Little Star....

We have moved!

2007-02-11T22:28:00.000+08:00

Do change your bookmarks - we are now at

http://www.ourlittlestars.blogspot.com

Both kids will share a blog as this mommy wont be able to upkeep 2 blogs at one go :)

Hip hip hooray!

2007-02-04T11:58:00.000+08:00

WK's finally completed his National Service yesterday - ie he does not have to be called in to serve time anymore (training-wise) but still has to be operationally ready in the event of a war to defend Singapore.

I for one, think, this is a huge step for a male Singaporean - afterall, since the age of 18 one has had to serve the nation via army training, and depending on the vocation, it can be pretty gruelling and demanding. After the 2.5yrs of reservist duty (so it is called), one has to be called back to camp for annual in-camp training (ICT) (may not be annual for some, perhaps every few yrs) of between 1-3weeks (thats the period based on my recollection of WK's training the past few yrs)...

He didnt seem extremely elated to have 'graduated' - I think he sometimes like going back to camp for ICT as it is a different environment and change from the daily routine of gg to work etc. But I am sure, he is happy and proud to have served his time and duty to the country and finally have reached the end of the line - hip hip hooray for him I say.

As family members are invited to the 'graduation' ceremony, K and I went along with him to his Sungei Gedong camp earlier in the afternoon before his parents came to join us for the ceremony.

It was a good experience as it was K and my first trip to an army camp and we managed to take photos with armour tanks, visit the simulation centre and etc. We did take some great photos...

One of our few family photos - and most defintiely one of our last as a family of 3!

WK said 2 persons asked today if I am carrying twins - whoops! My tummy is back to the same humungous size as I was carrying K - I had not gotten such a comment this pregnancy until now :)

Photo of the army's youngest and newest junior recruit! Bought the set from Bangkok when was there in July... cheap and cute :) And best of all, he looks really good with his Papa in uniform!

My boys on top of the tank! Don't they look cool!

K enjoying pop corn and ice cream at the ceremony! :) loves junk food definitely! :)

Papa & son beaming with joy at the end of the ceremony!

Wee Kiat and his guys

The verdict

2007-02-03T21:50:00.000+08:00

Was at gynae's again this morning, for our weekly visit - since at 39 weeks, 4 days I have still not gone into labour.

The verdict is out - we know how this pregnancy is going to end - I will be having a ceasarean section at 8.30 on Monday morning.

Why?

Baby is still not engaged - we could still see her whole head from the scan - totally not a good sign, as it means that if she doesnt engage during labour, the chances of her coming thru my previous ceaser scar is very high, ie uterine rupture. If this happens, she will likely not be able to make it alive.

Baby is still high up - she would have to move a lot to go down my pelvis for a natural delivery.

Baby is big - at the scan this morning, she weighed 3.783kg - of course we know the weight is not accurate, doc has said have to discount by +/- 10%.. but still at such a big scan size, doc's really not comfortable with a natural delivery for me. He said if I do not have a previous c-section scar, he would have let me try (since knowing how much I wanted a natural birth) - but at this rate, he does not even predict a 50% chance of me making it through. And becos of this he really would encourage me to get a ceasarean for an overall benefit of the baby and me.

So that has more or less defined my only route (way out) for this pregnancy.

Am I disappointed?

Yes and no...

Let's do the No first...

Cos I always have, at the back of my mind, expected the delivery to go both ways - 50/50 chance. Hence, half of me's prepared this may end up with another lower segment ceasarean section.

I know I had tried real hard and I had put in my best to get her to engage and let labour start naturally - the hour long walks everyday for the past 1.5weeks, the squats, the raspberry leaf tea, the other methods I shall not explain publicly (a little extraordinary and pai say I must say :P), the taking time off work to really concentrate on getting this right - I have done all I could.

It is beyond my control that she does not want to descend into my pelvis, I had tried hard to help her to. It is her decision for not wanting to come through naturally.

Hence because of all the above, I was feeling quite at peace with myself until 9pm today - I will explain why below. I had told myself I had really tried and it just wont work and one cant force nature or fate to go another way.

Then at 9pm today - a surprised WK on realising my stomach had really grown big in a week - said her gigantic growth this week must be due to a poor diet control on my side - for not sticking to a strict diabetic diet. For a moment, it struck me that he could be right... I had not been monitoring my blood glucose anymore and also not spent too much time monitoring my food/carbo/sugar intake.

I suddenly realised, hey, this could be my fault afterall - perhaps it is not Sophie's (see Note below) choice. Perhaps it is cos I had allowed her to grow too big cos I had been a bad 'self-diagnosed-diabetic' patient - perhaps her head size is really too big for her to descend into my pelvis and it is due to all my own fault. And that is thus the reason for this week's weight gain of 0.3kg to go to her fully instead of myself. Sigh sigh sigh. It feels terrible knowing that perhaps I may have contributed to this after all.

As I am writing this, and rereading my own words, composition, I suddenly realise, yes, I may have my preference of the delivery method, and yes, it may not have ended it my way, but the most important thing is that she is born safe and healthy - that's everybody's point to me - everyone's been telling me the same thing. And I guess, you're all right.

Having the birth that you want is a bonus, but the best thing in having a baby is to have a healthy, smiley, happy one. And for this, I sincerely recast all my wishes and hopes that she will be delivered safe and healthy on Monday morning - and that she will grow up to be a beautiful, lovely, strong, independent and perfect young lady.

I cant wait to see her - to finally hold her in my arms and call her my daughter.

And as a parting shot, I shall leave you with a photo of me and my huge tummy, with K taken today at WK's grad ceremony (will write tomorrow re the experience and post some new shots of K finally)...

I will probably not be able to write next week as I have to stay 4 days at the hospital - so when I am back, will post photos of my new cherubic baby, until then all!

Note:

I decided during yesterday's evening walk she will be called Sophie - more or less for now unless I change my mind again in the next few weeks before we register her birth cert :)

Week 39 & 2 days

2007-02-01T22:42:00.000+08:00

Yup, me still here, big tummy and all.

I have given up hope she will be early and as a matter of fact, I am pretty sure she will even go past the due date if gynae allows my pregnancy to go on much longer. This Sat we will know - again! I'm still hoping for a natural birth but I guess everything is now in the hands of fate yeah?

WK is in camp today - he will book out tomorrow and the 'graduation' ceremony is on Sat evening - where he will book in again to attend. I am pretty sure I will be there to witness it :) He says there are tankers on parade to entertain the families.. that would be super cool - will definitely bring K on board and snap photos (if allowed)!

My mom will be here on Sunday - she had expected bb to be born before due date of 7 Feb and thus had booked her flight a month or two back to come in on 4 Feb, ready to see her grand daughter - her first grand daughter. I have told her, I am very sure again I will be there to greet her at the airport on Sunday haha. No, I am not being a sour puss, but now, really, I feel that she is not gg to come anytime soon.... I am pretty pretty super super sure!

So perhaps next week I can even bring mom shopping :) Will definitely have to do some gold shopping as my dearest brother, Jason is getting married in March - we will most prob drive up after my confinement. This will be the first time someone will 'serve tea' to me in a wedding tea ceremony - how strange and yet interesting :) It also shows, I am AGING! :) heheheh

Oh forgot to say. I have been on leave from work for a week already - handed over all my work to cover, Sheela, and very glad she agreed to let me take the time off even before I bomb as her workload is now double the amount with having mine to handle as well... I have been spending the past 1 week w K at home.

How is K now?

He seems to know that Mei2 is coming soon - he is much more clingy and whingy with me - much much. And from 3 days back, he had started to suckle his thumb 24/7 again! He used to only pop his thumb into his mouth when he is scared or sleepy, but now, it is perpetually in his mouth and if you pull it out, he puts it back in.

He likes to hear stories re his Mei2 though, some nights as I put him to sleep I will explain to him what will happen after Mei2 is born and where does he then fit in... he listens intently without fidgeting, sometimes with a grunt or 2 to indicate he agrees etc...

Tonight I told him abt when Mei2 was conceived and how she has grown into a small baby ready to be born anytime now... and how much she loves him, what can he expect when he first see her, and the gifts they got for each other... Told him too there will be a confinement nanny who will come in to stay with us for a month to take of Mei2 and me... and also him. All the way until driving up to Penang to attend the 2nd wedding of his life - he was 5weeks when WK's brother, his Ah Pek, got married, we were there for the day tea ceremony. He listen intently the whole time and got up to kiss my tummy and sayang his Mei2 after the story ended. He then is willing to sleep.

I think he is ready to be a big brother (although he is still so much a baby himself - being only 17+months) - but I am sure, he will need some time to adjust to life with the new baby and the fact that he will no longer be centre of attention. And I know slowly, he will get there, and I will be so proud of him the day he really really takes care of his little sister. I really hope and wish these 2 kids will be the best and closest siblings in the whole wide world! :)

OK these are my thoughts for the night... shall pen off now... no photos to share as I havent been taking any photos of K for months - will take some tomorrow and perhaps post it :) Talk again! Nights

Last day of Week 38

2007-01-30T14:47:00.000+08:00

A family photo before WK & I went out for our

3rd wedding anniversary dinner on 23 Nov 06.

I am bemused - tomorrow is the start of week 39 and I am still here, big tummy and all... the last pic I posted of my belly, WK says I look like Humpty Dumpty haha! Just great :)

So reflecting back on the gynae's remark at Week 37 when contractions could be detected by the CTG - he said there is a 60% chance I will deliver in the next 2-3 weeks - which is officially from tomorrow onwards.

By the way, gg to labour is like the story of my life now... I am starting to realise this may be a stale topic to some of you already, my apologies, but seriously, the only thing I look fwd to is to POP!

K is still a sweetie pie, tho clingy, whingy w me... Nowadays he is treating me also like a mattress, pillow all rolled into one - instead of falling asleep in my arms, he likes to clamour all over me, and usually settle himself on the big tummy hump. He falls asleep happy like that! Head on the tummy and rest of body on the bed - way elevated head rest!

At night, as we cosleep - cos he usually climbs out of his own bed and into our bed on his own in the middle of the night, he even knows how to climb over Daddy in the dark and settle himself to sleep btw us - I will have this sticky gluey boy like plastered to me on my left hand side (ie the centre of the bed, btw WK and I).

If I move, he moves closer - it irritates me sometimes as I dont even have space to sprawl out. I dont have any extra space (full stop). So I turn left right on the same little spot I get on the bed - he behaves really like he had swallowed a tube of UHU - Mommy flavour. So I am back to having disturbed nights again - no peaceful 8hr sleep for sure! And I tot I was over that after we weaned him off the breasts. I wonder how we will all sleep peacefully after Mei2 is born! Well perhaps, I will land up on the floor! Or WK, haha!

K's attachment & Bb wait

2007-01-29T11:13:00.000+08:00

The closest person to a baby, a toddler is the mom - no one can replace that no matter how many hours the person spends with the child. So is my observation and experience with K. Though I still work (and nowadays, usually full days), Kayden will always prefer me over everyone else - esp his GM - he seems to prefer his GP over her sometimes, a little strange.

I think this upsets her in some little ways - like this morning... She seemed a little agitated that he is calling for me (though I had runaway upstairs when he is not looking) and mentioned "See, he is trying to attach to you again"...

There really is nothing I can do.

I have left him with her when I am unable to take care of him - ie when at work - cos she wants to take care of him. And she usually helps to feed him nowadays as well... She has the 2nd most contact time with him after me (if you include also the time we co-sleep) and I cant help it if he goes "Mama, mama" all the time... She sometimes grumble that "Mom will always be most important" when he tries to be sticky... I think she probably feels exasperated that he has no more preference towards her and I would like to think that she knows this is just basic human nature... Afterall, it should be the same for her when WK and his brother were younger.

Luckily her love for her grandson is strong, and I know she doesnt love him any lesser for this. And there are no grudges with him. So Kayden is a lucky boy! He has himself an extremely devoted grandma!

But seriously, other than the attachment to me, he is usually too slightly more whingy towards me - and everyone attest to the fact that he is more horrible to deal with when I am around - maybe cos he has this innate feeling that he has to call more for my attention. But I am used to it, I dont see the difference, he has always been this clingy boy :) I know he will outgrow it one day... it is difficult sometimes, but I am used to it! :) I just hope he will be slightly more understanding after Mei2 is born!

So talking abt this baby in the tum, she still doesnt seem to want to come out - still posterior at the last checkup and still not engaged. So we wait. People say girls tend to love the womb more and the wait is usually longer? Not sure... but 2 persons have told me since the weekend.

Gynae's nice, he told me he will support me if I really want to go through this naturally, with 1 condition - I must not insist on persisting with labour if he recommends a c-section halfway thru labour. He personally prefers an elective c-section this week. Bb at last Sat was 3.4-3.5 kg - big - but still can work if labour progresses well. She must be engaged though to decrease the risk of uterine rupture.

WK and I have decided we will wait it out this week - doc says no induction as it usually wont work anyway if bb and cervix are not ready (so true! thats what happened with K). Also, cos I have a scar, the risk of a rupture is higher with an induction. So we are now still in the waiting game, waiting now for labour to start naturally.

I am anyway also prepared that I might have an emergency c-section should labour not progress well or if I am not dilated to 5cm after 8hrs of labour - cos doc says those would be the conditions for him to call for a ceaser. I only feel bad that WK cant be in the OT with me cos the procedure will be done under GA and thus, he wont be able to see his daughter being born. He will nonetheless still be the 1st one to see her as I will be zonked out 45mins to an hour.

With K, we had an epi-ceaser, and he was there with me - he could see K being born and was with him when they cleaned him up thereafter, before putting him on my chest. However he was not able to snip off the umbilical cord as that is not allowed in an operation - so that was the closest I could give him last time with K when we were told we had to do a ceaser after a failed induction. He said he doesnt mind this time.. thanks Daddy!

So I shall have to continue with my walks, starting to also take pineapples (which has a substance which induces labour it seems), drinking raspberyy leaf tea (which is supposed to decrease 2nd stage labour ie the active phase), squats, sleeping on my left side to move baby to anterior etc etc. It is TOUGH work!

Introducing...

2007-01-26T14:39:00.000+08:00

Me, myself, and my still big tummy.

So, no, she has not arrived. And I know for a fact she wont be here before my next gynae visit at 9am tomorrow.... so the wait continues. A friend said she will be here when I least expected it... as I expect to see her everyday, does it mean she will never ever come?? :P :P I'm in big trouble.

WK will be going for his last of the last reservist next week from Thurs to Sat - has a 'graduation' ceremony on the last day one leh - how cool. If I have not bombed, will be nice if we can attend :) He says he will come out of camp should I deliver during those 3 days - I hope he can! If not.... I am gg to KILL him for leaving me to cope w the pain and labour all on my own!

He is currently very busy again in the office... just like 1.5years ago when K was born - the memories of attending parent craft classes on my own (feeling like a single mom as every other woman in the classes were accompanied, not just by their husbands, but some, their parents also went along). The meals that were served to him (as a lodger) went untouched as he was rarely with us in the hospital - as the new papa was at work until late every night. When K could be discharged (ie after his bili lights), again WK wasnt there to drive us home, so I settled the hospital bill and got a ride from my MIL back home. It sounded quite sad - but I guess I wasnt much affected by it then cos I was busy trying to get breastfeeding to work.

Seems like, this time, with bb girl, the situation will be the same. The Papa will definitely not have time to spare for us again - it is month end closing and he has been in the office until 10pm every day of this week, and will continue until next week for sure. So last night, he told me it would be good bb come tonight so at least he has the wknd to spend with us. Well, fantastic plan, but his daughter, I say, is not interested in listening - I have prepped her as much and even begged her, but she is not budging.

So, we shall see - how we are gg to balance everything on hand... I have no solution - the solution lies in the hands of this little baby in my tummy - but I guess if she is not ready, she is not. I have been walking religiously everyday, no luck - Braxton Hicks disappear after my walks - rather than intensifies into true labour pains. No show, no mucous plug, no waters breaking, basically no sign of labour.

So wait again I shall - unless tomorrow the doc says I need to ceaser - which I hope wont be the case! Patience is a good virtue yeah?

The longest wait

2007-01-23T22:29:00.000+08:00

So in my visit to gynae 1.5weeks ago (at 36 weeks) - when I did the CTG - I was so happy when doc said I had a 60% chance of baby coming within the next 2-3 weeks - ie wont go overdue. More so when he said, perhaps I will be admitted to hospital even before the next week's visit. Delirious I was. I remember feeling terribly excited thinking wow, I can deliver the way I want after all, and most of all.. it will be soon.

So now, as you can guess, I am still with a big tummy tum, with no newborn in sight. Last week's visit (which was actually 4 days ago), there is still no change in baby's positining - still posterior, still not engaged, hence, still waiting. Darn!

So I tot, hey ppl say when you do this do that (old wives' tales), one will go into labour. So, we came back from the gynae and we moved the baby cot to Kayden's room - thats where Mei Mei will sleep with confinement nanny... cos WK's cousin swore she went into labour after her baby cot was setup. No for me.

So then I tot, perhaps another change will help us cross the line - we collected our new car from the showroom. Even our super nice salesman was surprised to see me, asking how come I am not in hospital yet. Haha. Tough luck.

So then I tot, perhaps it is the unfinished business that is causing the delay - so I started and finished packing my hospital bag 2 nights ago. Not only that, last night, I wrapped all 5 presents Mei Mei is going to 'give' Kayden. Still nothing happened.

Then today, I 'blessed' my colleague, Jes, chair by sitting on it as ppl say a pregnant woman can pass their fertility to another if they sit on the other's chair - I have told her 2 weeks back I will do so - she laughed at my silliness. I figured I needed to get all 'promises' out the window before I can pop. So, whole afternoon as I worked, nothing happened, again.

I am starting to think, I probably will not get to experience natural birth as I know for sure baby is growing in size and perhaps, most likely, doc will order a ceaserean for me this Sat in my Week 38th visit. He has been so sweet, he knows how much I wanted this, and have been kind enough to let me wait it out. But I do know that he is extremely careful and dont want to take a risk by allowing me to birth naturally as a bigger baby will prolong labour which will undoubtedly cause a higher risk of uterine rupture. Ouch and dangerous.

So what can I do? All superstitions I had done, but not working. So I am gg to heed the doc's advice by walking religiously (he prescribed 1hr a day) - I had taken the next 3 days off. I hope to be able to do more than 1 hr a day as I figured, if I dont help myself, no one can. So hopefully by Friday I will be able to go into labour, and have the birth that I want.

Anyone who knows any other magical formulae to induce/encourage birth naturally, please share! I am willing to try anything (within reasonable means of course). Oh I forgot, I will also do squats daily as prescribed by Mao's wife, Wan Chin! :)

Wish me luck, and wish you dont hear from me for the next 5 days cos it means, all's well and I am in the labour ward! See - wishful thinking again :)

Swimming for boys, hiding for me!

2007-01-19T00:01:00.000+08:00

Oh I forgot to say... K started his 1st swim class last Sunday.

It was a just a cozy grp of 3 boys - Aidan (27mths old), Kayden and Aidan's granny's neighbour's kid, 3yo gg to 4 - I forgot his name, but he is a really sweet boy.

The sky was downcast the whole time and there was a super slight drizzle - Aidan and friend were in their wetsuits, K only in his swimming diaper! The tot of getting him a wetsuit to protect him from the weather never crossed our minds until that moment when you realise that the pool water at 9am on a gloomy morning will be super cold. WK was holding on to him the whole time, so lucky there was some warmth there.

I would love to rattle on and on and give you more details of the class and wat they did - but I cant. I could only watch from afar as I was in hiding from my son who was wailing for me (at times) and will never leave us all in peace if he were to lay his eyes on me, my shadow or any other parts of his Mama. Goodness.

So I spent the 30mins watching from behind the tinted glass door while looking after Baby Amelie - for lucky Eliza was able to squat next to the pool without a wailing clingy son...

Hopefully this week will be better, ie that he will be more accustomed to being in the water, seeing now less foreign faces and basically be more comforted being with his Daddy.

So needless to say, I dont have any photos of him in the pool at all to post, but here is a shot of him at McD West Coast - looking much older, and less baby-ish.

The last 2 weeks

2007-01-18T22:30:00.000+08:00

Work's been hectic for me for the last 2 weeks - been working full days to 7pm minimum each day.

Arriving home only close to 8pm or later, I finally understand how it feels to be spending so little time with your kids. People say it is the quality of time spent that matters.... perhaps that is true when your kids are older? With Kayden at 17months, I felt that quantity outweighs quality anytime hands down.

