Husband nearing 5-month pregnancy interval (Charis writes)

As I'm writing this, I'm listening to Christmas carols on the Internet radio... it has always been my most favourite time of the year. This year's Christmas is also exceptionally special while we wait to open the package with the gift tag that says, "Open only when due."

Baby, do you know, you are supposed to be due on April Fool's Day? Daddy has had a whale of time thinking of weird names (read: Bozo?!) for you to mark that special day. But we know better, if you're early, you're coming out on March 17 in to commemorate "Incredible Kid Day" or if you're snug and cosy, you're coming out on April 7 to celebrate "No Housework Day" with me.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving Day with a few of our American friends over a scrumptious buffet dinner in Siam City Hotel and there was the traditional turkey and glazed ham! After our meal, Samuel and I took this funny pic to compare our bellies. He's getting there, I tell ya!

Headline: Husband & wife nearly 5 months pregnant

I know I was supposed to write a letter to Little Bean, I'll do it in the next post! :) There's just so much to say to my little son :)

The chromosomes tell it all!

So recently we were given the chance to head back to Malaysia for a 1-week, then extended to a 2-week break due to the flood situation in Thailand. It was a great opportunity as we weren't meant to go back so soon. Our neighbourhood in Bangkok was spared from the floods but not so for people living in the outskirts. It would seem the waters would never go away! Please do continue to keep Thailand in your prayers.

Anyway, besides ticking food off our lists back home, we also had time to meet up with a local ob/gyn specialist. I was around 18-19 weeks then and we wanted to get our first detailed ultrasound scan. We headed out to UMSC with my sis-in-law and her 2 sons (we had to go visit my grandma after that) and met a really good doctor. You knew he was good when you had to wait 2 hours to get to him!

We've had scans before this but not one as detailed. Here, we found out that Little Bean is no more a little bean, but an almost fully-developed baby with all limbs and organs intact! That's how we came to find out about Little Bean's sex. I didn't want to appear desperate to the doctor about knowing about it so when he moved the probe around and finally said, "Ah, so now you can see the sex of the baby".

I was: What?! I cannot see a thing. Where? It was Samuel who first spotted it (I guess he would know best) and then he exclaimed happily and squeezed my hand which he was holding! I was still shocked and exclaimed "But everyone wanted a girl!". Thinking back I shouldn't have said so in case the doctor thought I was being ungrateful or something! I didn't mean what it sounded like, really!

So we are having a boy! I'd show you the amazing shot that sealed it all but maybe we should take that offline ;)

Next: A letter to Little Bean...

The journey so far... (Charis spills)

... has been rather exciting. I wouldn't say it is as nerve-wrecking as a roller coaster ride, but it sure ain't a stroll in the park either!

Firstly, a decent woman can only stand so many hormonal changes! Secondly, the weighing scale has GOT to go. And lastly, a little ache and a pain here and there will see me running to the "experts" on the WWW.

Here was what I googled (please don't laugh, ok!). See answers below.

1. Will I hurt my baby if I sneezed too hard?
2. Can my baby hear the music I am hearing from the earphones?
3. Why isn't my belly button popping out?
4. Why am I showing at 4 months?

Answer 1: No, but the pain you are feeling is from uterine expansions.
Answer 2: NO.
Answer 3: Not every woman is a popper. But it certainly doesn't determine the gender of your baby!
Answer 4: Unspecified. I tell people it's because I have winter storage like bears in hibernation (and then scuttle away in a corner to sulk).

I am not worried, though. The questions first-time mummies ask in online forums can be downright amusing sometimes! Like, "Can my baby hear my thoughts?". Lol!

Can they? :-/

Next: The chromosomes tell it all...

The bun in our oven (Charis)

Aside from breaking the news to your family, I think the most memorable moment is finding out firsthand that you are expecting. We didn't find that out the romantic way - I didn't pee on a stick, get the reading and wonder how to break it to my husband. I didn't have the opportunity to see how Samuel's reaction would be like, much like how he saw me reacting to his marriage proposal, now so many moons passed.

Nope, nothing like all that. We found it out, together, at the doctor's.

