Kids photos

Surely not everyone can take kids' pictures.

Case in point.

Few weeks back, we brought both kids out to get their passport photos taken as Soph needs a new travel document whilst K needed his photo updated - we dont want to be barred from entering any country, just in case the immigration rules were strict!

As it was 7-8pm, some shops were already closed. We ended up in Ghim Moh.

We went into the photo shop next to the 4D outlet. The (fat*) man behind the counter (think he is the owner too) told us he dont usually take children photos, but he will try. So off we go, to the back of his shop. He asked us to prop K on one of the high chairs, let him sit solo. With me standing next to him and WK standing next to the (fat) man (who is also the photographer), we tried to get K to look at the camera. The photographer took a couple of shots. Mostly K looked away, and none he smiled. The man stopped after a few shots to review the photos on the comp, we didnt like any as they were all just not right. He told us then that he will only take 2 more. He was rude and had been pulling a long face the whole time taking those photos.

Halfway through, he stopped, looking irritated, unhappy and a little angry, he just said "OK I am not taking anymore. Please leave. I will delete the photos from my computer and there is no charge. I dont take kids photos."

WK and I were pissed (or at least I was, maybe WK wasnt as he is so mild-mannered). But we just kept quiet and left the shop of this rude man. This guy definitely has POOR customer service. He went back on his fat ass and continued to develop photos of other customers. I will definitely never step foot into this shop again.

We proceeded to the other photo shop (Fuji) next to the post office. This owner is definitely nicer and understanding, as he is a dad himself. He asked me to carry K as he didnt care that the background is not white, he is willing to edit the photo manually using Photoshop, and the photo turned out well. Unlike the fat man who just wanted the lazy way by propping K in front of the white background sheet. Sheesh!

This nice man in the Fuji shop even tried to take Soph's photo, but as she was asleep, none were pass-able. So I went home and took her photos myself during her waking hours and even edited them on the Photoshop software - I peeped at how the Fuji man did the manual alterations and finally learnt how to put the software to use :) I am proud that I could even edit Soph's photo to fit ICA's online submission requirement - which we abandoned and resorted to good old paper during K's time. Hey, maybe I can become a kid's photographer should I decide on an alternative career.

This is 1 of the 40 photos I took that is presentable and also fit ICA's requirements:






Original photo











Final photo in her passport - edited by moi :)







* Apologies for being rude, but seriously, I cant stand this man, to me, a right description befitting his terrible personality

A long absence

This is my longest break ever, from blogging. Its a month from my previous entry. When I stop writing, I lose the momentum and the inspiration. I do still form the to-be entries in my head - down to the sentences, paragraphs, photos, layout - but fail to just type them out. If only, whatever gets 'written' in my head gets automatically transposed into this format, golly, I will have like a dozen posts in a day.

Its been a month, and wow, so many things have happened in my life.

1. Sophie's man yue! Will write a separate entry on this significant day...
   
2. Confinement nanny has left - yippie, I survived the whole month!
   
3. Our helpers have arrived - one hired by us for childcare and the other to replace my MIL's maid who had returned home at the conclusion of her contract term
   
4. We, both kids included, travelled 1400km up to Penang and back - strapped in their car seat, they both did extremely well on the voyage with only K becoming grouchy on the way back, so we just let him cry it out.
   
5. My brother is now married and we have a new family member! Welcome sis-in-law Miaka!
   
6. K had his 1st bout of diarrhea - loose stools, no vomitting. He lao sai like 8-9 times a day when it was at its peak and he had bad nappy rash which was eventually healed by Daktacort cream
   
7. Soph had the worst nappy rash too - not only was it red, it became open-blister-like, even now that it has healed, there is a dark mark (scar) on her buttocks. Tried so many different creams until I found Aromababy's organic barrier cream to be the answer.
   
8. Soph graduated from S-sized diapers to M-sized. Yup, she is on the way to be a Michelin baby.
   
9. My ceaser scar finally healed, after a full 6 weeks and a lot of worrying by me!
   
10. Soph's crowning glory all GONE, kaput. We shaved her head fully on Sat after Jason's wedding. During her man yue, the nanny gave her a trim..
    
11. Ppl often remark K's a girl and Soph's a boy.
    
12. WK celebrated another birthday on Sat - coincidentally Jason's wedding day too - easy to remember :)
    

Let me download the photos and I shall write more :) Just a short blog to say we are all fine!

