I just realized my little baby is almost 5 months!
He's seriously my little bear cub... and he makes me so happy!
Unfortunately he's sick at the moment.. gastro when he got back from Phuket, and now, he's on his 2nd cold.
But even when he's sick he such a champ. Poor fella had a terribly blocked and congested nose last night he couldn't sleep. So I decided to use the nasal spray on him and he took it like a champ. Didn't even cry when we sprayed and then dripped iliadin afterwards.
When he's well he's a social bird. Smiling, cooing and laughing with and at people. Where ever he goes he never fails to attract attention!
He loves being with his sisters, and in return they love to entertain him.
He can sit with support now, and likes to 'walk' ie take steps with someone holding him. I think he's starting to develop stranger anxiety as well.
And of course he loves to 'talk' .
Poor guy doesn't really get to have a schedule.. he's frequently tagging along his sisters' activities so he naps when he's really tired. At least bedtime is fairly fixed because the sisters go to bed at the same time everyday. I remember Madison had a strict schedule at this age and Annika was fairly routine too. Oh well... he seems to be doing ok though..
In another month or so I guess I'll have to start him on some solids. I think I'm less stressed about him eating solids compared to Annika. In retrospect I probably rushed Annika onto solids too quickly. I underestimated the importance of breastmilk when she was less than 1.
Here's hoping this round of colds go away quickly...
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Centara West Sands Phuket
We finally had a family holiday! This was the first trip abroad for Liam.
In all, the trip went better than expected.
We took a noon flight on Air asia on the way there, and a late afternoon flight back on Jetstar. Despite being budget airlines, the flights were surprisingly smooth and hassle free.
Madison and Annika had a really good time.. they were so excited and were able to participate throughout the trip. 3.5 years and above is a good time to go away on holiday!
Liam was the tricky one. He's almost 5 months now, less sleepy and becoming more aware of his surroundings. Of course he refused to breastfeed on the way up and down, and of course he wound up being the screaming baby as the plane took off. I think it was a combination of being super tired and overexcited. Thankfully once the plane was in the air, he suddenly fell asleep. The girls slept for most of the plane ride. Easy peasy.
When we got to Phuket, we had a pre-arranged hotel transfer so that took care of transport. (thank goodness, we had an entourage : 2 families who had 3 kids and 2-3 helpers EACH)
The resort was close to the airport so the transfer took 25minutes ( short by Phuket standards, other hotels take 1 to 1.5 hours to get to ) Of course this also meant we could hear the planes throughout the day and night, but when you have kids anyway you don't really notice it that much.
We chose this place primarily because it is located next to a waterpark. Plus we get free entry to the park. The resort had a fairly nice pool and was right next to the beach as well.
Since we were such a large group we booked the Penthouse suite which is basically like a serviced apartment with 4 bedrooms. The suite was a huge duplex and the kids were literally running up and down the stairs the entire time we were there. The rooms were large too with ensuites and it wasn't a problem fitting 2 extra mattresses for the kids.
Breakfast was included in the tariff and was a generous spread. The kids loved the automatic pancake machine and the juice dispensers. They had all their meals in the resort, either in room dining or at the watersplash park. Phuket is troublesome in the sense that getting to a restaurant outside means an extra 20-60minute taxi ride each way. I couldn't imagine trying to wrangle 3 kids there for every meal.
The resort also had a kids club, which is essentially a large indoor playroom that also had a flatscreen TV and game consoles. There were also organised activities for the kids but we didn't try them out. The 4 kids were happy playing with the toys in the room .
In the evenings after we'd spent the day in the pool and sun, we'd leave the kids and helpers at the apartment, and take a cab out to dinner. Phuket is still quite reasonably priced for visitors coming from Singapore.
The only thing we didn't manage to do was to get our massage and go to cocktail hour at the lounge. As we had booked the penthouse suite we were entitled to free drinks every day from 5-7pm at the club lounge. Of course that falls smack in the middle of dinner time for the kids. By the time we sorted dinner out it was usually too late. Baby steps..
Overall... a good relaxing trip that everyone enjoyed.. looks like we might be headed for more regional travel!
In all, the trip went better than expected.
We took a noon flight on Air asia on the way there, and a late afternoon flight back on Jetstar. Despite being budget airlines, the flights were surprisingly smooth and hassle free.
Madison and Annika had a really good time.. they were so excited and were able to participate throughout the trip. 3.5 years and above is a good time to go away on holiday!
Liam was the tricky one. He's almost 5 months now, less sleepy and becoming more aware of his surroundings. Of course he refused to breastfeed on the way up and down, and of course he wound up being the screaming baby as the plane took off. I think it was a combination of being super tired and overexcited. Thankfully once the plane was in the air, he suddenly fell asleep. The girls slept for most of the plane ride. Easy peasy.
When we got to Phuket, we had a pre-arranged hotel transfer so that took care of transport. (thank goodness, we had an entourage : 2 families who had 3 kids and 2-3 helpers EACH)
The resort was close to the airport so the transfer took 25minutes ( short by Phuket standards, other hotels take 1 to 1.5 hours to get to ) Of course this also meant we could hear the planes throughout the day and night, but when you have kids anyway you don't really notice it that much.
We chose this place primarily because it is located next to a waterpark. Plus we get free entry to the park. The resort had a fairly nice pool and was right next to the beach as well.
Since we were such a large group we booked the Penthouse suite which is basically like a serviced apartment with 4 bedrooms. The suite was a huge duplex and the kids were literally running up and down the stairs the entire time we were there. The rooms were large too with ensuites and it wasn't a problem fitting 2 extra mattresses for the kids.
Breakfast was included in the tariff and was a generous spread. The kids loved the automatic pancake machine and the juice dispensers. They had all their meals in the resort, either in room dining or at the watersplash park. Phuket is troublesome in the sense that getting to a restaurant outside means an extra 20-60minute taxi ride each way. I couldn't imagine trying to wrangle 3 kids there for every meal.
The resort also had a kids club, which is essentially a large indoor playroom that also had a flatscreen TV and game consoles. There were also organised activities for the kids but we didn't try them out. The 4 kids were happy playing with the toys in the room .
In the evenings after we'd spent the day in the pool and sun, we'd leave the kids and helpers at the apartment, and take a cab out to dinner. Phuket is still quite reasonably priced for visitors coming from Singapore.
The only thing we didn't manage to do was to get our massage and go to cocktail hour at the lounge. As we had booked the penthouse suite we were entitled to free drinks every day from 5-7pm at the club lounge. Of course that falls smack in the middle of dinner time for the kids. By the time we sorted dinner out it was usually too late. Baby steps..
Overall... a good relaxing trip that everyone enjoyed.. looks like we might be headed for more regional travel!
Friday, November 1, 2013
October
I cannot believe October is over.
Our 2nd helper finally arrived on the 22nd of October, and to be honest I have mixed feelings.
She's been great really, and it's a load off my mind that when I go to work there's enough manpower to look after Liam and get the housework done. It's time I get more hours in at the clinic and I felt really bad that the poor boy was stuck on his bouncy chair while Warni rushed around trying to do the housework. Even though I kept telling her not to worry too much about the housework when I was working, somehow the message didn't seem to get through!
Funny thing though, is that sometimes having 2 doesn't mean things are done more efficiently or more quickly. Maybe it's also because Mylene is still new. And it's also a different stress, now that I have to manage 2 live-in staff. It's still a little treading on eggs trying to work out if they get along. I'm not quite sure.
But overall I think it's the right move... Weekends are much less stressful because Chris and I can actually leave the 3 kids at home and go out for a meal/shopping and spend some time together. Prior to Mylene arriving the weekends were always revolving around the kids' activities and most times it was a 'divide and conquer' mentality. Going out as a family for meals usually meant Chris and I took turns eating.. not relaxing at all.
Liam is now 4 months old and he's at a really nice stage! He's such a happy child and so social. Much more than I remember with either girls. He coos and babbles ALOT, and recently decided he likes socializing more than eating or sleeping. I think he also recognises me and that makes me really happy! I think it really takes 3 to appreciate the baby stage more... and he makes me so happy.
Annika is finally starting to understand a little more, although she has her temper tantrums she can settle with timeouts. She's actually quite motivated to learn, probably as a result of having 2 older girls to learn from. I think she's also accepted her brother, and although she's occasionally jealous that I spend time with him, she understands if I explain it to her. And then bribe her with something.. not neccessarily with a material object.. sometimes something as simple as promising to spend time with her alone.
Madison is already a 'tween'. She's started to negotiate over everything, but in general is still easy going and a really great help now. She has empathy and offers to help me carry things when she sees I have a thousand things to lug from the car to the apartment. She's improving at piano and is really quite motivated as well. I was having trouble with her being unmotivated at tennis, but after sitting her down and talking to her about it she's much better.
And finally.. we are about to take our first holiday with the baby. And it's only because the girls had their annual flu shot and Chris told them they needed it if they wanted to travel. So Madison got it into her head that we were going away... and now we are.. just a short getaway to Phuket with another family. Let's see how that goes... the kids are so excited..
Our 2nd helper finally arrived on the 22nd of October, and to be honest I have mixed feelings.
She's been great really, and it's a load off my mind that when I go to work there's enough manpower to look after Liam and get the housework done. It's time I get more hours in at the clinic and I felt really bad that the poor boy was stuck on his bouncy chair while Warni rushed around trying to do the housework. Even though I kept telling her not to worry too much about the housework when I was working, somehow the message didn't seem to get through!
Funny thing though, is that sometimes having 2 doesn't mean things are done more efficiently or more quickly. Maybe it's also because Mylene is still new. And it's also a different stress, now that I have to manage 2 live-in staff. It's still a little treading on eggs trying to work out if they get along. I'm not quite sure.
But overall I think it's the right move... Weekends are much less stressful because Chris and I can actually leave the 3 kids at home and go out for a meal/shopping and spend some time together. Prior to Mylene arriving the weekends were always revolving around the kids' activities and most times it was a 'divide and conquer' mentality. Going out as a family for meals usually meant Chris and I took turns eating.. not relaxing at all.
Liam is now 4 months old and he's at a really nice stage! He's such a happy child and so social. Much more than I remember with either girls. He coos and babbles ALOT, and recently decided he likes socializing more than eating or sleeping. I think he also recognises me and that makes me really happy! I think it really takes 3 to appreciate the baby stage more... and he makes me so happy.
Annika is finally starting to understand a little more, although she has her temper tantrums she can settle with timeouts. She's actually quite motivated to learn, probably as a result of having 2 older girls to learn from. I think she's also accepted her brother, and although she's occasionally jealous that I spend time with him, she understands if I explain it to her. And then bribe her with something.. not neccessarily with a material object.. sometimes something as simple as promising to spend time with her alone.
