Genting Family Holiday

What a week it's been. Quite a few things happened in the past week.

Last Friday, I got off the bus to work and saw a lady crying. She approached me and asked if I could help her be a hair model for her hair exam. Apparently the person she asked didn't show up and if she didn't take the exam she would get sacked from her job. Long story short, I ended up helping her and now have bright red highlights and really damaged hair. Thankfully it's only hair and I'm glad I was in a position to help. (But no, not gonna make it a regular thing).

I also had my first professional supervision session on Friday afternoon, which was very insightful. It's good to be able to talk about your cases and get feedback about how to better approaxh similar situations in the future. It was also reassuring to know that something that was bugging me was out of my control, and to learn to let go of things that I cannot help.

On Saturday, the family headed to Malaysia for our weekend in Genting. I booked a minivan that picked us up from our home, and stopped along the way for breakfast and lunch before dropping us off at our hotel. Immigration was a pain and took such a long time, but once we cleared it and was on our way, the fun began.

First stop for breakfast was Yuan Yean Fishball in Yong Peng. Fishballs were yummy but I'd recommend taking the noodles in soup rather than dry. Next stop was a toilet break midway, then lunch at Chuan Kie Restaurant in Gohtong Jaya. This was a typical Chinese style restaurant, dishes that I liked were the steamed egg and 3 flavour chicken. Their ginger chicken was good too. 

Checked in to the hotel and rested while my brother's kids checked out the pool. Awana Genting has heated pools but we forgot to bring any swimwear. Took the free shuttle bus to the Skyway place which was right next to the premium outlet malls. Had dinner (forgot the name but the hor fun was yum) and walked around the shops for a bit before heading back to the hotel. Note to self: If we ever stay at Awana Genting again, get the shuttle bus schedule from the receptionist. 

Breakfast was at the hotel buffet and then we made our way up to the new Genting Mall. Papa and Mama kept saying our different the place was since the last time they been to Genting (20+ years ago?). Had lunch at a pizza place where babyAC had 2 slices of pizza then split up with the group so we had time to do our own things.

We went back to the hotel to rest and made our way back to meet up for dinner. Had bak kut teh, walked around a bit and went back. The next morning we had breakfast and prepared to checkout.

While waiting for our minivan, Boon Seng's brother drove up from KL to meet up and say hi, and soon Boon Seng came as well. A quick change of plans and we had durian and lunch at Gohtong Jaya before making our way down to Singapore. Dinner was at Yi Jia Seafood, which was really good, and then braved the immigration before heading back home.  

Lost... and Found!

So I lost my wallet last week after sending my dad to the hospital. I stopped by the ATM, hurried to the cab stand to rush back to class. My sis had called me and I was admittedly quite distracted with our phone conversation, and by the time I got to my destination, I realised my wallet wasn't with me. 

It's such a hassle to lose your wallet. First, I had to call my colleague to come down to help me pay for my cab fare. And after thoroughly checking through the cab and my backpack, I then had to call the banks to cancel my credit cards and ATM cards, and call my husband to do the same with his cards that were with me. 

I then had to ask the school to deactivate the access card, and issue a new one (damage: $30 - but thankfully the school was gracious enough to absorb the cost for me). 

After that, I went online to make a police report detailing all the items I lost- not really a must-do but it's good to have a record in case someone uses my IC and pretend to be me on carousel or something. 

Had to make a new condo access card ($30), get new ATM cards ($5), and get a new IC ($100) and drivers license (no idea how much it would cost). The police lady who was in charge of my case advised me to wait for a couple of weeks before renewing it, to see if anyone returned my IC.

My wallet also contained my wanyang card with the details of the balance number of sessions, all ny discount cards from various places, my spare ezlink card, kopitiam card and hundred over dollars in cash. 

I kept track of my ezlink card through the ezlink activate page (PSA: register your ezlink cards so you can block them if they are lost), and since there was no activity on the card, I maintained a glimmer of hope that my wallet would be returned. 

 

+3 thought my wallet was pickpocketed because he thought there were people who targeted distracted people at the ATMs to make sure there is cash in the wallet. And over the weekend, I grew slightly more resigned to the fact that I would probably have lost everything forc good.

To my pleasant surprise, I found a letter in my mailbox yesterday stating that there was a found item! *dance! I took some time off and made my way down to the office and everything was returned! The lady gave me a list of all the items inside and there were all 40 items (6pcs of bandaid too). 

Thank you to the kind stranger who returned my wallet intact, the world is made a much better place with people like you in it. 

Potty Training

So proud of the little guy. He can poo and pee in the potty, and can even tell you when he wants to do a poopoo. 

Stringing Words

The boy has started figuring out how to string two words together! 

Mama hair 

Blue car 

Red car 

Yay!

3am Shenanigans

The boy has been waking up at 3am these days and only getting back to sleep an hour or two later. So tiring (for me). He can count to 20 now and will wake up in the middle of the night singing his ABCs or reciting his numbers. 

We are also potty training him and he's so happy to wear underwear. Had to buy the smallest size from Mothercare (1 - 1.5yrs) cos he is so skinny.

In other news, CH gave birth on 24 Nov to a healthy baby boy. Went to visit her and the baby is so small and light! *ovaries popping out eggs now* 

Tonight, Tonight

It's 2am and I really should have slept 3 hours ago, especially seeing how the little one is over at the parents precisely because I have an event that I need to be at early later this morning. But I couldn't resist the temptation to just lie on the couch and stone without having to put anyone to bed. To play games and surf on my phone, uninterrupted. To just be awake because I want to, and not because I have to soothe a crying babe back to sleep. 

Yet, as I type out how much I'm enjoying this rare sense of ... freedom? I miss the little one so much. His gentle breaths. The way he reaches out and grabs a lock of my hair. His sweaty head. 

Ah, motherhood. 

Being Schooled on Good Manners

BabyAC's vocabulary has been growing incredibly. I was reading a picture book with him and it was so impressive how many words he knew! 

Dolphin. Watch. Wagon. Goat. Whale. Chair. Bear. Clock. And so many more. 

Anyway one of the things we have been trying to teach him is to say "please". Don't point and cry at something you want. And recently we have been quite successful. 

He sees the bottle of Yakult. "Ah-Kult. Plis. PLIS. PPLLEEEEEEEESSE!" 

As I was lying on the sofa last night, he comes up with me holding out a bottle cap he picked up. So I opened my hand and waited for him to give it to me. 

BabyAC: "PLIS!"

Me: "Oh, please?" 

And then he gave me the bottle cap. *beam with pride* 

Pangandaran and The Rest of our Trip

23 Sep, Sat: Arrived at Bandung, rested at SIL's house before heading to the train station to make our way to Tasik. Had dinner at home and settled down. 

24 Sep, Sun: Lazy day. Hung out at home mostly. Had a massage but nothing compares to Ibu Made. 

25 Sep, Mon: Drove to Pangandaran and met some of +3's cousins and nieces / nephews. Checked in to the Laut Biru hotel. Had lunch at a noodle stall owned by the cousin, and later dinner at the restaurant at the hotel also run by the same cousin. 

