he caught it.

Trying to get down from the platform to snatch toys from kor kor.

Now crying cos he is stuck on the platform, dunno how to come down.

Crying some more as he has crawled to the kitchen and found out his lunch is not ready.

First Trip to the Beach

2008-02-08T23:44:00.000+08:00

Today is the 2nd day of CNY. We made use of the long break and the wonderful weather to bring the boys to the beach. This is Gareth's 1st visit to the beach and to Sentosa as we were worried that he couldn't really play in the sand before this.

Gareth getting ready for some serious play on the beach.

Gareth and Daddy in the sea.

Gareth really enjoyed playing with his sand toys.

Gareth is so cute that he kept attracting all sorts of aunties and young girls, who kept smiling at him. All in all, it was a wonderful day of family bonding.

第一个新年

2008-02-07T23:55:00.000+08:00

永恩是猪年出世的。一转眼就过了一年，猪年已过，鼠年已到来。今天是大年初一，也是永恩第一次过新年。

除夕夜，换上新睡衣，和爸爸哥哥拍张照。

年初一，穿上新衣准备去拜年。

恭喜恭喜！祝大家新年快乐，身体健康，万事如意。愿主的爱与大家同在。

Two Front Teeth

2008-01-25T19:13:00.000+08:00

Gareth's two front teeth has finally erupted and are big enough for me to get a picture of though he is not too happy about it.

You must look really closely to see the teeth as Gareth didn't want to open his mouth.

So I decided just to make him laugh so that he will show his front teeth, but that didn't work either.

You can see a bit of teeth in this one.

Examining his teething rusk.

Yum yum! Gareth enjoying his biscuit.

Updates - sitting and teething.

2008-01-13T15:45:00.000+08:00

Nothing much has happened but you may wanna see some photos of Gareth. He is sitting up by himself really well now. Of course he will still topple over when he moves too much when trying to reach for a toy. He is also drooling buckets of saliva. One little front tooth is showing a bit at the bottom but cannot really get a photo of it yet.

Sitting in his cot and smiling.

Looking at the toy hippo and wondering if it can be eaten. Gareth has been taking really well to semi-solids. He gobbles up all the puree that I have prepared for him - pumpkin, peas, carrot, sweet potato... he finishes them all.

Sitting by himself

2007-12-29T10:54:00.000+08:00

A few days after Christmas and Gareth has learnt to sit on his own. He can now sit unsupported for quite a long period of time. Of course he will still topple over if he over-extend his hand in trying to reach for a toy or he turns his body to quickly to follow Gerald running past him. All these posts of Gareth seems mundane to readers but it is such fun for us to record his every milestone. =)

Gareth sitting and playing with his Christmas present.

A close-up shot.

After he has toppled over and flipped onto his tummy. Pouting to indicate his displeasure.

Baby's first Christmas.

2007-12-26T10:42:00.000+08:00

It is so wonderfully exciting to see our baby reaching one milestone after another. Gareth just celebrated his first Christmas. Of course he has no idea what the fuss is about though he did get a lot of presents.

Gareth's 1st present was threw on him by Gerald while he was still sleeping.

Gareth sitting under the tree with his presents.

Gareth lying under the tree.

We also dedicated him at the COR babies dedication service which we have every Christmas for babies born in that year. Canon JW prayed for him and blessed him. We hope and pray too that he will grow up strong and healthy, with righteousness and integrity and useful in God's Kingdom.

Gareth fast asleep during the dedication.

Weaning

2007-12-02T10:11:00.000+08:00

Gareth seems really interested in food and always stares at Gerald when he is eating. So I decided to introduce him to semi-solids while I'm still on holiday. We started him with Heinz rice cereal and he loves it. He can now gobble down about 2 tablespoons of the stuff.

Yummy!

Flipping

2007-11-30T13:03:00.000+08:00

Gareth can now flip onto his tummy all by himself. He is generally faster in reaching his milestones than Gerald and it is really fun and exciting to see what else he can do everyday.

Trying...

