Same time last year

Tonight is another quiet one.

My husband is still working late in the office. I have had a very long day, with lots of errands to run, people to see, things at home to catch up on. I noticed the neighbours have already got their Christmas tree and lights up...mine is still sitting in the box waiting for me to put it up.

I just put JD to bed and finally had a chance to sit down. Then it occured to me that hubby has been working late almost every night and including weekend for at least the last few months.

I went back to my old blog and realised it must be that time of the year again. He was doing the same this time last year, I was newly pregnant with Chloe, and having very severe morning sickness.

1 year on, hubby is still working long hours, even longer than before, we have 2 kids, I am a stay-at-home-mom again, enjoying it all albeit a little tired some days!

But today also mark something very special for me.

I am embarking on a new project that I hope would be a new beginnng of something good for me in years to come. I can't share it just yet because it is still in its infancy stage.

But I am writing it down because I know it is this day that I begin the journey of making ways to improve my life, with my greatest hope to strike a good balance between my desire to be a good mom and achieving the basic necessity in life.

To My Sister

Today is my 2nd Sister P's birthday! Here's a birthday cheers from us all here in Perth! Muak! Muak!

(Image from www.google.com)

And if you haven't noticed, my sister is a cats lover! She looks after lots of cats living around her HDB block and even keeps a blog for all her cats!

Glowing Baby

A few weeks ago, Chloe had a bad case of eczema all over her face. She looked really miserable with red face, slightly cracked skin and not too happy at all. I searched everywhere for ways to help her, and carefully changing my diet too. As she is still a breastfed baby, some suggested me cutting down on dairy products, milk, eggs, and staying away from eczema prone food.

But most importantly, I must make sure she is well moisturised every day, afternoon and night. And because she tends to suck her hands a bit, she tends to get a bit of rash around her mouth and cheeks. I was looking for a good barrier cream and after trying lots of stuff, I still think the good old vaseline works the best.

Each day before she goes down for her naps, I would apply a nice layer of Vaseline on her face.

And when she wakes up, we always have this beautiful glowing baby smiling at us!

So, her skin has finally cleared up after copious amount of vaseline and moisturiser, evening primrose and bath oil for her daily bath and me being cautious with what I eat. And I just need to keep doing it.

Dragon

'Dragon' by JD

Another thing I do as a mom!

JD's paternal grandmother bought him this book from a door-to-door salesperson. Great. JD rushed through the door, showing me his new book, tore opened the box, balloons scattered all over the floor. Fantastic!

I stood there trying to work out what the excitement was all about. Balloons. JD's favourite. Big fat round balloons, I have no problem with. I can blow them with gusto till my belly hurts. But balloons that require me to twist and turn into a bee, caterpillar, guitar, giraffe, puppy dog, you name it....NO! Because I am bloody fearful of popping the balloons.

JD's paternal grandma had this idea that at 3 years old, he should be able to do it. But no. Look at the packaging. For 8 years and up!

My hubby being the gung-ho father he is took on the challenge. But after 1 nano second of trying it, he turned around only to tell his son "It's not working!" Brrrrrrr

Now, anyone that has a kid would know how terrible it is to dissapoint kids because they always think that daddy and mommy can do anything and EVERYTHING! And most of the time when daddy can't help, mommy would always come to the rescue.

So after one morning of nagging and please, please, please a million times from my 3 yo, I plucked up enough courage to attempt making a bee for him. Come on I told myself, don't be such a chicken!

Now now, am I am good mother or what! Wahaha, after holding my breath for a good 5 mins, I managed to come up with a bee!

Ah, things I do as a mom!

And and and, mommy also finished painting the butterfly for Miss C's room! No, I didn't draw the butterfly, I can't draw. The canvas came with a butterfly printed on and I just coloured it in. Hee!

I knew a secret! Neh ne ne neh!

One recent nigt, just as I was going to bed after feeding the baby, I heard JD making noises from his room.

So I popped my head in and checked on him. Perhaps he was having a good dream because he was laughing in his sleep. Maybe dreaming about lollies, cakes, fruits or all his favourite food. Maybe something better.

And then he started saying in his sleep "Where is Christy? Where has Christy gone? I WANT Christy!"

Wahahahaha, Christy is a cute lil blondie from his daycare. They started on the same day and have been going there since for almost 2 years now. She is 4, he is 3 but they get along like good ol' friends!

He talks about her all the time. When she went back to UK recently for a month long holiday, he nearly drove his care giver crazy by continually asking her "Where is Christy? Still holiday!!!!?????"

Haha, this will be the kind of story I dish out to embarass him at his 18th birthday. Heehee, I am rolling on the floor with laughter.

