freshlylaunderedsheets

Sisters

2012-01-13T04:52:00.001+08:00

Happiness is seeing my 2 daughters having a good time together.

They seem to have a genuine liking each other. Violet will shower Saffron with plenty of hugs and kisses. She will tell Saffron not to cry in the most tender way. Saffron will always turn her head towards Violet's voice and she always always have a ready smile for Violet.

Violet is 26 months old

2012-01-13T04:32:00.001+08:00

V has grown up a lot in the last few months. She is coping very well with all the changes. From having a helper in the house, to a new baby sister. She absolutely adores her baby sister, hugging her and kissing her all the time. We are so relieved!

She finally learn to jump a little before she turned 2. And boy, after mastering that, she wants to ~~walk~~ run, skip and jump everywhere. She always wanted us to carry her around, walking and running only in places that are not too crowded. Where to find such places in Singapore you tell me! She is also singing and dancing a bit more now, singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars, her ABCs and If You are Happy.

She likes hiding in my closet these days. She will open the doors and tells me that she is going home, walks into the closet, closes the door and stays in there for a little while before coming out and repeat the whole process again.

She knows her 123s, her colours and her shapes. we didn't really teach her all that on purpose. We just point things out to her when she is interested and she picks it up just like that. She doesn't know all her letters in the alphabet yet. She knows M (for MacDonald's, hahahahahahaha!) V for her name. She knows a few more, I am not too sure what exactly. Sometimes I wonder if I am not giving her enough to learn or do. I am a lazy mother.

She talks really well now and we are able to have conversations with her. She is filling up her sentences with pronouns, adjectives and prepostitions, making her sentences complete. She is refering herself more with I, me, self, mine and my. She still refers herself as a third person but not all the time now. She tells jokes and expresses her own opinions. She says the darnest things too!

Her apetite is pretty good recently. Eating more than she was a month ago. Maybe it has something to do with her running around a lot more recently. One fine day about 2 weeks ago she told me that she wanted to self feed herself. And she did and she is doing a pretty fine job at that. She does feed herself a bit before, things like fruits, bread and other finger food and little pots of yoghurt. Not rice or noodles.I find it too messy and besides, she doesn't seem all that interested to want to do it, so I didn't push it. Now, she eats faster and isn't as picky. I hope this isn't just a phase! CROSSING FINGERS!

My little toddler is now a little girl. They do grow up so fast!

Saffron is 3.5 months old

2012-01-13T03:46:00.002+08:00

She is 3.5 months already. How time flies! She is a really smiley baby. She smiled early, since she was 2 weeks old. Of course I put it down to gas the first few times she smiled. Every time we smiled and talk to her, she would smile back. It can't be coincidence right! She smiles when she just wake up, smiles when she is tired, smiles when her sister is playing near her, smiles when I change her diaper in the early hours of the day. As much as she is smiley, she was a cry baby too. She has some powerful lungs and she wouldn't hesitate to remind me on a daily basis.

Unlike her elder sis who allowed just about anyone to carry her when she was a baby, as long as she was being carried, she didn't care who the carrier was. Not this girl. Nope, she is pretty much the baby koala and I am the mama koala. She is fine with her father, but not all the time. Good news is, she is slowly warming up to her extended family. Yay for me!

She sleeps pretty well. Sleeps at least 6 hours at night without waking up since she was a month old. After 2 years, I was able to get a good length of uninterrupted sleep! Can't say that she naps well now.

She loves her baths just like her sister. :)

She coos and giggles quite a lot these days, especially when someone is talking to her. Oh and she is in her cot looking at her mobile.

New Year Resolution

2012-01-13T03:20:00.001+08:00

I don't understand why I am making one this year. I didn't much kept to the last one. This year I will attempt to read at least 12 novels. Quite a feat for a barely-have-enough-time-to-breathe full time mum. I suppose gives me some sort of motivation to attempt to read.

You see, I bought a Kindle.

So much for saying that I will never buy one, but it is getting cheap now! I had it for a little more than half a year already and it is wonderful! I read mostly parenting stuff, but I do have a few fiction books in there that I have been meaning to read. Let's see how many books on the 2011 Booker Prize short list I can read before the long list for 2012 is out!

Don't get me wrong, I will still my paper books. Nothing beats a paper book. In fact I just bought 1Q84! After reading just a page, I realised just how much I really really miss reading novels. I think I am pretty done reading about parenting already. It is time to get back to reading fiction! I just need to get that list of 12 books done.

Birth Story

2011-12-22T03:21:00.001+08:00

The second birth was pretty uneventful. No pains and just as fast. I was in at about 7am and I delivered at 1pm.

I went for a routine check up with my OBGYN when I was 38 weeks pregnant and found out that I had dilated 3cm. Yes, 3cm. I was like, then how now? How the hell did that happen? Her take was to induce on that day itself or the next. We could not really and rather not induce on the same day because V was with us and I hadn't packed yet! So the next day it will be! Damn, and I thought I can meet my friends for dinner before popping....

Then I spent the rest of the day being paranoid that the baby might just pop out any time, because my doctor said that since I have dilated 3cm, when I start to feel any pains might be a late. I would had like to wait another day so that the birth date would be the same as my grandma's, then I started seeing images of me giving birth in the car. Yikes! No Epidural!

The next day after admission, my doctor came over and burst my water bag. Before bursting, she checked and announced that I have dilated 4cm. Almost halfway there! I promptly ask for the epidural after that. The first time, I had labour pains for an entire night for The Husband slept and snored. This time, I didn't want any pain. The anaesthetist who was about to administer the epidural, noted some spots on my body and said that I might had something (for the life of me, I can't remember what it was.) that might pose a risk if I had epidural. So they drew some blood and got it send for testing. I crossed my fingers and hoped that I didn't have what he said I had. Fortunately, I didn't have what he suspected what I had and so I got my epidural. The long needle that went into my spine was the most pain I felt for the entire birth. The last time I didn't feel it as much, probably because I was already in quite a bit of pain.This time, I used up pretty much of the epidural. I had itches on my tummy, a side effect of the epidural and close to the birth, I started to have shivers.

The nurse checked me a few times, and just after 12 noon, the nurse checked again and I had dilated 9cm, she started to prepare the stuff needed, got me to do a push to see if I was ready and called my doctor. All along, I didn't have any pains, just shivers that were getting worse. This time, it was all calm. Just my doctor, a nurse, my husband and me. Pushed a few times, and the baby was out! That left me wondering why was it so different the last time where I had like an army in there with me. Was it because I was too close to pushing and nothing was prepared??? I didn't remember much the last time since all the auntie nurses were so kan cheong.

But man oh man, if everything before the baby arrived was all nice and zen, it ended after the baby arrived. That little girl of mine sure has some fine lungs! She cried and cried and cried she did! They put her on me the moment she came out and didn't stop crying til I put her to my breast! I didn't know newborns are that hungry. V was mewing away like a little kitten and was contented to just be held. Not this one, this one came out really hungry. But I am happy, at least I didn't feel any pain at all!

The New Boo

2011-12-21T17:50:00.000+08:00

The newest Boo!
Obviously she looks quite different from the photo posted above. After all she is already 3 months old!

That is how long I have not written an entry. So much had changed, I don't really know how to navigate the new Blogger site. Which is a pain in the arse. Can I have the more straight forward site back please? I am a mother of 2 now, no time to waste navigating the site.

So much for 2011's new year resolution about having more ME time. I will write more soon(ish)

Suppering

2011-09-13T03:21:00.004+08:00

I think I had too much supper. I feel so bloated that I can't sleep.

I had 1 char siew bao, 2 bak bao and then, not feeling totally satiated and somewhat needing some kind of stress relief fix from battling with my toddler with regard to her bedtime, I had a huge bowl of cereal with a banana doused with full cream milk.

I can't tell you how grossed out I feel right now. Especially when I have a full term baby in my tummy at the same time.

All this in the middle of a big Braxton Hicks contraction some more.

Curry Night (With Lyric and Sing along) - MrBrown Show Production

2011-08-23T02:19:00.001+08:00

Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!

Nap Time

2011-08-20T03:35:00.003+08:00

"V, it is nap time" I said, in my softest voice, most impossibly gentlest tone.

And this is how she reacted. Over reacting this bad because she is at her grandma's and knows that grandma will take her side. Sigh.

Nap times can be such a battle these days. She will not go down without a fight. Making me read one book after another. Bargaining and bringing her tea set to bed, making me cups of tea and eating endless slices of cake. Singing song after song.

Bedtime at night is the same, she tries all ways and means to extend her waking hours as much as she can. We are both beat when she finally fall asleep. Toddlers really do not need much sleep do they? There are so much that they want to do, that sleeping seems like a big waste of time.

Sometimes when it all happens I will remember the book that I bought and say it under my breath, go the fuck to sleep my dear child.

Pretty Ballerinas

2011-08-20T03:30:00.002+08:00

Thanks to some friend, now I am surfing this site and can't decide how much of V's college fund I should spend on shoes......

Shoe Crazy

2011-08-17T03:41:00.005+08:00

Evidence that she is our little girl? She is mad about shoes! She will pick out her shoes when we go out. If that isn't enough, she tells me which pair to wear. She comments on our shoes and she is really really happy when we go to a shoe store. The last time I brought her shoe shopping, I tried out a pair on her, she will walk to the mirror and look at her shoes, with a very silly grin and oh so pleased with herself expression on her face.

My husband must be so proud.

To take her shoe obssession to another level, she has recently taken to taking photos of her shoes with my phone.

She used to share shoe space with me, now she has so many pairs, we have to dedicate some space just for her. Yes, she has her own shoe space now.

It is partly our fault really.

Zoo

2011-08-17T03:23:00.005+08:00

We visited the zoo last weekend and had quite a good time. I always enjoyed visiting the zoo, although sometimes I do question what I am teaching my kid by bringing her to look at animals being caged up and not in their natural environment. I have been thinking about this issue and thought that at least, she grows up hopefully with a love for animals. From that, hopefully will learn to respect them and do more for them than I ever can. Zoos are places that should educate, and in that way, perhaps, a few animals gets 'sacrificed' and become exhibits.

I hate it when I sound like a hypocrite.

She loves the tram ride! It seems to be the highlight of the trip for her. Nope, didn't go to the water play park, since she was still having the runs and recovering. We didn't want her to get anything nasty nor infect some other poor kid.

The Sam Seng

She has finally finally accepted the hat once again. And that is due to her vanity. She has alright with one til she was about 8 months old. Everytime we want to head out outdoors, the second the hat touched her head, she would yank it off.

This trip was especially fun because she has taken more interest in the animals. She knows her animals, she has some faves and she will say the darnest things that makes us flip!

