Thursday, September 13, 2012

Hubby goes on TV!

My dearest Husband is on TV. The program is the Chinese 前线追踪 (Frontline), which is aired every Friday night 10:30PM or re-telecast on Tuesdays 1:30PM.

This is the video which I recorded on my iPad. Hubs and our estate's football club are featured at around 3:30 minutes.


Some screenshots:









In case you are wondering, in summary, the feature is about promoting sports and racial harmony in Singapore.
Hubby plays with these uncles (yes, my Hub is an uncle) every Sunday for some exercise and good clean fun, but who knows they will get an accidental shot to "stardom" ?
What a comical thought, heh.

Thanks for letting me share and hope you enjoy the weekend that is coming up soon!
One more week to the end of my confinement and I'm free to get out of the house =)

Monday, September 10, 2012

(More) Baby Ashton

Our special delivery: a gift from God.




a contented baby in luxury sheets

So... I've been sucked into a brutal routine of feeding, pumping, burping and diapering.
Fussing over this tiny baby, crooning him to sleep, relishing in his faint milky scent.
I nearly forgot how it feels like to have a newborn.
Thank you Ashton, for enabling me to fall head over heels all over again.
Throughout the span of my pregnancy, I often wondered how I could love another child as much as I love Adam. How am I going to share a love so profound when Adam has already occupied every molecule of my heart?
The moment I lay my eyes on you, I knew that the capacity of a Mother's heart knows no boundaries.

So do I love you both differently or equally?

Adam is rambunctious, Ashton is delicate.

Adam was a difficult baby - one who had problems keeping milk down, and had to be held upright for at least an hour everytime after a feed. If he stretched or so much as burped, milk would regurgitate out of his mouth and nose. It was scary for a first-time Mummy, and during his early days, Andy & I would just stare at him while he was sleeping just to make sure he was breathing.
I even kept a log book just to record how much milk he drank and how much he regurgitated.
I pumped hard & furious just so I could measure how much milk he consumed.
Then there was the colic. My best friends were Dentinox Anti-colic drops, Ru Yi oil and tummy binders. I always had them within reach, that was how obsessed I was.
Adam also had problems sleeping. First week of his life, he had day-night confusion and kept awake at un-Godly hours. After that was solved, we found out there was a bigger sleep problem awaiting us - nap time! There were days where he didn't nap!!
And we all know it too well - if a baby doesn't sleep, you don't sleep and not only that, you can hardly get anything done at all.
Adam was (and still is) demanding and over-indulged. Very typical of a first child. Ohh, the novelty and special feeling.

In comparison, Ashton is a much easier baby. He feeds and sleeps and poops like clockwork - predictable and oh-so-bliss. And due to Adam's presence, Ashton has to take the backseat and be contented just being part of all the Adam-ism. He also has to make do with Adam's hand-me-downs. Ashton is our last baby and I doubt we will go overboard with all those shopping and fancy gadgets again. I'm grateful and thankful that he doesn't care. And I also thank God for an easy baby, and pray for this to last.

If I said I loved my children equally, that would be both the truth and a lie.
Because in all honesty, I love them differently, but I also love them all the same.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Breastfeeding: Leaky boobs issue

Hello, Leaky boobies. Oh how I missed you.
You leak when I see my hungry baby.
You leak when I take a warm bath.
You leak when 3 hours is up.
When my baby is suckling on one boobie, you leak on the other like a tap.
I'm tempted to salvage all the liquid gold by catching the leaks with a cup, but too bad I only have a pair of hands.

Leaky boobies, although you cause me some inconvenience like wet mounts on my blouse / round the clock nursing, you are welcome to stay for as long as you wish.
My kids, they love you too.

Sunday with my boys

Is it because of my confinement, or is the weather really hot?
Anyhow, some bubbly bath is the highlight of the morning for my boys.

Are you ready to beat the heat?


I didn't teach this.


My punk baby!




I didn't think I could love any other child as much as I do Adam.
But now, I know I can.


