Thursday 29 November 2012

Baby off the bed!

When I heard a familiar ringing, I thought "wtf" and dashed into ZK's bedroom.

NO BABY IN BED!

The night light showed a little black pile next to the bed. I turned on the light and found my baby lying on my blanket with his legs on the floor, looking a bit dazed. I picked him up and put him back to sleep...

So glad I put my thick blanket on his play gym which has a bell on it right next to him!

What happened was that yesterday morning, he woke and started coo-ing. I let him coo until he gave an unfamiliar sound. When I went into his room, I found him on his arms and tummy - he had flipped right from his back! His arms were nicely in front of him, not stuck. Well done! :)

Then last night, shortly after I left him asleep, he cried out. I went in and again found him on his arms and tummy. And it dawned on me that if he flipped to his right again, he would land on the floor!

Yes, he's sleeping on a floor bed but it still presents a good six-inch drop. I dropped off once to try and it hurt *.*

So I made a cushion for him with the play gym and blanket. The arch of the play gym could break his fall as well and the bell will serve as an alert.

This morning, he flipped on the play mat while I was in the toilet and flipped again back onto his back. He also flipped on my bed in the afternoon - that's more difficult as the bed is soft; he tried a few times.

Just now, he cried out once after I left him asleep, and I went in to find him flipped on his bed. The second time, he must have been half asleep when he flipped twice onto the cushion - not a sound from him!

Got to be a lot more vigilant now that I know he can do this without crying out. Good luck to us!

Sunday 25 November 2012

Wall decals for baby

You know how the TV always shows parents-to-be setting up the nursery, all cute and baby blue/pink? Well, we never did. But now, ZK's room finally looks cute!



For someone who doesn't like to deface her walls, I actually put up these wall decals this weekend! Well, I take comfort in that they're supposed to be removable...

Songs of the day

So CY and I went for K Lunch today - it's her birthday tomorrow yeah!! :)

We love to sing since we were kids and it's always fun singing together. We sang our favourite singles and also the fun combi of 我想飞 by FIR followed by 有话直说 by 动力火车 cos these two songs are kind of similar, not to mention being absolutely fun to stand and dance and sing! :) The last time we sang together was in November 2010!!

Today, I felt very emo as I sang and listened to CY sing certain songs. Just want to record my feelings and share the good songs here..

This was the first song I sang today - 七里香 by 周杰伦:



I love the lyrics!

Also sang 诱惑的街 by 林忆莲:



This is an old song but it remains one of my favourites. I don't know why - I like sad songs??

But happy songs are fun to sing! Like 在树上唱歌 by 郭静:



“不想对每件事情都那么严格,弄得全世界好像只剩挫折,爱一朵花不猜它能开多久,放宽了心情把什么都变美了”
“想要光着脚丫在树上唱歌,好多事物全被缩小了”
“大树上还很空,你要不要陪我”

I like that it's so positive :)

This is the theme song to the MediaCorp production, Little Nyonya - 如燕 by Olivia:



The lyrics are so beautiful! They're written by 陈佳明 who also composed the tune. I think he has written lots of songs for MediaCorp dramas since the 1980s.

MediaCorp had an anniversary show last Sunday which we missed but CY said it was quite good. I remember hearing many familiar tunes on the radio that week too - very good songs that were written for the dramas. Think these days, only the big productions get theme songs written for them.

I just told Sito how I felt about these songs and showed him the lyrics and sang him a song.

mf: If I blush, you can describe me like “你的脸颊像田里熟透的蕃茄” ^.^
Sito: Tomato?!
mf: *.*

mf: Isn't this beautiful??
Sito: Yes but what has a bird flying in the sky got to do with baba?!
mf: *.*

Nvm, I have a practical husband so that I can live in a beautiful dream world whenever I go into a karaoke room!

Liberated but anxious

Today, I had some time away from ZK. Not for Pilates but for fun. Not for 2-3 hours but for over four hours!

I felt very liberated, honestly. I wore a tunic over leggings - totally not breastfeeding friendly. I wore pumps, not slippers. I didn't tie my hair; I even flat-ironed my hair last night.

But an hour and a half later, I felt anxious. I hadn't felt like that after the first couple of times I left ZK's side. I think it's because while I was 100% engaged during Pilates, I was able to let my thoughts drift to ZK during the K Lunch session today, especially when I kept looking at my phone with ZK's photo as a wallpaper.

