Best 'Lou Hei' found in Port Moody

We had our 3rd 'Lou Hei' or 'Yu Sheng' this year @ Larry and Stephanie's last weekend. BEST Yu Sheng I have ever remembered having! Seasonings and spices were brought in from Singapore but the proportion of the ingredients were perfect! We made Hainanese Chinese Rice and there was also curry noodles and tau yew bak and nien gao. We ate, played cards, I tried to learn mahjong but almost dozed off even whilst I had the most patient sifu/coach. The guys and kids played pool in the basement and Lucas was on his own, exploring anything he could get his hands on. We stayed really late and again, had a bit of a tough time convincing Lucas to sleep on a different mattress from his own at home. Thank you to the Tan's for a great great party!

Lucas' first fall

Lucas had his first fall yesterday and scared the $^%* out of me. I tried very hard to stay composed whilst my heart raced. It was such a beautiful sunny day yesterday. Weather and temperature was perfect for outdoor play. Carolyn and I decided to take the bus down the hill and then walk to Rocky Point Park with the boys. Lucas was all eager to walk to the 'Water Park', attracted by the big colorful balls fixed onto the ground. He gained speed and before we could grab him, he fell, face forward. He has a minor bruise to his forehead and some scrapes and scratches on the left side of his face and nose. When I saw blood, I really went weak. He cried for sure, but was distracted by an apple I gave him whilst I cleaned up his wounds. He is alright now, back to his usual mischievious and active self within minutes. But he sure looks like he has been 'beaten up' and it's so sad to see his face in such a state. I guess tripping, falling and such incidents are going to be part and parcel of them growing up but it's really heartbreaking to see them getting hurt. How careful and protective can a parent be?

Abby goes swimming in Buntzen Lake

It's still Winter but nothing will stop our all-seasons dog, Ms. Abby Fong from jumping into the ice-cold water. She would play fetch in the water all day if she could I bet. The ground and trails at Buntzen Lake were still piled with snow and ice patches made the ground slippery. We had to tread carefully to make our way to the waters. Place was packed with dogs and dog-owners. We haven't seen such great sunshine in a while and it's no wonder dogs and people are out to soak it up.

Sidenote to Lucas' Grandpa: He can finally wear the cap!

Speechless. Indignant but slightly amused.

I was at the supermarket with Lucas last week doing some grocery shopping. He was sitting in the front of the shopping cart and we were waiting at one of the cashiers as I had asked for some help to reach the top of a shelf for an item.

Friendly Supermarket employee walked towards me with a big smile : Are you alright? Are you waiting for your mother?
Slightly shocked mother of Lucas : No? I am ok, thank you.

I am carrying a belly and I have a son in the cart, whom perhaps she (the friendly supermarket employee) thought was my brother? I am not sure if I should feel complimented but I felt I could disappear behind the humongous shopping cart (which is twice the size of those back where I come from and could probably fit 4 of me)

It's all about the rice

This was our Valentine's Day dinner. I knew there wasn't going to be a surprise dinner or any surprise for that matter since Valentine's day is considered a non-event to my other half. I cooked Nasi Lemak (coconut-flavoured rice with assortment of dishes and sambal chilli) since it's one of Edwin's favourite food. As long as the rice is of the right consistency, texture and flavour, he is a happy man. I was missing the fried ikan bilis which is normally part of this dish. I am not fond of frying. The verdict: My man was a happy camper at the end of the meal.

Baby No.2 at 20 weeks 6 days

Baby no.2 at 20 weeks 6 days

I realised I haven't been thinking or talking much about baby no.2. Although there is an obvious presence now with my very obviously pregnant body that will remind me that I am carrying another being inside me. No longer a belly that looks like an excessive lunch. I seriously do not see my knees if I look down now. And if I try to spit (not that I do that on any normal circumstances) when I look down, it will just land my my belly haha. I know that because I did that when some shampoo got into my mouth when I was in the shower, so there, spit only happens in such circumstances for me. So don't get grossed out.

I am feeling the effects of carrying Lucas and no.2 at the same time. Back pain has begun to haunt me. But I am still eager to do whatever I can before no.2 arrives in person and I will jump at any opportunity to head outdoors.