Thursday, August 30, 2012

My brood :)

Still can't quite believe that I can proudly say "my brood" now. What a surreal feeling, this Mom-of-two thing :)

I'm very proud of Adam. He has wowed me again, when I least expected it.


"What is this Mummy? Is it a doll? A puppy?"



Adam is very protective of Ashton, although he displays jealousy sometimes.
For eg. When the helper gets close to the baby, he will tell her to go away, in a very protective, authoritative way.
Last evening I was holding Ashton and telling him to wake up otherwise if he is wide awake at night I will smack his bum.
Adam heard me and he cried, telling me, "Mummy don't beat Didi." Such a sweet child!
.
.
.
By the way, our helper the clucky mother hen has been found to be a bit obsessive at the moment. She has been noticed to be staring at the baby many a time.
Not in a "icy cold murderous look" way, but just... staring.
In the mornings, I ask her to put Ashton in his rocker in the balcony to get some sun (for his jaundice), when I wake up an hour later, she is still sitting beside the rocker and doing nothing but staring at Ashton.
In the middle of the night, when Ashton cries for milk, she will wake up and ask me if she can feed the baby. This morning, she actually suggested that I let the baby sleep with her. I asked her why would I want to do that? Her reason was so that I could rest at night. I then told her that I can rest in the day if I'm tired but she has to work, so she'd better get her proper sleep at night.
She later reasoned that since I'm "not breastfeeding at night, can let her sleep with the baby". Making a bottle or two in the middle of the night doesn't mean I'm not breastfeeding at night, and what kind of audacity is that to suggest I let my baby sleep with her?


I told my MIL, Aunt LY and Hubs about it and they found it bizarre too.
My MIL told me that sometimes when we do not notice, our helper will kiss Ashton.
What???!! I told my MIL to please tell her off the next time she catches her doing that.
In my household, no kissing or sharing food with my children! They are my babies and Hubs & I kiss them all the time, the thought that we could have been unknowingly ingesting her saliva makes me want to throw up!!

My Aunt asked if it's because she misses her son and is therefore treating my baby this way?
Am I being over-sensitive? Or is my helper going overboard in her displays of affection to my children?

My head might explode.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Ashton Tan Tian Yang says Hi to all

24 August 2012
This is the day I was scheduled for my Elective Csect because I'm 2 days away from my EDD (26 Aug 2012) and still no signs of Ashton coming out.
I had to be admitted to Mt Alvernia Hosp by 5.30AM because my op was listed early: 7.30AM.

On 23rd August night, I couldn't sleep a wink. I was just too nervous. I waited and watched the clock. Hours passed, still no signs of labour. I'm gonna be "cut up" again like last time. I drifted slowly into Dreamland.
24 Aug 2012, 4.00AM: I woke up to the alarm after just 2 hours of sleep. Oh no... D-day is here. I woke Hubby up, we picked up my hospital bag and made our way to MAH.

5.30AM: I was in the ward getting dressed in OT gown and getting my vital signs taken, and did the necessary. The nurse fleeted me with Enema and this is sooooo uncomfy, I felt like I was having the runs and sat on the royal throne for 15 min!

7.00AM: The OT staff came to wheel me off, with my excited Hubby all ready and eager to see his newborn.


The squirmy newborn is out!




Ashton says Hello Daddy.




By the 1st day of posting up his photo on my FB page, Ashton has garnered 65 Likes and 62 comments!


My cousin and my niece visiting.


My Mum is a proud Grandma once more.


A familiar routine which was once a distant memory has re-entered my life.


My brood. Adam is happily painting after he came home from school and a blissful Ashton in Lalaland.



