Tripsmom

"Safety" gate

2008-07-05T10:04:00.002+08:00

We've recently had to install grills on all the windows as well as a main gate outside our apartment.... supposedly for the safety of our kids. On hindsight, i don't really know if it was for better or worse!!!

Look at how the rascals have made the main gate their newest "Mount Everest"!!!
Tan brothers tag team... suspending themselves and rattling the gate really loudly!!! (I pity our neighbours!!!)Sasha... the "genteel princess"... so not!!!

Her World Golf Challenge

2008-06-30T09:29:00.013+08:00

Recently took part in the Her World Golf Challenge held at Sentosa Golf Club... Didn't win any of the top three prizes, of course!!! :-) But had a lovely day of golf with the other ladies!

The picturesque par 3 that can daunt anyone with a fear of heights... U actually have to tee-off from the cliff edge!!!

Another scenic view of the property developments around Sentosa Cove... How I wish I were that rich!!! Sigh... Our buggy... all dressed up... My golfing kaki, Pimpartlert Sarathorn, and I... Having A "HIAO" photo moment, whilst waiting for the flight in front to speed up!!! The Sembawang Ladies... waiting for the buffet dinner to start...The four amigos... always taking part in the ladies' opens...
It was really a fantastic day of golf & good food! Definitely gonna take part next year!!! Maybe even do the challenge in Bangkok if I can get the other ladies to go along!!! :-)

Free Play!!!

2008-06-30T09:29:00.012+08:00

Go Go Bambini is having a promotion... every child under 2 years gets to play for FREE on weekdays!!! Of course, cheapo me rushed for this fantastic chance to let the rascals into their dream playland!!!

Their ultimate fav... the ball pit! Evan... climbing everywhere...
Ryan... content to roll around in the pit...Sasha... having a blast trying out new obstacles...Mirror image... Twin towers...Anyone out there with kids under 2 should really make full use of this promo cause it usu costs $6/kid for unlimited play. So I've saved $18!!! Definitely gonna bring them as often as possible until the promo ends on July 31st!!!

Dental Mission Trip

2008-06-24T11:29:00.006+08:00

Over the weekend, I took a "break" away from the hubby & kids and went on a dental & medical mission trip to Bintan. Before the kids, I used to do this on a regular basis so when the opportunity arose this time round, I grabbed at the chance cause these trips remind me of why I wanted to be a dentist in the first place!!!

This time round, Singapore Dental Association in a collaboration with Bintan Resorts organised a mission trip to two villages in Bintan (Berakit & Sebong Lagoi) to offer medical and dental treatment to the villagers. I had been to Berakit 4 years ago and it was fantastic to seem some of the kids that we had previously treated all grown up!

Welcome in school at Berakit
Berakit - Extraction patients already waiting for the treatment to start
Berakit - Oral Surgery (extractions) treatment room in full swing.Berakit - Instrument and supplies station
Berakit - Restorative (fillings) corner with portable LA operation chair in fore ground
Berakit - Dentures station (yes... we can actually fabricate immediate dentures!!!)Sebong Lagoi - Oral Surgery section set up in the corridor due to poor lighting in the classroom

Overall, I'm glad we had a chance to give back to society... It really breaks one's heart to see how poor these villagers are and the lack of proper medical & dental care.
I really must commend these stoic and brave people... especially the children who do not utter a single sound as injections and extractions are done on them! Hardly did we hear a cry or whine... everything was taken in their stride... even in one as young as 2 years old!!!

If only my kids could be half as brave...

Outing with our princess

2008-06-23T19:04:00.005+08:00

It was our sweetie's turn this fri nite to experience the "only child" feeling...

At 6pm, she got all dressed up n waited excitedly at the door...Put on her high heels... N was raring to go!!!
We brought her & her good friend, Barney, to Sze Chuan Court for some yummy dim sum...
Where she had a whale of a time wolfing down the xiao long pao...
Giving daddy big kisses for taking her out to dinner...

Rub-a-dub-dub, 3 ducks in the tub

2008-06-16T11:05:00.001+08:00

Check out what our three rascals have been up to!!!

Girls' Nite Out!!!

2008-06-14T10:17:00.004+08:00

Daddy had a company function to attend this fri so Sash & I had a girls' nite out! Actually it was with Grandpa & Grandma who took us out to eat our fav food... JAPANESE!!! :-)

Mummy & daughter waiting excitedly for our sushi to arrive!!! Sasha... looking extremely forlorn as her brothers were not around to share the ride with her... Finally perking up when Grandma treated her to the cookie monster $1 ride!!!

"Garang" girl

2008-06-12T15:14:00.006+08:00

If u were to see two hulking elephants approaching u, what would u do? Apparently the size of these gentle giants does not seem to faze our "garang" girl...
Instead of clinging tightly to me like what her brothers did, Sasha did the direct opposite!!! She charged forward to get a closer look!!! And climbed up the railings to get an unobstructed view!!! Sigh... what happened to "ladylike" behaviour?!?

NTUC fun!!!

2008-06-12T15:09:00.004+08:00

The rascals just love going to the NTUC at AMK Hub... Besides pulling stuff off the racks and driving me crazy, there's something that they're always fighting to do...

That is... who get's to drive the little car... Sometimes, I get so tired of them fighting over the car, I just dump them all together in one trolley!!!One old lady jokingly asked me where to buy these three... So I told her to check out the KIDS' SECTION!!! They were having a special... BUY 1, GET 2 FREE!!! :-)

Dinner at Prego's

2008-06-12T15:00:00.004+08:00

We had a lovely dinner at Prego's the other night... just the 2 of us n our little Ryan. We try to take one kid out every friday night... just to give them a feel of being an only child! So the kids have to take turns and only get to do this once every three weeks!!!

Here's Daddy n Ryan... looking very grown up, I must say!!! My little darling... enjoying his woodfire pizza... Another father-son-moment...

Barney Live Show

2008-06-08T22:46:00.008+08:00

Our three tots had a real treat this Sunday when their Nai Nai sponsored their tickets to watch Barney LIVE!!!

We made our way off to Suntec bright and early. The kids were really hyped up and kept dancing to "mambo" music in the car... Wearing their "cool" shades...Sasha... proudly carrying her "Baby Bop" bag that Grandpa & Grandma bought for her...
It was a fantastic TAN family outing where the 4 cousins got to experience the purple dinosaur sensation!!!The entire hall was jam-packed with little die-hard Barney friends...Evan spent the the whole show on Nai Nai's lap and kept dancing in her arms..Sasha kept waving and sending flying kisses to Barney & his friends...Ryan sat through the entire show filled with utmost concentration and kept bobbing his head in time with the songs...
Evan was so thrilled that he kept squealing & shouting out in glee...Thanks Nai Nai for such a wonderful experience!!! :-)

"Home-training"

2008-06-05T09:50:00.007+08:00

LESSON TIME

Here's some home-schooling going on... Daddy's teaching them writing basics...The "men" in our family... looking very studious!
The "escapee"... totally unwilling to join in the study group!!!
HOUSEHOLD CHORES TIME

Occasionally, the kiddos' angelic sides appear... Helping to clean the dusty surfaces...Doing a thorough job getting the tv screen nice n shiny...
With these rascals doing all the housework, makes me wonder if getting domestic help is necessary?!? Playing "mambo" music to get them in the mood...

Go Go Bambini

2008-06-01T16:16:00.007+08:00

Decided to try out "SINGAPORE"S COOLEST HANGOUT FOR KIDS"... GO GO BAMBINI located at Dempsey Rd. Heard so many mummies raving about the place so kinda wanted to see if our kids took to it.

All 3 were really excited as we proceeded out from our apartment... looking really spiffy in their matching overalls (Thanks to Aunty Leing!!!)Taking in the sights... Seated in their fav positions...
When we first reached, we sent the 3 into the junior play area, meant for kiddos under 3... They mostly hung around the ballpit...
Took a ride on the kinda immobile horsie...Playing peek-a-boo with the other kids...

