Cowboy is 1 Year Old!

My baby has hit the 1-year mark!

Well, as I delight in welcoming his growth into toddlerhood, I also miss him as a little baby. Missed those days when he latches on for breastmilk and every milestone he crossed. At 1 year old, this chap can walk (in fact, he started walking at 11 mths), can climb up and down my sofa, can play peek-a-boo with his sister and understands several instructions. Sometimes, he signs too!

Rynae is very fond of him but at times when he messed up her belongings, he is sure to be hammered. Sadly, she didn't spare him for being a baby. For the 'torture' he went through, Cowboy has toughened up to be an accommodating and big-hearted little spirit. He loves his sister no less and these 2 can be caught playing rowdily at times. My 1-year old is becoming a good companion for his sister! But hey, I'm seriously not looking forward to the upcoming quarrels and fights though.

11 Month Old

It's been a long absence! So long that I have forgotten that I've got a blog! And now, I'm back with more updates on the Bong Family! First and foremost, our dearest Cowboy turns 11-Month old today and it is also the last month that I can still call him a baby. This soon-to-be 1 year old chap has achieved several milestones and he is now able to..

• Wave goodbye


• Crawl well with belly off the ground


• Cruise while holding onto furniture


• Stand alone for a couple of seconds


• Stoops from standing position


• Understand no and simple instructions


• Says 'mum mum' (aka food) and calls papa and mama (isn't specific though)

I miss every moment of seeing him grow up these past 11 months but I am also glad that I was with him every moment to witness his first laughter, his first flip and to feed him his first semi-solid. Whenever I see his adorable face, I felt that it was all worth it...

Steamboat is a Boat?

Few days ago, Daddy received a phone call request to help to buy a steamboat for an Indonesian relative. Conveniently, we found one suitable set near our house and while Daddy went out to purchase it, Rynae and Mummy had an amusing conversation at home...

(At home while Rynae was having dinner)

Rynae: Mummy, where's Daddy?

Mummy: Oh, he went downstairs to buy a steamboat for Ah Hua Gu Gu.

Rynae: Is it for Ah Hua Gu Gu to sail from Indonesia to Singapore?

(It took me a few seconds to digest what she said. Sail to Singapore? I realised later that my girl does not know what is steamboat!)

Mummy: *Giggling* Girl, steamboat is not a boat. Steamboat is a hot pot you put your food in to cook.

Rynae: Then how come you call it steamboat. Does it look like a boat?

Mummy: Err.. last time it used to have a 'chimney' in the middle that gives out smoke. People thought it looked like a boat that gives out steam so people called it steamboat lor...

How innocent kids can be. Why do I presume that she knows what steamboat is? Anyway, I hoped my explaination was correct. Thinking about it, isn't steamboat called 火锅 in Chinese? Shouldn't the correct translation be Fire Pot?

LNY Bazaar at Bishan

Heard about a LNY bazaar in Bishan? We did and went. It was touted as a mega Chinese New Year bazaar with 600 over stalls spanning an area that is even bigger than Chinatown! Of course we checked it out since it is closer proximity for us than Chinatown too. But... it was such a let down. Tenant take up rate was so bad that half the event space was left empty. The marquee, the stalls set up and the items on sale made it so Pasar Malam! What a BIG let down.

Rynae was fascinated by the 'theme park' and we allowed her to play on the bouncy castles, kiddy car ride and electronically charged motor bike. We headed home after that. There's really nothing much to see there already.

Happy 5th Birthday, Rynae!

This year, Rynae's birthday fell on a school day hence Mummy asked if she wanted to give out goodies bags to her classmates. There was a period of time when she was paranoid about growing up, getting old and dropping teeth (long story) so by acknowledging her birthday, I hope she can overcome her fears. She said she wanted and I acceded her request by fully sponsoring the 26 goodies bags. I asked her what she wanted to put inside them and I'll get all sorts of (funny) ideas. In the end, we settled with some tidbits, some sweets, a balloon and a party blower in each bag.

If you remember, she gave out goodies bags in pre-nursery 2 years ago but those were prepared by me. Now that she is old enough, I got her involved in packing them. This will give her more ownership and pride. It delighted me to know that she had a great time sharing the gifts with her friends at school and getting blissful birthday wishes. Happy birthday my darling! Stay out of trouble and be an obedient girl.

Young Author

Sometimes when Rynae is bored, she'll find her own programme. This time, she got into the mood of being an author, an illustrator and a publisher. This is her very first book and I'm gonna keep it as memento. The title of the story is 'Going to the Movie' (If you noticed, the title was corrected after the story took a twist.. aka side-track).

Here's the storyline:

"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Lilly. She went to the movie. One day she reached the movie. There was an empty seat so Lilly sat on the seat. Soon Lilly said 'What is that?' Soon a thunder came. Soon it was raining. So luckily Lilly brought and umbrella and got home."

~The End~

Believe it or not? I am giggling as I am typing out the storyline now. It's such a child-like story! But, I love it! I love the innocence of the storyline but the maturity behind the idea. Our friend scripted it herself and she merely asked for my help when she didn't know how to spell some words. I am so proud of her.

Fly My Kite

Daddy loves to bring Rynae kite flying when the weather permits. She will play the part of an assistant and be given the responsibility to keep the kite soaring high after Daddy brings it up into the air. We're lucky we've got a vast land nearby for this activity.

7 Month Old

I cannot believe how time flies. It's been exactly a month since my last post and I bet you must be yearning for my update. Cowboy is 7+ month old now and is an active, cheery and easy-going individual. He is off breast milk now and am now fully formula fed. This chap doesn't like plain rice cereal hence Mummy mixes baby pureed food into the rice cereal to boost its flavour. What a gourmet.

As for physical milestone, he is able to sit but unstable. It is so amusing to see him commando crawling now. And you know what? This is the most rewarding and satisfying moment of being a SAHM because you get to see your child's milestone at every step of their growth. You get to prepare their meals and you get to nurse them back to health if they fall sick. You felt so important when you know that 2 lives are so dependant on you. I was a FTWM after I gave birth to Rynae and I felt that I missed out a lot. Yes! I'm enjoying every moment bringing up and spending time with Cowboy and Rynae now.