On A Day like Today

It has been a long time since i last blog. Worse still, i've not written anything about Sophie since she was born. And now that i'm writing again, i found myself searching for words to describe the things that had happened over the lost year. I realise that i've been missing so much and i can hardly remember the scenes of the delivery.

And to dear Sophie, if you are reading this decades down the road, pls do not bear any grudges against yr poor old daddy... i still need you to look after me when i'm old.... kidding. And in case you wonder why Daddy agreed to Mommy naming you Sophie, let me tell you a secret. The true meaning of yr name is "Sensible, Obedient, Pretty, Happy, Intelligent and Elegant" (Sophie in short) Try keeping this to yourself. Mommy probably doesnt know. I dont think she is smart enough to find out at this point of time.
Sophie gal, just to let you know, i've been calling you 'Mei' and you are the most cheerful baby i've ever known. You chuckle and smile a lot. You are a happy baby. You only cry when necessary (i.e. when you are hungry) and you are already babbling words at 7 mths. See... you are already displaying 90% of the traits of yr Powerful name. Keep it up.... and i guess elegance takes time to develop. This is truly a weightly issue..

So much have changed over the last 7 mths. With my current WORK life BALance, i find myself not spending anytime with my kids on weekdays. Reality hits you hard. I began to appreciate spending time with my family over the weekends. (and once again i wonder why we have to work 5 days instead of just 3) Sophie, i believe, can recognise me as her dad. Eventhough i hardly ever feed her, I try to bathe her at least once over the weekends. She is ever so smiley and can be easily entertained. As for Kayden, he is a big boy now. I held a conversation over the phone with him this evening. I didnt know he could listen and talk. Shame on me!! He is at a fun age now and i find it enjoyable to play with him. However, he can still be rude and annoying at times with his "Go Daddy" & "Bye Bye Daddy" ( Shall elaborate another day)

It is nice to be writing again because writing makes you think and recall details that were hastily chucked somewhere in my 1000GB memory braincells. It makes you think of somebody else and appreciate the little things about him or her. And i guess TT will be the happiest person now that she need not feel too stressed over not updating the blog. We will be archiving these postings and hopefully, the kids will read them when they are older. These interesting stories will help them learn about their childhood and most importantly, appreciate what their parents, grandparents, uncle, aunties, god mas have done for them.

PS: hey Sophie, i just transferred 500 bucks into yr posb accounts... dont forget huh...

happily sits

Now that Mei has mastered the art of sitting (from a month back), she is happiest with her bum on the ground, gazing around, looking around, and well she tips backwards after a while, landing flat on her back. Unless she knocks her head, she doesnt cry, she really is a great baby.

The past 2 weeks, on a few occasions she started waking up at night, usually ard 4+am. Whilst I was groggy with sleep, she wants to wake up and play! So all I do, is to prop her up to sit next to me while I try frantically to grab a few zzzs. She sits happily, all excited, contented, in the dark. Entertaining herself. I dunno for how long, since I am so tired. But I will react when she call, cries again, or when she falls back and needs another shove back up on her bum.

The DATE!

Something happened last night.

Something that had not occured for the longest time ever.

In the dark, WK and I enjoyed the taste of sweet, salty (mixed) popcorn with a huge paper cup of Sprite.

Finally, we went to the movies, instead of bringing it back home with us. We've taken to DVDs from VideoEzy since K's born and now, we watch only when the kids are asleep (OK actually only K needs to sleep, to give us some peace and quiet) and pause when the King wakes.

We've been talking abt a 'date' to the movies for the longest ever. And as I type, I seriously CANNOT remember when was the last time we set foot into a cinema. Cant even recall which movie we watched on the big screen. Could it be the most recent Hannibal? Hmmm... I know for a fact even my inlaws were in a cinema more recently than us. Hrmmphh :)

Our date was from 9 to 11pm. Haha of course, its off peak hours! Specially timed for when the kids are asleep (or going to), and in btw my milk pumping sessions. When I was leaving the house at 830pm, K started crying cos he wants me to sleep with him. He kept on pointing to the bed (my pillow actually) and wailing staring at me with teary eyes. After distracting him, I brought him down to say goodbye to his Daddy and I, and he willingly obliged, finally understanding that Gigi will be putting him to sleep.

Of course, also, the date was a last minute thing with no preparation required. We walked into the cinema 20mins before show starts and buys a ticket. We've of course accepted the fact that we will never be able to watch new releases in the first few days, weeks even. Consider ourselves lucky we get to watch it on the big screen before its released on DVD!