With 2 weeks away, I felt that he had needed me less - he is still ever clingy, but somehow there is less 'devotion'. Also, he seemed a little foreign to me sometimes... I mean he looks the same, maybe bigger, but in an occasion or two, I had a momentary disconnect that he really IS my child. I am someone who forgets when I dont see something often, definitely not the type where absence makes the heart fonder.

I was staring at him after he fell asleep tonight... he looks so much bigger now - it is like he had grown so much and I had not seen it...But I didnt feel regret not being there, but rather just an unemotional acceptance / acknowledgement that this boy, who is mine, is growing up. Somehow his facial features look different too....

I dunno, maybe it is the pregnancy hormones thats making me wonkers... giving me the above thoughts...Luckily in my heart, he is still my little boy whom I love dearly and prioritise as most important (next to his dad) in my life.

Oh well, lucky my busy time at the office is coming to an end - the review I am a part of will end tomorrow. Next week life goes back to normal, unless I bomb over the weekend (I know it is wishful thinking - I know the more you want it early, the later it will be!). I am now in Week 37 - gynae said labour can be anytime now since my Braxton Hicks contractions have started to be stronger and detected over the CTG. Exciting stuff cos I never experienced any pains with Kayden!

Wish the delivery will be this weekend or early next week, and fingers crossed still, we will not need to go through another ceasearan - not that there was anything wrong with it - but I would prefer to be able to still carry K after delivery and do normal stuff instead of having to be more careful w the wound healing process.

So this Sat is the Big Day - doc will tell us what he thinks and we can then decide from size of baby (from scans) if he would encourage a normal delivery! Not to forget also, we will be collecting our new 7seater - finally we have a bigger family car to accomodate the new addition to our family as well as my family when they come down for a visit!

Till then, tatas! Btw we still have not come up w any names for the baby - the 2 previous names in my list, Sophie and Sarah - they no longer seem too appealing to me... so need to go back tothe drawing board. Tough tough.

School ends at GUG

2007-01-04T11:17:00.001+08:00

Realised I have not blogged about my son's time in school! He had finished 2 terms in GUG and we have stopped enrolling him for a 3rd term, mainly because:

Mei Mei is coming out in a month

Daddy's getting bored with the curriculum - it repeats week after week and as he is the only one accompanying him in the classroom, he thought we should have a change
We are waiting for swimming lessons to start - Eliza is forming a class, so we are joining in - I think shld be sometime this or next month

So on 17 Dec 06 - Kayden attended his last Gifted Babes (toddlers less than 18mths) class at GUG... I had tot that K was much more responsive and participative in that class as he finally can walk and potter around to take a closer look/gleam at the toys or art that the teachers were demonstrating... In the past, he had only played the role of an observer (smthg I believe owes to his restricted mobility).... He had been such a quiet kid, sitting there observing that his regular teacher even forgot he was an old student after being missing for 3 weeks of class due to the bronchitis he had!

But I guess this wont be the last of his classroom classes at GUG as we definitely have to go back again for at least a term as they had not returned me the class deposit as I notified them 'late' that we are discontinuing - albeit we were absent for the said 3 weeks - cheaters! Anyway I guess once we are more settled with Mei Mei and the new routine of life, we will enrol K in the Gifted Tots class...

So as end of term, the class had a party in the last half hour... K was busy enjoying the Macs fries and chicken nuggets!

And this is the first time he is walking (can walk) ard to touch the bubbles as they float down....

And a pic with his 2 teachers - Teacher Evelyn and Zee (I think) - and me the mom! Btw only from pictures, I realise my tummy tum is getting quite big!

So happy end of school term for Kayden - no more classes (phew Daddy) until end of Q1 2007 I guess.... :)

Happy 2007

2007-01-01T11:01:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year to all!

I have come to love the month of December - it is the only time in the office when everything quietens down as most are on leave for the hols.... yippie! This December also proves to be a really fun month as we had a lot of visitors from my hometown!

On top of my cousin's visit over Christmas, my mom and an uncle came down for a visit during the New Year's weekend... and we had a good time... I being the spoilt child, of course, relished having my mom around and threw a few tantrums to get my way with her - yikes - so old and yet so childish - sorry mom! :P But it certainly was nice to see her here and also, K wasnt shy to her... he warmed up to her after a few minutes...

See pics below of grandmee and grandson enjoying each other's company!

Realised I didnt take many photos at all - the above was taken on day 1 when we all met up after her arrival... and thereafter, zilch! No more pics... I am becoming a pretty lousy camerawoman!

Anyway wat I wanted to say is, it surely is nice to have my mom ard, if only we live nearer each other, K will have more ppl to play with as well as for him to love and vice versa... Perhaps when she retires, she can spend a much longer time in Singapore visiting us and enjoying the kids' growing up years....

The best time of his life

2006-12-26T23:55:00.000+08:00

My cousin Hoon came to Singapore for a holiday with her hubby and their 3 kids - Anson (9yrs), Alicia (6yrs) and Anric (18mths) over Christmas...

With K never having any kids or friends to play with, he found real delight in hanging out w his cousins as we went to the Night Safari and Sentosa together - it was the rainy season, and we got caught in slight drizzles in Sentosa.... nonetheless the kids had fun, rain or not.

The siblings of 3 were definitely the more gung-ho and rough type as they have been playing with each other all their lives. Both Anson and Alicia will grab K and carry him ard despite being kids themselves. They love playing with K and most of all, K loves playing with them - he was estactic - squeling away and definitely displaying lotsa big broad wide smiles.

It makes you realise that kids will always be good company to kids, adults are way different - we dont reach out to them as much as other kids do.

After a night at the safari, I took the chance to ask K when he woke up if he would like to see Alicia che-che again, he went "uh uh" with a smile - indicating yes. When I asked if he wants to see Anric - silence, Anson - silence. So I tested again, Alicia? He went "uh uh" with a grin. When he saw WK and I laughing away he joined in... he is such a silly boy... but can tell he much prefers girls hey?

Anson and Alicia were both quite smitten by him as well, they will fight amongst each other to just push his pram, or sit next to him at the dinner table... K will definitely be happy happy if he has an elder sibling. I hope he will find as much joy with his Mei Mei - that is when she is older and can play with him :)

Wee Kiat said "I have never seen K so happy!" We will definitely miss having the kids around, and not to mention, to bring us hermits out of our shells to explore what Spore has to offer! Err yes, both WK and I have never brought K to Sentosa nor the zoo nor any other touristy places to visit! We told ourselves that will change in the new year...

He's grown up

2006-12-23T12:08:00.000+08:00

Last Weds, I looked at K and then I realised, he had lost his baby looks... he is starting to look like a boy... and somehow, he lost some of his cuteness too!

I told WK on Thurs, he went, "NO lah, where got, K is still cute and handsome ..." ok, this dad of his, always too proud his son is cute! Then the next day, I think after he's taken a good look at K, he told me, "Yeah I think you are right..."

So officially from last week - after he turned 16months old, our little baby boy has really become a totty boy! In appearance only of course, cos he still clings on to me like a baby... but of course, he is learning to love his independence, wanting to make his own choices, and basically just being difficult - haha - cos now, we cant just 'force' him into things, he will have his own preferences and ideas. Of course, when he doesnt get his way, as u know, he throws his tantrums!

Here is a photo of the totty and his daddy... kids really grow up fast.

Sugar or not???

2006-12-18T16:41:00.000+08:00

I am really getting very confused, worried and irritated w my blood glucose readings.

Yes yes, I have already mentally prepared myself to have gestational diabetes (GD) this time around, but my Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) results came out so so so normal at week 30 that I really cant believe it. Of course, I ought to be joyous. I would be seriously, if not for my glucometer telling me at every test (2 hrs post-meals) that I have failed every single reading. I am supposed to have < 6.7 (to pass) but my scores are like in the range of 7-10 nowadays that I simply dunno what to do. Worst of all, the night before GTT, I failed the test miserably at 10+ points. Then the next day the comprehensive GTT tests shows me otherwise. Darn it!

So I thought, maybe the machine is faulty yeah? We brought it in to be tested by the manufacturer this noon and the machine's been given the all clear... so meaning, I am the one who is at fault! Darn again!

So now, what do I do? I will officially diagnose myself w GD and try real hard to keep the scores low - instead of cutting down carbo, I prob need to eliminate carbo from all meals (since reducing doesnt seem to work nowadays) and I will have to try having a 20mins walk post-meals, not mentioning reducing meal portions by feeding every 3 hours instead of the 3 meals a day.

On top of that, I will drink green tea (ppl say it helps reduce glucose levels) and bitter gourd soup daily (read in papers that it helps too). Sigh.

If I still cant control my glucose levels via diet-control, I think gynae will refer me to a diabetic doctor who will put me on insulin! Darn 3 times. I seriously hope I dont come to that!

Gynae's also getting a little concerned that baby may be bigger than average (avg being 3-3.2kg) as last Sat's scan shows that although baby is still growing normally (not big yet) his graph plot shows that the weight may just skyrocket if she is to grow at current rate.

So if she is gg to be gigantic, then it means I will not be able to have the labour I am hoping for - ie natural (maybe w epi, but to be decided later depending on my pain threshold) - and looks like I will have to gear myself towards another ceaser!

Wish me luck, a nd if any of you have any tips to reduce glucose levels, let me know! I will be very very grateful....

Introducing Mei Mei at Week 28 in 3D

2006-12-13T22:20:00.000+08:00

Introduction to.... Mei Mei - a baby without a name yet... Its so difficult choosing a girl's name! Haha - When I was choosing a boy's name for K, I tot "Hey! No fair! So easy to choose a girl's name!"... back then, I seemed to like a whole lot more more names than now... and guess what, this time, I have the exact same tot, that it is definitely way easy to choose a boy's name. Haha. Terrible I am.

Anyway, the 3D scans below are of our new little star! It was taken about 1.5months back.... at Week 28 during the detailed scan... the gynae just gave us the soft copy of the pictures of the scan last Sat - so here it is - I was too lazy to scan from the hardcopy photo.... :P

From the photo, could tell that she resembles K's lower facial features - ie downturn pouty lips and not-much-chin! The former from my side of the family, and latter, definitely WK's side! :) Cant tell the rest, but I think they probably wont look alike... siblings somehow dont right?

Btw I paid $300 for the 3D scan... the gynae said we will get a 3D scan at every visit, but last week, her face was pressed against the uterus, hence, the cam couldnt take any shots for WK to see... (WK wasnt there with me at the 28 week scan so he missed seeing his daughter in 3D).... I am wondering, will she always be a position that is not possible to get an angle with the 3D scan? If so, it means I paid $300 for 4 photos??? (There are another 2 shots I didnt post....) If so, my oh my, these photos sure are expensive - prob costs as much as an additional photo for a wedding album! Tsk tsk....

Where are you Mama?

2006-12-11T23:13:00.000+08:00

At about 4pm on weekdays, Kayden will start looking for me - he expects me to be home by 3-4pm and thus, he will be grouchy and refuse to be put to sleep by anyone other than me... At 16months, of course, he cant tell the time nor read the face of the clock, but somehow, he knows that I should be home by then....

Today, I worked late in the office and was only home at 10pm - he should be asleep but I walked into the room to find him wide awake in his GM's arms. He smiled at me when I greeted him hello... and started to walk ard the room as if it is 10am!

His GM told me that he had refused to even be carried in her arms until she brought him around the house to look for me... what K will do is to point at our toilet (thats his 1st seek location) - GM will bring him in there to see that no one's inside. Then he will point to his own room (which he is not occupying yet), after checking there is no one, he will point down the stairs indicating he wants to survey the ground floor... after all fail with no Mama in sight, he is then willing to be carried in a sleeping position, and to be lulled to sleep. I came home at that time.

He is used to falling asleep with me - specifically in my arms or otherwise, next to me. Tonight must have been his latest sleep time - he only dozed off at 11.15pm after I had my dinner of toast and milo and to have a super fast shower. I tried to put him to sleep for a full 40mins but though he didnt try to get up, his eyes refused to shut. I finally assured him that I will be around, and that I will not leave him, and that I will be there when he wakes tomorrow morning - he then turned around and fell asleep.

It is amazing how a kid so young and small can understand language and what you are telling him although he cant speak any words other than mama and papa and the usual baby gibberish talk. And how, at this age, they still cling on to you as a safety net and needs to be assured by you that you will be there and that everything is OK. It is definitely a time to cherish as I know not too many years from now, not only will he not need me, he may not want to be seen and associated with me - especially when he becomes a teen!

At 16 mths old

2006-12-11T00:43:00.000+08:00

When K sees me from far, ie when someone else is carrying him, he will go "Mama! Mama!".... it sounds so sweet as he really stresses the syllabus and resonates it loud and clear.... he knows how to call me, which he doesnt do very often still, but gosh, it is so sweeetttt....

When he doesnt see WK in the room, or when he wants WK, he will go "Papa! Papa!"... so cute he is at this age!

He is 16month-old today, and he can call us and identify (by pointing) bird, frog, Rusty, fork, spoon, flower, teddy bear, shoes, grandpa, grandma, Aunty Santi (the maid), etc etc... And he is also finally walking a lot... :) Though sometimes still a little unstable, veering to the left right unpredictably.... he is getting the hang of it.

To balance the cuteness, he is also naughty as he:
- spanks/hits you - esp when you scold him or stops him from doing something
- throws himself on the floor, bangs his fist and feet on the floor, and screams, cries, throwing a tantrum when you dont help him do things that he wants eg open the door etc - I really dunno where he learnt this from as I can assure you no one in this house throws a tantrum like that and we have not gone out much for him to witness from other kids and learn! Human instinct????
- has a short fuse/temper which flares easily when you dont behave in the way he want

Nonetheless, as terrible as he is at this terrible 2s stage, he is still my little wonderful handsome dearie - as he really melts one's heart when he flashes you the happiest, smiliest of all smiles showing his 7 teeth (4 on top and 3 at the bottom) - which he does very often - and especially when he pucker his lips and gives you his signature loud 'muak muak' kisses.

He hugs and he loves you lots... you know that you are everything to him when he comes running up to you, wanting you to carry him or just simply to hold his little hands... that is the wonder of being a mom - whatever you do wrong (ie evident by making him angry) is instantaneously forgiven as you mean, and is the world to him.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

To Kayden, From Mama:

I love you bee... you have been most wonderful (though very terrible at times too) and I wont exchange you for anything in this world. You have turned out to be everything we wish for, and I am sure you will be a great Kor Kor when Mei Mei comes out in 2 months... Always remember that Mommy loves you, always and forever.

Bronchitis Flu Cough Contractions

2006-12-09T21:18:00.000+08:00

Having not written for a long while, I will always get this writing block... there is so much to say, to update and yet, I dont know how to string the sentences together, the thoughts...

K's been sick since last Wednesday - ie its been 12 days - he is now much better but still has a lot of phlegm.... He started off with wheezing bronchitis (a bug he caught from WK) and amazingly high fever we could not control wo paracetamol - once the dose goes off, his fever is back menacingly at 39+ degrees celcius. It was worrying of course, we sponged him lots, I wanted to send him to the A&E a coupla times but WK wasnt keen... so we nursed him at home, after about 5 days of high fever, the temperature finally went down... the bouncy smiley happy boy finally returns, but at close to 1 kg lesser in weight - he now has sagging skin off his bones - like someone who has gone on a successful slimming program! I believe it is now his GM's personal goal to 'fatten' him up again!

The bug didnt stop there - from WK to K, I caught it too last Friday - after nursing K in the middle of the night as his temperature went up to 38+ degrees - with only 5hrs of sleep that night, I woke up with a bad flu which got progressively worst over the days... GP prescribed cough and flu med which made me woozy and felt like floating for 2 days, haha! Lucky his GM wasnt 'down' yet so I had some help from her... And yes, you guessed right, his GM now has the bug and has lost her smell and taste senses just like me!

I stayed home the whole of last week cos the flu saw me needing 2 days of MC and frequent mild contractions warranted me another 3 days - yeah, dunno why this pregnancy I have been getting these mild period cramps very regularly. Gynae put me on a 30min CTG but didnt detect any contractions then, he prescribed Ventolin as he was afraid I might go into early labour - the oral med's supposed to relax the uterus and 'slow' labour... I still get the contractions now, it comes and goes... guess I will just take the med whenever and try to pace myself slowly as well as not to carry K too much... let's see how it goes :) So far, still OK :)

So as you can see, last week was definitely the 'medical' week and I did not stray out of the house for any other purpose other than to visit the PD, gynae and GP... goodness, do I long for even a short trip to the supermarket now :) hehe.. Even grabbing a cuppa tea (outside of course)w WK sounds heavenly now :)

Oh well, I do hope the bug quickly goes away from us all... we've all been sick for about a total of 3 weeks already (WK 1 week, K, myself and his GM - coming to 2 weeks) - I definitely cant wait where we can go out again! I have been so homebound....

Tomorrow I return to work, definitely with withdrawal symptoms, hope his GM can manage this week and can recover quickly as I foresee having to spend long countless hours in the office again, trying to get a review out of the way...

I will miss K - but not feeding times :) He is still a nightmare to feed - without toys, he wont eat.. so every meal time there will be a performance of a variety of toys. Once he fattens up this time, he will learn to eat like a normal person - cant stand thinking we need to entertain him until he goes to school! Yikes, a few more years - just the thought makes me feel faint.

Oh if anyone needs a nebuliser, you can loan it from me :) We bought a set for $230 from the PD - I figured paying a rental fee of $10 a day doesnt make much sense... and his PD believes he is highly susceptible to bronchitis in view he has had it 3 times in his 16mths of life (assuming avg rental of 7days per bronc, we have paid $210 in rental to-date!)... PD is probably right... so we need to be extra careful with him... once he shows symptoms of flu/cough, the nebuliser needs to start immediately to nip the bug in the butt! Wish us luck and I do hope he wont get asthma like WK did as a child... Fingers crossed!

2006-11-30T22:26:00.000+08:00

Its coming to 11pm and I am still in the office... stayed too until midnight yesterday too - simply a lot to do and clear before boss goes on leave next week..

Worst is that dear bb K's sick - he had a mild fever this morning when he woke up, coupled with phlegmy cough.... prob will have to bring him to the PD tomorrow or Saturday if his fever is still not wavering off on its own....

This is the 1st time I'm not with him when he is sick... I have not even had the time to mull it over as its been so busy at work everyday... Hence, no time to even feel sad or guilty...

It is just reassuring to know, at this point, that at least my MIL is taking good care of him whilst I am not able to.... We know that he will definitely be properly, capably, lovingly looked after and his needs perfectly met.

As per one of WK's previous posts, kids with grandparents are definitely a lucky lot. What more those who take care of them while parents are at work as it is a strong bond that is forged from young... I was looked after by my grandma too, and I will always remember and cherish her to this day though she had passed away in 1986 when I was 9yo.

We are thankful too that we have parents who are willing to look after their grandchildren - they are definitely a good help to have, especially at times like these...

No matter what, WK and I strongly believe in the parents must always be the main caregiver - for this, we try our best...

Gtg, the cab's here, finally I get to go home to my crying son...

2006-11-29T14:55:00.000+08:00

Wee Kiat called at 1pm today "Sorry I passed my germs to Kayden"... You see, Daddy has been sick since Monday - sore throat and cough.... He tot its not infectious in view it is mainly sore throat which cannot be passed ard... so we continued to all share one room, one bed (at times)...

I called back home to speak w MIL - she said K's been coughing and seems to have phlegm in his throat. Not only that, he has also not wanted to eat his lunch - only took 3 spoonfuls of rice and seemed a little more grouchy than usual.

I told her it is OK, just monitor and see how as I did hear K coughed a phlegmy one this morning as he was having breakfast....

Before we hung up, she had asked me to speak with my little boy... "Hi Kayden! How are you? Heard from GM u r sick, can you cough for mommy? Let me hear how it sounds like so I know how bad it is..."

Then you can hear him starting to laugh and giggle hearing my voice from the phone. GM then said he started kissing the phone - nowadays he has learnt to create smacking sounds when he kiss :) It used to be just slobbery wet mouthfuls on your cheeks, since this weekend, he had been giving SMACKERING muak muak kisses.

Dont your heart just melt knowing that your son loves you so much and that he is even happy just hearing your voice as you toil away in office, working a full 8 hours today?