Still trying....

Done! Smart Gareth!

1st time sick!

2007-11-25T17:35:00.000+08:00

Poor Gareth fell sick yesterday. He developed a fever the night before and by morning, he was coughing and sneezing. Mummy brought him to Dr Lim, who concluded that it may be flu as his throat is red. According to Dr Lim, there is a strong flu bug going around. Thankfully after taking his medicine, Gareth is almost back to his old bubbly self today. =)

Gareth has developed a preference of sleeping on his side.

Gareth fast asleep.

He moved 180 degrees and woke up in this position.

Little 4 month old Shrek.

2007-11-23T16:44:00.001+08:00

Gareth is growing big and strong quickly. He can almost flip over now when you put him on his back. He is an easy-going baby who smiles easily and often wins the hearts of people who talk to him. Here are some recent pics:

Kor kor has squeezed himself into my cot!

Yay! Glad to have my cot to myself again.

Tried to eat some banana puree.. liked the taste but can't swallow well. I'll try again next month.

4 mth old Shrek VS 2yrs++++ Shrek

New skills

2007-10-28T23:20:00.000+08:00

Gareth is nearly 4 months old now and he has developed several skills already. He can now be put in his Bumbo chair for a length of time. His neck is quite strong enough to hold his head high though there are moments when he grows tired.

Holding his head high and enjoying the view.

Opps! My neck is tired already.

He can also grab things that come into his view and grabbing range.

He can activate the music on this rocker all by himself.

First swim

2007-10-28T22:35:00.000+08:00

We brought Gareth swimming for the first time today. It was in the evening when there is no sun. He is quite a big boy and can fit into Gerald's old swimsuit (which he wore until recently) quite easily. Gareth didn't prtest when we brought him into the water and he seemed content to float around and look at his surroundings.

All ready to swim.

Enjoying the floating sensation.

Gareth, daddy and Gerald.

Gareth with mummy

Cute Ladybug

2007-10-25T00:20:00.000+08:00

Gareth is growing sweeter and cuter by the day. Take a look!

6-in-1

2007-10-04T23:31:00.000+08:00

Gareth went for his second 6-in-1 jab and developmental assessment today. He now weighs 7.3kg and is 62.2cm.

14th week

2007-10-02T18:06:00.000+08:00

Gareth can sit up quite well if propped up by pillows. He has also discovered that he has got hands and is sucking his entire fist and also trying to grab things with his hands.

12 Weeks

2007-09-24T23:06:00.000+08:00

Gareth is now 12 weeks old and that means my maternity leave has ended. Have to go back to work... sigh.

Look at that smile! That's what I miss when I'm at work.

Gareth can sit up if supported by pillows.

He also likes to watch TV!

11 Weeks

2007-09-11T15:39:00.000+08:00

Gareth is almost 11 weeks old. He is growing into a little darling that is always cheerful and seldom fussy. He can fall asleep on his own and can sleep about 4 hours or more at a stretch now. I am helping him exercise and strengthen his neck with some tummy time every night.

One happy baby!

Peek-a-boo!

Tummy time!

Growing

2007-08-30T17:33:00.000+08:00

Gareth has gone for his 1st 6-in-1 jab on 17th August. That was when he was almost 7 weeks old. He cried a little but otherwise he is fine. No fever.

He weighed 5.4kg when the nurse put him on the scale. Length = 60cm. Getting heavier to carry him around. I think now he is heavier than 5.5kg already. Though he is only 2 months old, he is already outgrowing some of his baby clothes and is wearing clothes for 3-6mths. That's why I'm taking photos of all his new clothes before they won't fit anymore.

Think he will be larger than Gerald when he grows up.

Some new photos:

My first nail-clipping session

2007-08-24T14:49:00.000+08:00

After almost 2 months, we finally decided Gareth's nails are long enough for us to cut without accidentally cutting his fingers. Here are the photos for the record.

Super long nails. Can see even though his fingers are so small.