When ZK refused the bottle (again!), Sito called and we changed the teat again. After that, I got even more anxious. Suddenly I felt myself singing more out of tune *.*

It was great going out as mf and not just ZK's mama but I've never been so anxious for my bus to reach home! (Except when I had a bad tummy ache :p)

ZK was sleeping when I got back. He seemed perfectly fine. I think I'm going to be the one suffering separation anxiety when he goes to infant care, sighs.. But I guess I should feel happy since I can deal with that while he may not be able to. Good that he's going to centre care at a young age, before he becomes too negatively (yes, there's such a thing!) attached to mama.

Saturday 24 November 2012

Little thought..

Just watched a movie on the laptop together. Towards the end of the movie, a very familiar feeling came to me - I suddenly felt as if we were back in 2010 before Kellogg, as if there was no ZK next door. We can do this more often :)

When the movie ended, I went in to check on him like I always do before I sleep. Our precious is sleeping soundly. Won't trade him for anything :)

Time to sleep some before he wakes hungry!

When the going gets tough, be happy!

Sometimes it seems that I'm the only happy person in this household. The little one cries, obviously. The adult version, however, has also not been happy these days.

I should be glad it's not me or ZK. But I feel sian that work always enters our life in the least desirable way. Hey, the S hook on the gate is meant for us to hang up our work before entering the house! :p

I think we take vastly different approaches to work. To me, work is just a means to an end, which is to support ourselves. Like I mentioned before, I work to live, not the other way round. But he doesn't think that way. He doesn't live just to work of course but he doesn't work just to live either. So when the work is bad, it affects him and then me, hence my ranting.

I feel helpless as there's nothing I can do. Google tells me I'm not alone but that doesn't help. The only thing I can do is to choose to be happy, like what I preach. It's not pretending. The truth is while there are unhappy things, there are also many things in our life to be happy about and I'll focus on the latter.

That said, it doesn't mean I'm going to ignore my husband! I just hope that simply being there is of some comfort, even if I can't do anything more. And that my positivity can rub off somehow...

Here's to happier weekends!

Friday 23 November 2012

Three cheers for ZK!

It's a pretty warm day - great for ZK's laundry! Cos his clothes are tiny, they don't fill up the washer or dryer. The washer has a short wash function perfect for his load but the dryer goes by time. So I tend to air dry his clothes unless it's raining or I have accumulated too much.

A few loads ago, I even threw some new finger puppets into the machine - so cute :)



But they are nothing compared to ZK - check out his schoolboy charm! This new onesie looks like a school uniform. Just need some dark blue shorts..



That morning, he gave Papa his birthday present one day early - while lying next to him, he flipped! I was doing laundry so I didn't catch it but Sito said he was on his left looking up at him one moment, and face down the next! When I got in, his left arm was still stuck under him - Papa released it for the picture.



He was half smiling instead of frowning as he usually would when placed on his tummy so I guess he was happy to have flipped! But I guess it was an accident - the bed was soft and slanting towards Sito cos of the weight, which made it much easier for ZK to just roll over. Nonetheless, he must have made a great effort as well to go from turn to flip - applause!! :)

That evening, we had dinner at Jumbo to celebrate Sito's birthday so that we could stay in on Sunday :) We brought his car seat to the restaurant and he played in it for a few short blissful minutes while we ate. His jumpsuit or whatever you call that is still a little too big for him...



Ah-Ye carrying him right across from me - perfect time to take a photo of his bald spot under his swirl! :p



Oh, his cradle cap is all gone now. The last I saw of it was maybe a couple of weeks ago - just some small white flakes. I stopped rubbing it with oil for some time. So it's true - cradle cap does go away on its own around this time!

After lunch the next day, papa and son had some fun and laughter over a simple sit-up - ya, don't ask me why but that tickles ZK a lot!



Time for a proper family shot! Think the last time was at his first month! But, what was that expression?!



Went to the baby spa after that. ZK has potential - already going after a pretty jiejie in the big pool!



A reflection of the four similar-sized babies in the big pool - ZK was smiling happily!



With his grandparents at Harbourfront - he looks quite stoned after a good workout!



“你是在拍我吗?”



Took a series of pictures of him yesterday. I'm a cow so he's my little calf :)

Shocked look...



"Bluff you la.. I'm happy!"



"Ahhh!"



"Got you again, Mama!" :)



He can hold himself better in the Bumbo, good enough to hold and eat lick play with his toy, Jigajung - actually its name is Sir Prance-a-lot but honestly, the horse is a lot more visible - and tastier! - than the rider!



He fell asleep on the way home after my lunch. Must be a comfortable ride :)



I knew he would wake up in the lift - noisy lift voice! - so I took a walk around our neighbourhood. This was taken at a little rest area. I always like to see clothes hanging out. I find it very Singapore and I like it :)



He woke while I was having a bah kwa snack, looking grumpy..