Had a massive headache. Aiyo. I think the drive gave me motion sickness. Popped a couple of panadols and rested. 

26 Sep, Tue: Probably the best day of the entire trip. Had brekkie in the hotel, and walked across the road to the beach. This was babyAC's first time at the beach and HE LOVED IT. *squeal* He took to the water so naturally, enjoying having the waves splash at his feet (and legs, and body). Cried when we said we had to go back. 

Can't really remember where we had lunch, then headed to Batu Hiu (along the east beach) where it was so windy and the views across the sea were gorgeous. BabyAC really enjoyed it tpo. Dinner was at a restaurant at the inn of another cousin (or was he the nephew?).

We did a grocery run as well and the boy had a go at one of those car rides where you pay 2 coins. 

27 Sep, Wed: Back to Tasik. The ride back wasn't too uncomfortable. Dinner at home. MIL made prawns which gave me an allergic reaction. Had to force throw up, and took some zyrtec. 

28 Sep, Thu: BabyAC was running a fever at night but I was too zonked on my meds. +3 took him at 6+am and took care of him for a couple of hours while I rested. Then he had to leave to settle some paperwork for his IC and I took care of the little one. His fever came back and I had to ask my MIL (who was with +3) to take us to the doctor. 

Traveler's diarea, apparently. Doc gave some electrolytes, MIL went to buy some panadol, and I hugged the little one and tried to comfort him as best as I could. 

29 Sep, Fri: Poor boy was still having fever and the runs throughout the night, and I didn't get to sleep. +3 took over in the morning again, so I could rest, and then left to settle more paperwork. We took the train back to Bandung.

Supermama moment when I changed his poopy diaper in the train toilet. Luckily we decided to try to buy diaper pants, which made it easier to put on while standing up. 

My SIL arranged for Ibu Made to give us massages. +3 had his first, while I looked after babyAC. Poor kid was so fussy - I couldn't put him down and had to carry him for the entire hour. When +3 was done, Ibu Made asked if she could massage babyAC (of course! please do!) and she said that he had a lot of wind, and rubbed his back and belly with some oil. He cried during the massage, but passed out sleeping soon after! 

Ibu Made has magical hands. After working on my problem areas, I felt so much better and so refreshed. But apparently I need 3 days of intensive massage from her to really sort out all my problems. Need another holiday and stay in Bandung! 

Interestingly, babyAC woke up in the middle of the night and let out this mega fart. All that wind, probably. Glad he managed to let it out tho. 

30 Sep, Sat: We prepare to head back to Singapore. BabyAC slept the entire time on the flight, yay! 

== 

It's been almost a week since we got back and babyAC is almost back to 100%. We took him to the doctor back in Singapore and the doctor said that we just needed to let things run its course. 

He lost a lot of weight, though. So now we're going to have to fatten him up all over again. 

Who's Gonna Pat My Bum To Sleep?

One of the most tiring things about motherhood, for me at least, is having to deal with the little one when he wakes up at night. He still doesn't quite sleep through the night yet, especially since he's been unwell. 

Co-sleeping makes it easier for me to scoop him up when he wakes up crying, but it still takes a while before he drifts back off to sleep. And by the time that happens, I've been awake long enough that it's hard to go back to sleep. You know how a quick power nap recharges you? 

So here I am at 3am, desperately needing to get more hours of sleep but unable to go back to dreamland. 

Little Signs Of Love

It's the little things that really show you how much a person loves you. 

1. At Bandung Airport as we were heading back, I asked +3 if he could get me a hot chocolate. And he got me one with soy milk instead of regular milk. (Cos I'm lactose intolerant). He said he didn't want me to have explosive shits on the flight back hehe. 

2. This evening, I said that I was hungry and asked him if he could get me a slice of raisin bread on his way back from the kitchen. He came back with the raisin bread, toasted. Cos he knows how much I like toasted bread. (aso warm and crunchy, yummmmmm.) 

Of course there are the bigger gestures- wanting to get me a nice present for my birthday and take me out for a meal of my choice; looking after the little one in the morning so I can get a few extra hours of sleep; giving up his budget to get a VR headset so he can pay for a phone for me (my old one is dying).  

But it's the little unexpected things that really makes you appreciate how lucky you are to be with someone who loves you so much. 

Digging for Gold

Guess who has learnt to pick his nose and successfully dig out some boogers? 

For the past couple of weeks, babyAC would just shove his finger in his nose and then pull it out, but today something must have clicked (maybe it's the song "One Little Finger" with the corresponding finger action). While we were at the supermarket he struck gold, pulling out his finger with a wet shimmering booger at the very tip. 

"Eee!" he says, pointing his booger in my face. "Eeeeeee!" 

I clean the booger off his grimy finger, and he gets to work again. I think the fact that I hadn't cut his fingernails in almost two weeks is another reason for his digging success. A few more boogers and "eeee!"s later, and the boy is satisfied. 

Tasik Tasik

And we're back in Tasik again! Just realised that this is the third trip we're taking this year (Tasik over CNY, Hong Kong in April, and back to Tasik again now). 

We were lucky that the flight to Bandung wasn't full, so we had the whole row to ourselves. That made it so much easier when the flight stewardesses started serving food cos we could just use the empty tray from the next seat while I held on to the little one. 

Had a short nap on the flight, arrived in Bandung and went to V's place to rest and have lunch before heading to the train station for our next leg. BabyAC really loves V's house and was happily running around playing and exploring the place. 

Another short nap in the car on the way to the station, and about an hour waiting time for our train out to Tasik. More napping in the train and soon we arrived at our destination. 

My MIL was eagerly waiting for us, and we stopped by a grocery store to pick up some stuff (diapers! pro tip: don't pack that many diapers, just enough to last a day or two, and buy what you need from the shop). Had a quick dinner at home, took a bath, and put the little one to bed. 

What a day! It's always exhausting traveling, but I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing holiday. 

Holiday Mood!

Just a few more days till we board the plane and head to Indonesia. We decided to take a week to visit my MIL, mostly because 1. there are usually so many people visiting during CNY and she's so busy having to entertain visitors 2. I may not be able to take a week's worth of leave during CNY next year so might as well go now while we can. 

So here I am sitting in the office, counting down till the end of the day, and counting the days till we're off for our trip. 

Breaking 10

The little one has turned 19 months, and I think (crossing fingers!) he might be hitting 10kgs soon! The last couple of times I weighed him, he was 9.8kg but +3 says that he has seen the scale cross 10kg before. Might have been a super full diaper or weighing him before he pooped. Hehehe. 

Nonetheless, happiness! I've always been concerned since the little one eats so little, but I'm glad his appetite is slowly but surely increasing. 

There are a couple of places that we like to go for meals because I know he will eat some of their food. So Pho for their Vietnamese beef noodles, and Din Tai Fung for the beef noodles (notice a trend) and their prawn pancakes. 