I knew, before our visit to the doctor's, that there was something going on. The signs and symptoms were all there. But we have been trying for awhile and since nothing has come out of it, we didn't want to put our hopes up. Plus I had psychosomatic symptoms of pregnancy before this when I thought I was when I wasn't - I didn't want to be silly. And I guess we were trying not to jinx it or something :)

That should be how it should be like - finding it out together. Holding hands when we saw Little Bean for the first time on the monitor, tears trickling down my face, thinking, "So there you are, baby. You're so, so beautiful."

Next: The journey so far...

The ultimate :-o look! (Charis shares)

As promised, in this post we will share with you a video of us announcing our little creation to my parents. I've always wanted to do a video like this ever since I saw a similar "Announcing the Baby" clip on America's Funniest Home Videos. Although the beginning threatened to be a disaster, my mother's beautiful O-shaped mouth of surprise along with my dad's chuckle easily brought happy tears to my eyes. It is even more meaningful as we were not there to announce it personally, so my sister (who was the first to know of Little Bean's existence btw!) helped prepare everything, including taking and editing this video and the whole family (including newcomer baby Travis!) was there to witness this.

Thank you, Caryn! *hugs*

Next: How we found out about Little Bean

We're still alive! (Samuel, Charis + 1)

What better way to revive a blog than to announce a new life? :)

Samuel and I are going to be proud parents soon and we hope you are able to share our happiness and joy in welcoming our "Little Bean", as he/she is now called. We hope to be able to share with you as much as possible on our new journey in this blog. So to all our friends out there, you are now officially "uncles" and "aunties" (if you aren't already) :)

Aunty Joanne Kek says it best to sum up the whole situation:
"Charis, you and Sammy have successfully spawned and you are now with sprog!"

The picture that accompanied the email we sent to Samuel's parents telling them about Little Bean.

Next: Video of Charis' parents receiving the good news.

Cupcake challenge - The Aftermath (Charis writes)

Now I remember why it took so long to get back to the baking challenge. It was simply exhausting! I took a full day to recover from the heat and exertion. Didn't help that I smoked up the kitchen when I put chocolate chips in the microwave to melt them - a big no-no but a mandatory for a novice baker (as self-consolation).  But I did it albeit slightly veering from the original plan. I baked two batches of cupcakes and if you had followed my tweets that fateful day, I mentioned that it was due to snacking and some cakes that didn't pass the QC.

For the first batch, I used Goddess of Housekeeping, Martha Stewart's recipe for One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes , a really simple recipe which has all the ingredients in one bowl. I had to substitute buttermilk and safflower oil with milk + vinegar (yes, there's vinegar inside!) and melted butter and the result was amazing! It tasted a little bit like Mum's moist chocolate cake recipe. I used this recipe for the frosting instead of buttercream frosting so it was easier to pack it up for the bake sale I was contributing the cakes to.

The second batch with the original vanilla flavor just didn't work out at all. It sunk in the middle and despite my efforts to revive it with "decorating" it just didn't stick. Here's the reason why it sunk.

So here is the picture of the cupcakes (first batch only). I still need to work on the decoration bit. Maybe the next challenge would be fondant icing!

Cupcake challenge (Charis writes)

Last year for Christmas, I challenged myself to a bake-out where I baked cookies, a loaf of bread and a cake, all from scratch, and also threw in a roast chicken for good measure. This year after a 5-month hiatus, I am ready to bake again. This time, it's cupcakes.

My best memories of cupcakes were eating them with great friends in Wondermilk in Damansara Utama and of course, the baby blue with white/yellow daisies on top wedding cupcake-cake we had. You can view the pictures from the creator's blog, May, my lovely ex-neighbour :) She does an amazing job with all things cake!

So in celebration of the recently concluded royal wedding, I baked 2 dozen cupcakes with tiny pink heart sprinkles on top. But I took no pictures as they were, well, kinda ugly. I thought getting brown colouring for my buttercream frosting was a good idea but without the right piping tools, it just turned out, rather... natural-looking, if you know what I mean. So no pictures, but thank goodness they more than make up in taste. So I am taking myself up to this next cupcake challenge, a very simple vanilla cupcake recipe with either chocolate ganache or fondant for icing.