After a while, they got bored with the junior play area and wanted to move on to conquer greater challenges. Guess they were looking for more excitement in their lives!
So we sent them into "BIG KIDS" playland, where we had to crawl n climb along with them all through the entire FOUR STOREYS of obstacles and slides!!! Beats having a workout in the gym, I must say!!!

Sasha... totally fearless n swinging all around...Evan... Spinning round-n-round...Ryan... Sliding down in glee...Daddy... reliving his 2nd childhood...
Mummy... swinging little "Tarzee" along the trapeze...Negotiating the treacherous steps...
Playing hide-n-seek with Daddy...Rocking on the "banana boat"....
3 little monkeys climbing up the hill...Some sustenance after that strenuous workout...Resting in Grandpa's arms...Totally knackered out... I strongly recommend this place for anybody wanting to bring out ur "inner child"!!! Kids love it... and we'll definitely be taking our rascals back to this kids' wonderland!!! Just wish I had this when I was little!!! :-)

Boat Quay

2008-05-30T15:17:00.009+08:00

Whilst waiting for daddy to get off work one friday evening, the 3 rascals had loads of fun exploring Boat Quay.

The statue of the "BIRD GOD" and his "offerings"... This picture-perfect moment was just too hard to resist!!! Doing some sit-and-reach exercises...Relaxing by the river... Trying to wake kor-kor up... wanting him to join in the fun! Running across the Singapore River on Cavenagh Bridge... Peering into the waters below... The sign says "PROHIBITED TO ALL CATTLE AND HORSES"... Someone should have included the words "AND TTT"!!!Running along the grassy area outside Asian Civilization Museum...Racing to greet daddy who just got off work...Our happy family reunites!!! :-)

Botanical Gardens(Jacob Ballas Garden)

2008-05-30T14:58:00.006+08:00

Having to find all ways n means to expend the kiddos' energy, decided to take them to Botanical Gardens early one morning.
Had our breakfast at the foodcourt... Walked around the gardens...Early morning "ROUTE MARCH"...Sasha spent most of the time chasing the poor pigeons around...
Decided to drive to the Jacob Ballas Garden that I've been hearing so much about. The really cool thing about the place is that adults are not allowed in unless they have a child under the age of 12 with them!!! That will really keep out those paedophiles!!! The kids loved the water play area... Unfortunately, I'd forgotten to pack extra clothing for them so they couldn't splash around!!! We'll definitely be going back!

"3some"

2008-05-30T14:39:00.005+08:00

As they grow older, they love imitating each other. What one does, the other two will copy! Which explains why they do everything together...

Having their breakfast...Sitting by the door, waiting to send daddy off to work in the morning...Playing "ring-a-ring-a-roses"...

"In Our Shoes"

2008-05-30T14:25:00.003+08:00

Our rascals have recently developed a penchant for our shoes! They take every opportunity to pretend to be "BIG BOYS & GIRL"!!!

Here's some of their recent antics...

Triple Tumble Tots

2008-05-05T11:37:00.003+08:00

Had a gathering with fellow multiples mummies at JWT gym at UE square... It was an hour of total free play which only cost us $5/rascal cause it was subsidised by TWINSPLUS Singapore!!!

The 3 really had a wild time running around and trying their hand at the gym equipment...

Evan & his little antics...

Ryan with his Spiderman moves...

Sasha... totally unafraid...

TTT having a total blast!!!

Bathtub fun!!!

2008-04-28T10:34:00.004+08:00

Rubber ducky n me!!!
I dun like the bubbles mummy!!!
Invaded by the creatures of the sea...
I really dun like the other animals!!!
Catching the naughty crabs n fishes tt are scaring DIDI n MEIMEI...
Time to go mummy? NOOOO!!!!!!! I wanna play somemore!!!

TTT's first year photoshoot!!!

2008-04-25T15:52:00.005+08:00

First professional photoshoot on January 7, 2008

We decided to risk extreme torture by sending the rascals off on their first photshoot. This photoshoot was actually taken a few days after they turned 11 mths (which was like 4 mths ago!!!)...

Sasha had been walking since the 10th mth... But during the shoot, Evan got so cheesed off by his sister's superb powers tt he decided to take his first steps!!! Smart boy... cause it got captured on film!!!

Ryan's first steps followed the next day... Guess they had to succumb to peer pressure!!! :-)

Sasha's first "professional" haircut

2008-02-27T10:40:00.003+08:00

Finally decided to give Sasha her first haircut... she was starting to look kinda shaggy...Being the "cheapo" mummy that I am, decided to try cutting her hair myself! Trimmed off the long "sideburns" first... fortunately she was very co-operative n didn't budge! Maybe she knew it was my first attempt n didn't dare move lest the haircut went seriously wrong!!!The final "product"... a bit lop-sided but it's ok... cause it'll grow out... eventually!!! :-)So much better once u comb it out!!! Just saved $18 on her haircut!!!

1st January 2008

2008-02-11T15:36:00.001+08:00

First Visit to the Botanic Gardens

Bright and early on New Year's Day, we made our way to the Botanic Gardens for the very first time. We had a lovely breakfast with Grandpa,Grandma & Granny... all who hadn't been there for years!!! What a pleasant surprise to find the many changes and improvements!

At first, the kiddos were pretty content to be pushed around in their strollers...After a while, they just refused to sit still and wanted to walk and crawl around on the lush grassy areas...
Sasha had a great time chasing after her favorite animal... the cute little DOGGIE!!!
We got to feed the swans some kang kong...They were entranced with the different textures of leaves and tree bark...We had a little Hawaiian costume going on as well...After all that crawling and walking, the kiddos were exhausted and were content to be carried in our arms...Definitely going to bring them more often to run around the wide open spaces!!! :-)

GOODBYE 2007!!!

2008-01-06T09:39:00.000+08:00

2007 has been a fantastic year for our family... In just these 11 short months, our cozy "2-pple world" has exploded into a full 5-pple universe!!! But we wouldn't exchange it for anything in the world!!! I think that being parents has taught us a lot and most importantly... what the word "FAMILY" really means. We're so grateful for all the love n support our family n friends have given us! Thanks guys!!!We spent the last night of 2007 celebrating at CLARKE QUAY... decided to introduce our 3 to the "nite life" of Singapore!!! :-)Had a really fabulous Indonesian dinner where our 2 helpers really enjoyed their local dishes...Sasha had a good time walking along the riverside, checking out the cute "ang-moh" guys... and the flowers...Ryan needed a bit of assistance but had an equally good time checking out the local babes...Evan found his Jap girlfriend and couldn't keep his eyes off her! Don't they possess that "fu-qi-xiang"?!?The two boys took turns riding on Daddy's shoulders...The 3 kiddos had a great time swatting at the balloons streaming along the entire riverside...
Daddy starting his boys young!!!
Dancing outside ATTICA due to the age limit constraints...First in line for the "GUILTY DESIRES" bash...Queuing for entry into the "FORBIDDEN PARTY" at INDOCHINE..."1 NITE STAND"?!? No way!!!I'm so gonna monitor the TAN guys outings in future!!! Really gotta keep a close watch on these 3 testosterone-loaded "men"!!!

Oh well... Goodbye 2007!!! Looking forward to what the new year ahead is gonna bring!!! Stay tuned for more adventures with our TTT (Terror Tan Triplets)!!!

New outfits!!!

2008-01-04T18:17:00.000+08:00

Thanks Grandpa & Grandma for bringing back our lovely presents all the way back from Beijing!!!

But a GREAT BIG THANK YOU goes out to...

