Just a few lovely pics

The little artist wearing a homemade hat and obviously very happy about it!
Off to the pool and that's a PATS hat, ah, I love my girl!

Pool toys in a bag, ready to go...

OK, this is one of the best pictures of a genuine smile from her! I love it and I love her hair. It's been growing so fast lately, giving me lots of possibilities with pigtails, braids, etc. A mom's dream :-)

Just another snapshot of that gorgeous face... Each and every moment that I'm a mom, I am gracious and blessed for God to have given Jacob and I this remarkable gift. With everything she does (okay, maybe not so much the tantrums!), she lights up our lives and enriches our values in so many ways.

March, 2010 already? Wow! What's in store?

Whew! After all that reminiscing, I'm amazed at just how much has happened in such a short period of time. We've now been in Singapore for 16 months and who knows what's in store for 2010? We have so much more learning to do, about ourselves and the world around us.

I find myself having a new appreciation for something I (being blunt) may have laughed at back in Windham, NH.

I'm beginning to be okay with the fact that some people just may not like me for who I am and that's okay. I'm not going to change for them anymore, like I used to.

I'm learning about the time I spend with my daughter...yes, quantity is important, but quality beats that anytime.

I've learned that it's okay to voice my opinion, but it's not okay to force it onto other people. Just put it out there and maybe it will touch someone. If not, oh well. Made me a better, stronger person for sharing a part of myself.

Life is amazing. God has so much in store for us. So many possibilities and those that choose to be a part of our life are lucky and we are lucky that they care so much about us as well. It's become more and more clear who "those people" are after our move out here. You know what I mean, the people who love you no matter how many miles or hours separate you. No matter what happens, bad or good, they still stand by you, lovingly and supportively. It's rare, but when you find it, you hold on tight.

I could go on and on about all the life lessons I'm facing, have faced and hope to face, but I'll just go with it as time goes by. My blog began as a simple "yearbook" of our ife, but it's become a form of self-expression too about how life can change at any moment.

Wrapping up my memories of 2008

These are some pictures from the rest of my mom's visit, which flew by of course. I wish I could have just kept her here! But hey, we got to ring in 2009 at Clark Quay after a visit to Marina Bay. We sat by the water, watched the fireworks and rang in the New Year before 3/4 of the world!

Collage below: The top left is Clark Quay where we thoroughly enjoyed many meals with both my mom and then her, my cousin and Nana when they visited in July last year. Brewertz: good food, good beer, good prices! And Juliana loves the fountains there.

Anyway, back to my mom's visits...we went all out for Christmas Eve last year, knowing my mom was here and we booked a Christmas Eve Buffet at Orchard Hotel (a big to-do around here). Her visit was so enjoyable, to show her where our new "home" was, the place we live in, she got to meet Jean and see lots of sights in the city. These are some of my favorite pictures from the the end of 2008, prior to my mom getting in. We visited the Bird Park (Juliana LOVES this place) and other local sites. I look forward to showing her all these amazing photos when she's older! So, this post was poorly planned, but oh well. Out of order! Back to my mom's visit. We took her to Sentosa and had a blast! My mom fell in the water, but didn't care since it was with Juliana and with the heat out here, you dry in no time! I love this picture of the three of us...Well, Singapore has certainly been a learning experience for us and our first few weeks here were a HUGE wake up call as to how Americans live their lives. Yes, culture shock, but also a new awareness as to how very lucky we are as Americans, for the freedoms we have. It also helped us learn about a new way of life that is accepting of all cultures, all religions, all beliefs, etc. A tiny city that just accepts people for who they already are. There isn't such a pressure to "keep up with the Jonses," because for the most part (expats aside), locals are focused on just getting food on their plates, having fun without spending tons of money, enjoying the local entertainment, the kopitiams, etc.

Reflecting on 2008, prior to moving to SG

2008 was a chaotic year, in good ways and some bad. But all of it led us to where we are today and God always works in mysterious ways.

