Dearth in posting

Goodness! I know! My blog is DISGUSTINGLY back dated!

Joyanne is no more the wee little baby that obediantly lies in her cot or our couch and gurgles to herself. She is (although still a wee little baby) VERY much more mobile (eeps!) and has become VERY vocal (in getting our attention or telling us she DOES NOT WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!).

Janine, if she is not smoothering her mei mei to death with her hugs and kisses, is busy thinking of ways to give me heart attacks. Like doing acrobatic "tricks" in a slippery bath tub or CARRYING her mei mei around the house BY HERSELF! She has also blossomed emotionally. Suddenly, she is no longer a little doll but a little GIRL with a lot of feelings.

WHERE HAS ALL THE TIME GONE?

I so want that uber cool remote control on Click for Christmas.

Ok...back to work! Will (do a back) post when I come up for air again...hopefully sometime this century?

My Reward

More often than not, this is the expression I get after Joyanne has finished feeding.

Such bliss. And at 3, 4 or 5 am in the morning, that happy and contented look makes all the sleep depravation and efforts to totally breastfeed WORTH IT!

Happy Mother's Day!

Albeit 3 days late, but I am still happy as a lark with the little present and more so because the minute she came home from school, my little girl makes a bee line for me, hands me the flower, whispers "Happy Mother's Day Mommy" and plants a kiss on my lips. Awwwww....such sweetness :D

Needless to say this is going to go into my "treasure trove"

On that note, the kids in the hall also gave all the mothers a treasure box of sorts. Inside the heart shaped box were paper flowers and little notes from the girls telling u how much they appreciate what we the mothers in the hall have done for them. Sigh...who can ask for a better Mother's Day gift than these?

For all the tantrums we have to endure, the heart aches from discipling, dripping noses to wipe, hot feverish foreheads to cool, little butts to wipe, hungry stomachs to (force)feed, and more mommy stuff, such little presents adn gestures make it all worth while. And makes u appreciate all that YOUR OWN MOTHER has done and sacrificed and is STILL doing for you. We love you Mom!

Janine's Gallery: Of Fairies, Mermaids And Princesses

Of late, my little artist has been very preoccupied with all things that exist in fairy tale land and it's reflected in her drawings. Most of the time, I will find her doodling princesses with long flowing gowns and tresses. But recently, she has expanded her "interests" to encompass fairies and mermaids as well.

Title: Fairy With Crown
Artist: Janine Ling
Medium: Paper, Ball Point Pen, Colour Pencils



Title: Mermaid
Artist: Janine Ling
Medium: Paper, Felt Tip Pen

I just love the way her faces are drawn with no "boundaries" - the eyes and mouths are suspended in space.

Growing Expectations: FINAL appearance

*WARNING! This is a LOOOONG post*

Ahhh! Finally! Some time to pen my thoughts and put down on record how no.2 made her "grand" entrance into the world and into our lives!

Let's just say while we were anticipating her arrival and had great expectations of HOW she would arrive, like since she is no. 2, I expected the labour process to be faster as how it usually is with second and subsequent pregnancies, no. 2 goes and throws us a curve ball. While she is eager to meet the world, she sure TOOK HER TIME to do it! :P

Contractions

I starting having contractions at 3am on the 21st. It was more like a tightening feeling around the tummy and what made me realise it was contractions was that this tightening feeling came at pretty regular 5 min intervals!

Honestly, I would have still gone to work that morning BUT the only thing was that when I went to the loo, there was quite a bit of show! So that sort of set the alarm bells off in my head. No. 2 could be here TODAY!!! And I haven't packed my hospital bag yet! and darn! Looks like I won't be able to have my free cone at Ben&Jerry's today. Lol!

Needless to say the whole family was woken up by the "commotion" I was creating :P KY (obviously) couldn't go back to sleep and my dear Janine got woken up by all the shuffling I was doing up and down the bedroom trying to throw my things together.

Skeptism

I was so sure that with no. 2, things will progress very fast. And being such a coward when it comes to pain, I wanted to make sure I make it to the hospital in time for an epidural! So I insisted on going in to the hospital...just to be on the safe side! But despite having contractions, I was still able to get Janine ready for and even send her to school and THEN make our way to TMC. Hence, KY was very skeptical about this whole "baby may be arrive within the hours" thing. He kept asking me SO MANY times whether I was really having contractions. "You don't look like you are in pain you know". Apparently he wasn't the only one with doubts (you know who you are!!!). My answer to him was a slit-eye look and a curt reply that "I don't want to give birth in the bathroom or in the car ok!". But it so happens that his hunch was right (again).

Choices

We initially though of calling my gynae for her advice on whether to go to the hospital or not. But for some strange reason, her clinic line was diverted wrongly. So we couldn't get her. Then, since we are a few minutes drive away from TMC, we decided that we might as well go there and check instead.