I've to say I enjoyed the movie of the rat whose a darn good cook. It made me laugh. And WK too.

Good movie, relaxing, but I think forgettable after a while? I love the whole show despite that all.



And, I enjoyed especially spending time alone w my hubby. It was good. We needed it, though the hours are a little off, we definitely could use with more sleep, but it was well worth the 2hrs away.

I wonder now, when's the next time I will step foot into a nice cosy dark cinema hall again? Most probably with my colleagues at my company's bi-annual movie day, dont think we'll get a hubby wife date soon....

Promotion, one and all!

My little (ok, he needs to go by younger now) brother's son's born last Sat 08.09.07.

That makes me an aunt, an Ah Kor (in hokkien) - i think, and thus, WK an Ah Theow.

Not only us have been upgraded, our kids too. Kayden now has a Di-Di and our dear Sophie Mei Mei is now a Jie Jie - wow, to think that she is this small baby who can only scream, sit and yell. She is a mere 7mth old but already an elder sis :) hehe how cool.

My nephew was born 3.4kg (unless I rmbr wrongly) and delivered by c-section after poor sis-in-law Miaka went thru labour and failed vacuum as well as forceps. The baby's actually not too big I tot, but somehow, the little bub just refuse to come out tho my brother can already see the tip of his head! Perhaps she didnt have the stamina anymore after such a long process of labour...

Nonetheless, all thats important is that baby is fine, and so is she! :)

Here's the only 2 solo shots I have of the little bub...





Cant wait to see him! :)

Miaka - We're all very proud of u for braving a natural delivery (knowing how much you're scared of pain) and take good care of yourself as well as the baby :) Let us know once his name is decided. Enjoy motherhood, and welcome to the club :) At least now K and Soph will have a play mate when we go back home... :) See ya soon!

Jason - Now now now, you're a Papa :) Congrats on the promotion! Needless for me to say it here, the usual nags be good be wise help Miaka, etc... you know the drill... lotsa love to you family of three from us all....

the kids in pictures

I love this photo series of the siblings.

Both wearing the same BabyGap set - Mei with I Love Mom and K with I Love Dad on the front. I thought they look absolutely cute together. If you noticed, little flower clips on Mei's head as otherwise, she will simply just look like a boy!

And yes, that is how usually will grab his sister, when he is so 'ger-rrum' of her :)

few words

Kayden is at this age now where he can tell me stuff when I ask.

For eg, when we ask, "What would you like to eat for lunch?"... "Rice" he could answer, in his baby-ish voice.

When I spoke to him on the phone one afternoon last week, I asked if he went out for lunch w his grandparents, he said "Yes" then "Boat, boat". Of course, I didnt know what he was saying then cos all I knew was that they went out for lunch. When I got back, his GP told me that he really behaved very well as he was just captivated by the scenery outside the restaurant. It was in Vivo and they were overlooking the waterway btw Singapore and Sentosa, and of course, he was all excited about the boats!

He really can tell me stuff. He sometimes tells me too Mei Mei is asleep (he will hand gesture that - hands together on ear and tilt head sideways - haha universal way of describing sleep!) And he will tell me pain pain if he falls, and there really is an evident of a cut or bruise.

He can say a lot of stuff, but so far, its all been one word only. Or repeat of the same word. He still cant talk in sentences and his pronounciation is still not accurate. His crane is cane, fish is fis, etc etc :)

Slow he is, but cute though :) I will miss this part of him when he grows!

By the way he loves going out - "kai kai" he calls it, think his GM taught him that :) So whenever we go down to Jelita to grab a DVD, he follows. The photo's just taken on Saturday when we went to return the discs :) Just a disclaimer, the mismatch top and bottom, well, he was dressed up by Papa :)

The persistent red angry rash

This is Mei on Sunday - 7plus months.

See the red spots on her cheek? And how her skin seems to have an oily shine?

She has just been diagnosed with eczema :( And the shine's from the organic moisturiser we're using. Kayden never had it, hence, it had never crossed my mind that Mei will have this skin sensitivity :(

She had this persistent rash on her cheeks (by the side of her lips) from 6months and despite the amount of moisturiser (we used Hazeline Snow) it just keeps on recurring. As a matter of fact, at one stage, it kept on getting redder and redder and meaner. Thats when I took her in to the doc's as I suspected it could be eczema as she also has small dry spots at the back of her knee and the folds of her elbows as well.