Helpers

I've been meaning to write about a lot of things, but have not as for some reason, I have had no inspiration to write in the past week - ziltch!

I dunno why, but perhaps it is attributable to the fact that I have been doing the same things day in day out and really nothing of much interests has happened in the daily routine of being confined to my room, having meals here (mostly), expressing milk in the morning, bf-ing Soph, burping Soph (an extremely difficult task), putting K to sleep - both afternoon nap and night, waiting for WK to come back from work, surfing the net, read and a big full-stop. Thats it. Everyday the same few things repeat itself.

Having a nanny is great, she takes care of Soph fully - bath, change, night feeds, washes her clothes and mine, and everything all-in with the exception of breastfeeding - I bet she would if I could pass her my breasts. On top of that, during her free time, she also made little cases for Soph's 3 bean pillows, mend K's clothes and basically anything with a needle and thread.

Nanny letting K carry Soph for the 1st time - of course, aided

She also helps look after K by bathing and playing with him. She doesnt feed him anymore as the task is simply too challenging and demanding for her. She fed K once, he finished half the portion and started wailing, I continued the rest, and she felt really lousy cos she felt inadequate for not being able to handle him at meal times. She was really upset. So I explained to her that she doesnt have to feed him anymore, unless she wants to, as indeed feeding my son is an extremely difficult task. He had been spoilt rotten by his GM at meal times - he needs to be entertained, to be distracted by tonnes of toys before he would open his mouth. She is not accustomed to such fare with her 8 grandchildren plus all the toddlers she helps to care during their mom's confinement.

For me, the nanny cooks confinement food and brews tonic soups to be taken before bed. She also does wraps and slimming massages for me daily but we had to stop as my ceaser wound has not healed. As a matter of fact there is now a 2mm hole along the wound that is infected. Gynae had prescribed me another dose of Augmentin (anti bio) as well as Fucidin (anti bio cream) to apply every 2 days. WK also has to help me dress the wound every 2 days.

So having a nanny for the past 3 weeks have been good - it has allowed me to have time for myself - as she takes care of Soph whilst MIL takes care of K in the day. I even had a chance to finish 2 paperbacks from Siew Hoon.

Nanny will be leaving in a week's time - next Friday exactly.

Life will have to change again and we will all have to readjust to a new routine and develop a new way of doing things. I will have to learn how to take care of a newborn all over again - have not tried to bathe her yet. And K will have to tolerate seeing me with his sis more.

In 2 weeks' time (hopefully), we will also get our new domestic helper - we have decided to engage one as an extra pair of hands will mean that my MIL will get to rest more and have time to do her own stuff if she so chooses to. And we will also have a full time helper to handle the kids and their stuff like clothes washing etc.

Life is all about changes yeah and having a baby and toddler really kicks in a whole spectrum of non-stop changes to our otherwise mundane life. No wonder these little beings are now the centre of our lives and everything we do or decide hinges on them....

Soph at 2 weeks old

After nursing Soph one morning, 2 weeks ago, I decided to take some shots of her with the Forever Friends bear K had left on our bed... It is a good measure of size relativity and she can see for herself how small she once was... :)





She's smaller than the bear!! Both vertically as well as horizontally!








No not crying, just yawning! Big mouth, strong gums & jaw! She was my piranha in the early bf days! Now you can see why...

Tiny feet in sweet pink socks with frills :)

Who ever says babies sleep tight? Soph stretches, grunts, kicks every other minute day & night! She will do all that for a minute or two, then fall back to sleep, before starting all over again in 15mins or so! Light sleepers definitely cant share a room with her...

Finally sound asleep again

Love thyself

K still loves his teddies - he will put teddy on the floor first, then sit next to the bear, grinning :)

I realised that K loves to pose for the camera... of course, only when he is not in his grouchy mood...

Either a flash of the digicam or the phone cam with "Kayden, let's take a photo" - he will stay still staring at the gadget. Sometimes he smiles, sometimes not. But at least he will look at the cam! And when you show him the photo, he will smile in recognition and look real gleeful!

WK also remarked that K likes to look at himself... when he gets washed up in the evening in the sink, he will stare at himself in the mirror smiling... And after he brushes his teeth, he will also kiss his reflection in the mirror with a grin and smile - my guess is that this finale act of kissing is taught by WK.

Hehe, is it vanity already at such a young age???