18 Months

Today Elyse and I went to the doctor for her 18 month check up. It is hard to believe that she is going to be a year and a half on Saturday! The doctor was very kind and good with Elyse. On the growth chart Elyse is average for an Asian child, for an American she is a bit small, to us she is just the right size :). She measured in at 11 KG and 79 cm. For all the non-metric people out there she weighs 24 lbs 4 oz and is 31 inches tall. Here is a look back over the last year and a half:

Newborn

6 Months One Year

A Year and a Half (they grow up so fast)

Jakarta

Over Chinese New Year we went to visit Jack and Jan in Jakarta, Indonesia. This is the first time we have gone to visit them and we had a great time. Elyse was a trooper. After we landed in Jakarta we waited in lines, waited for a taxi, and then had about a 2 hour taxi ride to the apartment. We arrived after her bed time, but she settled in and slept until 9 the next morning.

Jack and Jan live in a nice apartment complex. Elyse loved walking around the grounds which were decorated with Balinese statues and had ponds with turtles and fish. One day she went out with Grammy and "crashed" a New Years party and then another day she splashed around in the puddles.

That next day we went to Jakarta's National Monument. There was a huge line, but a man noticed us as "foreigners" -we did stick out a bit- and offered to take us to the front of the line (for a price of course). So, we took him up on his offer and we were guided to the front and got up to the top of the monument very quickly. At the top we could see a lot of the city. Elyse, of course, got a lot of attention and a few pictures taken of her. At the base of the monument there was the Indonesian Constitution and the history of Indonesia in dioramas. It was interesting.

On Sunday we went to Jack and Jan's church and met some great people. In the afternoon we went to a nearby mall and got souvenirs.

Monday Toby and I had a day to ourselves since Elyse got to spend time with just her Grammy and Gramps. Toby and I went to a place called Taman Mini. It is a large park that has structures resembling the different houses/temples etc. tribes of Indonesia. As we walked around it came to my attention the I am married to a celebrity. Many times during the day Toby was approached by locals. They wanted their picture taken with him. I was included in the pictures as well, but I think they were just being polite. (that's not the way I remember it-tjh)

We went back to the mall after Taman Mini and bought some more souvenirs and had some Starbucks. The following day we were on our way back home. Although it was a quick trip, we had a great time.

The View From Jack and Jan's Balcony

Motorcycles are family vehicles. Can you see the baby?

Elyse enjoyed being on the balcony. Here she is trying to see the view.

Japanese Gardens

Today I walked around Jurong Lake with Elyse and ended up at the Japanese Gardens. It is such a tranquil and beautiful place. I went to an area I hadn't gone to before and really enjoyed it. Elyse was adventurous and wanted to go by the water's edge and so we sat on a rock that was in the water and watched the turtles pop their heads up as they swam about. We then headed over to a small waterfall that spilled into the pond. We walked across the rock bridges and watched the water flow. We sent leaves down the waterfall and watched them go into the pond. The trip was full of great mother daughter moments. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures, but here is an older one taken near the area we were in today.

Botanical Gardens

Last week Elyse and I went to the Botanical Gardens. We had been there before, but this time we stayed in the children's garden. It was nice, but I don't know if it was worth the cab fare it took to get out there. Perhaps when Elyse is older she can enjoy more of the area to make the drive worth while. We did had fun sliding in the "tree house" and exploring the grounds. Elyse didn't like the sand around the bottom of the slide so I had to carry her off once we were at the bottom. I hope she get over this sand thing before we go tot beach.

The grounds are very pretty and enable kids to touch the plants. We went on a floating bridge which Elyse liked, but I think her favorite was the suspension bridge. She stayed on that for awhile.

Getting Connected

After being here for over 3 months, we have found a church, Adams Road Presbyterian Centre (ARPC). It is Christ centered, has great bible teaching, friendly people, small groups, interest in the community in Singapore and abroad, a good children's program, and is about 15 minutes from our house.

Today we took our seats and happened to be by some very connected people in the church. I'm not sure if they are in leadership or just have been with the church for awhile. They struck up a conversation with us, prayed with us and introduced us to some people. I asked about a Ladies Bible Study and they introduced me to a leader. I will be trying out the group next week. As we were leaving Toby also met some fellow Americans from North Carolina.

God is great. He lead us to this church and picked out our seats today. I am thankful for God's leading and just hope that I can continue to follow His will for me.