Big Sister

2011-08-17T03:05:00.003+08:00

We went to the nearby neighbourhood mall this afternoon just to get out of the house for a while, and I suggested that we pick up a present for the little sister. I couldn't go any further even if I want to. I can't, at least not on my own. She spotted some stuffed toy rabbits from a new push cart. She had 2 of those rabbits and seem to like them quite a bit, over the other stuffed toys that she has. I got her one and suggested that we pick one for her little sister. We came back wrapped it up and decorate it with stickers!

She seem to be warming up to the little sister thing. I don't think she fully understands. And I am expecting her to raise hell once meimei comes back home and nurse like the milk monster that the jiejie once was.

I found out why she gave up nursing recently. I was teasing her and ask her if she wants to nurse. She shook her head and said nope, and I asked her why. She said "Mama pain"

AAAAAAAAAAWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

I did tell her that it hurt quite a bit when she was nursing when I am expecting. I didn't expect her to give it up because of that. Moments like this makes me feel that it is all worth it. She surprised us recently too, by allowing Papa to carry her around more. She has been clingy and refusing the father to carry her. But just 2 days ago, every time we park the car, she will say "Mama tired, Papa carry V" She does walk on her own and now at least, she isn't totally rejecting her pram! She understands that I couldn't carry her as much as I used to. I am glad, and in a way, I feel bad that I can't.

She has indeed "grown up" quite a bit in the past few weeks!

Self Weaned

2011-08-03T03:53:00.002+08:00

She has enough of nursing, and at the age of 22 months, has finally self-weaned herself! Well, sort of self wean. I did 'help' her a little. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

I thought this day will never ever come! When I knew I was pregnant the second time round, I made some effort to reduce her nursing. Mainly because she has been comfort nursing a lot, and that made me so tired. It started to hurt a bit when she nursed too long. I think the low supply of milk played a part too. She had a bout of illness and after that she decided she didn't need any mama's milk anymore! I will definitely miss nursing her, miss the bonding, but all glad and relieved to have my body back, even if it is just for 2 months til the next one comes long!

Goodbye Grandma

2011-07-16T02:56:00.003+08:00

It finally happened. I had been dreading for the day, yet in some way, I am relieved. My grandma has passed on. A week ago, more precisely, on the 7th July. The above photo is the only one of my grandma, my mum me and little V. I remember it was V's first Chinese New Year. I remember that I kept telling myself that I have to remember to take a photo of the 4 of us. I knew there wouldn't be too many opportunities to do so.

Grandma had been unwell for a while. Things took a turn for the worse beginning of the year, around Chinese New Year when the doctors diagnosed her with cancer and told us that she had 6 months left. I took that piece of news pretty well in the hospital. It did take a while for it to hit harder. I broke down in the car on the way home. Was I sad that she was leaving? Was I sad that she might be feeling much pain? Maybe I was guilty that I didn't spend enough time with her. I used to feel sad after visiting her at home. Seeing her so helpless and immobile pains me so much that I couldn't bring myself to visit her enough. When it comes to stuff like that, I can be so weak. I made it a point to visit her more often this year. In the hospital and at home. Sometimes I feel so sad I would cry, even when I try not to, especially next to her. I just couldn't help myself, seeing her suffering needlessly. Deaths affect the people around a lot more than the one waiting for it to come.

I bring V with me most of the times when I visit Grandma. I thought it is good for her to know her a little more before she is gone for good. V does tell me, in her baby way, that Great Grandma is in pain, and she will massage her. V was a little afraid in the beginning, maybe with all the tubes running through the nose and the hands. Eventually, she was good. She would tell me about her Great Grandma after every visit. She talks about Grandma still, about the funeral, the wake and how she is resting. It is very comforting to hear her talk about all those things now. I remember changing her diaper on Grandma's bed during the 5 day wake. She started talking about Zhou Zhou (great grandma). Talked about Zhou Zhou's bed, how she would massage her, how she is in pain and that she is sick. As much as it was comforting, I felt pain. The last time I cried was the time my mum called to tell me that Grandma had passed on. I was feeling fine until that moment.

It was unreal and still a little unreal to be at her funeral. Seeing the coffin, seeing the photo, seeing everyone else being there. The one thing that had been on my mind for a while had been that I wouldn't be allowed at the funeral or wake because I was preggers. I wasn't there on the first day and wasn't there on the last day when everyone else sent her off and she was cremated. I wasn't allowed to be part of the prayers, but at least I was there at the wake for the rest of it. It helped me coped better with my grief.

These days, I have been thinking about the days when I was young and living with Grandma. Those memories! A lot to laugh about, a lot to smile about. Grandma was a very witty woman with plenty of sharp retorts and sayings. She made excellent chocolate cakes. I remember her curling her hair every night. I used to play with those plastic curls a lot. I miss her cooking. I miss sitting down with her every night talking. She used to get us ready for school in the mornings. We need to remember all those happier times and not the not so pleasant ones. For the last time, goodbye Grandma, thank you for the good memories.

Schooling

2011-07-07T04:13:00.002+08:00

Some people have been asking me when am I going to place V in a school. Er, isn't she a little too young?

Apparently not in Singapore. Parents seem to start them young here. There are enrichment classes catered to children as young as 6 months old. Seriously????? Music lessons when they are 6 months old? Can you just switch on some music and dance along with your baby at home instead? Right brain training where they flash flashcards after flashcards? That doesn't sound too fun to me. Language classes, Math classes and classes that seem to promise to produce gifted children. Really lah, gifted is gifted, how to produce one! I know of parents who rush their kids from one lesson to another, and end up having lunch in the car on a weekend. Come on! Weekends are precious family time! Can't we just do nothing and have a nice leisurely brunch at a table as a family, bonding and talking?

Maybe we are too laid back and nonchalant. Maybe we ought to be doing more for our child. We did sign up for a baby gym class for her when she was about 9 months old. We wanted her to socialise with kids who are of her age. That didn't work out too well, because she was busy doing her own stuff and wasn't really doing much of the class activities, so we ended it after a term. That was it, we didn't sign her up for anything else.

We like her to learn through play, in a less structured environment where she can explore more on her own. She doesn't know her alphabets, shapes, colours and numbers yet? Good heavens! We are such lazy parents! But really, what is the point of her knowing those things now? If she is ready, she will pick those things up at her own pace.

We point out things to her when we go out, looking at the fruits and vegetables and naming them in supermarkets. Stepping on dried leaves on the pavements, picking up fallen flowers, twigs and leaves if she feels like it, looking at trees, plucking bougainvilleas. Watching the world go by on a busy road, people watch in a cafe. Learning to be quiet in a library, visiting museums, go shoe shopping and picking out shoes for me. Visiting my grandma who is in pretty bad shape now. Helping me with the house chores, throwing her diaper in the bin, putting her worn clothes in the laundry basket. Helping me fix dinners. Learning to undress and dress herself. When we read, she would now look at the words. I will point out letters and numbers to her. If she remembers great, if she doesn't it doesn't matter too. There isn't a need for anything more structured than that. We do crafts at home, which she enjoys now. Messing with the glue, colouring and showing off her work to papa when he gets back from work.

Kids should be kids! They are so young once, let them to carefree and play. That is the only time that they will ever be able to be just that. There is more to life than being strong academically.

New Bun in the Oven!

2011-07-07T03:36:00.002+08:00

I am almost 7 months pregnant already!

And that is why there hasn't been many entries recently.

I am so tired. Being preggers with a active toddler who demands a lot of your attention is energy sapping. I have not much energy left after she goes to bed. It is a miracle that I can still try to keep the home in some kind of order. So... we have decided to hire a live-in domestic helper. I really do not see how I can cope with a newborn and a toddler and still juggle the housework. I have given this issue much thought, thinking about it and considering other options too. I really would love for someone to take the load of the chores off my back for the next 2 years. The next 2 years, I just want to concentrate on my family. To be there for them, to have fun with them, to teach them about everything, take them out for fun trips, do fun things together, laughing, basically just be there for every milestone. I don't want to be tired half the time when I am with them. I want to be well rested and ready for them. A tired parent isn't exactly the most fun person to be around you know.....

The new bun is another girl. So we do save tonnes on clothes! Plus, she can play with the same toys, most of them are barely touched, since the first one didn't take much interest in them. We would be using the old cot, which is also pretty new since the first one had since moved to a mattress. We only need to maybe a new bath tub and some newborn diapers and we are ready to go! Oh, I do intend to get the sleepy wrap! I really hope that is the last baby carrier that I am going to buy.

This pregnancy was thankfully as comfortable as the first one. Sure I do get feet cramps, and some back ache now, but no morning sickness, no reflux, no heartburn, nothing so bad that I cannot deal with. The hormones are a little out of whack at the moment, but I am sure that I will bounce back soon, I do get insomnia like the last time. Unfortunately, I can't sleep in like I could with the first. When the first one is up, I had to be up! I do nap with her, so no biggie.

I seem to be less paranoid this time round. Is it a case of been there done that? Or that I am too busy with such an active toddler that I have no time to think and be paranoid?

Not all Teas are the Same

2011-05-18T03:07:00.002+08:00

Doesn't TWG look very suspiciously similar to Mariage Freres?

Just look at their tins!

This is for the Parents

2011-05-14T03:51:00.003+08:00

I am so going to buy this one for myself!!!!!!!!!!!! Hilarious!

The Terrible Twos

2011-05-14T02:47:00.004+08:00

The phase that everyone feared has started.

I do hope that it doesn't last too long. She has been very negative lately. Everything is no. Even when she is fussing and crying, and I asked her if she wants me to console her, she would still say no. She is bossy and authoritative. She will tell you who will push her around in the supermarket trolley, who carries her, pushes her stroller, feed her, what colours you can use when you are colouring alongside with her. Yes, she wants a say in very single damn thing now.

Reversed psychology seems to work. I will just tell her, please don't do this, please don't do that, when what I really meant was for her to do just that. She will flash me a grin and do what I tell her not to do. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I wonder how long more will this trick work.

I am close to really smacking her on her butt.

Sometimes, when I am not too tired, it isn't too trying. I can even laugh at her tantrums, although I know I should take those seriously, and to her, it isn't a laughing matter.

Will continue to write more if this post doesn't disappear like the last 2 posts.

WTF

2011-05-14T02:46:00.000+08:00

2 of my entries just disappeared, what the fuck happened!

Weaning

2011-05-13T03:05:00.000+08:00

My 18 month old never did wean off the breast totally. Yah, you heard me, I still latch her on still. I have reduced it down to just once a day, reason I will reveal a little later.

Why??????? Oh, because she didn't take to the bottle kindly. We tried all the brands we can get our hands on, no luck. Nothing works. We got her really hungry, I bottle fed her, other people fed her, I 'disappeared'. Nothing works. In short, she just wants to get straight to the milk source. Fresh mah.

