2007 and Happy New Year!

Time is not only elusive, it is also scary.

The last mental timecheck I had, was in early November, after a tiring spate of work just the month before. Of course work got worse so the rest of November was essentially a blur, and December literally just flew by. It's true that with a kid, your days become shorter, the eyebags grow deeper, but somewhere within the heart grows fonder. And Ian seemed to have grown up overnight, on track towards developing into his fullest potential in being the cheekiest kid around. He is increasingly aware of his surroundings and the people around him, including animals such as birds, cats, dogs, and even dragonflies. He has also begun to challenge us in his 'not-so innocent' ways as he grows a lot more assertive these days and therefore relatively harder to handle compared to the earlier months. A 'paragon of virtue' as he is, he is no sea of calm and serenity unlike other babies we've seen. Instead he is akin to a rising tsunami, excited at everything and anything that is new and interesting, and in the process threatening to overwhelm his tired parents as we struggle to keep him in check. Ladies and gentlemen, my son is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

But time also delivers on its promises, and brings with it a wave of happiness as hoped for. Ian spent his first Christmas with us, laid eyes (and hands) on the Christmas tree that got his pregnant mommy all excited the year before, and has a smile so sweet it beats a million megawatts and more. We particularly love those days when we took him out to the park and sat on a swing; those days when we gave him the first taste of ice cream, and days when he just gets all excited hanging out at the malls with his mommy and daddy. It's hard not to smile when he pouts, it's harder not to cring when he cries. He's a dash of naughty, a handful of cheeky, and a lot of sacharrine - all in all, just plain adorable!

My new year resolution for 2007 is really to achieve a better balance of our lives, between time at work, with the extended family, between ourselves and that of Ian. Daddy Ken also says Mommy should be more tolerant and understanding of Ian, and not scold him at all. I will try. Seriously.

Ian probably knows that everybody loves him plenty, but Mommy just wants to say that deep down she is very grateful to Ian for bringing out the heartiest laughs ever seen by Ah Gong and Ah Ma, for being that essential person in building ties that bind among the family, and for being that special individual (Mommy suspects he's really an adult in spirit) that he is.

Happy new year and may 2007 be as fulfilling, if not more, than in 2006.