Madison is already a 'tween'. She's started to negotiate over everything, but in general is still easy going and a really great help now. She has empathy and offers to help me carry things when she sees I have a thousand things to lug from the car to the apartment. She's improving at piano and is really quite motivated as well. I was having trouble with her being unmotivated at tennis, but after sitting her down and talking to her about it she's much better.
And finally.. we are about to take our first holiday with the baby. And it's only because the girls had their annual flu shot and Chris told them they needed it if they wanted to travel. So Madison got it into her head that we were going away... and now we are.. just a short getaway to Phuket with another family. Let's see how that goes... the kids are so excited..
Monday, September 30, 2013
Patience
I discovered something this weekend. It was like an epiphany.
Before I had kids, I didn't really think about having any.
So after we had Madison, I thought, hey, it would be really selfish not to give her a companion, once you have a kid you are seriously committed to at least 2.
So we had Annika, and we spaced them 2 years apart. Which is quite common, I have come to realize.
And then I felt like we should have 1 more ( at least??). Crazy! From not wanting any to thinking about 3 or more!!
And before Liam was born we were coping great with 2. So great that I had no trouble having other people's kids around, babysitting them while they played with my 2. Could even make meals for other people's kids, take them out together on excursions!
So I thought, how bad can it be with 3 or 4? After adjusting to 2, 3 must be a piece of cake!
What an idiot I was. 3 is like out of control. It feels like a constant choice between baby or the older 2. I feel guilty leaving the baby and I feel guilty leaving the older 2. And they all need so much attention! I know all this is temporary, but wow! At the moment when the kids are not at school or at my sister's place its nonstop.
So now, I feel like I have no more juice in me for other people's kids. No more patience. No more love. That's it.. my own 3 have taken every bit out of me and any other time I get I want it for myself! Not to mention work.. that's another avenue of frustration.
Liam is doing great and he's such a joy. People are right when they say number 3 is usually the easiest to care for, the easiest in terms of personality. I think its also partly because the parents are experienced by the time number 3 comes around. I'm enjoying his babyness so much right now. He's terribly cute and such a talker already. Ever since he turned 3 months, his personality is showing up. He's also wanting to sleep and eat much less than before, especially when he hears his sisters or other people around.
I can't imagine how people have 4 or more kids... they seriously outnumber you and there isn't time for them all. The stakes are higher with each subsequent kid. There are MORE older ones that need your time. Time that you cannot afford to give to the baby anymore.
So I guess 3 will be our magic number!
Before I had kids, I didn't really think about having any.
So after we had Madison, I thought, hey, it would be really selfish not to give her a companion, once you have a kid you are seriously committed to at least 2.
So we had Annika, and we spaced them 2 years apart. Which is quite common, I have come to realize.
And then I felt like we should have 1 more ( at least??). Crazy! From not wanting any to thinking about 3 or more!!
And before Liam was born we were coping great with 2. So great that I had no trouble having other people's kids around, babysitting them while they played with my 2. Could even make meals for other people's kids, take them out together on excursions!
So I thought, how bad can it be with 3 or 4? After adjusting to 2, 3 must be a piece of cake!
What an idiot I was. 3 is like out of control. It feels like a constant choice between baby or the older 2. I feel guilty leaving the baby and I feel guilty leaving the older 2. And they all need so much attention! I know all this is temporary, but wow! At the moment when the kids are not at school or at my sister's place its nonstop.
So now, I feel like I have no more juice in me for other people's kids. No more patience. No more love. That's it.. my own 3 have taken every bit out of me and any other time I get I want it for myself! Not to mention work.. that's another avenue of frustration.
Liam is doing great and he's such a joy. People are right when they say number 3 is usually the easiest to care for, the easiest in terms of personality. I think its also partly because the parents are experienced by the time number 3 comes around. I'm enjoying his babyness so much right now. He's terribly cute and such a talker already. Ever since he turned 3 months, his personality is showing up. He's also wanting to sleep and eat much less than before, especially when he hears his sisters or other people around.
I can't imagine how people have 4 or more kids... they seriously outnumber you and there isn't time for them all. The stakes are higher with each subsequent kid. There are MORE older ones that need your time. Time that you cannot afford to give to the baby anymore.
So I guess 3 will be our magic number!
Friday, September 27, 2013
3 months
How is it that another month has passed?
I think with each subsequent child time has sped up.
Liam is now officially passed 3 months, so I can breathe a little and not be AS paranoid that his siblings/ cousins will give him some bug that will land him in hospital.
And of course as soon as he hit 3 months he caught his first cold. The poor kid... runny nose in the day and then a stuffy blocked nose at night.
Life is starting to settle since Liam was born. Annika and Madison are quite loving towards their brother and I'm happy they don't seem to be overly jealous of him. Annika does clamour for my attention more than Madison but she's easily distracted.
Work has been a good distraction and it's tempting to do more. The good thing with retrospect and experience is that this time I know I'm going to take it slow and spend the time with the kids. The clinic can wait and hopefully the work will come back once we are ready. I think it helps from the business end that Chris is also helping so I feel the pressure less.
Novena house is finally progressing well, and the end is in sight. The walls have started to appear and the roof is apparently up. We are hoping for a completed house by year's end.
As for us, the final permit finally came through last week .Of course this doesn't mean much because we are still waiting for the structural engineer's permit before work can start. I hope this isn't the start of our nightmare.
The end of the year is approaching fast. Wish I was headed for a snowy ski holiday somewhere but I doubt we're going to be able to take any until Liam is older and the house is ready. Chris and I always toy with a trip away without the kids, but he doubts I'd be able to do it!
I think with each subsequent child time has sped up.
Liam is now officially passed 3 months, so I can breathe a little and not be AS paranoid that his siblings/ cousins will give him some bug that will land him in hospital.
And of course as soon as he hit 3 months he caught his first cold. The poor kid... runny nose in the day and then a stuffy blocked nose at night.
Life is starting to settle since Liam was born. Annika and Madison are quite loving towards their brother and I'm happy they don't seem to be overly jealous of him. Annika does clamour for my attention more than Madison but she's easily distracted.
Work has been a good distraction and it's tempting to do more. The good thing with retrospect and experience is that this time I know I'm going to take it slow and spend the time with the kids. The clinic can wait and hopefully the work will come back once we are ready. I think it helps from the business end that Chris is also helping so I feel the pressure less.
Novena house is finally progressing well, and the end is in sight. The walls have started to appear and the roof is apparently up. We are hoping for a completed house by year's end.
As for us, the final permit finally came through last week .Of course this doesn't mean much because we are still waiting for the structural engineer's permit before work can start. I hope this isn't the start of our nightmare.
The end of the year is approaching fast. Wish I was headed for a snowy ski holiday somewhere but I doubt we're going to be able to take any until Liam is older and the house is ready. Chris and I always toy with a trip away without the kids, but he doubts I'd be able to do it!
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Busy days
It's been too long since the last entry!
Time really flies. Liam is now 2 months old and doing ok at home.
I am finally back at work and settling back in. I've decided to start slow this time and am currently only doing 3 half days a week. Work is busier than ever at the moment, but I imagine it'll settle down.
The kids are also getting the hang of having another sibling. Annika was probably affected the most, and she was throwing tantrums, being whiny and fighting with Madison ALOT. Or maybe that's just normal sibling behaviour anyway..
The grandma is also going back to Melbourne after a 6 week stay with us. It has been relatively good, with its ups and downs. We definitely need a new place because things are seriously overflowing at our little apartment. My bedroom has been taken over by Liam's stuff already. It's starting to be reminicent of the last few months at Papillon, when Chris and I were relegated to the living room!
The Novena timor house is finally coming along... the skeleton of the house is almost complete, and it seriously looks like a massive structure in the neighbourhood! There will be more space for everyone once it's done.
Geok's helper Siti is going home for good this Sunday. She decided not to renew her contract and go home to her family instead. Unfortunately the replacement has been delayed so she's going to be sans a helper for the next few weeks. Fortunately for her since my parents are staying with her she's not going to suffer much.
I've also caved in and applied to get a 2nd helper. It's mainly for logistics and for the longer term when we have a house, 3 kids and I have to go back to full time work. Imagine when Madison goes to SCGS (primary school) , Annika goes to Pat's ( Kindergarten) and Liam goes to ?Bibinogs/ ?something else pre-Pat's!!! 3 kids in 3 locations! I would seriously go bananas being a chauffeur. That'll happen in approximately 1.5 years time.
The final peg is our new house... we're still awaiting the final permits but the contractor has been chosen and given the green light to get started!
Time really flies. Liam is now 2 months old and doing ok at home.
I am finally back at work and settling back in. I've decided to start slow this time and am currently only doing 3 half days a week. Work is busier than ever at the moment, but I imagine it'll settle down.
The kids are also getting the hang of having another sibling. Annika was probably affected the most, and she was throwing tantrums, being whiny and fighting with Madison ALOT. Or maybe that's just normal sibling behaviour anyway..
The grandma is also going back to Melbourne after a 6 week stay with us. It has been relatively good, with its ups and downs. We definitely need a new place because things are seriously overflowing at our little apartment. My bedroom has been taken over by Liam's stuff already. It's starting to be reminicent of the last few months at Papillon, when Chris and I were relegated to the living room!
The Novena timor house is finally coming along... the skeleton of the house is almost complete, and it seriously looks like a massive structure in the neighbourhood! There will be more space for everyone once it's done.
Geok's helper Siti is going home for good this Sunday. She decided not to renew her contract and go home to her family instead. Unfortunately the replacement has been delayed so she's going to be sans a helper for the next few weeks. Fortunately for her since my parents are staying with her she's not going to suffer much.
I've also caved in and applied to get a 2nd helper. It's mainly for logistics and for the longer term when we have a house, 3 kids and I have to go back to full time work. Imagine when Madison goes to SCGS (primary school) , Annika goes to Pat's ( Kindergarten) and Liam goes to ?Bibinogs/ ?something else pre-Pat's!!! 3 kids in 3 locations! I would seriously go bananas being a chauffeur. That'll happen in approximately 1.5 years time.
The final peg is our new house... we're still awaiting the final permits but the contractor has been chosen and given the green light to get started!
Friday, July 26, 2013
Annika turns 3; Liam turns 1 month
She asked for an Angelina Ballerina cake so this is what Chris and I made!
We had the party at the function room by the pool and catered for the party. Instead of the usual tried and tested caterers we decided to try out a new one that belonged to a friend of a friend.
Not a good idea.
The food was not bad, but there was too much dessert and not enough mains. The amount of food provided was insufficient and I felt it didn't justify the cost.