"Of course I'm grumpy! I was so bored that I fell asleep, and now that I'm up, I'm still here?!!"



That day, he also found his toes - he licked one! He used to just lift his legs but now he would use his hands to pull his feet towards his face. He must be trying to do that all the time - in the past week, he has been doing that just before bedtime. I had to use my body to pin his legs down while using my hands to pin down his! That leaves me with no more hand to replace the pacifier and pat him on his chest.. It's quite a gymnastic workout *.*

A couple of days ago, I gave him some tummy time. It had been quite a long time since I did that and what a pleasant surprise I got - he is very strong now and lasts longer on his tummy before complaining!



Today, I placed him on his tummy again, and he looked straight up at me! :)



And the next thing I knew, he flipped! I called Sito in - he was working from home before a meeting nearby - and he encouraged him to flip again and he did! Even though he was starting to get tired of tummy time. Caught it on video :)



I read that it's easier for babies to flip from belly to back than the other way cos they can push off with their hands. But it seems that ZK used his legs - perhaps the weight helped? Haha! Papa and Mama are very proud of him :)

Now ZK is napping. He roused a few times but he's in his second hour now. Let's see how long he can nap today...

Wednesday 21 November 2012

DIE!!!

I've never been so shocked upon opening the door - was taking out the recycling bag for collection day.

A BIG COCKROACH WAS CRAWLING TOWARDS ME!

I gave a little scream and slammed the door shut, ran to get the Baygon and gingerly opened the door again..

The pest had moved to the mini drain and was starting to crawl away. Who knows if it will come back? And one less roach is good for (wo?)mankind!

So I opened the gate, reached out and sprayed with all my might!

The poisoned roach moved away frantically. I just had to make sure it died lest it became more resistant to Baygon (does that happen??) so I gave chase! A longer spray later, it moved away even more frantically.

I was satisfied and returned to my whining baby - sorry babe, I must protect us! Remember that old Baygon commercial with sleeping kids? :)

PS: Pesticides these days actually smell good! But let's not breathe in too much of it anyway..

Monday 19 November 2012

Another simple day with ZK

Very soon, ZK will go to infant care. I'm enjoying these last days of mama-and-son nua-ing time with him. Just like to do nothing much at all and live by his schedule. And the weather.

Like today, we lazed around in the morning before going to the supermarket and returned to more lazing around.. But of course, it's not picture perfect.

The frustrating

Took two hours to make him nap 30 min this morning, sighs.. He didn't want to nap but he also didn't want play or watch 喜羊羊 or even nurse. I sang one line to him: 原来你什么都不想要!

Today's theme song:



The comforting

The little boy woke from his afternoon nap pouting and ready to cry. I lay down next to him to pat his little chest only to have him turn towards me and pulling at my top at my chest. That meant only one thing...

As he took in his nth feed of the day, I brushed my hand over his head as I would usually do at the beginning of a feed. Then his hand closed in on my wrist and pulled it tight against his chest. As he slowly calmed down, my earlier frustration also melted away..

His still dimply and slightly wrinkly little hand looked so cute against my big hand. And it feels so soft and warm against my hardened skin. Better enjoy it while his hands are still so baby-ish. And while he still wants to hold mine.

Friday 16 November 2012

Eat to live

After a week with no cai fan, all I could think of last night was a plate of rice topped with meat, vege and eggs! So that was what I had for lunch today :)

Am I easy to 养 or what? Hoho!

I usually eat by myself, be it during this SAHM period or when I was working - I used to pack something to eat in front of my desk so that I could cram in more work, siao right... So cai fan is my number one choice - only one hand required, next to no mess, and with carbs, proteins and vege all on one plate, so balanced :)

But I also like noodles, especially wan tan mee and bah chor mee - 白的不要油!

Auntie: 醋要吗?
mf: 要!
Auntie: 酱青咧?
mf: Um, ok!

Troublesome but the stalls I frequented at work knew my preference after a while :)

But these noodle options have close to no vege - that small piece of lettuce on top of the bah chor mee is a disgrace to the vege community. And spring onions don't count! So I make sure I have cai fan for lunch or cook more vege for dinner every day.

Once in a while, I'll indulge in less everyday (read: more expensive) options. I like my sashimi, pasta, sandwiches and burgers :) But again, they don't have much vege so I still must have something practical for the other meal of the day.

Actually, I like angmoh food a lot. If it's cheaper and has more vege that isn't raw, I would have it every day! Still remember our Evanston days - one meal pasta, one meal rice. And burgers and sandwiches for me during Sito's internship :)

But I'm generally quite easy with food. After all, I eat to live. I don't care if:

1) it's not the most interesting cai fan - I don't need variety. I often eat the same one or two vege, the same one or two meat and the same one or two egg/tofu dishes. Hey, that's some six (? :p) permutations already!