Weaning her off the breasts was easier than I thought it would be. She is a toddler that comfort suckles a lot. She wants to latch on and then doze off to sleep. Very bad I know, but I didn't know how to undo that habit. She cried every time I refused her her latch on on the first 2 days, after that, she was surprisingly okay with not latching on anymore. So yes, the weaning was pretty painless. She didn't have epic bouts of crying her lungs out, more like angry, unreasonable toddler tantrums kind of crying.

Degressing.....

So anyway,

Good thing that I am a full time mum, so I didn't have to resort to drastic measures. But that meant that I can't be away for her too long. That was when I bought those doidy cups. I would express milk and leave it to whoever is baby sitting her and have her drink out of the cup. It is a little more troublesome in the beginning because she was drinking quite slowly compared to if she would have been drinking out of a bottle. Sometimes, she took just enough to starve off her hunger til I (more accurately, my boobs) return. But slowly, she was going pretty well. We used the cups when she started taking juices, water and other liquids too.

We did try to get her to use sippy cups, because it was less messy, but she wouldn't take to the sippy cup either. It was a relief when she finally figured out how to use the straw when she was about 10 months old! She hates formula milk, preferring whole fresh milk instead, and she wants them cold. We tried a few brands, nothing caught her fancy til she had a go at Pediasure Chocolate flavoured milk. I make it cold and gave it to her in a bottle with a straw. Think she is the only toddler who drinks her milk cold. I am using the doidy cup more for milk now since she is able to use the cup on her own a lot better. I will place the cup on the table next to her food. It could be milk, juice or water. It is very heartening to see her feed herself. She does it in the most orderly way too. When she wants to drink, she will push her plate of food to one side and pick up the cup. These days, she is more careful not to spill any liquids. When she is done drinking, she will put the cup down and push it away and then pull the plate closer to her and start eating again. All the months of messy eating and drinking have finally paid off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As much as I would love her to take to the bottle like most babies and gradually to sippy cups, giving me a little freedom and less mess. Looking back now, it isn't entirely a bad thing either. I didn't have to wean her off bottles nor sippy cups!

Now is time to think about potty training!

One for the Parents

2011-05-13T02:07:00.000+08:00

I love books, and I love buying books for The Little One. Well, partly for myself sometimes. The beautiful illustrations, the innocence of the story, the simplicity. They can be quite good de-stressers. I came across this book that looks like a children's book but for tired parents who have problems putting their children to bed. I can totally relate to that! I feel like buying it, but of course I got it hide it well away from little little hands, until they are old enough to understand the humour in that 4 letter word.

A sample verse..
The cats nestled close to their kittens now.

The lambs have laid down with the sheep.

You're cozy and warm in your bed my dear.

Please go the fuck to sleep.

This is so rude I love it! I am so tempted to buy this, should I should I????????????? Am I a bad mother for liking this?

Elections 2011

2011-05-01T03:08:00.002+08:00

Usually I don't write about politics. Heck, I don't even write about anything other than parenting and my little toddler these days! Yes, I do want some form of my own life back as much as I love being a mother. :)

Anyway, I thought every Singaporean should read this before voting....

http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/imagining-electoral-calamity/

One of my Faves

2011-04-19T04:15:00.003+08:00

My 10 Favorite Baby Things

2011-04-09T04:34:00.014+08:00

After being a mother for 16 months, I have things that I come to love.

One of the first few things that come to mind is California Baby's calendula cream. It was great for The Little One's ezcema, was great when her skin was too dry, great for rashes, great even for small scratches! I like it that it is organic, smells wonderful and has none of those nasties that a lot of other baby creams have. It is even wonderful for me as a night cream! It was so good, we started using the bath products for her as well. They do cost quite a bit more, but I LOVE LOVE their products. Speaking of which, I ordered some stuff online, and they would be here next week. HAPPINESS!

I know of some parents who shy away from using Desitin diaper rash cream. Some aren't too comfortable with it containing zinc oxide. But hey, it works for her! She used to have pretty nasty rashes, so we slapped on a generous amount of her butt at every diaper change. we tried other brands, nothing works as well as Desitin for her. These days, I just use it when we are out and that she hasn't done her poop of the day yet. Yes, she is done to a poop a day now, forever gone are the days of multiple poops! Further digressing.... ever since she was able to stand well, I have taken her to the shower stall to wash her butt every time she does a poop. Cleaner and it saves on the wet wipes. I know I can still wash her butt in the shower stall even before she can stand, but being the clumsy person that I am, I didn't know how to hold her, wash her butt, and try to stay dry at the same time. When she was a newborn, we put her in one of those sleeping bags instead of using a blanket because I was really paranoid that she might suffocate! It worked like a dream for us!

I love Grobag, it being soft and lightweight. She was happy, I was happy, knowing she isn't freezing her little ass off. I can't remember when she started to protest being in the bag, it should be at about the same time she started walking - around the 10th or 11th month. She hates the blanket, even now, so she goes uncovered most of the time. Everyone seems to have a Sophie these days. It used to be her most chewed on toy! Actually, it is the only toy she seemed to like chewing on. We are lucky that she doesn't fuss too much when she was teething. I know of babies that are cranky all the time, couldn't sleep, and very very difficult. She is a little more difficult than her usual self, being a little more whiny and clingy, not eating too much, but most part of it, she was OK. She didn't really need to gnaw on her teething toys, no fever, no runny stools, no excessive drooling. I can only pray that the second one is the same! Not exactly baby products, but I can glad I got her books. She loves her books, more than her toys. In fact, I given up buying toys already. Ok, we bought her a kitchen set, but that is because she likes to pretend play and I am hoping that she can pretend cook along side with me while I cook! Ok, back to the books... When I first started shopping for her books I was still pregnant with her. I always love children's books, especially those with beautiful illustrations. I was pretty enthusiatic with the buying, in the end I ended up with books that weren't age appropriate. They were too complicated, too wordy and most importantly, too FRAGILE! I did buy some small simple board books, like Pat the Bunny, Spot and some others. Her favourite ones are the ones with photos of real objects, not illustrations. I never thought those were great, but those are the ones that she likes. I went on to buy more of those. She likes pointing out the things that she knows. Lately, she is showing more interest in the other books, and to my present surprise, was willing to sit with me while I read the book to her. She likes it when I read and use my fingers to point at the words. I love wearing my baby. I love my sarong which is so versatile! I use it when I nurse her in public, I use it to carry her around. Even now, when she falls asleep when I am out with her, I will just sling her in the sarong and carry on with my business. We have another baby carrier - the baby bjorn, that we used a lot before she got too heavy. That was great too, but being me, I never put her in there for too long a period, half and hour max I will take her out. I have a mai tai that I hardly use, not because I don't like it, but she was just getting too heavy for such things, and besides, she wants to walk everywhere now!

I bought a dozen of those inexpensive muslin diaper cloths and they are fantastic! I always have one in my diaper bag. I use it to lay on changing counters in nursery rooms when we are out. I use it in the car in the even that we need to change her in there. We used to cover the stroller with one when she falls asleep and it is just too bright outside. That was when she was little tiny, now she doesn't even want to be in the stroller. We have also used it to cover her when we were caught in the rain! It was also a towel when she got herself too wet playing in fountains or water features or whatever you call those things. I never thought the Jumperoo would be so worth the money. She was always so happy to be jumping in that thing. She would go on and on and on in it if she can, but usually I would have pluck her out after 15 minutes. She jumped so wildly and so hard, I was afraid that she might break it. It is amazing that it survived. The thing gave me some time to rest a little back then when she didn't like to nap, didn't like her toys, and all that she cared was for me to be with her, play with her and interact with her. That time almost drove me nuts. As much as she doesn't dig the stroller anymore, I still love the Peg Perego P3 Switch. We were out an awful lot, and without it, we wouldn't be able to have meals, coffee or even a stroll in the park. we can't put her in a carrier for too long can we? It was sturdy and doesn't tip over like how some strollers could. She could be facing us, or facing the other way if she gets bored of us. It could recline all the way so that she can sleep, it has extensible handles for tall folks like us, so that we do not need to hunch. we will start trying her in the stroller again, because, I can't afford to be carrying her any too much longer. Her Stokke Tripp Trapp. Yes, it is expensive, but it is a handsome little thing! I love the design and the fact that it blends right in with the rest of the house. It doesn't have its own tray, so she sits at the table with us, not away from us. Of course, without a tray, it means the mess isn't contained, and cleaning up takes double the time. That is the only gripe I have about it. So, this is the 11th thing that I am listing, but I am lor sor like that. The internet. Again, not really a baby baby product, but I never need to leave my home to shop for books, clothes, baby gear, read about baby stuff, like milestones, development, parenting, and other boring baby/parenting stuff that only parents care about. I never would know about the calendula cream if not for the internet.

Last one! I promise! We had a mobile for her cot. It was colourful, plasticky, moves and had music! Ignore the matching outfits and look at the plastic fantasic piece of mobile at the background. She loved looking at it go around and round and would get pretty excited, kicking her legs (perhaps to the music, I dunno...) It was heaven's sent for times when we had to get ourselves ready, or to distract her when we change her diaper. It was great, til one day, The husband decided to carry her up to where the mobile is, and with one mighty grab, she crippled it. It stopped moving totally.

Baby Led Weaning

2011-02-28T00:46:00.013+08:00

When my baby was almost 6 months old, I got myself a BabyCook. Next, I went to the supermarket to pick up some apples, pears, pumpkin to make them into purees. I was so excited I went straight into making them that night and freeze them in those puree trays.

The day she turned 6 months old, I dished out one portion of the puree for her. She made a face, gagged and spat it out like it was the worst thing that she had ever tasted. (OK, that was the onlything she had ever tasted apart from my milk and a teaspoonful of cereal we gave her when she was 5 months old.) I wasn't too discouraged then, thinking that she needed some time to get used to taste and texture.

I tried again, and again and again. I tried them warm, I tried serving them cold. I tried giving her before milk, I tried after milk, I tried after just a little milk. EPIC FAIL. Then I got a little desperate and gave her store bought ones. Again, I tried warm, cold, sweet, savoury. ALL FAIL. I was getting a little disheartened. I tried porridge and then I tried cereal and yoghurt too. FAIL FAIL FAIL. She would take none of all those things. She didn't even want baby fruit juice, drinking only water instead. (Not that that is a bad thing.) Soon, she doesn't even open her mouth when a spoon came close. That was when I decided to go BLW way. Basically, it believes in letting baby lead the way when it comes to starting solids food. When baby is ready, baby will eat. It skips the entire process of purees and spoonfeeding, and instead, giving baby chunks of food and allowing baby to eat however much he chooses.

We didn't get much success initially. She played with her food a little then got bored and decided she had enough and wanted to be out of her high chair pronto. There were some stuff that she will eat more, like bananas and pasta and leafy vegetables. Sometimes she would take a little fish. More often than not, 10 mintues and she is done with eating.