This collage has so of my favorite pictures. Top right is my first Mother's Day and top left is Jacob's first Father's Day. The middle was from when we attended my cousin's Bar-mitzvah and the other two were taken at (left with me) our first home with Juliana and (right with Jacob) our second home with her. She basically took over the living room, half the kitchen, half of our bedroom and the guest bathroom. I think the only true space of ours was the office, for obvious reasons! But it's all worth it and not much has changed! Got worse actually! This is a completely mixed collage, ranging from 2 months old to 8 months old. In the bottom right, my mom buried her in her toy box and she kept getting out to do it all over again! And doesn't she look mischievous in that top left one, like, "What am I about to do?"

One thing I miss a ton are the fairs in New England. It's always been a tradition to attend the Hopkinton State Fair, which usually falls on labor day week at the beginning of September. This year, we got to take Juliana to enjoy the animals, some of the food she could eat and just the atmosphere. I grew up going to this fair every year, so it felt amazing to bring my daughter. We miss it a lot and hope to attend one day again...

My mom and grandmother were a huge help during the last several weeks before our move to Singapore, even before we found out and told them. I used to pick my Nana up on Wednesday's, my day off and bring her to the house to be with Juliana and I. Then, my mom would come after work and we'd have dinner all together. Juliana also spent many overnights at Nana and Nanny's so we could have some quality couple time. Other times, they just dropped over to babysit so we could do errands or work in the yard or sleep!! They were amazing. This picture was when it was getting very cold, so the only way to keep her warm was with layers, blankets and body warmth.

Anyway, I love how she cuddles into her Nanny in the above picture and the face my mom is making. Such a deep affection for Juliana. God, I miss them!

We had planned a big first birthday celebration for the weekend of her birthday, but when we found out about moving to Singapore, we had to push it up two weeks. We're lucky, because nearly all of our friends and family cleared their scheduled to make it. In a way, it was also a farewell party for all of us since this party took place the night before we flew to Singapore. Juliana had a blast, playing the the girls and getting TONS of attention. I could barely get my own hands on her for a cuddle! And as you can see, the Elmo cake did it's job, covering her in icing!!

It was a bittersweet farewell, as we had no idea what to expect here in Singapore and no idea when we would see everyone again. Fortunately, we did know that my mom had already booked her tickets for Christmas and New Year's, so it made those first couple of months easier to get through.

More to come. Hey, I gotta finish up 2008 :-)

Flashback to 2007

I've been looking at old pictures a lot lately, going through old poems and decided to do some flashbacks.

This was me at 7.5 months old at the shower that my mom and Nana threw for me... My mom went all out, making the laundry line of clothes, a diaper cake and a bassinet filled with lots of goodies for our unborn little girl. I have an amazing family and my mother is my best friend. She has been by my side each and every step of the way, good times and bad, never judging, just loving and supporting me. I miss them so much every day. And I can't leave out the rest of my amazing family, who helped us out so much when Juliana came along, through meals, gifts and just simply providing advise and support. But yes, my to person (aside from hubby) is my mom. She's a remarkable and strong person who has provided me with the image of the kind of mother I want to be.

Next is a collage of the first few days with our new bundle of joy. The top left was in the hospital. Bottom right was bath #3 I think? We jokingly sent it to Jacob's brother and his wife who were on an expat assignment in Den Haag with the caption, "Moses says to come home!" Bottom middle, she was about a month old for her first Thanksgiving!

This is one of my favorite pictures. I had to zoom in on the cute little girl, sorry Jacob! I miss those days of her falling asleep on our chests while we lied down. She looks so peaceful...

This collage features her Christmas picture, her baptism pictures to the right and then in the middle, Super bowl pride, even though it was a HUGE upset that year after a perfect season and then the PATS go and throw it all away. Anyway, she's a doll!

I must have several thousand pictures from the day she was born and it's hard to pick my favorites, so 2008 may take a little longer. Stay tuned!

