Your First Gear

Saturday, 11 October 2007.

Saturdays are your dad's "beached whale" days. This simply means he needs to know he's in control of Time.

(In short, he's going to be super lazy.)

But you and mommy need to remember this particular Saturday. Because he was actually excited about doing our first shopping spree for you at 1 Utama.

(We normally go shopping to stock up on his grooming products or scope around Mooks, Nike and Borders. So it's always nice to shop for someone else instead).

We stopped first at Jusco - always cheaper than the specialty stores! - where we got milk bottles, teats and a bottle steriliser. Our friends recommended "Avent" for ease of use and colic control, so hopefully you won't be attacked by an uncomfortable tummy.

We then moved on to Mothercare - good example of expensive specialty store - but could not resist buying two bodysuits with adorable messages on them: "Probably the cutest turtle on the beach" (blame your dad!) and "I love my Daddy & Mommy" (ok, ok, that was me).

[By the way, since you'll be a dad one day, too, remember that front-button bodysuits are better than the slip-over-the-neck ones which are harder to manoeuvre around a newborn's soft neck and head. :)]

T-shirt messages aside, it's important for you to know that love comes before wealth and intelligence. I'm not sure if you can hear mommy repeating this mantra to you even as you somersault and do little backstrokes in my womb. But yes, a man who loves is more powerful than a man who has all the money and smarts in the world but does not know how to be weak in the presence of another person.

Anyway, this must seem like heavy stuff to you, depending on when you read this entry. But you'll know exactly what I mean when you're old enough to marry the girl of your dreams (unless you end up being a priest, of course).

After Mothercare, daddy and mommy dropped by Chicco in the Old Wing, where we had a look at strollers. Typical of daddy, his eyes went to some Star Trek looking contraption - those PetPeregos that look really sturdy and can be manipulated many ways. We've heard that these are really good, though. And you should know that every parent wants the best for his/her child even if we may not be able to afford the best sometimes.

(If you turn out anything like mommy, you're going to argue a lot with us over this "what's best for you" phrase when you're a teenager. Trust me. But we'll work it out together, somehow - preferably without alcohol abuse.)

Just like this super advanced stroller, daddy is also fancying a Gracco cot-cum-playpen-cum-changing-table for you because it's adjustable and has lots of mesh wire so you stay cool.

Daddy, you must also know, is a man of exceptional quality who also seeks products of exceptional quality. And this just simply means he goes for expensive things. So if you turn out more like daddy, be ready for mommy to say "No" to a RM350 pair of shoes that you like which look exactly like the last RM350 pair of shoes you've got.

Right after a stroll around the other babycare shops in the New Wing, you started asking for some food. So daddy and mommy shared an Orange Julius hotdog.

We didn't stay long after that but guess how much all three of us "walked" that day -5 good hours. Which explains the picture of daddy you see on this entry. As an act of appreciative love, Mommy made a cup of tea and a foot-soak for him with some peppermint salts, right after I made one for myself and you.

It was a cool day.

And nope, we aren't referring to the little thunderstorm that occured in the evening.