It was until she turned 1 that she started to eat a lot more. Even allowing us to spoonfeed her a few spoonfuls now! She had her phases, right now she eats nothing but white rice, grilled unagi, cheese, soup, vegetables and fruits and. She starts her day with a little yoghurt. Sometimes she will take a bit of bread. She snacks on cheerios and she adores chocolate! We just found out that she loves iced milo! She has been rejecting meat for a while now, don't really know why. She loves her bak kwa and bacon though!

There are still days when she will eat little and days when she will eat a lot more. I try to trust her that she is getting in enough and not worry too much. That is so hard to do! Especially so now that she is an active toddler and losing her chubbiness. It makes me feel like she is not taking in enough. Got to constantly remind myself, children are healthier when they are not that chubby! Got to remind myself too, that as long as she is developing well, not losing weight, happy and contented, I really shouldn't be worrying so much.

Messing with the pumpkin puree that she refused to allow me to feed her with

Having a banana. Don't ask me how that mess could resemble a banana. If Van Gogh painted with bananas, it would look like what she is

Eating bread

Stealing handfuls of my carrot cake. Got to be careful she didn't take any raisins or nuts.

Noodles and pasta were a hit for a long long while. Still is!

Having Indian food. She takes some pappadam, rice and paneer. We eat out quite a bit and sometimes when the cuisine isn't too suitable because it is too spicy, we pack some stuff for her. Most times, before she turned one, I do prepare her own portion because I was paranoid about the sodium levels in the food!

This baby has rejected the bottle and we had never successfully got her on the bottle ever. We gave in and gave her the cup. So we went from the boob to the cup straight. We were only too happy when she got around using the straw when she was about 10 months old.

No, not loving it.

Roast chicken and rice.

There are days when she allow me to feed her some yoghurt. I allow her to play with the near empty tub.

Cream cheese.

The whole apple. These days, when I would share one with her, with me eating most of the skin because she hates it and would spit it out. The things I do....

Having a field day with whipped cream. It was Children's Day, I thought I indulged her. She messed up real good!

The beginning of more in the tummy and less on the floor days.

Dad eating her leftovers and she playing with her food.

She loves loves bananas!

Trying to use a fork. Still trying to get a hang of using cutlery. When she tries, it gets really messy.

Helping me with the salad. She loves cherry tomatoes. She chews and suck on them then, spits out the skin. Pretty gross I know, and she does that to meat and some vegetables too.

My Baby

2011-01-24T15:24:00.008+08:00

Her sian face when she has to wait a little for us to get ready to go out.

Trying her best to entertain herself with a book while waiting for us. She loves her books, just likes them better if she has someone to read them with.

Most times she is happy and contented like this....

Other times, like times in the car seat, she is pissed off like this.

Lunch time is getting less messy now that more is getting into her mouth and that she seems to enjoy eating a lot more now.

First Shot

2011-01-22T03:43:00.003+08:00

The first shot I took after I got my hands on the lens. She is such a cheeky girl. Taking more photos tomorrow! Cannot wait!

Yes!

2011-01-22T03:41:00.002+08:00

IGOTITIGOTITIGOTITIGOTITIGOTITIGOTITIGOTITIGOTITIGOTITIGOTIGOTITIGOTIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I heart my new prime lens! I love my Husband!

Shoes

2011-01-19T03:40:00.007+08:00

How do I convince my husband that a housewife like me, who barely is able to put herself together before heading out of the house needs a pair of shoes like these.....

or these

Caught!

2011-01-19T03:33:00.003+08:00

It looks like someone is pointing a gun at her. She was caught playing with the tap again. She just can't help herself sometimes.

My Little Helper

2011-01-19T03:12:00.006+08:00

She is helping me make pasta salad!

Putting in the peas into the pasta, and sometimes pausing to pop a few into her mouth. I wouldn't be too sure if there are any half eaten ones in that bowl.

She is forever curious with what I am doing in the kitchen. She demands me to bring her up there with me all the time. I am really considering with I should get one of those toddler helper things like FunPod, Learning Tower, or the Kitchen Helper . Problem with these things are, they are so bleeding bulky!

I can't always put her in the sink nor on the table top. It is an accident waiting to happen no matter how watchful and careful I am. With toddlers, they move fast and can be pretty unpredictable at times.

As much as I enjoy my times in the kitchen with her, having teatime, doing prep work, doing some washing, I do sometimes wish she is able to play on her own a little more. She doesn't seem to be attached too much to any of her toys, preferring instead to flip books now. Prefer it more if we can do it together. Yes, I am very very happy that she has taken to books in such a big way, but there are some times when I wonder why she doesn't really totally dig anything else. Now that I think about it, she does like her Happyland set though...

I suppose they will all grow up and want some kind of independence. I suppose that I should just enjoy the times now that she wants to just spend all her time with me, they do grow up fast you know :)

30mm 1.4

2011-01-19T02:38:00.002+08:00

In line with sticking to my new year resolution, I have finally finally decided to get the Sigma prime lens already.

Enough of worrying about the cost! I will get it before CNY! I will bring my chunky DSLR and a couple of lens to New Zealand. Never mind that I have a squirmy, sometimes whiny, sometimes cranky and all the time active baby who needs almost constant attention.

Right now, I will go email the camera shop to get a quote on the lens. The last I know, it was about $650!

Hopefully The Husband reads this entry and go get it for me as a surprise!

Day 7- Flower Expo

2011-01-15T01:42:00.000+08:00

How many adults does it take to keep and eye on on a baby on a swing?

The Floral Expo in Taipei is a big waste of time. Nothing special and really, oh so boring. She had fun at the playground and wide open spaces for her to run about.

\

The Expo outing was cut really short and we had some time on our hands. The rest did some last minute shopping and we headed to a cafe to have some coffee and something else to eat. The Little One is exhausted!

The madness that was Shilin. It isn't that bad since it was a weekeday, can't imagine how bad it would be if it was a Friday or Saturday night. She is showing her displeasure here. She wanted to run about but we couldn't let her do so because it was really too crowded.

We did get to NonZero after all! Missing the risotto already!

Gifts

2011-01-15T01:28:00.001+08:00

The pressies on the left are all hers and the ones on the right are everybody else's.

Life is so unfair sometimes.

Resolutions

2011-01-15T01:22:00.005+08:00

I promise to put aside more time for myself to read.
I will pick up my DSLR more and get outside and shoot!
Do more baking! I miss that!
Get part time help more often.

.... Generally more ME time less chores time.

Oh, and get her room done up already!

Day 6 - Back in Taipei

2011-01-14T01:54:00.006+08:00

The view from our room is pretty decent. Just disregard all the construction that is going on just outside the window and look at the Pacific ocean. We had breakfast and went for a stroll near the beach. The windy was too strong for the baby's liking and so we abandon the idea of cycing went back to the room for a snooze before checking out. All except Nick went cycling. It was tough cycling in that kinda wind and someone had a fall!

This little card holder was given to The Little One at the lunch place we went to. Too bad the cafe we wanted to go to was closed! We could just look in forlornly.

Her aunt keeping her busy on the train. She is such a handful, they all decided to pretend to sleep, leaving me to my own devices.

Day 5 - Hualien and Taroko Gorge

2011-01-05T01:16:00.006+08:00

Took a train to Hualien from Taipei. Was pretty scenic half the time.

Little monster getting restless in the train.

Yes! I can't resist and bought a Mai tai carrier!

Taroko Gorge. Since we didn't have the luxury of time, we hired a cab and got driven around the gorge really fast. Jumping from one sigh to another. I do wish it was at a more leisure speed.

Our attempt at trying to set the lantern was an epic failure. Too embarrass to talk about it anymore here. It was really windy (so you can guess why it is an epic failure) and cold, The Little One and I both have runny noses for a few days.

Day 4 Mao Kong

2011-01-05T00:46:00.007+08:00

Her fed up face while waiting for the gondola up to Mao Kong. It is quite nice, but too crowded for my liking. Nice views, nice tea houses and the gondola trip up was scenic too.

Someone is so dead tired. Think he did laundry at the hotel til like 4am. Hahahahaha! The tea house we went to. I like the place.

Beef noodles! The noodles at this shop is out of this world! They have this steamed rice with rib, also very shiokadoos. See, The Husband is really happy and everyone is just eating and not talking.

Eating guava and shopping for shoes

Day 3

2011-01-04T00:41:00.006+08:00

Day 2 - Jiu Fen & Danshui

2011-01-01T02:22:00.007+08:00

Took a day trip out of Taipei city to visit Jiu Fen and Danshui. Jiu Fen inspired the set of Spirited Away. It is indeed pretty quaint and charming. I like it there. When we got to Danshui, we didn't have much day light left. Still it was fun just walking around the port town.

We went to see the changing of the guards and some famous hotel first before setting out. I think we used the hotel as a toilet stop. Ooops.

Beef noodles in JiuFen. How i miss the beef noodles in Taiwan! We are so greedy, when the stall is full, we can just stand outside and eat.

Jiu Fen is full of teahouses that have superb views. We were at this one for quite a while.

Danshui. Next time I will visit the place earlier and have more time to explore. Such a pity.

Dinner back in the city. We had Italian. It was a nice restuarant with very nice prices too. This is one of the rare photos of just the 2 of us. I can't remember the last photo we took as a couple!

Day 1 - XMD & Rao He Maket

2011-01-01T01:58:00.008+08:00

She slept in the bassinet on the plane for just 15mins. I was hoping for at least an hour. She slept quite a bit, but I had to have her in my arms. Thankfully, she was alright, no crying no ear ache. Crossing my fingers that the next flight would be the same too!

When in Taipei, you got to go to Fong Da for its iced coffee. Very yums. Shiokadoos!

I may not look tired here, but believe me, I was! I didn't sleep a wink the night before! Thanks to leaving the packing to the very end. But I manage to pack all our stuff into 1 suitcase!

Rao He market. These 2 eating stinky tofu. Still can't understand its appeal. It smells like the drain.

Hapy New Year!

2011-01-01T00:31:00.005+08:00

2010 has been a good year! Tiring but good.

Still a newborn. I miss her being so tiny sometimes. On her tummy during tummy time. She didn't like tummy time too much.

First time in the baby carrier. She struggled and cried a lot when we tried putting her in. She must be about 4 months old already. Bearing some weight on her legs.

Sitting on her own. Crawling finally at 8 months. I didn't think she would. She didn't show any interest at all. She only wanted us to hold her so that she could 'walk' on her own. One fine evening, she decided to surprise us by crawling.

When she could pull up on her 2 feet, she would climb up our pillows almost every time we put her on our bed. She is reaching for the remote. Cruising in the zoo.

Still cruising, a bit better. Walking finally!

Taking her shower.