2) it's not the best bah chor mee or the mee is no longer as good as eons ago - if it's not near me, I'm not going out of the way for it. And unless something is terribly horrid tasting, I can't tell it apart from the best anyway!

3) it's not the freshest ingredients - this is very subjective. Which is fresher? The piece of chicken from a chicken which was killed at 3 am to be sold that morning to be cooked through, or the piece of tuna sashimi from a tuna which died three weeks ago at sea and was flash-frozen until it was sold to be eaten raw?

4) it's the heavenly combination of parsley and cheese in the tenderest part of the perfectly smoke-grilled veal blah blah blah.. Eh, speak English! I like watching food shows - simply looking at some foods is enough to make me drool, but please, no running commentary! What do I care if this fish melts in your mouth?! And I'm not interested in seeing half-chewed food in your mouth too. Just shut up and eat.

That said, there are some stuff worth living to eat - chocolate for one :)

miso: Cos you can't eat that to live?!

Anyway... Spent a simple quiet day with ZK today. He didn't laugh much but he didn't cry much too! :p A surprise walked through the door at 5 plus this evening - Sito came back early! So we had dinner together. And he's next to me on the bed with his laptop *.* Well, at least he's here :)

ZK turns four months!

And his Papa keeps thinking ZK is one month younger!! *.*

Anyway, we went to the Gardens again yesterday. This time, we went up the OCBC Skyway. Lucky for us, it was not too hot as it was a cloudy day. The breeze helped too!




Digression: TO commented over tai-tai dim sum on Monday that this was a very torturous position for ZK - so close to the milk yet cannot drink!! :p

Besides the nice views, I was also impressed by this sign - eight don'ts vs. three do's!



Anyway, ZK got fussy somehow.. LS thought that was cute hence the picture ha! Quite funny indeed!


Source: LS

Another picture of ZK crying next to V-jiejie who looked like she was falling asleep, sitting! Eh, ZK, can you do that too?


Source: SSY

Anyway, back to the Gardens - we went to the Flower Dome to cool down after the Skyway. ZK was sitting upright in my sling here. Nowadays he much prefers to be upright. And he knows how to look into the camera, this little poser.. But my dear, what expression was that? :p



He probably looked like that when looking at Nemo too *.*



The baby spa upgraded their single pool - it now has a glass front! Doesn't this remind you of looking through the glass window at a hippo partially submerged in its pond? :p ZK even has the hippo fat folds!



Random food picture :p We had Blackball after the baby spa two Sundays ago!



This is the third time or so that I tried the Bumbo - he's still a bit wobbly in it.. Let's see what happens in a couple more weeks.. That is, if his thunder thighs still fit *.*



Oh, my handsome boy! A bit beng beng with the up-turned collar though..



Check out his 蜡笔小新 cheeks! The eyebrows aren't quite there yet but I guess they will - just look at the parents!



The little towel was there to catch overflowing milk as I was nursing him on our poor bed. Sometimes when I just lie down next to him, he would look at my chest and use his hands to tug and pull at my top - he seems to know that's where the milk comes from! But I guess he knows it more from the smell..

Last Sunday at the grandparents', he slept with his legs over a bolster.. His legs have been everywhere lately, e.g. sticking out of the sling or out of the bassinet *.*



Dad captured some really nice shots of ZK - he can grab things with his legs! Death by chubby thighs? :p


Source: Dad

A big laugh! I've never been able to take such a nice shot - it's just hard to play with him while welding a camera at the same time. He doesn't laugh out loud all the time but when he does, it's really fun to watch :) Yesterday during lunch at the Gardens, he started laughing out loud even though I wasn't doing anything.. Was it my face?? *.*


Source: Dad

Ewe, saliva! Today, his saliva dripped down his chin twice... An indication of more to come??


Source: Dad

He has outgrown his short plain white PJs but he has grown into a few new ones! In fact, I broke out the new PJs about a month too late - not much room for ZK to grow into.. Anyway, this is my fave :)



He still prefers to suck his fingers even though he has found his thumbs *.* Recently, he's been making more chewing lip motions too, especially when he's watching me eat.. Eh, don't bite when nursing hor..

Snot alert! :p



He has been able to remove his pacifier for quite a while now, but this week, he started being able to put it back in if he didn't pull his hand too far away! The problem is he still doesn't quite understand the need to let go so the pacifier keeps coming off :p And when he pulls it too far off and tries to replace it, somehow he ends up sucking the rim or handle.. Quite fun to watch :)

He claps both hands together when trying to grip bigger things. That's how he holds his bottle when we bottle-feed him. Last week, he managed to hold the bottle without support for a brief second!