We invited family and close friends ( mostly neighbours! ) for the party. I also got a balloonist and a face painter to come in to entertain the kids, and that was a hit. Worth every penny.
The only person who didn't have a swell time was the baby! He was fussy the entire time! I don't know if we even managed to get a picture of him not screaming! I guess the timing wasn't the best, since he's the grumpiest in the evenings.
In other news... I didn't even realize till someone told me: Liam shares Prince William's birthday, and Annika has the same birthday as the new royal baby!
Monday, July 15, 2013
3 weeks
Liam officially crossed the 3 week mark on Friday last week.
In another few days he will be one month old!
We're celebrating his one month and Annika's 3rd birthday together on the 20th July. Nothing complicated, just a small party for a few friends and family at the function room downstairs.
It's been challenging, doing the newborn thing again after having a full night's sleep for the past 2 years or so.
But I think knowing that this will probably be our last makes it easier. Bittersweet, really.
Liam is the smallest of the 3 ( even though I put on the most weight of the 3!!) I really wonder what determines the size of the baby!
Fortunately he eats fairly well, and hasn't really been too difficult. ( Maybe it's too early to tell! ) For most of the day he seems quite content to nurse and then sleep. I started a bottle a day really early this time--within the first week. Not making the same mistake again! Both Madison and Annika were bottle refusers.
For the past 3 weeks he spends most of the day sleeping and when he's up he's a tad grouchy. I started taking him out initially, but after the scare where I thought he was febrile I'm more careful now. I still find it difficult spending the entire day at home so I caved in after a few days and started going out again.
He's physically getting stronger now, and his jaundice seems to be settling.
Starting this week I've also noticed he's more alert, and is able to stay awake for longer periods once in the morning and once more later in the evening. He's still really grouchy at 6-7 pm and is slightly difficult to settle for bed. Quite similar to Madison!
Today I had a revelation. I feel rather bad towards Annika. I'm really afraid she'll get the middle child syndrome. One of the things I realized is that with Madison and Liam I got/get to spend alot of one-on-one time with the baby. Madison because she was an only and first child then, and Liam because the older 2 are at school and at their cousin's place during the day. With Annika I had to divide my time between her and Madison. With Liam, the older 2 already have each other for company so it's a little easier to spend solo time with him.
Unfortunately it's not something I can undo, but I hope that she will get a different type of benefit from having many siblings/cousins to play with. I will try and pay more attention and show her more love ( and patience ). Must remember! She's actually quite a sensitive and thoughtful little girl.
Parenting is really a challenging task. I don't think it gets easier with time, just different. The biggest difficulty is really having enough time to do everything and spend enough time with each child.
I really wish someone could tell me exactly what to do and that what we're doing now will actually make a difference in their lives!
In another few days he will be one month old!
We're celebrating his one month and Annika's 3rd birthday together on the 20th July. Nothing complicated, just a small party for a few friends and family at the function room downstairs.
It's been challenging, doing the newborn thing again after having a full night's sleep for the past 2 years or so.
But I think knowing that this will probably be our last makes it easier. Bittersweet, really.
Liam is the smallest of the 3 ( even though I put on the most weight of the 3!!) I really wonder what determines the size of the baby!
Fortunately he eats fairly well, and hasn't really been too difficult. ( Maybe it's too early to tell! ) For most of the day he seems quite content to nurse and then sleep. I started a bottle a day really early this time--within the first week. Not making the same mistake again! Both Madison and Annika were bottle refusers.
For the past 3 weeks he spends most of the day sleeping and when he's up he's a tad grouchy. I started taking him out initially, but after the scare where I thought he was febrile I'm more careful now. I still find it difficult spending the entire day at home so I caved in after a few days and started going out again.
He's physically getting stronger now, and his jaundice seems to be settling.
Starting this week I've also noticed he's more alert, and is able to stay awake for longer periods once in the morning and once more later in the evening. He's still really grouchy at 6-7 pm and is slightly difficult to settle for bed. Quite similar to Madison!
Today I had a revelation. I feel rather bad towards Annika. I'm really afraid she'll get the middle child syndrome. One of the things I realized is that with Madison and Liam I got/get to spend alot of one-on-one time with the baby. Madison because she was an only and first child then, and Liam because the older 2 are at school and at their cousin's place during the day. With Annika I had to divide my time between her and Madison. With Liam, the older 2 already have each other for company so it's a little easier to spend solo time with him.
Unfortunately it's not something I can undo, but I hope that she will get a different type of benefit from having many siblings/cousins to play with. I will try and pay more attention and show her more love ( and patience ). Must remember! She's actually quite a sensitive and thoughtful little girl.
Parenting is really a challenging task. I don't think it gets easier with time, just different. The biggest difficulty is really having enough time to do everything and spend enough time with each child.
I really wish someone could tell me exactly what to do and that what we're doing now will actually make a difference in their lives!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Welcome Liam James Chui
He weighed 3035g and was 51cm long.
I was quite surprised by his arrival really.. I truly expected him to go past his due date, partly because his last estimated fetal weight at 38 weeks wasn't very high.
So I was determined to continue with life as normal at 39 weeks.
We had a potluck dinner organised for the evening with a few friends( neighbours ) and we were having a steamboat dinner. I was supposed to prepare the chicken broth and buy some fresh produce for dinner.
I think contractions started on the night of 20th, because I had a restless night and hardly slept. I noticed irregular but starting-to-hurt type contractions... but in my mind I assumed they were just stronger Braxton Hicks because I just turned 39weeks.
By morning the pain was getting more obvious, but not so much that I couldn't function. So I went about my usual day, although I let the girls start their school holiday early because for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to take them to school.
At work the pain was still irregular but I was really cranky. Man... people that turn up to ask for medical leave! Here I am in occasional pain and STILL at work!!
It was a good thing that at the back of my mind I felt I really had to cancel the next day's appointments. So I did.
I called it quits at work around 5pm and went home to rest. I think close to 6pm the pains intensified and I knew there was no way these could just be BH contractions.
Chris got home early ( thank goodness ) so we waited a little while until the contractions were 5 minutes apart. By then we decided to head to KKH to get checked out. I was still contemplating whether or not to get an epidural.
At the labour ward it took forever to get registered and then I still had to be hooked up to monitors for over half an hour while they monitored the contractions. That was quite uncomfortable. I have to thank my good friend KSY whom I was messaging, regarding epidurals. She said "yes! "
Still it took a good hour before I finally got the epidural, and then it was pure bliss. By some stroke of fate, the anaesthetist who turned up happened to be the very same guy that gave me the spinal at Annika's emergency C section! Except he's now promoted to be consultant! I was just wondering how strange it was that the 2 anaesthetists would be named Shawn at both my births. This time the spinal-epidural worked beautifully and it took most of the pain away.
I was 4 cm dilated at admission, and after the epidural we were able to lie back, relax and watch Sherlock Holmes on TV. Dr John Tee arrived to see me just past 9pm and he was really surprised that I was already 9 cm dilated.
He left me and returned at 10 pm and told me the head was right there! It was incredible. I didn't even realize I'd been having regular and strong contractions. Thank goodness for the epidural. He hitched my legs up, told me to give strong and steady pushes, and in 3 pushes Liam was born.
I admit, I was a little disappointed that he was a pint sized 3 kg at birth, considering his 2 sisters were 3.2 and 3.5kg respectively. Still, the most important thing was that he was well and I had a successful VBAC!
Dr Tee didn't do an episotomy but I had a minor tear. He stitched me up quickly and did the blood taking for cord blood storage. The placenta weighed 660g.
KKH has this new skin-to skin contact thing, so I was left with naked Liam for over an hour. I think this birth experience was so much better than Madison's, I felt less rushed, more relaxed and they gave me more time after delivery to recover in the labour ward than before.
It's now 1 week since Liam was born, so today is technically his due date. He's got the same issues as his sisters, mostly jaundice requiring regular heel pricks and visits to KKH. He gave me a huge scare yesterday.. when he woke up at 5pm he felt really warm to me and I measured his temperature to be 37.8 C. I panicked big time thinking neonatal pyrexia. I kept taking his temperature throughout the evening and night and fortunately that settled.
It's such a relief to have delivered the baby. The last month of pregnancy was so uncomfortable, from the chronic distension of the abdomen, inability to eat proper meals, occasional reflux, and most annoying of all, this strange insomnia. I hardly slept the last month! When the baby popped out, it was IMMEDIATE relief. I could breathe again!
I'm really happy to meet this youngest member of the family, and for some strange reason, this kid I fell in love with immediately. I think its the confidence that comes with subsequent children... less apprehension and more knowing that 'this too, shall pass!'
Monday, June 10, 2013
Week 37
Last week was a good week in my books.
The kids were well. They went to school. They were happy.
As this is the school holiday season, there are holiday programmes aplenty. I happened to chance upon a 2 day workshop that claimed they could teach multiplication by drawing. I was intrigued. After consulting with my parents, I signed Madison up for the workshop. As my dad said.. if it's crap, just don't go for the 2nd day!
I was lucky too, to have a good friend that also signed her daughter up for the same workshop, so Madison had company.
Turned out they were right! The method is ingenious! Day one they did single digits, and by day 2 they did double digits. I don't think Madison is ready for double digits but she did get the concept for single digits! I was impressed.
We had a potluck planned for Friday night, and I planned on making lamb shanks. We met up with M Han for dinner Thursday night, and he helped me pick out my fabulous Le Crueset dutch oven. It was heavenly to use the heavy cast iron pot! I am sold on using these cookware. The shanks turned out perfectly after 4 hours in the oven. We were scraping the bottom of the pot by the end of dinner.
The weekend was nice and low key.. Saturday started off as usual, tennis for Madison at 8am, work for me. It was really nice that Chris had the weekend off so he spent the morning with the kids. When I was done with the clinic we took Madison out for lunch and decided to get her eyesight checked.
Turned out her sight was fine but mine was not so hot. The optometrist told me my corneas were apparently becoming hypoxic from prolonged use of contact lenses, and that I had to lay off them for the next 3 days. In addition I had to restrict the duration of use subsequently. This was profoundly annoying. I hate the poor vision that I get with glasses and the weight of the glasses on my face. But.. I asked for a professional opinion so I guess I'd better comply.
On Sunday Warni had her day off so it was just the 4 of us for most of the day. Again, it turned out surprisingly peaceful. Madison had her golf lesson in the morning and we took Annika to the range to hit some balls with her club. This time we borrowed a shorter golf club from the school and she loved it.. I was suckered into getting her a tailor made club. With a Hello Kitty grip and pink flowers on the graphite shaft!
When Madison was done with her lesson we drove over to Vivocity for lunch at Bakerzin. I had a good time actually! The kids were well behaved, ate their lunch and we were able to sit down and complete the meal peacefully.