Life with our princess

I love being a mom. I love seeing Juliana's beautiful face every morning and enjoying her giggles, dances and music. The big hugs and kisses melt my heart and the best is when all three of us are together. She's been so much more cuddly lately and likes to give a lot of random hugs and kisses as well raspberries now too!

Chilling out on daddy...
She loves her Dora memory game my mom gave her a while ago and she's getting a lot better at it. Lately, she likes to kick her foot up like she's a ballerina when choosing a card. It's adorable!

So serious about finding the match...

Hey, anything can be a hat, right? This is one of her toy bins turned into a makeshift hat. She was playing peek-a-boo with it and I caught her peeking out...

One of her favorite breakfast foods has become waffles. It's always a special treat when Jacob makes homemade waffles for us!

Isn't that the most beautiful smile ever? Okay, I'm biased, but it lights up the room and it's hard not to smile when you see her like this!

This is her at music class, which is now a "drop-off" program, so she goes in without an adult. Ah, she's growing up so fast!

A good friend of mine just had her baby girl, Marleigh Grace, so CONGRATULATIONS to Kathy and Jeff on entering the whirlwind world of parenthood. It's babies galore lately and I also have a nephew on the way too...Jacob's brother and his wife are expecting in a couple months. More too, but I won't "out" anyone since I don't want to be THAT person!!

Kids are amazing and every day, Juliana teaches me something new about myself or life. She's amazing and we are blessed that she is growing, healthy and learning so much, so fast!

Date night at the Handle Bar

This was their menu! Not real female friendly, but it was amusing.
This restaurant was recommended by a friend since they are known for their western food.

Yes, this is their bathroom sink! All decked out with motorcycle mirrors, pictures, posters and much more. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside, but I snuck this one in. I so wanted to get a picture of this amazing skateboard for my brother as well as all of the other Harley Davidson memorabilia.

Cheers to us...I love my man!

No, I am not double-fisting, just holding Jacob's too! Check out those beautiful bikes in the background. Believe me, they are so much more gorgeous up close.

So, the food was actually very good. I had an "American" burger and it was the best one I've had since moving to Singapore. The chili Jacob got was tasty too, but my stomach wouldn't allow more than a few bites.

After dinner, we enjoyed the rest of our dinner and relaxed. I LOVED this chair and so wish I could have one of my own!

Fun at IMM, in the water and in the park too!

This morning, it was off to the park to enjoy the sunshine in her new Minnie Mouse hat, I believe was a gift from Nana and she loves it! Jean often wears a hat and I do too at times, so I think she feels more gown up, more like us! So this is a local park we often go to with Juliana that has tire swings, see-saw, trampolines, slides, a maze, climbing ropes and a lot more.

We can't get over how much she has changed, grown and her face looks older. And (I'll get better pictures), all of her hair can now go back in a ponytail, okay, a few ponytails!Getting very excited to have her sand toys, out and ready to play!

By far, the best pictured of the day. She was so happy!

After all that, she also got to go to the water park at IMM for some more fun there and she is getting so much stronger sand bigger. She can use some of the gadgets she couldn't reach just a few months ago. Go Juliana!
Inside IMM mall, what a poser she is!! The middle one I had to add, because on some days, these frighten her and next time, they're the best thing in the world. It's confusing, but hey, who knows what's going on in that little head of hers head!