I watched her rolled over, smile, laugh, giggle, pull herself to a sitting position, pull herself up to stand, babble, cut teeth, crawl, and walk! All in a year! There are plenty more that she has accomplished, but I can't possibly list everything. Well okay.. I will list a few more. She has graduated from taking baths in the baby tub to standing up having showers instead. I also learnt that her tantrums are of diva proportions. She understands more than I think she does.

We took 2 trips this year. A road trip to Penang and a trip to Taipei. This baby is made to travel! She was her usual bubbly self and more.

She was in a baby gym class for 3 months. She was more interested in doing her own thang than doing what the teacher wants her to. She enjoyed herself and it was great to have kids of her age around. This poor girl doesn't have any friends of her age!

This is how she thank me when I try to give her puree. Mess up and have a great mush fest. Most of it ends up on her, the table and the floor. Sometimes when I tried feeding her baby food or purees, she made a horrible face, gag and spit it right out, as if it was the most yucky thing she had ever tasted in her whole life. (Maybe that is true). She has finally finally begin eating more solids. If I didn't know about baby led weaning, I would totally be lost when she rejected the puree I wanted to feed her when she was 6 months old.

We had some renovation done to the flat. Added more cabinets and shelves. A baby does take up a lot of space.

I have been married for 4 years! We had a very good dinner at St Pierre, with a lot of good food and too much good wine! Still wondering if I should take a photo of the bill and shock the living daylights out of everyone. It sobered me up alright.

I do not know how much motherhood has changed me. I can tell you though, that it has made me really really happy. I love being a mum. I can remember a lot of the happy times I spent with her, and the not too happy ones, I can't really remember. My life revolves pretty much around her. I don't have time to do much else. This year, I will try to squeeze in more me time. My books are screaming out for some attention. I will pick up my camera more too. Yes, and I will get part time help more often to help with the chores.

2011 will be great!

The Little One is One

2010-12-31T02:45:00.011+08:00

She has turned one! Time sure does fly when you are a parent. I never ever have enough hours in a day for all the things that I want to do! That is why this post is almost a month and a half late. We didn't have a big birthday bash for her since she will not know what the fuss is about and she doesn't have a lot of friends. So a birthday party full of adults isn't exactly a fun birthday for a child. Instead, she had 3 celebrations. One each at both set of grandparents and a getaway trip for just the 3 of us to Sentosa.

She doesn't know how to blow out the candle yet. She did try! next year, she will definitely know how to!

Plenty of gifts. She isn't too excited about them, again, she didn't know what the fuss was about. Once the wrappers came off, she had a field day with the presents. She had so many, she didn't know where to begin!

Second cake!

Checking in.

We have brought her to the zoo, the bird park so we thought, why not an aquarium? She had a wonderfully day checking out the colourful fishes swimming around. She was pointing and babbling quite a bit in there. The tunnel wasn't as colourful, that is why she forced a smile in the photo. By the end of it, she was getting a little sleepy already. We walked along the beach a little, found a spot to sit down in the shade while I nursed her. She didn't sleep for too long though.

So, off to the pool we went! This photo very healthy lifestyle hor, wear swim suit eat apple. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Dinner at a Japanese restaurant. She kept making funny faces in there. All the other diners were all kinda serious.. except her.

Hard Rock Cafe. The last time I was in a HRC was when I was 19 or 20. It was fun, especially after the serious Japanese dinner.

She loved the balloon the people at HRC gave her. I hated it. I hate balloons, they looked like they would burst anytime. The way she waved it around, the way she handled the balloon, I thought I might get a cardiac arrest. The balloon came off the stick a few times, The Husband helping her fixed it back, and she was so impatient, tucking at his bermudas, and babbled in a demanding and authoritative tone, as if telling him to hurry up and give it back to her.

It was a long long day and she wasn't about to go to bed just like that. She went walking round and round and round the room checking out everything. I am glad that she had a fun day.

The breakfast spread at the resort was really good. As anyone can see, she ain't too much a morning person. I love napping after breakfasts, and that was what we all did!

It was a great first birthday!

Sleeping Issues

2010-11-13T02:33:00.003+08:00

She will start with a "Hey! Let me outta here!" protest.

Then she will protest harder and if you can see her little chubby leg in the second photo, pressing against one of the bars, trying to get out of the cot herself

If all the above fails, she will give you the puppy dog look, hoping that that will melt your heart and then you will pick her up.

She hates being confine in the cot. So we thought we let her sleep on a mattress on the floor instead. A little better, but i suppose she just like sleeping next to us. I slept on the mattress with her a few nights, and she was good, sleeping like how a baby should, but when she is alone on the mattress, she would cry a few times, asking for a comfort suckle.

Sigh I really have no clue how I can get her to sleep on her own. She just like to snuggle up next to me or the dad. Sigh...

An Afternoon at the Park

2010-11-13T02:15:00.003+08:00

I loved that one Sunday afternoon we spent at the park, lying down on the mat in the shade with a little breeze. It was a lovely day. Beats being in the mall on a Sunday!

The Thirsty Toddler

2010-11-13T02:04:00.006+08:00

I am so thirsty!

OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH! So good so refreshing!

MMMMMM..... MORE!

Pure Evil

2010-11-12T03:52:00.002+08:00

Comes in the form of a big purple dinosaur.

I never understood why kids just love him. I was watching TV one day while The Little One was playing with her toys, then while channel surfing, Barney came on, I decided (rather stupidly now, I must say) to stay on that channel and see if she reacts to that purple dinosaur. It is amazing how she would just stare at the TV for quite a while and then, started waving her arms and go 'oooooooh ooooooooooh oooooooooooh'. That itself is quite something since she never paid any attention to anything that was on TV.. until that fateful day. What happened after that, was even more scary. She actually crawled to the TV console, pulled herself up and stared at the TV for the longest time!

Thanks to me, she is quite the Barney fan now.

That was about 2 months plus ago. Now, every time we go pass a Barney kiddy ride, she will point it out to us, waving her arms in the same frenetic fashion. She loves those rides now, I thought she would come to that a little later. Tearing her away from those rides could result in some drama. She will scream, she will kick and she will wiggle in your arms, trying to break your hold on her to let you know that she isn't too happy to part with her purple friend. Just saying 'Let's go' will have her whining and protesting in the ride.

I used to really dislike Barney, but I am alright with him now. After watching a few shows, it isn't too bad. I even bought her a DVD. Hahaha! I know he is on from Mondays to Fridays on Okto at 12 noon. She has some Barney books, a little plush toy (it was a FREEBIE!!!!!!!!!!!!) and a inflatable ball - courtesy of my sister..... My siblings brought her for a little walk, she saw the ball and show strong liking for it. HAHAHAHA! See, us parents are not the only suckers!

I just hope all that Barney collection at home doesn't grow too quickly.

Happiness

2010-10-27T17:10:00.003+08:00

is sleeping in on a rainy day til noon, roll about in bed with some cuddles, kisses and plenty of laughter with my baby for a little while before tumbling out of bed, wash up and then going out for a lunch together.

Moments like these make it all worth it, makes all the undone chores seem so insignificant. Moments like these make me a happy happy person

Extra Hours Needed

2010-10-27T17:07:00.002+08:00

I wish I had more hours in the day to

get the ironing done
get started on planning her first birthday already
do a bit of homework on my upcoming trip
CHORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sort out the photos
sort out the magazines
read
nap
drink coffee
CHORES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cook

My work is never done

New Obsession

2010-10-27T17:03:00.001+08:00

ETSY.

1st Children's Day

2010-10-27T16:44:00.006+08:00

The one thing that she will eat readily is whipped cream. As it was Children's Day, we thought we indulged her and gave her a cup full of it to mess around with. From the pictures, it is obvious that she had a field day with it

No, she isn't crying here, just smiling too hard, it looks like she is crying. I had to whisk her away to the washroom and wash her down thoroughly, she had cream all over her. She had fun that day and was in an extremely agreeable mood :)

Walking

2010-10-22T15:55:00.005+08:00

The Little One has started to walk on her own!

We are delighted indeed! She still likes to hold our hands or whatever she can get her hands on - rails, doors, walls, baskets, her toy car, chairs. When she is distracted she starts taking steps on her own, then she will realised that nobody is holding her, she will sit on her butt.

Once she gains more confidence, she will be walking and running really soon. I will have a harder time keeping up with her.

It is true that babies will come around doing stuff once they are ready, before last week, she didn't display any interest in walking at all, prefering to move about on all fours. Before we know it, she wants to walk all the time, allowing us to hold her hands, cruising a lot more on her own.

When She was 10 Months Old

2010-10-17T15:30:00.003+08:00

She is talking a lot more these days, babbling in some strange language that manages to sound European and Indian at the same time.

She continues to imitate us, I have lost count of the things that is can do, some of the cutest would be her trying to do twinkle twinkle little stars and trying her very best to whistle. Hilarious! She loves music, all kinds, showing quite a strong preference for dance music and unfortunately, Barney and Hi-five.

She is still refusing solids. Only opening her mouth to whipped cream and ice cream. She allows a few tiny spoonfuls of porridge and that's it. If she is in a good mood, she will polish off a small tub of yoghurt. She still loves her milk and I am still nursing her, any hope of dropping any milk feeds soon seems plain unrealistic now. Her adventures with solids warrants one whole blog entry. So much that I want to write about.

Signs

2010-09-16T01:52:00.006+08:00

She has been imitating us quite a bit lately. I am amazed how fast she picks up those actions.

It started with the bye bye wave, then the no-no shake head move, after that she did the flying kiss - though not too accurate but cute nonetheless. She will blink her eyes if you blink eyes at her. When she hears music, she will wave her hands in the air like she just doesn't care. She dances too, when you say "dancing dancing". She will put her toy phone next to her ear when you say hello. Sometimes she will try saying hello, which sounds more than ah-o. She has the Sang Nao Jing move too, where she will put both arms on her head when you say Sang Nao Jing - which roughly means, aiyoh, you are giving me a headache!

Today, she did something that I have been waiting for a while now. She clapped her hands! Yesterday, she held both fists together and shook them up and down, as though doing the Gong Xi Fa Cai thing. Then today, I realised that she might be trying to clap her hands. So, I sang and clapped my hands and clapped some more. She was still GongXiFaCai-ing away, then before long, she attempted a clap. Wasn't really a clap but she was trying. After a few more tries, she was clapping better already. Some more got produce sound hor! Not bad leh!

When babies are learning new skills, they will practise and practise. She was clapping in the car, and when I was dressing her. getting her ready or bed. Her clap now, is good! In just a matter of hours. I am impressed!

I am hoping to see the clapping figuring itself into her dance routine, which for now, comprises just of hand waving.

I can't wait to see what she does next!

My Birthday

2010-09-16T01:32:00.007+08:00

This post is 2 months late. If only I have more time! Better late than never. I was pretty excited this year, because I am celebrating it as a mother. Sometimes I can't quite believe that still.

