Juicy Situation

"What are you drinking?" Asked Daryl's old man. "Now don't hide behind the cabinet and let me have a look."

"Daddy, godmother bought it," said Daryl. "If you want to spank someone, spank her please, not me!"

Bubbles

Why are kids always obsessed with bubbles? It isn't a bad thing though, as a bottle of $10 liq-uid soap will be enough to make Daryl's day.

Braving the Beach

Daryl always loves taking a bath. So we expected him to love going to the beach and playing with water and sand.

But we couldn't be more wrong.

On the final day of this past summer vacation, we decided to put on a diving suit for him and go to the beach together.

We went there late in the afternoon, hoping that it would not be as hot as midday. While it was indeed a little cooler, it was still a hot day.

When we took off Daryl's clothes revealing his fluorescent diving suit (courtesy of his crazy godmothers), he was smiling and laughing as if looking towards to the challenges ahead.

"Give me a surfing board," we thought he said.

But just as we put him onto the sand, he started crying. Loudly.

Worried, we carried him into our arms and took him near the water, hoping that the water would cool him down.

But he cried even louder. Maddeningly louder.

We had no choice but to mount a full-scale retreat. He finally stopped crying when we retreated to somewhere almost 50 metres away from the water.

Later on, we tried to take him close to the water again, but he just wouldn't budge and started crying again. Astoundingly loudly.

Then we put him onto our mat. When he finally stopped crying, we tried to put his feet onto the sand. But as soon as his feet hit the sand, he lifted them, as if the sand was infected with lots of lethal germs (which in fact was).

In the end, I was the only one who could get into the water to enjoy a sunbath. Meanwhile, my wife and my helper had to look after this scared little baby all afternoon long.

Well, perhaps next time would be better, right?

Studio Again!

We are really crazy.

We are so crazy that we decided to spend another thousand dollars to have another series of studio pictures taken for Daryl last Saturday.

And we even bring along his godmothers (and our domestic helper) along, where we would move around and act like idiots just to make him smile.

Apparently we didn't do a good job, and you will know why very soon.

While We Were Away

You can never imagine how much we missed Daryl during our trip in Tokyo.

We called home whenever we could, and especially right after the earthquake (Yes, we could feel the hotel shaking in Tokyo too). I am sure that when I finally see the bill, I will have a mild heart attack, 'cos we just didn't want to hang up when we could hear him saying things or producing sounds.

One week can be a huge difference for a baby's growth. And that is no exception for Daryl too. Before we left, he was walking so unsteadily that we would never let him walk alone. We would hold his hands firm as he tried to rumble from the living room to our bedroom. And he knew it, he knew that he had to rely on us.

But when we came home a week later, stunning news! Daryl can walk quite steadily alone. After watching him walk alone just once, we decided that it was time to let go (of our hands, that is), and we would feel safe and happy about it.

Did he know we were away?

As we left home at 4 in the morning on the day left for Tokyo, we never officially said goodbye to him. We just cruelly picked him up from his bed and he started crying because he was so sleepy. So we just took some pictures and headed for the airport.

As we were wondering whether he would notice something (i.e., something fat) missing at home, our reliable sources (i.e., my mother-in-law and his godmothers) told us that a couple days into our trip, he suddenly pointed at our bed and said, "Papa," and he did the same while pointing at the computer table where I usually hang out.

He knows. He just knows. There is no way we can fool him.

And most importantly, he has mastered the skills of kissing. I'm not going to ask who was the culprit for teaching him such a sexy trick, but the thing is, his kisses are great, probably the best I have ever had (sorry, Mommy).

When you tell him to "Kiss Daddy" and put your face close to him, he would push your face away and turn his head away from you if he doesn't have the mood. But if he does, be prepared for two soft and tender lips kissing your face gently.

Oh, I'd better stop describing how great his kisses are, before turning this blog entry into some porn stuff.

Home Alone

I know we shouldn't do it.

But we are going to do it, anyway.

The "it" refers to an overseas trip without Daryl, which will take place in three days' time and last for a week.

We know we will miss him, and we know we may have missed lots of important moments in his life while we are away.

But he's just way too young to travel with us. And the last time I checked, we haven't been on a trip together for nearly two years.

You may say it's going to be our third honeymoon. But leaving Daryl behind makes me sad.

Luckily his two crazy godmothers, my mother-in-law and my parents (Creamy as well) will all help take care of him while we are away.

And hopefully he won't be angry with us, and still remember us when we come home.

Buffet and Party

My parents always tell me that I will feel old much more quickly when I have become a parent. And now I understand why as believe it or not, Daryl is now one year-old.

Being ones who are willing to buy (which does not mean that we are rich), we have given him some nice presents and held a small party for him. Once again his godmothers stole the show by making the most wonderful cake we have ever eaten.

