Arriving in 2015:

Maybe it's the nausea, but I barely have enough energy to turn on the computer these days and it doesn't help that I'm always sleepy. I've been pretty lucky though that I have yet to actually throw up.

Speaking of luck, the fact that we're even pregnant is a blessing. This baby was courtesy of a very long, painful, and expensive process called in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Though to be honest, I was initially resentful that we needed to go through all this trouble when so many people are dumping their offspring in garbage cans. I had to constantly remind myself to be thankful we're able to afford this procedure and that it resulted in a positive outcome on our first try.

Note: We've decided to skip the down syndrome test as we're having this baby no matter what happens.

Now that we're on our second trimester, I've started to become very excited! I'm already mentally planning the baptism and the first birthday party. I am aware that it's still too early to prepare for the baby, but first on the list will be to find a bigger apartment. Also, we plan to give birth in Manila as it will be way too costly to do it here in Singapore. It's a good thing Earl's boss has kindly allowed him to be based in the Philippines for three months so he doesn't have to shuttle back and forth too often.

Second on my list is to travel before the baby arrives. Of course, I have to be mindful of our budget and the baby (can't get too stressed), but so far we've arranged to go to Los Angeles this month and New Zealand in November. We used Earl's miles for both flights so the tickets were a bargain.

As for this blog, things will get a little quiet from time to time as currently, all I want to do is nap.

Bella Pizza

We were at Robertson Quay to visit the Singapore Tyler Print Institute as they have free guided tours every Saturday. But since the tour starts at 1 PM, we decided to have lunch first at Bella Pizza just a few doors down.

Fagottino Di Bufala (SGD 21)

Buffalo mozzarella and fresh tomatoes, wrapped in Parma ham

This is something I definitely want to re-create at home! The combination of the salty ham with the creamy cheese and the sweet tomatoes made me think that sharing wasn't such a good thing...

Pizza Capricciosa (SGD 24)

Pizza with tomato, mozzarella, mushroom, cooked ham and artichokes

Let's just put it this way - this was better than the pizzas we've had over at Mario Batali's Pizzeria Mozza.

Pannacotta (SGD 9)

Custard served with strawberry sauce

The end to our meal wasn't that sweet as their pannacotta didn't quite make the grade. The custard was almost bland and the sauce was not to my taste.

But overall, this is a great place for those craving Italian and I definitely see repeat visits in our future.

Chatterbox

Chatterbox is famous for their chicken rice. So when my friend Merly came to visit recently, I decided that it was the perfect time to see what the fuss was all about.

Satay (SGD 18)

I have yet to encounter bad satay here in Singapore and this was no exception. Maybe I'm just not picky or anything that's dipped in peanut sauce is always good with me.

Crispy Baby Squid (SGD 16)

Good squid and I wouldn't mind going back to order this again! Jumbo Seafood also serves a version of this dish, but in my opinion, this one tastes better. Note though that they placed an upturned lettuce leaf underneath so the squid is just on top, and it's hollow in the bottom.

Barley Water (SGD 9)

The usual price for a glass of barley in an air conditioned food court is SGD 1.80 (slightly less at open air hawker centers). Since it tastes the same as the cheaper versions, you'd think they could at least give a bigger glass (or make it refillable). I'll stick to asking for iced water on my next visit.

Chicken Rice (SGD 27)

Merly loved the rice and couldn't get enough of it. As for me, I felt there was nothing spectacular about the dish considering you can get the same taste for less than SGD 5 elsewhere.