Our beloved Granduncle Richard & Grandaunty Ja for our lovely shoes!!! They fit us perfectly! Thank you for taking the time and effort to shop for our wonderful Christmas gifts... as well as Daddy & Mummy's presents too!!!Three of our favourite aunties & uncle... Aunty Davina, Aunty Debbie & Uncle Donovan for our "My Dad Rocks", "My Mom Rocks" & "Lock up ur sons" T-shirts... as well as Sasha's flower-power dress!!! Don't we look just adorable ?!? :-)

FIRST CHRISTMAS EVE...

2008-01-04T17:58:00.000+08:00

Spent the babies' First Christmas Eve at their Godpa & Godma's place...where we had a superb spread of Christmas dinner goodies... followed by the traditional present exchanges. Not forgetting Grandpa, Grandma & Jiu Jiu...Granny...Ratna & Irul...And of course with the lovely Christmas tree n all the wonderful presents scattered below!!!
Of course, Christmas Eve wouldn't be complete without the kiddos changing into their Christmas Pyjamas!!!

Our FIRST Christmas with frens!!!

2008-01-04T14:19:00.000+08:00

Our kiddos' FIRST CHRISTMAS has been one filled with loads of parties n prezzies!!!! Not forgetting the wonderful food n the chance to catch up with frens n family!!!

Party with Mummy's dental kakis...Having our family pic taken with Aunty Lii's 10-foot christmas tree...Mummy-daughter moment...Daddy-daughter moment... In the true spirit of Christmas, gift exchange proved to be the most enjoyable part for the kids as they ripped open their prezzies with true gusto!!!

Zoo excursion with our new frens!!!

2008-01-04T13:49:00.000+08:00

Bright and early on Dec 19th, we met up with kor-kor Jonathan n di-di Ethan. Our mummies had decided to have a group outing to the zoo which turned out to be loads of fun!!! Especially when the 3 mummies had such a great time gossiping n comparing parenting notes!!!
The best part of it all was that it was the first time Daddy came along... he had taken childcare leave specially to spend "quality time" with us!!! :-)

3 mummies with their 1st-born sons...
Daddies n Sons unite...Daddy protects Ryan from the King of the Jungle...
Daddy n Son bonding...4 rascals having a whale of a time in the ball pit...Evan hiding-out...Sasha throwing balls at the boys...
Ethan having a blast at the baby swing...Our 3 rascals flying in the air...

Say Cheese!!!

2007-12-18T12:49:00.001+08:00

You won't believe how incredibly difficult it is to take a family photo!!! It's practically impossible to get all 3 rascals to look at the camera at the same time... the chance of getting a good shot is about 1%!!!
Here's a few where we actually managed to capture everyone's attention...

Zzzzzzz monster!!!

2007-12-18T12:37:00.000+08:00

Finally invested in Baby Einstein DVDs for the kiddos after hearing how much Chloe & Caleb enjoyed it...
The first time I played Baby Noah, the kiddos were fixated and sat through 20 mins... which is amazing for them!
Then I realised the DVDs served another purpose... it could send Evan into slumber land!!! Each time he watches it, he unknowingly succumbs to the Zzz-monster!!! Hilarious man!!!

Mag Mag Mug to the rescue

2007-12-18T12:30:00.000+08:00

I've been trying to wean them off the milk bottle in order to prevent milk bottle caries/decay... Tried the Avent sippy cup but the rascals just refused to use it!
Finally heard from other mummies that the Pigeon Mag Mag Mug was very baby friendly, so I decided to give it a go.
What a godsend!!! Within minutes, all 3 of them were happily sucking from the straw!!!

Babies no longer...

2007-12-18T10:31:00.000+08:00

The kiddos have started their journey into the "TODDLER" world...

Sasha took her first steps on the day she turned 10 months old and has not looked back since! Guess she has realized that walking is way less painful on her knees!!!

Her first steps on Dec 3rd, 2007...Rejoicing & Clapping her hands in glee over her accomplishment...Evan can now stand unaided but has yet to take his first steps...Ryan still needs a helping hand...But is extremely proficient with using the walker...

Our first Christmas card

2007-12-06T08:39:00.000+08:00

Here's our first Christmas card especially for all of u...

Random shots

2007-11-30T03:42:00.000+08:00

Just some pictures for ur perusal...

Evan... boy or girl?!?Ryan bonding with Nai Nai...Brother & Sister sharing a giggle...Twin "carrier"..."Not-as-light" Ryan getting a piggy-back ride...
Getting caught sneaking into the kitchen...Evan... hogging all of mummy's breastmilkRyan... the new "Fatimah"Sasha... enjoying the hippo rider which someone threw away n cheapo mummy brought back!!!
An apple a day keeps the doctor away!!!

Racing competitions

2007-11-30T03:26:00.001+08:00

The 3 rascals are having a wild time racing around the house! It's really funny to watch them chasing each other around...

Ready, Get set, Go!!!Sasha victorious!!! AGAIN!!!
Evan got smart and decided to get some "divine intervention"...

Birthday Bashes!

2007-11-24T11:04:00.001+08:00

We've recently had a serious spate of birthday celebrations! Which means more parties n more food to gorge on!!! :-)

E-SHAY'S BIRTHDAY BASH

Starting off with our Jie-Jie Eshay who has just turned the grand old age of ONE!!!Check out her Choo-Choo train cake! Super cute rite?!?But the funniest part was when she stuffed her sock-covered foot in the cake! Hilarious man!!!
GRANDPA & JIU-JIU GABRIEL'S BIRTHDAY BONANZA

Next came Grandpa's birthday celebration which was combined with Jiu-Jiu's cause their birthdays are just 2 weeks apart! SAVE $$$ what!!! :-)Father & Son looking more & more alike...We had a great time at Bottle Tree Park...Where we had our first Christmas Tree pic taken with Grandpa & Grandma & Jiu Jiu...Having a wild time with Grandpa...And Grandma...And not forgetting... Daddy!!!AH-TAI'S BIRTHDAY DINNER

We wrapped up our November birthday bashes with Ah-Tai's (Grandpa's Mummy) birthday dinner. She celebrated her 85th birthday!!!

Sasha the angel?!? Think again!!!

2007-11-23T14:11:00.000+08:00

So much for sweet little princess! Check out our little terror!!!

Starting from day 1, having a good time kicking Ryan...

Caught in the act, pulling Evan's hair...

Still jealous of Evan's luscious locks...

Peek-a-boo!!!

2007-11-23T13:56:00.000+08:00

The kiddos just adore playing peek-a-boo with each other! Really amazing how they communicate without words!!!

Evan & Sasha at 7 months...

Evan & Ryan at 8 months...

We can laugh too!!!

2007-11-23T13:42:00.000+08:00

Just so u know that Evan & Sasha are no laughing duds!!!

Evan at 5 months, trying to rip off his brother's bib...

Evan at 8 months, tickled silly...

Evan at 9 months, laughing in unison with Ryan...

Evan at 9 months, trying to grab the camera...

Sasha at 4 months, having a blast...

Sasha at 5 months, enthralled with the "P" sound...

Sasha at 8 months, laughing with her brother...

Ryan... the Laughing Machine!!!

2007-11-23T10:56:00.000+08:00

Check out Ryan n his really unique laughter!!! He just cracks me up!!! :-)

At 4 months, really amused with his name...

At 7 months, playing peek-a-boo...

At 8 months, thrilled with the "R" in his name...

At 9 months, footballer in the making...

Up close and personal

2007-11-16T14:52:00.001+08:00

We've had a fruitful zoo visit this time round... First-and-foremost, NONE of the kiddos were snoozing!
Most importantly, we got up close and personal with our newest friends!!!

We caught the elephants bathing and got to pet and feed them...49-year-old Orang Utan lazing away next to us on the bench...Finally, polar bear feeding time!!! (Btw, did u know that the polar bear's fur is actually translucent?!? It's just the reflection from the snow that makes it appear white!!!)

Standing solo

2007-11-16T14:31:00.000+08:00

Our princess has been very eager to be promoted to the ranks of "Big Girl"... She has now decided that crawling is way overrated!