On the Hospital stay:
Armed with my experience 3 yrs ago, this time I'm taking things really slowly. I didn't ask for Ashton to room in, instead, I had him sent back to the nursery and the nurses and Lactation consultant were the ones who kept wheeling him back to my room and urging me to breastfeed.
Hahahah this is because once you've been there, done that, you will know the hospital stay is probably your best vacation in a long long while, compared to what's waiting for you at home.
Sure, there's no place like home. But at the hospital, you get 24/7 nursing care, you get food served to you and all your needs attended to.
Best of all, I asked Hubby not to lodge with me so I could for the first time in 9 mths, sleep peacefully, alone. No snoring. No night-wakes to soothe nightmares/thunder scares.
It was just pure bliss.
On my first night home, I told Andy that I wish to extend my hospital stay for another week and I don't want to be hooked on the breast-pump and a latching baby all the time. To which, he promptly replied, "Sure. Then pay me back for the AVENT Electric Pump which I bought you".

On confinement and the new addition:
I have Dwi and my MIL helping me out so all I do is eat, sleep, nurse. Repeat 500 times.
In the day, after Hubby has left for work and the baby is sleeping, I feel so quiet and alone. Of course I'm not entirely alone, but I wonder how I still feel so lonely. Maybe this whole Mom of Two business hasn't really sank in yet and everything feels so surreal.
I also haven't bathed and washed my hair in 4 days. I wonder how long I can hold out.
And also, peeing and pooing the first week of your C-sect can kill you. I actually teared when I sat in the toilet pooing the first time.

Meanwhile, my MIL and Dwi have transformed into clucky Mother hens who keep hovering around Ashton and cooing, talking, tongue-clicking to him. With Adam, I was the possessive mother, insisting on doing all the baby care myself and religiously pumped, latched, washed, sterilised etc. Now, I'm just totally laid back and enjoying my confinement because this is my last confinement, no matter what Andy thinks, and I'd better make the best out of it.

On Big Brother Adam:
How shall I put it? Hmm. Adam is suffering from the typical First Child Syndrome.
He is demanding and attention-seeking and wants to be in the limelight all the time.
He gets upset if we are not quick to notice his little achievements and triumphs. Boy he just takes up so much of my energy.
He is also sometimes jealous of Ashton. When Ashton is sleeping on the sofa, he wants to sit in the exact spot, so we move Ashton to the rocker. Once his bum hits the rocker, First Child reacts by jumping up and racing to the rocker as well.
With my Csect wound, I cannot carry Adam and he seems upset about it, no matter how many times I've showed him my wound dressing.
Still, I can cuddle him when I'm sitting on my bed and him standing at the edge, and that familiar body-to-body contact feels great. I do miss my tyrant First Child.
We've been totally tolerant and understanding of his jealousy to Ashton. After all, how can we expect him to love somebody he doesn't even know?
Adam, we still love you even if you think otherwise. Even if you are a PITA sometimes.
Yes, Daddy, Mummy and the whole village who's raising you at some point or other loves you.



Tuesday, August 21, 2012

One of Murphy's Laws of Parenting

One of Murphy's laws of Parenting:
The day your helper is off is when your child decides to throw up all over himself, and the back of the car.

Dwi had the day-off on Hari Raya.
Thus for the first time in 2 months, we were back at those "helpless" times.
Had to do all the bending/ picking/ keeping/ cleaning/ washing all over again.
Luckily it was soon time to get out of the house for lunch and Andy's haircut.

By 6pm, I hadn't rested all day (being close to 40-weeks pregnant), and Adam & I had walked loads. From Wisma to Taka Kinokuniya where he sat down to read books. When books lost their appeal, we headed to Taka's Craziest Toy Sale then back to Wisma again with all the shopping bags (I was alone with Adam cos Andy went for his haircut).
On the way home, he threw up and I had to clean up puke in the car (with help of Andy), and clean up after the toddler.
As if that's not enough, when it was bath time, Adam decided to spray jets of water all over the floor (outside the bathroom, no less) creating a mini flood (ponding) in the walkway down the hall.
Even more cleaning.