He can also grip his toys more firmly now, although he still has trouble picking them up from the floor when he drops them as he's always lying on his back - he still hates tummy time! He can get pretty upset when that happens..

He used to hesitate reaching out for new toys but he seemed to take to this rattle instantly. Lucky boy - 左拥右抱 plus kissing another!



Just this Wednesday, I decided to go downstairs for breakfast, taking the chance to accustom him to his stroller. He seemed happy with the twin bears/rabbits! :)



We saw Papa waiting for his transport downstairs. He was still waiting when we were on our way back! Driver overslept *.*



He took a little nap when we got back, in the Sito position :p



Took this on the way to baby spa later. He seemed to put on the curiousest expressions on his car seat!



So that's how ZK has been in the past three weeks or so since I last updated on his development. Now we're just waiting for him to flip over! He's already "spinning" on his bed every morning - I often walk in to find him spun 90 or 180 degrees around. There were even poop stains on his bedsheet outside his waterproof pad when he turned out of its perimeter! Bah...

Thursday 15 November 2012

Work to live like I eat to live

The other day, I suddenly recalled that I was entertaining the thought of moving out and renting some time in 2004 or 2005. I only shared this thought but was met with a stern "you're disowned if you ever do that"!! Wtf?!

Anyway, that was not financially possible given my earnings back then actually. Hence "entertaining"... I endured living without privacy and with people I couldn't stand living with, thinking I would have to wait until age 35 to buy my own flat, but of course Sito put me out of my misery.

Anyway, one good thing about not renting - we could afford Kellogg!!!

The past couple of times I met her, Mother kept telling me not to go back to work so that I could take care of ZK. Sounds good but (1) how can I let him face me all the time when I don't have a network of SAHMs to arrange play dates with, and (2) how can we pave a better life if our household income is less for three of us (and hopefully more later) than it was for two of us last time? Not to mention our current combined savings aren't that fantastic post-Kellogg. Must rebuild nest egg!

That said, I'm not going all out to bia. Sito is busy enough. If I'm very busy too, then ZK will be a very poor thing! I just want a job that lets me be a present mum, allows me to be more than a wife and a mum, and provides some kind of mental stimulation and sufficient compensation.

So for my return to work, I rejected what HR offered me - corp comms (little experience and shit hours) and overseas engagement (how to travel?!). Instead, I found another position that HR knew nuts about - one good thing when you know people :) It's something I've not done before though I'm more or less acquainted with the policy behind it. Another new thing about it is that there's (supposed to be) work-life balance!! Just pending final confirmation now...

That's very important but I've covered enough of work-life before. Just to add that a close friend recently took a major pay cut to improve her work-life balance. Salute to her! I'm just thankful that I will be able to return to my pay grade. Nvm that there will be no more hefty bonuses since I'm not going for a hefty workload too. I'll just not sign on another massage and facial package lor *.* (It's no coincidence that my packages always started in April :p)

PS: Yup, I eat to live, not the other way round.. Although I don't reject good food when it comes around!

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Getting into a family routine

Love public holidays - Sito is around! :)

The day started wonderfully with ZK's cheerful coo-ing waking me just before 7 am. We didn't manage to have a little family lunch - more of an extended family lunch instead - but we had a little family nap and some couple time with takeaway from downstairs after the little one was tucked into bed.

I didn't realise beforehand that having a little one means expanding the family not by one but by n, hoho! So recently, we fix Sunday to have lunch with the extended family so that everyone can spend some time with the little precious (and the big one too!), which is similar to what I had as a child - we used to visit the two sets of grandparents on alternate Sundays. Just as well since Mum cooks on Sundays - we thought it's nice to remove the stress of traveling on Sundays. (For those who don't know, my in-laws live right across the road from us - do I hear gasps of shock or glimpse nods of approval? Haha!) That's why the clan is celebrating Sito's birthday at Jumbo this Saturday instead of Sunday, the actual day.

As for dinner, well, we had pizza and McDelivery (on separate occasions!) a few Sundays ago. Those were very nice couple times, just sitting in front of the TV with our food and each other's company :) So we've decided to stay in for dinner on Sundays to get more rest before work the next day - can try all the food delivery options haha! Must find something nice this Sunday - the wife is celebrating the husband's birthday! :)

So we're slowly getting into some family routine. Weekdays are usually mama and son time as Sito is often overseas. If he's not, he's back only after ZK has gone to bed and spends more time with his laptop than with his wife, bleah!