Kayden baby - Mommy loves you and I hope I will be able to catch u awake when I go home tonight. Dont fall sick in the mean time! Love love kiss kiss.

Quarterly Update from Kayden's Dad

2006-11-26T21:34:00.000+08:00

Quarterly Update from Baby K's Dad:-

Observation #1 - K is Cute!!! Observation finally confirmed by independent sources.

While we were having lunch at Genki sushi yesterday. A family of 3 came up to us after they finished their meals and commented on how cute Baby K is!! The best thing is there are 2 other toddlers near by too!
In the evening, one of the toy shop owner even told us that Baby K should be featured on a magazine cover!!.. waahah.. really made my day!

Observation #2 - K is finally learning how to walk at 15 mths

Somehow, it does not come as a surprise to me that Baby K is slow in learning how to walk. Baby K's dad only managed to learn how to talk at the age of 3...figure that out! Right now, at 15 months, baby K is finally learning how to walk properly (more than 10 steps at one go) and he seems to enjoy it very much - judging by his smily face.

Observation #3 - K likes to eat on his own

Baby K prefers to feed himself rather than being fed. Give him a spoon and fork, and off he goes, digging into his food.

Observation #4 - Head shaking 'No No'

Baby K knows how to refuse food or things he doesnt like by shaking his head. And he likes funny doing it!

Observation #5 -Hand shaking 'Bo liao'

Baby K knows the meaning of 'No More' or 'Bo liao'. If something gets out of his sight, he will turn to you and shaking/turning his wrist, trying to tell you that the thing is gone.

Observation #6 - 'Toys away'

Sing to the tune of Barney's 'Clean up', and Baby K will keep his toys. This is something learnt at the Growing up Gifted class.

Observation #7 - K likes dogs

I think Baby K likes dogs. He enjoys patting Rusty and whenever he sees a dog, he will turn to you, cover his mouth and giggles...

Thats all for the quarterly update!

PLAYers

2006-11-20T22:42:00.000+08:00

Kayden's Daddy - Facing a 1+ yr old boy, i must admit i'm rather uncertain on how to entertain him - how to play with him...
How i wish there is manual for parents on how to make their kids giggle and laugh.. i'm a copy cat when it comes to playing.. whatever i've tried with kayden so far is from my observations of how other dads play with their kids.

Here are some of Kayden's favourites:-

1) holding K's arms and swing him from side to side
2) holding K's arms and do a forward swing motion
3) carry K lying down in both my arms and swing from side to side
4) carry K upside down by holding on to his legs
5) throw K into the air
6) do the 'free fall'

Pls Pls Pls do let me know if there are other recommendations on how to play / entertainment a toddler!
There is nothing better than seeing yr own kid bursting into giggles and laughters!!

Why?

2006-11-15T22:38:00.000+08:00

When we confirmed the gender of the baby - I had been so deliriously excited and happy... and had tot I would be hitting the shops running - grabbing everything pink, frilly, cute, lacey, flowery etc for Baby Girl Ang...

I am now at the start of my 3rd trimester, and I have to admit, I had not bought a single thing for Mei Mei since that day. I dunno why. I had been on so many overseas trips, and had occasionally window shop in Orchard, and yet, I didnt have any real 'want' to buy her any thing - dresses, shorts, tops, etc = ziltch! I dunno why, I cant explain.

Eliza says its cos my nesting instinct's not in? But I tot nesting instinct only occurs as birth nears - and ie u want to straighten out the house! Not about not wanting to buy anything for the baby in the tummy.

If I sit down and analyse this logically, I could contribute this missing-feeling-of-anticipation to:

As all newborn stuff are quite similar, I had expected her to use her KKK (Kayden Kor Kor)'s stuff... => OK sounds reasonable in view her KKK has tonnes of stuff - thanks to Godma SH!
As I dunno what her size will be, I had not bought anything cos I am not sure what size to buy => this sounds a little lame
I have not seen her and thus it is easier to devote my time and attention to KKK - who clamours and climbs all over me, in my face whole day...

When I start thinking of #3, I am so so scared I will love her less. Am I already having preferences even before she is born? I seriously hope not as I remember from childhood that I had always wanted my parents to love me more than my brother (haha! selfish sis), if not equally. How can I start to have preference of one over the other? Somemore, she is not even born! If she is out, will it be worst?? I seriously dunno and more seriously, I hope not.

I am someone who can only concentrate on things that are right in front of me... I read one of the articles in La Leche League, that it is normal for a mom to feel more for the child who is right in front of her now, than the one who is not yet born. I do hope that fully explains what I am facing - and that nature will right its course and that I will feel the same endless unconditional love I have for K now with her when she is born. Somehow, I think I will :)

In the mean time, whilst I wait for this anticipation to buy her stuff to come in, she will just have to use her KKK's stuff, and also some baby girl clothes I bought from Bangkok for her in July (OK I admit, I had bought a lot of baby girl clothes when I was in Bkk for training hoping the baby will be a girl - I was only in my 8th week of pregnancy then - and baby should only be the size of a peanut??? :P)

Most importantly, I better sit myself down to find her a name! Err yes, we also have not tot of that and she will be out in 3 months - scary! Her daddy's definitely looking forward to see her, whilst me, I am a little scared and apprehensive at this stage as having to deal with Kayden's sudden overwhelming clingy-ness has made me wonder if I will have the time and attention for another kid! But this feeling I know will pass too :)

Wish me luck!

Plugging the Family tree gap

2006-11-15T13:41:00.000+08:00

1 January 2006 - One of my friend's grandma just passed away recently. When i met up with this particular friend for lunch the day before his grandma died, he was already clearly distraught. Apparently, he needed someone to talk to and i happened to be the only one available at that moment.

My friend told me his grandma was already in the ICU and her condition looked bleak. I noticed that he was on the verge of tears as he shared details of his grandma's condition, their relationship and the good times they shared. I was moved. At the same time, it struck me that my relationships with my grandparents (whom had already passed away) had never been of the same level as his. When my grandparents passed away, i did not feel as emotional as how i thought it should be. I remember at my grandpa's wake, i stood there, looking at the coffin, wondering what kind of person my grandpa was, what kind of life he led when he was of the same age as me, what were his views of life and if i have a place in his heart. All these questions were all left unanswered as i hardly know my grandpa. That only things i know about him were stories told by my parents of the things he had done. In a way, i envy both my friend as well as his grandma on the relationship they share.

I wish Baby K can have a different level of relationship with his grannies & granddad. I want him to love them as much as they love him and for as long as he could. I wish they can have a relationship similar to friendship, mutually respecting one another and communicates with each other without any barriers inbetween. I wish Baby K can describe his grandparents from his own opinion of them instead of from stories he hears from his own parents. I wish they can have a relationship so close that even i will envy.

Right now, my little family of 3 is living in with my parents. I believe this is the best possible start we can have. Hopefully, things will turn out fine and my wishes will come true.

Blogger in the airport - Tokyo now

2006-11-10T17:15:00.001+08:00

We've been away for 8 days - sigh - another holiday coming to an end, with not another trip in near sight :( I am a Sagittarius - a traveller! The thought of being home bound for the next year seems sad!! It will definitely be difficult to travel w 2 kids, so really quite scared thinking of hols!

Now we're waiting for our homebound flight in Narita Airport - I must be the only 'lounger' who ate the most in the Airline Lounge - everyone else seems busy with their computers if not newspaper, hehe :P Had also eaten a lot this trip - scared to even weigh myself - I am sure the gynae will disapprove my weight gain again in the next visit :( sob sob :( I have put on like 6kg till last week's visit - ie end of 2nd trimester - he says it is too much still - gosh! 'Lucky' he wasnt my gynae when I was pregnant with K - I must have put on that 6kg all in the 1st trime alone! :P

Anyway travelling w K this time has been challenging! He sticks to me like glue - must have swallowed a bottle of Uhu when I wasnt looking, I reckon. Seriously - it is unbelievable! No one can carry him - he will throw his body backwards and scream for me - if I dont carry him - he will continue his super loud wails! My goodness - in the 1st day or 2 I gave in, cos that was the only way to stop him from screaming. Thereafter, WK convinced me that I am not helping the situation but made it worst by giving in to his demands, so we let him cry. So by today, I am totally immune to his screams, haha! :P

Also, he doesnt like to be in his stroller - he will try to slide off by straightening his legs when we try to sit him in. He is really a monster! And, to stop him from crying and shouting in his stroller, I have to hold his hand as he gets pushed along. Really a challenge he is! Dunno what caused him to be so sticky - WK thinks it could be cos I had spent the last 3 weeks with him everyday - from our Thailand trip, to Penang, and the last 4 days in Spore before flying off to Japan - I had to take emergency family care leave cos my MIL was sick and so was he and we didnt have any other caregivers.

However, it was a good trip all-in-all to me :) I quite like Japan - if not for the language barrier it would have been an easy place to live in :) The weather's nice - not cold and the places are beautiful... K also seems to like Japan alot, especially their food! He ate lots and lots here - his fave is Udon and rice - all carbo :) And with the weather so nice, he usually sleeps after his meals as we sightsee... so sleeping and eating made him slightly more plump! :) Not to mentiond since he doesnt crawl or walk much - he really didnt have much opportunity to burn calories! :)

OK we gtg - need to catch the flight soon - half hour to departure... Signing off now from Narita.

Note to Mao Mao - Sorry we didnt meet you at Tokyo Station as we were rushing for time and we also didnt know the delivery is urgent. Hope you're not upset! Anyway, Wan Chin - do have a safe delivery and enjoy the babe when she is out :) She will definitely be a joy I am sure! Tatas Japan!

Crowning glory

2006-11-01T00:01:00.000+08:00

Who says babies cant have BAD HAIR DAYS?

K looked so so funny when he awoke from his afternoon nap sometime 3 weeks ago that it must just be a kodak moment! Think must be the number of times he moved in his sleep (especially his head) that made his hair just go so hay-wire! :) hehe

Also, his hair is long, I have been contemplating trimming the sides myself - doesnt seem right to pay $30 (I assume thats the going rate nowadays) to a kid's hairdresser to have him/her do some minor snipping! I bet it would be done in 5mins by a professional.

I know if I do it, will definitely take longer than that but what the heck - I have all the time in the world over the weekend - so long as I can convince WK to be my accomplice who performs the distraction role! Least to ensure the totty wont suddenly move or jerk causing me to snip off his ear or smthg or somewhere! Yikes!

Post-above-blog-entry

Didnt realise the above entry was not posted for a month, hehe :P Anyway I have since snipped off his hair - his fringe is now ruler straight - right across his forehead - his daddy says he looks like Jim Carrey of Dumb and Dumber - terrible! Anyway he does look a bit 'toot' lah :) hehe (Sorry Kayden! Mommy's 1st try). His grandma says the right side is longer than the left side - haha.

I will try to improve.

Didnt take a good shot of the new hairdo, this is the closest! :) It aint looking too bad meh? :P

The frequent flyer mom & babe - back in town!

2006-10-28T00:24:00.000+08:00

Just arrived back from a 4-day trip back home to Penang with K - WK didnt join us as he is never flexible with taking leave from the office (bleh!)

It was a good trip :) Of course, the star was a challenge - if not, it wouldnt be him! He behaved well on the plane as well - of course again having a whole row of 3 seats all to ourselves helped aplenty! And it was both ways, hooray!

Gg back to Penang was as usual a trip of visiting relatives and shopping - let me clarify, shopping was all for the star - and WK and I only got the frills. Also dunno why, I have not had the urge to buy anything for Mei Mei - I did look ard at girly stuff - the pinks and the laces, but nothing tugged at my heartstrings urging me to buy - I heard this is normal for the 2nd one?? So totally didnt go on any shopping sprees as I had tot I would in one of the past post! But before you think I had abandoned Mei Mei this trip - not true! I got her Grandmee (my mom) to make her beansprout cap pillows - we got a whole big bag - must be 5kg worth from the market, FOC - see pictorial evidence below. It will be a long and difficult task - separating the caps from the beansprouts and drying them! Thanks Mommy dearest!
tonnes & tonnes of beansprouts and caps that needs to be sorted, dried and resorted before they can be made into 'beanie' pillows - definitely lotsa hardwork!!

This trip, we met up with both my cousins' kids who are about K's age - one a month older (Ern Jie) and the other 2.5months older (Anric) - comparatively in size, his built is quite similar, but of course, he is slightly shorter, perhaps by an inch or two...
K & I w my cousin, Hoon and her 3rd child Anric - 2.5mths older... dunno why K looks bigger in this picture?? Anric is definitely slightly taller than him
K w Ern Jie, who is 1mth older than him... Ern Jie seems to be the biggest in size for their 'batch' :)
My cousin, Ee Pheng's children - Ern Jie with his older sis, Ern Qi who is 2yrs old... Ee Pheng and I are the same age and it seemed like only yesterday we were the ones playing! We now have our own kids - unbelievable!

The best thing about the trip is that, he finally learnt how to walk on his own - he will widdle wadlle to and fro my mom (as a start), and then over the days, cover a longer distance. The past 2 days, he even stood up on his own and managed 2-3 and then 5-6 steps! Hooray! Of course, the 1st thing this mom did was to finally buy him SHOES! :) He didnt have any real shoes as the past shoes I got when he was an infant all couldnt fit him - hmmmm... This time, I got him 4 pairs :) Hehe :) The shoes are quite cheap too in Penang - ranging from RM19.90 to RM55 (the most ex) - the expensive ones are made of leather...
Didnt manage to snap any good photos of him walking :( Anyway this is Miaka (Jason's gf) assisting K to walk!

When we first arrived he was shy of everyone - but finally warmed up to my mom on the same day and my brother (Jason) on day 2 (since he didnt see him much - my brother's timing is diff from us - sleeps in the day and wakes in the night).... haha!
Photos of him placing wet sloppy kisses on his Uncle Jason

Could definitely tell that his Grandmee, loves him a lot - on one occasion which I rmbr my brother emphasising to me "Mom left a note for me re Kayden's arrival date". Note this, her note/reminder in the past used to say "Sis' arrival date" - Bleh, what happened to me!!!! :P Think inevitably sons/daughters move down the importance rank when there are grandchildren in the picture :) WK always complain of the same thing!!

So anyway, this is our 2nd holiday in 2 weeks! This frequent flyer mom and babe will be going on another trip to Tokyo and Kyoto end next week with the Daddy and my in-laws... it is free & easy, and we are arranging the whole trip (incl accomodation & airtickets) ourselves. I do hope it will be as good - I have been wanting to go back since our honeymoon 3 years back, if not as a minimum, for the food :) And we will also be able to see Mao Mao & Wan Chin's baby who is expected to arrive on our arrival date - their 1st bundle of joy and we are so delighted to able to be a part of another major milestone in their life, and this time in the Land of the Rising Sun itself!

Thereafter, I think I will be homebound, as I get closer to my EDD on 07 Feb 07!

Lady Killer in the making

2006-10-26T14:08:00.000+08:00

15 Oct 2006 - First he stares. Seemingly looking for a suitable target.
(Goodness gracious!! he doesnt need to source for a target, cos i know, the targets will find him!)
Thats one... another one... and another one... he returns their smile and buries his face into my chest....

"1 thousand.. 2 thousand.. 3 thousand...", i counted. Soon, i should be thanking my lucky stars for being surrounded by a group of young Thai women...... But wait, their eyes and attention are only on the little boy in my arms.... And in a matter of minutes, there i am, sitting all by myself in a corner. Whereas my lucky boy gets carried around by a group of sales gals, laughing and smiling away, as if he is some superstar.

There is something special about Baby K. He gets lots of attention from ladies. Some say its a common thing for babies, some say its got something to do with the genes. haha.. i chose to believe in the latter. Baby K is a fast learner too. He knows how to differentiate between the 2 sexes. Somehow, i feel that he is a lot nicer to women. He smiles at them, looks at them, and is more willing to be carried by a woman. (I swear he didnt pick up these habits from me)

An hour later, we were strolling happily along in the shopping mall in phuket town (while TT was in the restroom). One sexily dressed promoter of some Thai product was waving excitably at me as we walked past. I thought she must have mistaken me for one of the Thai male superstar. So i turned and looked away (thats what superstars do anyway). When i turned back, there she was, in front of me, then she swatted down and passed a pamphlet to Baby K... all this while, her eyes fixed only on my son. As she walked away, i took the pamphlet from Baby K. It says - Singha Beer!!

Day 4 : Goodbye Phuket

2006-10-22T11:45:00.000+08:00

Today's the last day of the trip - hols to me - but definitely not the most relaxing trip having a painful toddler around :P Who has a mind of his own and does not want to be controlled.

As usual, K woke first, then me, and finally Daddy - whom I have come to termed the sleeping giant! By the way, I forgot to mention earlier - we had a carted back a huge teddy bear from Phuket Town on Sunday cos this Mom decided to get it due to all of the following, much to WK's dismay:

her dream of K having a brown teddy - see this, her dream, not K's dream (haha)
the bear is cheap - only S$20
the bear is furless, hence baby friendly
the bear is huge

So WK had no choice but to lug it for us - it is definitely not heavy, just bulky! Heheheheh

Anyway while we were waiting for the sleeping giant to wake up, I managed to catch K for a few kodak moments with his big brown bear! :)

Get Your Own! View Slideshow

We later spent the morning by the beach again... K took his morning nap while WK and I packed the bags... sigh... the time has finally come to go home :( No more being lulled to sleep with the sound of waves pounding the shores, carefree days spent on the beach, and basically just lazing around, watching TV or surfing the net (for WK)...

This is how the totty usually scrutinise his food! Lucky if he eats

Nice pic of Daddy & him, after bfast

K's lunch - hot dog w fries - which WK & I ended up polishing off!

The holiday was good for me - I needed to get away from the mundane routine, from home. Yes, the totty was a huge, big, enormous challenge, but it was alright on hindgsight. Perhaps WK had it worst than me cos as I am like Visa (most preferred) he usually will not cry and scream when I am with him... just that he is still this clingy little boy who needs to be carried around (since he doesnt want to learn to walk) or does not like being told what to do, unless he feels like doing it.

So anyway, we said goodbye to Phuket... we will be back one day, definitely w Mei Mei!

By the way if you are wondering how come I didnt put up any pictures of the 3 of us, well!!! It is cos we didnt take any... it was way too difficult to manage a toddler and to pose for the camera at the same time!

Day 3 : Fun & Sun on the Beach!

2006-10-22T10:54:00.000+08:00

This is my favorit-est day of the whole trip.

I simply love being a beach bum - lazing on the deck chairs, with a good book in hand (though with a kid, it is no longer possible to be on the chair for more than 10mins at a stretch, or even cumulatively) , watching K play sand, going into the clear waters of the Andaman Sea, riding the many waves with K in my arms - he finally got the hang of it in the later part of the afternoon... yippee! he finally accepted having to gulp down salty sea water and enduring sea water splashing on his face when I didnt jump at the right time or high enough... it was fun!

Here are some nice pictures of the day... oh btw I forgot to say we dipped into the Black Pool in the morning - K was of course not a water baby - he was afraid - clinged on to us, or wanting to get out of the pool! Cheh! He was a pain... We later saw a small angmoh baby - perhaps about 6mths old, enjoying the pool with his parents, he was splashing around and trying to swim - how cool, and how uncool our son is in comparison!!

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

Oh and also, we had the best meal of the trip (to me) - Japanese food :) We decided hotel food / room service is enough for the day - we walked up and down the hill of the resort to the shops, found Noon Japanese restaurant - the food was good - their seafood fresh again, esp their raw fish. But of course, instead of having a meal as a family, WK and I always had to eat on our own, while the other who is free entertains the star... :P

Day 2 : Phuket Town

2006-10-22T09:37:00.000+08:00

Its Sunday and our 2nd day in the Land of Smiles.

Feeding K at breakfast was a terrible affair, nothing short of our expectations :P He didnt like to be in the baby high chair and wants everything thats on our table - esp our cutleries. Refused all type of food - bread, cereal, scrambled eggs, ham, sausage, fruits etc. Basically he ate like a bird - again, as expected..

I forgot to take photos of the steps in this resort - there is really a lot and a lot of steps... lucky as our villa is quite near the restaurant, I think we probably only had to navigate 40steps one way. But as unfit as we are (and also the steps are steep), by the time we reach the restaurant, I would be gasping for breath and WK would have this pained expression on his face as he is the one who had to carry the King. Anyway, needless to say, he is the only one too who can mutter we need a table for 2+1.