Pants

The streak is over. Since coming to Singapore I have not worn pants until today. I know what some of you are thinking, and no, I haven't been running around Singapore half naked. It has been so hot, that I have been wearing shorts and skirts. So, what caused me to end my streak of 3 1/2 months? Well, it was our church. It is so cold in there because of the AC that I decided to wear pants today. I was a bit more comfortable but next week I might bring a jacket. It reminds me a bit of our church in Texas. While I am on the subject of streaks, here are some other things I haven't done (but usually do) since being in Singapore:

1. Drive
2. Weigh myself (we don't have a scale)
3. Get a haircut (this will probably happen soon)
4. Clean my house (the maid does it :))

Second Time Around

We went to two different places this weekend, each for the second time. During the day on Saturday we went back to the zoo. Instead of looking at all of the animals again, we went to the far end of the zoo where to the Kid Zone. In the Kid Zone there is a play ground, pony rides, a carousel, a water park, and some other things. We started out on the play ground until Elyse kept wandering toward the water area, so we head that direction.

A lot of the water area was meant for older kids, but we found a spot that Elyse liked to play in. She is still a bit timid, but had a good time walking in and out of the water and playing in the little fountains. She also like waiting for a huge bucket full of water fall on the big kid part of the water park.

Here is a picture before and after the bucket of water drops.

On Saturday night Toby and I had a date night and decided to go back to Chinatown to see all the Chinese New Years decorations all lit up. We wondered through the crowded streets and ate a Singaporean specialty, chili crab. After dinner we walked some more and found ourselves at Clarke Quay. Clarke Quay is right next to Boat Quay on the Singaporean River. It is THE place to be at night. Although we may not go to the clubs, we will probably go back for dinner on another date night.

Lists

Things I like about Singapore:

1. We get to see Toby's parents more often.
2. There are so many things within walking distance. Everything I need is within 5 minutes of my house. This includes food, non food grocery items, the doctor, dentist, a place to print pictures, and the post office. I could even buy clothes if I wanted to.
3. You don't need a car to get around. The MRT is great and the bus system is supposed to be good too.
4. Although it rains, you aren't stuck in your house for a season (because of the snow/cold for example).
5. The weather is predictable. You know it's going to be hot and humid and there is always a chance of rain.
6. There is a lot to see and do around the island. Plus countries nearby to visit.
7. How clean it is.
8. Although there are similarities to the culture of the US, it is fun learning about the cultural differences.
9. We can afford a maid.
10. There are playgrounds all over the place. Each HDB complex/condo has a playground and malls have play areas too, plus there are public playgrounds.
11. The pool is just downstairs and it's huge!
12. So many different types of food to try.
13. Meeting people from all over the world.

Things I miss from home:

1. Being closer to family and being able to call them in the middle of the day.
2. My friends.
3. My car. Although you can get a lot of places by MRT, you can't get everywhere and it can take a long time. For instance, a drive that takes 20 minutes can take about an hour by MRT.
4. My routines.
5. Being in a house and not having to share walls with our neighbors.
6. Temperature changes. It would be nice to have it feel cool every once in awhile.
7. Being able to send a package for about $6 instead of $20-$40+
8. Having a yard. Yes, I can go down stairs and let Elyse run around the condo complex, but it's not the same as opening up your back door.
9. Target.
10. Being able to get Ranch dressing that tastes like Ranch dressing and being able to get other food items I miss.
11. Having a church home where I was connected.
12. Certain TV shows.

Water Parks in January?

Today I decided to bring Elyse to the water play area at a nearby mall (IMM). We have been to the playground there many times, but never tried out the water part. Although Elyse has liked water play areas in the past, I wasn't sure how she was going to react. In this one, there can be a lot of water dumped on your head or squirted at you.

When we got there the water wasn't on yet, so I got her ready and waited. When it did come on, it was for only half of the play area which was good. It gave Elyse a chance to warm up to it. Later someone turned on the other half (apparently there is a button you push) and Elyse didn't like that too much, but she did still like the area we were originally in. She especially liked putting her foot on the fountain and then letting it spray everywhere (she accidentally got another woman all wet- oops)

Overall it was a good time and we will have to go back soon.

The Zoo

Friday Toby had the day off so we decided to go to the zoo. We have heard how great the zoo was and it didn't disappoint us. The paths are surrounded by trees and the animals are really close. At one point a kangaroo hopped within a couple of feet from us and an emu was almost on the path. In some areas there was a glass window so we could get up close and personal with animals like the lions, the baboons and the cheetah.

I really liked watching the baboons. They were crazy. About every few minutes one baboon would start chasing another around. Elyse had fun walking around and looking at all the animals. I'm not sure what her favorite was, but she seemed to be enjoying everything (except getting a picture taken with me.) We saw most of the animals, but there was a kids play area that we didn't get to. I think this will be a place we will have fun going back to over and over again.

17 Months

Elyse turned 17 months on the 31st. Here are some of the new things that she can now do:

• Sign help, please, and thank you
• Point to her eye, knee, arm, hair, hands
• She can identify things in a book like if you ask her to point to the shoes, she can pick the shoes out on the page.
• She likes to play with stickers, and "sweep" the house with the broom
• She can use a fork and a spoon (although she chooses to eat with her hands most of the time)
• She helps me put the laundry in the dryer