From cruising along with the help of anything she can grab onto... She has mastered the art of standing solo... However, she hasn't yet figured out what comes next!!! So she just stands there, flailing her arms about in glee... before plonking down on the floor on her derrier!!!With a little assistance, she's merrily walking along... unlike her lazy brothers who still need to be carried!!! Hmph... Female power reigns!!!

ROSEOLA Attack!!!

2007-11-16T14:07:00.000+08:00

Poor little Evan has been invaded by ROSEOLA!!! This marks the first time any of our kiddos has fallen ill... so u can imagine the fumbling and panic this nasty bug caused!!!The roseola virus(roseola infantum) is a mild childhood illness that is generally harmless and is most common in children 6 months to 2 years of age. It is characterized by 3-4 days of high fever followed by a sudden disappearance of the fever. Next rashes will appear all over the body... which then abruptly disappears after 2-3 days. The most interesting thing about this virus is that the child remains active and doesn't appear to be sick apart from the outward signs!

Evan nursing high temperatures... looking kinda miserable...Perking up upon seeing his favorite biscuit...Putting on a nappy for the first time to "air" his bottom...Having to borrow his sister's hairclips to keep his fringe at bay... To date, Ryan & Sasha have not shown any signs so we're keeping all our fingers and toes crossed that Roseola has been eradicated from this household PERMANENTLY!!!

Newest additions to our vehicular family

2007-11-16T13:22:00.000+08:00

HELP!!! I'm going "yahoo auctions" crazy!!!
I've added to our expanding fleet of vehicles by bidding successfully on a little tikes push-car PLUS a playskool ride-on-cum-walker!!! Our tiny apartment has officially become a full-scale garage!!! Shen's threatening to ban me from using the computer...
The only justification I can come up with is "We got 3 kids what!?!" The only consolation is that the kiddos just love taking turns riding their newest transport along with their beloved cousin, E-Shay!!!

Caged in!!!

2007-11-16T12:30:00.000+08:00

Having 3 rascals crawling around the place in 3 different directions is no joke!!! It's amazing the kind of havoc three little monkeys can create!!!
Sasha crawling under the excersaucer... Ryan trying to climb over the excersaucer... Evan wanting to sit on the big people's chair... Sasha getting stuck in the bumbo chair... Sasha climbing Mount Mummy... Evan climbing Mount Ratna... Group effort attacking the DVD player... Trying to scale up the sofa... So we tried to "lock" them up in their individual cots... but looking at their woebegone faces, we just didn't have the heart to leave them there for long!
Introducing their newest play haven... the SUPERYARD XT!!! Now that all 3 are caged in together with each other for company, their bumps n bruises are much reduced... along with our stress levels!!!

Mummies' zoo outing

2007-11-02T13:33:00.000+08:00

Aunty Leing recently joined us on our zoo expedition... bringing along gorgeous Chloe-jiejie n handsome Caleb-korkor!Chloe n Sasha having a female-bonding moment...Tan brothers vs Otter brothers...
Sasha getting fresh with Otter-korkor...The boys chasing after the peacock...Meeting a set of 5-year old triplet boys...Enjoying the swings...Burying themselves in the ballpit...
Making full use of their new bucket hats to block out the sun...And of course, Ryan having a "thing" for older women!!!

Professional Toothbrushing Tips

2007-11-02T12:57:00.001+08:00

The kiddos' first teeth popped-up around 6-7 months and we've been keeping their little pearly whites clean with towel wipes. Now that they have a grand total of TWO teeth each, I've decided that it's time to institute proper dental hygiene!!! That means the use of a toothbrush!!!

First lesson in proper toothbrushing techniques... using the BASS TECHNIQUE... and hopefully, the correct side of the toothbrush!!!We start by testing the BRISTLE SOFTNESS... cause Mummy says that toothbrush bristles must be soft/extra soft... no medium/hard or we'll get abrasion cavities!Keeping the toothbrush head at a 45-degree angle to our gumline...Cleaning the INCISORS... especially the palatal areas which pick-up the most stains!
Scrubbing those hard-to-reach occlusal grooves on our MOLARS...Not forgetting to scrub our TONGUE which is a treasure-trove for plaque accumulation...And VOILA!!! We're done!!! That will be a Dental Consultation Charge and Oral Hygiene Instructions of $50 pls!!! :-)

Hanging out at Grandpa & Grandma's...

2007-11-02T12:27:00.000+08:00

The little rascals love hanging out at Grandpa & Grandma's place!
Not only do they get a huge baby-proofed, air-conditioned room all to themselves... They get to be the centre of massive attention!!!Not forgetting the really cool playground!!!
Jurassic Park returns...
Daddy training Evan for the SOC...Grandpa passing-on his biking skills to Sasha...Mummy sending the boys off on their first coupe ride...Trying to fit all 3 in the tiny 2-seater...Finally, after all the fun, relaxing in Gramp's cozy living room...

Joining the TwinsPlus Club

2007-11-02T11:57:00.000+08:00

We've recently joined TwinsPlus... a club of multiples family where the min requirement is having at least 2 babies at one time!!! :-)
It's really quite a good thing cause the advice given by daddies n mummies who have been-there-done-that is truly invaluable. The good thing is tt there are once-monthly gatherings and weekly playgroups for the little cherubs to interact... plus daddy n mummy get to gripe with the other parents about the little terrors!

The first gathering we attended was at the TOY RENTAL CLUB owned by a triplets' mummy... It was truly a toy wonderland with hundreds of toys!!! Nai Nai kept us company cause Daddy had a project to work on. The two boys were a little apprehensive due to the sheer numbers of babies n toddlers!!! Just imagine... 2/3/4 kids per couple!!! Massive munchkin attack!!!Sasha had no trouble adapting at all... Side Note :- I'm kinda embarrassed to say this but our daughter is turning out to be a little SPG! She kept sending come-hither looks to the blond twin boys... Sigh...

Friends of the Zoo

2007-11-01T12:49:00.000+08:00

I was recently talking to a fren of mine who commented that the most popular outing place for kids seems to be the malls. Apart from the fact that it's convenient as shopping can be thrown in at the same time plus it's comfi due to the air-conditioning, it might be better if more educational trips could be taken...
I felt really guilty then cause I was a prime example of a supermarket n mall-going mummy! I guess I always thought that the babies would not really benefit much from "educational outings" at this point in time...

So I got my act together n decided to become "FRIENDS OF THE ZOO"! And boy am I glad I did it!!! Not only are the 3 totally fascinated by the animals... so are our helpers n not forgetting MYSELF!!! :-)They really enjoy the animal shows and can sit thru the whole 30-mins staring in total fascination at the performing animals...Of course, the kiddos take their occasional naps during our stroll through the zoo and they most prob only see one or two animals per visit... But overall, I think they are absorbing certain things. (At least, I hope so!!!)

So my resolution is to take them once a week to visit their frens at the zoo!!! Here's to better parenting!!! :-)

Visiting E-Shay

2007-10-24T09:56:00.000+08:00

One fine day... or should I say, one blazing afternoon... we made our way to Yeh-Yeh & Nai-Nai's place to visit their cousin, E-Shay. Unfortunately, she had to go out for a little while so the 3 rascals had a whale of a time trying out her huge collection of toys!
The undisputed champion was the musical chair...Sasha enjoyed E-Shay's super-comfy high-chair... (I feel so guilty for getting them the spartan Ikea one!!!)Plus all three enjoyed chasing the poor little toy chick all around...As we made our way back, the kiddos were totally shacked-out and were snoozing all the way!

Vehicles galore

2007-10-24T09:43:00.000+08:00

Now that the kiddos are getting mobile n really inquisitive about their surroundings, I've been hard-pressed to keep them entertained in such a small space like our apartment!
Even with swimming at least twice a week, outings to the supermarket and shopping centres, dinner outings, etc, their pent-up energy seems to require a far greater outlet.