For all the tightening and cramps that I was feeling, an internal check from the nurse only revealed that I was only 1.5 cm dilated! So we were given an option to either go home or walk around a bit to hasten things along. We opted for "home" and the rest of the day was spent enduring the little squeezes that were getting stronger in the comforts of home.

It was a good thing we opted to go home, as it gave us more time to put our things in order, spend one last precious evening playing a board game with Janine, making child care arrangements with my parents and getting some rest before our world as we know it gets turned upside down.

Finally?

After a restless night, we (I) decided to make our way again to TMC. The contractions were a bit closer and definitely more intense. I thought after a whole day of enduring contractions, I might be too far along to get my epidural so imagine my relief when the nurse checked me and found I was 5cm dilated - still VERY VIABLE for an epi! Lol! I guess God knows how much I can endure! And if KY wants another 2 more, I better make sure bringing them into this world is relatively easy peasy!

At 6.30am, after all the preliminaries were settled, I got my epidural and was EXTREMELY happy and relaxed. Little surprise why this jab in your spine has earned the nickname "happy-dural" :D I tried to get some sleep while in the labour suite but was distracted by HBO! Tsk tsk...we obviously aren't taking this baby business very seriously eh!

At 8.30am, my gynae, Dr Tan, comes in to take a look at me. STILL 5cm dilated!!! Goodness! So she breaks my water bag and puts me on a drip to regulate my contractions. After being instructed by the nurse to call them should I feel like I need to poo, I go back to sleep.

About 10am, I could feel some pressure at my bottom with each stomach squeeze, is no. 2 so I call for the nurse. The first one comes and tells me the pressure I am feeling are contractions and they are coming along fine (duh!). Thankfully, another nurse, the same one that attended to me with Dr Tan, comes in shortly, checked me and pronounced that no. 2 is ready to say hello! Wohoo! So she goes and calls my gynae.

About 15 minutes later, Dr Tan waltzes into the labour suite and engages us in some casual conversation while she preps herself and the nurse preps me. Because I am in no pain and this is the second time we are going through this, it all feels very surreal. We are feeling no anxiety, no nervousness, no fear, maybe a tinge of excitement but otherwise, it just feels like we are standing in line waiting for our number to be called so we can go "pick up" the baby.

Finally, when everything is in place, we do a few "practice" pushes. I am so relaxed that I can still grin while I push so the good doctor thinks I am not taking all this seriously. Tsk tsk! So I put a lot more effort in until my whole face turned red.

One push and no. 2's head pops through and I think she tried to nibble on Dr Tan's fingers while she was clearing her airways.

Second push and Joyanne slips into the waiting hands of Dr Tan at 10.33am! She gives a loud cry as Dr Tan places her on my tummy and for a second, my eyes water out of relief and joy as I behold my screaming daughter. The nurse then whisked her off to the baby warmer to clean her up and take her measurements.

And THAT's how Joyanne made her debut appearance. A little bit of fanfare at the beginning but a smooth and no fuss delivery at the end. So while I don't get to have a Ben&Jerry's Free Cone Day baby, I got an Earth Day baby. Haha! Either ways we are elated at her arrival and thankful for His guidance and providence throughout this whole pregnancy. Now we seek his wisdom as we bring up and parent our 2 little girls!

Sunbathing

I don't like to sun bathe! *scrowl*

Although her jaundice level is low enough for us to bring her home, that doesn't mean she has no jaundice. So, we have been advised to let her sunbathe when we bring her back to help bring down the yellow-ness. The best time to do so is in the mornings before 11am and for 15 min to an hour. But looking at my daughter's face, coupled with the fact that she screams blue murder when we undress her to bake and CONTINUES to scream even when we sunbathe her INDOORS and FAN her at the same time, 10 minutes MAX is all she will tolerate. Lol. This baby is one chilli padi I tell you!

Yellow Yellow Yellow!

Do I look cool or what?

Hmph!

Our no.2 has gone the same way her older sister did when she was born. Despite, NOT consuming much ginger in the last month of my pregnancy and even the last few days after delivery, supplementing her with glucose (in other words, plenty of fluids) while waiting for the milk factory (aka me) to get started, PLUS sun bathing her in the mornings, our precious Joyanne's JAUNDICE level still sky rocketed and she has to be re-admitted to the hospital. For TWO days.

Bah!

Apparently, it is very usual for babies on the fifth day after birth to develope high jaundice levels. Oh well, we WERE hoping with no. 2 that things can swing in another direction i.e. NO jaundice AT ALL.