2 years ago, on their first day (11/01/04) at the daycare, Christy refused to take a nap. Instead she woke JD from his afternoon nap to have a play. He didn't get his afternoon sleep, and he fell asleep big time at dinner time that day. Well before dinner was even served! Haha, that was a change.

She can roll

Yes, as of last Thurs, my lil Miss C can roll from back to tummy. She did it all on her own. I left Miss C on the mat while I took the rubbish out. 1 min later when I came back, she has rolled from her back to tummy! Yay! And she kept doing it over and over again.

That's her one other milestone at 4 months old!

Bath Baby

Each day I put 3 drops of lavender oil, pop 3 evening primrose oil and a cap of her bath oil into her bath. So many types of oil my husband always ask, but lavender oil is to make her all nice n relax, evening primrose and her bath oil is to make sure her skin gets well moisturise and making her less prone to eczema.

And no, she doesn't cry in her bath anymore. She loves every moment of it.

After she finishes her bath which usually last less than 5 mins, her brother would jump in and make a big splash.

Bath makes me feel good, and I smell good too u know.

The bath makes me relax, maybe sleepy too.

Getting hungry too, maybe sucking on my towel might help.

Then, there is my famous "sticking my toungue out" look!

Different baby different style

When JD was a baby, he would only sleep when he is being swaddled. So much so that he still enjoyed being wrapped in his bunny wrap till he was at least 6 months old.

But Chloe does something totally different. She sucks on different fingers when she sleeps. Sometimes the sucking gets so loud at night that I have to turn down the volume of the baby monitor in my room.

Otherwise, she is mostly happy when she wakes from her sleep.

Hump week

I need to remind myself that once in a while I can feel this way. But not for long.

I have been feeling flat since Sunday. I felt Drained. Exhausted. Tired. Had Enough. I couldn't be bothered with the slightest thing even if my 3yo was going to tear the house down or ate up a whole packet of lollies he found in the pantry. My mind was somewhere else. I wasn't angry, but I was just flat. My husband thought I appeared much calmer than usual. Because I was just way too tired. Everything seem so distant to me.

I thought I would feel better after a good night sleep. Sunday. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. I still felt the same, if not worst. I knew I had to get out of this hole. Went to see my naturopath and told her about it. She gave me some supplements to help lift my mood. I started feeling better by late last night.

Today, I have at least look forward to my day. I went out to get groceries for the household. I went to get myself some new clothes and a pair of shorts for the summer weather. I plan something different for dinner tonight. I still went for my weekly hydrotherapy exercise class. I smell like chlorine now but it did me good.

The thing is motherhood and managing the household can be very demanding and exhausting. No doubt I have had many joyful moments with my kids, but man, they can drained your energy away.

But I must also know that I can feel flat once in a while. This week is just trying to get over the hump.

And I also wish that my husband can just take a day off during the week to spend time at home with me and the kids. No going anywhere crowded. Just enjoying a quiet home life.

Chloe - 4 months update

Chloe had her 4 months check up yesterday. She now weighs 5.94 kg and measures 60 cm long.

Just on her progress, this is how much she has grown in the last few months.

Birth - 3.130 kg, 50cm
1 week old - 3.040 kg, 50cm
6 weeks old - 4.180kg, 55cm
4 months - 5.940kg, 60cm

She is going well. The nurse said she is strong, responsive, got good head control and a very cheeky face!

Other little developments of hers include:

- grabbing her foot with her hand when I change her nappy

- batting the toys with her hand while lying under her play gym

- putting toys in her mouth

- flashes the cutest smile at her daddy when he comes home from work

- rolls from back onto her side, but still trying to roll onto her tummy

- making lots of noises, mainly with the "m" sound

- really enjoying her Gymbaroo and tummy time

- sucking her fingers to sleep

But most importantly, she LOVES the mirrors. She could be grizzling and grumbling, but the moment I stand in front of the mirror with her, she would burst into a little chuckle and a huge smile.

So, since she still doesn't enjoy car rides, I decided to hang a toy mirror in front of her car seat, and I think I have found the answer! The last few days we had less cries in the car but more of her talking to "that other baby" in the mirror while we travel.

Story Telling

This is another post I reminded myself to write down.

I think JD has quite a bit of creativity and imagination at times. He is becoming very good at narrating events of the day to me and sometimes to his daddy. Each time when I picked him up from his daycare, he will tell me about whom he played with, what he ate for lunch, who cried, where he slept, what he did, whose mommy came first, who forgotten to bring his hat for play and so on snd so on.

A couple weeks ago, after getting up from his afternoon nap, he sat at his chair telling me a story about the 3 monsters.

This was his story.

"There are 3 monsters. One blue one. One green one and one red one. The blue monster would go "roar" and (clinching his teeth together). The green one goes stomping, stomping and eat mommy, daddy, JD and Chloe. The red one is cool. The red one eats ice cream. Slurp!"