Tea at the Fullerton Bay Hotel

She just started learning to walk. She loves it when you hold her hands and walk her around, she will tell you where she wants to do by turning her body and stepping in the direction that she wants to go.

Playing by the water fountain. She loves loves playing with water. If you look close enough, her face is wet!

Happiness

2010-09-12T01:54:00.002+08:00

is having an upcoming trip confirmed finally!

I cannot wait!

Happines

2010-09-08T01:59:00.002+08:00

is being greeted with a wide grin from your baby when you open your eyes in the morning.

NO

2010-09-06T17:12:00.003+08:00

The Little One hears a lot of 'no' from us these days. There have been people who believe in not using that word a lot. But really, how can you not use that word??????????? Babies must learn the word! They must know what it means and they need boundaries! I don't think that it is all too negative a word at all. It is one of the first few words that she understands (but not necessarily obeys it.

No, please don't put that in your mouth. No playing with the cord! No playing with our hand phones. No, don't pick up stuff on the ground and put it in your mouth! No, don't tear up my book.

So what should a mighty curious 91/2 month old to do? We can't possibly say no to everything. It will frustrate the hell out of her, and I do fear that it might curb her curiosity. So we pick our battles, no to electrical cords, yes to messing up our CD collection. No to hand phones but she can play with the remotes, even if she throws them all over. No to the books but she can tear up some old magazines to her little heart's content. I do let her try killing a couple of her own books too. Heck, we even let her crawl outside if it isn't too dirty. Just need to wash or wipe her hands soon as she is done.

Just few days ago, she started to shake her head like us when we said no. That girl is really imitating our moves now. Gotta be careful, I wouldn't want her giving people the finger too soon. She knows that there are things that she can't do, so she will look at you with that look, checking with you if it is okay. Now, she might just shake her head even before we gave her the NO. Cute!

When She was 7 Months Old

2010-09-02T02:31:00.004+08:00

She has finally managed to pull herself up to sit on her own! After being so frustrated and helpless, she could do it all by herself. She had also started to pull herself to stand in the cot, so time to put the cot at its lowest!

Oh, and of course, she went on her first holiday!

When She was 8 Months Old

2010-09-02T02:13:00.004+08:00

I had meant to post a monthly progress entry, but guess what! I have no time, even when I am home all the time! So I am just catching up on my blogging...

When she was 8 months old, she started pointing at things and people. She will point to let us know that she is interested in something and we will bring her over to that interesting thing. Real cute!

She started to crawl when she was 8 months old. I thought she never would and would skipped it totally. She crawls in her own little unique way. With one foot on the floor (like squatting) and the other with the knee on the floor. She would then, take a 'step' forward with the leg that seemed to be squatting and move the other leg forward, without touching the floor. This way, she will not end up with bruised knees. Hahahaha.

She had gotten really sticky at this point. I can't even go to the bathroom without her protesting! Thankfully, she is just sticky these days and not ultra sticky. I think she has hit the 'separation anxiety' phase.

She did this weird little thing for about 2 days, pulling herself up in the cot and then letting go and landing on her bum. She was practising how to get back down safely while standing. She would do it again and again and again. really funny to watch. Before that, it would take a while before for her to get back down, some times crying for help even.

9 Months

2010-08-30T16:52:00.004+08:00

She is about 9 and a half already! In a little more than 2 months she will be one! Time flies! So what have she been up to??

She has started to wave goodbye just last week! One of the more exciting stuff she has done lately. She started signs of waving a while back, raising her arm but not waving. Just last Friday, we were at my friend's place for some coffee and tea and when we left, she started waving! She didn't stop waving, waving at the cars passing, the trees, the traffic lights, everything. Even when I got her down for a feed, she was still waving. I don't think she knows exactly what it means yet. Now she seems to want to mouth the word "bye". First it sounded something like b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b... then there were a few times that it really sounded like 'bye'. Very happy indeed!

Very little thing she does, just make me so happy.

Unless it involves her trying to scratch people's faces! There was once when she got frustrated and went for her father's face, pulling off his glasses. He of course, scolded her, and she wailed. Loudly. She refused to even look at him after that! Time to really start disciplining her! I told her in quite a firm tone about something that she shouldn't be doing, she look at me for a second and then scratched my face really hard. She did it with intention. She thought about it for a second before she did it. I slapped her hand and gave her a stern talking to. Of course she wasn't too pleased and started crying. She had done that one my mum and my sister in law. Every time it happened I will scold her. Hopefully she will do that scratching soon. Hopefully it is just a phase and it will pass soon.

She is beginning to imitate us quite a bit. When we raise the blanket and play peekaboo, she would do the same too. She tilts her head when we tilt ours. Before, she just tilts her head, especially when she is curious about something.

She has started to climbed and stand on her pram. She doesn't like to sit in it too long. She would very much prefer to stand (which is of course, pretty dangerous) or have us carry her (very heavy, she is 10 kilograms already!).

The older she gets, the more interactive and playful she is! I can't wait for her to start walking on her own!

I am still here!

2010-08-27T14:24:00.002+08:00

My PC died on me. That explains the lack of posts. Of course, I have been really busy too. With the Little One, with the upcoming renovation, with trying to sort out my messy home.

At the risk of turning this into a parenting blog, I am thinking of having a separate blog just for those mummy posts. Maybe I should just let this blog evolve into whatever my life turns out to be. After all, this blog is nothing more than ramblings of my life. The thought of having a parenting blog stems from my obsessive compulsive need to organise and categorise my entries.

More posts coming up!

Cutting Teeth

2010-07-06T13:48:00.002+08:00

Last night on the way home from dinner, The Little One grabbed my hand and put one of my fingers into her mouth suddenly.

She bit down and I thought I felt what felt like teeth pressing down on my fingers. Yes, she is getting her pearlies soon. Couldn't see any teeth yet, but her gums are a little red. Those pearlies are just beneath her gums.

I can't wait to nurse her when those teeth start sprouting.

Day 5

2010-06-25T11:27:00.011+08:00

Last day in Penang, someone woke up feeling really happy in the morning. Check out The Little One's crazy bed hair. Even she thinks she looks funny.

Breakfast before hitting the beach.

Bircher muesli face. She likes yoghurt it seems. Both mornings she ate some of it. Wasn't too fond of dragonfruit though, but loved the hair. Hahahaha.

Just 10 to 15 minutes under the sun was enough to give her that holiday tan. I did apply sun block for her, can't imagine how burn she would be if I didn't!

Checking out of the hotel.

Went to this little blink-and-you-will-miss-it coffee place in Georgetown. It was tucked in a little alley. They serve gorgeous iced coffee and yummy kaya toast.

She likes eating bread.

This shot is hilarious. I think she is feeling the heat and was getting sleepy

We walked a little from that kopitiam to a bustling kopitiam for assam laksa, char kway teow and chendol. They are taking refuge from the relentless Penang mid afternoon sun while I bought some dou sar piah.

She was very very glad to be out of the heat! She was smiling the instant we got into the car and blasted the air con!

By the time we got to KL it was already 7 in the evening. We had enough of the sun and the outdoors that day and decided to just have dinner at the mall next to the hotel.

It had been a nice getaway. She seemed to love all the time we had on vacation and seldom fussed. What a relief! Time to start planning the next trip soon!

Day 4

2010-06-25T09:32:00.008+08:00

Fathers' preferred way of carrying their little girls.

We decided to make a trip to the fruit farm after breakfast. It has quite a pleasant drive up, we saw plenty of durian trees. It was durian season and there were quite a few roadside stalls selling durians on the windy road up.

The best part of the tour of the farm was the fruit buffet at the end. It comes with a glass of fresh fruit juice too. The juice is fantastic! Too bad we could only have just a glass each. Nathanael and me were the mango monsters. I went crazy when I saw mangoes! After a hot tour walking around the farm, nothing beats eating watermelons! The farm turned out to be surprisingly fun. Maybe we were with kids, I am not so sure that we would had had such a good time with we went there without the kids. The view from the farm is great too!

After the farm, we got back to the hotel, the kids needed a nap. Not our baby, she wasn't ready to nap yet. We decided to drive all the way from Batu Ferringi to Georgetown to have coffee and a little bite. Kopi Cine is a lovely little cafe, with good coffee tucked in a little quaint lane.

Went back to rest a little before heading out for dinner. We took an hour's drive just to get to Hai Boey. It was a scenic drive through little towns and kampungs. It was pretty windy, and holding a squirmy baby who is fussing, isn't too relaxing for me. I almost died when we got to Hai Boey.

She still enjoys her baths. Especially after a long day out.

Day 3

2010-06-25T09:01:00.005+08:00

We had our breakfast at the hotel before setting off to Penang.

One last roll about in the bed before setting off. She loves the bed!

We picked Hard Rock Hotel because it has a fantastic pool for kids. The 2 older kids went nuts in the pool! The Little One was just happy looking at the other kids play.

She wasn't too excited on the beach. She was just curious being on the beach for the first time. From the way the sand feels beneath her feet to the waves coming in.

I suppose what she likes best in being on the bed in a very very cool room.

Day 2

2010-06-24T03:07:00.008+08:00

Told ya she slept well, in the morning, couldn't get up some more. I must really buy the bed from Ritz!

Met up with some friends and had a nice kopitiam lunch.

Good thing about travelling with friends with kids? Their kids can entertain your kid and that will keep your kid less grumpy and bored when you talk to your friends about boring adult stuff.

We bought this stroller just for this trip. The one that we have been using in Singapore is too heavy and bulky to bring. She isn't the most comfortable in this though.

KL had changed so much! The last time we were there was like 7 years ago!

This baby doesn't sleep a whole lot. We got her sleeping at about 11pm and she woke up after a little more than an hour. Tried to get her to go to sleep again but no, she decided that she wanted to join us for that late coffee and some TV watching!

Day One

2010-06-24T02:46:00.004+08:00

The drive right up KL wasn't too bad. She didn't fuss a lot, slept in the car from Bukit Batok all the way to near Malacca. She slept right through the customs immigration checkpoints, going from one country to another without knowing. Great we went on a Tuesday, going through the checkpoints was such a breeze!

She didn't fuss too much too, thank goodness!

She was really really happy when we finally got to the hotel room. She spend quite a bit of time rolling in the bed! All of us washed up, she had a milk feed and we all had a good nap! I love sleeping on holidays! Most people think it is a waste of time, but I am on holiday, I like to take it slow!

That night she slept so superbly soundly! I am very tempted to buy the whole bed home with me if it is what is making her sleep so well!

Too Much Food!

2010-06-22T12:55:00.000+08:00

We over ordered again!

Sleep

2010-06-22T12:24:00.003+08:00

We bought this cot thinking that it would be roomy enough for a baby, when the cot arrived, it was bigger than we expected.