No.2 is very active and moves alot. I started feeling his/her movements from about 4 months pregnant. It took a longer time than usual at the ultrasound this time because he/she just couldn't stop roaming, showing us little finger signs and blowing bubbles. Having a load of fun inside me. He/She must love the chocolates I ate just before entering the room.

Any guesses on the gender? I do already know actually. But will leave that for later.

He is at it again

The phantom hair snipper has made his appearance again. This is what he has done to Lucas' hair. Done without my knowledge or approval.

I have been busy with work lately. Business is growing plus with Chinese New Year and Valentine's day one week apart, it has been a bit of a chaos on the workfront for me. But like with all festive occasions, I have to brace myself for greater demands and 'louder customers'. Fortunately my years working frontline in the Service industry have served me well to handle the rough and tumble. I eat more (read junk food) when I am stressed. Unfortunately for me, the junk food I am ingesting is also the most fattening and does not bode well for an already ballooning body and arse.

Meanwhile, Lucas has been progressing well with his new found mobility on his feet. He is getting faster and going further each day and it is really fun to watch him. He started off with his arms raised when he starts his walk, but these days, he is on the go without those raised arms and struts confidently around. I have been meaning to take more videos, but have not been very diligent in this area.

Chinese New Year celebration @ Gotham's

This is the second year we are celebrating CNY at the Gotham's. It's one year ago that we met Elisa, Desmon & Viola as well as Meg, Cory & Miwa. Lucas and Viola were both about 3 months old at that time and still strapped in their car seat. This year, they are both standing and toddling around. The group is larger this year as well. We have Elly, Simon, Ava and Colin and Sharon, Stephen and Annabelle as well as some of Lian Eng and Rob's friends who joined us this year.

A good spread of goodies and home-made cookies, cheesecake, mini pizzas, quiche, curry puffs, beef rendang and more! It's been a weekend of eating and more eating! I couldn't stop eating the bak kwa. Yes, we do have bak kwa here in Vancouver although not exactly the same as those back home in Singapore, they are just as good!

I don't know if it is the drive, the wine or drinks the night before, or just the couch being too inviting that made Edwin sleepy (yet again!).

Erm. And a sidenote to Elisa here: I am so tickled by what I did to your hair/head. Sorry for stroking it. I mean no harm really muahahahah (evil laugh). It's an occupational hazard of being a 24 hour momma.

Lou Yu Sheng!

Lou Hei (also known as Yu Sheng) is a mix of vegetables, some raw fish, plum sauce, ginger and other spices and seasonings. I am not sure where it originated from but it seems only people from Singapore or Malaysia are familiar with this tradition of eating Yu Sheng during Chinese New Year. It's not just the eating, it's actually the "Lou-ing" (mixing up of the dish) and raising of the dish (with your chopsticks) as high as possible amidst the shouting out of words of prosperity or other 'good meaning' words that is so significant about this tradition.

We had the good fortune of having 2 Lou Hei this year @ Andrew & Lucillia's and @ Chris & Joe's. We are so lucky to have so many good cooks around us who treated us to some traditional home-made cookies, pineapple tarts, almond cookies, kueh bangkit, and even Ang Ku Kueh (all done by Nancy). And a huge spread of food which included Hainanese Chinese Rice, Curry Chicken, Beef Rendang, Roast Duck, Sushi and I made Sayur Lodeh and Mango Pudding as well.

We didn't manage to get many photos. There were many camera-shy people and I got carried away with eating and putting my bets down on the mini casino table. We had a bit of a challenge with Lucas bedtime, but he finally fell asleep in the room at about 9pm, 2 hours past his bedtime.

Eve of Chinese New Year with the Chows

We had hotpot at Margaret & Glenn's on the eve of Chinese New Year. It started snowing in the afternoon and I was worried we wouldn't be able to make it up Heritage Mountain. We got into Edwin's van and we did make our way up eventually. It must be the most impressive home-style hotpot I have ever seen. 5-star table and dish settings. When I think hotpot in the home, I think of my bucket of vegetables, and dishes of random food (since everything goes into the pot anyway!) I was so intrigued by the way Margaret laid out her vegetables they deserved a photo. She even had cilantro under the fishballs and tofu. It was so nicely done-up Edwin didn't know how to begin eating haha. Lucas started to run a temperature after dinner and we had to change him and hurry home.