After breakfast we decided we should head down to Phuket Town... some shots at the villa before we got ready to go....

We booked a car from the hotel to bring us downtown (THB600 one way which is equiv $28, which is EX!).. It wasnt the right day to go into town as Sunday is their only rest day of the week - we only found out as we were on our way. Anyway we reasoned that it is fine as the main aim was to look around, and not to shop. We went to their new largest shopping centre (cant rmbr the name now) - I bought some undergarments and WK had to endure a restless K in the lingerie dept - evident by the background of these pix :P But lucky for WK he had about 10mins of peace, as the lingerie salesgirls absconded K away :)

Thereafter we took a cab downtown - to a place the locals call Robinson - there was nothing much to see as all shops were closed. We ended up hiring a car to bring us to buy food items, have Thai bird nest, dinner and then drive us back to The Chedi. It is only THB400.

The driver took us to Phuket Bay to have dinner - it is definitely a place catered for tourists and I bet he got some commission for bringing us there... however the seafood was fresh although ex. As we didnt have much cash left (we didnt bring out much) we made the waiter weigh all the seafood items before agreeing to order :) We had steamed fish, prawns, tomyam-kung and stirfry kangkong.

K not too impressed w young Thai girls! Daughter of one of those who work in the restaurant.

K was entertained (and absconded away again :)) for some part of our meal... the lady who was most interested to carry K (the one in red above) asked WK for THB1000 (S$44) when she came with the bill - she said this is to 'compensate' her for taking care of the kid for about a total of 20mins. I overheard and of course I told her no, not for the only fact that we are cashless, but.... it is absurd! What happened to the Thai hospitality I heard everyone rave about and also the Thais' love for children. Well, definitely not her for sure. By the way if I do rmbr correctly, her tip request is abt 50% the cost of our meal - which we know already has been inflated cos we are tourists. Unimagineable!

So that was our Day 2... I rmbr grumbling to WK as we were drifting to sleep that it is no fun knowing that we only have one more night at the resort - halfway through the hols only but already the reality of gg home looms.

Holiday

2006-10-21T13:13:00.000+08:00

16 Oct 2006 - Its a monday and we are not working.. you might think it sounds like a holiday... in a way yes...

TT & I are now staying in The Chedi in Phuket Island. Our accommodation is facing the sea and just merely 10 metres away from our private beach. How nice it would be if this is our permanent home. Just imagine coming back from work, you can just take off yr office wear and virtually run into the ongoing coming waves. The impact will surely take away all the accumulated stress for the day.

The purpose of coming all the way here is to ensure that my little family gets to have our own bonding session. "Bonding" - this term, when i was a little kid, meant sharing fun and laughter together. When i was older and serving my National Service, bonding meant building comradeship by sharing the pain and laughter together. Whereas now, as parents of a 1+ yr old kid, bonding still involves pain and laughters but with the exception that only laughters are being shared. We, as parents, suffer the pain of enduring his frequent tantrums and mood swings. i guess i 've found my answer to our changing taste bud as we grow older (i have been wondering for the last few mths why adults enjoy the bitter taste of beer, whereas we found it disgustingly bad when we were kids)

It is during this time (when baby K is in his dreamland) that TT & i gets to enjoy our meal together for the first time. Now, TT is on her way for a pedicure session and i force myself to sit down and 'contribute' to Baby K's blog for the first time in months. At the back of my mind, i know that Baby K will be awake in half an hours time. It will be time for another struggle - feeding him. Worse still, I'm sure he will be screaming his lungs out if TT doesnt return by then. Meantime, Daddy continues praying that Baby K learns to be more independent. By then, we will really be going for a holiday.

Day 1 : Sawadee-Ka!

2006-10-20T23:03:00.001+08:00

It was our first trip to Phuket, all of us. And Kayden's 1st trip to Thailand - 20 months ago when we went to Krabi shouldnt count as the little star was still in me tummy!

The trip was 4 days and 3 nights long and it was definitely a good break away from home! We stayed at the luxurious resort on Surin Beach called The Chedi... got the deluxe beach front villa which is actually a 2 bedroom suite. It was heaven and I classified it as good as Banyan Tree's Pool Villa, minus the private pool - but then again, we got this wonderful white sand beach facing the Andaman Sea with clear waters and squeky fine sand - to me this is definitely a good trade-off. Here are some pix of our villa:

Get Your Own! View Slideshow

On arrival at Phuket airport, we were picked up by the resort limo - could see that the star was definitely delighted to be free of his car seat as he decided to hang from the overhead handle bar some part of the trip and romp around the back seat, much to our irritation, the whole time. Cant a boy ever sit still? He was already that active on the plane! Good grief! :)

We took him to the beach around 5pm (my guess).... he didnt like the sand, nor the sea - he was scared. When we brought him into the sea, he pointed to the beach, wanting to get out.. and started whining, crying, clinging on to me (wasnt comforted enough to be carried by WK). But it was a good 1st try I say... WK also taught him how to play with sand... some nice shots of papa, totty & I...

Get Your Own! View Slideshow

Blogger in the airport

2006-10-17T17:25:00.000+08:00

Here I am, sitting waiting in Phuket International Airport for our flight back home.. 1.5hrs to go.

Kayden has gone window shopping with his dad - the only way to entertain him is to distract him otherwise he will go crawling all about the departure terminal on his own, and dad's afraid of germs cos the totty's thumb will go from floor to mouth in a jiffy, wo much warning sometimes.

WK sauntered back with a flashy smiley grin about 5mins ago, wo the totty of course. He said "I managed to get rid of him" :) Yippee to me too! :) heheh... The star was 'absconded' by Thai women in the Duty Free shop... in this trip, he had been 'absconded' like about 4 times I think... :) We like those times, cos thats when we get to enjoy some peace and quiet, or a (part of a) meal peacefully on our own, without a screaming squirming kid who wants to just grab anything, failing which, screams like hell!

This is our last hols as a family of 3 before Mei Mei is born in Feb next year. This trip has been challenging! He has been both an angel and a devil.... devilish when it comes to meal times, or when he is sleepy grouchy (after missing his usual nap times of 10.30am and 3.30pm), and also other times when he just cant get his way. Angel, as you can guess, when he is asleep! Haha :) Riding waves in the Andaman Sea was good too, so was playing with sand at the beach..

Will blog more with pictures and details of our wonderful resort in the next coupla days... My back is killing me! Every pregnancy I have this 'hotspot', about the size of a coin, in the same spot on my back (half way down the right side, a little further away from the spine) which simply is darn painful - I think it is caused by bad posture ie slouching, or sitting in any other position other than stick straight. Super irritating cos it wont go away unless I lie down flat on the bed - remedy of which is a night's sleep away! So in the mean time, I just have to endure it....

By the way, if you're wondering - WK brought the laptop along in this 4 days 3 nights Phuket trip cos he has this wonderful idea that we can blog every night about the day's event - which as you can see, didnt really work! This is the 1st published entry of the holiday in 4 days! :) Anyway I made also an observation that the past 4 days has not been much different to WK as he still surf the internet and watch TV as which he does at home. The only stark difference is that we have the wonderful sea and beach vs office and work. Guess you know which is more heavenly!

Little man, big ego

2006-10-16T23:20:00.000+08:00

"The little ones all come with big egos"... thats what Eliza told me one day.

Its so so true...

The more you cheer them on, the more they will continue doing whatever that pleases you. And they will also have this smug & proud look on their face! They (or at least K), loves the loud cheers, claps and positive praises as he goes on 'bragging'...

It is so funny sometimes seeing him at this... but you cant help understanding and realising that this is how the world works - positive reinforcement makes the world a better place and people better people!

So for now, the cane/rod or spanking is not under consideration for disciplining. Not sure how long such positive reinforcement will work, but am glad it is still working for now...

P/S. when does terrible 2s start??

Be Warned - Button Nose & Toothy Grins

2006-10-11T23:10:00.000+08:00

The charming little star will:

Scrunch his little button nose into a wrinkly knot and flash you the widest toothy smile/grin - like below -

(P/S. If you are thinking the same I am... dont they start young? The wonders of visa & master!)

When you:

Scold him and show him you are angry - the angrier you look the wider the smile is! He must think acting cute will get him out of any situation! Wonder where he got that idea from? Tsk tsk.

What happens then?

If you continue to frown, he will realise that the attempt had not work (after maybe 5-10secs) and he will start to hit you - WHAM! Hmmmm!

If however, you are swept off your feet by his trick, and smile back at him, he will continue grinning with you - of course, with this "I am very pleased with myself & I know I can get away with murder" expression on his face.

Conclusion

Kids! My goodness how smart they are, and how 'cunning' they actually are in manipulating an adult to get their way!

Ang moh kia

2006-10-09T00:04:00.000+08:00

We get the above comments very often nowadays..

He does look a bit mixed - dunno why - but I swear, no hanky panky from my end! :P For those of you who's wondering anyway... and been casting me accusatory looks! :P

Think the main thing must be his hair? I was browsing through photos when he was younger - he looked so chinese then!! Chee-na even! See below:

And since his head started sprouting soft curly locks in brownish tone, he starts to look more ang moh?

Did I get it right? After all his eyes are just as big, his lashes just as long and his skin just as fair... the only variable I have is the hair??

Sugar & spice, and everthing nice

2006-10-07T11:34:00.000+08:00

Its week 22 at the gynae & we had a detailed scan.

He took us through each part of the baby, from head to toe, via the ultrasound - pointing out and explaining to us the 4 chambers of the heart, the bladder (which is filled with urine), stomach (which is full too), neck - which has a normal width, brain - also of the right width - indicating no abnormal amt of water in it, measured each limb and bones - arms, thighs, legs, feet, counted the fingers and toes, identified the ear, eye (including the lens) and measured the circumference of the head as well as the abdomen. It was good, the baby was stretching and bouncing as the doc went about his scan. He taped it, but we cant watch at home cos we dont have a VCR.

Anyway everything indicates the baby is between week 21 and 22 and most importantly all is normal. Yippee!!! And get this, there is NOTHING between its legs - and he finally confirmed that we will be having a baby girl in Feb 2007! :) Yeah I say!

Only thing is that I need to control my weight gain and watch my diet closely to control my blood glucose as a brief blood test from the previous visit indicates that I have GD (gestational diabetes) again (sigh) :( This is the worst part of my pregnancies!

Anyway, I can now officially start looking ard for cutesy pinky frilly stuff! A friend has promised to get the baby a strawberry shortcake doll if she is a girl - another yeah!!

The bf journey - finale..

2006-10-07T10:50:00.000+08:00

For those who's been asking...

Weaning wasnt difficult (as I had anticipated it to be)...

We started by slowly cutting the direct feeds... so the midnight ones are the first to go - since I returned from Bkk in July, he had been asking for direct feeds a few times a night - it was tiring, but least our sleep wasnt much disrupted as we had always been on the lie down position. So when he cries at night, we lifted him from his cot onto our bed and patted his backside to sleep instead of offering him the breasts - the first time he cried for a while, but stopped after maybe 10mins? Subsequently he got the gist and was pacifiable through backside pats alone. Then he started waking up lesser - like maybe only once at dawn - I was super super pleased :)

I had anticipated a nightmare cutting the midnight feeds - but I was proven wrong, and WK right - WK had never tot it would be a problem weaning him, he felt it is more like I was the one who wasnt ready to stop - looking back, he was right. I wasnt ready to let go...

Once the midnight feeds were out the window, I only had to cut the pre-sleep/nap feeds - it wasnt difficult again for him - he took to backside patting and cuddling. To be frank I had always taken the short cut by feeding him to sleep - again, the withdrawal symptom's on my end as I now have to spend a longer time putting him to bed than I used to.

It took us about 1 week to wean him off... I had continually feed him every other day to relieve engorgement, but he never demanded for the breasts. All in all, it took us 2 weeks to fully wean him and he was a good boy throughout the entire journey. I explained to him as well as we were going through it - I think he understands (partially, if not fully).

Weaning could be a possible reason that he took to formula milk - as a substitute to breasts milk - we can only guess. Timing seems right as he only accepted formula after we had weaned him.

Overall I really enjoyed the bf journey (tho had lotsa upheavels along the way) - it made me feel like I have at least, positively given him the best start to his life. As many moms brand me, I am really a pro-bf mom, mainly so, the benefits all outweigh any cons... frankly, I dont see any cons to bf.

If I am not pregnant, I would still be breastfeeding him, as I see it as a precious act that a mom can do for her child. And also, it is extremely easy and convenient. I am glad I had that 13.5months journey with him.

He is still very close to me now, maybe even more - will look out for me when I am ard and no one can substitute me. I think this is just a special bond that each mom will have with her child - at least in the early years.

Who's K at 13+ mths?

2006-10-05T23:15:00.000+08:00

Updates on Kayden

- Still cant walk at 13mths, 3 weeks => but least he will walk if you hold only one hand - he used to need both hands to be held! He is thus only 1 of 2 in class who cant walk - the other baby should not count as she is 10months old only???

- No new teeth as yet - hence 2 upper front and 2 lower front...

- He loves strawberries, esp the sour ones, I think!

- He likes to eat on his own - give him his fork or spoon, he will make a mess, but he likes the independence!

- A huge challenge at each nappy changing time - he refuse to stay still and esp hates to have nappy rash cream applied on his buttocks!

- Smiles a little more

- Looks like a boy, and is so much longer too!

- Still likes to sway his arms to the music, and to touch his head and bend to touch his toes when he hears "Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes"

- Likes to play with balls

- Would love to suck our toes (WK and I) - WEIRD!!!

- Loves to chase frogs with Grandpa in the garden at night after dinner - he will squel with delight once the frog starts hopping away

- Difficult to put him down for a nap (morn and afternoon)- his mind's on all other matters other than sleep tho he is sleepy!

- LOVES PRAISES, absolutely. Will do something over and over again to get the applause, smiles and yippees!! :)

21 going 22

2006-10-03T23:01:00.000+08:00

Even though I am already 21 weeks pregnant, I have not blogged about this pregnancy... but seriously, I go about life as per normal, just that I carry additional weight and my tummy cant stop growing since a week or two back - I get mixed comments, some say the tummy is big for this stage, some says small...

But I do know, that this pregnancy is already much smaller than the previous (at this same stage)! I have so far gained about 4.5kg - this is smthg new to me as I think I was only at week 10 when I carried Kayden that I gained that same amount of weight! Hmmm... anyone want to guess how much weight I put on in my 1st pregnancy until the day I delivered at 38.5weeks? The prize is a week at the Maldives for 2 in a 6 star resort, all expenses paid, if you get it right! :) Haha, not!

Anyway I have been so so so so lax for this pregnancy, I dont even take the multivits that is prescribed by the gynae - though it is meant to be taken on a daily basis. And I dont even refrain from pregnancy-unfriendly food according to old wives' tales... so really, being pregnant or not, I am only reminded through my growing tummy.

Baby has been moving some... not much - she tickles me when I lie down in bed... but no major kickabouts etc... maybe later? Definitely no gymnast as yet...

Looking fwd to the visit to gynae this Sat - supposed to be able to confirm the gender - Yippee! But definitely not looking forward to comments about weight gain - the last visit, I put on 2 kg and he went "Oh! Too much, can only put on 1.5".... popped my happy balloon - I tot my weight was so in check. This month, I think I might have put on 3kg - goodness, wonder what he will say! :P

We weaned

2006-10-02T22:47:00.000+08:00

Kayden has successfully weaned about 2 weeks ago... which means he was breastfed for about 13.5months. Our last feed (which he started chuckling and laughing when he saw the breasts) was sometime last week - just to help with engorgement... he still took it though...

He is now fully on formula - Gain IQ to be precise - and he takes about 800ml a day - which I think is normal after checking with my other mommy colleagues at lunch today.

A kid who is accustomed to hold a toy at meal times will need a similar object even when it comes to drinking milk from the bottle... so in his hands, there must be a toy, a small pouch, whatever. It is a difficult habit to break - so to all those with kids who has yet to start on solids, dont give them any toys - train from young, let them know and understand that there will be no toys when they eat! Then you will not have to face the agony we do - even a rotation of 30toys per meal is never enough - he needs to be interested in the object, and his hands must be busy before he will accept any food in his mouth!

I have transitioned him to the milk bottle as it is the closest substitute to the breasts - will try to feed him milk in a cup after he is more used to the formula. I know bottles are discouraged once a baby turns one, but we have been so desperate for him to drink non-human milk that all rules can and will be broken to get there! :)

Milk milk, as Kayden identifies it

2006-09-27T00:02:00.000+08:00

I know I shld not count the eggs before they hatch - or in my case, before they fully hatch...

After a few months of trying non-human milk - formula of Enfalac A+, Similac, Naan HA, Dumex Mamil Gold, Friso Gold, Wyeth Progress Gold and basic cow full cream milk (Marigold as well as Pura) - the totty has finally found a brand he likes!

Phew phew phew - goodness gracious!

Thanks to Aunt Jennie! Her daughter Desiree is on Gain IQ and she gave me 2 sample sachets at lunch one day... K drank about 30ml both time I tried - which is significantly more than the usual.

We bought a small tin over the wknd, and he consumed about 60ml on day one - with WK cheering "Go Kayden Go" and me kissing his forehead and cheering, clapping, as he sucked his bottle the whole way through - boy was it tiring, but definitely worth the effort I say! 2nd day (yesterday), he took a total of about 90ml and today, a whopping 240ml! I know it is still way below average, but least I hope we are slowly getting there!

So all thanks to Aunt Jennie who introduced the formula to us! I hope this continues, really keeping my fingers crossed all the way! (Btw Jen, do let me know if you see any promotions on this brand! Thanks a lot! :) )

Here's another studio shot of him - which shows his really really long lashes...

Learning and learner

2006-09-26T22:16:00.000+08:00

WK's a good teacher... he was teaching K the actions for Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes yesterday night, and it was a brief, not even detailed session.

Today, as K flips the pages of the board book, he will gesture to his head and then bend to touch his toes. Not just once, but in the morning, afternoon and night.

Amazing how fast the little one learns.

And more, how good a teacher this wonderful Best Daddy of All Time is. He doesnt even realise the wonders he make to totty everyday!

Do not underestimate...

2006-09-23T23:35:00.000+08:00

.... the power of.....

Tshirts

See this... ,

magnifying effect =>

and guess, the name of our dog?

NEXT

See this... ,

magnifying effect =>

and look at the top left hand corner of this blog? (OK a bit blurred, but trust me, u have my word, the 2 words are exactly that u see in the top left hand corner)

Needless to say, both of which are WK's 'ingenious' idea of course!

P/S. Lesson learnt : To rmbr not to buy any tshirts with foul language or bad slangs! *shudder even thinking of the what if*

Typically Sunday

2006-09-19T00:02:00.000+08:00

Didnt even realise we had taken photos of his 2nd or 3rd day of school... hehe, been quite lax the past weeks!

Anyway, this is a pix of totty on the way to school - tsk tsk definitely bad example - already yawning in the car! Can I blame it on his full stomach??? :P

These are pix of him covered in paint after the art & craft session! Dont think we fought that time :P More like I was trying to keep paint off myself, trust me, aint easy holding and navigating a totty who cant yet walk, not to mention, has a mind of his own, from smearing paint on moi!

Then this is a photo of him and his GM (she followed us that one time to school cos she wanted to look at how school is) having tea break after class...

And, this is the BEST part of every Sunday - usually the monster will doze off on the way home

So this is how we now spend our Sunday afternoons...

The photogenic star

2006-09-17T23:21:00.000+08:00

Collected (some of) the studio photos on Saturday.... the star really looks gorgeous! see for yourself! I have scanned all the 9 pix we bought and will post one or two every few days! :)

Here are 2 of them:

In regards to my previous post, we have made a decision as a family (hmm ie decision making party's only WK and I of course)... we have decided to wean him... Actually, I have read a lot on the web as well, although it is safe to bf for most normal pregnancies... I have decided I cant take the chance... I cant live ever knowing that continuing to bf the older one may cause harm to the pregnancy and thus the younger one... so we have started to introduce him formula in the milk bottle - cos this is the closest substitute he can get to the breasts...

The star has not been fooled yet! He cried out loud when we tried to shove that in his mouth at 530am today when he woke up... He took about 30ml of the leftover (ie untouched) milk from that same bottle at 1030am - not sure if it is bad, but what the heck, least he drank! Will continue to persevere, hopefully he will give in one day and just gulp it all down like most other kids!