Now, who wants to join me in this quest? :D

Our first anniversary (Charis writes)

Through the years, we've forgotten so many of our "firsts" so we decided for our first anniversary, it will be something we will remember. You know, it wasn't too long ago that we said our vows and I remembered thinking, with tears streaming down my face, "This is it! This is the first day of our forever!". So thanks to all of you who supported and lifted us up in prayer as we walked together this one year. The journey is still far ahead of us!

We celebrated this day a little earlier, taking full advantage of the Songkran holiday and unredeemed hotel loyalty points and had another honeymoon! We "traveled" to the Bangkok Riverside and checked-in in a hotel with a great view. Mostly it was a time of relaxation and spending time together. Even though we were still in Bangkok, it was a part where we seldom visited, so it felt like we were away anyway :)

And how are we celebrating it today? After a wonderful Easter evening service, we came home and celebrated our anniversary the Malaysian way - half a kg of Thai durians and Glee! Enjoy the pictures!

The hotel knew it was our anniversary so there were rose petals and swans! 

We had a beautiful view of the Chao Phraya river.

Silhouettes in the sky (we couldn't resist the photo-opportunity!).

Then we had dinner in Khinlom Chom Sa Phan, an open-air restaurant which is also by the river with a great view of the Rama 8 bridge. Fresh seafood, a steady breeze from the river with live, light and easy music - what more can we ask for...

And in true Malaysian style - here's the skinny on the food we had!

Fruit salad with shrimps.

Salted grilled fish with lemongrass with raw vegetables.

Pineapple fried rice with deep-fried shrimps and pork floss.

The Seafood Platter - grilled.

Night view of the Rama 8 bridge.

It was the first day of Songkran. This car was "blessed" with wet powder from a few people :)

Enjoying the hotel's infinity pool which had deck chairs on water as well.

Happy Anniversary, darling :)

Master Chefs in Bangkok - Charis writes

It's almost coming to a year now since I moved to Bangkok (Sam moved here a few months before me) and I can't imagine how time flew. They say time moves faster when you're having fun and that is partly true, especially when you have parents as fun as I do!

My parents came in March and stayed with us for a week. My parents couldn't believe we've been cooking rice in a small microwaveable pot for 2 and so they got us a wonderful rice cooker that has baking, steaming and slow cooking functions. Never will anyone say my daughter can only cook rice for 2, they said. I have not tried all the functions yet, but the idea of baking in it is just awesome!

Needless to say, Sam and I were pretty spoilt with home-cooked  food as long as Mummy was around. But nothing beats the final showdown, where the dynamic duo prepared dinner for our final meal together. Dad created the largest "bonfire" ever seen in that kitchen, not unlike those fires you see from the uncle at the "Tai Chau" restaurant. Here are some stolen shots of the moment.

Mum doing her thing. See how fast she moves, it's a blur!

Master Chefs in action.

Proudly showing their achievement - a 6-course Chinese dinner!

Thanks Mum and Dad, we love you! 

A year of marriage

Wow, a year of marriage. Felt the year past by real quick. Exciting times.

Sam

The food I miss (Sam speaks)

It's been 6 months since we last went back to Malaysia. I miss real food.

28 things (Sam speaks)

(found this via google)

I've turned 28. Most people ask how did I celebrated my birthday and I really didn't know how to answer. I enjoyed just being around people and having a cake (ok it was like 2 in the office then 4 mini cakes with Charis and friends). Anyway, I'm not one who celebrates with big parties but it was nice to know that so many wished on facebook. Gives you that nice tingly feeling that you're remembered

I enjoyed that one day but I'll rather say that I enjoyed celebrating everyday for 28 years.

I don't really remember everything but here's a snapshot off the milestones for the year-

1. The biggest highlight I must say was getting married (to a girl whom I met 10 years ago that became my bestest friend)! There are more pictures of our wedding on facebook so just look that up. It also started this blog.

Everything before this was a blur preparing for the wedding, flying in and out of Malaysia.

2. Then came our trip to Phuket in which I got my first "saman" in Thailand since moving here.

3. Charis then moves in to our first home as a family. This is when the place was turned from a bachelor pad to a family house.