Although this is sort of a run-of-the-mill kind of thing for newborns, having to hear from the doctor that your precious has to be re-admitted because her jaundice level is bordering on dangerous and then leaving her behind at the hospital in the blue room with other screaming babies similarly afflicted is heart wrenching! It definitely doesn't help the fact that for the next 2 days, she will be sleeping in a little plastic box (so not comfortable) and that she may be left to cry her lungs out while she is there :( I was close to tears as I gave her a little kiss and stepped out of the room. Argh! Talk about having to steel your resolve! :P

It's a good thing we are staying very near the hospital so I can do milk deliveries for the little girl. Whatever little breastmilk I can offer her now is like a part of me that can be there with her, comforting her. Bleah :P Only two days! Thank God it's ONLY two days!

Janine's Artwork: A Self Portrait

Title: Me
Artist: Janine Ling
Medium: Paper, Marker pens

Drawn on the her last night as our ONLY child.

Growing Expections: FINALLY!

"Hello!"

We proudly present our little bundle of JOY (literally) - Ling Hui Xi, Joyanne.

She made her debut appearance (a little earlier than expected) on the 22 April 2009 at 10.33am weighing a petite 2.9kg and measuring 49cm long.

We feel so blessed and loved by all the well wishes and gifts that have been showered upon us and little Joyanne. Thank you everyone!

Growing Expectations: Week 37!

Its week 37!!!

We are counting the days!!!

More quick updates on the little one:

- She is now 2.8kg
- Mommy is apparently ONE cm dilated but no contractions yet :P
- Mommy has to monitor the little one's movement (10 movements in 10 hours...something like that)
- Technically, after next week, anything goes! How exciting!

Janine's Artwork: First Humanoid Drawing

Title: Princess with long hair
Artist: Janine Ling
Medium: Paper, Marker pens

Joy Luck Club Lunch :)

Ahhh...its always good to meet with long time friends on a whim. And when GOOD company is mixed with GOOD food, its the PERFECT formular for a GREAT time.

We thoroughly enjoyed the unqiue fare at Putien. The lor mee was delicious and while filling, was very appetising! The bamboo clams we had was also very yummy as they weren't overcooked or rubbery. Another interesting dish was Putien's kong bah bao. The fatty pork was sliced up and fried till they look like "worms". And mighty succulent "worms" they were! Hohoho

The other fantastic place we had lunch was Seventh Heaven. I think I enjoyed it more for all the ICE CREAM they offered! Hohoho! While they serve top notch ice cream, both alcoholic and "normal" variants (ya, I snitched some of the lychee martini even though I am pregger!), they also serve a VERY decent mushroom soup and delicious sandwiches!

If not for the recession, I dare say we might want to lunch together more often! Hohoho! Then again, as if we let something so trivial like "recession" come in the way between us and our love for good food and good company!

Growing Expectations - Week 35 and About Cravings Among Other Things

Just so I will remember FOREVER.

For the early part of both pregancies, I had morning sickness - the ALL DAY queasiness that, under certain "triggers", can cause me to throw up. I couldn't brush my teeth without gagging from the bristles brushing my gums. Certain smells and even perfumes would put me off.  My favourite foods like bread and chocolates became unpalatable because they would leave an unpleasant after taste. Overly sweet things were also a prob. Needless to say, during those early months, I lost some weight.

Thankfully, by the second trimester, my appetite would return and I can once again indulge. But then my tastebuds would be somewhat different. Things I normally will not eat, I will eat in great abundance :P

With Janine, my "favourite" food items would alternate between noodles, particularly wanton mee, and curry. ANY kind of curry! The spicier, the better!!! In fact, I was slurping up so much curry, that my tolerance for spicy stuff went up. But only in the curry department. Eating cut chillies or belachan for that matter was a totally different ball game. I attribute my curry and noodle loving phase to the fact that both food stuff didn't leave a funny taste in my mouth.

For No. 2, while I don't have any cravings in particular I do have a steeper inclination towards things that are NATURALLY sweet. Other than that, there have been no foodstuff that I particularly yearn for :P So I have been, until recently, been able to eat moderately and not excessively. So weight gain has been very controllled. HOWEVER, in the last month or so, I have become a carbo lover! Biscuits, breads, chocolates, sugars...I will snack and snack and snack on them! Who cares if I had a very filling lunch just an hour ago!

Good grief!

I do hope the fats I am accumulating now will "melt" away when I breastfeed No. 2!

Well, more updates on the growing little one:

- She is now 2.4kg
- She is still headdown and apparently pretty shy. We can't seem to catch her face on the ultrasound anymore :P
- Her movements, while still a lot, is not as vigorous as they were. I think she is running out of space so she can't really stretch her legs anymore! Hoho.