We have also started to change his food... I think he is bored of the same delicious porridge his GM cooked for him twice a day everyday... so we have started to let him eat our normal adult food - he has taken it quite well so far, hope that stays too!

OK enough boring ramblings... nights!

My fave topic? BF again!

2006-09-11T23:13:00.000+08:00

Its been a while since I last wrote, or taken photos of the totty.

When I can, I try to catch my 40 winks as K wakes, no sorry I mean, cries for the breasts abt 4-5 times a night every night, so in order for me to get any decent sleep, I shove it in his mouth - he is satisfied, he sleeps on w/o waking. Hmmm... Yes, this means too that I am still breastfeeding - when I am away at work during the day, his devoted GM still gives him milk - either formula or fresh cow's milk - both of which he dislikes to the core, and thus pushes away.

As my pregnancy enters month 5 - I am starting to wonder how long can I continue to bf? The gynae at the last visit told me I shld wean him... I have read they will auto wean at 5mths gestation as composition and taste of milk changes to suit the baby? He claims no. The visit before he told me it was OK to continue to bf, but then again, that was at 1st trime.

I have mixed feelings abt weaning.

Pro weaning
- Least I will still retain some vitamins and nutrients to myself instead of feeding the totty and the baby
- I 'should' get my full night's sleep when he is fully weaned
- He is already fully bf for a year! Which was my original goal

Con to weaning
- There wont be anymore natural antibodies to him, will he fall sick easily?
- He hates all other milk, wo breastmilk, he wont have any milk source
- Bf has been so so so easy, we dont have to worry abt milk supply when we travel or go out
- It will be terrorising to wean now - he will cry whole night thru if I dont give in - instead of disturbed sleep, I will get NO sleep :(
- Mostly, I will miss the special bonding session we have every day - will he then see me as a lesser mortal?

I read in Baby Centre that weaning should be a natural process and thus child-led. Apparently, when the child is ready, he/she will show a disinterest in the breast and thus the mom can take that as an indication to stop. One of the biggest con, is also that totty hasnt showed any lesser interest in the breasts. Everytime he will give his 'huh-huh-huh' response when I ask if he wants milk milk, and he readily takes the breast into his mouth.

That is also one of the reason I am not that keen to stop yet.

Guess as much as anyone can decipher from my post thus far, I am and he is not ready to wean yeah?

Guess I need to further research on this so that I can support my decision to continue to bf - I need to find an article to confirm that extended bf will not harm the baby... as it is already, there is lesser devotion or attention to the baby in this 2nd pregnancy - which I know is normal for subsequent births....

SLANG

2006-09-04T22:44:00.000+08:00

Baby K's grandparents left a pile of unclaimed items on the porch over the weekend. Books, army boots, cds, dvds etc. You name it. Monday night-Baby K's dad decided to flip through the items (especially the CDs) for any of his pre-historic (or rather, pre-Kayden) memorabilia for storage. One by one, piece by piece, memories of where and when i bought these cds came back. A quick check with Baby K's mommy on whether she wants her cds were met with a straight 'NO'. My mind went, 'Why not??'. Trying to convince myself on why i need to keep all these old cds, ranging from the heavenly vocal of Teresa Teng to the scruffy voice of Def Leppard and the punk rockers KIX.

Suddenly memories came rushing back to when I was a seven yr old boy... I recalled going through tonnes of cassette tapes in a huge white coloured plastic box (those used to contain 'massak' toys... ). These tapes with handwritten cover of song titles and names of each singer were probably purchased by my parents way before i was born. I remember playing each and every of them on the tape player then, trying to pick out nice familiar songs. I remember falling in love with Kermit the frog's 'Rainbow Connection'. I remember my brother and I being extremely amused when Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes belted out their 'Up where we belong' song. Little did we know that these old unplayed and probably unwanted tapes could provide us with so much joy and laughter. Such is the simplicity of childhood.

So twenty three years on, here i am, back again to the same chore of reviewing those dust covered cds of the family, I took out those that belonged to TT and I and decided to store them in a drawer in the family area....Not before playing my old single hood favourite songs first!

As the sound of Def Leppard's "When love and hate collides" belted off the player, i sat on the red couch blogging away, imagining myself sitting at the same spot 6 years on, overlooking our seven yr old Baby K flipping through these old cds and searching for songs that he would never have heard of before at his age. I ,somehow can see him laughing and giggling away at these un-lullaby like music, sharing a joyous time with his sibling playing, singing and swinging to these 'oldies'...... just like their daddy thirty yrs ago....

Standing totty - finally

2006-08-29T20:25:00.000+08:00

Some kids his age can walk or even run, but our totty has different ideas when it comes to matters concerning his legs, feet, toes. He only crawls... but I know it is just a matter of eventuality before he starts to run ard with us chasing him... hence, surprisingly or not, I am not anxious for him to do it earlier! :)

For the first time, he stood on his own today - as I was applying Penang bedak sejuk (cooling powder) on him, he was staring at his hands and the powder and forgot all about holding on to anything. He stood for about 5 seconds on his own staring at his hands.

My explanation of his 'slowness' - he is an extremely cautious child, you could see from his actions that he weighs all aspects of safety before he takes the leap. And becos of this, he never takes the leap. Hence, he is always on his fours, on the ground, safest.

It will only be a matter of time before he starts being an independent child, exploring the world on his little feet. In the mean time, if we want to see him stand on his own, come ye reliable old art called distraction.

The result

2006-08-26T22:08:00.000+08:00

How do I start?

OK...

1) Baby
went for the scan, and (sheepish) its not actually the detailed scan week - thats supposed to be in Week 22. But still got a scan nonetheless. Doc was going from the top of his head, to his face, his body... all I could do is think out loud "oh no its a boy" - everytime I see a cross btw 2 bones (thinking its where the genitals are)... he ignored me since I think he thinks I am mad :P So as he moves further down, I told him "please tell me its a girl"... the baby has his legs closed. he tried to tickle it a bit and baby moved, fidgeted, and then spread open his legs. Doc then said "I think you got your wish". I was like "Are you sure?" He scanned somemore from different positions and it seems clear of anything resembling male genitals. He said it is quite likely a girl - 95% chance but he will not confirm until the next scan cos he says for girls, he would rather check twice before confirming.

So that is our result from this month's check. As per my previous post, we would obviously like a girl as a 2nd one after Kayden. But if it is not to be, it is OK too... Will confirm at our next visit in a month's time!

2) Totty's photo
WK and I spent 1.5hours viewing 200+ photos taken in half hour in front of a PC - the alloted time was only 1hr! Our first shortlist, we ended up with 66 pix (not bad yeah - its only 30% of the total pix) and then after our 2nd shortlist, we ended up with 33. From there, we chose 9 to be developed into 3 framed 8R and 6 loose 5R with 14 reprints in 4R size.

We left the shop $468 poorer! But it was a good experience, seeing Totty so handsome in all photos makes it worth it... The photos will be ready in 4-6 weeks' time and will scan for uploading into the blog then...

Thats all for today...

This Saturday...

2006-08-24T22:42:00.000+08:00

Cant wait for this Saturday to come...

1) we'll know the gender of the baby! Week 16, supposed to do the detailed scan and the genitals will be obvious enough for gynae to confirm. Since we have a boy alr, we naturally would prefer a girl, but should it be really another boy, its OK too as he will end up to be best of friends with K I am sure. We hope for a healthy and happy baby! Thats most important. Let us know your prediction - we'll see how accurate it is, baring my revelation to some of you alr!!

2) we'll get to see the shots taken at Kids Pictures! I am sure they'll look amazing (based on the preview we saw in Anne's digi cam)... I am always excited when it comes to viewing photos - this time not spared.

Will update again soon! Here's a wishing everyone a good Friday and a fantastic weekend!

The significant weekend

2006-08-21T21:52:00.000+08:00

Every weekend is precious, as thats the only time we get to spend all (or most/majority) of our time with each other as a little family. That's the only time we are with K from sunrise to sunset, at every feeding, bathing session, see him scream, see him smile, see him naughty, mischevious, etc... the list goes on.

I savour each weekend, not to mention it is also extra special as I dont have to work!! :)

Over the last weekend, we had, I classify, a memorable and milestone-y weekend.

On Saturday, we took out first formal family pix! I noticed as I browse through my 4000 over photos in this Mac, I probably can count the number of family photos we took (that is not of a funny angle with someone's head cut off) with both hands. That is a dismal proportion. So you can guess, the approx 3990 photos are of the little star! No wonder he is a star right? Haha that makes me the papparazzi I realise! Gasp!

Anyway coming back to our photoshoot - I had fun, I think we had fun, maybe except WK as he never liked such things that much - he always feels that taking photos (of himself) is awkward and thus he never felt natural and also, he is ever so critical that he looked lousy in them when in actual fact, his photo prob always turn out nicest! Bleh

After doing the usual morning routine with K, all 3 of us rushed down to Forum (WK and I had sandwiches on the go at the studio - yes it was that mad a rush for time). We had signed up a package with Kids Pictures ( www.kidspictures.com.sg ) - which I think is probably one of the more established and well known kids photography studio in Singapore. We were quite lucky as Anne (the owner) did the shoot for us herself as she is standing in for the usual weekend photographer who is away in the States.

I was actually a little doubtful if K would behave and pose and smile for the cam as he never did at home or anywhere when I am the one shooting. Somemore as our star is usually stranger shy, I really had my doubts. But Anne and her staff really did such a wonderful job that I believe, she must have taken at least 100 right shots of K throughout the half hour session! We had a couple of previews on her digi cam and they were really nice. WK and I will be able to view all the photos this Saturday - I am so looking forward to it and I am really scared I will spend a little fortune / bomb on the photos as we will prob be spoilt for choice! Need WK to restrain me alright! Will post the the selected photos on the web when we get them...

Here are a couple of shots we took with our little digi at the studio as well as Anne in action! She said I am the only one who made her pose for a shoot instead - cos I only whipped out the cam at the end of our shoot :P Hmmm :) hehe

Then on Sunday - the new tot went to school. WK accompanied him most of the time as only one parent/caregiver is allowed in the classroom with the kid. I was outside, peeping in :) there is a small glass panel at the door for just that purpose I think :) for the poor parent who has to wait outside i bet!

Anyway the class was mainly music & dance and we did a little art & craft too. K looked OK from where I viewed for the first 30mins I think - he was swaying his right arm from left to right when the teachers sang (yes, our kid likes to orchestrate like an orchestra conductor when he hears a nursery rhyme or kid's song being played)... he moves to the music aye aye! Hehe. WK on the other hand, felt quite drained as he claimed that he had to coerce K to sit still... lucky for us he cant walk yet as some of the walking tots was scrambling ard the room w moms in tow....

I took over after the break - think after an hour. I found it challenging keeping him seated on the mat and participate with the teachers... He was squirming, refusing to be pinned down. Think we nearly had a a fight if not for the teacher starting the art and craft segment :P hehe

He was given a square piece of paper to cover with green paint using a paint brush - there were also short strands of yarn and bits of crepe paper and small little furry balls for the kid to scatter on after he finished painting. Getting K started on the paint brush aint difficult - getting him to stop was horrific! I was slowly guiding him to paint from left to right (we were doing a good job) when suddenly the little star decided having green paint in his mouth ie eating paint is interesting - he ate a glob of green paint (no he didnt turn into incredible hulk) I was shocked. I started to wrestle with him for the brush and of course, I being the bigger one and the parent, won and I took it out of his clutches.

The little star then started to wail and throw a tantrum, standing up and kept on pointing to the brush, wanting it. I told him No. Think we must have scared the two other moms in the same table and they looked at me pitifully (I think)... their boys, who are older, were just happily painting away, on the paper mind you. After perhaps 20 secs of him screaming and me failing to pacify him, one of the moms gave him his brush and both of them encouraged him to paint on paper with the correct praises. He followed. Ah! Peace! As a teacher walked past, she noticed green paint on his cheeks - I told her he ate it - she assured me it is fine as the paint they use is non-toxic... and said that the act of him eating paint is quite a good thing cos it shows he is inquisitive and learning - hmmm. O...K.... if she says so. But I tell you, I dont want to end up in another brawl with him next week!

So anyway after that was wash up time - he knows how to rub his palms together after I put soap on his palm... so we cleaned up and had one last song with the teachers before going home.

WK and I agreed that it is quite tough accompanying him at school - certainly energy draining. For tots of such a young age, I believe it is already quite an achiecement if you can get them to pay attention for half of the class time. Cant expect much of them at this age as they still have a short attention span.

Anyway, I think his Daddy did a good job with him in class. And it is very much a lesson for WK as well as K as WK does not know most of the nursery rhymes and yes, he too ought to start learning from the classes :)

Here are some photos of Daddy and son in class prior to commencement - where it is just free play time. Will try to take some more photos next week!

Btw, WK said we are prob one of two new participants in the class and most of the students are from previous terms... No wonder there is a wait list for this school. We are glad anyway that this class can be a chance for K to interact with little people his age as he does not have any cousins or friends to play with at all! We'll see how he likes it as the 9 week term progresses.... take it one weekend at a time!

Faces of Kayden

2006-08-20T23:31:00.000+08:00

On a lazy Saturday afternoon, while this little family of 3 was having tea in Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, the little star 'posed' for his mom and her ye old faithful digi cam...

Pictures of our totty at a year and a week old...

Daddy and him

2006-08-17T21:39:00.000+08:00

Last night, K woke up for his midnight feed... he would usually fall back to sleep immediately but as he could hear Daddy clicking away on the keyboard, he got up, looked at his dad and started grinning away. Knowing that K will not fall asleep if he continues to fiddle with the laptop, WK stowed it away.

K started creeping up WK's chest and moving forward to plant a wet sloppy kiss (not the muacks kind, just lay his lips) on his Daddy's cheek. Then K started to lean against his Daddy's chest and tried to settle himself down to sleep. WK looked at me and gave me this widest widest smile. You could see how proud he is, and I think it is for moments like this, you really feel like at the top of the world.

The little one decided kissing his Daddy once was not enough, he got up again and planted another sloppy one near WK's mouth and moved to settle himself again on his chest. WK has this big huge grin on his face :) Just like a cheshire cat.

WK has been such a wonderful dad - to me. If he is home, he will be the one bathing, changing, playing, feeding him etc etc. He does everything I do, except for breastfeeding of course! I was looking back at my generation of dads - none of whom had, I think, played such an active role in child minding ever - at least none I know.

I have and will always tell K he is lucky he has such a wonderful dad - this is something I want him to know and remember for the rest of his life. His Daddy is always there for him. I think at our generation, kids have really only bonded with their moms and caregivers (eg grandparents), never the dad as a dad would usually be this man who appears and disappears from one's life - one knows he is the one always at work, entertaining for business, and never really had much time to spend with you. But you do know he is there.

As WK has been spending more and more time in the office nowadays, he has seen less of his son and vice versa. Usually he comes home after the little one sleeps. Hence, K's contact time with Daddy has severely lessened in these few weeks. However, those times he sees his Dad he still wants to be carried by him and play with him. However, being a breastfed baby until now, his bond is still strongest with me and I will always be preferred over anyone else.

No matter what, I feel it is most important that K grows up to love and admire his Dad, as to me, a child's bond ought to be strongest with their parents, who will be there with them through their growing up years, and adulthood.... My take, again!

The new tot is going to school!

2006-08-14T23:27:00.000+08:00

Stressed right?

Just turned 1 a week back and now Mom & Dad (M&D) already enrolled him in school. What happened to a free careless childhood? Hmmm... anyway before you started thinking we are the typical kiasu Singaporean parents, I kid you, we are not. Really. Such classes start from 8 months and have been full every term - there's even a waitlist I heard.

So at 12months old, we are really considered slow.

Anyway, the main aim of the class is for him to socialise. He is really a shy boy. When I had the playgroup w 2 other boys few weeks younger than him, he was the only one who 'frozed' ie immobile, and just looked and stared at them. Not even tried to near them nor play with toys together. He simply sat and looked. I do know he is an observant child, but thats besides the point here. He is just shy.

So we enrolled him in this school - I love its name - Growing Up Gifted (www.gugifted.com). He will be attending the Sunday lessons from 2-3.30pm and they will teach music, art, craft, phonics - err thats all I rmbr, but I think there shld be some other activities to keep the kids busy! Anyway if u're interested to know, can check out their webbie but I will post again our experience at the 1st lesson this Sunday!

Hopefully little star will be able to sit through the class and learn lotsa stuff from there.

I am planning to enrol him in a baby gym too - to train his movements and physical development - he is still a very careful kid - treads w care, look left right before taking a step etc :) But lets take things step by step - lets see how this GUG goes first!

Happy 1st Birthday!

2006-08-12T13:58:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was K's FIRST BDAY!

I am so forgetful nowadays that I didnt apply leave for that day and ended up going to work - oh well least my work hours are only half days! These are few pics of K in the morning, we usually drop him in the play pen before going to work as his GM will be busy cooking his bfast of either scrambled eggs or oats. With the early morning sun streaming in, it looked like K's in a halo of beautiful mist - almost like an angel - note, almost as it is too scary (and impossible) to think that a year olds can be anything like a real angel!

The day was spent like any other ordinary day... I came back from work, tried to put him down for his afternoon nap - which he refused as he had slept a full 3hrs in the morning. So I took him out to the garden for a ball kick around and some baby exercise - err, he only knows the basics of crawling and creeping :P Here are some photos of K in the garden in hi-action!

Here are some photos of K smiling and laughing, playing with his grandparents before taking his evening bath:

As with all birthdays, I insists that K needs another cake - afterall today is his real bday! And for it to be mementous and significant, I want my son to have a # 1 bday cake... I reminisced my childhood and from photos I could recall that I usually have 2 bday cakes when younger - one huge numerical one and one normal one as bdays are spent at both grandparents' place. Hence, his grandparents bought him the significant number 1.

When we collected the cake from the club this afternoon, I have to admit, the design's a little disappointing as the silly chef/baker at the club decorated it so dark and with decors that are fit for adults - I had pictured in my mind a cheerful bright numerical 1 with cartoons and a white background. Alas, its not meant to be, but I guess the main thing is that least it is in the shape of 1. And as it the cake is covered in gooey US choc fudge, it turned out yums of course.

Here are some posey shots of the bday star with his parents and grandparents.

The birthday star with his 2nd humungous 3kg choc gooey cake:

Here's a little photo of us small family to mark the end of a beautiful, significant and meaningful milestone in each of our lives.

Goodbye baby, Hello toddler!

[Note to Daddy : We survived the First Year!!! :) :) :)]

His 1st Party!

2006-08-11T22:29:00.000+08:00

Saturday 5 August 2006, 12.30pm

We invited relatives and some friends over to our place for a small do for the little one who will turn 1 in a couple of days. As per Chinese's belief, birthday ought to be celebrated early, if not on the same day. Cant do a day later. His actual birthday falls on 11 Aug which is a Friday hence, I (the Mom), decided we shall have the do the Saturday before!

We catered a local menu from Mum's Kitchen - the spread was huge, but I find the food OK only. It costs a hefty $20 per pax! Thats the deal it seems if you want to have Mee Siam, as well as like 25 other dishes haha! As usual most of the food's not consumed hence relatives pack them home as they left - I am so grateful for this, as otherwise, I really dunno how many meals and weeks we will have to devour the same food!

The morning started off with WK and I blowing lotsa lotsa balloons and tie them in a bunch of 5 - think we prob blew like 30, and K found it interesting enough to sit on his hi-chair without much fuss eating his Cheerios. I was definitely happy that he found what we did interesting enough to sit on his own. Here are some of the party decors:

After breakfast and his morning bath, we tried to put him to sleep but he simply refused. He must know that his parents are up to something with the slight buzz in the air. I was actually counting the seconds and praying he will sleep soon as I still have some chores to do before the guests arrive at noon - at that time, while K still has his eyes wide open, it was alr 11+. After a whole many many many many minutes of struggling and him wailing, his Grandma came to try to put him to sleep. Phew I was so glad I can handover... This is a picture of him sleeping away (Grandma did succesfully coax him to sleep after some crying :))

He only woke at 1pm after some guests have arrived. Changed into his new birthday suit (see new? it means there are physical clothes) and he came down for lunch of porridge. With many guests milling ard him, he finished his porridge wo a fuss, thank goodness. Lucky for that day, there wasnt much need for 20-30toys/items which his GM usually gives and that he throws and strewn all over the floor. Here are some photos of guests (realised we didnt take much at all!) and K of course!