He likes his noodle and clear soups, and still gobbles down fruit. Blueberries and chocolate milk turn his poo black and for a while the oldies at home were a bit worried but when we stopped giving him those, his poo went back to normal brown poo colour, so we know  that it wasn't any internal bleeding so that's all good. He also eats peas, so when we cook at home I try to always include some peas so that at least he is getting some vegetables. 

And the boy loves to dance! Put on some music (preferably one with an upbeat tune) and he will bob his knees up and down and waves his hands around. It's so cute watching him dance and enjoy the music. 

Foo Fighters!

Just got back from the Foo Fighters concert a couple of hours ago. Man, am I getting old. We got tickets for the standing pen and now my body is aching. *creak creak* 

+3 and I have different opinions when it comes to concerts. He keeps telling me I should go to concerts for the experience and I keep telling him that I can watch the MTV on youtube. Hur hur. 

Why go and be surrounded by so many sweaty, sticky people when you can listen to the same music in the comfort of your own home? 

It was good though, and I do love the Foo Fighters. Would I go for more concerts in the future? I think it really depends. 

Anyway. 

Shall go to bed. Left the little one with the parents so need to wake up early to pick him up tomorrow! 

Swim!

+3 and I have decided to be a little more serious in our effort and have been trying to hit the pool more regularly. I think the hardest part is getting your ass out the door, cos once you get started, it's pretty enjoyable to be active. 

So super thankful we have such great family support. With my nanny staying weekday nights, we can leave babyAC at home while we head downstairs. 

18 Months!

Say what? The boy is 18 months? I'm now receiving facebook memories notifications from a year ago, and the boy used to be so little! 

It's great watching him grow. He walks confidently and breaks out in a little run once in a while, and is always on the move. He loves pointing out things he sees - ball! car! airplaaaaaaaaaaaaane! dog! aircon! light! clock! 

He also recognises the few of us - me (mama!), +3 (daddy!), grandma (yoya! for lola), grandpa (ko ko! for gong gong) and nanny (nana!). 

The boy loves his fruit and noodles, and thankfully eats abit more these days but he's still skinny at 9.3kg. His weight is in the 25 percentile range, and height (81cm) at the 50 percentile range. 

We had some friends over the other day and I'm glad that he wasn't possessive over his toys. He let the twin boys play with his balls and stuff, but quietly pushed his busy board (current fav toy) under the sofa. Hehehe. He also had his first encounter playing with dogs and I'm so proud that he wasn't afraid to approach them at all. 

If I had to describe his personality, I'd say he is an independant boy who knows how to entertain himself. But he is also a sociable boy, and enjoys interacting with the people around him. He shows his affection by asking for hugs and to be carried. 

He's a curious boy and likes to explore new things and places. And he also has a cheeky sense of humour (just like his parents), loving to laugh at the silliest things. 

I'm still waiting for him to sleep through the night though. He currently shares the bed with us. Ever since he had HFMD, he probably got used to sleeping in the bed with us and now doesn't like going back to his crib. 

It's all good though. They only stay young for so long before wanting to assert their independence, and soon I'm sure he'll he asking to sleep in his own room. Till that day comes, I'm gonna savour these moments (even the kicks in the belly when he does a 90 degree turn). 

Teething Is No Joke

Wah, and I thought it was bad when his first couple of teeth started cutting in. MOLARS ARE WORSE. Poor boy wakes up screaming at night cos of the discomfort. 

He's got 16 teeth now, with his 4 molars making their appearance slowly. Apparently there are 4 more molars, but they will only come out later when he is about 2 or so. 

Time flies and the boy will be 18 months soon. We were initially planning to put him in a childcare centre but the one we registered him for was really slow in replying (if at all) to my emails. Plus we weren't that keen cos every time I walked past the kids would be playing legos or looking out the window or napping - I don't think I actually saw any class time. 

Looking for a new childcare centre but that's a challenge considering how many young families there are in the Sengkang and Punggol area. On the waiting list for a number of them, so let's see how that goes. 

Seventeen!

In a couple of days, the little one turns 17 months. I'm now getting memories on facebook from a year ago when he was just a wee bub! 

I love seeing how he has grown so much. He seems to have put on the weight he lost since the hospitalisation, and eats better than before I started working. He loves noodles, fruit, and bread, will take oats (unless he sees something else he likes, then will point at that instead), and stopped eating rice and porridge. 

Today, for lunch he had 1/3 of a cheese scallion scone from Cedele, half a banana, some soup from a pork xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung, some soup and noodle from my beef noodles, and a few bites of prawn pancake. I was so happy with his appetite! 

He's such a happy boy and is quick to flash his pearly whites in a charming smile. He flutters his eyes when you ask him to show his beautiful eyes, and sometimes will open his mouth wide open when you ask him to open his mouth. He can point to his nose (and say NO!) and sometimes pokes his finger in his nostril, and sometimes points to his mouth, ears and head (flutters his eyes when you ask him to point to his eyes haha). 

And he has discovered how to scream and cry, pulling out the waterworks when something doesn't go his way. Take away something he is holding? Scream and cry. Pick him up when he wants to walk? Scream and cry. Put him down when he wants to be held? Scream and cry. Thankfully it is still relatively easy to distract him, especially when daddy is around. +3 has this amazing ability to make the little one laugh out loud. 

Things he recognises- "airplane!" when he hears the roar of a plane flying by, "arh kor!" at the aircon, "lai!" at the light, "beh!" at the bread when he wants to eat. He also says "eee!" when I show him his poopy diaper lol. 

As he lies in bed sleeping while I type this post, I can't put into words how incredibly blessed I feel to have my own little family and home. Now I know what it feels like when parents describe this deep love and joy that comes with having children. 

Admitted 2-5 June 2017

It was a tiring weekend last week and I've finally got some time to pen down what happened: the little one had to be admitted to the hospital. 

The vomitting started on Wed night and he threw up about 8-10 times throughout the night. It was probably the most number of times I've ever been puked on. He finally settled down to sleep and I had to go for my class on Thu. Told my mom and nanny to monitor his situation. 

On Thu, he was still throwing up and was having wet-ish poo. He was also having a slight temperature throughout the day. At night, he threw up again but woke up when he had diarea all over himself and half his shirt was all pooed on. Showered him and went back to bed. 

Mom and nanny came over on Friday morning and he was still throwing up when given something to eat. Decided to take him to the hospital instead of the clinic (shorter waiting time). Turns out that Thomson Medical Centre does not have an A&E, but they do have a 24 hour family clinic so we still managed to get medical attention. 

The doctor had a suppository put immediately to stop the vomitting and sent us home while we waited for available beds. Got a call from the hospital at about lunchtime to say that there was an available bed, so we packed up and got ourselves admitted. 

The little one was put on a drip and given meds. The diarea on Friday in the day seemed to be ok, and we were hopeful to be discharged the next day, but at night he kept having the runs to the point that I ran out of diapers. 