So how did I handle the situation ?
Extremely well, I should say.
I screamed at him at the top of my lungs till my voice was hoarse and blood shot to my temples. I then hosed him down mercilessly to quickly get bath-time over and didnt care if shampoo or water got into his eyes. As a result, I had a toddler crying hysterically and a husband who was extremely quiet.
Andy graciously took over the scary duty of child-minding so I could go hide and smoke some weed.
At night the good husband rubbed moisturizer on my tired aching feet.

Granted, Adam was rather well-behaved today. He held onto my hand throughout the whole Toy sale & waited patiently at the crazy queue for payment.



It was totally wrong of me to snap at him. I later kissed him & we were friends again (he let me play with his Thomas train set).


Good lordy, being a Mummy is the toughest job in the whole wide world.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Adam's first fishing experience

It was the beginning of a long weekend (Hair Raya) so on Saturday we brought our little munchkin to Angler's Paradise in Punggol and let Adam do some longkang fishing while Andy and his friend Raymond fished in the real pond.

After an hour of catching longkang fish, Adam decided to join Andy at the big pond.
My son is taking after my husband in more ways than I can imagine.
Whether I like it or not, I now have a miniature version of my annoying Husband running around.




Like father, like son.


Uncle Raymond (Daddy's friend)


We are gonna give these fishes a new home! Adam caught about 5 or 6, the rest were caught by our helper Dwi.
(I hope Adam doesn't start asking for more pets for the next 5 yrs at least, because I suspect I'm gonna be the one to do everything from procurement to disposal of the dead bodies.
As it is now, the household inventory is at [soon-to-be] 2 kids, 1 dog and 12 kois. It should be sufficient for a long long time.)


At first when we were handed this small tank and net, I was thinking, it's Ok, the waddling pond is too big and fishes swim too quickly. If we don't get any catch we will just buy him a terrapin instead so as not to disappoint the poor kid on his 1st fishing experience.
But by the time the hour is up, we caught so many! Ok, credit goes to our helper for her agile kampong skills and also to Adam for his perserverance which resulted in catching a few fishes himself :)
Me? I cheered him along the side of the pond like a very sexy (39-weeks pregnant) cheerleader, clapping and Yay-ing! and the occasional jumping.
Andy and Raymond? Zero catches for the day. I told Andy we should do prawning next time.

Adam wins his Daddy hands-down!


UPDATES ON THE BUN IN MY OVEN
I'm 39-weeks now. but nothing is happening on the labour forefront.
Went for my weekly checkup and everything seemed fine. Just. No. Action.
The only exciting thing happening all week was when I felt a bad cramp which resulted in a (big) bowel movement.

Since I cannot be induced due to my previous C-sect, we have scheduled for another C-sect, for next week. I'll be 40-weeks by then and my baby still doesn't wanna come out!
Adam was straight-forward. At his own preferred timing, my waters broke, he was breech, I had to have an Emergency Csect. That was it.

No wonder they say every pregnancy and each child is different. I couldn't agree more.

I may be the dumbest Mom

The other night while reading a Dinosaur book to Adam, he popped a classic w- question:

Adam: Mummy where do dinosaurs come from?

Me: They hatched from dinosaur eggs.

Adam: where do the dinosaur eggs come from?

Me: I don't know. Go ask Daddy.
(This has become my favourite response when I dont have answers. Push everything to the other DNA-contributor. Muahahahaha~ Which is also why I suspect my son thinks I'm dumb. Why does Mummy always say I-dunch-know?)

Why has no one ever warned me how tiring talking to a toddler may be?
Because one needs to actually pause & think of answers. And damn, some questions are tough.
I'd be happier to answer "Where do babies come from".
I have anticipated and prepared several text-book answers to this, but Dinosaurs? Seriously?