And before that, we took him out for a buffet lunch at J.W. Marriott Hotel and there Daryl sat on a baby chair away from home for the very first time. And Daryl was given a set of children's cutlery and tried to eat on his own. However, he soon found out that the cutlery didn't do him any good as he was only given a milk bottle and a napkin.

Life has definitely become simpler since we have become parents. We no longer pursue any thrills or spills in life. Instead, we go for stability and the only thing we care is the well-being of Daryl. We still have lots of things to learn to become good parents, but we are willing to give our best shot.

Because watching him smile is the most wonderful thing in the world.

Oh Girls!

Luckily Daryl is a boy. Otherwise I would have suffered a massive heart attack when I saw what happened to Daryl on Children's Day.

It was a dinner gathering at the neighbouring Cityplaza for us with his two godmothers and, after enjoying a good meal, we took Daryl to the ice-skating rink. Daryl had been there for a number of times, but that was the first time we went close to the rink. I bet when Daryl saw such a big piece of white ice on the floor, he must have been wondering, "What the heck are they doing on my spilled milk?"

Anyway, as we were watching the boys and girls circling the rink time and again, three girls (I bet none of them was more than 10-year-old) suddenly came straight at Daryl and started yelling at him. They were visibly excited (as the Plexiglass around the rink blocked what they said) and were trying their very best to capture Daryl's attention. They waved and jumped and yelled and spun, and the only things they didn't do was to flash their body and moon him.

I thought Daryl must have been the provocateur by making some obscene gestures to them, so I took a look at him. But he was just sitting there, taking everything into his eyes as if he had seen them all before. (And I don't mean I have flashed my body to him or mooned him.)

I am not sure what had happened to the girls (like whether they were on drugs or stuff like that), but as we were leaving the rink, our conversation was filled with words like "bold", "Oh my God" or even "(bleeping) b_tchy". And luckily their parents were not around as they would have spanked us hard after hearing what we had to say.

But Daryl was just enjoying the ride in his pram, not a bit flinched or disturbed by his crazy and adoring fans. And for a baby who has never produced any albums or starred in any blockbuster movies, the girls' action falls somewhere between childishly funny and plain ridiculous.

I wonder what the girls would have done had Daryl been really a Hollywood star. They would have flashed their bodies to him, mooned him, and then some.

And their parents would have spanked them, hard.

And so there goes my plan of giving birth to a daughter (at least for the moment).

Godmothers

Because of the incredible amount of stuff in our home ("They're enough to support a dozen people," said our domestic helper), I always say that we have a lot of EVERYTHING in the world. The only thing we don't have is money.

And the same goes for Daryl. He has no money yet (What? You think he has a million-dollar bank account? He will if any of you give him, or us, one.), but has a lot of clothing, toys and other stuffs.

And no, he doesn't have one godmother. He has TWO in fact.

These two crazy girls are two of my very best friends. They are my high-school classmates, and they love children a lot, and one of them has been other kids' godmothers before.

How crazy are they? They once said that we can simply concentrate on supporting Daryl's study and buying his food, and they will take care of all his clothing. Then during the very hot summer days, they told us that they have already bought a super-warm quilt gown for him. And when scorching summer finally ended and the weather became cold, they decided to tell us that they have bought some swimming wears (notice the "s") for him.

And a quick check into Daryl's wardrobes confirms our belief: We, as his parents, have only bought him the cheapest of clothes from the cheapest of places. Meanwhile, almost all of his "designer" clothing are bought by his godmothers.

But their "donation" is strictly "in kind". When we suggested them make stock or fund investment for Daryl, they flatly said no, as "stocks and funds won't make Daryl prettier!"

Sometimes they are evil. They would sneak into our home when we were away at work and visit Daryl. As they have already won over the trust of our domestic helper, we are really worried that one day they will kidnap Daryl and ask for a huge ransom.

And they are also the main reason why we have to move. They always threatened us that if we don't move to a bigger place, there will not be enough room to store the things they have bought for Daryl. We, as kind and friendly as always, have no choice but to accommodate their request.

But at the rate they're buying things for Daryl, we'll soon have to acquire the flats (notice the dreaded "s" again) next to us, just to have enough room for us go to the toilet without tripping over.

Nevertheless, Daryl is a lucky boy. We always thank God that everyone loves him a lot, and it's really a blessing for him to have two such caring and loving godmothers.

Home Sweet Home

After spending months searching for a new flat, we finally found one, and have now moved in.

It wasn't easy at first. There simply wasn't much flat available close to where we were living when we started. If there was one, it was either too expensive or simply too dilapidated. We don't mind living in flats of poor conditions, but we also have to take Daryl into consideration. We want him to grow up in better places.