Had to ask +3 to hurry in the morning with new diapers, and bathed the little one and basically let him go commando while waiting for his dad to come. Saturday's condition was bad, and we went through 8 diapers in about 4-5 hours. Informed the nurses who called the doctor, and they gave him more meds. 

His condition had stabilised by Sunday and thankfully we were able to be discharged on Monday, after three nights in the hospital. 

The doctor did warn us that he'd still have some diarea in the coming days (she was right) but by Friday, babyAC was having solid poos so we decided that we didn't need to go to the clinic for a follow up today (Saturday). 

It was heartbreaking to see the little one hooked up to a drip, and seeing him lose so much weight in just a few days. We had just managed to fatten him up in the last couple of weeks after his previous bout of flu, and now we were back to square one. 

Ah well. I'm just glad that he has recovered.

Now, time for me to go to bed. 

Midnight Musings

I love to feel his soft hair against my cheek, as he snuggles against my shoulder, softly snoring. I love how his tiny hand grabs hold of a lock of my hair, tugging at it ever so slightly. I love to feel the weight of his body, legs wrapped around my belly, chest gently rising and falling with each breath he takes. I love how I know he feels safe and secure in my arms, and how he comes to me for comfort when he wakes up in the middle of the night. 

My sleep can wait. My arms can ache as I hold him tightly to me. I'll have my back readjisted at the next chiropractic appointment. 

And meanwhile, I'll just savor these moments where my son needs me and hold him close. 

Kamikaze Mug

Today I learned that not all mugs are made the same. I was pouring some hot water in my mason glass mug (so hipster) when the bottom of the glass fell out. Too hot, I guess.

So now I'm using a teeny tiny styrofoam cup and I guess I'll have to hunt for one later at lunch.

Back To Work

So I'm on my way to work and perspiring everywhere, because I climbed up 2 flights of stairs (hello heathy lifestyle) instead of taking the lift. 

How do people wear makeup and perspire at the same time?! Then again I don't think most girls sweat so much on their faces as I do. Bleh. 

Anyway, let's hope I don't get lost trying to find the office. 

Mother's Day 2017

What a wonderful weekend we had! Dropped babyAC off at the parents' while +3 went to City Square Mall to shop for some work clothes  and to catch Alien: Covenant. The movie was ok, but I think my maternal instinct was really kicking in cos I kept squealing about how cute the baby aliens were. Hehe. 

Slept in on Sunday, and babyAC actually managed to repeat "happy" "mama" "dee" which made my heart sing with joy and my soul soar to high heights. 

We didn't really have anything planned to celebrate, but any excuse to go have a nice meal is always welcome, so we finally decided on heading to Ellenborough Market Cafe for a buffet lunch. Yum yum yum yum yum. 

Walked around Meidi-ya after (oh I miss you Meidi-ya) then headed to the parents' place again to have dinner with them. 

A simple weekend but one with the people I love the dearest, and that's always something worth being thankful for. 

In other news, I start work tomorrow! Eeeks. I've got mixed feelings, of course. On the one hand I'm excited cos I'm quite sure I'll enjoy the work, but on the other hand I'm gonna miss spending time with the little one and sleeping in and napping with him. 

Well, this is a new chapter in our lives and we'll just roll with it. Oh he learned a new word today, and said a big loud AIYO after lola said it today. Hehehehahahahaha. 

15 Month Update

I'm staring at babyAC as he sleeps and at 15 months, he is beginning to lose that baby look and starting to appear more like a little boy. His cheeks aren't as round, his chin is thinner, and he is growing taller and lankier. His socks are getting too small for his feet and his ankles show when he wears pants that used to be too long. 

If I had to describe my boy, I'd say he is a strong willed child who knows what he wants and does not want. He is curious and alert, and constantly observing his surroundings and notices when there are new things and people around. He's a friendly kid, ready to give you a toothy grin if you smile at him and give him some attention. And he likes his ladies, long haired pretty girls are more likely to get a grin from him quickly than guys. Hehe. 

He is also an active boy, always on the move from the moment he wakes to the moment he passes out to sleep. 

These days, he's gotten quite clingy to me though, and prefers me to carry him around the house and cries when I put him down. But give him enough attention and he's a happy boy, and will potter around playing with his toys or exploring the different rooms at home. 

Took him to Vivocity the other day and we were at the outdoor playground. There were a number of kids around and he was happily running around exploring the place. He learned how to climb up and down slopes (with mama holding his hand for support, of course), and when I put him on the trampoline he stood there unsure what to do until he saw some other kids bounce and then he tried it out for himself. 

He's not that interested these days when I sit him down to read books, preferring to point at pictures in his "My First Words" book instead. 

When he sees his dad, he'll say "dah-dee", and when he sees a baby or small kid, he'll say "beh-bee". No "mama" for me yet. Sigh. He can also say "ball" and "apple", and sometimes "turtle" which sounds more like "but tuh tuh". 

It's amazing how much I love this kid, and how much I love +3 when I see him interact with babyAC. I feel blessed! 

Gonna Miss My Afternoon Naps

So after 2 years out of the full time work force, I've signed on the dotted line and will be back to work in 2 weeks time. 

It feels bittersweet. 

On the one hand, I'm excited about my new role and I'm definitely excited about having a paycheck again. I think this will be something I'll enjoy, and I daresay I'm looking forward to the challenges that I will be facing and to learning new skills on the job. 

Having a second income is also gonna come in handy, especially once babyAC starts going to childcare. And it will give +3 a bit of a breather when we look at our family budget. 

On the other hand, I know it's gonna be tough being away from the little one. I love our morning routine having breakfast together, and I love being able to bring him out and about to different places during the day. 

He's in good hands, though. Between my mom, nanny and (gasp) my dad, he'll definitely have lots of love and affection and will be well taken care of. 

Plus it'll be good to "train" him to get used to being apart. He turns 15 months today and in another 3 months or so, we're likely to be putting him in childcare. 

So 2 weeks left of being a tai tai. Think I'm gonna go back to bed for my afternoon siesta while I still can. Hehe. 

Food Panda

What with us just coming back from our holiday, +3 going back to work immediately, and babyAC and I feeling under the weather, I've not had the time or energy to go grocery shopping. 

So I downloaded the food panda app, and we've been having dinner delivered to us for the past couple of nights. 

I LOVE FOOD PANDA. 

I know I'm late to jump on this bandwagon but better late than never. How convenient is it to be able to choose from eateries in your vicinity, so food arrives quickly and piping hot. I likey. 

We had pho from So Pho, some tze char from Gurney Drive, and some rice and noodles from Uncle Leong's. And we're beginning to figure out what's worth ordering and what's not. Hehe. 

The only downside is that you can only get food delivered when these eateries are open (normal working hours). It's 2am and I'm hankering for some supper but the eateries that work with Food Panda are all closed. Oh man, how nice would it be to have some prata now. 