All people said was - don't worry it will only get better.
Not true.
I like infants the best. The more they grow, the lesser I like them (half kidding).
The sleep-wake-poop cycle is actually the best time in motherhood. If ima do it all over again, ima pop a champagne and enjoy my moment in the bath-tub while the baby is still a non-talking and non-moving, er, baby.
When these poop-machines start flipping/crawling/grabbing you will battle them for 20 mins just to wipe a slimy bum & put a clean diaper on.
When they start cruising & walking? You will need eyes at the back of your heads. And preferably you have 8 arms too, like an octopus, to better block/reach out/ grab/ shield/ catch with.
Then it won't be long before these little cutesy-pants start running, and once they start, running will be their only mode of transport on land. And likely yours too.
When they start talking, conversations go off like these:


Mummy I'm going to eat my booger
Mummy I want to pee in the pond.
Mummy where are we going?
Mummy why do we need to eat?
Mummy what are we eating?
Mummy who is calling you on your handphone?
Mummy what is she telling you about?


One fine day, they grow up too quickly & rather than worshipping you, they suddenly think that you embarrass them.
They won't hold your hand or kiss you no more.
You think back and wonder why in the world you wished they grew up quickly.
Maybe then it'll be my turn to pester him with my w- questions.

Adam why do I adore you so much?
Adam why do you grow up so fast?
Adam will you love Mummy forever?
Adam will you still hold my hand and kiss me when I'm old and frail?
Adam why do I love you so much?

Now, can anyone pray tell me, where on earth do Dinosaurs come from?


credit source: google images

Friday, August 17, 2012

Everyday Minerals makeup

Look what came for me in the mail today??



It's my EVERYDAY MINERALS Medium mini starter kit.
Other kits can be found here: EVERYDAY MINERALS STARTER KITS
I love receiving parcels and packages!


Love the neat little sack bag that housed all the goodies.
4 pots of Mineral foundation powder plus 1 flat-top Bamboo brush.


I have actually been using EDM makeup years ago when the Mineral makeup craze first started. But after a baby came along, I started being lazy and relied heavily on BB Creams. (One-cream does all, doesn't need any of those concealer-foundation-dusting-loose-powder steps)
Recently, my love for mineral makeup was rekindled again due to my pregnancy-induced hormonal changes and what-nots which made the BB cream quite thick and oily for my face.
Thus, my new (or old) mantra is "less is more". No more painting my face with BB creams.

I chose Medium kit because of my skin tone.

Why mineral makeup?
Mineral makeup is free from talc, fragrance, silicone and chemicals that cause irritation to the skin, thus making it hypoallergenic.

I always seek out organic and natural products, from food to hair & skincare, to makeup.
Everyday Minerals has proven to be very efficient in their service - of the many times I ordered from them in the past and again recently, I have not lost any parcels before and usually receive my items within 2-3 weeks.

It's high time to give my skin a much-needed rest and let it breathe again.

Skincare review: Hada Labo.

You know how the media always portrays Pregnancy - a woman looking adoringly at her baby bump, exuding an air of radiance and glow?
After being through TWO pregnancies myself, I can honestly tell you : Do not believe any of those bullsh*t.

Being pregnant has made me anything but.
My hair becomes wavy and curls funny, my face is a greasepan that may effectively trap small insects, I pop pimples like an angsty teenager, and my skin on other parts of my body has become dry and scaly. Most of my pre-pregnancy skincare regime do not work anymore.

Since I'm on home-rest till I deliver, I have a lot of spare time sitting around playing the "waiting game".
I hog the TV and computer, and start seeing ads on Hada Labo "Lock up an ocean" nano-technology moisturising lotion. I read some reviews on Makeupalley and was surprised that actually this brand has been around forever but I just never paid any attention to Drugstore brands.

Boredom and curiosity got the better of me and I decided to give it a go. For the uninitiated, you can request for free samples by clicking HERE and liking their Facebook page.
See the sample is actually in a nice bottle instead of satchet?? *thumbs up*

Alternatively, you may also buy them at all Watsons stores. I got mine from Watsons at Changi Terminal 3. Did I mention I love T3? Because of GST-free shopping. Heh. (Good thing I stay in the East).

I bought the Whitening version as well as the Sunblock.





