Mistakes

I loved this quote from one of my favorite tv shows and wanted to share. It's perfect, because a lot of people, including me, keep focusing on mistakes and life is too short for this.“The issue of control keeps coming up over and over and over again for you. You can’t control life. You can only live your life. And you live it in any way you want in that you can choose your feelings about the people around you and what’s going on around you. So live your life. Give up trying to control it and live it. Live it to the fullest. Life is good whether you’re happy or not. Personally, I think the pursuit of happiness is just a waste of time. So forget about being happy. What is happiness anyway, other than being surrounded by people who love you and you can’t choose how they love you. You can only choose to feel the love. Feel the love. This is a wonderful time in your life, if you choose you choose to see it that way. As far as all the mistakes go, is anything really a mistake, or are mistakes just lessons? Everyone makes mistakes. Life is school, a learning process and some lessons are more painful than others, but that’s just how it is. The sum total of our experiences is what makes us who we are.” -Unknown

Isn't this what we usually do? Make a list of our mistakes, going over and over them again in our head? Well, we cannot fix them and yes, they are lessons. The people we become and continue to grow into are all based upon the choices we make and the experiences we have.
Those "mistakes" that we make lead to a whole lot of life lessons. I know I've had my fair share!Go on, make your mistakes today and then move on and live your life!

Life is about choices, right?

I saw this picture and it made me realize that it doesn't have to be this or that, my way or your way, etc. We can walk backwards, forwards, to the left, to the right or just diagonally. Life presents us with choices and surprises every single day and we can choose to allow them to enlighten us or we can choose to let them break us down.

Today's lesson for me: I will choose to be enlightened and work with the "surprise" I had handed to me today. Maybe God is trying to tell me something or maybe not, I don't know. But for now, I'm going to walk forward and see where it takes me and then the next time I hit this roadblock, maybe I'll be ready to make a choice.

Ah, date night!

It as been way too long since we've had an official date night...since Jacob's been back, it's usually consisted of a movie while lounging on the couch. Yes, it counts, but nothing beats getting out as a couple and having some good quality time together.

Tonight's restaurant was Jacob's choice and he picked Thai Fusion (112 Faber Drive). If you like Thai food, you have got to try this place! It was amazing and the prices (especially beer, try the Singha, yum!) were very reasonable. Jacob had gone here with work for a send off dinner for a coworker and the owner recognized him and was very pleasant and nice enough to take our picture...
Yup, I ordered Chili mussels. If you know me, this was a huge stretch for me and I know it may not sound very appealing to many, but I took a chance anyway. Glad I did, because it was GOOD!

Yeah, I love this man with all my heart. He hates it when I take so many pictures (hence the smirk on his face) but I don't care!! Someday, we'll look back and have them to all look at and show our girl. And he can be reassured that I love him more and more every day.

I have no idea what we were laughing at, but I guess it doesn't matter. We still make each other happy, laugh and enjoy life after 9 years together!

Next date night is my choice. Suggestions anyone?? We still have not been to a lot of restaurants here in the city, so let me know what you think I should choose!

Pictures from the week

While mommy and daddy works, Juliana gets to play!! Here she is with her friends, reading some books...
Chilling out on the terrace with her beautiful Chinese umbrella from Sue Lynn, Mun Cheong, Eden and Bethel. She loves this so much and there's always plenty of sunshine for it!

Apparently, Jean and Juliana made what I am guessing is a sailor hat! She was wearing it around all night to show off to me when I got home from work...

Swim time is always fun... Friday afternoon did not go so well, but I won't get into that here. Thank God for the weekend, a weekend of rest from a bad day yesterday and lots of family time! Blessing to all!

Life, Juliana, etc.

This morning was a good one, because Juliana woke up in a good mood, yay!!! Check out that happy girl...
After her bath, we came downstairs and she wanted to wear my slippers. A bit hard considering how BIG my feet are, but I'm pretty sure that huge smile on her face indicates that she was having a blast!

These Chipmunks and Chipetts came in a box last week for Juliana and she has been playing with them ever since. Yes, they even sing too (lucky us)...

In one of her Monkeydoo DVDs, they use a "spy glass" so we saved two toilet paper rolls to let Julian make one of her own. We played "I spy" this evening!!

She has been using these spy glasses all the time now. We'll ask, "What do you spy?" and she'll answer something like Pooh, Mommy, Doll, etc. Then we do the same...."I spy, a Juliana!" She loves it!