Daily walks around our estate is a must... plus I read somewhere tt regular exposure to the outdoors in the early evening creates better sleep habits. In order to give tt little extra omph to their walks, we've acquired new transportation...Evan getting his car out from the parking lot...Doing the one-handed steering manoeuvre...Ryan having a blast in his little scooter...Sasha taking a snooze in the scooter...Not forgetting the occasional racing between the two brothers around the house!!!

Developmental differences

2007-10-24T09:11:00.000+08:00

In terms of motor skills, Sasha's been the first to roll-over, sit up unsupported and has now started crawling very efficiently around the house. Plus she's starting to stand with the help of the furniture. Apart from the fact that she's so much lighter and thus more agile, I truly believe that girls develop much faster... Sasha's a living proof! The two boys can only commando-crawl on their bellies and look on in envy! Evan's more into speech... having a small repertoire of words like "bye-bye", "ba-boo", "pa-pa" n "ma-ma". Plus he loves blowing raspberries... which can send him into peals of laughter!!!As for our Ryan, he's the most stationary one! But what he's lacking in motor, he more than makes up for in eye-power!!! He has this warped notion tt by staring really hard at something, he can bring it closer to himself! So he uses the dagger-piercing-look and grunts really hard... Occasionally, we feel so sorry for him tt we'll bring the toy to him. So I guess his theory of mind over matter really works!!!

Mug Shots!!!

2007-10-19T17:03:00.001+08:00

I realize that I've been extremely slack in updating our blog.... so much so that I've decided to make up for lost time by putting up our babies' pics all at one go!!!

I guess alot of u must be wondering who's who cause they've changed so much since birth...

So here's a little intro to our TTT (Terror Tan Triplets)...

EVAN aka BOMBOM, JAPANESE BOY...BOMBOM... cause he used to be the BIG one who was affectionately known as FATTY-BOM-BOM. However, his not-so-little brother has since overtaken him in the heavyweight category!!!
JAPANESE BOY... cause every stranger who sees him asks if his daddy or mummy is Jap?!?

RYAN aka BOTAK, CASPER, BISHAN TARZAN...BOTAK... for the obvious reasons!!! But I'll have u know his hair is officially 1-inch now!!!
CASPER... cause his shiny head resembles ur friendly little ghost!!!
BISHAN TARZAN... cause he's one boy full of muscles!!! One touch from him can send his siblings toppling over!!!

SASHA aka CHILLI PADI, KATIK AYAM...CHILLI PADI... cause she's small but hot!!! Already she's far surpassing her brothers in everything apart from size!!! Her lightning-quick crawling can only leave her 2 stationary brothers in her wake!!!
KATIK AYAM... cause she's the smallest of the whole brood! Poor little sweetie is wearing all her brothers' hand-me-downs...

And so that rounds up our intro... stay tuned for the Chronicles of TTT!!! :-)

Our babies' eighth-month journey

2007-10-15T15:47:00.002+08:00

September 2007

Our babies' seventh-month journey

2007-10-15T15:47:00.001+08:00

August 2007

Our babies' sixth-month journey

2007-10-15T15:46:00.002+08:00

July 2007

Our babies' fifth-month journey

2007-10-15T15:46:00.001+08:00

June 2007

Our babies' fourth-month journey

2007-10-15T15:45:00.001+08:00

May 2007

Our babies' third-month journey

2007-10-04T22:09:00.000+08:00

April 2007

Our babies' second-month journey

2007-10-04T21:33:00.000+08:00

March 2007

Our babies' first-month journey

2007-09-07T15:23:00.000+08:00

February 2007

A Big THANK YOU!!!

2007-04-13T14:54:00.000+08:00

Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all the wonderful uncles & aunties who have given such lovely presents! Decided to post these pics to let u know how much we love ur gifts!!!

Thanks Aunty Lim Lii for the beautiful signs...
Thanks Aunty Davina & Uncle Tony for the cute little bears...Thanks Nai Nai for our super spacious & comfi sleep suits... Thanks Uncle Aaron & Aunty Crystal for our lovely playmat...Thanks Uncle Yoon Hee for the best blankets anyone can ever have...
Thanks Gan-die & Gan-ma for the fantastic outfits & T-shirts...Thanks Aunty Eadelin & Uncle Luke for the playmat & Lamaze toys...Thanks Golfing Uncles & Aunties for the wonderful rockers...Thanks Granduncle Sia & Grandaunty Gina for our cute little singlets...Thanks Godpa & Godma for everything u have given us...Thanks Everyone for all our lovely prezzies!!!

Easter Sunday!!!

2007-04-13T11:24:00.000+08:00

April 8th, 2007... A Beautiful Easter Sunday

Uncle Vince visited us all the way from down under... bearing lovely gifts of gigantic easter eggs, beautiful wooden alphabets "E","R", "S" n cute little beanie caps!!! (Thanks Uncle Vince & Auntie Ida!!!) Evan & Sasha kinda protested when made to wear the caps... But Ryan loved his presents!!! :-)

Sasha's got a headache!

2007-04-13T10:45:00.000+08:00

Our little princess is getting a headache from listening to her 2 very loud brothers!
But she seems to forget that she's just as loud... if not, more so!!! Her Nai Nai has nicknamed her "xiao la pa", meaning "little trumpet"! She never fails to let herself be heard!!!
So much for hoping our princess will turn out to be a "delicate flower"!?!

Sleeping postitons

2007-04-11T15:03:00.000+08:00

We're constantly amazed at the different positions the 3 kiddos take up whilst sleeping!!! Whoever coined the phrase "sleeping angels" must have a wild imagination... Don't see any signs of angelic behaviour with these 3!!!

Mr Tan Ah Pek, the rickshaw puller with the "kiao-kah" pose...Mr Contortionist...Mr Leg-Open-Big-Big, otherwise know as "kah kwee kwee"...Miss Wong Ah Mah, always in deep thought even asleep...
Occasionally we get lucky and a semblance of angelic slumber appears...

1-month old!!!

2007-04-11T13:10:00.000+08:00

March 3rd, 2007... 1 month old

Our 3 precious just before their full month celebration... Had a little of their hair cut in line with the Chinese tradition. We then kept the hair in little red packets... to be passed back to them when they grow up!
Evan didn't like that at all!!! Afterall, he's the one with the full mane of hair... Ryan might need the hair if he continues to be as "botak" as now!!!Sasha's hoping this will stimulate hair growth... She's doesn't like looking like a boy!!! Plus daddy & mummy are tired of pple coming up to comment, "So cute!!! THREE boys!!!" Hmph!!!

3 Different Personalities

2007-03-26T18:15:00.000+08:00

The 3 little babes are taking on their own personalities... Quite interesting to see how each of them differs!

"Cheeky" Evan"Happy" Ryan"Deep Thinker" Sasha

3 little waterbugs!!!

2007-03-26T17:12:00.000+08:00

Here's our 3 rascals enjoying themselves in their little bathtub...

Evan

Ryan

Sasha

Crying Babies

2007-03-23T22:35:00.000+08:00

For those who have been wondering what having triplets is like... Enjoy!!!

All 3 having a blast...

Little brother following in Big brother's footsteps...

Ryan & Sasha's first fight... and reconciliation (Check out the hand-holding towards the end!)

Check out our 3 LITTLE CRABS...

2007-03-23T18:28:00.000+08:00

This is the reason why you shouldn't eat crabs when preggie... Most babies stay wrapped up snugly in their swaddling cloths... check out our 3!!!
OUR PEPPER CRAB... EVANOUR BUTTER CRAB... RYANOUR CHILLI CRAB... SASHAP.S. Vince & Ida... really enjoyed the crab sessions with u guys... but u might wanna reconsider when u're preggie!!! :-)

After awhile, u just give up... and u dun bother swaddling!!!

Baby mutant ninja turtles!!!