When the doc told me it is eczema, I was so sad. How can my girl have these fierece red rash on her and well, she is a GIRL after all, supposed to have good nice clear skin right...

I seriously dont know what caused it. It is usually hereditary. At the doc's office I told him we dont have a family history of eczema so he started asking abt her diet and mine (since she is fully breastfed and just started semi solids) - thinking perhaps it could have been triggered by a food allergy. But nothing conclusive came out of it.

I spoke with my mom who then finally made me realise, that perhaps, after all, the hereditary trail's from my side of the family. And finally, I realise, the dry itchy rash I have on my feet well could be eczema! Haha. So weird to only realise it after my daughter has it.

Anyway, I have now put her totally on organic stuff (foods) and will not introduce any eggs or other allergen food until she is older. And will also change her soaps and moisturisers to California Baby (which I heard worked for my colleague's son). Hope it will help and that the condition will just disappear with age, fingers crossed.

Anyone who has come across workable solutions to eczema, pls kindly let me know :)

Grammi

My mom went home 5 days ago, on Sunday morning.

Until now, every night as Kayden goes to sleep, he will still say Mi-mi when he recites the names of all he knows... hehe, of course the list is short, comprising only of Papa, Mama, Mi-mi (for Grammi), Mei Mei, Gigi (yes he calls her by her name, tho we all refer to her as Aunty to him), Ye Ye, Nai Nai, Ti-ti (for Rusty) and Kakak - my MIL's maid (only sometimes).


My mom and I see each other for probably max 4-5 times a year? Same goes for the kids. As I get older, and after becoming a mom, I seem to enjoy more the times I spend with her as perhaps I finally can see and understand her point of view or how she treats and handles us. One thing I really super admire of her is her patience - she really has tonnes of it. If only I have 10% of what she has, I would be so much a better person... Patience is something key I need to learn to obtain...


These are some photos of taken with her, when we went back to Penang a month back, as well as when she was here.


We all miss her, and hope to see her again soon. I know the kids do, cos they get an extra grandma to dote on them... and becos, K rmbrs her still...

I wonder if she misses them too?

Godma & Sophie

A Sophie,

To Sophie,

From Godma,

With Love.

I am lucky to have SH as Godma for my kids... She spoils even me, usually helping me to buy kids stuff and brands that I am crazy over (eg ridiculously expensive BabyGap PJs), not to mention, she also buys lotsa clothes for them when she travels. She really is a shopaholic mom's ideal godma :)

The above was ordered by her from eBay USA and shipped to her colleague there who then brought it back to Singapore. Ever since Eliza told me about Sophie the giraffe, a rubber teether that squeks, handmade in France, I have been wanting to get one for our dear Sophie :) SH made my wish come true again :)

She definitely is there for them in terms of material stuff, and I am working hard to get her to meet them more often. Our next trip should be to the zoo yeah! :) Hopefully that works before she travels off to Europe for a 3mth work secondment. We'll miss her!

6 months...

Today, Soph turns 7 months, exactly.

The past months, time seems to have flown by us. As I look back, I realise that the past one month - her 7th month of life has been most significant of all...

She,

1) SITS without support

2) ATE - boy, she loves food, esp sweet fruits and vegetables. Definitely not the boring old brown rice. In order of introduction, sweet potato, banana, brown rice, apple, pear, papaya, avocado. I hope she wont be such a difficult and picky eater like her Kor2.

3) SUCKS also her TOES - she has definitely found a something else convenient and easily fits her mouth and soothes her gums

4) FLEW - We took a flight back to Pg - Gigi and I with the 2 kids.

5) Says MAMA and MAM MAM

6) Loves to BABBLE non-stop like her Kor2 and her voice is extremely loud too

7) Took her first BOAT ride - we went to an island for dinner when in Penang.

To my visitors

I have been feeling so guilty the past month as my blogging has been extremely sparse and few in between!

I dunno, its been work, cooking (haha! I steam and mash foods for Soph nowadays), kids and the time just seems to zoom past. If you notice in the equation, I rarely spend much time with WK as our times together seems to be just limited to the 30mins travelling time together early in the morning where my husband (already a man of few words), never ever talk in the morning :) Haha.

I know some of you do come visit everyday and have been inquiring about us! We're all OK, just that this mommy rarely have time to do anything else.

I will try tho, to be as hardworking as I can, and I thank you for dropping by ever so often :) Sincerely.