In the evening Madison had her tennis class at the Swimming club so we were headed that direction again. Chris and I took Annika for a swim while we were waiting for Madison. Chris left our stuff on an empty chair while he went to change, and this plump lady approached me to say that she had 'reserved' the seat already. I didn't say a word, but looked around for another empty chair which I promptly fetched for her to sit on. I hope she felt embarrassed that she had to ask a pregnant woman to get her a seat! After which I left and went for my swim.
We had dinner at the club, then drove over to the hospital for Chris to see his patients. I took the kids to 7-eleven for ice-cream while waiting for him. Such simple pleasures but I gratefully appreciate them now... for now...
The kids were well. They went to school. They were happy.
As this is the school holiday season, there are holiday programmes aplenty. I happened to chance upon a 2 day workshop that claimed they could teach multiplication by drawing. I was intrigued. After consulting with my parents, I signed Madison up for the workshop. As my dad said.. if it's crap, just don't go for the 2nd day!
I was lucky too, to have a good friend that also signed her daughter up for the same workshop, so Madison had company.
Turned out they were right! The method is ingenious! Day one they did single digits, and by day 2 they did double digits. I don't think Madison is ready for double digits but she did get the concept for single digits! I was impressed.
We had a potluck planned for Friday night, and I planned on making lamb shanks. We met up with M Han for dinner Thursday night, and he helped me pick out my fabulous Le Crueset dutch oven. It was heavenly to use the heavy cast iron pot! I am sold on using these cookware. The shanks turned out perfectly after 4 hours in the oven. We were scraping the bottom of the pot by the end of dinner.
The weekend was nice and low key.. Saturday started off as usual, tennis for Madison at 8am, work for me. It was really nice that Chris had the weekend off so he spent the morning with the kids. When I was done with the clinic we took Madison out for lunch and decided to get her eyesight checked.
Turned out her sight was fine but mine was not so hot. The optometrist told me my corneas were apparently becoming hypoxic from prolonged use of contact lenses, and that I had to lay off them for the next 3 days. In addition I had to restrict the duration of use subsequently. This was profoundly annoying. I hate the poor vision that I get with glasses and the weight of the glasses on my face. But.. I asked for a professional opinion so I guess I'd better comply.
On Sunday Warni had her day off so it was just the 4 of us for most of the day. Again, it turned out surprisingly peaceful. Madison had her golf lesson in the morning and we took Annika to the range to hit some balls with her club. This time we borrowed a shorter golf club from the school and she loved it.. I was suckered into getting her a tailor made club. With a Hello Kitty grip and pink flowers on the graphite shaft!
When Madison was done with her lesson we drove over to Vivocity for lunch at Bakerzin. I had a good time actually! The kids were well behaved, ate their lunch and we were able to sit down and complete the meal peacefully.
In the evening Madison had her tennis class at the Swimming club so we were headed that direction again. Chris and I took Annika for a swim while we were waiting for Madison. Chris left our stuff on an empty chair while he went to change, and this plump lady approached me to say that she had 'reserved' the seat already. I didn't say a word, but looked around for another empty chair which I promptly fetched for her to sit on. I hope she felt embarrassed that she had to ask a pregnant woman to get her a seat! After which I left and went for my swim.
We had dinner at the club, then drove over to the hospital for Chris to see his patients. I took the kids to 7-eleven for ice-cream while waiting for him. Such simple pleasures but I gratefully appreciate them now... for now...
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Appreciating the GOOD days
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After the bad round of sickness for the past 2 months, I am starting to appreciate and enjoy the good days.
I think parenting must be like that. Good days and Bad days.
Bad days: kids are sick, parents are tired and everyone is in a bad mood. Days like that I really wonder about parenting skills, why life sucks and just how tiring everything is. Days like that I miss the childfree times, sleeping in weekends and holidays, the freedom to stay out late, eat rubbish and do anything we want. Go on holidays at the drop of a hat, ski holidays at that.
Then we get some good days... the kids are finally well, they fight less and we feel more energetic. We still can't sleep in or go on multiple ski holidays but at least I'm not in a constant state of impatience/ annoyance/ unhappiness.
I was having trouble with Madison's apparent bouts of aggression towards her sibling/cousins.. and I think we might have found out why.
When she's at my sister's place for the afternoons, I suspect she spends a large amount of time watching videos on the iPad.
After the last round, we put an end to her iPad privileges and I am pleased to say that her behaviour has improved markedly!
She now plays more amicably and is less moody at the end of the day. I think the mindless watching of videos was probably doing more harm. I just needed my dad to enforce it, since he is quite generous with iPad privileges.
I'm holding my breath to see how long this current "good" round will last.... my next concerns will start when the baby is born.. .
Monday, May 27, 2013
Long Weekend break
We had a long weekend over this past weekend.
It had been a tough week for me because Annika had been ill for most of it. So when our neighbour friends asked us to a joint movie night on Thursday to see Fast and Fabulous 7 I jumped on it.
The movie was alright... not as good as Ironman 3 but it was a good break. Unfortunately with movies it usually means a late night out..
Friday was a public holiday due to Vesak day.
But somehow with young kids public holidays never feel like a holiday... they were still up before 7am!
Annika was still under the weather, refusing to have breakfast, being whiny etc...
Madison had a golf course lesson scheduled for 8am, so we had to have a quick breakfast and head out. We left Annika at home with Warni since she needed to rest.
We dropped Madison off to golf, then Chris went to see a few patients. I headed off to meet up with a friend. It started to pour, and the course lesson was terminated. Chris picked Madison up and we went to Takashimaya for a spot of shopping and lunch instead. It was pretty fun, actually! Madison is getting so much easier to go out with...
Saturday was a really busy day... it started with the girls tennis coach FORGETTING to turn up for the lesson(?) .. afterwhich Elizabeth had her birthday party at the kids eXplorer indoor playground.
Getting to the place was a nightmare! For one, E's party coincided with the start of the school holidays.. I think the entire population was there for the day! There was absolutely no parking ... and there were hoards of people EVERYWHERE. Turned out it was a family day fiesta, and they were offering free entry to the playground for 300 kids!
In any case, I think the kids had a real ball.. Annika missed out because she was still not quite healed.. however Chris was a real trooper and took care of her for the morning. I think they went shopping and had lunch together. We now have 4 or 5 brand new goldfish in our tank.
Saturday evening we had a potluck dinner with several neighbours... It was a feast... Japanese curry, braised tofu (me), braised pork knuckle, chap chye (stanley ) , grilled salmon, chicken wings ( Fanny), Pavlova (Sabine). And lots of wine... fine weather was a bonus too.
On Sunday morning, we took the kids to Bishan park on the spur of the moment. Madison didn't have her usual golf lesson because she had it on Friday. It was super hot. We brought the kids' roller blades and scooter along.
It just so happened we met with another bunch of neighbours at the park! They were there having roller blading lessons. Madison was having confidence issues with using the rollerblades and scooter. Chris and I are convinced it's our genes. This dislike of speed/ lack of control issues.. or maybe she just needs to do it more frequently!
In the blink of the eye.. the entire weekend was over. When this week is through, we will enter the month of June. Where did 2013 go???
It had been a tough week for me because Annika had been ill for most of it. So when our neighbour friends asked us to a joint movie night on Thursday to see Fast and Fabulous 7 I jumped on it.
The movie was alright... not as good as Ironman 3 but it was a good break. Unfortunately with movies it usually means a late night out..
Friday was a public holiday due to Vesak day.
But somehow with young kids public holidays never feel like a holiday... they were still up before 7am!
Annika was still under the weather, refusing to have breakfast, being whiny etc...
Madison had a golf course lesson scheduled for 8am, so we had to have a quick breakfast and head out. We left Annika at home with Warni since she needed to rest.
We dropped Madison off to golf, then Chris went to see a few patients. I headed off to meet up with a friend. It started to pour, and the course lesson was terminated. Chris picked Madison up and we went to Takashimaya for a spot of shopping and lunch instead. It was pretty fun, actually! Madison is getting so much easier to go out with...
Saturday was a really busy day... it started with the girls tennis coach FORGETTING to turn up for the lesson(?) .. afterwhich Elizabeth had her birthday party at the kids eXplorer indoor playground.
Getting to the place was a nightmare! For one, E's party coincided with the start of the school holidays.. I think the entire population was there for the day! There was absolutely no parking ... and there were hoards of people EVERYWHERE. Turned out it was a family day fiesta, and they were offering free entry to the playground for 300 kids!
In any case, I think the kids had a real ball.. Annika missed out because she was still not quite healed.. however Chris was a real trooper and took care of her for the morning. I think they went shopping and had lunch together. We now have 4 or 5 brand new goldfish in our tank.
Saturday evening we had a potluck dinner with several neighbours... It was a feast... Japanese curry, braised tofu (me), braised pork knuckle, chap chye (stanley ) , grilled salmon, chicken wings ( Fanny), Pavlova (Sabine). And lots of wine... fine weather was a bonus too.
On Sunday morning, we took the kids to Bishan park on the spur of the moment. Madison didn't have her usual golf lesson because she had it on Friday. It was super hot. We brought the kids' roller blades and scooter along.
It just so happened we met with another bunch of neighbours at the park! They were there having roller blading lessons. Madison was having confidence issues with using the rollerblades and scooter. Chris and I are convinced it's our genes. This dislike of speed/ lack of control issues.. or maybe she just needs to do it more frequently!
In the blink of the eye.. the entire weekend was over. When this week is through, we will enter the month of June. Where did 2013 go???
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Being a parent
I think I really suck at being a parent.
1. I have very little patience.
2. I don't know how to discipline my kids in a way they 'get' it
3. I can't deal with sick kids, not even my own. I can see them as patients, but not actually care for them.
When the kids are well, things are better.
The mornings are still stressful trying to get them both ready for school. I really don't understand why kids have to dawdle so much in the morning when it's exactly the same everyday. I have an hour to get them ready now. I can't even begin to imagine when they start primary school and have to be ready for school at an unearthly hour..
Of course now Annika is sick again for the month. She was so well.. and then just suddenly became sick in a blink of an eye. This morning her temperature was 39C, and she threw up after eating 2 spoonfuls of yoghurt. Thank goodness Warni was already here and she handled it. I seriously cannot do sick kids.
Last night, out of the blue, Madison kicked Annika off the sofa. Annika landed on the hard marble floor head first and smacked her forehead on the ground. It was so loud!
I was flabbergasted. And really angry.
I admit it... I smacked her hand and Chris put her in a naughty corner for a long time. We got her to apologize and make up with Annika afterward.
Then this morning.. she did it again! Kicked Annika but at least nobody fell off anything.
