Jan 7


The time flew by…seconds, minutes and hours…

Then it was the days which flew..

And the months..

The year just flew by…

Indeed live up to my name..Busy Mommy.

Having 2 kids really took up most of our time..lesser personal time now, and both hubby & I treasure our couple time and our own personal space whenever we have the opportunity.

We used to be able to sleep at 2am and wake up at 7am to leave for work…now we will start doing the nodding exercise when it’s 11pm.  Those were the days.

But Year 2011 was a rather fruitful year.  Had targets, reached targets and exceeded targets.  Small success but gave us a sense of achievement and joy.  To some other, the small success might be nothing to cheer about, but in our family, small achievement deserves cheers!

Resolutions may not be the right way to end a year and start a new year…for I believe that resolutions will still be resolutions by the end of that new year. Set reasonable goals or targets instead, and there’s surely a report card by the end of the year – whether it’s met, not met or exceeded.

Gambatte everyone! Jia you for the new year!

Dec 25

Delicious Chocolate cake , free from Canele for my tablet purchase… :)

Aug 11

 

My little Eva borrowed Jie Jie’s flag and wanted to wish Singapore Happy Birthday!

We used to be able to watch part of the fireworks show from the corridors of our house but it’s a pity we can’t this year.  Looks like the placing of the fireworks has changed after MBS is developed . Sad :(

The helicopters which carried the big flag had also changed their flying route :(

This was the only thing that we can see, and hear.. and Eva was crying after they flew past…

 

 

Jun 9

A year ago, I used the courage that you gave me to say the oath.  Ever since, looking back is just a way to remind myself to be thankful for the bliss that you have given me.

Quite a bit of changes we have to face ever since that day, but I am glad that we are each other’s pillar.  Pillar of strength, Pillar of courage; the pillar we hoped that we had made strong foundations on and ever since been relying on that pillar.

Though it’s only a year, or 365 days, but that’s 8760 hours or 525600 minutes, it’s still amazing and wonderful issn’t? :)

I say this many times to you, but I want to say it again.  You are my best friend, my soul-mate and my loving hubby.  I will be counting the years together with you and don’t forget the promises we have made. Though I am not looking forward to growing old (at all), but I do look forward to that trips that you said you will accompany me to.

Love you baby! :*~~

And,

Happy Anniversary!

May 25

Having a gap of 4 years since taking care of a baby proofs that memory can really fail when we are not doing the “job” everyday. Ever since Eva was here, I realised that I had forgot alot of stuff during Dawn’s baby days. Now that it’s still fresh in my mind, jotting down some notes incase need to refer again.