(no pictures cause I don't remember what my bachelor pad used to look like :))

4. Picked up my guitar again and started playing in church. Feels good

5. Celebrated another milestone year working at P&G. Oh yeah!

(Yup, Old Spice is a P&G brand)

6. Sat on a plane for 22 hours. And back.

7. First time in USA. (Notice my gloves that doesn't match with anything that I'm wearing. Rookie winter mistake)

8. Saw snow for the first time. Can't see my gloves.

9. New Years countdown NYC Times Square. (From really far far away)

Of course there are many more milestones but who's really counting. Just counting these blessings are sufficient to be grateful for.

Ok, time to sleep.

More on the US trip later.

P.S It was also my dad's b'day a few days back so wish him as well.

A Gastronomic Adventure in the USA (Sam & Charis Speaks)

Charis: Sam and I recently went on a vacation to the US to witness Simon's (Sam's brother) graduation ceremony. When that opportunity came up, we thought we'd turn it into a mini holiday! As always, thanks to my hubby, our holidays are always infused with food and the search for good food. 

Samuel: "Here's the 101 things we need to eat while we're in US. Number 1: The Crab Pot, as featured on Man vs Food. Number 2: Clam Chowder as featured in...." and the list goes on ...

Charis: Our first stop was Seattle, a pre-planned 22-hour layover before arriving in our destination in LAX. Alas, we didn't plan our sleeping well and ended up very jetlagged. Seattle's wet and cold weather welcomed us as we took a train downtown to the famed Pike Place Market. 

Samuel: "Touchdown! Let's check in and get out! There's so much to do, so much to see, so much to eat". 15mins later after checking in ...ZzzzZzzz. Joking, we did go out (eventually) heading to the cold wet Seattle downtown straight to Pike's place. The interesting thing when we got our tickets for the train, it was purely based on trust. There were no one checking on any gates at the station to insert any tickets to pass. They assumed all will buy a ticket. (Culture shock #1!)

Charis: We had our first hot meal after getting off the train in Etta's where I had their grilled Salmon and Samuel got something common like Chicken Chop or Fish & Chips or something (hence no picture). We had wanted to see the activity going on in the market (we heard fishes were thrown at you) but we were just too late for that after taking a "short nap" at the hotel.

Charis: The next day we flew to LA, where the bright Californian sun and blue skies greeted us. It was so warm I actually felt like I was getting a tan! Here, we met up with friends, Ps Daniel and Molly Shiao, whom I met the last time my family came to California. Molly took us up from the airport and took us to... well, I'll let Samuel tell you this part!

Samuel: "I just need to sleeeeeep. So sleeeeepy. How to keep awake"

Charis: We're going to In-N-Out.

Samuel: "I'm awake". And so there we head over to had my first In-N-Out burger and it was...soooo yummy! The buns were soft as though just baked, lettuces and onions were so fresh and springy, a touch of ketchup and the patty, oh the meat, freshly grounded with the right portions of lean meat and fats to make it oh so juicy, pounded to the perfect thickness then grilled to perfection. The sizzle alone makes your mouth water. We got our orders then came the moment of truth - The first bite. The start of a beautiful relationship. The second bite. The meat gently melts in your mouth. The third bite.. 

Charis: And so! Before Samuel forgets that he's a married man...The next day, still very much feeling the effects of jetlag, we decided to stay around the city and go on a hop-on, hop-off tour of Los Angeles. We took the trail that would bring us around Hollywood and the exclusive neighbourhood of Beverly Hills. I was on the look-out for celebrities but despite the tour guide on the bus saying this place or that place was a favourite hangout of this and that celebrity, we saw none. Then we stopped in the Farmer's Market at The Grove where we had our first celebrity spotting - Mario Lopez!

Samuel: With In-N-Out checked off the list, we moved on to other items. Next stop, the legendary Pink's Hot Dogs. The only reason why I wanted to go was because it was featured several times on some celebrity TV that it's one of their favorite cheap places to grab a quick bite so we gave it a try. We queued for about 15mins (which was pretty fast considering the usual long line) then I ordered the most manly hot dog on the menu: The Martha Stewart :) which despite having a name like that was loaded with everything good that deserves to be eaten on a hot dog. Charis had a Chili Dog. 