Jaydensaurus

JD's Wai Po gave him this set of dinosaurs for his birthday this year. We have had so much fun from playing with the dinosaurs. Quite often JD would take it out, making voices for each different dinosaur, one dino chasing abother in the forest, another one looking for food and complaining there's nothing to eat, and some fighting with one another with roaring noises. It's great play for kids of his age.

He creates stories of his own.

One of my favourites were dinosaurs walking in a line going to kindergarten. And along the way the group of them have to stop at the traffic light. And according to JD, you must stop at the green light and go when it is red! Oh dear!

And his dinosaurs also need to lie down for a nap in the afternoon.

Cute as a button

And while my brother is getting creative at his imagination, I am also getting pretty good on my tummy! See!

My mommy also think that I am still cute as a button : ) And she loves me to bits :) :)

Bonding time

Quite often these days, I will see JD lying next to his sister and telling her about stuff.

The other day while I sat at my computer, I noticed this little "one-way" conversation JD had with his sister.

JD: "Chloe what are you doing"
Chloe: "Goo...ah....coo...."
JD: "Chloe, why you wearing glove on your hand?"
Chloe: "Ooooo...ah...." (With help from mommy: Becoz mommy said I got dried skin and I kept scratching it"

One of my greatest past time these days is seeing how JD played with his lil sister but also noticed how Chloe would look at her brother with such amusement.

My kids are good

Quietly I think I am getting better at this business with bringing 2 kids out by myself. Apart from the park, we have been to many other places including library, supermarket, shopping centre, doctors, post office. But I still keep the outing to a max of just 2 hours to avoid being overtired.

This morning I brought JD out to Wireless Hill Park for a play. Unfortunately I didn't get many pics of him on the playground coz another boy (looks a year younger than JD) kept pulling JD's hair and that puts him off playing. I watched from the side and noticed JD didn't fight back but exclaimed out loud "Ouch, he pulled my hair". Then the little boy pushed JD onto the ground again which resulted in JD getting a cut in his hand. Ummm, I wasn't happy about it and all that time the little boy's mom was too busy chatting to her friend. So, I brought JD aside and let him have his morning tea before riding his bike around at the park.

So, some happy shots of JD enjoying his morning tea of strawberry jam sandwich, cheese rice crackers, sultanas and a Fuji apple.

And good lil Chloe sat quietly in her pram, smiling, watching her brother running around, yawning before falling asleep for a good half hour.

Before we realised, we have already spent at least 2 hours there and it was home time for lunch.

Lunch today is lean pork porridge. I must say JD is at an age when he will ask to go home when he has enough of a place or when he starts feeling tired. He is good.

Happy Gathering

This had been a nice and yummy weekend.

We celebrated hubby's grandmother's grand 80 birthday last week. It was a big do as we had his aunt and cousin flying in from HK and we had this 12 couse meal in a restaurant. There were so much food, sea food soup, lobster salad, duck, chicken, spare ribs, noodles, fish and lots of other dishes.

This weekend my hubby Phil invited the relatives for a dinner at a restaurant near our place.

Once again we ate and ate. We had steamed fish, chicken with chilli n venegar sauce, salt and pepper spare ribs, chicken chow mein, stewed pork belly with yam, kai lan with garlic, steamed tea chew duck. And to finish up a good night, we bought some ice cream and had everyone over at our place to continue the eating feast.

But more importantly to take a group shot as the relatives may not come over so often and my MIL also won't be seeing her sister that much.

From Left (my BIL- Mike, his wife - Thao, their son Jordan sitting on Thao's lap, Phil's 1st aunt from HK, Phil's 1st cousin - Kah Sin, Phil's grandma with Chloe on her lap, my MIL, Phil's cousin - Helen, me with JD on lap, and hubby sitting on floor)

And here's a shot of Chloe with her Tai Po. Now, doesn't hubby's grandmother look fantastic!

No doubt, Chloe continues to be the centre of everybody's love and cuddles! Everyone wants a cuddle with her and being a good sport she is, she sits quietly in everybody's lap, smiles, gurgles, and knows her cue when it's time to take pictures.

And another shot of Phil, JD and Tai Po.

Tai Po particularly adore our 2 kids and likewise, I always enjoy her company when she is around.

Her latest tricks

Lately, Chloe has discoved her hands. Oh yes, it tastes so good, she would suck on her fist, and then her fingers, till it is all wet and sticky. Ewwww, I dislike it but she LOVES it. She gets upset if I take her hands away or if I let her suck on something else. Yes, the hands rules! Or more of the fist rules!!!! It is so finger licking good to her.

Yes, my finger tastes good!

Better still, both hands are even more delicious!