The Rest Of The Hong Kong Trip

Whoops. Just realised I didn't finish writing about Hong Kong and now a week has passed since we got back. Lemme recap the trip: 

Tue 11 Apr - Arrive in Hong Kong, meet with cousin Zhen and her husband. Make our way to Da Ma's house. Dinner with the cousins at some Chinese restaurant. 

Wed 12 Apr - Head to Causeway Bay for dim sum. Supposed to go to the Peak but got turned off by the long queues at the tram station, so walked to the botanical gardens instead where we got caught in the rain and waited under a shelter for over an hour while babyAC napped. Shiok to be a baby. Think we had Thai food for dinner. 

Thu 13 Apr - Went to Macau. The lobby of the hotel had lots of family friendly activities but babyAC and I had a nap while +3 and cousin Ming had coffee and chatted. Ming took me to the casino to have a look, then we had dinner at the food court. 

Fri 14 Apr - Scrapped the plan to go around Macau in favour of lazing in after a yummy dim sum breakfast at YumCha. Discovered the use of a luggage bag belt to convert normal chairs into baby chairs! Dinner at Ming's restaurant in Tsim Sha Tsui - Padang Indonesia Restaurant. Delicious Indonesian food. 

Sat 15 Apr - Met Andi to go hiking at Tai Tum reservoir. It was an easy flat path and we walked for about 2 hours or so, before it started to get really hot. Took a cab to Stanley, and had Mexican food for lunch. Went back to Da Ma's place for a rest before heading out again for a seafood dinner somewhere in Kowloon. We had to take a ferry, then walk through shops and shops selling fresh seafood (cousin Ling and her husband chose the seafood), which would then be brought to your restaurant of choice where they'd prepare the meal. Fresh and oh so delicious, I wish I paid more attention to where we were! 

Sun 16 Apr - Had breakfast at McDonalds because that's what +3 and his uncle used to do when he visited last time. HK McDonald breakfasts have macaroni soup! Then we packed our stuff and took the train to Disney. Checked in but the rooms weren't ready, so we left our luggage at the hotel and went to explore the park. Took some kid friendly rides, and waited while +3 took the more exciting ones, had overpriced lunch and dinner there and watched the night parade and fireworks. 

Mon 17 Apr - There seems to be a running theme in our holidays that we always end up booking our trips when it coincides with the local long holidays. This time it was Easter and HK had Fri and Mon off. Andi and his daughter joined us at Disney, but babyAC was sleeping so +3 went ahead first, which was good cos that meant I got to rest as well, and they could take any ride without worrying about me waiting with babyAC. Had a late lunch at the hotel (not that much more expensive and better quality and comfort!) then went to the park by about 4+pm, just before Andi and his daughter went back home. Took some rides, and even managed to go for a few on my own. Went back to the hotel for an early night and dinner. 

Tue 18 Apr - Enjoyed our buffet breakfast at the hotel, went back up to pack and made our way to the airport. BabyAC was having a temperature at night so we bought some kid panadol and gave him some after breakfast. He was rather miserable on the flight back and his fever had returned when we landed so we didn't stay out too late with the grandparents who had come to the airport to pick us up and have dinner together. 

.. 

Brought babyAC to the doc on Wed and he had a mild throat inflammation. Got some more meds and a few days later, he's now feeling better. Poor boy though, falling sick twice in a short span of time. 

All that fried food at the park and the lack of sleep made me have a cough as well, but I'm also on the mend. Phew. 

I think my favourite part about this trip was getting to know the relatives better, and watch how babyAC interacts with them and is such a joyful spirit. And of course, I'm looking forward to more trips to HK in the future. 

Chompers

Conversation with my dad the other day. 

Me: Mebbe he (babyAC) is cranky cos he is teething.

Dad: How many teeth does he have now? 

Me: Well he has 4 on top and 4 below, and another 5 coming out. 

Dad: Wah 13 teeth! That's more than me, I only have 12. 

Macau

Met up with cousin Ming at the ferry terminal. Bought tickets and boarded the ferry for the hour long journey to Macau. BabyAC was rather restless on the trip there because he didn't get to run around. 

Upon arrival at the Macau ferry terminal, we boarded the shuttle bus to the hotel. Most of the major hotels provide a free shuttle service to their respective locations. 

There was a long queue at checkin, so while +3 queued, we walked around. Holiday Inn Cotai Central is part of the Sands group, and is one hotel under a large complex made of casinos, shopping mall, and various hotels. Walking around reminded me of MBS back home. Hehe.  

Saw some characters like the lion from Madagascar and a dragon and his trainer from How to Train Your Dragon. These and also the dance performances lent a buzz to the air. 

BabyAC and I were tired, so opted to nap in the room while +3 and cousin Ming went to grab a coffee and catch up. Made a quick round in the casino before dinner and learned how to play bacarat hehee. 

Had a nice rest at night (KingSized beds, I love you!) and had dim sum breakfast at Yum Cha. Walked around abit before we packed up and took the shuttle back to the ferry terminal to Hong Kong. 

Back in HongKong, we left our stuff at cousin Ming's restaurant which was at Tsim Sha Tsui. Walked around the shops, had a yummy Indonesian dinner, and back to dama's place for the night. 

First Family Holiday To Hong Kong (11-18 Apr 2017)

Whee! We're now in Hong Kong and the weather is almost perfect! It was raining today but otherwise the temperature was between 19-21 degrees celcius, which is such yummy weather for sleeping in. But we didn't, of course. 

Arrived yesterday at around 2.30pm, and had a late lunch at the airport. Went to Tsui Wah and had some noodles and their toasted bread with condensed milk. Rented a wifi router (60 hkd a day because I forgot to collect the one we booked at Changi), bought the train tickets for the airport express to town (170 hkd for 2 pax, one way to Central Station). 

Met with +3's cousin, Zhen, and her husband who took us to Da Ma's home in Siu Sai Wan. After unpacking and chatting for a bit, we made our way to have dinner with the rest of the family. 

At dinner with Zhen, her husband and 2 kids; Hui, her husband and 7yo kid, Ling and da ma. It was really nice to meet more of +3's family, and being able to speak in Mandarin helped me communicate with them much easier than with some of the relatives in Indonesia. Bought some fruit for babyAC at a supermarket after dinner. 

This morning, we went to the supermarket again and bought a few more snacks and stuff (diapers too hehe), then had a quick nap before making our way to town with cousin Ming and his daughter Christine. 

We went to Causeway Bay to have a dim sum lunch. Was originally planning to go to the Peak but the queue for the tram was ridiculously long, so +3 and I walked to the nearby botanical garden instead. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) it started to rain, so we took shelter and waited for the rain to pass. BabyAC had a nice hour long nap too. 

Made our way to Tai Ku for dinner and had Thai food at one of the restaurants at City Square. Ling and Christine actually managed to get babyAC to eat more than a few mouthfuls of rice today! We need to come to HK more hehehe. 

Settling down for the night and tomorrow we are off to Macau. 

Tee Vee Time!