The Little One looked so small when she was a newborn in it. She looked like she could get lost! Look at her now, filling up the cot nicely! This photo makes me wonder if the cot is not enough now, she tosses and turns a lot these days. Sometimes when she hits the sides, she gets frustrated and would start crying. I suppose we can just have to sit this one through til she gets a little older and is able to crawl or shift herself better.

Maybe, just maybe then will she start to sleep a lot better without me having to move her to our bed.

Holidays

2010-06-22T03:00:00.003+08:00

It is good to be on a holiday even if it means just driving up north to Malaysia. We both needed a break.

I have been meaning to post but it had been quite a busy time. Busy thinking about the upcoming renovation, busy with the housework, busy with packing up stuff, busy with her starting on solids.

Talking about starting her on solids.. So much to say about that one, it warrants one whole post all by itself!

Busy with ordering clothes online. A little troublesome, some more have to call the merchant up. Bo pian, I have no time to shop shop, so have to online shop.

Now, I am busy with the laundry and chores after a 6-day holiday. Asking a part time helper in this week so that I can remain sane.

I shall be happily busy hopefully, planning the next trip soon!

I shall post some photos of the trip soon-ish.

New Kicks

2010-06-22T02:54:00.002+08:00

She hasn't even starting to crawl yet and I bought her shoes. I like them too much to pass it up!

My Homeboy is in Town

2010-05-29T00:55:00.004+08:00

MARTHA STEWART IS IN TOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Should I hang around Capella and try to get a photo and autograph???????????????

Obsession

2010-05-06T02:15:00.002+08:00

Now I know why parents plaster their baby's photos all over Facebook and their blogs. The sense of pride you feel is unexplainable.

I just do it on my blog though.

Expressions

2010-05-06T02:03:00.003+08:00

She is one happy baby! I am glad for that. She may tire me out on most days, but it is all worth it in the end when she flash me one of those toothless mega smile.

I still wonder why she doesn't need as much sleep as most other babies and still be so energetic and not cranky.

She is getting so interactive these days, cooing, smiling, giggling, and basically making really cute baby sounds. And the sounds are getting louder! Those protest and unhappy sounds are getting louder too unfortunately. She has also recently discover the scream. Keeping my finger crossed that she doesn't use it too often.

First Swim

2010-05-06T01:35:00.005+08:00

She loves her bath time but she was feeling a little confused when we took her to the pool. She had that why the hell is this bath tub so big look on her face. She wasn't afraid nor was she very happy.

Maybe next time she will feel better. Could be that she was a little sleepy too.

My Day These Days.

2010-05-06T00:35:00.006+08:00

I have been meaning to post but I have been pretty caught up with daily stuff. I always have thoughts and have been wanting to write posts about them, but when I get to the PC, I draw blanks. For the life of me, I can't remember what exactly that I want to post. There are some non-baby related ones, but I just forgot all about them! Too tired. Most of my days start like this...

Get woken up by the baby. Yes, usually, she will be up before me, at about 8am, sometimes earlier. She gets her diaper changed and we get her out of her PJs. The husband will have a coffee and then be doing some exercise on the rowing machine and she will exercise alongside him, jumping in her Jumperoo. I will make the bed, hop in the shower for a quick one. Then I will clean the floor or some other house chores. She doesn't last very long when she just wakes up, so after cleaning the floor, she will be looking sleepy already. I will nurse her and she will nap for about 2 hours, sometimes more, depending on how well she slept the night before.

I will then have my breakfast, read the papers and go about doing more chores and plan dinner if it is a cooking day. This happens when she is really good and naps for like 2 hours. If not, aiyoh, after breakfast wake up already.

Then when she wakes up, we will chill for a while, play a little and then her bath time. She loves her baths! She will then be ready to nap again. I take my naps with her at this time. Cannot tahan if I do not nap!

Sometimes we take walks around the neighbourhood. She loves looking at buses. Children just love big moving vehicles don't they? I remember being fascinated by the huge cranes, steamrollers, and especially cement mixers! They are such colourful things and the exciting part is when they start pouring out the cement onto the roads. I had a morbid thought when I was a child, I kept imagining what would happen when someone gets cement poured on them, would they die? Would they just turn into statues? I will have images of those statues in my head!

After walks, she will be in a mood for another nap. So another feed and then a short nap. I will then be in the kitchen preparing dinner. If she isn't napping, she will be in the kitchen, sitting in her rocker with me. This is the time when I hope The Husband comes back soon and take her off my hands for I can cook, have some music on and treat it as my Me time. We will have dinner, while she nap or she will be at the table with us. I will then wash up, have another quick shower and she will have another round of milk.

If it isn't a cooking day or eating at our parents' day, we will be out for dinners. Usually, she will have milk in the car. Hahahaha! Coming back home after 10pm. (Yikes, I know I know! Very late for a baby! But she isn't cranky or anything! I don't feel so bad now because I found our that our friends put their kids to bed late too!). When she gets back home, we give her another quick bath to settle her into sleepy time. We will hang out and chill for a little while more then she will have her last feed and then she will sleep!

PHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Long day right? By the time we get our own time, be it just having coffee, milo, browse magazines, surf net, watch TV or pack the diaper bag already dunno what time. (See the time I blog you know already!) Sometimes, or rather, a lot of times, I will still do some chores, hoping that the next day will be easier.

Something has gotta give. That something has got to be the chores. I can have a part time helper or go easier on the chores. The part time helper I am not too comfortable with. I hate having a different one all the time, because I have to tell them what to do and how to do the chores every single bleeding time. Maybe once in a while to clean the windows, wash the toilet will be sufficient. Try as I may, it is hard for me to ignore the chores and live in a messy home. Especially now that she is sitting, the floors will have to be very clean. So what do I choose to give? My sleep. I sleep late, because I want to have it all (other than more sleep that is). I still want to have some time on my own and still have the apartment in order. It is silly I know, me not resting enough, I will not be able to give her my best. But, I got to say, I am coping better than before. Sleeping more now. I had problems falling asleep some weeks back and it is pretty frustrating. I would lie in bed for hours, sometimes falling asleep at about 5am or later. Some bad days, I will see the break of dawn and it is most upsetting because I wold feel so stressed about not being able to sleep! Sigh~ Lucky now I can sleep more. So now I sleep around 3am. I wonder if mothers are programmed to survive on not as much sleep as fathers or people with no kids.

Sweet Dreams are Made of These

2010-04-23T03:45:00.002+08:00

Maybe dreaming of an endless supply of milk. Whatever it is, the sight of her smiling in her sleep makes me smile too.

Fifth Month

2010-04-19T17:36:00.006+08:00

She turns 5 months today!

She has learnt to protest loudly. She thinks her toes are really yummy. She totally digs looking at herself in the mirror. She is able to sit on her own - even if it is just for a minute. :) She loves jumping in her Jumperoo! She likes it when you hold her to stand on her feet. She is too lazy to want to learn how to roll over yet. She holds things with both hands not just with one now. She extends her arms to you when she wants to be carried. She will grab anything that she sees that is within her reach now. She loves touching faces.

Time really flies. I can't believe that she is already 5 months old!

Almost four month old

2010-04-16T03:14:00.000+08:00

Yes, The Little One is almost a third of a year old!

She is smiling a lot these days.

She is really vocal, the other day in the supermarket, she was "talking" so loud that people were looking at us.

She has started to reach and grasp things. And putting everything in her mouth. You should see her mauling her stuffed animal friends. I was worried about them.

She is very interactive. She likes us to talk, sing, read, play with her. It can get pretty exhausting.

She doesn't fall asleep so easily in her car seat anymore.

She loves suckling on her fingers.

She giggled for the first time!

She can sit upright quite well now, with our support of course.

Movies

2010-04-09T01:44:00.003+08:00

We hadn't been watching a whole lot of movies lately, for the very obvious reason. ( A very loud live one at that) I do miss going to the movies. I miss so many that I want to watch. Why is it that there aren't a lot that I wanna watch when I was pregnant and the ones that I want to watch are showing after I give birth?

The very first movie that we watched after We had our baby is Alice in Wonderland. I kinda like it. Helena Bonham Carter is hilarious in it! I thought she was great! I have to thank my mum for watching her while we sneaked away for a few hours! Though it was quite a rushed outing, it was better than none at all. Of course we would like to take our time, have a nice dinner, coffee then movie, but we have a baby who wouldn't take to the bottle, plus, I really hate to impose on my mum. I suppose we can do that once she is older and a lot easier to manage.

I suppose we have to move movie night into our TV room for now. We just watched An Education. Funny that that was our first movie for our Movie Nights. I planned on watching it when I was still pregnant with The Little One and she chose pop out on that very day. Next DVD that I will get my hands on will be Avatar. It seems like the whole world had watched it except us. I can't believe I missed Moon either. So frustrating! Oh, then there is A Serious Man. A Single Man is still showing ( I think ), hoping to catch that on the big screen!

Sitting

2010-04-09T01:33:00.002+08:00

This is Queen V

Standing

2010-04-09T01:28:00.002+08:00

My mum is so going to kill me for making her stand like that. Check out her thunder thighs and that megawatt smile!

Breastfeeding

2010-04-08T03:03:00.003+08:00

I have been exclusively breastfeeding The Little One since Day 1. It has been a decision made not when I found out that I was pregnant, but many years ago. Breastfeeding to me, is one of the most beautiful things on this planet. I get a little teary when I nursed her in the earlier days. These days, I still smile and it makes me feel happy and content.

I read all I could about it, trying to prepare myself. At the same time, I kept telling myself that it is alright if I, for any reasons wasn't able to nurse her. Of course I know that I will be hugely disappointed if I couldn't.

The first 2 weeks were really tough. The Little One latched on perfectly since the first time. We were the lucky ones, a lot of mums and their babies had to practise for a while. I had to cope with really sore and cracked nipples. Making nursing really painful, so painful in fact, I would rather get labour pains over having a hungry baby nursing on my sore and cracked nipples. She drank like she is constantly hungry in those 2 weeks. That was tough, waking up every one and a half hour just to nurse her. I was so tired and sleep deprived that I cried a few times. Right from the start, I told The Husband, no matter what happened, he would have to be supportive and encouraging, never ever tell me that we have to switch to formula. He was indeed very supportive and encouraging, but seeing me in such a bad shape, he did mention a few times that maybe we could feed her formula in the night. I stubbornly stuck to my guns, (stubborn-ness is a good trait!) and was I glad when the soreness went away and more glad when the growth spurt passed and she starts to sleep through the night! I never thought I would say this, but having 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep in a row is pure pure heaven!

So why am I so insistent? Because breast milk is the best milk for your baby! Let me try to list all the benefits...

Antibodies are passed from mother to her child, helping the child fight off infections. Also. breast milk changes to suit the needs of your baby. Pretty amazing ain't it?