  • ♥ Cheap maternity clothes can be found in Carrano.  Why spend so much for casual maternity wear? I went to the Carrano at Bencoolen mall. I did buy from Spring Maternity too, for working pants and dinner dresses.  For weekend wear, Carrano is sufficient.  If you are lucky, you might find some suitable for working too!
  • ♥ Most Newborns cry for milk every 1-1.5 hrs after discharged from hospital. Reasons? Either we didn’t hear their cries in hospital because they are in the nursery or they have finished their 3 days reserve in the body and are really hungry. As what most internet reference will state, it’s not that the mother does not have enough breast milk, it’s because the stomach of a baby is so small that they can’t drink enough to last them longer than 1-1.5 hours. So breastfeeding mums, be patient and just keep feeding.
  • ♥ It’s tiring for the first 2 weeks when baby and mother are discharged from the hospital. So mothers should get as much rests in the hospital for that 2-3 nights stay. Hopefully the friends and relatives understands that the mother needs alot of rests! Baby poo when breast-fed? Ring that bell and ask ms nurse to help! :)
  • ♥ Besides crying for milk, newborns cry when they first reach the house because it’s a different environment and surroundings. Having sleeping in the womb for 9 months, and staying in the nursery for 2-3 nights, it’s “too much” for them to understand why need to change bed/surroundings/people again.
  • ♥ Remember to ask the baby’s PD to provide the cord powder @ discharge so that you can start using it when back at home.
  • ♥ It’s very common for babies to have air (colic) in their stomach and cry non-stop or become very fussy.  Instead of bringing the baby to the PD and pay a fee for the consultation, buy the Dentinox Infant Colic Drops from Guardian-like pharmacy.  If you go to PD, it will be the same that they will provide.  Tried it for my Dawn (and get chopped a near $100 including consultation fees) so I am a smarter mum now with Eva.
  • ♥ Use good nappy cream if you can.  I tried those cheap nappy cream on Dawn before (those that sells like less than $10 for 2-3 tubes) and resulted in nappy rash.  I swear by Desitin Rapid Relief Cream now.  Expensive, but a tube can last for long time.  And it’s good!
  • ♥ Mentioned in my previous post also, get the glass bottles from hospitals, they are great for small feeds as required by the baby.  For breast-fed mums, if you have decided to breast feed but also to pump and feed by bottles (so that you have some rest while the family members help to feed and bond with the baby), buy the teats and bottles when there’s sales.  I was in much dilemma because I want to breastfeed but read from forums that buying teats will “give excuses” and not successfully breastfeed in the end.  I think that’s not the point anymore, if you decide to breastfeed, nothing else can stop you, not even a teat or a bottle. As my hubby always said to me, it’s a lifestyle that you chose, so if you want to breastfeed and at the same time want others to help out feed so that you can rest, just buy a good pump + the teats to standby before baby is here.
  • ♥ No need to buy expensive branded milk bags! Milk bags can be as cheap as less than $10 in a box of 30 pcs.  They are as good as those branded ones and BPA free too.
  • ♥ Buy lots of wet wipes if you are a working mum.  Even if you are a stay-at-home mum, I think this kind of money cannot save. I will write another post on wet wipes reviews again.
  • ♥ There’s a shop at Bugis selling cheap baby clothes.  They sell like 6 pcs in a pack and it average out to be about $2 per shirt.  Same for mittens and booties.  If you are not able to get any hand-me-down clothes, then you can visit this shop.  It’s opposite the famous temple, the corner shop below the HDB block.  In front of the shop is a public toilet. Why spend on branded baby/newborn clothes when they outgrow them very fast and hardly step out of the house except for doctor’s visits and 1 month old celebration?
  • ♥ It is common for newborn to keep dropping the pacifier out from the mouth even though they want it.  They are still learning how to suck and hold on to the pacifier.
  • ♥ Get samples for diapers, milk powder etc.  Even from your gynae’s clinic! Being thick-skin will not kill but save a hole from your pockets!
  • ♥ Newborns do not need pillows, instead buy the nappy cloth (that comes in 10 in a pack) and use it as a “pillow” for baby to sleep on.  Fold it a few times to form a rectangle shape.  As newborn will sometimes spit out milk (yes, even after burping), having the nappy cloth will protect the mattress.  I would rather wash a nappy cloth then changing the mattress every time when baby spit milk on it! Nappy cloth can also be the burp cloth and the cloth to swaddle the baby in Singapore’s climate.
  • ♥ Check this video out on how to burp babies!
  • ♥ By 2nd month, babies will need toys to play with.  Toys such as musical mobiles, or anything that are hang above their head when lying down so that they can look at it. Eva loves her musical mobile which has a hippo, ostrich and frog on it.  And she will sound as if she is talking to them if they stopped or moved. Cute!

 

 

Feb 22

Feb is my 8th month into the pregnancy.  Besides coping with the heavier belly and strained legs, I started to have sleepless nights as no one position seems to make me comfortable.

8th month! Means we are left with 1 month+ before the little one is coming out!

Besides getting Dawn ready, we also have to start thinking of what are left to buy or what can be re-used. In order to get Dawn to give up her pram to her little sister, we decided to buy a buggy board for Dawn to stand behind the pram.

We checked the prices at most departmental stores, and was disappointed that the Lascal maxi buggy board is a controlled-priced item and even if Robinson is having a 20% storewide sale or having a Kiddy Palace member card, the buggy board is still at $129! -.-

I was walking around in Mothercare the other day and it struck me that I have a discount coupon of 15% for “Home & Travel” items cut out from somewhere.  I asked the store assistant on whether the discount can be used for the buggy board and wala, it can!

So we saved $19.35!

Dawn posing with the box, she is so thrilled!

Daddy & Dawn fixing up the board :

Dear chose a red buggy board, nice colour!

Dawn trying out the buggy board! She enjoyed it!

Jan 23

The “honeymoon” trimester is over…and here I am, having a big belly, at week 30.

Tired, easily strained legs, sleepy, heartburn, is the things that I experience almost any other days.

But I am still very happy …..

…. With the little one actively kicking inside, sometimes playing hide and seek, sometimes playing Gotcha, sometimes playing boxing, it’s really a joy and an emotion which is hard to describe. She reacts to her daddy’s touch, reacts to mummy’s voice, reacts to sister’s laughter…it’s just so amazing that this little one with age 0 knows how to appreciate the simple things in life.