Saturdays are best for our little family lunch, and if we feel up to it, dinner outside or with the extended family for special occasions. And we tend to schedule the occasional meet-ups with friends on Saturdays.

Seems like we often have to steal time for some 二人世界 but I'm already very grateful that it's been possible at all, amid his work, baby demands and family obligations. And now that we think about it, Evanston was a great time for the two of us. Else, how to have time and privacy to make ZK? :p (which brings to question how we are going to make the next little one... Let's think about that next year...)

But of course we don't hiam little ZK in our life! He's a wonderful addition and turns this married couple into a little family. Now he's still tiny and can't really interact much with us but when he's bigger, we can have some nice 三人世界 before the next little one comes along :)

Sito has a few days of enforced leave at the end of the year. We were thinking of going somewhere. Wouldn't it be nice to bring ZK overseas for the first time? I was pretty excited by the prospect of a little family holiday. But ZK would be settling into infant care at that time, just before I start work. It could be a nightmare if we disrupt his routine then!! So, oh well, no ringfenced 三人世界 then.. We'll bring ZK out another time when he's more settled. But we're making plans for 二人世界 while ZK is in infant care during his enforced leave! Lunch dates, movie dates, shopping trips, and even a trip to the dentist! Life is good :)

Wednesday 7 November 2012

返朴归真

Had too much junk today. Don't know why, can't stop eating. Maybe my mouth is trying to compensate itself for the past couple of weeks of ulcer misfortune.. I'm now thinking about the Sara Lee chocolate cake in the freezer but I shouldn't as I've had a chocolate cupcake from Delifrance this afternoon, among others...

Bought the Sara Lee a few weeks ago after lusting after it for some months. It used to be a great treat in childhood even though it didn't (and still doesn't) have cream like birthday cakes. But now, 20 plus years later, Sara Lee failed to bring that "great treat" feeling.

It used to be so easy to be over the moon - ice kacang, rojak, the flat white floury cake/bread, some 猫猫 brand ice cream. A simple pandan chiffon cake could also be a birthday cake. Sara Lee was actually a very upmarket treat, the kind that made all of us kids gather around Mother, waiting anxiously for that one slice of heaven.

Now, access to better options has robbed me of that simple joy. I always choose super rich chocolate gateau over the good old sponge cake. I always prefer B&J or equivalent to Paddle Pop or King's. I no longer eat cheap chocolate. And kids of today may scream the house down if they don't get a fancy birthday cake in the shape of some purple dino.

But this Sara Lee thing is a call for me to 返朴归真, to rediscover the simple joys in life. Even though the first bite did not bring the expected euphoria, the excitement when buying it and the anticipation when cutting it were worth remembering for some time to come..

And maybe, it's time for me to go search for simple foods that made me happy as a child... Who needs 山珍海味?

(But no, I will still not eat cheap chocolate - don't get fat for nothing!)

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Like papa and mama, like son

His Royal Chubbiness is 6.97kg today! I must be getting stronger..I hope? :)

Was at the PD's today. Saw a different one as our usual had an emergency case. Second dose of the same vaccines a month ago. This time, he was asleep in my sling when the doc fed him the oral vaccine. He woke and cried as expected. The cries got louder with the two injections on his chubby thighs.

Asked the doc lots of questions as usual. When I mentioned that ZK makes chomping motions with his mouth whenever he watches me eat, he said I could introduce solids at five months if I wish, given his size *.* The best response yet was when I asked about ZK swiping his head and ears etc - babies have weird behaviour at this age! I like this doc :)

Very fast, ZK turns four months next week. But he doesn't look his age with his serious face and the mob of hair, both of which have invited comments - huh, only three months, so much hair, so big, so much hair!

I was telling XY who hasn't met ZK yet that he looks more like a toddler than a baby - chao lao! Then she said he must be like Sito who looked like 30 when he was 25! (But who has continued to look like 30 :p)

Now that I think about it, I was also chao lao - I have been looking like this since five!! *.* (But Sito says I still look like 25 hoho! 真会说话 :))

So well, dear ZK, you just won't look very baby-ish in your baby photos! Rest assured that you're still super cute :)

Monday 5 November 2012

No shower today!

Cos our bathroom and toilet were just flooded with waterproofing chemical this morning... Just wiped myself down like a newborn *.* Lucky Sito is in JB this week..

Apparently, we have been leaking down to our neighbour's ceiling since early last year. They complained to HDB which sent technicians to check things out. The issue went quiet all of a sudden and we thought it was resolved but HDB contacted us again mid this year.

