Happy Birthday to Me

So yesterday I turned 29, a far less scary and emotional experience than turning 28 (if you remember last year's birthday post). I think the fact that my birthday fell inside my maternity leave also contributed to the fact that it felt very much like just another ordinary day.

Zac spent the morning at Bonny Babies - his second day this week. According to the principal, he is getting better: while he still screams the school down, apparently, it's not as bad or as long as before. And miraculously, the limited expressed milk I've had to send with him has lasted his stay! Instead of rushing for a swim (which by the way, is not the best thing to do before a feed...) or sitting in front of the pile of marking I still have to do, I went to the hairdresser. Evidently, grooming is a universal pick-me-up for mommies, because when I mentioned that I was feeling frumpy, no mommy in the salon could resist the urge to laugh out loud and then 'amen' in agreement! So for 3 peaceful hours, while my hair was being done, I had my feet up, sipped on my tea and paged through a series of magazines (and only occasionally messaged my mom for an update on Zac).

Later Zac, Andel and I went for a late lunch of miso soup, chicken chow mein, spring rolls and sushi. After a year of no sushi, I really thought I'd be knocking them back. However, it seems for all the room in my belly, it can't hold as much sushi as it used to... Nevertheless it meant I had sushi for dinner.

I guess the biggest change in this year's celebrations was that we were not out with our friends socialising at some trendy restaurant/bar or painting the town red. This year, we were at home for 'tea'. As I rearranged the living room to accommodate everyone Andel piped up "hey, are we having a prayer meeting?", and just like that, with savoury biscuits in one hand, and milktart in the other, I crossed the threshold into the years of the 'mommy-party'.

Not that anyone complained, mind you. Yaya made a caramel and cream red velvet cake, and PJ made a white-chocolate mousse cake (well worth the 4 year wait!), as well as dessert. Everyone left with full (albeit turning) bellies, and sugar-rush-induced happy faces.

But, by far, the happiest faces were in my home this morning: Zac, who is happiest after a good sleep, woke with a wide gummy smile, only marginally bigger than his parents' who enjoyed their second night of uninterrupted sleep in one week! Yaya, watch this space! ;)