Tattoos

I like the fact that WE like the fact that WE have matching "Dora the explorer" tattoos on our arms. ^^

At the moment, I am going along with the idea that if she plays around with these temp tattoos long enough, it will eventually stave off any desire in her to ever get a REAL one. Methinks it's the forbidden fruit mentality - the more you object, the more she will want to do it. Honestly, I know this argument can both ways. But for now, we are having some fun with this stick-on tattoo business :P I am still praying though that I won't ever have to cross THIS bridge on REAL tattoos with my children ever *faint*

Great Expectations - Week 33 And The Name Game

So the NEXT question A LOT of people have been asking us is "Have you thought of a name yet?"

Yes...and no.

While, we have settled on the English name, we are having some problems with the Chinese one

Essentially, we want a name for No. 2 that means "thanksgiving"

Why are we putting so much energy into this name thing? Because I believe a name blesses a child with the attributes that that name brings. Furthermore, it also testifies to others what this child means to us.

However, because this is no.2 and I just LOVE to complicate and make things difficult for myself, I have also added OTHER criterias to the "perfect" name for no. 2. Like PREFERABLY should start with "J", have X no. of letters in the name, English and Chinese name should parallel each other, etc. Analism does that to you. Idealism too. Mix that with years of having your own or other people's name "mutilated" by "well-meaning" friends, teachers and relatives and even oneself! And, well, you get the "perfect" recipe of a mother with name issues! Haha!

Oh well, (less than!) 2 more months. Hopefully we will settle on something.

We better lah!

Anyway, more info on the growing little one at 33 weeks:

- She is now slightly more than 2kg
- She is still head down (good!)
- She is considered quite "low" already so she MAY come at 38 weeks? Well, let's see how eager she is to meet the world :P I don't mind. Don't exactly relish having to labour on my birthday :P

What Holiday?!

Just as the school holidays roll in, so does the flu bug! And so vicious is this bug that it steam rolls not just one person but two! And it CONTINUES on its destructive path by striking down whoever is within 1m of the last person it infected.

It first started last Sunday with Janine and I coming down with the flu. Janine was the worse of the two of us as she developed not only a fever that lasted a couple of days, but an extrememly congested nose that resulted in her hacking away, even while she is sleeping! Her coughing can get so bad that it would at times even cause her to throw up whatever little she had eaten those few days :( What a bummer for the little girl.

A trip to the doctors thankfully dispelled any fears that she could have developed some sort of infection (which would mean pumping her with antibiotics...yucks!) or bronchitis (which may mean even more serious medication...double yucks!). So all we have to do is give her "normal" medication to manage her leaky nose which is causing her incessant coughing.

And THEN, just when we are on the road to recovery, BOTH my mom and my helper are starting to feel that itchy scratchy feeling in their throats! BAH! So looks like this WHOLE week of supposed holiday will be spent nursing ourselves and the little girl back to optimum health. Whatever wonderful plans I had in store (like bringing her to Go-Go Bambini's this week) are flying out the window. Honestly, this flu bug couldn't have struck at a better time! *sulk* Then again, I guess I AM thankful that it IS the flu bug and not something more serious. And AT LEAST she managed to catch her Disney on Ice show last Saturday, which I hope makes up for this crappy week she is enduring. Sigh.

Random conversations - Just like you

M: Janine...what are you doing?
J: I am painting my fingers.
M (mock horror): Why are you painting your fingers?!
J: Cos I want to be like my Mama (KY's mom)...
M: ...

Disney on Ice: Princess Wishes

Ahhh...the school holidays are here! And what better way to begin it then with a trip to the Singapore Indoor Stadium to watch Disney on Ice: Princess Wishes!

I would have brought her myself only I had my gynae appointment to go to, so the task fell on her Mama (KY's mom) to take her. And, like with the Thomas show we brought her to last year, she was equally thrilled about going for the Disney on Ice show. She was telling EVERYONE that "I am going with Mama to see Disney princess tomorrow" [Note: Janine uses "tomorrow" for anything that will happen in the future. Hence, something that will happen next week will be classified as "tomorrow". Similarly, anything that happens in the past, no matter how long ago, is considered "yesterday". Concept of time still not there yet, but it's interesting the associations she makes between events and when they are held.]

So, did she enjoy the show? OF COURSE! According to KY's mom, she sat through the first half of the show without moving an inch from her Mama's lap and so enraptured was she by all the dancing and ice skating, her eyes were practically glued to the little ice platform in the middle of the stadium. She only decided to stretch her legs and "skate" during the second half but I daresay she had a jolly good time at the show. And to make the deal even sweeter, she SUCCESSFULLY managed to badger her mama to buy the "Ariel" mermaid doll after the show! She has this thing for mermaids at the moment, and the "Ariel" doll being able to shed her "tail" for legs only intrigued her more I guess. That and maybe the fact that Ariel was the star of the show? Well, she was one happy little girl that Saturday afternoon.

