1st Day of Chinese New Year

This is our first Chinese New Year without Charmaine. Despite our loss, we agreed that the celebration should go on for Charlene. She should not be deprived of the celebration. We went on with our customary 'Pai Nian'. I call this our family tradition. I can't recall how long we've had this very formal 'Pai Nian' thingy, but it's the time of the year where my parents will give us each a red packet and wish us all well in our health, career and relationship.

This year, we've added a new tradition to the family. We visited Charmaine at the Fairy Park first thing in the morning before going to Kong Kong's house. My husband and I have both agreed that apart from our regular visits, we should visit Charmaine on the 1st Day of Chinese New Year before going for our rounds of visiting. We wanted Charlene to be excited over visiting her sister and we wanted to educate her that visiting the park during the Chinese New Year is not a taboo. It's going to be the Lim family's tradition!

Chinese New Year Eve

I used to get very excited for the yearly reunion dinner on Chinese New Year eve. A lot more after I had Charmaine. There were lots of preparation for the dinner; how to dress Charmaine, what to bring for the dinner, her milk....and the list goes on.

We had our 1st reunion dinner together at Lucky Palace Restaurant, our 2nd at Min Kok Restaurant and our last at home. Three very precious years.

Charmaine's 1st Reunion Dinner

Charmaine's 2nd Reunion Dinner

Charmaine's 1st and last reunion with Charlene. Both were dressed up in the same pyjamas

This year, I prepared for the reunion dinner the same way minus Charmaine. The word 'reunion' no longer exist. Charmaine is far far away and I will only be reunited with her some day later.

Jie,
Happy Chinese New Year. This year would have been your 4th year if you were still around. For now, it's only Mummy, Papa & Charlene...

I love mummy

07.01.2009

Though you cannot tell me 'I love you Mummy', I knew you do. Just a few weeks before your death, I put up a night in our condo and returned only the next day. When I opened the door, you immediately turned towards the door and started babbling with a big smile. That was one of the longest babbling you have ever made. I couldn't figure out what you have said but I guess you meant 'Mummy, where have you been? I miss you a lot!'. 

Jie, Mummy loves you too and I still do. I miss all your babbling....

I made Charmaine smile

Charmaine loves the edited version of the song 'Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush'.
Edited lyrics:
This is the way I brush my teeth*
I brush my teeth (repeat twice)
This is the way I brush my teeth*
So early in the morning

*replace brush my teeth with comb my hair

Grandma & I used to sing this to her everyday when she takes her bath. This was how we got her to brush her teeth. She loved the song a lot and would smile when we sing to her. I got her to smile to the camera when I took this video!

A brand new year without Charmaine

1.1.2009

1.1.2010

1.1.2011

1 January 2012. Today brought along old memories of how we celebrated the New Year with Charmaine. We would purposely stay up just to wait for the clock to struck twelve and would tell Charmaine, you've made it to another year. She made it through 2009, 2010 and 2011.