We just finished watching season 1 of Westworld and I'm not sure if it was the show, or the act of watching TV again that I found more enjoyable. Hehe. 

I've figured out how to lay babyAC down on the pillow and how to arrange it such so he sleeps quite comfortably without me having to hold him. He still perspires a fair bit, but at least it's on the pillow and not my arm. 

Feels good to be doing such mindless activity again. 

My Morning Routine

I think mornings are one of my favourite times of the day, these days. 

I wake up at about 7-730am as +3 gets ready for work, and usually go back to sleep and try sleep in for as long as babyAC allows. Sometimes we wake up at 8ish, sometimes 9ish. I change his diaper and get ready for breakfast.

+3 prepares a cup of oats for me in the mornings, and I add a bit of hot water to it. I prepare a cup of water, some bread and some fruit to have breakfast with the little one. Put him in his high chair with something for him to play with: a spoon, a toy, the remote control, and try to give him oats. Or bread. Or fruit. (He currently LOVES mango.) 

Breakfast usually takes about an hour or so, and I try to do some laundry while he plays for a bit on the playmat. Two hours after he wakes up, I try to prepare him for naptime. We read a bit, nurse him and hope he falls asleep. 

If I'm tired, I'll nap too. If not, I'll do some chores or play some games or prepare lunch. Heheh. 

14 Months

Oh my, babyAC isnt a baby anymore is he, now that he is 14 months old and is toddling around the house. 

He spent his 14th month recovering from hand foot mouth disease that he got from that little girl he met at the photoshoot at Marine Cove. Poor boy had a fever for almost 3 days, and zero appetite during that time as well (the ulcers made it painful to eat). He lost so much weight during this time. :( 

Thankfully, by the fourth day he was nibbling on some bread, and by the fifth day he was taking more bread, spaghetti, mee sua and mango. Today (day 6), he ate oats and some fruit yogurt for breakfast, pasta for lunch, and ceral for dinner, while nibbling on marie biscuits and bread throughout the day. Yippie! 

At 14 months, he can understand some simple instructions. When I say, "Bring mama your book", he'll pick up the book that he left on the floor and bring it to me. When we say bye bye, he'll wave and when we ask him to blow a kiss, he'll put his hand to his mouth and make a muaks sound (but the hand doesn't leave his mouth, so no flying kisses for you!). 

He also comes to me with his stacking cups when he needs help prying them apart and he loves to chase me around the sofa when we play. 

He says "dah deh" when he sees his daddy, but still doesn't call me "mama". *patience* He's babbling quite a bit but still can't make out what he is trying to say. 

Oh and he loves to grab my hair when he's falling asleep. 

From what we can see, this is gonna be one cheeky and smart kid with a sense of humour and a strong character. Let's pray that we will be able to raise him as best we can. Hehe. 

The Beginning Of A Long Week

Couple of days ago, I took babyAC to the playground at Marine Cove. My ex-colleague, F, needed some kids to be at the playground for a photoshoot. 

Marine Cove isn't a place I'd usually go to cos it's so out of the way, but it was nice to see how much the area had changed since the last time I was there (years and years ago!). The playground was huge and there were many eateries around. 

It was probably also the first time babyAC had the chance to interact with a kid his own age. The boy's a friendly one, not afraid of approaching other kids, and also not afraid of grabbing stuff he wants from their hands. In this case he saw the little girl eating a cookie and he grabbed it from her, stuffed it in his mouth and immediately spat it out. Need to teach him not to do that next time. Lol. 

Having to help F at the photoshoot also meant that I had to go buy some sunblock for babyAC. The sunblock will also be useful when we go to Hong Kong this April. 

Anyway, the day after the photoshoot I got a text from F asking me to monitor cos that little girl at the playground may have HFM. ARGH. And sure enough, babyAC was burning up with a fever last night (from 38.1 degreeC at 2am and hit a high of 40.4 degreeC sometime around 5 or 6am). 

Gave him some paracetamol when I discovered he was having a fever, and took him to the doctor in the morning who confirmed that there were ulcers at the back of his throat. Poor boy. 

So today (Sunday) was spent at home taking care of babyAC, who was incredibly cranky because he was in so much pain. We were given some ibuprofen which helped relieve some of his discomfort, but by the end of the day he was refusing even the boob, so we had to force him to drink some water by using a syrnge. 

It's the first time the boy has gotten so ill but you can really tell that he's such a trooper. When the meds kick in and he doesn't feel so bad, he'll totter around the living room and laugh when you make funny faces at him. And even though he doesn't like drinking water (so painful, I imagine), he allows you to comfort him afterward. 

All I can hope is that he gets well sooner than later and that this whole week ahead isn't going to be too terribly painful for him. 

Life Is Good

I was lying in bed last night, snoring hubby to my right and snoring baby to my left, and feeling like I'm the luckiest girl in the world (I'm the luckiest girl in the universe!) 

You know that scene in The Sound of Music where Maria and Captain von Trapp are singing in the gazebo about how she must have done something good? I certainly feel that way. Hehee. 

It's the mid of March and we had birthday celebrations for Nanny (15 Mar) and +3 (16 Mar). Fish head curry and roasted duck for dinner, yum yum yum. Nanny will be going back to the Philippines for an entire month in April as well. I'm sure babyAC will miss her lots. 

We have our own little holiday planned, and will be visiting family in Hong Kong in April. Whee! 

Bekok Vacation

It's the final leg of my short little getaway to Bekok with cousinE. CousinJ was back in town and we wanted to head up north to visit and spend some time with her. +3 and babyAC were initially supposed to make this trip as well, but due to work commitments, +3 couldn't make it and so I decided to come here on my own. 

I'm so glad I made this trip. 

CousinE booked train tickets from Singapore-JB, JB-Bekok, Bekok-JB, JB-Singapore via the KTM website. Pro tip: booking individual legs of the trip is cheaper than booking return tickets. 

Tue 7 Mar: Our train ride to JB was at 1200 so we arranged to meet at the Woodlands Train Checkpoint at 1130 to collect our tickets. I dropped babyAC at my parents' place before making my way to Woodlands. Apparently, even though you've booked your train ride and printed out your ticket, you'll still need to queue up and collect printed ticket stubs. There was a pretty long queue to collect tickets when we were there. 

The train ride to JB was quick (5 min!) and uneventful. Arriving in JB Sentral, we made our way to buy banana cake (google JB banana cake) and have lunch at a nearby coffeeshop which sold really yummy old school hainanese chicken chop. 

Walked to the pharmacy, back to JB Sentral and browsed around Daiso, bought some snacks and sat down somewhere to have kueh. A great start to our trip. 

Our train ride from JB was at 4pm and we needed to be at the station half an hour before, so we had plenty of time to kill. It was nice to be able to take our time and not have to rush around like mad chickens. 

Got to Bekok at 7pm, which was relatively quick. Texted cousinJ when we were at Paloh, the stop before Bekok and when we got into the train station she was already waiting there with her mom and dog, Ozzy. 