I was like ????? She got 3 smacks on her leg and a really stern warning. I really didn't know what else to do. We've warned her so many times. She's already been in naughty corner. What's next?
I was really glad to go to work this morning.
Days like that I seriously wonder if I should ever have had kids! I'm not good at this! It doesn't help that this sort of thing gets to me and I feel guilty/bad/sad about it afterwards. And obsess about what I should have/should do.
My sister is way more zen about parenting than I am.. and maybe I should take notes ...
1. I have very little patience.
2. I don't know how to discipline my kids in a way they 'get' it
3. I can't deal with sick kids, not even my own. I can see them as patients, but not actually care for them.
When the kids are well, things are better.
The mornings are still stressful trying to get them both ready for school. I really don't understand why kids have to dawdle so much in the morning when it's exactly the same everyday. I have an hour to get them ready now. I can't even begin to imagine when they start primary school and have to be ready for school at an unearthly hour..
Of course now Annika is sick again for the month. She was so well.. and then just suddenly became sick in a blink of an eye. This morning her temperature was 39C, and she threw up after eating 2 spoonfuls of yoghurt. Thank goodness Warni was already here and she handled it. I seriously cannot do sick kids.
Last night, out of the blue, Madison kicked Annika off the sofa. Annika landed on the hard marble floor head first and smacked her forehead on the ground. It was so loud!
I was flabbergasted. And really angry.
I admit it... I smacked her hand and Chris put her in a naughty corner for a long time. We got her to apologize and make up with Annika afterward.
Then this morning.. she did it again! Kicked Annika but at least nobody fell off anything.
I was like ????? She got 3 smacks on her leg and a really stern warning. I really didn't know what else to do. We've warned her so many times. She's already been in naughty corner. What's next?
I was really glad to go to work this morning.
Days like that I seriously wonder if I should ever have had kids! I'm not good at this! It doesn't help that this sort of thing gets to me and I feel guilty/bad/sad about it afterwards. And obsess about what I should have/should do.
My sister is way more zen about parenting than I am.. and maybe I should take notes ...
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
My little pony cake...
That's Elizabeth's 4th birthday cake.
I think I'm getting more comfortable making these fondant things!
The first time I took like a week to prepare the cakes, crumb coat them, then cover and decorate...
Now the process takes just over a day! In fact, baking and cooling the cakes on the same day as the decorating is quite alright too! My main limiting factor is probably the oven. It takes only 1 layer at a time.
This cake is a My little pony cake. I thought I was going to get away with not making E a cake this year because my dear brother volunteered to get her cake for the party.
But my dear sister brought it up and asked for a My little pony cake since that's a current hit with the kids at the moment. ( Blame it on Youtube )
Chris insisted we try to make the fondant from scratch this time too.. amazing that he's into cake decorating now...
We found the recipe online and we bought the ingredients. Surprisingly, he actually rolled up his sleeves and made the fondant himself!
Which surprisingly turned out really well, and he was right, it did taste alot better than the commercial stuff.
In other news... Annika was supposed to have gone on her first real school outing to the zoo today.
She had been looking forward to it, and had surprisingly remained sickness free for the past 2 weeks.
And of course, she had to start puking last night out of the blue.
And spike a temperature this morning. So no zoo outing for her.
I have to confess that I have this phobia of puke. I cannot deal with puke, not even mine. Last night when she randomly decided to upchuck it was lucky Warni was around to take care of it. Swiftly she cleaned up the mess and the kid.
My job was to get the meds and get them into Annika fast.
I just pray my kids have iron stomachs that don't get into gastro trouble too much.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Vicky in hospital, Intussusception
What a tumultous night!
The day started out pretty normal. Kids off to school, adults all off to work.
I had a pretty good day in clinic, then headed over to my sister's house to see the kids after work and also for dinner.
All 4 kids were at home; my 2 were running around the house, Elizabeth was eating her dinner and I noticed that Vicky was having her clothes changed. MH was at home, watching TV on the couch. Nothing particularly unusual. My parents, Geok, Chai and HT were not back yet.
I went to the back kitchen to help with dinner preparations, when I heard Siti telling MH that Vicky was vomiting.
Vicky had been down with a cold/croup type thing over the weekend, so I assumed it was a post tussive vomit.
So initially she was given instructions to administer some cough mixture because we were told she had been coughing.
However, I think Vicky still continued to throw up. MH made the decision to take Vicky to the children's hospital then. That was just after 6pm.
We waited around at home, when at 730pm Geok called me from the hospital to tell me that they were still waiting to be seen.
Since none of the other adults were home yet Chris and I had our dinner and proceeded to our kids home for bed.
At 830pm I get the message that Vicky was to be admitted for suspected intussusception!
She had continued to throw up in the hospital emergency, and the vomitus was now green.
I think they were really unlucky in that it must have been a busy night. It took another 2 hours before she was assessed by the paediatric surgeon, and for the ultrasound to be done.
Fortunately once she had the ultrasound and the diagnosis was confirmed, she had the air enema which reduced the intussusception.
The hospital was also short on single rooms so my poor sister had to stay with Vicky in a 4 bedded room.
Here's hoping that things stay resolved and she comes home soon.
It's been such a shock!
The day started out pretty normal. Kids off to school, adults all off to work.
I had a pretty good day in clinic, then headed over to my sister's house to see the kids after work and also for dinner.
All 4 kids were at home; my 2 were running around the house, Elizabeth was eating her dinner and I noticed that Vicky was having her clothes changed. MH was at home, watching TV on the couch. Nothing particularly unusual. My parents, Geok, Chai and HT were not back yet.
I went to the back kitchen to help with dinner preparations, when I heard Siti telling MH that Vicky was vomiting.
Vicky had been down with a cold/croup type thing over the weekend, so I assumed it was a post tussive vomit.
So initially she was given instructions to administer some cough mixture because we were told she had been coughing.
However, I think Vicky still continued to throw up. MH made the decision to take Vicky to the children's hospital then. That was just after 6pm.
We waited around at home, when at 730pm Geok called me from the hospital to tell me that they were still waiting to be seen.
Since none of the other adults were home yet Chris and I had our dinner and proceeded to our kids home for bed.
At 830pm I get the message that Vicky was to be admitted for suspected intussusception!
She had continued to throw up in the hospital emergency, and the vomitus was now green.
I think they were really unlucky in that it must have been a busy night. It took another 2 hours before she was assessed by the paediatric surgeon, and for the ultrasound to be done.
Fortunately once she had the ultrasound and the diagnosis was confirmed, she had the air enema which reduced the intussusception.
The hospital was also short on single rooms so my poor sister had to stay with Vicky in a 4 bedded room.
Here's hoping that things stay resolved and she comes home soon.
It's been such a shock!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The new celebrities at home
Last night we had dinner together with Chai and HT.
It was really great having them back home.
What was really funny was the way the kids were. The 2 were like international celebrities. It was the homecoming of Princess HT and Prince Chai. The 3 older girls were really taken with HT's white wedding gown when she walked down the aisle. Annika had already announced then that she "wanted a pretty dress" like that.
So the kids were all over the couple before and during dinner! Especially Madison and Elizabeth. Vying for attention from the 2 of them.
I doubt the excitement would last terribly long, perhaps until the weddings are all over?
The Malaysian wedding lunch is being held this Sunday and the Singapore one will follow next Sunday. Fortunately the kids aren't needed as flower girls at the 2 functions, so we can relax, attend the function and have a great meal!
It was really great having them back home.
What was really funny was the way the kids were. The 2 were like international celebrities. It was the homecoming of Princess HT and Prince Chai. The 3 older girls were really taken with HT's white wedding gown when she walked down the aisle. Annika had already announced then that she "wanted a pretty dress" like that.
So the kids were all over the couple before and during dinner! Especially Madison and Elizabeth. Vying for attention from the 2 of them.
I doubt the excitement would last terribly long, perhaps until the weddings are all over?
The Malaysian wedding lunch is being held this Sunday and the Singapore one will follow next Sunday. Fortunately the kids aren't needed as flower girls at the 2 functions, so we can relax, attend the function and have a great meal!
Monday, April 8, 2013
First lazy weekend in a long time
This weekend that just passed was remarkably relaxing.
Warni had her scheduled day off so we were left to our devices for the day.
It was nice that we had nothing else planned for the day so we didn't have to rush the kids around.
In the morning, we took the kids downstairs for a swim, then to the driving range for Madison to practice her golf swing with Chris. The swim made the kids hungry, so lunch was at the Canopy cafe at the golf course. We are boring people; we basically ordered the same meal as before everytime! Carbonara pasta for Annika and me, club sandwich for Chris and a ham and cheese sandwich for Madison.
The best part of the day was our super long afternoon nap. The kids were hankering to go home after lunch, so we did! Annika was the only one who was supposed to nap, but I think we were all still recovering from Melbourne so it wound up that everyone got a nap. Chris was with the 2 girls; I got to snag the master bedroom with TV. I think we were out for a good 2.5 hours.
I was so reluctant to get out of bed and continue with the day! But.. kids being kids, the nap refreshed them and it wasn't long before they started getting antsy.
So we went downstairs to the pool again. The pool is great for burning off their energy. They fight less, and they eat and sleep well afterwards. There were a few kids this time at the pool, so that kept Madison occupied.
Dinner time followed, to keep it simple we went out for a meal. ( rather than slave in the kitchen and have the kids not want to eat!) We went to Lao Beijing at Novena Square- another tried and tested restaurant with the kids. It was great. The kids behaved relatively well, we had a nice family meal. I guess it's also important to bring the kids out for meals once in awhile to get them accustomed to eating outside with us. Especially since we like eating out.
We couldn't end the day without ice cream, so Baskin Robbins got our money.
The outing ended with a supermarket visit ( to buy more ice cream and dairy!) then bedtime!
I really couldn't ask for a better day... it would be nice to have a predictable and relaxing weekend every week!
Warni had her scheduled day off so we were left to our devices for the day.
It was nice that we had nothing else planned for the day so we didn't have to rush the kids around.
In the morning, we took the kids downstairs for a swim, then to the driving range for Madison to practice her golf swing with Chris. The swim made the kids hungry, so lunch was at the Canopy cafe at the golf course. We are boring people; we basically ordered the same meal as before everytime! Carbonara pasta for Annika and me, club sandwich for Chris and a ham and cheese sandwich for Madison.
The best part of the day was our super long afternoon nap. The kids were hankering to go home after lunch, so we did! Annika was the only one who was supposed to nap, but I think we were all still recovering from Melbourne so it wound up that everyone got a nap. Chris was with the 2 girls; I got to snag the master bedroom with TV. I think we were out for a good 2.5 hours.
I was so reluctant to get out of bed and continue with the day! But.. kids being kids, the nap refreshed them and it wasn't long before they started getting antsy.