KONG HEI FATT CHOY and wishing everyone Good Health, Happiness and Good Wealth in the Year of the Golden Rat!

Tarts so good

With Chinese New Year approaching, I start to miss the traditional Chinese New Year cookies, the 'bak kwa', and the thrill of going from house to house visiting and tasting even more goodies. When we were younger, Chinese New Year seemed to have been more festive, more colorful, more exciting and more of a big event. I remember new dresses, the smell of home-made cookies and pineapple tarts from our home, the making of egg rolls over charcoal, stuffing my little handbag with 'ang paos' and eating lots of sweets.

30 years on and thousand of miles away from our homeland where most of our family are, Chinese New Year is but another day. I am uncertain how much or how little of tradition we would be able to pass on to our children.

I was very excited when Lian Eng and Elisa suggested having a pineapple tart baking session before Chinese New Year. For one who burns her muffins, baking was not something I would have courage to do alone, let alone it being pineapple tarts which I had assumed needed a high level of baking expertise. Our chief baker, Lian Eng had graciously made the pineapple jam in advance so the rest of us ladies just had to prepare and bake the pastry. I did the simple job of assembling the jam onto the pastry and pressing out the moulds from the dough (which was my favourite part..well, not really..popping the tarts into my mouth must have been the best part). The tarts were a success and tasted just like those from home. YUM. We each managed to bring some tarts home after the baking session and they are treated like treasure in my house right now. There are only 2 beings eligible to eat those tarts and I am hogging them right now since the other being has almost single-handedly wiped out the peanut cookies from Singapore.

Lucas must be going through some sort of growth spurt. He just kept on eating non-stop. And if he wasn't, he was clinging on to me. It was quite a challenge to try to bake and humour my little guy. He was so tired he started snoring in the car on our way home.

Thank you, Elisa and Lian Eng for organising this great baking session!

Our first wagon ride together

Lucas & his buddy Jack on a play-date over the weekend. Carolyn bought a wagon from a swap meet and the boys had a great time riding in it!

Are you eating potatoes in Chile?

Kah Wei, PY & parents are somewhere in Chile now, doing Tai-Ji, cross-stitching and eating potatoes. They were in transit here in YVR and stayed with us for 2 days and were practically "stuffed" with food by Edwin (quite literally actually when Edwin shoved that puff pastry into Uncle Taiji Master's mouth in the car).

It was a short but very interesting couple of days. We learnt so much about the art and philosophy of Tai-Ji from the Master himself. Edwin was really fascinated with the entire sport. After watching the demonstrations on video and also some real-life moves by the Master himself, I was amazed by what Tai-Ji can do to one's body and health.

On another note, I made a new discovery (of my other half) over the few days our guests were in town. He speaks Mandarin very fluently and I never knew. I had to turn to KW to ask what he was saying. Since when did his Chinese vocabulary exceed mine?

P.S. Kah Wei - the cookies are almost gone! Edwin is eating it in the morning, after his lunch and in the evening.

Special guests and goodies from Singapore

Kah Wei, PY and family are here in Vancouver, and staying with us for a couple of days before heading off to South America. It is so much fun to have company in the house and I think Lucas and Abby are thrilled with the extra attention they are receiving! These past few days turned out to be a very interesting and enriching experience which I will save for a later post when I am not so drowsy. The Chinese New Year goodies make me drool and Edwin's eyes sparkle. We miss these goodies soooo much! YUMYUM! Lucas received his first 'Ang Bao' (red packets) for Chinese New Year this year. Lucas thanks Grandpa, Grandma, Auntie Elaine, Gu-ma, Gu-che, MW and KW and Uncle Master Tai-Chi for all your gifts and 'Ang paos' and sends all of you his wet kisses!

Lucas walks on his own @ 13.5 months

Update on Lucas' development:

1. He has started to feed himself. It's still a huge mess with food all over his face and hair after he is done but at least the spoon is moving in the right direction and lands in his mouth 80% of the time. He seems to prefer using his left-hand although we have not advocated the use of either right or left at the moment.

2. He has started to walk on his own unsupported (with arms raised at times which is hilarious) but he still prefers crawling as his favourite mode of movement.

3. He loves to play with Abby now and has learned to pat the dog and say "pat pat" at the same time. He would get onto Abby's back and pretend-ride on her.