We finally brought out his wonderfully beautiful (and yes, costly) 3D cake - chosed a Teddy as he was simply in love with teddies about 1.5mths back. Now he seems to like the rubber duck more. But what the heck, the cake simply look divine:

And this is K having a taste of his 1st bday cake!!! :)

And of course, before I forget, K with his tower of presents - its great that guests bought him many many gifts and toys, we definitely wont have toys in our shopping list for the next few months! Btw before you start wondering which funny person, or perhaps, drunkard, gave K a Tiger beer hamper, please allow me to disclaim that actually its not part of his gift - WK actually won it from Stomp - he participated in a World Cup 2006 contest.

And before I forget, these are the lovely party favours I customised for the kids. I didnt want the usual pack of chocs/candies with small toys, I wanted something more interesting and nice for the kids to play with. Got some Ty beanies and tied small balloons ard their neck. Also wrote the small little gift cards... I think it is a spanking gift!

Overall we had a wonderful time organising the event and it was definitely not tiring as food was catered and bday cake delivered. We just had to smile and greet the guests.

Thanks all for coming, and making K's 1st birthday bash a wonderful one! And thanks too for your well wishes for our 2nd one who is currently in me tummy! For those who dont know yet, I am in Week 14.

how he behaves when he is angry

2006-08-10T11:15:00.000+08:00

Should you,
1. Scold him for his misbehaviour;
2. Stop him from doing something by giving him a stern NO;
3. Pries something out of his hands which he is not willing to let go

He will
1. Scream at you
2. If you maintain your cool, he will shoot you this "I am angry with you look & you should not have done that" look
3. Stare at you a few moments with the above look
4. Raise his hands and slams his little hand across your face (yes, he hits nowadays)

I scolded him one day last week after he hit my face for scolding him and refraining him from snatching my glasses, he then suddenly looked guilty and tried to hide his face whilst at the same time, still try to cling on to me. Think he realised he did something bad as I continued to sternly stare at him with this "You are naughty look & Mommy did what was right". After his shy looks, he tried to cuddle his way into my arms and make me smile.

After my staring incident, he then started with his momentary stare as depicted above.

Kids learn fast.

Dunno if he had learnt how to hit from us as we did spank his hand once or twice in the past when he tried to grab something he shouldnt. I tend to think it may be reflex as he had always hit his toys with both hands while playing... so really not sure!

Whatever it is, as he is at this sponge-observation-learning stage, it is best to be careful with all actions and words!

so he understands

2006-08-09T22:53:00.000+08:00

We were out for a walk tonight with Rusty.... on the way back, K had his left thumb in his mouth - this is the only thumb he sucks - and Rusty was just walking on the left side of his pram.

So Daddy said "Kayden, you can reach your hand out of the pram and be able to touch Rusty".

To my amazement, our dear boy promptly reached his right hand over his body to touch the dog! Wow

Then Daddy said "Kayden, Rusty's on your left, so you should reach out to him with your left hand".

And guess what, immediately he pulled his thumb out of his mouth and reached out to touch Rusty.

Needless to say, this easily impressed Mom was really AMAZED - so 2 days shy of his 1st bday, he does understand us! Double, triple, quadruple, oh just make it a million, wows.

the weighty issue

2006-07-31T23:14:00.000+08:00

for faithful followers of our blog, you would have remembered in one of my previous post re concerns abt K's weight - at that time, he was I think 4-5mths old, and weighing 9kg.

6 months later, as K's 11.5mths old, and turning the big ONE, he is still only 9kg (OK fine, if we want to be exact and scientific about it, last Sat he was 9.11kg). Served me right for 'complaining' that he was growing too big too fast and for my then concern that no diaper will fit him before he turns one - as I was thinking that he would always grow at that super speedy rate!

Sigh.

See pictorial evidence for the big difference in size:

Being the chubby times at a younger age

And now, the smaller times when older!

I was studying the growth by age chart contained in his Health Book. At birth, he was like 90 percentile (weight wise), at 4 months, he was 97 percentile. At 9 months, he has dropped to about 50 percentile, and now, he is a miserable 30+ percentile. Length-wise, he is also going downhill. I guess when other babies start to grow, he stops.

The PD has been saying it is normal for a big baby's weight gain to slow down once he turns 6months. Hmmm... K's simply stopped - unless you count and consider the 5grammes per month as gains? To me, thats way below average. PD says, if we want to, we can put him on Pedia Sure after he turns 1 - that is a supplement (I think) for babies who are small. Double sigh. WK comforts himself by explaining that K cant be big, based on both of our genes of small built. Hmmm...

If I had learnt my lesson well, I will not complain this time. I will simply look at the brighter side of life and say a thankful prayer that he has been most importantly of good health. He only had fever once (caught the virus outside) and runny nose 2 or 3 times. Nothing else. For that I am truly truly glad.

Guess as with all moms with small babies, one will always harbor the hope that this too shall pass and one day, he will be big tall and strong.

Growing up, growing old

2006-07-30T00:56:00.000+08:00

I have just uploaded some photos of K taken in the recent months - from June I think... and it suddenly dawn on me that we are really losing our baby as he starts to look more and more like a boy, a toddler! He will turn ONE in 2 weeks - time really flies! Kids really grow fast, making parents realise that they too are ageing, and this is all just a natural process.

I was reflecting on the events that have gone by, and also events that will happen in the future... and I wonder, really, how come a baby / child is never delivered with a manual? When one buys an electronic gadget, or anything that requires setup, there will always be this reliable booklet from the manufacturer. And, setting up (or raising) a child, is by far the most complex thing - all parents should come equip with the know hows - at least the basic answers to the how, when, why, where, what. Wishful thinking. No matter how much science progress, this is something that will never happen.

As parents, all you get is this chance to make a life and bring him/her up the best way you deem fit - there will be mistakes, obviously, you just keep on wishing you are heading the right way. And that your child will grow up good, if not the best (from all aspects!)

Here are some of the photos of Kayden with WK's family taken last weekend, and boy, he really looks like a boy!

The traditional anklet

2006-07-29T00:39:00.000+08:00

Kayden has worn an anklet on his left/right foot since he was a few days old (after my mom came to visit us and brought with her a sterling silver piece).

I think a lot of people wonder why did we let him wear it? And mostly, why so "chee-na" and traditional? But not many did ask.

The reason why I had adopted this old fashion practice is cos, it really works as an effective baby monitor. I will know when he is awake, on the move, his distance from me and etc, even without laying eyes on him. It is simply great! And I dont even need to test reception or battery strength or worry of a flat battery like our electronic chicco one! Which is actually a one way walkie talkie :)

I dont mind too, knowing the general belief that it wards off evil! Though not a driving factor, I dont mind this common belief to be true.

He is now on his 2nd one - a piece which is thicker, longer and can lasts him to his toddler years - so my mom says. We shall keep the 1st one for our next.

Features, gender & societal stereotype

2006-07-15T18:27:00.000+08:00

Big round eyes.

Very long eye lashes.

Creamy white porcelain skin.

Soft wavy brownish black hair.

The above are the distinguishing features of our son, which regularly invite comments like:
"What a lovely daughter you have... "
"Oh look at the long lashes, baby's a girl right"
"What bright round eyes she has"
"Oh he's a boy, never mind, with features fit for a girl, your next will be a daughter"
"Oh a boy! With features like that, too bad not a girl"

Hmmm... Ever since he turned 6 months, people have been getting his gender wrong - perhaps further sharpening of the above features. If you're thinking perhaps its his clothes that are giving misleading info? Nope, he is always in boy colors eg blues (mostly), white, green, etc.

As a mom, I always tot he look boyish! Guess as he grows up and becomes even more active, rough and less shy, there will less of a mistaken identity!

1 n half tooth

2006-07-13T22:03:00.000+08:00

For all those interested in the physical development of our little star....Daddy is glad to announce that Baby K has 1 healthy looking tooth + half a slanted tooth. Not too bad for an 11mths old baby!! Surprisingly, Baby K doesnt display the normal signs and symptoms of teething. For example, fever, gum itchiness/irritation and grouchiness.

And with his newly developed 2 teeth, Baby K is able to flash that cheeky little grin (which actually reminds me of some 'chee kor' old man sitting at the bus stop) and of cos, sink them into the nice juicy grapes that we pop into his mouth after dinner. The new teeth will also help equip our little baby with his 3rd weapon (1st one being his screaming & 2nd one is swinging arms and legs). Baby K didnt take long to discover the usefulness of this newly acquired weapon.

Baby K taking a bite.. Ouch!!

Daddy is fully aware of the importance of good dental maintenance. Just take my 1st and current dog (Bobo & Rusty) for example, Bobo didnt get good dental care and ended up having the worst breathe (till his dyingdays) one could ever smell. Rusty on the other hand, did get a better start than Bobo and his breathe doesnt stink as badly. So once every 3 days, Daddy would put on the rubber brush over his finger, cover it with some baby toothpaste and brush Baby K's tiny little teeth. As you are aware, there are currently many different types of flavored toothpaste, but i find it disgusting to try them. Can you imagine brushing yr babies teeth with a strawberry flavored toothpaste??? How can one sleep with the strawberry smell lingering in his mouth?? Anyway,Baby K simply loves to lick and chew on the rubber brush and it feels good on my finger as well. Nothing like a good massage on my tired finger at the end of a work day.

So after every brush, Baby K would get his pre-sleep wash up and Daddy and Mommy would tuck him into his bed to sleep. With the soothing back ground lullaby playing away and the cool air-con keeping the evening heat away, Baby K will drift away to sleep, leaving behind the cheeky little grin for his parents to mark the end of a tiring but wonderful day.

World CUp Final Edition

2006-07-08T16:31:00.000+08:00

Just realise. The World Cup is ending even before Kayden can be fully educated on "what is Football".
Anyway, last few weeks have been kind of tough on the daddy. Having to juggle between Baby K, work and World Cup. Haha. Of course, Baby K is the priority.

Mommy TT is in Bangkok AGAIN!!! This time, for a week, leaving behind poor daddy and Baby K. We did well though. I thought the weeks were tougher when Baby K's grandparents went for the holiday cruise. Good news is that Mommy TT is coming home this evening. Hurray!!

Honestly speaking, daddy doesnt really contribute much to Baby K's daily 'welfare and maintenance'. Luckily, there is always Baby K's grandma around, who is forever so 'On the Ball'... really hope Baby K will grow up to be filial not only to his own parents but his grandparents as well.

We started off the week (w/o TT) badly. Baby K simply wouldnt & couldnt sleep at night. He woke up at 130am and slept at 3am and woke up at 5am again. In the end, Daddy had to take urgent leave due to lack of sleep.,... Over the first few days, we also realised that Baby K wasnt drinking enough milk. Apparently, he doesnt like the new bottle of "Enfa (A+)" and we had to rush off to buy the usual 'similac' milk. Not to mention, without TT around to supply fresh human milk, Baby K was only drinking an average of <300ml milk per day. Luckily, things picked up and all thanks to Baby K's grandma, Baby K was coaxed into drinking an average of 500-700ml per day.

The rest of the week was rather smooth sailing but i suspect Baby K's grandma must be exhausted. Baby K slept through the nights for the rest of the week and i did not have to 'brew' his 'similac' in the middle of the night. Thank god!

And so, here we are, the day before mommy TT returns. Meaning daddy can try to watch the world cup finals and 3rd & 4th placing game. And sadly, Baby K didnt get a chance to be involved in the World Cup but we did take a few cameo shots of him with a pair of soccer boots, a soccer star and pitch like grass. Hopefully, 4yrs later, he can join his family in watching the tournament and i've no doubt who will be screaming & cheering the loudest then.

World Cup Edition #1

2006-06-24T21:57:00.000+08:00

Guess who i caught doing last minute research!!

Hey! Baby K not surfing for World Cup news but his own blog page!

Retrain. Reskill. Reemploy.

2006-06-22T00:10:00.000+08:00

Not ever since Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston starred in the movie 'The Body Guard' 13 yrs ago, have i seen the same level of dedication shown by a 'protector' of another being.
Never let him out of your sight. Never let your guard down. Never fall in love.
Starring Rusty as the body guard, Kayden as the young innocent little star, TT as the little star's mom, myself as the sick old man.

.....

The above was WK's unfinished & unposted entry on 14 Jan. Rusty was really an extremely protective dog of Kayden altho he never liked him much (even until now). He will growl and stand guard if a stranger approaches K - when I say stranger, it means anyone who has never carried him, this includes the maid.

My in-laws' maid, only does house chores, we dont need her to mind or handle the baby... hence, she never carries K. Rusty once pounced on her and knocked her off her feet when she squat in front of the little star to entertain him while Grandma was busy preparing the star's milk feed. He had many a-times, before, squeezed between her and K when he thinks she has come too near.

He protects K similarly when the other dog in the house, Yogi, goes too near K - he will come in between and shove him away. When Grandpa's friends came over, he barked and growled at them when they tried to talk or touch K.

Now that K's bigger, and he has settled better into the house, plus its occupant ie people and dog, we dont really see the bodyguard in action anymore - we'll need to check it out next time there is a stranger in the house!

But that doesnt mean the bodyguard is out of job - he has actively found alternative employment (govt's new intiative to retrain, well, we have a big supporter here)... he is still working for K for sure, now he is just the Ministry of Environment equivalent - ie he is a cleanliness officer.

Any scraps of food, bits of fruit, etc, once dropped on the floor, will be immediately lapped up. We dont ever need to use a broom or a mop. Rusty is really THAT effective. So, when K has his 3 meals a day, Rusty, will definitely be close companion - no need to ask. I guess judging by proximity, he still behaves like a bodyguard to a certain extent?

P/S. I wanted to put up a photo of K and Rusty, but by golly, they are never together long enough for us to snap any! Rusty will scoot off once K comes near him, what a strange, yet protective dog.

Mini man

2006-06-21T00:07:00.000+08:00

10 months.

That's how long it takes to make this

Into this

Amazing.

Happy 10 Months!

2006-06-11T23:11:00.000+08:00

K's 10 months old today!

And instead of being happy, cheerful and contented, our silly boy had the worst (so far) case of separation anxiety - sorry, make it mommy-not-carrying-him-anxiety.

To me separation anxiety only happens if he doesnt see you right? Well, my son is totally not pacifi-able, unless I carry him. Carry. Even if I am right next to him, in front of him, nope, nothing works. Not even holding hands. He will wail, shout, cry - the real kind, with lotsa tears streaming down his face, for as long as it takes for me to take him in my arms. Then he will still be sobbing softly for a while.

Our poor boy definitely feels extremely insecure. I think it is cos he realises his grandparents (my in-laws) are away - they are on a holiday - and thus he is very very very scared I will leave too. He even had to take a look of his dad before he willings himself to sleep last night.

Babies at this age, I know, have separation anxiety, I guess this is something that will pass.

In the mean time, I will just have to:

- endure aching arms, from carrying him all the time
- pee with him in my arms
- pray and hope he will be OK tomorrow as my mom is here to take care of him whilst my MIL away - that he will quickly get used to her
- accept and tune my ears to high volume of cries and shouts.

One good thing, so I tell WK, at least we know he will not make it easy for anyone to kidnap him!!

Kayden - Happy birthday honey... Mom & Dad loves you gazillionly a lot. So does your 3 grandparents... Have a happy 2 more months to your 1 year old. You have been a joy for sure, and will always be. No doubt, you are getting more and more challenging by the day :) Guess people call this the wonders of being parents? Love always.

It has been a journey

2006-06-11T22:30:00.000+08:00

Its ironic reeally... when it comes to breastfeeding.

In the first 5 months, I have like tonnes and tonnes of expressed breast milk (EBM) in the freezer until I completely ran out of space and storage containers, and some milk expired and thus we had to fed the dog. Now, 5 months later, I only have 2 miserable little bottles in the freezer and I have quite likely given up expressing.

Looking back, bf certainly aint easy peasy to me... I've had everything (luckily except mastitis and painful engorgement) - excess supply (leaking), inadequate supply (leading to use of fenugreek) and inability to get a let down - hence, milk is 'stuck' inside refusing to come out. Seems like something happens every month.

I had wanted to fully bf him up to a year, and then supplement with formula. But alas, it is not to be, at 10mths, he has started to be supplemented - when I am away. My supply is still there, and thus I will still feed direct (which is no problem) when I am with him. I will still try to pump when I am at work, so that supply is not affected.

Problem with let down is simply the worst cos there is no simple cure - I called LLL and they confirmed it is all in the mind... I tried all techniques they offered but it still doesnt work. I guess I am someone who really cant relax when the going gets tough - I think at the back of my mind, I tell myself I need to pump more to stock up - which unconsiously led my body to tense up and hence, discourage a flow. In the beginning, I had thought it could be the pump - cos it got worst after I changed a pump, which I quickly changed back - but no, trying 3 diff kinds of pump (electric and manual) still didnt make any difference.

My problem was confirmed to be psychological in nature as I could suddenly express twice the usual amount when I was away for training in BKK for 3 days. The best part is, I know that everything pumped are to be discarded - cos I will not be able to store the milk correctly and bring it back home. Over 3 days, I threw away 2litres of milk - an amount which would need me 20 days (ie a month) to get at home.

I am sincerely glad though, that I have a wonderful hubby who simply supports me and thinks I had already done a wonderful job - as I had fully bf K for 10months. He is supportive that K be supplemented and I just give him what I have. Actually to be frank, I felt guilty (very guilty) when I realised there is no way I can pump enough to fully feed him when I am away. I felt inadequate as a mother.

But now, I have come to terms with the situation. I know I have done my best, I will still try, I will still pump, and we will still give him what I have... and I know I have not failed him cos I know he is a much stronger baby than others who have not had the privilege of breastmilk.

One other benefit from this wonderful journey, is also that K is much much closer to me than anyone else... There really is a strong bond for mother and child as a result of bf. I can calm, soothe, pacify him... anything. Not to mention, I am in his list as "Most Preferred"...

It really hasnt been easy - when ppl tells me that they think I had it easy, little do they know....

I count my lucky stars though, that there is still supply for him and I can still latch him on direct when we are together. And resultingly (yippie), I dont have to prepare the bottle yet!

The Whistler

2006-06-09T16:28:00.000+08:00

Nowadays Kayden wakes up later - phew! :) We sometimes even have to wake him up at 820am as we're leaving for work - read somewhere it is good to reset their internal clock. He used to wake up at 7ish... so this is great, trust me :) Someone who loves sleep like me, simply relish and savour the extra second, minute we get.

This morning, I couldnt believe my ears - heard it once, stunned, then listened again - since I am usually hard of hearing (my colleagues can attest) esp now, with flu, my nasal and earway passages are blocked again - I seek confirmation with WK - "Am I hearing it right? He is WHISTLING???"

He went, "Yeah" and went on to wear his clothes etc, as if nothing extraordinary.

I was like, wow, whoa, wait a minute, this baby - 2 days shy of 10months, can whistle???

Has anyone ever heard a baby whistle??? I havent, pretty darn sure. I myself, at age 28yrs plus several months, cant even whistle myself.

I am still amazed :)

Kayden's first World Cup

2006-05-31T22:07:00.000+08:00

2006 - The year of the World Cup

Kayden's first World Cup!!
Over the next few weeks, Baby K will bring us through the up and downs of this special events.
Keep a LOOK OUT!

3 Nites with Kayden

2006-05-31T00:00:00.000+08:00

19 April 2006-TT went to Bangkok for a 4 days 3 nights training.
Daddy finally get to spend some one-on-one sessions with Baby K.

Wednesday (19 Apr 06)

Got home early at about 630pm to send TT to the airport.
Together with Baby K and Rusty (who sneaked out of the house and into the car), we all kissed TT goodbye at the Changi airport. Fed Baby K at 8pm before tucking him to bed. Fed Baby K again at 1am.

Mistake #1 - For one reason or another, everybody except me seems to know that breast milk CANNOT be mixed 'physically' with formula milk. Just two days ago, i was asking some young + middle age aunties about what i should do when there is insufficient breast milk. They told me to supplement with formula milk. Somehow, i assume that means mixing both for feeding.

And so, i happily mixed 50ml breast milk with 50ml formula and fed Baby K with it. In fact, i was so surprised that Baby K finished it within mins. I thought i had conjour up some special cocktail!!

Mistake #2 - After feeding formula milk, ALWAYS remember to burp the baby. Again, ignorant dad didnt do that for he thought that babies who are 6mths or older knows how to regulate their body functions.