2007-03-23T18:22:00.000+08:00

This is the reason why 1 cot wasn't enough... and neither was my tummy!!!
Imagine their superb gymnastic skills in my belly... Sigh...

Homecoming!!!

2007-03-23T17:30:00.000+08:00

The journey home...

Our little babes took turns coming home... Sasha being the first on Feb 7th, followed by Evan the following day and lastly, Ryan on the 9th.

This was due to elevated jaundice levels in the 2 boys. They had to undergo photo-therapy... their 1st sun-tanning sessions!Ryan's homecoming was further delayed by a day due to an eye infection... which we believe to be due to the fact that he was the most "ka-po"... constantly opening his eyes to check out the visitors!!!February 9th, 2007... 6 days old

HOME SWEET HOME!!!
All 3 snug in their new bed with their Paddington & Harrod's bears (Thank you, Aunty Davina!!!) and their new "signboards" (Thank you, Aunty Lim Lii!!!) Evan & Ryan & Sasha

What r u looking at?!?

2007-02-26T16:02:00.000+08:00

Baby Ryan: " Yes... What can I do for you?!? "
Baby Sasha: "Why do u keep looking at us?!?"
Baby Evan : " Relax lah! Just ignore them!!! "

3 little peas in their own little pods

2007-02-26T15:36:00.000+08:00

February 3rd 2007... 3 hours old

Straight from the delivery suite into the ward where they had their baths and were clothed and sent directly into my waiting arms!!! Wrapped up snugly in their own little pods...
February 6th 2007... 3 days old

Snug in their own little nursery beds... where the wonderful nurses of KKH Ward 82 took excellent care of them whenever we were too shacked out!!!

Their first professional pics...

2007-02-23T10:43:00.000+08:00

Our 3 little darlings' portraits taken at 3 days old...

The Proud Grandparents

2007-02-22T11:25:00.000+08:00

Family Portraits... Holding the 3 bundles of joy!!!

The TANSThe YEES

Our 3 little peas have popped their pod!!!

2007-02-22T10:23:00.000+08:00

OUR BIRTH STORY...

February 3rd, 2007... Officially 35 weeks 5 days!!!

We checked into KKH bright n early at 7am... got prepped up for the c-section and entered the OT around 8am. Their daddy was really excited as he scrubbed and gowned up... waiting to join me on my delivery journey. I must say Shen was looking decidedly smart in the OT scrubs!!! :-)
I had lower spinal blocks and epidural... but unfortunately they did not seem to have sufficient effect on me. So we decided to go for general anaesthetic in the end... sigh...

Thus I was zoned out during their arrival around 9 am! Fortunately, their daddy gotta hear their first cries!!! According to him, he first heard a duck quacking (Evan), a cat meowing(Ryan) and finally a very dainty cry( Sasha)!!! That's when tears of joy rolled down his cheeks cause he realised that all 3 had arrived safely into this world!!!
Here's their stats... and very good ones for triplets, might i add!!!
In the order in which they popped...

Evan Tan Yuren = 2.725 kg, 46 cm Ryan Tan Yuming = 2.485 kg, 46cmSasha Tan Yuwen = 2.430 kg, 46cm With weights rivaling singleton babies, they could go directly into the normal nursery and were with me in the ward!!! Unbelievable rite?!? They didn't need any ICU or special care nursery time!!! We are so thankful for all blessings that we have received... what more can parents ask for than to have 3 healthy bundles of joy?!? BTW, we had a celebration as DADDY, EVAN, RYAN & SASHA all celebrated their birthdays! Cheapo MUMMY only needs to buy ONE cake in future to celebrate FOUR pple's birthdays!!! Hee Hee!!! Smart rite?

35 weeks and the COUNTDOWN begins!!!

2007-01-31T17:21:00.000+08:00

January 31st, 2007... 35 weeks 2 days old!!!

It's really amazing that we've managed to reach this far!!! Never thought I'd be able to keep them in for so long!!! :-)

Had CTG done again and all 3 have strong steady heartbeats with no contractions detected... doctor actually asked if I wanted to keep them in for one more week! But I'm all ready to throw in the towel!!! Afterall, 36 weeks is considered full-term for triplets... and it's getting increasingly difficult for me trying to survive each and every day with the not-so-little peas inside my pod!!!

So the countdown has officially started!!! We're going in for epidural C-section on Saturday, Feb 3rd, 2007. So that makes it just another 3 days more!!!

Btw, Feb 3rd also happens to be their daddy's birthday!!! So cheapo me will only have to buy ONE cake to celebrate all FOUR of their birthdays!!! Gonna save me lotsa $$$!!! What to do... once u have triplets, cost is everything!!! But hey, what better present can Shen ask for than the arrival of his 3 little darlings?!? :-)

So the next time I post... this is what u pple will be seeing...

YES... I"M STILL PREGGIE!!!

2007-01-28T02:20:00.000+08:00

January 27th, 2007... 34 weeks 5 days... and counting!!!

My dearest beloved family n frens... no... I haven't popped yet!!! Really so touched to know tt all of u are out there rooting for us! Don't worry... we haven't left u out of the loop! Will definitely inform u when we pop!!! :-)

I know it's kinda amazing tt my super gigantic balloon has not popped yet considering tt we've gone way past the ave triplet gestation period... but as Shen says... I never like to follow guidelines!!! :-)

Think the trio just like it too much in my tummy to wanna come out... but I seriously can't wait for them to pop!!! It's super tiring for me... trying to tote around 7 kg worth of babies!!! Not forgetting the additional weights of their individual placentas n amniotic fluids!!! Sigh...

Had another bio-physical profile done today... all 3 going strong... kicking n punching like crazy!!! We're really gonna have a handful when they come out!!! :-)

34 weeks... AND STILL PREGGIE!!!!

2007-01-28T02:17:00.000+08:00

January 24th, 2007... Our little peas are 34 weeks 2 days old!!!

Superb! Have reached the golden 34-week mark!!! Can't really believe that we've managed to reach this far!

Had a bio-physical profile (CTG) done and all 3 have superbly strong heartbeats of 140-160 beats/min. No contractions of any significance detected so looks like the 3 little buns can be kept baking for a little longer!!! :-)

Estimated weights of the 3 rascals are as follows:-
EVAN = 2.1 kg
RYAN = 1.9 kg
SASHA = 2.3 kg

Doctor has asked me to keep a lookout as I might be popping anytime now...

33 weeks... JIA YOU!!!

2007-01-18T08:22:00.000+08:00

January 17th, 2007... We're still going strong at 33 weeks 2 days

After the scare on Friday, it feels really great to be able to make it this far... Looks like it might be possible to hit the golden 34-week mark!!! Although Shen's aiming for 35 weeks... that's cause HE'S NOT THE ONE PREGGIE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!

Babies are growing well, heartbeats are strong and amniotic fluid aplenty!!!
An update of their estimated weights :-
EVAN = 1.9 kg
RYAN = 1.6 kg
SASHA = 2.1 kg

It's a wonder how they manage their aqua-aerobics in the confines of my tummy!!! You can actually see them making WAVES under my super-stretched belly!!! Here's looking at my 33 week tummy... It's officially 52 INCHES!!! Scary rite?!?

FALSE ALARM!!!

2007-01-18T07:56:00.000+08:00

January 12th, 2007... 32 weeks 4 days old

Guess what?!? The 3 little rascals gave their mummy a good scare!!! I was having major painful contractions and lower back pain since the day before... finally gave in when the contractions were coming about 15 mins apart. Reckoned I was going into labour! Shen rushed home and we checked into the delivery suite where they immediately suspected pre-term labour. Was hooked up to the infamous CTG machines to monitor babies' heartbeats and my contractions... and was told to mentally prepare ourselves for an emergency C-section!!! We were actually preparing to activate the family clan... The doctor gave me a jab hoping to stop the contractions as well as a steroid jab to mature the babies' lungs in case they decided to come out. Think this really scared the little ones into behaving and a couple of hours later... My contractions fizzled off into mild ones... My cervix remained closed and we were finally told that the 3 were not coming out anytime soon!!!