Here is the princess striking a princess pose!

Like how the Mastercard advertisement would put it:

Price for tickets - $XX
Price for buying doll at the show - $YY
Letting your daughter have a good time with her Mama and to see the smile on her face - PRICELESS

Some things money really cannot buy. That said, if it takes money to bring about that PRICELESS situation, then I say its money well spent and I will spend it again! Hoho!

Well, THANKS Mom for helping me bring Janine to the show! AND for the doll too!

NO WATER!

A water pipe burst somewhere on the school compounds today and has left us high and dry literally! Not a single drop of water is coming up from the taps in our block! That means no way to bathe, wash clothes, wash dishes, and even GO TO THE TOILET TO ANSWER NATURE's CALL!

Apparently some taps (and showers) in the other block are still dispensing life-giving water, so hopes not all lost for the 400+ boarders staying under our roof. AND there is a water truck, despatched by PUB, stationed outside for us to gather pails of water for our needs. So, conditions in the hall are still "liveable", a tad bit inconvenient and slightly chaotic BUT still can tahan! Lol

Nonetheless, WE (KY, Janine, our helper Janice and myself) have "uprooted" ourselves momentarily to seek "refuge" at my parents' place until this little crisis has blown over!

It's times like this (and sadly ONLY at times like this) I realise and appreciate just how blessed we are to live in a country where there is RUNNING WATER! Just turn the faucet and TA-DAH! Call me spoilt or a clean freak, but I cannot for the life of me imagine staying and living somewhere where CLEAN water is not so readily available. If ever I will have to "weather" such conditions, I REALLY pray God will give me the sanity to "endure" it all.

Mr Cane

There's a new "addition" to the family - Mr Cane!

If he is hanging at the back of a chair or anything, which means he is NOT being used, he is "happy". Otherwise, he will have a "downcast" expression :P

Yes. I am one of those parents who believe that if you spare the rod, you will spoil the child. So in our household (and BOTH grandparents' home!) you will definitely find the rotan lying around somewhere. Cruel? I think not. Afterall, "train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

Of course there is a fine line between disciplining out of love and disciplining as a knee-jerk reaction to a misdeed/misbehaviour or, horror of horrors, just because I was in a bad mood. Already I am finding myself crossing this line so many times that the line is blurring. No good. Hence a decision to take this disciplining matter to a more "creative" level.

I don't know how good an idea this is to "personify" a disciplinary tool :P But our mischevious little princess appears to like the idea and more importantly, she catches on that as long as she wants Mr Cane to wear a blissful expression on his face, she'd better be behaving :P

Let's see if this "novelty" will last long...hopefully long enough for her to learn good habits, practices and discipline.

New Ice Cream Haunt

OK...it's not like we stake out any particular ice cream shop in the first place lah, but it's just that now we have ANOTHER place to go to if we want really nice AND not overpriced ice cream.

We had (from left to right) their classic flavours Strawberry and ChocoMarsh (for the kids and myself), waffles (for myself) and from the premium selection (read: has LIQUEUR) Rum Rum Raisin and Bailey's & Bourbon (for the non-preggers adults).

I luuuurve the ChocMarsh and the waffles. The balance between chocolate and marshmallow was just right so you don't have an overly sweet and not too rich but yet still chocolatey ice-cream experience. Judging from the way the 2 kids downed their strawberry ice-cream (Janine was also "stealing" a few spoonfuls of my chocolate ice cream), it must have been a delicious treat for them as well, and not surprising since Udders boast of using "only real fresh strawberries" for this flavour. The only disappointment was the Bailey's and Bourbon which KY felt just wasn't alcoholic enough so no kick for him there :P

Anyway, besides good ice-cream, Udders also provides some games/toys which helped to keep 2 hyper toddlers very much occupied. That and their big eye catching chalkboard. Thankfully (or not so thankfully), Asher and Janine were more interested in the CHALK than the board, otherwise, according to the sign on the board, their will be "cursed" to fail their next spelling test *ooohhh...scary* Lol.

Well, THANKS for the yummy treat LH and Aunty Sharon. We had a great time just chilling and enjoying great company. Will definitely be back again to try their Udder flavours! ^^

There Is A Higher Throne

Ahhh...one of my favourite songs at the moment ^^ (Thanks M for the "recommendation"! Lol) The lyrics of the song are just so "deep" and poetic and Kristyn Getty, the female vocalist, has such a nice timbre to her voice. That said, I love ALL the songs in Keith and Kristyn Getty's album "In Christ Alone". But THIS song is my favourite from the whole collection.

