Camp Christmas Eve at Changi

Camp Christmas Eve (post spit-up, hence the additional
laundry in the background).

While most of you will be snug in your homes around a warm fire and Christmas tree, surrounded by presents and family - the three of us are in fact someplace much cooler - in TRANSIT.  That's right.  We presently find ourselves in the 'Rainforest' Lounge (so called for the green painted trees on the white walls) in Changi (or SIN or if you really don't get around much, Singapore International) airport.

We have had to adapt our 'strictly one bag each' travel motto slightly since adding a new addition, leading to the rather 'IDP-camp looking setup' in the lounge area.  We have learned that when you travel with an infant, trying to stick as closely as possible to a 'normal' schedule is key.  So we pick flights that coincide with nap times (whenever possible) and have become quite skilled at bathing him in airport lounge sinks.  Yes, this also means we will favor one airport (SIN) over another (DPS), for instance.  We've also learned to pick our gear carefully.  For this trip, we opted for the Chicco Capri Stroller in 'Tangerine' and pitched before you is our little man's home away from home, his Peapod travel bed from KidCo.  In preparation for this trip, we have been napping him in here every day to make sure he is comfortable with it.

Today's travel started with a pre-flight trip to the airport where Susan managed to convince the Air Timor staff to check us in hours before the gate opens - securing not only the bulkhead, but also weighing and tagging the luggage - meaning that we got to avoid the line when we showed up 45mins before the flight departed.  The flight coincided with what should have been Luka's nap - but hey - if you're 9.4kg and have to sit in mom or dad's lap, WHO wants to nap when you can JUMP for 3.5 hours.  So Chris and I pretty much played defense for the entire flight (yes I know my father is smiling as he reads this).

At Changi, our stroller was handed to us exactly as we walked past the door on the ramp (again, why we fly through SIN and not DPS), and we headed straight for the lounge with our Priority Pass cards (we are afterall only Silver on Emirates, can't wait to make Gold one day when I grow up).  It was about an hour past Luka's bedtime, so time was of the essence.  Mommy and Luka took a shower (interesting endeavor in a small space let me tell you) while daddy erected Camp Christmas Eve outside.

Tucked in for a nice nap.

Following his shower and bottle, all snug in his PJs, Luka went down for (what we hope) will be at least a four hour nap before we very gently try and transfer him to one of our shoulders and onto the flight.  What an awful time to be flying on Christmas, to arrive at 0140 in Colombo on Christmas morning - but with only three weekly flights between DIL-SIN, so be it.

Anyway, from all three of us, we wish you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE.

How to get expelled from a US Embassy

...throw up your egg lunch all over the US Ambassador's annual Christmas Party.  Seriously, not the merriest of experiences, but exactly what young Master Luka managed this evening at 1800.  Things were going super, he was once again a main attraction with smiles, cuddles and more smiles abound.  Mommy sang in the Community Choir, then stopped to have a cold beer afterward.  Daddy decided that Luka looked a little hot in his stroller, so removed him - and then it happened.  Poor guy just opened up and barfed* egg everywhere over the floor of the outdoor veranda area.  Needless to say, we were dumbstruck and immediately concerned.  Chris had the wherewithal not to move him, rather holding him like an outstretched rugby ball to finish his business in a neat pile, before I swooped him up and charged indoors to bring him into the cool airconditioned air, just as he blew another load, right down my front (but thank heavens I missed the ambassador's rug!)

I wiped Luka down with cold water on one of the lovely white terry cloths in the Ambassador's guest bathroom, and cleaned myself up some too.  I decided best we head back out and make our leave gracefully or else someone might be concerned, or just deem me rude.  So here we were, Luka covered in egg-flavored puke, and myself looking like I had just participated in the Embassy's annual wet t-shirt contest, not carol singing.

We said our goodbyes, a few fellow parents commiserated mostly by reminiscing about their own offspring's most inappropriate reverse digestion.  Ah, parenthood.

At home, it was a bath, followed by a breastfeed, some more vomiting, some sheet changing, some more breastfeeding, some more vomiting - before mommy and daddy finally figured out just to put him to bed with an empty stomach.

So, at 21h00 we're off to what we believe will be a rough night with the young man.  Don't worry - we're armed with a flight schedule and emergency private number for a doctor in town, just in case.  

* Did you know that there are apparently 339 synonyms for 'puke' on this website.  Hopefully Luka does not make a habit of it and I won't have to learn all of them.

Luka the Christmas elf

Getting into the festive mood.

As a member of the Dili choir I went to sing some Christmas Carols at the newly opened Timor Plaza shopping center here in Dili.  Luka came along with his nanny Michelle and loved every minute of the music, often squealing in delight.

I have felt terribly guilty for not being more 'Christmassy' this year, no tree, no gifts under the tree, and no real Christmas spirit here except for the growing number of nativity scenes appearing in all the Dili neighborhoods (scenes in which Santa more often than not appear right next to the three wise men).

Anyway, with my Yule Tide, Silent Night and Rudolf - it was good to feel a little merry this afternoon.