Charis: After 3 days in LA, we took a Chinatown bus (an experience by itself!) to Las Vegas for a short visit and of course, another gastronomic adventure! Not only is Las Vegas famed for its casinos and "what happens in Las Vegas..."'s, she is also known for its fabulous buffet spreads! It took us awhile to choose one, but seeing that the prices certainly match the reviews, we decided on the beautiful Bellagio which is famous for its giant crab legs, meats and general buffet spread. It was getting chilly by then, so it was great to fill ourselves with some fuel. At one point, Samuel had 5 different types of cuts of meat on his plate - things I have ceased to wonder at now... :D

Samuel: We were there during the grand opening of the new casino and hotel, Cosmopolitan - the same place Jay Z and Beyonce had their super extravagant New Year's eve party. It was super packed with people but we managed to take a brief peek at their 3 storey crystal chandelier.

Charis: And finally we come to the day which started it all. We met up with my in-laws and Simon in College Station, about 2 hours drive from Houston. The yellow sash-like cloth he's wearing in the picture above meant that he graduated summa cum laude in Electrical Engineering. Way to go, Simon! Take it for the rest of the engineers in the family (we found out later that Sam's Dad, Samuel and I all hold engineering degrees). Simon played host and took us several places to eat but the most notable ones were Layne's Chicken Fingers and the juicy Texas BBQ ribs which we had in a little graduation party with Simon's friends. Amazing!

Samuel: Everything in Texas is HUGE in portions. Ribs. Steaks. Pizza. Burritos. But the best part about Texas was the HUGE heart. The people here are friendly beyond friendly. They'll go the extra two miles to make you feel welcomed. (Culture shock #2)

Charis: Then the family went on a mini vacation to the historical city of San Antonio, famous for being the place where Davy Crockett died in the Battle of the Alamo. As a start of our visit to the city, Simon took us to J.Alexander's, which we are told to be famous for their macaroni & cheese. Samuel and I shared a 32.oz sirloin steak which meant a 16.oz for me! Needless to say, I couldn't finish my share. But the dessert, aptly named the "Very Best Chocolate Cake", was one of the best I've ever tasted! 

Samuel: Driving on the right side of the road is something that needs getting used to. (Culture shock #3). Ok, more on the chocolate cake and ice cream (one scoop is the size of my fist!). Rich, hot fudge, cool creamy ice cream tops of a wonderful start in San Antonio. It did helped that we stopped by one of those premium outlets just before dinner this that helped built up our appetite. 

Charis: The following day we met up with a missionary couple serving in San Antonio and they brought us to a true Mexican Taco house and the boys were really excited!

Samuel: Uncle George and Aunt Pam gave us the full San Antonio Mexican experience from food to culture to history. Amazing. It's good to know people around the world. Patty's taco house has by far the best Tex-Mex food I've ever eaten. The service was great, the drinks were great, the people in the restaurant were friendly, and the food, oh the food. No words to describe the emotions my tongue and tummy felt (That's right, they have emotions too.)

Charis: Even after all that, our wonderful hosts brought us to a really beautiful Mexican bakery near the Riverwalk named Mi Tierra Bakery. Once you're in, you''ll be taken in by their decoration with mock & colourful piñata filling the entire ceiling and waitresses dressed in colourful costumes. The spread on display was also simply breath-taking and  it took us awhile but we finally decided on a few sweet lovelies. I found out from their website that we got a Ricardo, Pecan Praline and a Dulce de Calabaza. Definitely a place to visit again and again.

Samuel: Over here Nacho Libre is a hero, for some weird reason. They sell those masks everywhere here. I was tempted to get one then I realized, it'll never look as cool when a Chinese wears those costumes. 

Charis: After a short rest, a laser show and a leisurely walk on the lovely Riverwalk, we stopped by Saltgrass Steak House for an original Texan steak! I had a 12 oz. New York Strip and yes I could finish it by this time! The environment was very cozy and suitable for hungry families hoping to eat big steaks. After that, a nice transition to a  stroll by the Riverwalk towards the Alamo for a night view of the historical building. It was truly a memorable night :)

Samuel: Oh yeah, you can't leave Texas without enjoying real BBQ Steaks!

Samuel: One of the experience that we needed to have was celebrating Christmas in the US, the real traditional way. This was one of the experiences we will never forget. The Santini's (who've been like a family to our family in College Station) gave us the experience of a lifetime for us Asian folks. We've never had a Christmas celebration this elaborate and heartwarming. I'll let Charis talk more about it.