…. With my loving hubby, who takes care of me, who made me felt very adored and loved.  He bought me concentrated bird nests which I will never bear to spend on myself, never once complain my changing body which I felt sometimes ugly (because the eczema and pimples keep coming back to my face, hands and legs), takes care of the active 4 year old. What more can I ask for?

….. With my little Dawn, who just turned 4 year old.  Her progression lately has been tremendous and the words she spoke sometimes can make me fell off the chair.  Sometimes I do felt a little distanced from her because due to my tummy and tiredness, she now tends to look for Daddy for playing time rather than me…but I am glad because the bond which she is building with daddy now is something I hope it will stay in her mind forever.

…. With my family. Mum will prepare bird nests and soup for me when I made that weekly visits, Dad will ask how’s the junior and this kind of concern is something which we seldom will feel from the manly figure. My in-laws had took care of me well and I felt really blessed to have such in-laws. And I already have clothes bought by the sisters for the junior one.

With 10 more weeks to go, there’s still alot of things which we have not done…junior clothes are not washed, hospital bag not packed, cot not delivered here…ahhhhhh! I better stop procrastinating!

Dec 31

…. For the year 2010

Had an operation to remove 3 nerve tumours, Dawn went to full-day child care, Dawn turned 3 years old and had a Barneyly birthday at home and in school.

We went to fly kites for the 1st time, got my 1st Mother’s Day card from Dawn, my laptop gave way and had a new hard disk exchanged.

The boss who recruited me left, had a new boss, a busy work year, a more than usual change of colleagues for the year, had some awful time at work and with the new boss.

Had a wonderful wedding with good memories, have a loving husband and very good in-laws and family, shifted to a totally new environment and loving the convenience.

Went to Perak for the 1st time, took night coach for the 1st time :p

Got blessed with Junior 2, had terrible months in August/September due to the all-day sickness, had the most numbers of hospitalisation leave clocked throughout my life.

Bought many toys for Dawn, witness the growth of Dawn, Dawn went to the beach for the 1st time, Brought Dawn to her 1st movie experience, Went for Dawn’s 1st concert, brought her to free shows at the malls for the 1st time.

Had a short but good getaway to Batam, seeing more light with the official legal papers, and BOUGHT our own roof which will be ready in 3 years time! :)

Went to eat at many places, such as Ambush, Boulangerie Cafe, Hyang To Gol Korean Restaurant, L’Espresso, Prego, Ootoya etc!

Wow! I think still miss out quite a lot, but can’t remember for now.  I think blogging and facebook status can really help one to look back.  So I shall continue to blog!

Jul 22

I do not know how to title this post …..

And the reason why I had to write this, was, I really cannot understand the mentality of some folks.

They can belong to the group who earn more than an average Singaporean, high flyer, many years in the company, have a profession which clients need to have confident with them, YET, their character can be the worst of a kind.

They can complain EVERY SINGLE thing, expect staff to TREAT them like royalty, PULL strings that we know that doesn’t exist or work, and WANT to be treated SO DIFFERENTLY from the rest of their peers. They can also go all the way to CHEAT silly things that is totally not worth to, making work so DIFFICULT for the staff.

Trust me, if I know that my doctor, my lawyer, or my FINANCIAL CONSULTANT who I trust my financial profile with is behaving such a way with others (Won’t be treating me like this directly because I am his client), I will be really disgusted.

“People who are so FULL of themselves had become FOOLS”

Jan 12

A long post and it contains some pictures which can be offensive to some.  Don’t say I never warn you :D

It is not by purpose for a week of absence from blog, but rather an incapability to pen my thoughts down.  I had temporary became rather handicapped on my right hand because I had an operation.

I had discovered 1 lump near my right hand ring finger and soon there were 2.  Even though they do not cause any pain even when pressed, I was still very concern with the extra growth. I went to my regular GP and he told me there’s nothing to worry about because it’s most likely water cyst and that even after removed, they will still grow back.

So I left them be.

And then they grew – to quite a noticable size. Can you see them from this photo? This was taken a few days before my operation. If you can’t see them, then try comparing to your palm.

And so I went to Dear’s regular GP and he suggested that I take them out.  It was planned to take them out in his clinic but when I returned to him 3 weeks after for the minor surgery, the GP said that it had grew and it was more dangerous to extract in clinic and I should be referred to Specialist immediately.