I think I am at a stage where songs that speak of His awesomeness and faithfulness strike a strong but no less comforting chord in my heart. It's like they help turn my perspective from one that focuses on the problems/pressing needs/frustrations that constantly bombard me everyday, to one that focuses on how great and marvelous our God is and reminds me of what truly matters. And then when I do that, life's problems just look so small and trivial in comparison to how big He is. Because when I remember about all the wonderful things God has done for me (and the generations of people before me), surely there is no problem too big for Him that He cannot handle.

The songs from this album is like a healing and soothing balm to my soul right now. And after having listened to the whole album like dunno-how-many-times, I feel so empowered, the world can just throw me anything now and I will not be fazed! Hahaha! I think this is the kind of confidence, courage and boldness God would like to see in His people. ANYWAY, enjoy!

There Is A Higher Throne

There is a higher throne
That all the world has known
Where faithful ones from every tongue
Will one day come
Before the Son we'll stand
Made faultless through the Lamb
Believing hearts find promised grace
Salvation comes

CHORUS:
Hear heaven's voices sing
Their thunderous anthem rings
Through emerald courts and sapphire skies
Their praises rise
All glory wisdom power
Strength thanks and honor are
To God our King who reigns on high
For-ever more

And there we'll find our home
Our life before the throne
We'll honor Him in perfect song
Where we be-long
He'll wipe each tearstained eye
As thirst and hunger die
The Lamb becomes our Shepherd King
We'll reign with Him

"Yam Sheng!"

Wedding dinners are SUPPOSE to be focussed on the couple that is hosting the dinner and especially so when you are giving them the traditional 3 toasts. But at this last dinner we were invited to, my little girl unwittingly stole the limelight! Well, the attention from our table was diverted at least.

She had a jolly good time lifting up her glass and shouting "YAM SHENG!" at the top of her lungs (for once her mommy is not telling her to keep her volume down)! We were tickled by her enthusiastic participation in toasting the newly-weds.

Oh! And don't worry. That's only plain water she was toasting with. No alcohol or chinese tea were consumed by the little girl in the process (though syrupy drinks were sipped in abundance throughout the whole dinner!)

Random Conversations - Fan Vs Aircon

For the last week or so, Janine's nose has been drip drip dripping. Nothing serious. Just a leaky faucet. Despite religiously rubbing her down with vicks and pumping her with cod liver oil, her nose was still dripping. And THEN, KY's nose started dripping too!

Bah!

So last night, mommy declares, "since the two of you have runny noses, no switching on the fan to sleep tonight!"

And then the little girl chips in, "no fan then we switch on air con ok?"

*faint*

Great Expectations - 28 weeks

I have reached the state where the tummy has "blossomed". So, much to the "delight" of some of my frens, I am looking much "rounder" and have started "waddling". So officially, the "honeymoon" 2nd trimester have ended and I can look forward to more roundness and more waddling I suppose.

And then, technically, its ONLY.2.PLUS.MORE.MONTHS to popping!

Gosh! Where did all the time go!?!

Eeeps! Time to start putting all the baby stuff together!

But so far, besides the 1st 3 months where nausae, tiredness and an almost non-existant appetite rendered me a near useless mommy, this pregnancy has so far been pretty smooth and if not for the growing tummy and accompanying seismic activity from the little one inside, I feel no different from my pre-preggers days. Actually, in all honesty, I was expecting to be totally frazzled by now, what with juggling the mommy-ing of a very active 3 year old who is constantly bouncing and clambering around (and on!) me, work, after-work duties PLUS all the physical and hormonal changes being pregnant brings. But I think by His grace, everything is still "cool". Ok, so there WERE times when my patience was stretched REALLY thin and I snap. But generally, things are still cool. And I thank God for that ^^

Maybe, as some people say, with your second pregnancy you tend to be more laid back, more relaxed, not so "gan cheong". In a way, I think it's true because having gone through one pregnancy already, I am mentally and physically more prepared for the changes. I know what to expect, what things to avoid, what I have to do, etc. It's not like when I was carrying Janine and every new symptom caught me by surprise and I find myself scrambling to cope with the new change. So in a way its easier.

That said, I think it's also because His grace and providence has sustained us so far and kept my sanity in tact! There were days when I felt everything was just to much to bear, mentally exhausted from a days work at office, still have duties to complete when we are back, a little girl that decided that TODAY she wants ONLY my attention and be a total nuisance about it, etc. But somehow, something happens and things turn around. I can only say that it has to be because God did something.

Ok, these are just some thoughts...I think maybe being preggers has also made me more long winded. Oh wait...I think that's from being a mommy. No wait, I think its just a woman thing. Ah wait...I think its just...ME! LOL!

