BY DEMAND!! LATEST!

By demand from abroad, finally the photographs of 28 weeks progress. By the way, I have wanted to do this and haven't been able to because I have been extremely busy.

Here's it. Tristan is popping out.

Haha, just kidding. Actually that's me. Okay, here's the real thing:

Front view. More pictures:

Another view:

Enjoy!

Chit-chat - about the daddy

Sorry Tristan, daddy is going to talk about himself in this post.

I just want to complain about being old. OLD... what is that? Previously that is something I cannot comprehend, understand or define. However being old is simply a process and not something we can quite control.

To demonstrate this point , I always think that I can be control all the time. The first sympton, forgetfulness. I was so certain this morning that I put an envelope containing a very important form in my briefcase. I reached office only to realise that it's not that. What more, I was so insistent that I started inspecting the briefcase to make sure there's no hole!! (hahaha, can you imagine that??)

Yes, I fought the battle and I admit this very day that I am not getting younger by the days. Hitting number the number "3" meaning also you are no longer in your 20s is clear and direct. You are getting older.

Seventh visit to the gynae - Part 2

So, yes, the result it's out. It's a boy.

As usual on each visit, the tummy will be scanned and Dr Chew upon looking at the patient card asked 'Do you want to know the sex?'. We said yes. The Missus, as usual playing the 'safe' game women like to, saying 'I think it's a girl', but Dr Chew replied 'What if it's a boy?'

He then scanned and didn't take too long, I reckon just few seconds into the scanning in his decades of experience know where to locate the bottom section and straight away pointed to a formation of, eer, 'balls'.. For the first time, we saw Dr Chew being so amused and laughing.

That was the 5th Month and he said that it's also time for a detailed ultra-scan. The scan was at the Gleneagles lab. Yeah, the scan comfirmed that it's a boy. The scan technician used the term "Turtle" to describe the 'balls'. On hindsight I thought turtle is much more representative of the parts.

Well.....we now have a new issue - the naming part! It would appears that we are not entirely sure whether "Tristan" is the name or not. Now I am wondering why call him "Tristan"...... just because it's a nice name? Meaning wise, it's a warrior in an epic story... which I have not even watch the opera "Tristan and Isolde". It's a rare & uniquw name but I would like to name my kid after something meaningful instead of fanciful (I was named 'Steve' because of the 'Six Million Dollar Man').

So, here's some names we've discussed over the weekend:

1. Tristan Darius Ngo = the original one which we are now re-thinking

2. Jaydon (xxx) Ngo = The choice of the Missus, I said NO!!!!!

3. Darius Ngo = Missus again but why should Darius be placed at the beginning, what so important about King Darius (form the Bible)?

4. Christian Ngo = It's a nice and safe name but for some reason, my eldest sister wondered if kids would laugh at him for a name after a religion. I thought there's nothing to laugh about religion unless of course you name your son "Easter", "Good Friday"...... hehehhe. By the way, 'Christian' is a popular name in Europe and we have the actor like 'Christian Bale' who acted in Batman Begins and Empire of the Sun. So it's really not an odd name.

5. Christian Aryeh Ngo = my choice, Aryeh means "Lion of God" but the Missus insisted that Aryeh in the bible was killed by an evil king.

Any suggestions?

Seventh visit to the gynae Part 1 - 25 MAY 2007

Hmm..... spent the whole afternoon at Dr Chew's clinic. God has decided; the result will be announced after the statistics below:

Missus side - she is the eldest, then brother.

My family side - first kid is daughter, my eldest sister. Then second one is daugher, then me the third. My youngest sister is.... a girl*. My eldest sister's first kid is a son.

Okay, trace things further:

Missus side - maternal: first child is daughter (my wife's aunt, that is)

My paternal side - my father is the eldest and of course a son!!!!

So the statistics is inconclusive.

The result, shortly after this.

* - would have wished that she is a he, so I have a brother instead of a younger sister. Then have less 'problems'.

Sixth visit to the gynae - 4 MAY 2007

Haven't been doing much posting because of travelling. Time flies! So, the sixth visit was on 4th May and nothing new. Dr Chew said that he will scan for the gender next visit, said 'next visit lar'. I supposed he wants to be sure.

So finally we sat down and talked about the test stuff. Dr Chew played mediator; I said that I do not bother at all if the child, as God's gift, is 'Down' or not and abortion is out of the question. Hence, I don't think it's necessary to go for the second type of test (I think I am still talking about 'Triple Test' stuff - that's the problem for not posting for too long!). The Missus said that she wants the 'peace of mind'.

The Mediator said that men think differently from women. So we need to understand that fact. So I said okay lar, go for two tests. Each test is about S$ 100++ and both is about S$ 230 ++ can't remember. By the way, the test is done by the lab at Gleneagles Hospital and Dr Chew's asssitant merely too the blood sample. It's a one-off test, by the way and it's not that pricey considering I found out that a place which is supposedly subsidised charges about S$ 300 for the two tests.

There was nearly a hoo-ha because the clinic was a little crowded and when "Chan Min Yen" was called, a lady sitting near to the counter stood up and went to the nurse. The nurse told her about 'blood test' and this bespectacled lady was like 'huh?...' looking scared and didn't dare to ask! Goodness gracious, what a stupidity! So the Missus quickly interjected that she is the one who is supposed to go for the test.

Nevertheless, today, at 1.30pm which is shortly, we are heading for the SEVENTH visit. We might be able to know whether it is a boy-boy or girl-girl; it's either "Mr Tristan Ngo" or "Miss Danielle Ngo". We'll find out soon, but maybe only.

Chit-chat No. 3 - Birdies

First of all, I must say it was a relieve having being able to finish posting all the outstanding 'stories' and 'news' before the next visit which is this Friday. I basically crammed everything up so it might appear odd why there are two postings (about two different events) within a day; or why the gap between my supposedly last posting and this current one is weeks apart (April - May).

In any case, this afternoon, another pair of birdies paid us a visit. This has happened previously; twice in the kitchen, once trapped in our bedroom and this afternoon, a pair in the living room. I don't know why and the significance though. As usual, they managed to find their way out. I could attribute their entry to my rear kitchen door which was left open for good ventilation but on few occassions, they found their way in through the narrow gap from our kitchen window. So it was really a case of 'there's a will, there's a way'.

Nevertheless there's no food lying around to attract them! In case you are wondering, it's those brown little birdies you find in Singapore or Malaysia (haven't seen them in Indonesia yet). At least it's not that ugly black crows! Or Mynahs!

Chit-Chat No.2 - First test of Mummy being alone

Hah! Where should I begin?

I went to Jakarta on 12 April - 13 April. Then to Perth from Jakarta from 13 - 15 April. Was supposed to be back home in Singapore on Monday 16 April (via Jakarta). It was a business trip and I had to stay back on 16 April and back on 17 April instead. Told the Missus and she was unhappy.

Actually we have an important meeting in Jakarta on 16 April evening so we left Perth early in the morning at around 4am to catch a flight which transits at Denpasar, Bali. In short, we reached Jakarta at noon in time for the important meeting. During the meeting, it was transpired that the party is keen to progress the discussion and wants to meet us the next day at 7pm, hence I couldn't go back on Tuesday evening. So I can only go back on Wednesday. Well, the Missus was terribly unhappy and upset! Very unhappy and refused to answer my call. So I had to sacrifice my sleep to catch a 6.30am flight back to Singapore on Wednesday (I think I woke up at around 4am). I supposed it's good training for the near future, in case the baby likes to wake up early in the morning for milk!