Look At Those Melons!

Get your mind out of the gutter! 

Singapore is known for being expensive. It was actually listed at the most expensive place to live this year. I believe it. These melons were found at a grocery store. They are imported from Japan and are supposed to be the most delicious things you have ever tasted. Fortunately for Jason, there is no way I would spend this kind of money on fruit. There is no way it could taste THAT good. Drumroll... 

Crown Melon- $119.00

Japanese square melon- $338.00

Yes you read that right- they cost $119 and $338. Pure craziness! 

If you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I've gone to Japan to become a melon farmer. ;)

Sayōnara

xx

Woah!!

I haven't logged onto blogger since March. How is that even possible? And better yet, why?

Truth be told, being the perfectionist I am, I was so stressed out by the thought of catching up. Catching up in chronological order now is pretty much impossible and I am quite relieved. Now there is no pressure. I am disappointed that I haven't blogged for so long of Olivia's life but this is a perfect opportunity for a fresh new start. And I am going to do things a bit differently now. I may not post as frequently as I previously did (or maybe I will). The posts may not be in chronological order (but that's ok). I will post when I can. Sometimes I may have a long story or sometimes it may be short and sweet. I'll just see where the wind takes me... and as always, thanks for following.

Stay tuned... xx

Livi is 9 Months!

I can hardly believe it! Where does the time go? It is weird to think that she has been out as long as she was in while she was cooking. This little girl has brought me more joy than I have ever known. Each day with her has been a new adventure and it is crazy to see her grow physically and mentally right before my eyes. I am so blessed to be her Mom. I just love my little baby girl!

Some of her favorite things include:
-Eating yogurt, pears and crunchies (and anything on the floor she isn't supposed to).
-Walking with her walker and riding her princess car. She is cruising everywhere and will be walking soon I'm sure!
-Playing with her toys and the neighbors dogs.
-Sleeping with her teddy.
-Playing with all of her little friends during our playdates each week.
-Swimming! She loves when she has swim lessons every Thursday or when Mommy and Daddy take her.
-Books. The kid loves to read and I hope that never changes.

Happy 9 months Livi! Hard to believe that 1 is right around the corner!! Love you sweet girl!! xx

My Little Foodie

I never thought I would say this but Olivia has become quite the little foodie. For a while there Olivia didn't like solids, or so I thought. At around 6 months old she just wouldn't eat jarred food anymore (she started eating some solids at 4 months) to the point where I got worried and asked her doctor. At one point I thought we would have to see a feeding specialist. Later that week, I tried everything and lo and behold, Olivia is just little Miss Independent and wanted to feed herself. Thus, baby led weaning began.  Ever since, she has eaten pretty much anything we give her as long as she can feed herself. Her favorites include yogurt, pears, pasta, carrots, corn and sweet potatoes. The only way I can get Olivia to allow me to feed her is if she is feeding herself in between bites. She will let me feed her yogurt whether there is food in front of her or not though. It is always my go-to when I want to make sure she eats. This morning was a different story. She didn't eat as much as she normally does and after many, many attempts I gave up and put the rest of the yogurt back in the fridge and took her out of the high chair. As I was cleaning her high chair I looked over and noticed that Olivia was trying to open the fridge. It was hilarious! She was banging on the fridge and trying to pull the door open with little grunts and all. I guess she wasn't done with her yogurt after all. I just love this kid.

xx

Adjustments

After moving to Singapore (for the 2nd time), there have been major adjustments we've gone through while we've been here. From adjusting to the hot climate, being a little homesick, Jason's busy travel schedule to making new friends, things around here are a lot different than they used to be.

One major change that we have here though is that we have a live-in helper (maid). Here in Singapore, most expats have them, as labor is so cheap here. I had gone back and forth debating whether or not we wanted one but we both agreed that it would be beneficial to our quality of life here. Most helpers are nannies too but I decided that I want to be Olivia's main caregiver (shocking, I know). Besides watching Olivia nap while I go to the gym and babysitting after she goes to sleep so Jason and I can have date nights every now and then, N's primary job is to do all the housework and cooking. I was a bit apprehensive in the beginning because I wasn't sure how it would go having someone else in our house and in our space. I must say that I am very thankful that we live in a 4 story townhouse. N has her own room and bathroom in the basement and doesn't come up to levels 2 and 3 until we are up. She is also very good at being a ninja and sometimes I don't even realize she is around. I am very thankful to have her, especially when Jason is away. Now it is much less likely that I will call 911 (or 999… whatever) because I think someone is breaking into the house (which may or may not have happened a couple of times when we were back in the US…haha) and I just feel much more secure while he is away… which seems to happen more and more frequently. N has been working with us for over a month now and I must say it is an absolute dream. I am enjoying it way more than I thought I would (or should). I guess I never noticed how much time went into keeping up a house because I had to do it. Now instead of having to cook or clean, I spend that time playing with Olivia and I get to be the hands-on Mom I've always dreamed of. Also, I find that I actually enjoy cooking more because I don't do it because I have to, I do it because I want to. Spoiled? Probably but I consider it a perk from being so far away from my family and friends back home. It's not like my Mom can just pop by anytime to watch Livi for us like the good ol' days. And let's be honest, every mom needs a break every now and then. I must also mention that Livi LOVES her, to the point where I have actually become jealous a time or two. I have to remind myself that I want Olivia to feel as loved and happy as humanly possible. And it helps that when she falls down, she calls for me. ;)

I originally wasn't going to mention that we had help in my blog (in fact a couple of women I know actually advised me against it) but to me it would be lying by omission and as I've said time and time again, I want this blog to be real. Plus, now you will know where Olivia is while we are scuba diving. ;) 

P.S. The whole helper thing is hard to comprehend unless you live here and realize how common it really is. In fact when we lived here the first time, no one could understand why we didn't have one even though back then it was just the two of us. 

Hiatus

As you may (or may not) have noticed, I took a bit of a hiatus from my blog. I could easily say it is because I've been busy with the baby, or that we've been away on holiday or that we are just beginning to settle into our new home in Singapore. But since day one I have always said that this blog is an honest representation of my (our) lives and I fully intend to keep it that way. It is the REAL life of an expat wife, after all. So this is really why I have really taken a break…

I have come to a bit of a crossroads while writing this blog. I have come to the realization that it is way more public than I thought it would become. Several people have googled my name and this blog has come up on the search. Although flattering, it also makes me realize that what I write has an impact on all those around me who are apart of my life. That is a lot of pressure, especially because I don't want to sugarcoat things or hurt anyones feelings with any of my opinions in the process. And this blog is just that, my opinion and my take on my life and experiences. This blog is a representation of my feelings and life in the moment, not what others "think" I should say or feel. I guess maybe I need to write a fine print on my home page because it is never my intention to hurt anyones feelings with my writings (or lack thereof). Nothing in particular happened to come to this epiphany. I just feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility because I am friends with people from all over the world, in all different cultures, and don't want anyone to have hurt feelings. So why don't I just keep this blog private? Well, I believe that some of our experiences would be beneficial to more people than just my friends- to the common traveler.

I have also found that I miss my writing. It is so hard for people to stay caught up with our lives back "home" because I don't have the luxury to call my friends or family for a quick chat to catch them up with what is going on in our lives. And I also miss how much a stress reliever it had become.

So here I am, back at the drawing board. I have so much to say and I'm not sure where to start so please bear with me. The next few posts may not be in order but I am going to try to stop being a perfectionist and just write.

More to come soon…

xx