So they rectified some external seepage but required us to fix our floors too. The officer in charge came over in September to look see. I asked for a letter informing us formally of the issue, what to do, the costs involved, what happens if it doesn't get resolved etc.

The letter arrived more than a month later! With very little details! I tried many times to reach the guy for clarifications without success so I sent him a letter, which was lucky for me cos he had resigned! The new officer came to look see again, and clarified things.

Essentially, I could use their goodwill repair assistance scheme where HDB will pay 50% and both floors will pay 25% each. But that covers only the basics, meaning that all our fixtures like toilet bowl and vanity cabinet etc will be hacked off without replacement and the new tiles will be HDB tiles! I estimated some $3k in losses and replacement on top of "basics".

Another option is for me to engage my contractor to do the same - hacking - and settle with the neighbour privately about copayment. But surely downstairs wouldn't want to pay more than under the HDB scheme!

The last option is for me to use other methods. I managed to get a contact from HDB staff for chemical waterproofing, under repeated reminders that other methods were not endorsed by HDB. (HDB lets us decide so long as we fix the problem.) The work cost $650 with a one-year warranty. I googled and figured out that 25% under HDB would be about $300-$400.

So I asked my neighbour who agreed to copay - apparently HDB told them it would be about $300 - but if it leaks again after the warranty period, we have to refund and go with HDB. Fair enough. He said he preferred HDB contractor cos they would paint his ceiling - of course la but who is going to foot my additional bills?! Not like i wanted this to happen. I even offered to paint his ceiling myself when he said it wasn't fair to ask his maid to paint. But guess what, today, the maid told me she painted their whole house by herself! Um, that's fair??

Anyway so now we monitor. The top infusion method is supposed to be better than chemical injection at the lower floor. If all is good, I'll see if they still want me to paint. Just want to settle this before starting work..

Oh, but thankfully the toilet can be used! I was thinking of hiding out at Mum's place for the afternoon otherwise, which is tough for me on two counts.

First, Mum is overseas so I have no idea where the mesh cradle is, which means there's no safe place to put ZK down except the floor - not keen since the floor hasn't been cleaned since Mum left a week ago! It would also be more difficult to settle ZK for naps as I have been lying next to him to settle him and I would feel very imposing if I were to lie on another person's bed.

The other difficulty is that, I feel like I would be trespassing, even with permission! Yes, Mum gave us a key but I've always let Sito use it. We talked about this before - Sito said maybe it's more ok for him as it's like going home like last time. Then I told him that Mother let me keep my old keys when I wanted to return it after moving out, but I never use it; I still knock when I go over even though I lived there for almost 30 years. So no, I just feel weird letting myself in somewhere I don't or no longer live in.

Anyway, long story is over. Now I should sleep before ZK wakes for a feed again.. I just fed him before writing this - he woke less than two hours after I settled him for the night. I told Sito that his son likes to bully me; he slept so well over the weekend when papa was home!!

Update 25 Oct 2016

It's been some years and so far, no complaints from my neighbours :) I've replied to earlier comments via email as I only have the guy's mobile number so I'm hesitant to post publicly. BUT! I just found the company website - here you go: winborne.com.sg. You're most welcome :)

Saturday 3 November 2012

Sleeping ZK

So here we are again, with our own gadgets on each side of the bed after a hot pot of instant noodles in front of the TV this cool rainy evening. What did we used to do before all these iP*** came about??

miso: Each other? ^.^
mf: *.*

We had two consecutive bad nights - ZK was more or less sleepless for four hours in the past two nights. He didn't fall asleep after nursing, he couldn't stay asleep. Tried to let him cry it out, but I ended up sleeping in bursts of five minutes cos I kept going to check that he wasn't going to struggle to the edge of his bed. Last night, he was staring at me with big serious eyes for quite a while - rather eerie with the nightlight on!

But today has been interesting. He fell asleep on his own - ok, I helped him along by shhh-ing; he's not so powerful like V-jiejie who dozed off just sitting next to her parents at lunch today! - five times! First in his bed soon after he woke for the day, second on our bed, third in the sling which was no surprise, fourth on our bed with us and finally in his bed for the night!

NO CRYING!!! NO NURSING TO SLEEP!!!

Asleep with his pacifier and my old PJs.. "Don't disturb me.."



But let me not be too happy yet.. Let's see how many times he'll wake tonight.. Fingers crossed...

Update the next morning...

He woke only twice :) First time at 2.30 am, just after I suddenly woke wet and engorged (my boobs spilt out of my bra on all sides!!), he drank and got drunk. Second time, I left him awake and when I checked on him later, he had fallen asleep, yay! But he woke in a pool of his own poop this morning *.*

Friday 2 November 2012

Utilities

These few nights have been very cool - like aircon without the bills!