Charis: Once we arrived in Texas, we felt ourselves welcomed into a community of warm friends with ready smiles and "honey's", "sweeties" and "howdies". It was really a vast difference compared to places we've been before this and later, New York. Like Samuel said, the Santini's were one of the families that took us in and made our stay very comfortable. 

Christmas Eve was a big and annual event in their house and it was always celebrated with other friends and family. We felt as if we were part of the family when they allowed us to help out with the decoration and the setting up of the place. The food was great and we had gumbo for the first time after hearing about it in "The Frog Princess". The turkey Robert (eldest son of the Santini's) marinated and later deep-fried was simply perfect! We had an impromptu caroling session after and despite singing in the cold, it was great fun just packing into the vans and driving to houses to sing. Truly an experience to remember :)

Samuel: Next stop, the Big Apple! We flew in Christmas day (a day just before the snow blizzard struck the city with 16 inches of snow!) to a freezing cold New York City. The first thing we noticed, the people here aren't really that friendly and they're always in a rush - feels a lot like home (Charis: except we're friendlier). Anyway, after relaxing for the past two weeks, we decided to go all out in NYC. Many more items on the checklist to eat and do. 

Charis: New York was just what we expected, always in a hurry, fast-paced and because of the winter season, the day passed by real quickly too. We trudged through snow & sludge, got delayed in the subway, walked endlessly finding for good food in the city. While we had hoped to see some snow, we hadn't expected it to slow us down. And it did slow us down a lot!

So first stop was the pizzas. And where else to get it than in Little Italy and in 

Lombardi's, allegedly the first pizzeria in NYC! They had a cute little sign out front saying "Yes, we're open! Not even the snow can stop us!" and with that kind of spirit how could we not order a Large pizza with 5 different toppings on top?! It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. 

Charis: Another place that was recommended by our handy travel app was Pete's Tavern, famous for being a popular place for stars to have a nightcap after a movie premier or a shooting. But most of all, it's popular for being one of the oldest bars in NY and purportedly the place where O. Henry wrote The Gift of the Magi. Even the street it's on is called O. Henry's way. What a bit of history! :) (To be honest, I've not heard of this author and his book but the waiter said that it's a really popular book and they read it in school).

After that, the brothers had their usual fill from Five Guys and I had a $2 hot dog by the street, just for kicks. It's good if you're an Asian buying a hot dog in NYC, because right after I bought mine I heard the hot dog guy sell it for $2.50 to an American. Didn't know they have farang prices in the US too! :D 

Almost towards the last day of our visit, we had an American-sized Malaysian breakfast together with my cousin and his wife. Sam & I hadn't realized that we hadn't eaten Malaysian food 3 months and Simon even longer than that! We had 4 different dishes between the 3 of us, it's crazy we didn't gain any weight when we came back. I know, 'coz I had us weighed and had it written down before! :)

Samuel: Of course, our entire journey there wasn't just solely about food. We had a lot of other experiences as well but that's for another post.

Charis: So check back soon! :)

I love Sundays (Charis speaks)

I love Sundays. Sundays are when you and I wake up late in the mornings and we stay in to talk. Spending lazy hours together, only ending when your stomach starts to groan. But today we were up early and you suggested we hit the gym. I was lazy, but I compromised and suggested the park nearby; at least I could feign an asthma attack, nausea, bad knees or all three and sit on a bench watching the yoga lady while you sweat it out.

I love Sundays. Sundays are when I take a back seat from cooking and you try out your hand at breakfast. I'll pry from the corner and shout out instructions, and you'll wave me away and say go bathe. We both know you don't have a system when you cook, but at least there is method to your madness. The food is good and ample, and we are satiated for half the day. Yes, I'll clean up after you.

I love Sundays. I enjoy reading my favourite crime novel and have a long bath, and I know somewhere in the smoky, windowless kitchen you are working up a storm. I spy on you, seeing you sweat in that oven of a kitchen. And when you bring out the food with that boyish grin, a warm glow sets over me, especially when you're wearing my girly mittens. 

Yes, I love Sundays with you :)