So we went downstairs to the pool again. The pool is great for burning off their energy. They fight less, and they eat and sleep well afterwards. There were a few kids this time at the pool, so that kept Madison occupied.
Dinner time followed, to keep it simple we went out for a meal. ( rather than slave in the kitchen and have the kids not want to eat!) We went to Lao Beijing at Novena Square- another tried and tested restaurant with the kids. It was great. The kids behaved relatively well, we had a nice family meal. I guess it's also important to bring the kids out for meals once in awhile to get them accustomed to eating outside with us. Especially since we like eating out.
We couldn't end the day without ice cream, so Baskin Robbins got our money.
The outing ended with a supermarket visit ( to buy more ice cream and dairy!) then bedtime!
I really couldn't ask for a better day... it would be nice to have a predictable and relaxing weekend every week!
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Chai's April
This month is dedicated to my lil brother.
He comes home after being away for the past 6 years studying and working in medicine.
When he left in 2006, he was seeing another girl and had just completed his stint in the army.
Now he returns as a junior doctor and married to a different girl.
They organised a wedding in Melbourne over the Easter weekend. They are spending the next 2 weekends having wedding lunches in Singapore and Malaysia.
I think the honeymoon is going to be in the Maldives, and then they start work in Singapore soon afterwards in May.
The only thing that's not complete is the old Novena house.. construction has been severely delayed and there are still ongoing issues that will see further delays. It was supposed to have been completed by February but at the rate that it's moving we'll be lucky to have Christmas dinner in the house.
In the meantime Chai and HT will be renting an apartment close by. The location is actually great: it's directly opposite Novena and United Square shopping malls!
I think the most interesting part would be our evening meals together... we'd have to cater for 11 adults and 4 children every day!
He comes home after being away for the past 6 years studying and working in medicine.
When he left in 2006, he was seeing another girl and had just completed his stint in the army.
Now he returns as a junior doctor and married to a different girl.
They organised a wedding in Melbourne over the Easter weekend. They are spending the next 2 weekends having wedding lunches in Singapore and Malaysia.
I think the honeymoon is going to be in the Maldives, and then they start work in Singapore soon afterwards in May.
The only thing that's not complete is the old Novena house.. construction has been severely delayed and there are still ongoing issues that will see further delays. It was supposed to have been completed by February but at the rate that it's moving we'll be lucky to have Christmas dinner in the house.
In the meantime Chai and HT will be renting an apartment close by. The location is actually great: it's directly opposite Novena and United Square shopping malls!
I think the most interesting part would be our evening meals together... we'd have to cater for 11 adults and 4 children every day!
Friday, April 5, 2013
My lil brothers' wedding
My little brother got married in Melbourne over the last weekend.
We flew up to Melbourne on the 26th of March, arriving the next day. The flight was surprisingly good! It took just over 6 hours to get there and the kids slept through most of it.
We were quite a large entourage: 6 adults and 4 kids. My dad rented a car at the airport and we were met by my brother and his fiancee. It took over an hour to sort everything out.
The first day we spent settling in. We had a yum cha lunch at Sharkfin House for the extended family. After lunch we split up into smaller groups. On our side we took the kids to the Melbourne Museum to see the dinosaur exhibits that Madison had been wanting to see. It was marvelous! They had life sized dinosaur bones aplently! There were also other exhibits that ranged from historic relics to animal life.
The next day I got to go shopping! Chris, Anthony and the grandma took the kids to Scienceworks museum. I think they had fun there too.. but I certainly enjoyed my day out. Visited the Queen Victoria Market, walked down to the CBD and visited a few old haunts. Forgotten what Melbourne weather was like though! I walked down in a sleeveless top and capris because the day started out warm and sunny, but by the time I got to the city it started to turn cloudy, cold and wet!
Chai organised dinner for the wedding party. He booked 9 Peking ducks for dinner! We got to meet the extended family: MH mum and sisters, Chai's fiancee's family ( who had just arrived from Malaysia), Chris' brother and mum. He had a few friends that flew in from Singapore for the wedding too; presumably they were the groomsmen.
The next day we travelled down to the Mornington Peninsula. Chai and HT booked a place called Summerfield's for the wedding. It is a beautiful country house set in picturesque grounds. By the time we got there they were busy setting up. The kids were also involved in the wedding rehearsal as flower girls.
The wedding was held on the 30th March, Easter Saturday. It started with a traditional tea ceremony right after lunch. Chai and HT served the elders tea, followed by them being served tea by the kids.
After the tea ceremony the wedding couple took professional pictures around the estate while the site for the Christian ceremony was set up. The kids had another rehearsal. As the time for the ceremony drew closer, the sky got darker... and it started to rain just minutes before the ceremony was supposed to occur!
But.. the wedding couple was truly blessed.. in 30 minutes the rain stopped temporarily, just long enough for the ceremony to be held. It was a beautiful ceremony. They had a live singer and guitarist to play during the ceremony.
Towards the end of the ceremony it started to rain again... everyone rushed back into the house and the canapes and drinks were ready to be served.
The ceremony was followed soon after by a 3 course dinner. The reception was so prettily decorated! There were flowers everywhere, and the focal point was a decorated bird cage in the middle of each dining table.
They had a 3 piece band at dinner that entertained continuously till close to midnight. Chai and HT presented a dance to the dinner crowd just before dessert was served. After which they invited the rest of the guests to the dance floor. And to my surprise.. my dear Madison was such a party animal! She and Elizabeth took to the dance floor... and were shaking their booty with a guy waaayyy older than them. Whom I was told was already drunk!
The next day we were all invited to a post wedding brunch at the wedding house. It was really beautiful too. They had a long table set up for over 20 people, and we were served a 3 course brunch with champagne. By the time we were done it was midday.
We took the kids to Gunnamata to ride ponies, before driving back to Melbourne for dinner.
The last 2 days were spent pottering around Melbourne; we paid a visit to Barbeques Galore where my parents bought a massive outdoor gas BBQ pit for just under AUD $1700, and an outdoor dining set for another $1300. These were to be shipped back with my brother's stuff.
The flight back to Singapore was completely different. It was packed with kids... mostly screaming and fussing all the way back. The flight was also delayed taking off. We were supposed to have arrived at 2045h but landed close to 2130h. By the time we cleared immigration, caught a taxi and arrived home it was almost midnight.
I can't believe how time flies though.. the wedding is officially over and my brother will be back for good this weekend with his wife! I think my mum is really happy and excited for this...
We flew up to Melbourne on the 26th of March, arriving the next day. The flight was surprisingly good! It took just over 6 hours to get there and the kids slept through most of it.
We were quite a large entourage: 6 adults and 4 kids. My dad rented a car at the airport and we were met by my brother and his fiancee. It took over an hour to sort everything out.
The first day we spent settling in. We had a yum cha lunch at Sharkfin House for the extended family. After lunch we split up into smaller groups. On our side we took the kids to the Melbourne Museum to see the dinosaur exhibits that Madison had been wanting to see. It was marvelous! They had life sized dinosaur bones aplently! There were also other exhibits that ranged from historic relics to animal life.
The next day I got to go shopping! Chris, Anthony and the grandma took the kids to Scienceworks museum. I think they had fun there too.. but I certainly enjoyed my day out. Visited the Queen Victoria Market, walked down to the CBD and visited a few old haunts. Forgotten what Melbourne weather was like though! I walked down in a sleeveless top and capris because the day started out warm and sunny, but by the time I got to the city it started to turn cloudy, cold and wet!
Chai organised dinner for the wedding party. He booked 9 Peking ducks for dinner! We got to meet the extended family: MH mum and sisters, Chai's fiancee's family ( who had just arrived from Malaysia), Chris' brother and mum. He had a few friends that flew in from Singapore for the wedding too; presumably they were the groomsmen.
The next day we travelled down to the Mornington Peninsula. Chai and HT booked a place called Summerfield's for the wedding. It is a beautiful country house set in picturesque grounds. By the time we got there they were busy setting up. The kids were also involved in the wedding rehearsal as flower girls.
The wedding was held on the 30th March, Easter Saturday. It started with a traditional tea ceremony right after lunch. Chai and HT served the elders tea, followed by them being served tea by the kids.
After the tea ceremony the wedding couple took professional pictures around the estate while the site for the Christian ceremony was set up. The kids had another rehearsal. As the time for the ceremony drew closer, the sky got darker... and it started to rain just minutes before the ceremony was supposed to occur!
But.. the wedding couple was truly blessed.. in 30 minutes the rain stopped temporarily, just long enough for the ceremony to be held. It was a beautiful ceremony. They had a live singer and guitarist to play during the ceremony.
Towards the end of the ceremony it started to rain again... everyone rushed back into the house and the canapes and drinks were ready to be served.
The ceremony was followed soon after by a 3 course dinner. The reception was so prettily decorated! There were flowers everywhere, and the focal point was a decorated bird cage in the middle of each dining table.
They had a 3 piece band at dinner that entertained continuously till close to midnight. Chai and HT presented a dance to the dinner crowd just before dessert was served. After which they invited the rest of the guests to the dance floor. And to my surprise.. my dear Madison was such a party animal! She and Elizabeth took to the dance floor... and were shaking their booty with a guy waaayyy older than them. Whom I was told was already drunk!
The next day we were all invited to a post wedding brunch at the wedding house. It was really beautiful too. They had a long table set up for over 20 people, and we were served a 3 course brunch with champagne. By the time we were done it was midday.
We took the kids to Gunnamata to ride ponies, before driving back to Melbourne for dinner.
The last 2 days were spent pottering around Melbourne; we paid a visit to Barbeques Galore where my parents bought a massive outdoor gas BBQ pit for just under AUD $1700, and an outdoor dining set for another $1300. These were to be shipped back with my brother's stuff.
The flight back to Singapore was completely different. It was packed with kids... mostly screaming and fussing all the way back. The flight was also delayed taking off. We were supposed to have arrived at 2045h but landed close to 2130h. By the time we cleared immigration, caught a taxi and arrived home it was almost midnight.
I can't believe how time flies though.. the wedding is officially over and my brother will be back for good this weekend with his wife! I think my mum is really happy and excited for this...
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Madison's 5th birthday
We had a carnival birthday party this year!
Actually it wasn't planned that way, just turned out that way.
My plan initially was to invite her classmates and our neighbours, and have a simple pool party. Maybe cater some food or do a BBQ.
Then turns out L's mum, suggested we do a joint party since the 2 girls were merely 2 weeks apart.
She is really into entertainment for the party, so she suggested a bouncy castle. Then that grew to popcorn and candy floss, face painting and balloon sculpturing.
First we had to plan the logistics.