(OK OK...u can stop rolling your eyes now :P)

Anyway, some information that may interest some:

- No. 2 is approximately 1.2 kg
- I have gained about 6 kg (the other 4.8 kg BETTER be from the amniotic fluids and what not lah!)
- Her limbs are longer than average (like her sister ^^)
- She is in "engage" position (meaning she is head down already)
- (I suspect) she is going to be another morning baby (a lot of "activity" going on inside in the mornings. Afternoon is a "quiet" affair. Just like her sister)

Random Conversation - Morbidness?

Father and daughter had a rather "interesting" conversation the other day...

J: Last night, I dream someone come into our house and shoot us...piang piang piang like that.
KY: Oh? who did the person shoot?
J: Shoot Papa and shoot Mommy
KY: aiyoh...
J: and shoot Janine and Aunty Janice also
KY: and then wat happened?
J: and then got blood and everyone die
KY: ....

and then maybe cos she didn't like the idea that all of us dies, she changed her story when I enquired further.

M: oh...so Papa died?
J: no...Papa didn't die
M: eh? then wat about Mommy? did Mommy die?
J: no Mommy didn't die?
M: what about Janine?
J: Janine also didn't die
M: oh, so just shoot only but we didn't die
J: yes.

Hmmmmm...incidentally, while we were in China, during a hike up a "hill", we passed by several tombs. Having never seen anything like this before, the curious little girl of course asked us what those were. We explained that they were tombs which people built to put the bodies of their loved ones in. In short it was "a place where some people will put people who have died already".

After that, for the REST of the trip, she would very often tell us that inside a tomb got "dead people" and she would at EVERY opportunity asks us to draw "dead people". She would then point to the various doodles (that I drew on HER request) and proclaim that this was "mommy dead", "papa dead" and "Janine dead".

OR she would attempt to draw them herself! *faint*

A rather "happy" dead person, complete with crossed out eyes :P

And then recently, she got to talking to her grandmas about what happened to their moms and her "dead people" repetoire now includes being "buried in the sand/ground" or "cremated".

Morbid? Of course at first I was rather perturbed and didn't want to draw "dead people" for her, especially not one where KY, Janine and myself are suppose to be "dead"!. But then, I realised it was a good opportunity to introduce the concept of death and how, as Christians we believe that while we may die in our natural bodies, we will have eternal life in Heaven.

So, while it may seem morbid for a 3 year old to keep going on and on and on about "dead people" and "dying" and being "buried in sand", I think it's her way of grappling and making sense of this concept of life, death and the life after.

Becoming A REAL Dancing Princess

Instead of sending her for enrichment classes, I decided to send her for "proper" classes outside of school. And since the little girl just loves to dance, BALLET was the obvious choice.

Actually, I have been wanting to send her for ballet classes for a very long time as I believe for ANY form of dance (even gymnastics), a BASIC foundation in the ballet arts will serve her in good stead in the future especially if she decides to persue dance (or gymnastics) more seriously when she is older. Moreover, the discipline, poise and grace learnt from ballet may also do her good since she can be quite the sam seng! Hehehe! However, the earliest most dance schools will take in students is when they are at least 4 years old. Still a looong time more for Janine. We tried a "dance appreciation" sort of class at Jitterbugs, but I felt it doesn't suit us. Then I heard of a dance school in United Square that accepts girls at 3 years. And the rest is now history.

SO! After burning a reasonably sized hole in my pocket, our dancing princess is FINALLY enrolled in a BALLET school and is a BALLET student with her own BALLET outfit and is on her way to being a FORMALLY TRAINED aka REAL dancing princess. Let's see after 10 weeks what kind of "returns" my little "investment" has made :P

The Post-Janine's-Birthday-Celebation Post: More Pictures

The Post-Janine's-Birthday-Celebration Post

4 CAKES! 4 PARTIES! And all this while we were in the thick of Chinese New Year preparations and celebrations!

I think we overdid ourselves this year *faint*

But we (me at least!) had a lot of fun!

Celebration ONE - School

Both KY and I took some time off from work to celebrate her birthday in school. I always felt that something while it may seem so frivolous (both parents being around in school for her birthday), actually matters a lot to a child. And in the case of Janine, I believe it holds true. Not only was she super thrilled to see us STILL hanging around in school and setting up her cake etc, you could actually SEE that she felt EXTRA special that day. It was written all over her face. Here she is surrounded by her classmates from Gracefields who sang the "Happy Birthday" song for her in BOTH English and Chinese. This kantang mother is obviously very impressed at their billingualism.

Celebration TWO - With our CG

This was a simpler set up. We went to Uncle Geoff's club for lunch after church and celebrated for all the January babies in our CG (in this case only Uncle Joel and Janine. This lunch time celebration had to be simple because there was a BIGGER celebration awaiting us that night!

