26.10.2008 - Baby Yongzhi is a toddler!

it doesn't feel like yesterday that i've just gave birth to the little one at thomson medical centre. but it also doesnt feel like one year ago either! time passes really fast.
i can still remember vividly the moment when i felt my huge-ass tummy deflates and out came this wailing being with the flatest nose and roundest cheeks. :)
i looked at ah long and kept on muttering, "he is so beautiful" as i teared.

fast forward in time, this little baby is the same angel and terror who brings me much joy, laughter as well as countless sleepless nights and frustrations.
from a tiny (actually not very tiny by newborn standards) baby weighing at 3.515kg and 50cm long to the little toddler now at 1 year old, weighing 10.5kg and standing 80cm tall, yongzhi has definitely grows up alot.

and he does so in an blinking of an eye. to capture the memories, ive busied myself with doing up a photobook which follows his growth from a newborn to the 1 year-old toddler he is now.
and im really glad the output is a gorgeous piece that captures the different stages of him.
100% done by me and 30% reviewed by hb nia. heh.
really, im the hardworking one between us when it comes to such stuff.

let's take a look at it! took some shots of the 40 pages photobook:

the cover page of the hard-cover photobook

1st page

when he was a newborn (1-2 days old)

7-8mths, swimming time!

last page of the photobook

again, anyone interested in doing a similar photobook can let me know. its relatively easy to do so. just download the software from the website, choose appropriate layout, upload ur photos. when done, transfer online to them, they print it out and it'll get couriered to your hse in 3-5 working days! and if i referred you, you'll get 10% off and i'll get 10% off for subsequent photobook. *cool*

and the photobook makes a great coffeetable album during his bday party this sunday (his exact birthday). :)

relatives and friends alike can see once and for all baby yz's transformation over the past year. hee.

hb and me decided to hold a small party for him and invites only relatives and some close friends for a mini celebration. about 30-odd people turned up, mostly my relatives and friends. keke.

we managed to keep expenses low as we held it at our house and didnt engage a professional photographer (not that this is ever an option to ah long! :P).

so wat's the damage?

food from neo garden: $400+ (got 15% discount for 1st year bday and we ordered 30 persons portion for 30+ guests. worked out just nice as their portion is really just right so minimal food wastage. )

cake from pine garden: $130 (considered really cheap for the good taste and decor! we ordered lychee martini for the top layer and blackforest for the bottom layer. ha not baby friendly cos the whole cake contains liquor!)

bday decorations: $50 (sesame street theme cos mammy loves it!)

photobook: $80+ (value-for-money)

agar agar: $45 (mrs chan's agar agar is really delicious. even my mum, who's an agar agar queen, approves of it!)

around $700+. what a modest amount. :)

really well spent cos i can see yongzhi, my relatives and friends all having a good time.

elmo agar agar, sesame street themed 2-tier cake, 10 red hard-boiled eggs from my mum. heh. that's my pretty thighs in the background. *ahem*

baby yz so happy to be in the limelight.

family photo. again, the baby refused to look at the camera. totally fixated on the cake.

and he boxed papa! look at hb's pained expression. LOL.

for mammy, i will look at the camera. plue a flying kick as bonus.

my AHS kakis!

really must mentioned here that im very touched at the 100% turnout of my gang! as my mum said, our friendships really come a long way!! 15 years hor, dun play play.

im really looking forward to candice's wedding next year! sure very fun.

but before that, we are going to let our hair down @ dragonfly for jx's bday soon! :)

blowing the candle by me. he doesnt know how to yet.

ooh, he loves cake-cutting part. when he saw the knife slice in, got this huge grin on his face.

welcome to the sesame street! *high pitched voice* by the way, the cupcake really tasted so-so compared to the main cake. oh well.

and so the party went well and lasted all but 4 hrs nia. guests started streaming in at 12 noon. ate their lunch. baby got passed around alot. cake-cutting at 130pm. guests ate cake+agar agar. guests started to leave in staggered format from 3pm onwards. hb and me cleaned up the place and the ng family were outta the hse by 4pm! heh.

we went to my gramps hse for her to see baby yz and then rest and relaxed the rest of the evening back at my mum's place. wanted to drop by parkway parade but the father and son duo were both tired out by noon events and knocked out for a good part of the evening at my mum's place. tsk tsk.

good turnout after weeks of planning. :)

but think for his subsequent birthdays i prefer to spend it quietly just between us.

perhaps hotel stay will be nice. :) let's see if 26.10.2009 will be as fun as 26.10.2008!