Bouncy castle:
We needed a large bouncy castle to fit many kids since we were basically inviting the entire K1 level of Pat's Schoolhouse at Buckley and their families.
We got our husbands to go measure out the biggest spot they could find.
Then we chose the castle.
Then we had to wait till there was a committee meeting to make a request to have the bouncy castle for the day.
That succeeded.
Popcorn and candy floss
L's mum is a champ when it comes to sourcing for providers! She did the internet trawl and found vendors to provide popcorn and candy floss for the day.
Face painting and Balloon sculpturing
L's mum did the footwork again, finding the people to do the work for the day. We were really lucky too, the balloonist brought 2 apprentices along with him for the day so we had 3 people twisting balloons for the kids!
Birthday Cake(s)
I've been making the kids' birthday cakes now for the past few years, so this year wasn't going to be different. Except that I had to make 2 this time. I was really blessed though... we happened to have lunch with Michael Han the week prior to the party, and he actually volunteered to come help me with the cakes! Madison wanted a horse shaped cake and L the candy house cake.
I baked the cakes 2 days prior to the party, and we stayed up till 2 am on the night prior to finish decorating the cake. It was inspiring watching a chef do the work!
Food
Definitely catered. No way were we going to be able to cook or do a full BBQ for so many people.
I trawled the internet for caterers and we settled on a fairly basic one. We also decided to do BBQ satay as well as other finger foods. We went through over 600 sticks of satay! I really have to thank my mum's helper Maria for the hard work of BBQ that day. As well as Joan and her husband Adrian, who chipped in at the start to give us the headstart on BBQ. Once the guests arrived, the first 100 or so sticks of satay were gone in a flash.
Everything went almost as planned. EXCEPT for the torrential tropical downpour at the start. It was so hot the entire week and it really had to rain on the party day! The bouncy castle was already blown up and it collapsed with the rain.
Fortunately the rain slowed to a drizzle when the bulk of the guests arrived. Still, it was quite unpleasant to have everyone crowded at the function room. The popcorn and candy floss machines were also put in the small sheltered space just outside the function room.
I think it was close to 6 pm when the rain finally stopped. Chris and L's dad hurriedly dried the castle out and re-inflated it.
The kids had a real ball! I think most adults were a little overwhelmed because there were just so many people everywhere.
The cakes turned out pretty well, and considering how huge the 2 cakes were, most of it was finished by the end of the party.
Once we did the cake cutting people started leaving... I think many kids were knackered ( or perhaps it was their parents )
It was a fun party, but really alot of work on the day...
Actually it wasn't planned that way, just turned out that way.
My plan initially was to invite her classmates and our neighbours, and have a simple pool party. Maybe cater some food or do a BBQ.
Then turns out L's mum, suggested we do a joint party since the 2 girls were merely 2 weeks apart.
She is really into entertainment for the party, so she suggested a bouncy castle. Then that grew to popcorn and candy floss, face painting and balloon sculpturing.
First we had to plan the logistics.
Bouncy castle:
We needed a large bouncy castle to fit many kids since we were basically inviting the entire K1 level of Pat's Schoolhouse at Buckley and their families.
We got our husbands to go measure out the biggest spot they could find.
Then we chose the castle.
Then we had to wait till there was a committee meeting to make a request to have the bouncy castle for the day.
That succeeded.
Popcorn and candy floss
L's mum is a champ when it comes to sourcing for providers! She did the internet trawl and found vendors to provide popcorn and candy floss for the day.
Face painting and Balloon sculpturing
L's mum did the footwork again, finding the people to do the work for the day. We were really lucky too, the balloonist brought 2 apprentices along with him for the day so we had 3 people twisting balloons for the kids!
Birthday Cake(s)
I've been making the kids' birthday cakes now for the past few years, so this year wasn't going to be different. Except that I had to make 2 this time. I was really blessed though... we happened to have lunch with Michael Han the week prior to the party, and he actually volunteered to come help me with the cakes! Madison wanted a horse shaped cake and L the candy house cake.
I baked the cakes 2 days prior to the party, and we stayed up till 2 am on the night prior to finish decorating the cake. It was inspiring watching a chef do the work!
Food
Definitely catered. No way were we going to be able to cook or do a full BBQ for so many people.
I trawled the internet for caterers and we settled on a fairly basic one. We also decided to do BBQ satay as well as other finger foods. We went through over 600 sticks of satay! I really have to thank my mum's helper Maria for the hard work of BBQ that day. As well as Joan and her husband Adrian, who chipped in at the start to give us the headstart on BBQ. Once the guests arrived, the first 100 or so sticks of satay were gone in a flash.
Everything went almost as planned. EXCEPT for the torrential tropical downpour at the start. It was so hot the entire week and it really had to rain on the party day! The bouncy castle was already blown up and it collapsed with the rain.
Fortunately the rain slowed to a drizzle when the bulk of the guests arrived. Still, it was quite unpleasant to have everyone crowded at the function room. The popcorn and candy floss machines were also put in the small sheltered space just outside the function room.
I think it was close to 6 pm when the rain finally stopped. Chris and L's dad hurriedly dried the castle out and re-inflated it.
The kids had a real ball! I think most adults were a little overwhelmed because there were just so many people everywhere.
The cakes turned out pretty well, and considering how huge the 2 cakes were, most of it was finished by the end of the party.
Once we did the cake cutting people started leaving... I think many kids were knackered ( or perhaps it was their parents )
It was a fun party, but really alot of work on the day...
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Madison's 5th birthday
Madison will be turning 5 next month.
My neighbour's kid turns 5 in the same month, and she also goes to the same school, so we decided to throw a joint celebration this year. ( Bigger budget, so better party!)
She came up with a few good suggestions.. ( she's a bigger party animal than I am!)
1. Hire a bouncy castle
2. Hire a balloon sculpting guy ( who also provides popcorn and candy floss!)
First we had to clear the main hurdle of getting approval for the bouncy castle to be installed in our condominium.
Last night I attended the management council meeting at the condo. And asked politely if we could be allowed to have the bouncy castle. It was approved!
So now we have to find the right sized castle and pray it doesn't rain. Looks like it will cost just over $500 for 4-5hours of rental. Divided by the 2 of us it's not too bad.
Once I had the approval, I sent out invitations via Whatsapp to the mothers in Madison's class. It's a bit nerve wrecking waiting for replies.. silly, I know.. but it's like.. what if no one wants to come??!!
Actually I got stressed because just before I sent out my invites another classmate sent his out for his party at an indoor playground the week after Madison's party. So it's quite fortunate my neighbour E asked me to do a combined one on the 9th of March instead of the 16th.
I volunteered to make the cake for the girls to share ( not making 2 cakes!!). I'm struggling to think of what cake to make. They wanted a dino cake, but dino cakes don't look that nice... most look like crocodiles!
We'll probably cater food for everyone ( easier than trying to cook ).
We'll also probably get balloons and goody bags for the kids.
I can't believe it's in 2 weeks!
My neighbour's kid turns 5 in the same month, and she also goes to the same school, so we decided to throw a joint celebration this year. ( Bigger budget, so better party!)
She came up with a few good suggestions.. ( she's a bigger party animal than I am!)
1. Hire a bouncy castle
2. Hire a balloon sculpting guy ( who also provides popcorn and candy floss!)
First we had to clear the main hurdle of getting approval for the bouncy castle to be installed in our condominium.
Last night I attended the management council meeting at the condo. And asked politely if we could be allowed to have the bouncy castle. It was approved!
So now we have to find the right sized castle and pray it doesn't rain. Looks like it will cost just over $500 for 4-5hours of rental. Divided by the 2 of us it's not too bad.
Once I had the approval, I sent out invitations via Whatsapp to the mothers in Madison's class. It's a bit nerve wrecking waiting for replies.. silly, I know.. but it's like.. what if no one wants to come??!!
Actually I got stressed because just before I sent out my invites another classmate sent his out for his party at an indoor playground the week after Madison's party. So it's quite fortunate my neighbour E asked me to do a combined one on the 9th of March instead of the 16th.
I volunteered to make the cake for the girls to share ( not making 2 cakes!!). I'm struggling to think of what cake to make. They wanted a dino cake, but dino cakes don't look that nice... most look like crocodiles!
We'll probably cater food for everyone ( easier than trying to cook ).
We'll also probably get balloons and goody bags for the kids.
I can't believe it's in 2 weeks!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Happy Chinese New Year.. welcoming the snake
I am quite glad the Chinese New Year is almost over.
Mostly because this year we had to travel to Kota Bahru in Kelantan to see the great grandparents.
In the past we had to travel to Kuala Lumpur only, which was quite pleasant.
Going to KB is quite a different ball game.
First : Getting there-- the flights this time of the year are crazy expensive. And we have 2 choices: take a propeller plane ( Firefly ) or 2 flights by jet plane.
I was nervous taking the propeller flight, and in any case we had waited till too late so there weren't any flights left leaving from Singapore. So we booked Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur, transit for 2 hours then a connecting flight to KB.
Leaving Changi Airport was a breeze and quite fun.. the kids had fun running around in the large, spacious and cool airport.
It was arriving at KL that was a bit of a shock. We were expecting to land at KLIA, but were actually arriving at the low cost terminal ( LCCT) part of KLIA. It was worlds apart! First we had to trek across the tarmac. Followed by a further 15minute walk to the actual terminal. All the time looking out for passing vehicles that were transporting baggage. The terminal was crazy! Crowded and seriously lacking of facilities. And hot. Going over to the main terminal wasn't an option; it took 30minutes to travel there each way by shuttle bus.
We survived the 2 hour wait, had a horrible meal and then travelled to KB.
KB is also quite unlike KL.. it's generally quite underdeveloped and run down. Many parts were still kampung with run down homes. And this being the festive period.. not much was open.
Still... the sole purpose of the trip was to see the relatives, have a few meals with them. We fulfilled our duty. Madison did really well during the trip; during the CNY eve dinner celebration she was so sporting! She volunteered to go up on stage to participate in their games, chatted to the relatives and had a lot of fun. Annika was the one to give me grief this trip; she was tired from not sleeping well, the food didn't agree with her so she hardly ate, and she fought with Madison ending up with her in tears and whines.
I was really glad to come home. When we touched down back at Changi Airport I felt such relief.
We had another family dinner with the rest of the family back home on February 12th, which also happened to be Geok's birthday.
Since then, life is almost back to normal, with the kids back at school and the rest of us back at work.
MIL is visiting for the rest of the week, after which she goes back to Melbourne. She's been away for the past 2 months visiting us and her parents in KB.
Happy CNY to one and all! ( And Happy V day as well! )
Mostly because this year we had to travel to Kota Bahru in Kelantan to see the great grandparents.
