Like any Sunday mornings, we always picked some of the usual places for breakfast. This week, it was to go to Changi Village for dim sum.

Xuanting was busy tasting her food. At this age of curiousity, she wanted to test the food we ate; yet when the food was not of her liking, she would spit out the food.

Three quarters into completing our breakfast, Xuanting wanted to leave the table.

As usual, she wanted to explore around the coffee shop.

By the way, Daddy, you are looking more and more like your sister.

I did nothing.... she was squatting like that.. waiting for Daddy to come back from buying his lunch.

This is Xuanting's first Xmas outing to Orchard.

Ah.. she was then small to go into such crowded places and so we decided not to bring her last year. (Anyway, last year's Xmas decorations at Orchard wasn't nice too).

Sad to say, this year's still not as good as those years that we used to have when we were young. The buildings lack of the Christmas decorations that used to have previously.

We went over at 3pm.

To our astonishment, the exit to Orchard already jammed by then!

So, it took us about half hour before we managed to settle a parking lot at Tanglin Shopping Centre's carpark.

Poor PY and me. We had not have lunch yet.

So, we walked over to Forum to have Japanese food at Genki Sushi.

Not long, it was dark. The lights were up. There was a little drizzle earlier; yet it stopped. Probably so that we may catch the decorations outside.

The crowds were building up too.

Xuanting was tense. This is her first time seeing so many people on the street.

We tried to cheer her up and thank goodness she gave me a smile shortly.

See how cute her smile is.

She was amazed at the Xmas decoration lightings that she kept pointing at them.

There were also few cars going into the Orchard Road too.

Was it because of ERP?

Isetan's one was pretty boring, isn't it?

But Xuanting enjoyed.

Interestingly, we also noticed the lightings along Takashimaya's one shone like stars in the skies.

We took some new photos too to keep her remembered that she was here celebrating in 2007.

Thank goodness, we finished a section of it and decided to head home, the skies started to drizzle again.

Luckily, PY has taken the huge umbrella along and we managed to walk back to Tanglin shopping centre and keeping Xuanting dry.

Anyway, as we reached the shopping centre, we realised that there is a rehearsal going on for the Christmas Day event. There were some floating vehicles (花车).

Wasn't very well taken but here are some photos.

It was not an easy day for a Saturday morning, 19 May 2007.

It has never for a family member that needs to be away for more than 3 months in Singapore. To my mom, it was the hardest. Probably instead of hiding her saddness, she chose to be angry with my sister, Lin, for making such haste decision. Maybe that is how a human reacts to cover the hurt in her heart.

My mom didn't go to airport on that morning.

Luckily Dad went. Hui went. Py, myself and XT went too.

Don't know if this is in the current generation's culture or what. Even both their close friends were there to send them off. I thought, only family members would do.

Probably these friends don't mind coming in the morning to see one of their buddies flying off.

Everybody was busy trying to catch a photo with the "VIP" and time flies really fast.

It was 10:30am. They had to go into the gate to take the SQ22 flight to NYC.

Luckily, my mom didn't come. I guessed, if she did, she would have teared and I think, somehow I may cry too.

After sending them off, praying hard that their journey to NY would be a safe one.

Time now is 2:00am on 11 April 2006.

I tried to sleep but I could not. Not even baby can sleep. She was also excited that she kept moving in my tummy. Unbelievable.. juz a few more hours and I should be seeing her. Suddenly it came to my mind clearly that I am really going to be somebody's mommy. Not that the pregnancy did not prepare me but it was the feelings that I had to bath her, carry her, feed her that I had never experienced and even teach her on everything I know and maybe in future quarrel and argue with her?

Really wanted to give her a Christian name... yet, really could not find any meaingful name that impressed me or Peng Yaw. Guess for now, when baby arrives, we would have to keep calling her "Darling", "Bao Bei" or "Xiao Gong Zu"/"Ge ge"

Really pray that Dr Lisa managed to get me up within few hours after C section then I could walk around without depending on others. And can try my hands to carry a newborn baby... of my own. (By the way, I have nv carried any newborn baby before.. I dun even dare to carry babies not unless somebody places the baby into my hands).

Friday was once again here.

My heart on that day was rather heavy as we made our way to see Dr Lisa. After 40 minutes of wait, finally we were called to go in.

I told Lisa my concern on induction and Lisa checked on our baby.

So, Lisa did a check on baby and this time, she put on another 0.4kg! She's weighing 3.71kg at 37th week! She proceeded to measure on her head diameter and it was found to be 9.2cm!

After some discussions with her, we decided that baby will be delivered through C section to avoid the agony that baby be distressed if I could not push her out.

Lisa decided to fix baby's C section date on 11 or 12 April 2006. I looked at Peng Yaw a while before telling her that we had to discuss.

Heeeheee.. in case, you don't know... 11 April 2006 happened to be my dad's birthday and while on our way here, I have been seeing a lot of car plate numbers with "11" as well (not including our car plate number which has "11" as well).

Of course, my mommy wants 11 April 2006 but of course, she spares me from later baby cannot celebrate with parental grandparents' agony and said 12th is good too except it was lunar 15th and auntie told her baby girl born on 15th lunar day, has not good marriage fate.

We went straight to Peng Yaw's mother's place to further discuss. Then decided to let a geomancer to decide on the date/time. Perhaps, it is fated. WayonNet geomancer will not entertained us as they needed at least 4 days to prepare the paperwork before meeting the geomancer. The one my sisters-in-law saw, was a bit proud and did not have good image left to my mother-in-law. So, I convinced them to let me speak to my friend's uncle, who is a geomancer as well.

Alas! I forgot to save the number into my hp. Crossing my fingers, I smsed my friend if her uncle minded if we contacted him so late in the evening to seek his consultation and my friend called. We spoke and she later smsed me her uncle's number.

Picking up my courage, I called Lai Shi Fu. Introduced myself that I was introduced by his niece and spoke a while. Really thank goodness that my friend actually had spoken to him on my problem and so he was really nice to help me.

He requested for the dates gynae has selected and asked if any preference time. Told him that my gynae would operate only afternoons because her clinic would be closed for half days to do operations on Tuesday and Wednesday. He proceeded to ask for Peng Yaw's surname and then adviced me to call back after 5 minutes later so that he could computate for me and advice me by that day as well since I needed to inform clinic by Saturday morning.

5 minutes.... finally over.

Called shi fu again. This time, he gave me the date. It is confirmed.

My father's birthday.

11 April 2006 would be the operation date. He gave me the time as well and explained to me my baby's luck and why he chose this timing.

Next day, I called the clinic to confirm the date and asked on the timing. Because I selected my own timing, I had to fork another 400 bucks.... but I think ... doesn't matter ... the most important thing is baby's life is good and I will be happy for her.

So now, in the meanwhile, I am counting down to that day. Looking forward to see her.

A bit excited but also scared. Wonder how she is like. Would she be like me? Or like her dad? Maybe her stubborness is inherited from me as well as I argue a lot with my mom. Or maybe like her dad.. always thinking that he is right even though he is not wrong. =p