Time

I just checked my blog and I'm shocked that my last post was to celebrate Liana reaching 6 months. She's now 10 months. My life with her is full of joy but I also have very little time to maintain all of the projects I had before she was born.

Last semester was really brutal. I was constantly taking work home in the evenings and weekends. During exam week, I actually pulled an all-nighter for the first in 15 years in order to get all of my grades entered. I also felt alternately guilty, depressed or angry about all the things undone and how dirty the apartment was.

The next semester is starting in August and I want not be on such an emotional roller coaster. So, I have decided to hire a cleaner to come at least twice a month so that I don't feel angry about all the chores Leo is not doing, or depressed about all the chores I'm not doing. I won't track how much I've spent in various categories in an Excel file. And I'll stop posting on the blog indefinitely. I will keep updating people about what's going on with us and posting pictures but I will be doing it on Facebook. Writing a sentence in the "What's on your mind" box better suits my life than the blog.

When I restart the blog, I'll let you all know... on Facebook.

Six Months

I know it's a cliche but it's amazing how much she has developed since she came home with us 6 months ago. She now can twist like Chubby Checkers (as long as she's lying down), sit up and has a whole repertoire of expressions. Check out the pictures below.

Mermaids

Leo and I take turns deciding what we will do during the weekends. Of course, the person who decides also pays for it. This weekend belongs to me. and I have been feeling like we've been rushing around for far too long and I've been spending too much money. I decided that I'm not leaving the neighborhood the entire weekend and the afternoons should be spent at the condo.

Now it is Saturday night and so far it has been a great weekend. Before Leo's evening tennis classes we went down to pool with Liana. At first I put in the really shallow water. She enjoyed it but was not that enthusiastic. Then I took her into the jacuzzi. BUBBLES make everything fantastic. Liana loved being so buoyant in the water. She went nuts splashing around batting the bubbles. It was the most fun I've had in the pool for a long time. Probably since I was a kid.

Putting resolution into action

Leo and I got a letter labelled ON GOVERNMENT SERVICE. All caps just like that across the front of the envelope. As a letter, wouldn't you feel a bit puffed up to have such a title printed on the envelope?

Leo opened the envelope and called me at work. After 4.5 months the Singapore Government has accepted our application to be Permanent Residents. Provisionally...

The provisional part means that we still have numerous tasks to do before we actually get the new ID cards, such as getting medical checkups for the three of us, filling out numerous forms, getting ID photos, beign fingerprinted, etc.

I enjoy living in Singapore and plan to be here for many more years so I'm glad that the PR application has moved one step along the government bureaucracy. The PR card will open a few benefits for me like a free library card, greatly help Leo in his work by eliminating the need to apply for work permits, and save us a lot of money once Liana starts school. Even though it won't bring me as many benefits as it does Leo and Liana, I'm still glad I have got it. I feel a connection with Singapore and want to have it officially noted.

Jnauary 2010

One of my perennial resolutions is to keep in better touch with my friends and family. This blog was created to do that. Unfortunately, I keep going through busy periods when I post nothing. Now is definitely one of those periods with so much going on at home with Liana and interesting new developments at work. And the period looks like it has no end. The bright side of having little time is that I have a lot of things to post.

Since I'll never have enough time to write proper posts, I'm just going to post short updates with the occasional picture.

Rosy Hearts Tulip Princess 2009

Today we all went to Liana's first party. It was thrown by her daycare center. All the kids brought a snack to share and a gift for the Christmas exchange. The dress code is fancy dress (i.e. British for costume party) and the theme was floral. I have been feeling sleep deprived since I had a terrible cold last weekend. At first I didn't even want to go because I felt tired and didn't want to bought together a costume with a floral theme. Radi, Liana's main care giver, put some pressure on me. I caved and went shopping Friday evening (the party's Saturday morning). I bought some grapes for the snack, a teething toy for $10 for the gift exchange and some lavender daisies for $1.80. Friday night Liana went to bed at 11 (her usual bedtime is 8:30) because she had terrible wind and spit up 4 times. I went to bed at almost 1 am. Saturday morning I wake up at 7, hunt up a vaguely Christmasy gift bag, wash the grapes and sew some daisies on a headband. Presto, we are ready to party in less than 30 minutes. Of course, I haven't showered, and nobody is dressed or has had breakfast, but we are still ready to party and Liana looks adorable. The dress is from Grandma Jo. Thanks Mom.

At the party there is a costume parade. Leo leads Liana out. She charms the crowd and is crowned Rosy Hearts Tulip Princess 2009. She got a sash, crown and a wrapped prize 2 times bigger than her head, which we are saving to Christmas to open.

The Rosy Hearts Tulip Princess 2009

Liana receiving her crown.

The Tulip Princess is nonplussed about all the attention. (Note that I am also in the floral theme. I would have worn flowers too but I had no stretchy head band to sew them too. )

The MLC

Liana is now drinking from a bottle with ease. We have no idea why she stopped wanting the bottle and then just as suddenly accepted it again. We now refer to her sometimes as the MLC -- mysterious little creature. Now that she can take a bottle I feel much more relaxed about returning to work in the next few weeks. I would have hated to think of her crying because she was hungry and stubborn about the bottle.

Liana has also had all of her shots. At the pediatrician, Liana screamed the loudest of all the kids. She even startled the doctor. I felt absurdly proud of her.