Had a simple dinner at home with cousinE, my aunty, cousinJ, cousin's wife and kids. The three of us then went to the beer garden and had a nice catch up. 

Growing up, I've never really been very close to my cousins from Malaysia. When my parents still had the car, we'd drive up for CNY or Ching Ming but these huge family affairs never really gave us the opportunity to get to know each other well. Now that I'm older, I think it's important to try and build better relationships with my cousins, especially since there aren't that many of us. 

Wed 8 Mar: Spent the day in typical Bekok fashion, driving around eating, going back home to rest, and driving around to eat some more. Had lo mai kai for breakfast, char kuay teow for lunch, and went to a Chinese restaurant in Chaah (a nearby town, about 20 min drive away). 

We also did some touristy stuff and went to the bee farm and Hakka Cultural Center (entrance fee was 4 ringgi). Apparently Bekok is getting to be a relatively popular tourist destination! The Hakka Cultural Center also had rooms which cost 88 ringgit a night. 

Ended the night at the beer garden again, eating peanuts and drinking beer and chatting with cousinE and cousinJ about family and their life. 

Thu 9 Mar: Woke up early to pack and get ready to catch the 5.30am train back to JB. Typing this as the train ambles on. The plan for today is to take an uber to eat dim sum once we reach JB, then buy more banana cake for the Singapore folks, shop at Daiso, get a massage before taking the 3.30pm train back. 

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Unlike my Sydney trip, I didn't bring any pump because somehow I thought it would be easier to hand express. Note to self: it's not. I would spend up to half an hour in the shower hand expressing and boy is it tiring. I'm missing the little one and can't wait to see him later. 

What's This?

+3 and I watched this Key & Peele skit where they did this thing, pointing and your chest and saying "Hey what's this?" and when you look down, you'd flick the nose. Naturally, we both found every opportunity to try and flick each other's noses.

Last night, +3 decided to play this with babyAC? 

"What's this?" 

BabyAC looks down. *flick!* 

Lol. The little one found it hilarious, but he's a smart little bugger too. After two or three flicks, he caught on and would refuse to look down, or cautiously look down while holding your finger. 

Got brains, this one. 

13 Months and an Epiphany That's Really Just Common Sense

BabyAC hit the 13 month mark yesterday and "celebrated" by taking a small nibble from a piece of chicken at dinner! Woohoo! This may not seem like a big deal to most parents, but babyAC has been an extremely picky eater, and there are very few things he would eat. Oats and cerelac make up his three meals, and he would also eat bananas (his FAVE), apples (but a few nibbles), plain rice, rice rusks, rice puffs, and baby biscuits. Anything else that we try to feed him gets waved away, spat out, or even vomitted out. 

Ah well. As long as he is growing well (25-50 percentile for weight, he was 9kg at the 1year check; 50 percentile for height at 75.5cm; and 75 percentile for head circumference lol). He's really quite a healthy boy, and so far has only had a runny nose once when he was about 6-7 months old, and that bout of diarea when we came back from Indonesia over his first birthday and CNY. 

The boy loves to walk! Took him to meet some ex-colleagues for tea yesterday and he was running all over koufu. It was so cute to see how happy and friendly he was, smiling at everyone... until he got tired. Hehe. After that his sense of balance disappeared and he could only muster up a shy smile while being held in my arms. 

I had a good night's sleep last night, and I think babyAC slept through the night! I know I did (I think I did, anyway), from about 10-11pm all the way to 6.30am. Whee! Perhaps the boy did wake up and I was too zonked out to hear him, who knows. Hehehe. 

And when I woke up, I realised something that +3 had been telling me for the longest time that's really all a bit of common sense. If you don't use your phone right before bed, you'll sleep better! No distractions from sleep except a crying baby. Brilliant! 

It's a bad habit using your phone in bed, but one that I'm a little reluctant to break. The benefits of having a better night's sleep and minimising whatever harmful exposure to the phone definitely outweigh my desire of being in-the-know (latest news etc) though, so I'm gonna try to keep my phone away at night. (Actually, this shouldn't just be at night but most of the time.) 

Speaking of habits, a new thing that I want to try this year is speaking up more. It's easy to passively observe any situation and not react, but I tend to end up getting annoyed and wondering if I should have done something about it. 

Two recent examples of me speaking out- at the playground I saw a couple of boys pouring soapy water down the slide. Asked them what they did and why, and one of the boys glibly said they wanted to clean the slide. Ya right. So I said if you wanted to clean the slide, you should go get a tissue to wipe it dry otherwise if other people use the slide they'd get wet. Naturally the boys ran off and some other kid got wet, but I hope by speaking out they'd think twice about the consequences of their actions next time. 

The other example was when I was on the bus and this old man starting coughing without covering his mouth. Ugh. I passed him a tissue and asked him to cover his mouth while coughing (and was quite pleased with my approach), but HE ACTUALLY SAID NO NEED. And continued coughing! I was in shock and lucky for me my stop was coming up so I just left. But on hindsight I should have told him how unhygenic it was. 

In other news, my part-time gig has ended and I'm now looking for a full-time job. Praying that I will get one that's suitable for me, and there's one job that I've been eyeing (went for interview) and hoping that I will get. Positive thoughts! 

Peanuts

Seems like babyAC has a peanut allergy. Gave him a bit of peanut butter to taste and he broke out in itchy rashes all over his face and neck. Took him to the polyclinic (our regular doctor was on leave) and the doctor there said to avoid giving him peanuts or peanut products, and if we really wanted to try to introduce peanuts to him again, to wait till he was older (about 6 years or older). 

I really hope his allergy doesn't last a lifetime. 

In other news, babyAC walks quite steadily on hs own now. He still veers towards structures that he can support himself on, but otherwise can toddle along for quite a while without falling. My poor back! Being bent over while following him around isn't the best thing for my posture. 

He's still a poor eater, mostly taking oats for breakfast, and cerelac for lunch and dinner. He also eats bananas, a bit of bread, plain white rice, and apples. We keep offering him other foods but he takes a taste and decides he does not like it. *sigh* 

I've started looking for a full time job. We'll need the extra income when he starts going to school, so I thought it was better to kickstart the job hunt sooner than later. Keeping my fingers crossed that I can find one that I enjoy and pays well hehehe. 

We're also planning a holiday for March or April, but haven't quite decided where to go. Likely Hong Kong or Japan. And maybe a short trip back to my dad's hometown too. Hehe. 

Can't believe the little one is almost 13 months old and we're already at the end of Feb. I know I keep saying this but time really flies! 

Happy Valentines' Day!

It almost seems like every time I write a new post, I start off by saying how quickly time has passed. But it's true! It's already mid-Feb! Where did all that time go?

One place the last year's worth of picture has gone is down the drain. Dropped my phone in the toilet when I was in Bandung and everything's gone. And no, I didn't back anything up. *sob* 

Ah well. 

Updates on the little one, who is growing taller and stronger every day. 