4. He is able to get onto his ride-on car on his own and push himself forward.

5. One of his favourite activity is to push his mini stroller-cart around the house these days. He has also learnt to turn the cart around and head in the opposite direction when he meets a dead-end. (with the widest grin ever)

6. He asks for bread to feed Abby.

7. He takes the hair brush or anything that looks like one and starts to brush his hair and mine.

8. Trucks, clock, shoes, socks, television, yoghurt, grapes, fan, cello, violin, toothbrush, fingers, toes, belly button, and towel are some of the new items he has identified with although not vocalising them properly yet.

When fear knows less boundaries

[photos courtesy of Elisa]

I had a wierd dream one night. I woke up and decided I need to go "do stuff". Quickly. Time is running out. Is life going to come to an almost standstill when no.2 arrives?

I was so happy when I found "the thing" to do that would possibly satisfy my desire to conquer something. And even more happy when Elisa agreed to go with me. I am afterall carrying a larger than normal belly and could possibly be slow and clumsy.

Date: Friday 25th Jan
Location: Grouse Mountain

To-do: Snowshoeing

I have donned these shoes and hiked through gentle terrain at Mount Seymour some years back when I could still fit into a size S, when my tummy was taut, and I had no excess baggage on my back. This day, I am carrying a mini being in the front at 17 weeks pregnant and a 23-pounder on my back and still wanted to put those snowshoes on and trek through the snow. When we reached the first steep slope which looked to me like it was an almost 90degree angle even if it was not, my heart did skip a beat. I don't know where the courage came from. Afterall, I am the one who screams at every roller-coaster ride even before it goes down and close my eyes for every ride I take.

It turned out to be a fantastic trip. I love the view, the fresh air, the adrenalin rush and the feeling of a body worked out. BIG thank you to Elisa & Viola for your company and for the GREAT photos!

We baked, they played

We were @ Elisa's for a bake-eat-play date yesterday. I don't bake, I have a fear of looking into the oven and be greeted by a cake that will not rise or cookies that are brown beyond being edible. I admire the women who cook and bake and look all Martha Stewart. Muffins are supposed to be easy, but sometime not so long ago, I managed to burn a dozen muffins and they were rock-hard. I wonder how I ever passed my Culinary Class back in Cornell.

Anyway, back to our date..Elisa cooked beef rendang and Sharon made a soup stew and I brought some curry puffs for lunch. The kiddos had a great time playing until we strapped them down whilst we bake! Viola took a super-long nap and we had 2 little ones for company whilst the beating and mixing were going on. The cheerios and blueberries lasted for about 45mins which was not bad. We baked cookies and muffins and I LOVE the muffin recipe. YUM!

A Taiwanese bite

Corner 23 - since 1948. My dear friends at the airport introduced a new restaurant to us. Taiwanese cuisine @ Cambie and King Edward. Food was great and Master Chef was very friendly - coming out every so often to introduce his signature dishes to us. I think he was a wee bit disappointed when he noticed the large soup bowl (of chicken wine soup) was not too popular. Definitely an acquired taste. I could only taste the wine/liquor when I took a sip and oooooh it was strong! He claimed the wine he used was only a-tenth of what is used in Taiwan!

We will return for sure to check out the rest of the menu!

On a side note, I get asked every so often if I miss the airport, the work I used to do. I am stumped each time the question pops even though I do have many thoughts about it. In a nutshell: Yes I do. It's hard to explain within this limited space how and why but I have been very fortunate to have met some of the most wonderful people in all my overseas postings which made the job very much more enjoyable. The sacrifice was definitely felt when we decided to make this place home which meant I had to leave my job when it was beginning to look like a career. But 3 years on, I have a beautiful baby and a fulfilling business to call my own which enables me to work from home and look after/spend time with my child. The sacrifice was all worth it.

A pretty cold day

It's brrrr...cold, but the sun is out for the most part of this week. Woo-hoo!

The sun was too inviting. After a playdate with Carissa, I took Lucas & Abby out to Rocky Point Park for a walk yesterday to soak up some Vitamin D.

Do not believe even if your man says so. You ain't going to find no baby gear in Home Depot.