After Baby K finished the 100ml of 'daddy's specialty cocktail', I switched off the lights and placed Baby K next to me.
And in the process of feeling extremely please with myself for a smooth 1st nite without TT, Baby K performed a 'Merlion' on the bed.

Luckily for me, I was trained for this and infact, had attended a few rehearsals some months back. I cleaned Baby K and placed some towels over the soaked bed and went to sleep again with Baby K next to me. It was 2am.

Thursday (20 Apr 06)

Got to feed Baby K his dinner again today. It was a smooth feeding (Brocolli+Apple+Excessive Rice cereal) session with Baby K's granddad playing the role of 'joker' - distracting him. Baby K's grandma put him to sleep today (i realise that it takes only half the effort for my mom to put Baby K to sleep - something that i couldnt quite understand or master yet). I didnt feed Baby K the midnight meal as i wanted to wait for him to wake up before feeding him. Baby K slept all the way till 5am before crying in hunger. I was surprised that i could hear him in my sleep!! I fed him abt 100ml and send him to sleep next to myself.

Friday (21 Apr 06)

Think Baby K starting to miss his Mommy. He cries and wails when he wakes up at nite. Longing for TT's smell, voice and physical affection. Same for daddy too!! But with 2 nites of valuable experience, i had it easy again.

Saturday (22 Apr 06)

TT returns from Bangkok and everything returns to normal!!

When you know u are a dad...

2006-05-24T00:30:00.000+08:00

Never realise how much i've changed over the last 9mths until a few saturdays ago.

I was driving along a certain street and had come to a stop at the zebra crossing.
Feeling bored, i was looking at this particular lady standing by the pathment next to the street.
"Boy! Life is sooo sad" i thought she looks old and haggard and needs a new hair stylist badly. She was looking dazed until suddenly her gloomy face blossomed into a big smile. "Huh!?" Only did i realise, a little boy had crossed the zebra crossing and was happily skipping towards her. "sigh!"

I had to accelerate as the typical impatient singapore (note singapore and not singaporean) driver behind started to honk.
But as i continued with my driving, a sudden emotional surge overcame me. I realised that when i first noticed the lady, she was a picture of how i deemed my life to be - as bits and parts of a food driven functional system made up of organs.

" Life had to be heading south!" - There is nothing good about growing up and growing old especially when you are past yr peak - 20s. No longer can you walk up 4 flights of stairs without stopping for a breather. No longer is yr body immune to the after-effects of pain after some strenuous exercise. Yr BO only gets stronger each day. Yr hair seems to be shedding faster than a HUskie. You dont feel any wiser even though the story books usually associate age with wisdom. It could have been menopause but i hope not.

"The little boy lights up the lady's face in an instant" - EXACCCTTTLLYY!! Amidst the gloomy thoughts of becoming old and naggy, there is the joy of watching yr offspring grow and mature each day. Maybe that is what life after 30 means. Maybe that is the purpose of reproduction - to give us a purpose in life when we grow old.

And in another 10mins time on that particular moment on that particular day, a man will be stepping into his house , looking tired, haggard and badly in need of a new hair cut as well. And just like the lady on the street, he will be bursting into smiles and laughters upon seeing his little kid.

Life is sweet afterall.

A long absence

2006-05-09T17:38:00.000+08:00

its been a long long while since my last post - checked today and realised its almost a month - ooppsie daisy! I've been tardy, or busy? I start to recap on what has happened in the last month and the list seems endless...

Here are some of the highlights:

1. His first word = Ma Ma! And followed by Pa Pa a few days later

Nowadays he liberally uses Mama everytime he babbles, cries (especially) and complains... and he also goes wawawa... hmmm? Wee Kiat sometimes asks me, what is he saying. How would I know??? :) I actually want to teach him baby sign language but have been really tardy - have not even come to chapter 2 of the book! tsk tsk and he is coming to 9 mths old already! (supposed to start at 8 months!)

2. He can pull himself to stand - hooray!

Good that he is progressing and achieving his milestones, but goodness, it takes it forever to get him to sleep... his sleeping sequence (as per my previous post) used to be put down, turn to his sides, find the right position, sleep. Now, it is completely disastrous - put down, turn to his tummy, hold on to side of bed, pull himself up to stand, stand, look at you, calls you - ah ah! - smiles at you (thinking he is cute, and must be show-offing lah that he can now stand - just like all of us, after a while, yells for you to come to him, you go over, put him down, then the whole episodes starts again. My goodness. It is really tiring. If one leaves him alone, he will wail wail wail, yell yell, cry cry until you come over. Depending on luck, it could take up to 1.5hours to get him to sleep, or if you're lucky, 10mins. Just like buying Toto or 4D - unpredictable!

3. He calls Rusty (the dog) and Santi (the maid) Ah-ah.

He loves to talk, and calls the above. Most recently he has started to call out to eh opposite sex (much much older women - to him) eg waitresses. He starts young doesnt he? Hmmm

4. He moved house for the 3rd time

We, and our in laws, have moved to a new house. Mommy & Daddy & grandparents all busy packing, unpacking, etc... And if he doesnt sleep, then it is one man down - and that person is usually me - cos one will not be able to do anything other than to hold him or look after him

5. I left him for the 1st time ever

Attended 2 days training in Bangkok which is a complete heaven for shoppers - damn cool! Diana (my boss) commented like I am like a mad person let loose, hitting the shops and watching the clock - making sure everyone spends effective time everywhere - hey time is super limited cos we didnt extend our stay, so every second counts. And I had an excellent shopper pal as well, Jeslyn - we attended the course together, and hit it off quite well :) Diana's description of me and shopping in one word = deprived. Haha, I think I am.

6. I had another bf crisis

Couldnt let down to the pump and thus really low supply of expressed milk - think must be the stress knowing that I will be away and need to increase supply in the freezer. I could sometimes only pump 40ml after 5 hrs, milk's all collected inside, refuse to come out to the pump.

When I was in BKK, all was well, I could pump out very very decent amounts of 150-200ml per pump. Sigh.

I was just thinking abt it, and seriously, my breastfeeding journey is definitely not smooth - I envy those who simply never had any problems - one of my friend doesnt, so I know they exists :)

7. I discarded breast milk for the 1st time

Didnt keep the expressed milk in BKK as has storage constraints. So ended up throwing away 2litres of milk. Sob sob.

8. He eats porridge!

He finally eats normal human food :) I had actually didnt want to start until 9 mths, but pressure from both mothers and also because he is not gaining much weight (though doc says it is normal as he has been a big baby all the while and thus growth will slow down as he is nearing 1 yo).

So far, he takes on to it quite well, must be cos it is delicious - its really sweet :) I used home cooked vege stock instead of water and finely grined organic brown rice plus fresh fish. Thank goodness he is still eating well - today's the 6th day. Hope this continues, otherwise, feeding him is a big pain!

So based on the above (plus other unwritten ones), my absence has been caused by lack of time - and not laziness :) phew! I am back, and hopefully back for good. Cos I find that once I stop writing, the urge to pick it up again is really low. Keep the comments coming, least I know I have readers :)

He is now wailing - wants to be carried.. Need to go. No photos to post as well this time as didnt take any in the past months - guilty guilty,

See you all, tatas!

Grandparents' role - My take

2006-04-09T23:09:00.000+08:00

It is so so so so common for grandparents to look after their children's children full time nowadays - some even assume a parent's role by taking care of the kid full time, full days on all weekdays - that is, the grandchild only leave them over the weekend - on an 'excursion' back to their real home with their own Mom and Dad.

With most mothers remaining in the workforce after their child is born, it is common for grandparents to assume the role of the main caregiver. It has become acceptable, a norm in today's environment.

My personal view... I dont think it is right although I seriously and sincerely understand the reasons and rationale, I dont fully support the idea. To me, if one should have a kid, it is one's responsibility to bring the kid up - ie from doing the every day mundane of nappy change, feeding, bathing to educating etc. It is endless. It is not enough just by bringing home the $$$.

I feel that grandparents, most of them already had been through so much, should be enjoying their golden years.... taking care of a child SHOULD NOT be their responsibility. Of course the occasional babysitting is acceptable if both parties agree. A grandparent's sole role is to play and have fun with their grandchild ie they should be ENJOYING the kid, and not be burdened by the daily care role.

That is my view, and luckily, Wee Kiat feels similar.

I do understand and know people who think otherwise - as a matter of fact, the complete opposite. My MIL is one for that matter. Even before Kayden turns a month old, she had offered willingly to take care of him 24/7 - ie the day care, and even the night care, ie Kayden sleeps with her eventhough we are moving back to her place - her rationale is that she cares for baby so that we dont get disturbed by baby at night, as she doesnt want us to be too tired for work.

Of course, we did not accept her offer. We cant, as it is against our personal belief.

We do, however, leave K in her care now when we are both at work - I make sure that I take over 100% when i come back although I may be sleepy or tired as I believe that is my role, and I have to assume my full responsibility as a mother. And so that WK gets to bond with his son, he shares the baby care responsibility with me over the weekends - though admittedly, he does more, so as to make up for the time lost on weekdays as he usually only comes home after K has gone to bed.

It is however, good to know that my inlaws are so devoted to K - we are very assured that he will be in extremely good hands when in their care. And we are grateful to have parents who are willing to be actively involved in baby minding!

I guess at the end of the day, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to parents, grandparents and the child - everyone does whatever that is right for them. The most important thing is for the child to be fully cared for.

Sleeping & Kayden - another one!

2006-04-09T21:36:00.000+08:00

Looking after a baby is quite tiring, when nowadays he wakes up at 630am whilst nursing while asleep at usually 12am and 4am. So, most of the time, I look forward to him doing this:

Used to be that, he will fall asleep IMMEDIATELY when he does that. Now, he can be doing the above multiple times, but with sleep still eluding him - most of the time, he would be too interested in his surroundings - the people, the toys - that he cant bring himself to sleep although he is sleepy. How do we know he is sleepy? He will be rubbing his eyes, and usually his eyes will look bloodshot with puffy, dark rings as well :P

These 2 days, he has been needing to toss, turn and move around his bed just to find the 'right' position before he could settle down and float to cloud 9. With eyes already closed, finding the perfect spot irritates him sometimes, and he will moan and whimper. But there is nothing anyone can do, even patting his backside doesnt help. So, I just wait for him to settle himself down, sometimes as long as even 5mins!

I am wishing and hoping for the day he sleeps through the night!

P/S - Goodness, what has come over me, why 2 sleeping entries in one weekend???

Sleeping & Kayden

2006-04-06T20:44:00.000+08:00

Kayden has been trained since he was 3 months old, to go to bed at 8pm every night. As he grows older, we have strecthed the timing by half an hour, so now he goes to bed anytime between 8-8.30pm.

We had decided then it would be good for him, as there were nights where he simply refused to sleep even at midnight. So we started the regime, and it has stuck since.

The 1st night we tried, I turned on his lullaby CD, turned off the lights, put him in his cot, wished him good night, and stepped out of the room. With the baby monitor on, we left him there. After 10 minutes, we went in to check, he had already fallen asleep on his own without any fuss. Of course, he has his thumb to suckle, which was the reason why it worked. Before u think we had it made, there are nights where he is just horrible - wailing crying, refusing to sleep - our usual remedies - a pat on the back, letting him cry it out for 10mins, putting him to breast ie nursing him to sleep etc - we had our fair share.

After he turned 7months, I decided to indulge myself, I want him to be close to us, not sleeping in his cot. So I sometimes move him to our bed. We enjoyed it, or at least I know I really did as its nice to know he is wedged between us, warm and comfortable - but of course, it means Wee Kiat and I simply had to sleep, really really really at the edge of the bed to give the King more space since he usually sleep with his arms and legs WIDE OPEN - definitely not the graceful type, this kid of ours.

As most of you had guessed, indulging myself means doing so at his expense. He is so used to falling asleep on our bed now, or being nursed to sleep by this bad Mommy that it simply is torturous to him for falling asleep any other way. So it was a big struggle for us, and him, to assimilate him back to his cot and teaching him how to fall asleep on his own.

Monday this week, we tried... As soon as we put him into his cot, he turned over to his tummy, crawled to the side of the cot closest to our bed, peer over the cot bumper to catch a glimpse of us. Upon seeing us, he cried, asking for us, any one of us to carry him out. We left him, his cries turned into wails, screams. We didnt budge, we just continued to talk to him, reassuring him that we are nearby, and he is still loved, just that we want him to fall asleep on his own. This episode lasted for 10mins. I went over, positioned him back and started patting his buttocks. He whimpered but started to doze off.

Night 2, same thing, crying, wailing, screaming, the whole lot. I left him for 15 mins this time, of course, the whole time talking to him, giving him the reassurance - hearing my voice only made him shout louder. After 15mins, went to him, pat his back side and he fell asleep - this time faster than Night 1.

Night 3, I left him in his bed, he started to softly moan and whimper, I just kept on talking to him, after about 3mins, he quietened down and settled himself to sleep. He slept tummy down, as he had turned around trying to crawl to take a look at me over his cot bumper. I was really happy - as this time he did not go on his screaming feat. It worked, I didnt have a baby throwing tantrum over sleep!

Night 4, that is tonight, I put him to bed, he started to suck his thumb, toss a little, and fell asleep. I am amazed! Super amazed! I really did it. Not a sound, not a moan, cry, etc, he just fell asleep on his own. Wow. I hope this continues tomorrow and every day from now on, as it is important for babies to know how to sleep on their own, and to also enter sleep in a happy and relaxed state - they will then see sleep as something good, not something that they should be afraid of.

So this Mommy, is learning things step by step... next, I need to find a solution to his hate of the playpen!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2006-03-24T20:58:00.000+08:00

This is Kayden's 4th birthday party - 1st was Aidan, followed by Grandpa and Zavier.

Look at this - has anyone seen such an exquisite and beautiful cake? It even has a pink bow around it - absolutely gorgeous. It tastes heavenly as well - Empress Dowager from The Patissier. Wonder when, if ever, I will be able to bake such a nice cake, and most of all decorate it so pretty!!!

As you can see, baby always gets the grand seat of honour - even closer to the cake than the birthday boy! Wee Kiat remarked its as if it is Kayden's birthday :) This terror's day will come soon - in another 4.5 months - how time flies. He really will be a tot so soon! Next I know, he will be running ahead of us, and starts to argue with me!

Photos of the family

To end this happy day, one of my best friend and bridesmaid, actually gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby boy quarter of the globe away, down under in Melbourne Australia... I am so happy for her, and it is absolutely amazing to know that little baby Ethan or Brandon (name not decided) shares the same birthday as this Uncle Wee Kiat. I cant wait to see them, hopefully we will be able to make the trip in July/August this year, and hopefully they are around when we go. If it is anything to go by, this little baby will be as 'kuai' as WK - so WK predicts :)

And message to Evie - Welcome to the new world of motherhood! You will be a wonderful mom! Must learn to relax and take it easy yeah! :)

Run Daddy Run!! - Finale

2006-03-20T00:11:00.000+08:00

The time reads 12min 33 secs....
Kayden's dad has finally passed his IPPT on his 5th attempt!!!! :)
Not exactly a feat to shout about, but it certainly made my day.

"Mind over Matter" TT has been sarcastically repeating this sentence to me. I made known to her the true meaning of this sentence when i thought i was fitter (some years back). I still believe in "MInd over Matter" but not totally applicable to my 2.4km run. Not when you are someone who hasnt run for a year or even walked much. On my 4th attempt (i thought i could pass then), i tried real hard to visualise Kayden & TT standing by the road side cheering me on (like i did last year). However, the pain barrier kept coming at me so hard that the only thing in my mind was 4 words... "so tired" ...... "give up"... luckily, the good thing about being a lazy person exercising is that you are either too lazy to digest the sentence or your body is too slow to react and before you actually understand the command, the run was over.

For this 5th attempt, i had to put on my asics running shoe and TT gave me a good luck charm (Kayden's socks) to put in my pocket. I thought i could pull out the socks to smell half way through the run but decided against it as people might think that i'm crazy and unhygenic. Nevertheless, i still pass and although the incentive is not sufficient for more expensive purchases for Kayden, I feel well compensated for not having to attend any remedial training. Not to mention, i received $18 for each of the first 3 attempts. So the total earnings for this years IPPT is $150+.

I come, I see, I conquer

2006-03-18T10:50:00.002+08:00

4pm, Sunday 12 March 2006

The parking lot was super congested, with motorists parking by the side of the road leading in. We had to drive many rounds, and with a little luck, finally got a parking space. By then, Kayden's already fast asleep in his car seat... hmmmm

Anyhow, we loaded him in the baby carrier and strapped him up. According to Wee Kiat the carrier is not meant for hiking or vigorous walks (per the instruction manual), but I decied that we should still use it anyway as:

1) There is no way we can lug him up the hill free-hand - our arms will be limp (if not broken) half way through - he is afterall 9+kg! No joke
2) There is no way we can push his stroller in the dirt trail

We took one of the nature trails... So here is a photo of Father and Son at the start - all hyped up

Half way through we stopped for a rest at a halfway hut - boy does Kayden look bushed! Though I assure you, he did NO WALKING nor CRAWLING - basically he did not move a muscle.

On the way up the hill, my old shoes gave way - and i trekked most of the way without soles - one of the hikers told me I will never be able to make it, but lucky i did.

It was definitely a good climb! I've never seen Wee Kiat perspire so much - his t-shirt's soaked through and my legs felt weak! But we survived the last leg - a steep slope of steps! Yippeee!!!

So this is Kayden's 1st hike - he conquered Bukit Timah Hill! It was thoroughly enjoyable and I hope we make this our usual Sunday routine! :)

The Sequel - Run Daddy Run

2006-03-18T07:40:00.000+08:00

At 645am (my guess) this morning, the Hubby's alarm clock rang - he swiftly turned it off and went back to sleep. 15 mins later, after trying to get Baby to go back to sleep (he woke up an hour ago cos of my LOUD sneezing).... I woke Hubby up. He is such a sleepy head.

Why so early on a Saturday morning?

It is IPPT time again.... I believe he has taken like what, 5 times of IPPT in the recent weeks, and FAILed everytime at running. The past 2 Saturdays, he had booked the test, intending to go, but never did - excuse? Baby woke him up at night etc etc, it is thus Kayden's fault he has disturbed sleep, hence he couldnt wake up. By golly, OK, so long as the blame's not on me.

So at this point in time, he is in Maju Camp again, trying his luck - his last weekend test date as it is only 6 days shy of his 31st. If he really cant make it again this time, then I guess he will have to take some time off work for a week day test. All this to avoid RT.

Well I hope he makes it today.

RT gives him stress - not due to the physical training, but more the time commitment. He definitely willl not be able to leave office early for RT commitment twice a week at 6pm - as it is, it is good surprise if he leaves office at 7plus. So let's see what happens - we will know in 2 hours! :)

Hubby - remember your quote to me when you were fit and strong(er) - "Anyone can run, everyone has 2 legs. And it is MIND over MATTER". Show me you still can!

Happy 7th Month!

2006-03-11T08:16:00.000+08:00

On the 11th of every month, we will - OK OK - not we, I will

1) Sing him a bird-day song. The usual:

Mom sings
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you
How old are you now, How old are you now, Happy Birthday to you, How old are you now.

Mom sings still (but on behalf of Baby)
I am xxxth month old now, I am xxxth month old now, Happy Birthday to me, I am xxxth month old now.

And yes, I do this every month :) hehe. Normally during one of my alone time with him - ie when I bathe him - hey such things private are not for every ears - pai say lah.

2) Take photos

I am determined my son will have a photo every birthdate of his 1st year. See - at least I didnt promise anything beyond that, its only 12 months.

OK OK I confess, I didnt just take one shot today, more like err... 148 shots - well, taking baby's photo not easy, some comes out blurry, wrong angle, wrong lighting, so, the more the merrier. Anyway they are all stored in the memory card, no cost attached.

See below for some good shots today

P/S. Kayden, Mommy loves you. You have been great - you've come a long way - you can now sit independently, cry when I leave you, complain when you are left in a position you dont like (ie abandoned, for a while - well, ppl cant be there all the time can they?), crawl, play with toys, put things in your mouth (anything and everything), sleep holding a piece of cloth (anything, usually your cloth diaper - your security blanket, babble non-stop, be stranger shy, eat semi-solids, the list goes on. When you are older, Mommy will go through your 1st year calender with you - I write an entry for you everyday, mainly the achievements you make and the moods you're in. Short short paragraphs.