However, I had to be warded and stayed in the delivery suite from 12 pm till midnight for monitoring. I was then transferred to the ante-natal ward where I was then discharged at 1pm. Thank God for small miracles!!! :-)

32 weeks... Superb!!!

2007-01-06T13:10:00.000+08:00

January 5th, 2006... Babies are 31 weeks 4 days old

We've hit the 32 week mark!!! Yeah!!! This is really great as anytime the babies decide to show up is fine after this! Of course, it'll be much better for them to stay in my tummy for another 2 weeks more... cause then they'll have hit the 2 kg mark which means less time in the hospital for them. And they'll get to come home asap!!! So we're really gunning for 34 weeks... Keeping all our fingers and toes crossed!!! :-)

Had another detailed growth scan today and all 3 are growing well! Putting on weight and aiming for the 2 kg mark is what these 3 have to do!!!

Evan has done quite a fair bit of bulking up this week and he seems to be catching up with his sister. He's the one whose movements I can feel the most! This one shows true gymnastic potential... what with all the somersaults and handstands!!! He weighs 1.78 kg...
Ryan is the smallest but heartbeat is strong... along with his kicks and punches!!! He's the lowest in my tummy and is the one causing my frequent toilet trips!!! He weighs 1.43 kg...
Sasha is the biggest... as usual! She's officially a 4-pounder, weighing in at 1.87 kg!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2007-01-02T11:28:00.000+08:00

To usher in the New Year, we've been having frens over to celebrate and keep me company!!! Being housebound almost 24/7, u can't imagine the joy I feel when frens come over!!!

A great big THANK YOU to my dental kakis, Shen's childhood frens and our golfing kakis for coming to celebrate with us!!!

A Chocolate Fondue Party with my dental kakis... Yummy!!!The gorgeous spread of food during our golfing kakis potluck gathering...
I have officially been "Knighted"... Lychee no more... I'm now an Orange!!!Here's wishing our beloved frens and family a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! May 2007 be richly filled with lots of love & blessings!!!
To all our newly married frens... here's sprinkling u pple with BABY DUST!!! Hee Hee!!! :-)

31 Weeks... almost at the finishing line!!!

2007-01-02T11:19:00.000+08:00

December 29th, 2006... Our Precious are 30 weeks 4 days old

We're all doing fantastically... The boys are now 1.3 kg, 1.4 kg and Sasha's still the biggest at 1.6 kg!!! I'm still going strong although PAIN is my constant companion due to their weights compressing on all my organs, bones and nerves...

Not much to report as we're all nearing the finish line! I can't wait to see our 3 little ones!!! If all goes well, I'll try to hold them in till Jan 20th... any date after that is fantastic for triplets!!! Jia You!!! :-)

Christmas Day Scare

2007-01-02T10:15:00.000+08:00

December 25th, 2006... 30 weeks old

Guess where we spent Christmas morning?!? In KK Hospital's delivery suite!!! BUT it was not to deliver our babies! All three are still snugly enclosed within my tummy... Thank God!!!

The story goes like this... I was having severe constant lower abdominal pains the entire Christmas Eve day but didn't want to check myself into the hospital as we were going for a Christmas Eve party that I had really been looking forward to!!! Was really worried that once I checked myself in, would not be coming out until the babies were born... I definitely didn't wanna spend my Christmas in the hospital!!!

So I bore with the pain and had a great time!!! But it was too much to take and I had to surrender to the inevitable at 2.30am when I woke Shen up to drive me to the Women's 24-hour clinic. Although I insisted to the nurses that I was not having contractions, they were very firm about checking me into the delivery suite. Thus I spent the next 3 hours monitoring the babies heartbeats as well as my contractions. It was really funny cause they had to use 2 machines to monitor all 3 babies as a CTG (cardiotocography) machine could only measure a maximum of 2 babies at a time!!! :-)

Fortunately, all 3 babies' heartbeats were strong and constant at about 140-160 beats/min. They were really active and kept kicking at the leads of the machine as if to say "I don't like this". The nurses were really amused at how they could be so active in such a limited space... and warned me that I was gonna have 3 VERY ACTIVE RASCALS in future!!! Sigh...

Meanwhile, Shen was sitting outside with all the other daddies-to-be. According to him, he couldn't be more grateful that I was gonna have a caesarean... having been witness to all the moanings and groanings from the mummies in labour!!! It was kinda hellish for him... sitting through 3 hours of that!!! :-)

The medical officer (who turned out to be my uni hostel fren) finally decided to release us at 5.30am as I was not registering any strong contractions. I was sent home with Panadol for the pain and was told that it was normal for triplets' mummies to experience constant pain as the babies were compressing on all my abdominal organs and nerves!!! Thanks a lot!!! What a waste of $$$!!! Sigh...

The good news is that about 5 hours later, I managed to self-diagnose the cause of my pain. I hadn't done my big business in 48 hours!!! All that pain was due to constipation!!! The babies were basically compressing on my intestines leading to blockage!!! I immediately drank a whole bottle of prune juice... VOILA!!! I cleared my blocked system and my pain miraculously disappeared!!! That was the best Christmas present I had ever received!!! :-)

This ends my "exciting" Christmas story... Hope ur Christmas Day was much more enjoyable than mine!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! :-)

Santa Cookie

2006-12-29T11:29:00.000+08:00

Here's wishing everyone MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
We're all ready to party with our Santa son... This will be his last Christmas as an only child!!! Next year he'll be sharing his Christmas prezzies with his brothers and sister!!! :-)

30 Weeks... and counting...

2006-12-29T11:07:00.000+08:00

December 22nd, 2006... Our sweeties are 29 weeks and 4 days old

No pics this time cause they're too big to capture... the most u'll get is pics of their body parts... so we figured we'll skip the photo-taking until they actually arrive!

Just an update... We had our 3rd detailed scan today. This was mainly to check the bloodflow to the babies and to update on their growth.

All three have very good arterial bloodflow and very strong heartbeats. We were given a rough estimation of their weights... but it's only a rough gauge. Evan weighs 1.1 kg, Ryan 1.2 kg and Sasha a hefty 1.4 kg!!! Oopsie... looks like Sasha's gonna be the queen bee!!! :-)

The 2 boys are a little on the light side but still within the normal range... so our doc's not too concerned. The most important thing right now is that they're all receiving good bloodflow and are healthy. We can do the bulking up once they come into this world...

At this stage of multiple pregnancy, what we're most concerned about is one baby getting lesser bloodflow and suffers from IUGR (intra-uterine growth restriction)... this will lead to him/her not doing so great in the womb and might precipitate an emergency C-section in order to save the smaller baby!!! We're praying that this will never happen to our precious!!!

Grow... Grow... Growing!!!

2006-12-29T10:38:00.000+08:00

The Amazing Feat of the ever-expanding belly!!!

It's really mind-boggling how our human bodies are made to withstand such extreme circumstances!!! In my case, I never thought my tummy would be able to stretch to such gigantic proportions!!! If this goes on, my tummy girth might actually catch up with my height!!!! Now that's SCARY!!! :-)

The total circumferential growth is increasing at a slower rate as compared to a few weeks ago... BUT the expansion is most marked across and upwards!!! So to cut explanations short... MY TUMMY IS HUGE!!!

This is me at 28 weeks measuring 48 inches
This is me at 30 weeks measuring 49 inches

28 weeks... Yippee!!!

2006-12-10T12:18:00.000+08:00

December 9th, 2006... Babies are 27 weeks 5 days old

Had our 28 week checkup and so-far-so-good! Our 3 little precious are growing well and are averaging weights of 0.9 to 1 kg. Their weights are good as they are within singleton average weights! Saw their little hearts beating really fast and strong! Not forgetting that they are really active little rascals! Gave the doc a few good kicks & punches!!! :-)

We're really glad that we've managed to hit the 28-week mark! This is our first target to hit... giving the babies > 90% chance of survival outside the womb. However, the longer I can hold them in, the lesser the complications and worries!