Actually our utility bills are not high, averaging $80-$90 despite at least 12 hours of aircon a day, the washing machine, the dryer and a husband who can shower up to three times a day :p

But now that I've started cooking dinner, I don't know if our bills will be affected... Washing dishes takes a lot of water! I think if I (or hired help?) were to cook more for a bigger family, it's better to get a dishwasher. Contrary to popular belief and general perception, such gadgets are meant not only for convenience but also to save energy and water - just google it. Of course, don't run the machine with only two plates la!

It's amazing what perceptions can do. Mother has a washing machine for more than 20 years. But she has never ever used it to wash - just rinse and spin! Poor machine - it never fulfills its destiny because its owner wants to save water. Question is, does hand washing really save water?? The only way she truly saves water is that the rinsing water doesn't go down the pipe - she would run the hose into the bathroom, sometimes into a pail to scrub the floor or something. I hated it cos the door would be pushed open in the middle of a poop or a shower!

Same with aircon. Until today, that house has no aircon. Or the lights. Switching off and on again uses more electricity than leaving it on for a short while - where the hell did that come from?? Or credit cards. She berated me for getting my first cards - ya, of course I would go bankrupt for using credit cards! *roll eyes*

Anyway, I didn't mean to go into the last two paragraphs but I can't help recalling those incidents whenever I think about utilities. (The credit cards are a b-t-w mention.) Should go enjoy the breeze now :)

PS: FFFFF! The smoker is at it again!! :(

Thursday 1 November 2012

Simple happiness :)

I checked out this mum of two sitting across from me at the coffee shop where I had lunch. Her older boy looks about two or three and she was carrying her baby girl in her arms - she must be just older than ZK. I'm sure she checked me out too :p I mean, we're both mums on our own! But she's more 厉害 - she has two kids!

It's hard to cook when ZK is awake as I never know when he needs attention. That's why I cook only dinner after he has fallen asleep. So I went to the supermarket again after lunch to stock up on ingredients. ZK whined a little at the queue for the till, and two aunties in front of us let us go first! Happy :)

We also went to the post office to collect a missed delivery - my diaper bag organisers are here! Bought one to transform my big roomy bag into a diaper bag and one, well, just in case *.* Very auntie mentality :p But I'm thinking of using that for the second changing station in our bedroom when we transit him to the bigger bath tub. So organised, me! Happy :)

That was part of my first purchase from Gmarket last Friday. I suspect it's the first of many.. Also got my bib clip in the mail - actually I ordered wrongly; wanted pacifier clip *.* Just waiting for nappy rash cream now. I've added more stuff to the shopping cart for consideration. Gmarket is so evil but I love it, ha! Happy :)

This afternoon, I wasn't very successful at helping ZK nap. But I took a nap :p When I woke 30 min later, he was still kicking about! And a few kicks after I woke, he made a three-quarter flip - the second I've seen! (Pictures later - blogging on the iPad now..) And he was generally happy despite being ignored by a sleepy mama for that long. Happy :)

He kind of stopped there; could have turned all the way! Next time :)



Anyway, I helped and flipped him for some tummy time. Hello, DD!



I've done almost nothing this week except playing with ZK. I did everything by his schedule so far this week. There were two days when I was in PJs the whole day except during lunch. Lounging with him is very comfortable, so much that I contemplated bringing him to our bed next week when Sito will be in JB! But slippery slope, better not... These days when I kiss his cheeks, he will give me a smile most of the time; he used to only give a wth-did-you-just-do-to-me look! Happy :)

Sito is in Singapore for the past two weeks :) But he works long hours and continues back home :( Although he'll be in JB next week, he'll work better hours. We may even be able to chat more! So, happy? :)

I hope to still be awake when he comes home tonight. Want to see his face when he sees the fruits today - got the juicy pear he likes for the first time! It's nice to be able to do something as simple as cutting fruits for him when I'm less able to meet my old - high - standard of the stay-at-home wife like in Evanston since becoming a stay-at-home mum. I'm hopeful that I can still cut fruits for him as a full-time working mum next year. Happy :)

I love being happy. I realise that when I'm happy, I'm grounded in the present, which is good. I remember being very very unhappy after I graduated and had to return to no privacy and no independence and just about no everything - I kept thinking about my life in Oxford!! It's one thing to reminisce and another to live in the past.

And nothing beats the happiness of the simplicity that we have. I'm looking forward to having a family nap or two again this weekend. I'm pretty sure Sito and Sito Junior are too :)