Crying as though we were slaughtering him. Babies always don't like people to mess with any part of their bodies. =)

A baby's smile

2007-08-14T11:06:00.000+08:00

Gareth is spending more and more time awake now and is starting to interact more meaningfully. He can make cooing sounds when I talk to him and he smiles when he is happy, like when he sees my face and especially after having a full feed of breast milk. He will then fall asleep smiling to himself.

I think a baby's smile is one of the sweetest things on earth. A baby is genuinely happy to see you and it takes so little to make him happy. It is truly a rewarding experience whenever I see him smile.

What is this thing pointing at my face?

Learning to smile for the camera.

Updates and more photos

2007-08-08T11:37:00.000+08:00

Gareth is growing well. Still drinking lots and lots of milk. His intestines are regulating themselves now so he doesn't poo that often, only 4 to 5 times a day, down from 7 to 8 times a day. Imagine the amount of money we are spending on milk powder and diapers.

He is also spending more time awake now so I have less time to do other things that I need to do. I usually spend most of my time with him stuck to me, drinking milk. Sometimes, I won't even have time to shower until hubby comes home, cos he can spend the whole afternoon awake. Luckily he still sleeps through most of the night so at least we get adequate rest at night.

Gareth all swaddled up. He likes to sleep like that.

Gareth in his rocker, staring out the window. He is attracted to bright lights as his vision is not very developed yet.

This is the suit yiyi gave him for his 1st month. Thanks, yiyi!

Looking shocked just before his bath. Gareth doesn't like to be naked and will usually protest when all his clothes are taken off.

Crying in the bath. He is the opposite of Gerald as Gerald loves water and never made any fuss while bathing.

1 Month Old!

2007-08-01T10:54:00.000+08:00

How time flies.... Gareth is 1 month old already. He is growing well and is settling into a schedule of feeding and sleeping. We have gotten used to him and he to us (I guess). On the whole, we are not so blur this time as we have learnt from the experience of the first baby. Now, we know how to anticipate certain things and are not as "kanchiong" when Gareth cries. Can take everything in our stride.

Gareth is also relatively easy to take care of. He is a very good boy who doesn't cry much and can sleep for quite long periods of time at night so I don't have to keep waking up for midnight feeds. If we feed him at around 12 midnight to 1 am, he can sleep until around 5 am or 6 am. Are other new mothers jealous? Haha.

Gareth is looking more like Gerald when he was a baby. Here are some more recent photos.

Welcome!

2007-07-26T11:22:00.000+08:00

It's been almost 4 weeks since Gareth was born so I guess I better start his blog now.

The story started on 30 June, my EDD. The whole family was getting ready for bed when my waters broke at 10.40pm. That immediately activated the whole family. Luke and I quickly changed and grabbed our bags, which was just packed a few days beforehand. Then we drove Gerald, still in his pyjamas, to his grandparents' place a few blocks from ours, before dashing to the hospital. Checked in at about 11.30pm. Still no contractions yet so really cool about the whole thing.

Midwives checked me out and prepared me for the long night ahead. Asked whether I wanted an epidural. Midwives themselves couldn't agree when to administer epidural. I was in 2 minds. Luke said better be safe than sorry so I took the epidural right at the beginning, even before they started the drip to regulate the contractions.

Contractions started at around 1am. The epidural wasn't on full strength so I could still feel some pressure. Waited until around 4.30am when the pressure was quite strong to start pushing. Although this is my second child, this is the first time I was pushing the baby out on my own as Gerald was born via assisted vacuum cup suction. Was I glad I took the epidural at this stage. Gareth is bigger than Gerald and was in a face-up position, which is harder to push out according to the Doc.

After about 1 hour of intense pushing, Gareth was finally born on 1st July 2007 at 5.40am. He weighs 3.44kg and is 52cm long when he entered the world.

Welcome to the family, Gareth!

Newborn baby on 1 July 2007

Fast asleep after entering the world a few hours earlier.

With big brother Gerald at home. See how big Gareth's mouth is. He takes lots of milk.

What Gareth looks like 2 weeks later.