Soothing me, soothing you

2006-03-09T14:29:00.000+08:00

First, it was his thumb

Then he discovered his fore finger

Then it was his whole fist

And now, its his tasty yummy toes

P/S. Any toys or foreign objects (includes D&M's fingers, knuckles, etc) are always welcomed as well.

Weekend of Bingo and Steak

2006-03-05T00:41:00.000+08:00

Weekends are precious... those are the only full days Wee Kiat and I spend with Kayden, unless of course we're on leave - sickies are out since one will be out of sorts.

Last weekend was a great one... lotsa sun and freebies.

Saturday

Wee Kiat tried his luck in a game of Bingo (of course, i had to teach him first, what Bingo is - this husband of mine, is really a sua ku most of the time... :))... it was an event organised by Singapore Post with a grand prize of seven all expense paid for trips to each Wonder of the World over 7 years for the winner and a companion - of course I had made a deal with him the companion ought to be this wonderful wife of his... he had dared to mention Kayden! :P

Needless to say, he didnt win, else the title of this entry would be "Round the World in 7 Years and We Love SingPost"

Oh well, we got ourselves a day in the sun though - it was good... and also our first trip east bound to Downtown East... Caught a glimpse of Wild Wild Wet - Kayden, when you are old enough, M & D will bring you there...

Got a goodie bag from the event, if not for the fact that I now have a child, who one day will love the big ugly purple thing, I would not have queued up for 15mins for this:

Well then at least we took the opportunity to take some photos of K in the backdrop of a bluey beautfiful sky...

Also, we got him a set of his own personalised, MyStamps - hey these are real stamps which can be used for local post eh - at a promotional price of $10 per set

Sunday

FIL has desire for western food - we went to Shashlik and later a stroll along Orchard Road... Camera always run out of battery at the wrong time! Didnt get to take much photos, darn! But see this... does he look girly in his too-big hat?

He loves...

2006-03-05T00:01:00.000+08:00

Finally found time to photo-admin! Decided to put one up of his current loves (other than Mommy & Daddy, obviously):

1) Penang holiday - he's super duper happy in Penang smiling laughing all the time, not the least stranger shy. One of the photos taken w GMee in the morning of the last day of his Penang holiday.

They both sure look happy together!

2) Food food food! Glorious food! Loves all sorts of food - in 3 weeks he has tried, tasted and love organic brown rice cereal with steamed mashed sweet potates, bananas, papayas, pears, honeydew and Gerber jars of organic baby mashes, not to mention plain rice grains off my lunch/dinner plates. Made a big mess when we first started, 2 weeks later, we are pros - he can open his mouth wide and swallow easily, and finally GM the entertainer can retire, yahoo yippeee hooray.

3) The bath - who will not love being bathe daily, twice a day while he lie / sits in the tub splashing water or sucking his thumb?

4) New found freedom of being able to crawl - reach out for toys, and non-toys - ie forbidden stuff belonging to adults!

5) Car rides - A car ride always lulls him to sleep, what more in his new Maxi Cosi Priori XP Top Line car seat? It looks plush, comfy and the color of a lovely soft brown teddy bear... :)

6) Sitting solo - being able to sit upright on his own gives him a better view of the world (of course TV i mean), and being able to hurl toys further away for adults to bring them back. Hmmm... also, of course, being able to see his best friend Rusty, better, and easier to reach out and grab his fur! Ouch poor Rusty doggie

Funny are grandmothers :)

2006-03-04T22:25:00.000+08:00

I've been meaning to put this up for the longest ever...

See this...

Any resemblance?

When Kayden was abt 3 months, my Mom came to Spore for a visit...

Upon seeing Ernie Ernest hand puppet on our sofa

GMee: Why did you buy that????
Me: Why not? Its colorful and cute, and its only a hand puppet... Why?
GMee: That's the reason Kayden's hair is like that
Me: Huh??

That's the 1st and only time my Mom blames me for something that happened to my son... I am still flabbergasted! It is funny actually how a grandmother rationalises :) The last thing I would expect is for her (a successful career woman who is respected by all her subordinates) to have such a funny thought!

Its way out of this world and until today, I cant help but laugh over it :)

His journey so far...

2006-02-20T21:59:00.000+08:00

I've finally done a collation of K's photos from the day he was born... from a tiny (OK some may not consider this puny, but this is his smallest ever to me) 3.76kg when he was born and now a 9plus kg at 6 months old.... He has definitely come a long was and so have we...

Everytime when I reflect on where I am, I sometimes cant imagine/fathom that I am now a mom... gone are the days where I was in my pinafore, going to and fro school, then later in uni taking exams and later still, coming to work in Singapore, meeting Wee Kiat and then getting married. Wow, time flies...

Wee Kiat has just asked me over the weekend, how do you feel now that you are a mom? I had a momentary disconnect. I am still amazed that humans can create babies, and sometimes, I feel that having a baby inside my tummy makes me an alien... I mean there is really something growing inside me... this I tell Wee Kiat quite often when I was pregnant. Now baby is born, and he is now going to be a toddler in 6 months. It is surreal, even up until now to be frank.

When I am with Kayden, I feel all the love for him, but at times like this, when we are apart (hehe in different rooms), I just cant connect to that part in me who knows I am a mom. I cant believe I have a child. Yes, I am back to this same word, surreal. I wonder if anyone feels the same?

Anyway I am glad to have taken this journey with Wee Kiat, creating this perfect baby and being able to see him grow up... everyday with him is precious, every moment with him I treasure, and being able to be his mom is something amazing. I hope he will grow up to be a fine young lad one day, it wont make us any prouder of him, cos we already are, and always will be.

I love you honey.

CNY Day 4

2006-02-19T01:28:00.000+08:00

I had tried waking WK at 6am as wanted to bring him for a breakfast of Penang Bak Kut Teh as both K and I are already awake... but of course, this lazy man cant be stirred! :P K and I had a few good Kodak moments while his daddy sleeps...

This is K's outfit for Day 4... (yes, mad mom!)

We put Kayden in the high chair for the 1st time in his life! But we forgot to take a photo of it :( The Penang trip is the start of him being in baby high chair.... He was also extremely interested in food, I gave him a bit of tofu (most tiny bit) and he also chewed and ate a couple of rice grain - I was surprised actually that he could swallow as a baby's instinct is to push out foreign physical matters from their mouths - I guess K is ready for solids! :) Yippeee.... 2 more weeks and we can officially start!

This a photo of K with his great grandma (my mom's mom!).... arrggghhh we forgot to take a photo of his other great grandma (my dad's mom!).... gosh, really need to buck up! :P

After dinner we walked around the country club's compound - the club seems to keep ex-race horses, and this is one of them... opportunity for another photo... and a 1st as well - K's 1st meeting with a horse (hmmm guess it is a meeting of sorts ;p)

We went to my Tua Ee's house thereafter and spent the afternoon there catching up... K also took a short nap in their room and played with my cousin, Hong and his fiance...

Later that night Jason brought WK and I on a food tour for dinner - we had char koay teow with duck egg, cuttlefish with kangkong, deserts - WK's fave bo bo cha cha, wan ton mee, roti tisu w condensed milk, fresh cow's milk and etc... wow! it definitely made us really full... meal of a meal!

CNY Day 3 - a day of visiting & meeting new ppl

2006-02-19T00:37:00.000+08:00

Its the 3rd day of CNY... K definitely woke up in good spirits! Was smiling away already, and his usual gymnastics of lifting his legs up to his chest...

This is his 3rd day outfit... haha if u cant tell yet, I must confess I am very vain in dressing him up... he has so many nice clothes - 1st day was in Ralph Lauren checkered shirt & Mothercare jeans, 2nd day Carters long sleeved romper & Pumpkin Patch overalls, 3rd day Osh Kosh polo shirt with jeans, 4th day Osh Kosh printed green shirt with Mothercare khaki pants... Errr, and not to mention, his pajamas are new every night, since CNY eve! Guilty guilty, and at the same time thanking my lucky stars for having such a wonderful friend like SH who is K's personal shopper - other than me! Lucky K's not a bb girl, else I cant imagine how mad I will become :)

Errr... u will notice that his pants are long although they meant to be shorts cos he has a big backside... in order for us to be able to slip his pants up, we need to get the 1 year olds sizes as he has a big backside! Guess width overpowers length! :)

This is the first time K's held a red hard boiled egg! This little rooster seems very fasnicated with it :) The eggs are to accompany our mee sua which is my mom's new CNY breakfast tradition

We went out visiting with my brother... my relatives marvel at his size - yes, he is definitely on the big side considering he's already 9kg at 5months! He is definitely the best size to hug and hold, though one's arms will ache if were to carry too long! Most commented that K looks like me, but I do think that K has a combination of both WK and my feature

Photos with my 3 kor and Tua kor

Photo with my high school friends.... its great to be able to meet up again.... we definitely can chat and pick up where we left off... WK's pretty amazed of that since he has never been in touch with his JC friends ever since he left.

Photo of some of my Grandma's great grandchildren... Of the 3 babies, K's the youngest in age but biggest in size... hehe he's definitely our little michelin baby!

CNY Day 2 & his 1st Penang trip!

2006-02-18T23:45:00.000+08:00

On the 2nd day of CNY, we flew back to Penang in the 3pm flight... K's infant airfare is 10% of normal adult fare + associated taxes and surcharges - this amounted to $100plus... its about half of our promotional airfare.

He was definitely much happier on Day 2... I think it is due to the fact that we had spent the 4th full day in a row with him... babies do know and is happier when their parents are around! He was all smiles, and lets anyone and everyone carry him in Penang...

strolling to the gate in changi airport... K's asleep! He's been sleeping since we were in the car... good boy! :)

his 2nd day outfit... a baby patch denim overall (thanks to aunt josie @ his 1st mth - dont get me wrong, the size was big - thats the only reason he can still wear now!) and a carter's long sleeved body suit (thanks to aunty SH :) - she must be K's personal shopper, buys him clothes at nearly all her overseas trip! we're so thankful to her for being so nice...)

WK's tickled fancy that K immediately puts the SIA toy from air stewardess into his mouth! the flight's pretty empty. yippee!

Mom came to pick us up... penang airport was jammed pack as pilgrims returned from haj.... once we reached home, unpacked the luggage (yes, now we are no longer able to share only a small backpack as travelling with a baby is unbelievable - need to pack his bottles, bottle brush, sterilising tablets, clothes, diapers, towel, handkerchiefs, cloth diapers - used as a pillow, his little bean bag, socks, etc etc... the list never ends! - we had to use our rarely used hardcase samsonite luggage and got it checked in as it is definitely way bigger than the allowed hand carry size! oh well at least now we can put the luggage to good use...)

Mom has this belief that she shld give K his 1st Pg bath so as to better assimilate him to the new environment... below are a few photos taken during bath time

This is photo of Kayden receiving his 1st ang pao in Penang which is from his GMee.

And no matter where they are, one can expect my 2 boys to have their eyes always glued to the telly...

We had our reunion dinner after that with my Grandma as well... K went to sleep thereafter but started to wail after he stirred from his sleep, he could not be pacified w cuddles and whispers as he got a fright being in a different place with a different smell and without WK and I around as we were washing and tidying up after the dinner... managed to finally settle him with some water... let him sleep with my pajamas the next few days and he didnt have the same problem again... phew! a baby's definitely got a strong sense of smell!

CNY Day 1

2006-02-18T22:56:00.000+08:00

The 1st day of CNY was spent in Singapore... we went visiting relatives' homes with my in-laws.... bb K's still warming up and does not smile a lot, but at least he doesnt become stranger-shy like he did when he visited my office on Friday (2 days before CNY)... With a baby in tow at relatives homes, the only conversation topic always revolves around the precious one...

receiving 1st ang pao from GP... I can grasp it well... of course, with the sole intention of putting it in my mouth immediately!

took a photo w GM and GP before going out visiting

catching a wink in the car btw visits... visiting is TIRING for K definitely, look at him! And haha he doesnt even have to walk yet!

finally came home at around 4pm - happy! finally bb K gets to lie on his tummy (his FAVORITE position) and back to the usual routine.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2006-01-30T01:30:00.000+08:00

Time flies..... another new year is here... seems like it was only yesterday where we welcomed the Year of the Rooster in 2005... now doggy is here and we've bid Adieu to the rooster...

The rooster didnt leave us empty handed thought, he gave us a small chick - little Kayden Baby... :) He's perfect! Small cute handsome and chubby!

I'm sure the new year will bring with it much joy to us, and of course heart aches as well when baby decides to be naughty - or as I call him - terrible :) but it will be worth it...

gong xi gong xi to all... we're leaving for Penang tomorrow afternoon... his first trip to my hometown and also on the plane... looking forward to it.

p/s. it is definitely a year of the firsts for kayden - and me too in many ways... our first sighting of PM Lee in person - at the same place for reunion dinner last night - he looks the same as he does on TV!

Run Daddy RUn!! - Part 1

2006-01-28T10:55:00.000+08:00

"Daddy's going to fail his IPPT!!! Daddy's going for Remedial training!! Daddy's not coming home before Kayden goes to bed!!"

Only into the first month of the new year and i think i'm going to let Kayden down by failing to meet his NY resolution.

"What's Wrong, Daddy?"

Last 2 weeks sums up the lousy start to Daddy's new year. I caught a cold in the first week and just as i thought i've recovered from the cold, stomach flu gave me a 2 day knockout punch. Not to mention, SPC share rose another 30cents after i sold them. I could have bought you more OshKosh shirts... shit!

"Daddy you must pass yr IPPT!!?"

Just how am i going to beat the odds in passing my IPPT? Two more months to the deadline, and i've yet to start my training. Forget about getting gold or silver awards or rather earning enough incentive awards to buy Kayden 'L-size' pampers, i'll be lucky enough if i can pass without any incentive awards.

"But you did it last year, b4 i was born!"

I remember at exactly a year ago, i managed to pass my IPPT on my second attempt by 13 secs in my 2.4km run a few days before the deadline. I was lucky then. I remember i had to invest $100+ in a new pair of 'Asics' joggin shoes and had to imagine real hard images of a rather pregnant TT standing by the road side cheering me on as i half-ran half hobbled over the finishing line. My timing read 12.27mins over 2.4km. Who cares as long as you pass! I even remember overtaken by people of non-combat vocation like drivers, cooks...

"Daddy do something!!! any last minute plan?? "

I promise to start training once i fully recover from this stomach flu virus and i've booked my test dates as early as possible. Daddy intends to take his IPPT test at Maju camp every week until he pass.. hopefully before the deadline!!

"Mommy and Kayden will be behind you all the way!!"

yeah.. this year, i will be imagining you and Mommy standing by the road side cheering me on :)
I'll make sure i look good and run with style even if i cannot pass.
Lets keep our fingers crossed... Luv Ya!!

Daddy's sick

2006-01-24T20:58:00.000+08:00

With a title like that - my mom will definitely go "NOT AGAIN!" You see, WK and I seem to have been taking turns to fall sick ever since I went back to work - mainly flu, not much variation until today...

Wee Kiat has been diagnosed with stomach flu... my first reaction - WHAT IS THAT? I googled it and got about 2.5MILLION hits - no joke - wow! seems like a common topic and yet I dunno! - really makes me feel like a hermit...

According to the doc, it is highly contagious and thus WK has been quarantined since yesterday... he eats, sleeps and lies curled up in his brother's old room. Stepping out only for the toilet bowl - which is being used regularly for his vomitting and diarrhea spell since yesterday!

Per this website I read, the symptom will disappear in 3 days usually, but to me, his condition doesnt seem to have improved a bit... he is still lying curled up owing to bad stomach aches/cramps, otherwise sitting up in bed, undecided if he should make a run for the toilet bowl yet.

Once he recovers, he needs to get his flu jab! I dont care his phobia of the needle... According to the CDC website (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease.htm) stomach flu is actually a respiratory illness and is actually the influenza - which can be prevented with an annual flu jab! Lucky I've got a flu jab recently (during the onset of the bird flu pandemic scare)... at least bb K will still have a caregiver around...

Its tough being sick, and I guess it is worst when you have to be confined all to yourself.... guess that it how it is for those with kids - passing the virus on to the kid will be even worst! If Kayden gets it, I think it will be simply simply simply terriblly horrific - see this site http://www.healthsquare.com/mc/fgmc0544.htm (gosh). So I guess WK will have to stay confined in the room all by himself until he fully recovers - which I pray will be soon soon soon....

Daddy - message from kayden - he misses you a lot and hope you get well asap to be able to play and hold him again...

Daddies' 5 Steps Approach to making Baby chuckle

2006-01-18T23:49:00.000+08:00

Step 1) Hold baby upright with 2 hands underneath baby's arms
Step 2) Lie down on the bed and hold baby above you. Make sure baby is standing on yr body.
Step 3) Repeat the sentence 'Baby is stepping all over Daddy' over and over until baby smiles.
Step 4) Sit up and lay baby down on the bed.
Step 5) Push yr face into baby's neck or chest and make continuous high pitch sound.

BABY will LAUGH & CHUCKLE!!!!

Try it!! but make sure you do some warm up exercises first.

Mommy's new project

2006-01-12T22:44:00.001+08:00

Apologies everyone who has been visiting regularly to check on updates, this blogger mom has a new found project - project photo scrapbooking! And thus, have not had any spare time to blog, or even go online - of course, the increasing volume of work in the office does not help a bit...

Anyway, it is really so cool to do scrapbooking & photo collages - see my 1st creation for Kayden's first holiday

It was so exciting for me to finally be able to lug home a printer from Funan on a wet Sunday afternoon - yes it was raining cats and dogs - rainwater was even leaking through Funan's lift shaft. I have been dreaming of getting a photo printer since we had Kayden... it is so much easier for a lazy person like me who could not be bothered to burn CDs of every nice photo selected and then bring it to the photo shop to be developed - that is just too tough a process!

Making the scrapbook was easy, but purely time consuming - selecting photos, arranging them in a nice collage, printing them out (waiting for the printer to print is quite long), waiting for the ink to dry (recommended 24hrs), arranging the layout, put on the doublesided tape, etc etc - you get it, the list is long!

But the final end product is well worth the time spent I believe. Of course, this is also a costly past time to have - the printer itself costs $375 (after a $40 cash back from Canon), photo papers are not cheap too (if you get the Canon ones) and of course refill ink catridges, not to mention the nice scrapbook you need to buy, as well as the doublesided tape, special photo glue, and other stationery products....

It takes close to a day to complete this album... but to me, it is time well spent! :) Cost-wise, hmmmm...... perhaps we can charge it to Kayden's account and withdraw direct from his measly savings? Since his parents have not contributed to his bank account at all.. his $ has not grown obviously, other than the 2cents interests he gets per month from UOB Bank. Hehe you must be thinking that we are so terrible to want to withdraw his $$$ and not even contributing in the first place! But dont worry, we wont, scouts honour - he gets to keep his every penny! :)

Every Rose has its thorns...

2006-01-06T12:40:00.000+08:00

Poison once sang "Every Rose has its thorns, just like every night has its dawn.....".
I dedicate this song to all people who thinks Babies are angelic 'creatures' who bring everlasting laughters and joy to everyone all the time.

Not that i have something against Baby K or all other babies. I do not deny the joy they bring to the lives of all people around. But for those who do not realise it by now, Babies can be quite a pain in the ass.. sometimes. Their temperament can be more unpredictable than that of Mr Roy Keane's, they can be screaming at the top of their lungs for one moment and chuckling away next (once they are picked up). Their screaming ability is second to none. I bet their octave range is twice that of Mariah Carey and their stamina in screaming is like a Rolls Royce engine. Makes me wonder if Mr Kim Yong only included the 'Lion Roar' martial arts skill in his stories after his wife gave birth. In a way, babies can be as ruthless as Al Capone in his heydays. They allow no room for negotiations as i often overheard TT begging Baby K in the middle of the night to stop making a din and let her sleep. Being the only witness to such cruelty, i (needless to say) had to play dead most of the time.

So the next time someone comments that our baby is "soooo cute" & we are "sooo lucky", i'll be imagining a band of rocksters behind the person rocking to the music of 'Every ROse has its thorns"....

Sincerely,
Kayden's Dad
PS#1: Btw, last night, Kayden punched me in my eye when we were sleeping next to one another.
PS#2: I really wanted to attach a pic showing the ugly side of Kayden...but cant find one... they're all so cute!!!