I knew something was wrong when he told me he got them baby gates from Home Depot. I made a date (yes my man is so busy I have to book myself an appointment/date to do something with him) with Edwin to go find baby gates one day. After lunch, we drove off with me thinking we will be heading to get those gates. When the car went past the location I had planned to go, I shrieked.
Me: Baby gates!
Him: I already got them.
Me: Really? When?
Him: Just now. Before I came home.
Me: (slightly amazed at the rare initiation) Where from?
Him: Home Depot.
Me: What? They sell baby gates in Home Depot? Really?
Him: (Silence)

This morning, Edwin started the day in the garage. I headed out with Lucas and when I came home, I was greeted by a block of wood sealing my entrance to the kitchen at the top of the stairs.

A block of wood.

That is the "so-called" baby gate from Home Depot.

I feel like I am in prison or some animal cell.

Someone help me.

I have little tricks in my mind

Where did my baby go? Has the so-called "terror twos" arrived at 13 months? I feel like I have a different kid overnight. Lucas woke up one morning and decided he will show momma some of his little tricks. He was hyper all day on Monday and struggled with his nap which was rare. Tried to climb out of his highchair at the restaurant where we had lunch with Ju & baby Nathalie. Struggled with me to get onto the floor in the restaurant so he could go explore. We headed straight home of course after lunch for him to exercise his desire for freedom. He crawled like never before (as if someone was chasing him). I just stood there and watched. Amazed. Wondering if he had any sugar by accident. I believe both Edwin and I fall into the category of "cheeky and active" kids. It's probably all in the genes but it does feels wierd to see yourself in your kid. But why do I not have the answers to how I should be handling this little monkey. I read extensively in handling the challenges from newborn to 12 months. But after 12 months, what happens? I don't know! I need answers. I need a new book.

Jack turns one!

We met Rob & Carolyn from our pre-natal class back in 2006 and were so happy when we found out that we live just about 2 blocks from them. It's great that Lucas has a buddy to grow up with. It has been wonderful knowing them and Jack is such a sweet, easy-going and happy baby. Congratulations on turning one!
Thanks for sharing your special day with us. We had so much fun we didn't want to leave! Lucas is obsessed with the balloon he brought home. He even dreamt of it at night. We heard him say "ball" in the middle of his sleep.

Catching up

Lots of catching-up to do since we recovered from our bout of flu/cold. Work, housekeeping and squeezing in some buddy-time for Lucas and his friends. Hence, the lack of updates in my blog recently. Lucas went on his first kiddy-train-ride over the Christmas season and was thrilled to bits. What is with kids and kiddy-rides. It's as if some magnetic force is drawing their little eyes to these machines.

I lamented to Edwin some time ago that he is not spending enough time bonding with his son and doing "boy stuff" ie "doing stuff outdoors instead of lying around at home going through his toys he is already bored of. At 7:30am one morning, he decided to bring Lucas and Abby out. Duck-watching. Hmm.

Lucas is getting acquainted with the instruments. He loves to strum (or rather hit) the guitar and hear the sound it makes. He is not sure what to make of the cello yet, but gets over to explore it every chance he gets.

Update for me: It's rising. As I look down I am slowly losing vision of my thighs, and soon, my knees and toes. Except for the occasional dizzy and nauseous spells, and feeling the strain from carrying Lucas, I am otherwise feeling pretty good. I am lying. I think I am freaking out about going through it all again. I am slowly putting away more and more clothes which are sadly not covering much of my body anymore. The comforting thought at this time is that I feel very lucky and happy that Lucas is generally a happy and content baby and he has a good routine which I hope will continue to stay the same after no.2 arrives.

A few independent steps

A new milestone for Lucas! He took his first few independent steps today while holding on to his little trolley. I grabbed my camera but it was too late and he didn't repeat it today. I decided to let him walk bare-foot today. I suddenly realised his sleepers is interfering with him trying to get a grip on the floor. And indeed.

Growing a bulge the second time

It feels different. Maybe because I have no time to feel or think this time around. I am 16 weeks along and haven't taken a single photo of my expanding waistline, hardly carressed my bulge which I often did when Lucas was floating in there, and haven't spoken to my foetus which I also often did the first time around. There were times I actually forgot I am carrying an extra little being inside me. I even wanted to go snowboarding with some friends and was promptly rejected by my friends as they reminded me of my changed status. But, I do feel like I have had an excessive lunch everyday and no workout is going to trim that blubber.