He still eats so little, so I feel so incredibly blessed that I am still able to breastfeed him. He has started toddling along and takes little steps eagerly unassisted. His babbling has changed a little these couple of days, progressing from repeated bababababa or ah-ba ah-ba ah-ba to sounds like pichu pichu pichu. It's so cute. 

He's gotten the runs, but we've put him on probiotics and other than an increased number of poopy diapers and the corresponding diaper rash from cleaning his bum too often, he's otherwise fine. 

Having a lunch date with +3 later today, which I'm looking forward to since it's been a while since I've gone to town to have lunch with him. Haven't decided where to go but I'm sure we'll find someplace nice. 

I'm also on the lookout for a full-time job (or a well paying part time job that allows me to work from home) so if anyone reading this page has any lobang, let me know! 

Gonna try to sleep now. My mood right now? Feeling so much love for my family, praying hard to find a good job, and always wishing everyone good health and happiness. 

A Lesson In Impermenance

I dropped my phone in the toilet after peeing and it's now dead. Sigh. These things happen, I know, but what makes it suck even more is that I hadn't backed up anything. So there goes a year's worth of photos and videos. 

Sob. 

I made an appointment with the service center and hoping that I can recover some of the files. 

What A Champ!

Gong xi fa cai, everyone! 

We had a simple reunion dinner on the eve of CNY at the parents place, and mini birthday celebration for Aiden as well. To be honest, in the rush to pack and prepare for our Indonesia trip, we completely forgot to buy a birthday cake for him! Thankfully, one of our neighbours had gotten a marble cake for us for CNY, and we had brought it along with us for dinner. So the CNY cake (didn't even know that was a thing) did double duty as a birthday cake as well. Hehehe. 

Didn't stay too late as we had a morning flight the next day. Got back home, put Aiden to bed while +3 continued to pack our stuff. I think we only got to bed by 1am. 

Had to wake up early as we weren't sure how easy it would be to get a cab. Had a quick breakfast, showered and got ready to leave. It was still only 5+am and Aiden was still sleeping, so I changed him out of his pjs and he didn't wake up! Even managed to get him into the baby carrier while he slept. 

He woke up by the time we got to the airport. We collected our wifi router, checked our bags, and got some last minute gifts. The immigration officer noticed that it was his birthday and wished him happy birthday. How sweet :)

The plane ride went smoother than expected. It's freaking hard to nurse in a plane seat cos there's not much space. Gave him some dried apple to chew on as the plane took off, but later we managed to find a better position to nurse (thankfully there was an empty seat next to me) and he fell asleep soon. The air stewardess arranged the bassinet and we put him in to sleep so we could have breakfast. 

At one year old, he barely fit inside, with his head and feet touching the ends of the bassinet. I wonder how he'll manage when he is older. 

Had to take him out due to turbulent weather, but he continued to sleep on my shoulder and only waking up when it was almost time to descent. 

Landed in Bandung and we got the car to Vv's place. +3 and I took turns to nap while babyAC played around the house. He was super active, climbing and crawling on the sofa, and walking around the house if anyone was willing to hold his hands. He was in a good mood too, laughing and smiling at everyone. 

We dabaoed some batagor on the way from the airport and had that for a late breakfast/ early lunch. Headed to the train station to buy tickets and had some "Japanese" food at the station. 

By the time we boarded the train, I was really tired so took a nap while +3 played with babyAC. The rhythmic motion of the train moving along the tracks soon got him tired, and we shifted him to the baby carrier and he slept on my chest for the next 2 hours. 

When we finally got to tasikmalaya, my MIL was waiting for us. Headed back home and had a simple dinner, bathed the little one, and went to bed. We were initially worried that he might have nightmares or feel scared being in a new space, but nope, he's such a champ. Slept pretty well, waking only to nurse, and didn't fuss any more than usual. 

Feeling like a super proud mama bear now. :) 

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Had a steamboat reunion dinner with the parents and a small birthday celebration for babyAC. Got back a little later than we usually do, and packed up for our flight tomorrow to Indonesia. Morning flight so I better sleep soon. Our first trip as a family! 

Marriage

+3: Dear, do you want to smell my toe?

me: No!!!! 

+3: Smell it, then next time when I say it smells like my toe you will know what it smells like 

Naptime (Not) and other stuff

I've got a lunch appointment in about 2 hours so trying to get babyAC to nap for a bit before we head out. Instead, he decides that he wants to practise this new skill he's picked up, and is happily tottering all over the place. 

Yes, the walking has begun.

He's managed to take 5-6 steps unaided, but gets excited and rushes it and then loses his balance. It's so cute though. 

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In other news, my ex-boss bentoset died. He was only in his mid 40s. Apparently he had an asthma attack and did not survive. I went to the wake yesterday and was so heartbroken to sed his mom. How devastating this must be to her. 

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On a positive note, 10 more days to our trip to Indonesia! I'm excited and looking forward to it, although I'm not quite sure how we will manage all the baby stuff. We'll figure something out. 

We're spending a couple of nights in Bandung, and my SIL kindly arranged to have a masseuse come over to give me and +3 a massage. She also arranged for her facial lady to come over to give me a facial. Hehehe looks like mama is gonna get pampered! 

Sleep

My sleeping schedule has been out of whack these couple of days. Awake at night and passing out exhausted during the day. Boo. 

Need to figure out how to get back to a (relatively) normal sleeping pattern again. 

2017

And a new year has begun, just like that. It doesn't feel any different, perhaps it's because I'm no longer in school and there is no new school term to look forward to. Maybe when babyAC is older, a new year will feel more like a new year. Hehe. 

We had dinner on NYE at the parent's place, with the usual family gang in tow. Didn't stay late to countdown because the little one had to sleep and it didn't make sense to take a cab back home after midnight just so we could all countdown together. 

Plus, it was our first countdown in our new home. We didn't really watch the clock, but as it struck midnight, our neighbours who were having countdown parties started to cheer and wish each other HAPPY NEW YEAR! from across our balconies, so +3 and I went to the balcony to cheer as well. As our unit faces inwards to the swimming pool, we didn't manage to see the fireworks, but some of our neighbours who were outward-facing got a pretty spectacular view. 

My brother and family arrived in Singapore on the 2nd and we spent time hanging out at our place. The kids loved the swimming pool and PS4 games and stayed overnight for one of the nights. Hehe. 

Met up with +3's cousin from HK and took them to Arab Street and had lunch at one of the malay stalls. It was nice to spend time with them, considering the last time we met was when we attended the funeral of their dad (+3's uncle). They got a really cute outfit for babyAC too, one which we will let him wear for CNY. 

HJ is in town and we are catching up this week. It's been a while since I last saw her and I'm excited to meet her third bub. 

We're celebrating babyAC's first birthday this month, and flying off to Indonesia for CNY. What  a busy start to 2017! 

For this year, I just hope that everyone is hapoy and healthy, and have faith that everything will fall into place. Looking forward to a wonderful year ahead. :)