So our next target is 30 weeks followed by 32 and then 34. By the time we hit 34 weeks, the babies should be around 2kg each and NICU time is much reduced!

They are still in the same position as the last scan 3 weeks ago. Won't be much change as space is getting really limited in my tummy!!! Only Ryan is head-down... Evan and Sasha are both upright and have their heads together as if plotting their next move!!!As for their mummy, I've to continue with my "MODIFIED BED REST"... which is a nice way of saying... "ONLY ALLOWED TOILET BREAKS & DOCTOR CHECKUPS"!!!
I have to go for weekly progesterone injections to keep pre-term labour at bay! These injections are no joke!!! The needle is about 5 cm long and I'm jabbed in the thigh almost to my bone!!!
Super-duper painful... almost cried!!! But anything to hold our babies in as long as possible!
(Shen owes me BIG time man!!!)

Feet? What FEET?!?

2006-12-06T13:04:00.000+08:00

Baby BUMP?!? More like... Baby MOUNTAIN!!!

I know preggies have always been commenting about how it's impossible to see ur feet towards the end of the pregnancy...
But I never could understand why until I tried to look down to check out my perk-me-up pedicure!
I JUST COULDN'T SEE MY FEET N PRETTY LITTLE TOES!!! All I could see was this...I had to practically lean 45 degrees forward to see my feet!!! Oh... There they are!!! :-)Ok... not gonna waste $$$ making my toes pretty anymore! Looks like the only person who gets to see them is Cookie baby!!! Sigh...

My ever-expanding belly!!!

2006-11-29T11:08:00.000+08:00

Week 24 = 45 inches .......... Week 26 = 47 inches

Just 2 weeks ago, I measured 45 inches... Boy, are the little rascals growing fast!!! I seem to be expanding at a rate of 1 inch / week!!!
At the rate I'm growing, think I'm gonna be at least 55 inches at the 34th week!
EEKS!!! Think I'm gonna need a crane to lift my belly up!!!

Naughty Mummy!!!

2006-11-27T10:29:00.000+08:00

I have been a naughty girl...

This weekend has been one filled with excitement for me! Shen's exams were over on Saturday and he could finally take me out to enjoy!
I've been bored stiff over the past 2 weeks... staying at home 24/7 with no one to keep me company besides Cookie! So what else could I do but make full use of the weekend?!?
BUT, I think I kinda overdid it... and this is what happens when u disregard ur doctor's advice of "BED REST"...
U get pig trotters feet!!! My feet have swolllen up due to water retention and every step I take feels as if there's a water balloon inside them waiting to burst!!!After this scare, I'm gonna promise to be a good girl n stay at home... AND in bed!!! :-)

Bondind between "siblings"

2006-11-27T10:20:00.000+08:00

Cookie baby has been such a sweet "kor-kor"!!! Knowing his mummy has to be on "bed rest" and is no longer able to play catching with him or carry him, he spends the day lying on my lap with his head resting against my tummy.
He appears to sense his brothers n sister inside me and keeps his ears plastered against my belly as if to hear what his siblings are discussing! Everytime one of the babies kicks, he feels it and looks at my tummy in surprise... as if to say "Why u kick me ah?!?"

Enchanted with E-Shay

2006-11-27T10:07:00.000+08:00

We can't help but be totally enchanted with this little princess! She's such a sweetie... sleeping and waking only to get her milk! She hardly cries and can sleep through all the noise around her! (Trust Me! The Tan family is a VERY noisy one!!! )Shen practicing his parenting skills on his precious niece
However, the little one gave us a scare when diagnosed with elevated jaundice levels on the 4th day after birth. She was warded for 2 nights but came home safely n much less yellowish by the 7th day!!! :-)

Our Babies' Cousin has arrived!!!

2006-11-21T09:44:00.000+08:00

Announcing the arrival of TAN E-SHAY on Monday, November 20th, 2006
The newest addition to the Tan family... Aaron & Crystal's beautiful baby girl... E-SHAY!!!
This little princess has been very much awaited! Afterall, she's our one-and-only precious niece! Shen & I have officially become a SHUSHU & SHENSHEN!!!The beautiful pair of mother and daughter are both doing great! But I must say that E-Shay is one super healthy baby with an equally healthy set of lungs!!! You can hear her "voice" from a mile away!Her little rosebud lips are constantly in suckling motion... This one sure likes her milk!!! Maybe that's why she's the biggest baby in the nursery!!!
In both appearance and behaviour... we have come to the conclusion that she's an exact replica of her daddy! Way to go, Aaron!!! :-)

Three Peas in a Pod

2006-11-18T00:45:00.000+08:00

November 17th, 2006... 24 weeks 4 days old

Our three little peas in the pod are doing just fine! All of them fall within the average weight range of singleton babies and the detailed scan showed equal blood flow to all three. This is a good sign cause it means that there's fairly equal distribution of nutrients which will allow them to grow to similar weights and lengths!

This week, the ultrasound pics are unable to capture them in full cause they're getting longer... So I have posted pictures of their faces instead. Hope you will be able to figure it out cause it takes quite a bit of skill and imagination!!!

Baby Evan is to my right in breech position and weighs the smallest at 589 grams.
Baby Ryan is positioned lowest in my tummy and is on my left. He is in cephalic position and weighs 638 grams.
Baby Sasha is the most active... kicking and bouncing around at the top of my tummy. She's also in breech and weighs the biggest at 669 grams.
Babies are all doing great... but their Mummy has officially been slapped with a definite "BED REST" order!!! According to our doc, I should only be found in my pyjamas from this day onwards till delivery!!! I.E. NO MORE OUTINGS FOR ME!!! Sigh...
But just have to "tahan" for another 9 weeks or so... cause the next few weeks are really critical! Have to be a really "good girl" and rest in bed if not doc will ward me to make sure I have no choice but to stay in bed!!! That's what I'm gonna avoid at all costs!!! Sigh...

Updated Belly Pics...

2006-11-14T21:36:00.000+08:00

Have just done a side-by-side comparison of my belly pics... Enjoy and be stunned!!!
My 24-week belly now measures a staggering circumference of 45 inches!!! Even bigger than a lot of singleton pregnancies at FULL-TERM!
Don't forget... My tummy will continually be expanding over the next ten weeks or so till delivery!!! :-)

Song 4 our triplets

2006-11-13T14:14:00.000+08:00

Three Babies
by Sinead O'Connor

Each of these my three babies
I will carry with me

For myself I ask no one else will be
Mother to these three

And of course I'm like a wild horse
But there's no other way I could be

Water and feed are not tools that I need
For the thing that I've chosen to be

In my soul my blood and my bones
I have wrapped your cold bodies around me

The face on you
The smell of you
Will always be with me

Each of these my three babies
I was not willing to leave

Though I tried
I balsphemed and denied
I know they will be returned to me

Each of these my babies
Have brought you closer to me

No longer mad like a horse
I'm still wild but not lost
From the thing that I've chosen to be

And it's 'cos you've thrilled me
Silenced me, stilled me
Proved things I never believed

The face on you
The smell of you
Will always be with me

Not for the Faint-Hearted!!!

2006-11-13T13:26:00.000+08:00

WARNING!!! PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS POST IF U ARE SQUEAMISH!!!

I have indulged in my slighty morbid fascination with the development of a growing foetus from day 1 till birth... thus I present to you pictures of a foetus in-utero as well as our own personal ultrasound pictures of our babies.

Don't want to make this look like an embryology lesson but I figured some of u might actually find this as fascinating as me!
As for the rest, please don't think lesser of me... I'm just innately curious as to how my little ones look inside of me!

So for those who are kinda interested... Enjoy!!!
The rest... scroll away!!!