One week to EDD!

Counting down to my expected due date now! And my sister -- can you guess elder, or younger? ;p (I have two sisters; I'm a middle child) -- has come from almost halfway across the globe!

And while it's still easier for me, than with a newborn afterwards, to show her around a bit before she'll head back home in a couple of weeks, we took her shopping! The one thing Singaporean gals can't say no to!

At first, it was just Ben and me, whilst Jon was at a chess programme in school. Then, all of us, even though kids, and especially my boys, aren't the most patient shoppers.

Still, I think walking the mall helped some to get their aunt out of her jet lag. And while we were at it, and before the high heat index is now making her feel under the weather, it was the Gateway Arch that we couldn't not let her must-see here in St Louis! Vern is right, shouldn't sightseeing come before shopping?

Left: A kind stranger lay his back on the ground, just so he could capture the top of the Arch, in this group shot he helped us take!

Yesterday, I also gave my sister a crash course on some simple meals -- mostly the noodle soup kind -- that she can fix for the boys while I am in the hospital. It's been awhile since she's cooked. But she'll do fine, I know!

And I'm just relieved, now that she's here and the baby not arrived yet, she can be the one to babysit the boys when it's time for Vern to lend me all the support I need in the delivery room!

That has been a big worry of mine, as it'll be such a huge imposition on friends if we have to call them in the middle of the night should labour strike at an odd time of the day. We were contemplating packing the boys off with us, to go along to the hospital!

To digress a little, in response to queries on what I cook on a daily basis (and because I don't know when I'll blog my next post), here's what I served up for our dinner these last few days.....



And as you can see, cooking a different protein each day is the trick behind my simple meal-planning. If not meat, then fish... like yesterday, I did a simple baked tilapia with winter melon soup to go along (not photoed). And today, we're back to chicken again, my all-time favourite meat to cook, for how versatile it is, and usually goes down best with the kids! Not that they eat everything I dish out though.


This is the first time I'm seeing my sis again after coming here...
And she is also seeing me as the at-home mom that I am for four years now. My hands full with the chores and children, and the driving here and there that wasn't quite up my alley last time. No longer am I the working mom I'd left off as, with domestic help back home and loved ones living near enough we could rely on whenever we needed a hand.

This is the key challenge - the trying to "baokahliao" (take care of everything) between the husband and wife -- in a home away from home. I never said it's easy, and it's true I'm perpetually on my feet (still am!) until the kids fall asleep, and there will still be stuff around the house, like in most homes, that need attention.

But if you see how hard it is for the husband to get his schoolwork done once home, or ask any family in our shoes, as the wife you will also want to get as much of the housework and errands done as possible.

I may have gained some independence as a result of coming here, and through practice, got a better hang of things I either had help doing or didn't need to do before. And not that I'm on top of them, there's still plenty of room for improvement, like the more organized home that eludes me, and kids we want to see better behaved. There's always much to do, more I'd like to do, but so little time!

Nevertheless, and very importantly, there are basic things that I must not take for granted, and lots to be thankful for. The grace of God that takes us from day to day. And the nice and kind people He brings across our path, including those of you I've been blessed to know through blogging, besides our loved ones and dear old friends back home.

After my sis goes off, my MIL will also be coming. Now I appreciate it very much that they are putting aside their own commitments to help us transit into this next phase of our lives. At the same time, I feel bad they are coming all the way here, yet I can't be all the host I like, not to have to bother them with the daily grind.

That's the reason why I've been hoping that the lil one will come sooner rather than later, so that prayerfully, I won't be "out of commission" for too long, but be able to quickly get back into the swing of things. Because there's going to be even more to take care of, and the husband's schedule not getting any lighter.

Will you pray with me, please, that we will be able to cope nicely? Thanks so much!

OK, that's the latest longwinded update from me, in lieu of shorter, more regular posts that I should be doing if I were more blog-savvy, hehe! But better a post, than none, no? ;p

A blessed week ahead, to one and all reading this! =)