So we spent many weekends visiting flats with property agents, who can sometimes be quite obnoxious and annoying. If you hate receiving cold calls, then you will probably detest the company of property agents. They are just the same.

In late October, we finally found one we like a lot. It has recently been renovated, and is quite close to my parents' home as well. Then the next (and probably the most important) thing to do was to bargain. However, the owner stood firm, and we are not the best of bargain hunters. The result: One of the sides is very happy.

Then we suddenly remembered what we had forgotten: Daryl hadn't visited the new flat yet! Older people say that people should bring along their babies when visiting flats. If the baby is happy, then the flat is good and "clean". If the baby cries, then it isn't.

When we finally brought Daryl along to the flat, we had already done all the paper work, which means that we have reached the point of no return. Worried, we showed him the flat and much to our relief, Daryl was smiling and very happy in our new home. He likes it a lot! Thanks Jesus!

And after thorough cleaning, we decided to move in on a Saturday in late November. The actual moving work took almost half a day, as we indeed have loads of things (we were told that there are enough things for a dozen people to live in). We also took Daryl to his godmother's home, lest he would be scared by the noise and the dust of the chaos. Turns out that he was scared by the sound of the piano there! And after two more days of unpacking the 50-plus boxes and drilling holes for boards and stuffs, we finally have a "brand new" home!

Four Months

Dear Daryl,

Today is your four-month-old birthday. So Happy Birthday to you!

From the time of seeing you being just a tiny little baby when you were born, to being such a healthy and happy baby now, we always thank God how wonderful things have turned out to be.

We were worried about everything before, during and after you were born, worried that you might be hungry or not feeling well. But thank God for lending us a big helping hand and you are now such a big and strong fella who is willing to drink milk and is seldom naughty.

You are such a tidy and clean baby that you would cry when you want to have a bath, but smile while taking and enjoying one.

You can sit or even stand for a short while now. And very often we would simply put you on the sofa, watching you sitting and watching TV. Like Mommy says, you are a TV baby, a close relative of the Teletubbies.

And you don't seem to mind the flashes of the cameras, as you have got used to it since the day you were born. Mommy and daddy are both photo-taking freaks, just like the paparazzis, and you are the Hollywood star.

And you are such a blessed baby that you not only have the love of grandparents and us, but also that of your two crazy godmothers who are willing to spend a fortune on your clothes and toys. I always tell them to subscribe a fund for you instead, but they flat out said no, saying that the funds won't make you more lovely.

You can utter a lot of sounds now, but still can't master the skills to say "Mommy" or "Daddy". Hopefully you would learn to speak quickly. And judging from the abundance of saliva running out of your mouth, it's highly likely that you will learn it really soon.

And we will soon see your first teeth too. Mommy says that she's noticed some white dots in your lower gum, and believes that these are your teeth. Well, that means you can start biting and chewing things really soon. And hopefully you won't bite us.

Best Wishes,

Your Mommy and Daddy

Mindless Daddy, Joyous Baby

I was so careless that I didn't remember a very important day.

Yesterday was Daryl's two-month-old birthday!

Being occupied by my work and stricken with sickness yet again, my mind was all over the place and I simply didn't remember this very special day for him. Now talk about a bad father: I didn't buy him any present when he was a month old, and now, I almost forgot this special day had Mommy not reminded me in the morning.

And this blog entry would not have existed had one of Daryl's godmothers not asked me to write it!

Daryl doesn't look like a two-month old baby. If I bring him down on the streets and ask the passers-by how old he looks like, I suspect most of them will say that he looks like five or six months old (and that I am a lunatic).

Looking back, time really flies and I still remember everything when Daryl was born. Mommy's admission to hospital, me waiting outside the ward, more waiting inside the ward, and the entire birth process. It seems like they all happened yesterday.

To me, Daryl's major achievement this month is that he has learned how to smile. When I see him smile, well, all my troubles will really be gone.

Moving up the Weight Class

Daryl has reached a milestone today. A time to celebrate indeed.

His weight has broken the 10-pound barrier.

And compared with other new borns, Daryl is bigger, stronger and faster in all area. A giant among the boys, you may say.

One of the reasons is that Daryl has taken a lot more milk powder than usual. While the instructions on the Wyeth S26 can says that babies between two to eight weeks should have six meals per day (one meal once every four hours) and four ounces each, Daryl has been eating once every one to two hours, and sometimes up to five or even six ounces per meal.

By the way, our usual guys and gals held a lavish party for Daryl's one-month birthday yesterday, with lots of presents and a lovely cake prepared by his godmothers. All the beautiful gals fell in love with him at first sight, and being a great ambassador, Daryl is more than happy to be cradled by them, and kept his eyes wide open when taking pictures.