In the past we had to travel to Kuala Lumpur only, which was quite pleasant.
Going to KB is quite a different ball game.
First : Getting there-- the flights this time of the year are crazy expensive. And we have 2 choices: take a propeller plane ( Firefly ) or 2 flights by jet plane.
I was nervous taking the propeller flight, and in any case we had waited till too late so there weren't any flights left leaving from Singapore. So we booked Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur, transit for 2 hours then a connecting flight to KB.
Leaving Changi Airport was a breeze and quite fun.. the kids had fun running around in the large, spacious and cool airport.
It was arriving at KL that was a bit of a shock. We were expecting to land at KLIA, but were actually arriving at the low cost terminal ( LCCT) part of KLIA. It was worlds apart! First we had to trek across the tarmac. Followed by a further 15minute walk to the actual terminal. All the time looking out for passing vehicles that were transporting baggage. The terminal was crazy! Crowded and seriously lacking of facilities. And hot. Going over to the main terminal wasn't an option; it took 30minutes to travel there each way by shuttle bus.
We survived the 2 hour wait, had a horrible meal and then travelled to KB.
KB is also quite unlike KL.. it's generally quite underdeveloped and run down. Many parts were still kampung with run down homes. And this being the festive period.. not much was open.
Still... the sole purpose of the trip was to see the relatives, have a few meals with them. We fulfilled our duty. Madison did really well during the trip; during the CNY eve dinner celebration she was so sporting! She volunteered to go up on stage to participate in their games, chatted to the relatives and had a lot of fun. Annika was the one to give me grief this trip; she was tired from not sleeping well, the food didn't agree with her so she hardly ate, and she fought with Madison ending up with her in tears and whines.
I was really glad to come home. When we touched down back at Changi Airport I felt such relief.
We had another family dinner with the rest of the family back home on February 12th, which also happened to be Geok's birthday.
Since then, life is almost back to normal, with the kids back at school and the rest of us back at work.
MIL is visiting for the rest of the week, after which she goes back to Melbourne. She's been away for the past 2 months visiting us and her parents in KB.
Happy CNY to one and all! ( And Happy V day as well! )
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Stressful January
I've maintained blogger silence over the past month because it's been a stressful time for me.
The top reason being....
I've had some unpleasant news regarding pregnancy number 3.
After Switzerland, I went to see the gynaecologist expecting nothing more than a routine visit.
Had the first trimester Down's Screening as per the first 2 pregnancies.
The results were less than stellar. In 3 days I was recalled about a slightly higher risk of Down's, because the blood test showed that my PappA levels were 1/3 normal. The fetal ultrasound was normal. That made my risk 1:190. The genetic counsellor recommended chorionic villus sampling so I went in the very next day to have it done. After waiting 2.5 hours to see the doctor, I got a surprised look from him, and advice to postpone it for an amniocentesis instead.
All good, except I had 3 nerve wrecking weeks to wait.
In the meantime, my trusted helper, Warni was scheduled to go home for 3 weeks. I hadn't expected anything to crop up when I booked her trip.
I think the stress from having to wait for the amnio made me anxious and impatient, especially with the kids.
I did have some help from my mother-in-law, who just happened to be visiting from Christmas. Timing was perfect, so she was around everyday till today, when she left to go visit her parents in Kota Bahru.
The kids were good, it was just the mornings that were stressful initially. Trying to get them both ready for school in 45 minutes was tiring and demanding on my patience. I think that in retrospect, they also needed time to adjust to school, and realizing that they had to be ready. The past week has been smoother, and today we were actually ready at 8am!
Annika also started drop-off school for the first time on the day that Warni left, so logistically it was stressful getting everything sorted out.
Then I had to plan the amnio day out too, because I was required to rest a few days after the amnio.
So Chris took leave on the Friday that it was done and ferried the kids about to their activities.
The anticipation of the amnio itself was more nerve -wrecking than the actual procedure. Dr John Tee is an excellent surgeon, and his procedure was flawless. He did it under ultrasound guidance, and was very reassuring throughout the procedure. It took all of 5 minutes to get done, and was certainly less painful than the venepuncture I did just prior.
In the blink of the eye the month is suddenly almost over.
My mother-in-law left today to visit her parents.
Warni returns tomorrow afternoon.
The rapid result ( PCR ) from the amnio came back reassuring.
I just hope the last week of January and the rest of the year is going to be better!
The top reason being....
I've had some unpleasant news regarding pregnancy number 3.
After Switzerland, I went to see the gynaecologist expecting nothing more than a routine visit.
Had the first trimester Down's Screening as per the first 2 pregnancies.
The results were less than stellar. In 3 days I was recalled about a slightly higher risk of Down's, because the blood test showed that my PappA levels were 1/3 normal. The fetal ultrasound was normal. That made my risk 1:190. The genetic counsellor recommended chorionic villus sampling so I went in the very next day to have it done. After waiting 2.5 hours to see the doctor, I got a surprised look from him, and advice to postpone it for an amniocentesis instead.
All good, except I had 3 nerve wrecking weeks to wait.
In the meantime, my trusted helper, Warni was scheduled to go home for 3 weeks. I hadn't expected anything to crop up when I booked her trip.
I think the stress from having to wait for the amnio made me anxious and impatient, especially with the kids.
I did have some help from my mother-in-law, who just happened to be visiting from Christmas. Timing was perfect, so she was around everyday till today, when she left to go visit her parents in Kota Bahru.
The kids were good, it was just the mornings that were stressful initially. Trying to get them both ready for school in 45 minutes was tiring and demanding on my patience. I think that in retrospect, they also needed time to adjust to school, and realizing that they had to be ready. The past week has been smoother, and today we were actually ready at 8am!
Annika also started drop-off school for the first time on the day that Warni left, so logistically it was stressful getting everything sorted out.
Then I had to plan the amnio day out too, because I was required to rest a few days after the amnio.
So Chris took leave on the Friday that it was done and ferried the kids about to their activities.
The anticipation of the amnio itself was more nerve -wrecking than the actual procedure. Dr John Tee is an excellent surgeon, and his procedure was flawless. He did it under ultrasound guidance, and was very reassuring throughout the procedure. It took all of 5 minutes to get done, and was certainly less painful than the venepuncture I did just prior.
In the blink of the eye the month is suddenly almost over.
My mother-in-law left today to visit her parents.
Warni returns tomorrow afternoon.
The rapid result ( PCR ) from the amnio came back reassuring.
I just hope the last week of January and the rest of the year is going to be better!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
New Year
Happy New Year 2013!
It's crazy that one-third of the month has already gone.
It's been a bit crazy with things happening here.
1. Warni left for her home leave on the 4th of January. We've missed her heaps and are coping ok. The mornings are particularly full on because the kids have started school. Getting 2 ready in time is stressful for me everyday.
2. Annika started pre-school. Her first day coincided with the day Warni left. She was allowed to be accompanied the first 2 days. Chris did the first and Grandma Suzy did the 2nd. Funny thing was on the 3rd day she asked to go by herself. I was quite surprised. She went without fuss!
Unfortunately that didn't last long.
The first day she went by herself she insisted on wearing undies instead of diapers. Was ok, but it ended with her pooping in her pants. She was very distressed with that... and on the 2nd drop - off day I think she remembered and started crying when I left her. Same thing yesterday and today... tears at drop off.
Hopefully this phase will pass quickly...
3. Madison also started school.. but in comparison it was a breeze. She was actually quite happy to see her friends, and so I had no problems dropping her off. I think she's quite vocal this year.. I could hear her voice when I arrived to pick them up.
The only real issue I have with Madison now is how to guide and discipline her. She is starting to be overtly disobedient and testing limits.
The mornings are difficult when she refuses to be independent and eat/dress/brush teeth quickly... it usually winds up being a toss up between nagging/ scolding or threats. I know those choices aren't ideal.. but trying to get 2 ready is a serious test of patience.
I know about positive discipline rather than being negative.. but come on! How much patience is a mother expected to have?? How many times can you tolerate trying to keep her safe eg fingers off lift doors, fingers off doors, stop watching iPad, stop annoying younger sister, and not having her listen?
4. Building matters
This shouldn't even be mentioned.. but it has been a bug bear. Last night we had our condominium management meeting, of which I am now a council member.
We had to make some decisions yesterday, such as electing office bearers. It was a 2 sided contest, and the members were equally split.
I lost it at some of the members, mostly because I felt they were condescending in their attitude. Of course now I feel bad, because it should have been a more amicable event, but I cannot be diplomatic in the face of blatant ego polishing and assumptions.
There are other issues on my mind.. but for now I have to be patient and bide my time.. more to come...
It's crazy that one-third of the month has already gone.
It's been a bit crazy with things happening here.
1. Warni left for her home leave on the 4th of January. We've missed her heaps and are coping ok. The mornings are particularly full on because the kids have started school. Getting 2 ready in time is stressful for me everyday.
2. Annika started pre-school. Her first day coincided with the day Warni left. She was allowed to be accompanied the first 2 days. Chris did the first and Grandma Suzy did the 2nd. Funny thing was on the 3rd day she asked to go by herself. I was quite surprised. She went without fuss!
Unfortunately that didn't last long.
The first day she went by herself she insisted on wearing undies instead of diapers. Was ok, but it ended with her pooping in her pants. She was very distressed with that... and on the 2nd drop - off day I think she remembered and started crying when I left her. Same thing yesterday and today... tears at drop off.
Hopefully this phase will pass quickly...
3. Madison also started school.. but in comparison it was a breeze. She was actually quite happy to see her friends, and so I had no problems dropping her off. I think she's quite vocal this year.. I could hear her voice when I arrived to pick them up.
The only real issue I have with Madison now is how to guide and discipline her. She is starting to be overtly disobedient and testing limits.
The mornings are difficult when she refuses to be independent and eat/dress/brush teeth quickly... it usually winds up being a toss up between nagging/ scolding or threats. I know those choices aren't ideal.. but trying to get 2 ready is a serious test of patience.
I know about positive discipline rather than being negative.. but come on! How much patience is a mother expected to have?? How many times can you tolerate trying to keep her safe eg fingers off lift doors, fingers off doors, stop watching iPad, stop annoying younger sister, and not having her listen?
4. Building matters
This shouldn't even be mentioned.. but it has been a bug bear. Last night we had our condominium management meeting, of which I am now a council member.
We had to make some decisions yesterday, such as electing office bearers. It was a 2 sided contest, and the members were equally split.
I lost it at some of the members, mostly because I felt they were condescending in their attitude. Of course now I feel bad, because it should have been a more amicable event, but I cannot be diplomatic in the face of blatant ego polishing and assumptions.
There are other issues on my mind.. but for now I have to be patient and bide my time.. more to come...
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