2011 Lookback

Here are some of the 2011 highlights that we are grateful to our Lord and Saviour for in 2011:

• The wonderful and safe delivery of our beautiful girl, Joanna Ow Yang Jo Ling
• How the two siblings seem to get along. Josiah loves her and says that's the #1 reason he prefers NYC to London. The way she laughs when Josiah entertains her.
• How quickly Joanna started sleeping through the night. Sleep is a wonderful thing.
• Our fantastic parents. S' mum who came to help set up our apartment and then mine when I was so pregnant and couldn't get around, to helping out with the first few hardest months. My dad for entertaining Josiah for 3 months so Josiah wouldn't feel left out.
• The believers' at Midland Park Gospel Hall, especially the Huans and the Hamiltons who helped us settle in and had us over lunch and arranged a baby shower.
• The apartment - having a place to call home that is our little comfort from the madness of the city. 
• The smooth move from London to NYC. Our second major move to another city, this time when I was 7 months pregnant. Truly our Lord showed his name in Jehovah Jireh when all we needed came through.
• S having a job when so many are struggling this year in this tough time.
• Safety - despite the freak weather in NYC from an earthquake, to not-Hurricane Irene in August to the freak snowstorm in October, we were kept safe.
• For the dates that S and I have had. We've managed to try a few Michelin star restaurants (Jean George, Nobu and Daniel).
• Amazon and Fresh Direct: Internet shopping - the boon of every parent! And the bane when the credit card comes in.
• Geneva School - such a blessing to find a good Christian school and that Josiah was accepted. The weekly bible verse, and wholesome spiritual teachings.
• Splurging on our bed - so good we have to mention it!

Milestones for Josiah in 2011:

• Understanding time. Dates and days. Its so convenient now that we can explain he won't be able to eat / get something until xx.
• Counting to 1,000 in English, about 50 in Mandarin and maybe 10 in French and Spanish (we'll see if the last two last).
• Singing "Two Tigers" in Mandarin and some French songs we don't understand.
• Reading - he can read the Usborne reading series (Level 3), and is so keen on having stories read to him from either the Usborne series or the Jesus Storybook.
• Wearing his spider-man costume every other day (only the red one please).
• Speaking more confidently and talking. (Tough question: How did Joanna come out from your tummy? From your belly button!)
• Eating a wider variety of food - pizza, noodles and beef burgers (Shake Shack only). Fav food are chicken rice and chocolate chip cookies (with a small detour to pound cake for 4 months).
• Handwriting - after 2 months of Kumon, his handwriting improved where he can grip his pencil correctly and write his letters mostly legibly.
• Counting - again Kumon helped him to start basic arithmetic.

Milestones for Joanna in 2011:

• Being born (woo hoo!)
• Sleeping through the night at 3 months
• Sucking her fore and middle fingers on her left hand to self sooth.
• Getting over mummy cutting said forefinger at 5 months (while trimming nails).
• Having a left foot that seems to have a life and beat of its own.
• Itchy fingers that scratch every surface and grab anything in its grasp.
• Crazy funky hair from birth that's mellowed a little in month 6.
• Already a high achiever (top 80th percentile in weight, although only 50 in height): Wearing 9-12 month clothes from Carters and size 4 diapers from Pampers at 6 months.
• Eating oatmeal cereal, carrot, apple and squash. Her favourite is toast.

Here's some of the lowlights of 2011 (well it wasn't all good):

• Josiah coming down with a severe case of food poisoning (campylobacter jejuni). I took him to the NYU medical center after he was so dehydrated. Thank the Lord it wasn't anything worse and thanks to Mary Z for spotting me when she had a party to organise.
• Not being able to be there for Steven Tallash when Mary was called home.
• Not living with a washer and dryer.
• Having to make friends all over again.
• Living with NYers - such a grumpy and arrogant city.
• Having to clock 100 hours while having 2 kids.
• S working late hours again (while having 2 kids)
• Having to relearn how to get bargains - it seems like we keep overpaying.
• Living further away from Chinatown(s) - no more Fortune Cookie / Gold Mine.
• Learning how bad Chinese food is in NYC - seriously, what's up with the quality?
• Learning how to tip - after tipping 10% in London, the 15-20% in NYC is like reprogramming.
• Losing S' DSLR on our trip to Philadelphia with all our photos.

Here are some milestones for us:

• Handling 2 kids and clocking 100 hours of work and cooking meals.
• The start of our relationship with french press and fresh bagels.
• Made a better effort making our house a home. Organized the cupboards, hanging pictures.
• Surviving more than 24 hours of no sleep during Josiah's food poisoning.
• First baseball game (NY Yankees) and American football (NY Jets)
• First American holiday (Philadelphia)
• First Thanksgiving dinner at the Huans.
• First MGPH conference.
• First time staying over at the Ninans.
• First baby shower at the Hamiltons.
• First iMac and iPad
• First time kitting up our home with the whole furniture and electronics.
• First time seeing the Bersih rally
• First Bugaboo (got the Bee)
• Here are some NYC firsts:
• Cruise around NYC and seeing the Statue of Liberty
• The MET
• Rockefeller Centre during Christmas
• Grand Central
• Central Park (the playgrounds, the zoo and the reservoir)
• Natural History Museum
• Empire State Building
• Macy's, Bloomingdales, Century21
• Chrysler building
• South Street Seaport
• DUMBO
• Flushing
• Highline
• Chelsea Market
• Flatiron, Union Square, Madison Square
• Walking around UWS, UES
• Finding Zabar's and Sable's