Greetings from Singapore!
Well, let’s just say my life was turned upside down on February 5th with the arrival of this so-called “bundle of joy” named Samantha Rose. Clearly my role as king of the household has taken the backseat to this little princess who now rules the roost. But seriously, I cannot tell you how much I love being Sam’s older brother…even though at times this job requires being pulled, prodded and pinched. Did I also forget to mention all of the crying during my critical puppy napping times? Really, I love being a big brother. The other big change in our household was that we moved and I now get to howl over the Singapore skyline from the 21st story; I love our new digs (and please note the address change)! And now on to the rest of this year's update.
I have to say – and in part to my credit – Jessica has stepped into being a mother with the ease of a seasoned professional! From all accounts, Sam is thriving…and is also sooooo darn cute; I just love to lick her face all over. Jessica has been very fortunate to have an extensive group of new moms in her circle of friends, so the exchange of feeding techniques, baby development resources and product reviews are plentiful.
They also get together for countless play dates and outings so there is no shortage of fun for these two ladies. Occasionally, I get to participate too and have perfected knowing just the right amount of distance between the babies and I where I feel like I am part of the fun without being jabbed by all of those little prying fingers. On rare occasions, Jessica is able to find some time for herself and I know she is hoping to find more of these precious moments in 2010.
Bransby fully loves being a daddy to Samantha, but I know he wishes he had more time to spend with her. Like 2008, 2009 was a pretty intense year for him professionally but I can tell he sure enjoys his work by how much time he spends in the office. In the midst of his heavy workload and learning how to change, soothe and swaddle the baby, Bransby still managed to train and complete more triathlons than the year before! His favorites were Bali, Phuket, Singapore and Vineman. Not only was I able to train with him, I also was able to cheer for him in many of the local races.
Travel this year was all about visitors coming to see the baby and taking the baby to see family and friends. Samantha made two long flights to the US to see Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles, cousins and as many friends as they could possibly squeeze in to see. Besides visiting America, Samantha has already collected stamps in her brand new passport from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. I guarded the house while they were off having fun on those trips (without me), but was able have a blast with a number of guests that came to see us here at home. Some of the highlights of our Singapore visitors were my Grandparents (Jessica’s parents), Uncle Corbett and Family, Great Aunty Win, and lots of friends, including Sumeet & Yuna, Meredythe & Julia and Sheila & Jimmer. I really enjoyed all of the great scratches, belly rubs and even a few runs I got from our guests, so please take this as an open invitation to come and visit us in Singapore anytime. I know Samantha Rose and her parents would love to see you too!
On a sad note, we all grieved the losses of Bransby's Aunt Nancy and Jessica's cousin Po Star. We miss them both dearly.
We will be celebrating the holidays this year with our friends in Singapore and will be thinking about all of our loved ones during this festive season. We send you our love and wish you all a merry holiday and happy New Year!
Tail wags and puppy kisses,
Boomer
Sharing is caring! 