I was referred to SGH and my operation was fixed 2 weeks after, which was the next operation available as the surgeon only operates on Fridays and the next 2 weeks were public holidays.

It was a horrifying experience to me.  My hand had to be placed in an awarkard position and the stupid needle was painful to my thin skin on my palm. I can literally feel the cutting pain initially and I have to keep saying PAIN PAIN PAIN to make the surgeons inject more anesthetic. :(

After about 5 minutes (I was facing the clock and was staring at it throughout the ordeal), I heard the surgeon asked his nurse to request for a camera.  And the next moment, he said,

“Hazel, I have a good news and a bad news for you, which one do you want to hear first?”

I was nervous. And I mumbled “Just say”.

The surgeon told me that the lumps are actually tumour and not ganglion as what was initally diagnosed.  However, the good news was the tumours are benign.  The bad news was, they are nerve tumours and that some nerves had to be removed together with the tumours (which means it will affect my touch senses in future).

What happened next are all in a dazed.  I was worried, scared, curious, nervous and all different sorts of feelings seem to just dwell on me.

Oh ya, there are 3 tumours instead of 2 and they line in a straight line on my nerve.  They look like macadamia nuts!

And I left the operating theatre with a big bandage..

Side view :

I looked as if I had just survived a cat fight. :D

My stiches healed well and I went back to SGH for review and changed my bandage.  I took a photo of my stitched wound while waiting for my turn to the surgeon’s room. Long and ugly scar :(

I am going to remove the stitches next week. I still feel the pain at the wound area and when doing some actions with my hands. I had lost sensation on one side of my ring finger but the surgeon said that it will recover slowly.  I doubt it will be for the next few years. But I am thankful that the tumours are not cancerous and I still have my life to keep.

This is my fifth operation since my birth.  The experience of each operation is just different..

First

I was only 5-6 years old then.  Wanted to play hide and seek with my sister who just came back from school and I ran to hide in the bedroom.  But instead of hiding, I ran and tripped and knocked my lips onto the sharp edge of the door and fountain of blood just shot out from the lips. I was crying, my mom was nervous, it was lunch time and a neighbour helped me to a cab and brought me to a clinic which operate during lunch. I was left with 3 stitches and a puffy lower lips.  I can’t recalled much on the whole event after being sent to the doctor but I remembered the cloth which the doctor covered my face when stitching me smell like some biscuit.  Maybe I was hungry. :D

Second

I was in Poly Year 1/2 and had an abscess at my armpit (yah, of all places -.-) I had to have some surgical intervention and my eldest sis had to rush down from work to admit me to NUH (I still need a guardian because I was not 21 yet!).  I was in pain ‘cos the swelling was really very bad. My family were still laughing at me till these day because of the tears that I shed in front of the doctors and nurses -.-

My family members were all with me.  But I was yielding for someone to visit me.  A heartless man who two-timed me and a good friend.  And of ‘cos he never turned up because he didn’t know I was admitted.

The day I was discharged, a guy friend called.  When I told him I was in hospital the day before, his long silence and response after was something which I had not expected.  A year later, he was my boyfriend for the next 2 years.

Third

Had to go for an operation (it’s pte and thus I am not going into details :p ) at the age of 25.  My mom accompanied me. Had to stay one night in the hospital as its GA operation. Thinking back, I was foolish for not realising that the man then was not the right person to get married with. He didn’t take leave from work (it was a sat) to accompany me for the operation.  He came in the afternoon but was playing with his game gadget half of the time.  And I had to keep reminding him to come early to fetch me the next morning.  The feeling was totally wrong…

Fouth

Ok, this might not be categorised as an operation but I was in a delivery ward.  Yes, it’s bringing Dawn to this earth. My second sister was with me. 15 hours of labour and the bastard was out drinking in a pub .

I can still remember Dawn’s look when she was being cleaned.  Her eyes, her expression, her emotion, they are all still very clear in my mind now.

Fifth

A horrifying experience because it’s local anesthetic.  Being awake while being cut is just an awful feeling.

The only thing which had made me brave and loved was the presence of him.  When I first stepped out of the operating theatre, he was already sitted there waiting for me.  I was in a dazed but his presence had reassured me. He took leave without me having to ask. And he stayed 2 nights with us so as to help me with Dawn.

I remembered I was very talkative after the operation and in the cab. And I know I was not behaving myself.  The talkativeness was just to hide my frightful experience in the theatre..I think he sensed it and just let me rattle on….

Thanks baby :*

Related Posts with Thumbnails

« Previous Entries