MY REVIEWS

Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising lotion:
Before I tried this product, I was using SK-II "miracle water" and L'Occitane moisturising cream. I always thought that you pay more, you get more. Moreover, I have sensitive skin with oily T-zone and chin, while my cheeks are very dry and sometimes peeling. Even though I have been using SK-II and L'Occitane for quite long, after every face wash my skin is back to the "peeling on cheeks but oily on T-zone" state.

However after using Hada Labo for just 2 days, my skin has become so supple and more importantly, NO more imbalanced dryness/oilyness. Even after washing my face, my cheeks are still supple and did not flake. And the milky colored lotion means it's lighter texture than creams and serums which make me break out in Singapore's humid weather. This product really lives up to its name. I'm impressed!


UV Moisturising milk SPF50 PA+++:
This is a small bottle with a ball-bearing inside and requires shaking, something like Sunplay's Sunblock.
When I first opened the packaging and saw that it requires shaking, and that the liquid is actually opaque white, I was quite skeptical because such products usually leave a white tint on my face.
But I used it nonetheless since I already paid for it anyway, and thought that if it doesn't work out I can always use it on my body.
I found that to my surprise just a very small half-pea-sized drop is sufficient to cover my entire face and it gets absorbed very quickly and leaves no trace of "white tint".

And the fact is that it offers me higher SPF protection than my Ocean Health Therapeutic sunblock which actually made my face feel a bit sticky after application due to its cream texture, for just a small fraction of the price.
A very hardworking 3-in-1 product: UV protection, Moisturiser, Makeup base.


This is my sans makeup face after applying lotion & UV milk on a cleansed face. Sorry for the quality because it was taken on my lousy phone therefore you can be sure it was not edited to blank out blemishes or zits.
Mums are busy Bees who need to be proficient in: Caring for self, caring for family, time management and budgeting.
Bottomline: we need products that are multi-taskers like ourselves and can do everything!


VERDICT

I have been religiously using Hada Labo products for 2 weeks now.
I'm highly impressed with Hada Labo because their products obviously exceeded my expectations of Drugstore skincare lines.
I will highly recommend Mummies to use Hada Labo products, because it is free of fragrance, mineral oil and colorant, and PH-balanced. Makes it safe even if you rub faces with your babies or if your kids plant sloppy kisses on your face :)
Best of all, you don't have to break an arm to be able to afford effective skincare.

Next I might want to try their cleanser ^o^

Monday, August 13, 2012

Sunday: Exploring the neighbourhood

Last Sunday was one of those perfect days - we brought Adam to Changi Terminal 3 for lunch and he finished his food without a fuss, behaved like a dream, and went home for a nap on auto-pilot.
When he awoke from his nap, the weather was beautiful so we went to the Playground and decided to take a stroll around the neighbourhood to explore.

My precous little Monkey

I don't know wassaup with his finger action poses, certainly wasn't from me! :D



Saw a lovely Sable-white Sheltie in one of the houses. Miss having a Sheltie! Super cute!!

Friday, August 10, 2012

New Mummy bag

Bought me a new bag not too long ago. Despite using it quite a lot and the fact that I don't baby my bags anymore simply because I have no time to, it has proved to me that it is worth every cent I pay for anything H.

It still holds up well even though I trash it around and am not very careful with it since there's always a pint-sized terror zipping around. And so far no stains or rubbing of the Clemence leather.

A busy Mummy definitely needs hands-free bags!


37W preggy

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

I feel shitty

Since I am now full-term and can go into labour anytime, we have decided to let Adam sleep over at my MIL's so that we don't have to worry about the logistics problem should I need to go to the hospital at some odd hour.

Last night, Adam wanted to come home with us and wouldn't leave to go upstairs with my MIL, and I actually bribed him with $5 to go buy toys and promised him I'll see him the next day.

I feel like crap now. I bribed my son so that he won't go home with me.

Oh gosh Baby Buns, you'd better come out soon. Mummy & Daddy are getting quite impatient with this waiting game. Please come out asap so your kor kor can come home with us and we can all be together as a new family.