Grubbs n Critters

April 24, 2011

Back in Bangkok

Our usual 17-day trip out of Bangkok went by too fast, but funnily enough, it also felt as if we have been away for longer than that. It now seemed like so long ago since we started packing and shuttling our asses to the airport (to and from Amsterdam) with a very “eventful” flight trip that I am having a little trouble to coherently remember the events in details.

I remember things in chunks, but all jumbled up.

My most recent memory is having to put Spud down for her bedtime on her first night home yesterday evening. She cried for about 4 hours before finally crashing at 10.30 pm and slept through till 8.20 am this morning. Needless to say, that was not fun after an exhausting 10 hour flight trip. I wonder if she is a little jet-lagged.

Our vacation all seemed like a distant memory by now…but I reckon they will get back to running order in the next few days for me to put them down in words.

For now, we are home! And, absofukinglutely knackered.

That time of the year

Category: Travels

As you are reading this, we will already be cruising at an altitude of at least 12,000 meters and making our way to Schiphol Airport.

Don’t envy us, for, I believe it is likely that we will be having the time of our lives of not getting any sleep in the last 24 hours. I reckon, possibly none whatsoever in this 11 hour flight journey as we go on a full combat mission to sooth an 8 month old baby who is cranky and will not go to sleep. I foresee Silver Bullet and me taking turns going up and down the aisle of the plane, and annoying the crap out of everyone.

Sometime this time last year, we flew to Indonesia for our annual vacation. It was still two of us then, but my tummy did look like I had swallowed a watermelon.

It must have been the most uncomfortable vacation I have ever had, having to waddle everywhere. Climbing up the Borobudur was hard work.

I clearly also remembered being royally ripped-off by the Indonesian Airport Authorities who made us pay a 6000 Rupiah (~1.20 SGD) each way for a compulsory declaration form of pregnancy. I was annoyed at the hassle. I was even more annoyed when they did not give back our 10,000 rupiah change as they claimed that “they did not have any small notes” to return the remaining change back to us. Right.

Since they decided to play punk with me, I decided that I’d harass them by insisting that I needed a receipt for my payment. They were not too happy that I asked for it. Hence, in a typical Indonesian style, they made us wait for a good half an hour just to give me a Xerox copy of the declaration form I paid for. I think it was their ploy to make me give up, but I had patience; so I waited. And, with a smile, too.

Technically, what they effectively did was actually charging a flight fare to the child who was still in my stomach! I know it is only a meager amount, but still! I go by the principle that since you want my money, then it is only right I take the receipt.

So, one year has passed since then and it is also officially that time of the year again where we ship off our asses somewhere for our annual vacation over Songkran. It used to just be the two of us. Now, there are three of us, with Spud having a legit ticket to her name.We have a whole lot of plane adventures to come.

For now, here’s me signing off as I take a break from blogging for a couple of weeks in trying to spend some quality family time, and, hopefully with loads more to blog about in the coming weeks.

Happy, happy Songkran everyone!

8 Months

Category: Spud: Stories and Updates

Spud is now inevitably entering the land of bumps and falls proper, as she starts to explore her surroundings and discover her limits. Every time she loses her balance and hit her head on the floor, my heart skips a beat. However, I also realise that it is just a part and parcel of her growing up, and I don’t usually fuss over her “misfortune” too much when she does fall over.

When that happens, though, I will just give her a wide grin and rub her head (or whichever part she landed on). And, unless she screams out her cry in a piercing tone, I don’t usually pick her up immediately; preferring to just soothe her by nonchalantly telling her that it is all ok. Most often than not, she will stop crying after a few seconds and continue to whatever she it was she was doing. She will usually be all smiles, wide-eyed, bushy tailed again in no time at all.

I have also realised that certain sounds bothers her. While she can sleep through a thundering storm or loud fireworks going on from our balcony, she gets utterly upset by the sound of the vacuum cleaner and the hair-dryer! I thought that was quite weird as from what I have read or heard, white noises like those usually sooth a baby; some could even fall asleep. Spud being Spud however, would freak out and start eye-balling her guts out like there’s no tomorrow! Aansteller..

These days, Spud’s trying really hard to stand with half a support or sometimes, without support; again forgetting the fact that she can’t quite walk yet. At 8 months, this little imp seems to be getting rather impatient!

She is still fighting sleep — so much so that when she can already barely open her eyes when she’s sitting on her Papa’s lap or being carried, she blinks and blinks and blinks just so that she won’t succumb having to close her eyes!

Spud’s still not teething yet, and neither has she shown any signs that she is about to have any soon, But this being Spud, what are the chances of those sneaky teeth coming out in the first few hours of her first long haul flight to Europe?

I’ll keep you posted.