It is easily digested, so it is gentle on your baby's gut and digestive system.

It is free!

I need not have to sterilise bottles, which I find troublesome. The few times that I had to, I cursed and was rather pissy while I was sterilising the bottles.

There isn't a need to "prepare". As much as I was really dead tired when I had to wake up to nurse her, I couldn't imagine waking up, walking to the kitchen, prepare the milk, make sure the milk is of right temperature before offering it to the baby. I just, er, whip it out! Hahahaha. Some more these days, I nurse her lying down and we both will drift to sleep!

I have to have a balanced diet. I can't skip my meals, so in a way, it is a good thing right. I have to cut down on caffeine though, so all my coffee is decaf, and I plan my tea consumption around her meal times. So, just after I nurse her will I have a cuppa. Ditto with alcohol, not having more than a glass at a time.

With a varied diet, baby gets different flavours, so hopefully - fingers crossed - she wouldn't be a picky eater next time.

Some studies have shown that breastfeeding lowers risk of breast cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases!

So how not to breastfeed if you are able to????????

First Hair Cut

2010-04-07T02:50:00.004+08:00

The Little One had her first hair cut a couple of weeks ago. I was a little worried that she might fussed or get ready restless. So on the way to the kiddy salon, I gave her what The Husband and I call a "safety feed" Meaning, that I nursed her before her feeding time so that she doesn't get too grouchy or restless. A baby with a full tummy of milk and enough rest is a happy baby. It worked! She was sitting happily on The Father's lap throughout the hair cut. She started to get a little restless towards the end, but nothing dramatic.

I think I was more worried because my sister, when she was a child, cried everytime she had a hair cut. Not a little cry, but full blown, drama mama kinds. She made sure you know that she didn't like it. I hoped The Little One stayed as calm as happy as she did for all her future hair cuts. And if she does, I can bring her along when I cut my hair and she can get one as well! Speaking of which, it really is time for me to get one already!

Tomorrow...

2010-04-05T01:35:00.003+08:00

I will charge all my camera batteries, get my camera and lenses cleaned. By the way, I can't find my kit lens. Time to get that dry cabinet already!

I will sort out the photos and get some developed.

I will find time to read Monocle. Not gone through the previous issue, already bought the latest one.

Decide on the highchair of choice.

Clean/wash all her toys and barang barang. Pray tomorrow plenty of sunshine and no rain.

Decide when to go for my next hair cut. These days I have become quite thrifty, cut hair once in 3 months. Not by choice though.

Call polyclinic to inform them that they have booked the wrong date for me.

Tidy the study. (It rhymes!)

Bake some scones and have tea.

Get some bills paid.

Get some ironing done.

Do some marketing for this week's dinner. Oh, and do double portions of some of them so that I can freeze them for days when I am too tired to cook.

WONDER WHERE TO FIND THE TIME TO DO ALL OF THE ABOVE.

My Little Trooper

2010-03-26T02:46:00.008+08:00

This is her I am not feeling too well look. Taken in KKH A&E. First time we took her out in her jammies. When your baby is not feeling well, going out in her jammies will be the least of your concern. Hahaha!

The Little One had been a fussy baby for the past 2 nights.
Little did I know that it could be the ear infection that had been bothering her. I feel mighty bad. Feeling bad that she was feeling the pain and feeling bad that I didn't discover it earlier. I suspected that it could be one, but didn't act on the instinct immediately. Sigh, I didn't want to over react mah!

The first night when she fussed, I thought it could be that we moved her cot to a different corner in the room and she wasn't used to it. Second day she fussed a little more in the afternoon but settled down and was a happy little thing in the evening until bedtime. She cried when I tried to clean her right ear during her afternoon bath, cried when I tried to dry it. It was then that I suspected that she might be having an ear infection. I have no idea what possessed me that I didn't check her ears thoroughly and instead took it that she was just being fussy. She wasn't showing any other signs of discomfort or symptoms. No fever, no ear pulling, she was feeding well, pooping well.

The only time she turned into a fusspot is when she is very very tired, major meltdowns are really really rare. Often, I would get her to nap before she gets too tired. I should have known better that something isn't too right. Most times she would just get whiny, she will whine more and then some. If she isn't attended to after a long while of whining would she go on to a major full blown at her top of her lungs cry.

The Dad bathed her at night and she cried a little when he tried to clean her ear. When she got dressed and we settled down for her last feed before bedtime that I saw pus - plenty of that yucky gunk flowing out of her ear.

I panicked of course. I didn't know how serious it could be, I didn't know if she was in pain. It was a lot of pus! I told The Husband, we need to get to the hospital pronto!

Thankfully the wait at the A&E in KKH wasn't too long. Just an hour. To our surprise, she was in a fantastic mood. Giggling, smiling and sitting contently on her father's lap, sucking on her fingers. The only baby who seemed happy in that room. People must think that we are a strange sight. I suppose some boil in the ear burst, giving her much relief. In turn, her cheerfulness gave us some relief too. At least we know she isn't in some sort of pain.

We got home a little near 2 am and she wasn't in the mood for her sleep just yet. She was playful and chatty. We gladly obliged and stayed up with her playing and talking. We were all too happy that she was fine. It wasn't until near 3 am that she finally slept. Gosh, we were both exhausted and sleepy. When we hit the sack close to 4am, after some Milo and crackers, we were both knocked out instantly.

What amazed us is how she could still play and smile while she had that infection. Considering that pain she had, she had been pretty good! No matter how fussy she got, we were able to calm her relatively easily. We were still able to coax smiles out of her. She is indeed our little trooper.

At least now I know how her I am not feeling so well/I am in pain cry sounds like. Oh, and trust my mummy instincts, I do have some of them!

Chew On It

2010-03-13T04:06:00.002+08:00

This is what she does when we get her into the baby carrier. She starts to chew on it!

This is my solution. It makes her look like Woody from Toy Story, but at least it keeps the carrier saliva free.

No wonder they sell the carrier protector lah! I should go get that soon.

Expressions

2010-03-13T03:25:00.004+08:00

Moments like these make it all worth it. No matter how tired or overwhelmed I am, just looking at these photos put a huge silly grin on my face.

They grow so fast

2010-03-13T02:59:00.007+08:00

I was feeding her in the room just now and realise just how big she is now. I could no longer hold her with just one arm. She has grew so much! With just a little support from us, she can sit on her own now.

From a tiny 2.8kg little newborn to a 6.7kg (I think a little heavier than that now) almost 4 month old.

Shopping

2010-03-13T01:55:00.005+08:00

The only shopping I do these days are grocery shopping and online shopping.

The scariest thing that should happen to me is that I remember my credit card details by heart. SHUDDERS!!!!!!

I am resisting buying stuff on J Crew. Argh.

I am resisting buying matching tees for me and my baby from Threadless. Hohohoho!

I am between sizes now, my maternity bottoms are so loose that I am swimming in them and I can't fit into my old stuff. The agony! I am so busy, it is hard to find time to squeeze in any exercise. Just look at the ungodly time I am blogging this.

My dream wallet that I have been eyeing forever cost more than my most expensive bag.

We went shopping last week because I am in dire need of some pants or skirts that don't threaten to slide off me ass. While shopping for myself, I looked at baby stuff too. Just can't help it lah!

It has been a year since I visited Antipodean. I fear that I would be depressed should I visit the store, find something that I really like and can't fit into it now.

I don't use my camera so often now, but I do want to get another prime lens.

I miss shoe shopping.

I miss book shopping more. I miss the hours I spent in Kinokuniya. Now, we are in and out of there in half and hour.

I now know where the nursing/baby rooms are in malls. Somehow these places didn't seem to exist before I had a baby.

Wild Honey

2010-02-25T15:21:00.002+08:00

My brother recommended this place and we have been there twice since! 2 times both for breakfast on Sunday so I can't really comment on the rest of the menu. This place serves really really good mocha and has an interesting breakfast menu.

We love Sunday breakfasts.

Slowing down for Naps

2010-02-23T02:51:00.007+08:00

The Little One has just turned 3 months!

I am finding it easier to cope as she gets older. Just a few weeks ago, I couldn't put her down for naps. She just couldn't settle down for a snooze. I couldn't get anything done and by the time The Husband came back, I was downright tired. My mum suggested having me lying down for a nap together with her. I tried it at my mum's and it worked! She slept for 2 hours! I felt good napping for those 2 hours too. I tried it at home after that, hoping that it was not just sheer luck (or exhaustion) that she slept for so long. I am happy to say that now she is napping more than she used to. Her naps last about an hour each, sometimes when I get lucky, half and hour more.

There was an evening when The Husband had a dinner to attend, leaving me and baby at home. She was an angel that evening, napping very well. I brewed some tea and got down to spending some time doing what I loved doing, spending some quality time with myself. I had to fight the urge to get chores done. It can be tough, with the pile of unironed clothes staring at you everytime I walked pass the TV room. It is tough when the toilets are screaming for a good scrubbing. The floor below my feet feeling not squeaky clean. That was the very first time that I had a nice quiet evening in 2 months.

Every nap time, I will lie next to her for about 10 to 15 minutes, patting her, hugging her when she naps. It is really nice to have a cat nap that way plus she seems to sleep longer when I lie next to her for a while. If I were to rush off and get some chores done instead of lying next to her, she will be up in 15 minutes, as if she is telling me "Slow down Mama, you need a break too, slow down."

I suppose all the chores can wait. Nothing is quite as sweet lying down next to your baby. Before I know it, she will be all grown up!

L'enfant Terrible

2010-02-12T00:26:00.002+08:00

London just lost a great tailor!

Missing

2010-02-05T02:28:00.001+08:00

Looking back at my past posts makes me really miss taking photographs

2010

2010-01-06T03:26:00.003+08:00

First post of the new year!

Usually, I will be writing this post on the 1st. This year I am late. Life evolves around your newborn when you have one so, blogging will have to take a back seat. 2009 has been great. I was pregnant for most of it and lovin almost every minute of it. I gave birth to a little girl too and that will be one of the highlights of my entire life. I love being a mother.

I realised that I did most of the things on my Do Not Do List for 2009. Feel very good about that one. Do not do lists are a lot easier than Do lists. I shall have one for every year!

LOMO

2009-12-30T01:10:00.003+08:00

Only someone who knows me well will get this baby for me. Thank you so much! I feel so bad when it comes to getting you gifts. How I wish I know you better.

Thank you so much! Though I have yet to have time to even sit down to load the film, let alone go through the manual!

Bath Time

2009-12-30T00:59:00.004+08:00

Her favourite thing at the mo' is bath time. We clean her face and shampoo her before putting her in the tub. Sometimes she gets impatient and start to whine and cry. The moment we put her in the tub she is as happy as a lark. Kicking around, looking pleasantly contented. I don't think I have ever seen her quite as contented outside a warm tub of water before.