The Bub in the Belly

This post is a mish-mash of recent photos. Like many parents, I snap a million photos of the son (almost) everyday, and not every photo fits into a theme, so I thought I'd just throw them into one post.

This is Ryan's recent Lego Duplo creation. That's Buzz Lightyear at the top right corner, preparing to fly "To Infinity and Beyond!" We're not sure whether Ryan prefers Woody or Buzz at this point, but it sure is amusing to hear him exclaim, "To Innininy and Neyornnnn!" In December last year, we had thoughts of popping into Hong Kong Disneyland where they just opened up a section based on Toy Story, but we decided not to go just then. Maybe this year?

The next shot was taken at Beach Road Prawn Noodle Restaurant, which is near our home. Ryan loves chopsticks so he always collects a handful when there are some around.


There was a couple sitting at the next table and the lady apparently decided that I needed to be aware of some important things, so out of the blue...

Lady: Your son is very handsome.
Me (after looking around for the voice): Oh, thank you. (smile)
Lady: He will be a good speaker. (she says this in Mandarin)
Me: Oh (laughing a little), he is just starting to talk now. I'm still waiting! (smile)
Lady: Yes, he will be a good speaker because his upper lip points upward. (she says this in Mandarin and with absolute conviction)

(That's according to an old Chinese saying - if your upper lip (Cupid's bow) has an upward arch, you will be a good speaker.)

The next photo was taken at Tanglin Mall's snow village. I like this photo, despite the technical flaws, so it gets included! It's the expression on Ryan's face that brings me back to this photo again and again - so innocent and full of wonder.


We are still breastfeeding! More on that in a separate post.


There were a few weeks last month when Ryan liked to stuff his fingers into his mouth. And I'm not talking about sucking on a thumb, I mean five fingers at one time go into his mouth! Here he is in the car, playing with his fingers in his mouth and reading "The Very Busy Spider" by Eric Carle.


Enjoying another book in the car. This was "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", also by Eric Carle. Ryan turns the pages and prompts me to "read" the book to him while I drive. Yes, I know every word by heart. And so does Ryan! I'll try to get a video of him reciting the story!



Brushing teeth with daddy.


Some post-birthday bash photos here.

Fresh flowers - anybody knows what these are called?


The leftover curry from the curry fish head. After keeping it for a day or two in the hope that we'd find some way to consume it, we gave up and threw it all away.


A couple of nights after the birthday bash, the wind came howling through the house and lifted the inflatable bouncy castle off our terrace, depositing it in the bushes in the driveway. That shows how strong the winds were because that thing is heavy! Fortunately, Richard went out to the terrace in the morning to check on everything, otherwise we wouldn't even have realised that the bouncy castle had flown off.  On a previous occasion, the wind tried to take off with our sprinkle mat but that landed in the driveway too. Exciting living in the east. Anyway, here's Richard collecting the bouncy castle while I snapped a photo from our balcony.

Built by the Rockefeller family, Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (89000 m²) between 48th and 51st streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

The centrepiece of Rockefeller Centre is 30 Rockefeller Centre, which is the GE building, also known as "30 Rock". The building is 70 floors high and the famous Rainbow Room (restaurant) is on the 65th floor. There is an observation deck spanning the 67-70 floors and from the 70th floor you can have a 360-degree view of the city.

30 Rock is the headquarters of NBC and houses most of the network's New York studios.


At the front of 30 Rock is a sunken plaza, where the bronze gilded statue of Prometheus is found. This plaza is turned into an ice-skating rink in winter. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is erected here every year.



In 1962, a plaque was placed at the plaza with a list of principles in which John D. Rockefeller Jr. believed. This is what it says:


I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.
I believe that the law was made for man and not man for the law; that government is the servant of the people and not their master.
I believe in the Dignity of labour, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.
I believe that thrift is essential to well ordered living and that economy is a prime requisite of a sound financial structure, whether in government, business or personal affairs.
I believe that truth and justice are fundamental to an enduring social order.
I believe in the sacredness of a promise, that a man's word should be as good as his bond; that character not wealth or power or position - is of supreme worth.
I believe that the rendering of useful service is the common duty of mankind and that only in the purifying fire of sacrifice is the dross of selfishness consumed and the greatness of the human soul set free.
I believe in an all-wise and all-loving God, named by whatever name, and that the individuals highest fulfilment, greatest happiness, and widest usefulness are to be found in living in harmony with His Will.
I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world; that it alone can overcome hate; that right can and will triumph over might.



These are the Channel Gardens, opposite the plaza.


Along the Channel Gardens was this huge Lego store! Popped in and picked up Ryan's first Lego set (three sets, actually - they were on sale!).


Inside the store, there is a Lego replica of Rockefeller Center.

Darth Vader and a stormtrooper fighting on top one of the buildings

There is an underground Concourse which stretches from 47th to 51st street and from Fifth to Seventh Avenue. There are various shops in the Concourse, including restaurants and a post office.


We were pretty tired by then, so we had a quick dinner and went back to the hotel. We passed the famous Carnegie Hall on the way back but it didn't look too impressive from the outside. It probably looks very nice inside, but we didn't go in.