Celebration THREE - With KY's family

We had our annual reunion dinner with KY's parents on Sunday night and KY's mom never fails to cook up a storm for special family occasions. This year's reunion dinner was extra special because we were celebrating 2 people's birthdays as well. Coincidentally, my brother-in-law, Chee Tiong's birthday falls a couple a days before Janine. So you can imagine the feasting we were doing that night! Well, the little girl was super pleased with her Barbie Princess cake which she chose ALL BY HERSELF. She was even decked out in her favourite "Barbie princess" dress to match the theme of her cake! Lol! As you can see, she was one happy little princess!

Celebration FOUR - With our OH family and my family

This 4th and last celebration took place on the little girl's ACTUAL birthday. So to make it extra special and memorable, this crazy mommy decided to put more love into the whole affair and actually COOK (from scratch! none of that catering business!) a simple luncheon. And memorable it was because with barely half the food stuff ready, WE RAN OUT OF GAS! and we only had ONE HOUR left to the start of the party! Well, thanks to my mom's little electric stove, we managed to feed everyone but you can imagine the chaos! Hahaha! Oh and coincidentally (again!), Aunty Sharon and our little princess share the SAME birthdate! How cool is that! So this was definitely one party to remember!

Why are we pulling out all the stops this year to celebrate Janine's birthday? I know KY himself is wondering! Haha. Well, I think it's for a variety of reasons:

Reason ONE: Janine has started going to school and has made friends there. I thought it would make for some nice memories for the little girl. I, myself, remember fondly of those times (not a lot especially once I started primary school!) when I got to celebrate my birthday with my friends in school. Ahhh...those were like special days that stood out from the rest. So in a way, I wanted to create such fond memories for Janine to treasure as well.

Reason TWO: With no. 2 on the way, I am not sure if we will have the energy to throw such an elaborate set up for her again next year or for her subsequent birthdays. Of course we will definitely celebrate it with cakes and parties, but maybe not so many like this year. So I guess you can say its like one last MAJOR fling, going all out to indulge her in a celebration befitting our ONLY child NOW, before the new addition arrives and the dynamics in our little family changes.

Reason THREE: Her birthday falls (and will forever fall) around the Chinese New Year period. This year it falls on the THIRD day of CNY and with all the reunion dinners and CNY parties going around, its hard to pick ONE day to throw ONE party for her. So, while ideally we would like to have organised her party on ONE day, it was just not possible this year :P

So there! Justifications to the madness? Haha! Seriously, all that matters is that my little princess had a great time on ALL four days. And that she will know that as much as those days are special "just for you" days, more importantly, there are people in her life that love her and treasure her as much as we do. ^^

We love you, Janine!

Random Conversation - An Arguement

Last night was on of those nights where, coupled by tiredness and yet still having a whole lot of things to settle before CNY, Janine's dinner entics just did not amuse me at all.

For a while now, this girl has been dawdling over her meals, taking as long as one and a half hours to eat...assisted. Some meal times were good - she would wipe up everything in half an hour without leaving her seat. Other times were bad - she would keep her PORRIDGE in her mouth and not chew/swallow, walk all over the place, etc. Those times were very trying times for anyone who feeds her. No amount of coaxing or "bribes" would goad her to swallow her food and finish her dinner within the hour.

Last night was one of those nights.

She started her dinner earlier than her father or myself and even when we were done, she was not even half way through. Even after I spent the next hour ransacking the whole house looking for something, the amount of porridge left in her bowl hardly moved.

I was peeved. So I set a timer out. She (obviously) didn't finished her last few mouthfuls when the timer went off. So I "confiscated" her porridge and admonished her for being not only a time but a food waster as well, how she was being a naughty and that she was making all of us angry. I even went as far as to threaten her that if she doesn't want to eat, I can very well let her starve and become a skeleton and die. Yes. I was ranting at my little girl. Ranting and raving. Going on and on and on. Piling frustration after frustration on her little conscience.

And then, midway through my ranting and raving, the little girl, feeling very unjustified, walked into the bedroom where I was, and declared very pointedly:

"I am a GOOD girl! I am not naughty! You! You make me so grouchy!"

And then she marched off to the living room, plonked herself on the couch with a book (to sulk?), all the while muttering the same phrase a few times to whoever was within ear shot.

My! My! Looks like mother and daughter just had our first arguement!

Just Because

And So You Turn Three

My little sweetie turns THREE today! How time flies! It's just so amazing how in just 3 short years you went from this...

to this!

Mommy really wishes I could put you in pause mode so I can enjoy you for all eternity! But you need to grow up and become the beautiful butterfly that God wants you to be. May His favour continue to shine on you all the days of your life and may your life be like a pleasing offering to Him. We love you Janine!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my little sweetie!