Wake Up and Smell the Cake

Okay I think I'll blog today. I bought a new pump last Friday! I've been using the Medela Mini-Electric since I got back to work, and of late I realised the other breast leaks when there's a letdown on one breast. Wasted precious milk! So double pump it is! After days of deliberation, I've settled for the tried-and-tested Ameda Lactaline instead of the relatively new Ardo Calypso because I am not a risk taker. I found good reviews for both but I decided to go with the one with a longer track record. So I searched for online shops and retailers selling the pump, contacted departmental stores to ask if they're going to have a baby fair soon, and finally bought one from Baby Kingdom at Kaki Bukit. I actually wanted to go to the main distributor at Tagore Lane, but they didn't pick up my call when I wanted to come so I went to Baby Kingdom instead. For $399, I got the pump with free milk bags (I can't remember how many) and a nursing pillow which we now use

I am missing my chubbycheeks. He turned four months yesterday! Time flies :) Today I'm back in office after one and a half weeks on leave. Very the lemak. Spent lots of time with family, and precious precious time with Junior! He's getting so adorable! Talks a lot these days, complete with tonation. Smiles and laughs, loves to cuddle and hold me tight when I'm carrying him. My sweet little angel :) His favourite activity now is to grab my tudung and put it in his mouth. Easiest to grab and he does it very fast now! Seems that he likes to put cloth in his mouth: his pillow ends, washcloth, my tudung. But when we gave him a proper teething toy, he didn't like it. Maybe it doesn't taste nice. But he did want to put his (very cheap, very effective. 3 for $3.50 from Mustafa) rattle in his mouth! In a way it's good cos we don't have to buy those specific and expensive toys! Normal daily items would do :) Yesterday we bought a very cheap walker from Mustafa,

Hello!! I'm on Medical Leave :D Husband's at work, and Junior's at my mum's house. I'm free to do just about everything! Heh. Morning I sent off Junior, and stuck around for a bit before going to my all time fave Chong Pang to get some stuff and most importantly, threading. I've been putting it off for the longest time! With that done, and toiletries bought, I spent $50. How did I spend that much on so few items! And I've yet to buy rice, kicap and eggs! Anyway. So I went home, fried my french beans to go with my daging masak kicap for lunch, and then washed and hung clothes to dry, and then baked a chocolate cake (recipe later), and vacuumed the house and now I'm taking a break before I start ironing. Did all that when I'm supposed to be resting and slacking around haha. Husband's gonna scold me for not resting hehe! Daging masak kicap was done yesterday, I prepared everything and cooked the meat and off to zzzland I went, while Husband

This is the first week (or that I can remember) that we have the whole weekend to ourselves. No extended family, no errands to run, and best of all, The Husband didn't think about work. Absolute family time. And we totally enjoyed it! Saturday morning we went to the market, bought some groceries for cooking my favourite Sindhi Briyani (yumyum!) for the day, and bought Junior's home clothes. Then we lazed around at home till late afternoon and went out for a bit of shopping. Junior's first time in a pram in Orchard! But he didn't last long, about two hours only -_-" Sunday we went out too, had a simple dinner at Charco's and went to Ikea. We were supposed to go to the beach for a sunset walk but it was pretty hot even at 5 in the evening. Oh and did I mention the sun!! Omg the hot hot sun! PERFECT for drying clothes! So perfect, I washed clothes on both days! Totally love it hahahaha. Okay I know I sound so housewife-ish. Here's Junior in the car

Today I left Junior at my mum's for about five hours, to bottle train but it was a total failure. Sigh. Why oh why won't my darling not drink from the bottle! How would he survive without milk when I'm back at work! :( Anyway. I decided to make No Bake Cookies. I have loads of Hershey's chocolate that Other Half brought back from his NY trip a couple of months ago. As much as I love chocolate, I was disappointed with the Hershey's pack he bought! Doesn't taste like good chocolate at all. Even the Kisses aren't good. While looking for recipes at random, I came across one which could make use of Reese's peanutbutter cups, the chocolate I dislike among the mix. It looks fast, simple and no baking required! It is the No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies . Ingredients that I use which I shouldn't have adjusted to: 125g butter 1/2 cup milk 2 cups sugar 1 and a half cup Reese's Peanutbutter Cups 3 cups quick oatmeal 1 teaspoon

If Junior mistakes a sealion for a seal, it's my fault haha. Only realised I got the animals mixed up after I wrote the letters.

I am so thrilled to see poop! You see, Junior didn't have bowel movements for 5 days last week and we went to the doctor who gave him a solution via the anus to flush out the poop. And boy did he flush out everything. Two days after, he pooped but a bit less than usual. And today, another two days after, his farts have become so pungent like the smell of his poop. That could only mean there's lots of poop waiting to come out, hence the smell. His tummy wasn't feeling too good too. He cringed a lot just to let out gas. So I went to the trusty Babycenter forum for some tips, and found this massage technique recommended by the contributor's doctor. Gave it a try, and Junior felt happier! He didn't cry when I left him alone, and played actively too! And best of all, he pooped just like what I read! Amazing! Happiest moment in the day! Haha! I gleefully messaged my mum the good news and she replied, "The simple things in life that make u happy..seeing ur child b

While others had their first night of terawih last Sunday... Junior learnt ABC using [self-declared] yummy godmummy Shez and playing with Sophie the giraffe from Auntie Sophie! Tired lah learn so many things at one go! My chubbycheeks!! I love you very much, sweetheart ♥♥♥

Baby's over the one month mark! He's getting more interested in talking to people and wanting people to talk to him, and I've started reading his books to him. But I think he's more interested in the pictures than the content haha. The past two days or so his eating patterns have changed again, there was one period of time which was amazing for me, breastfeeding reduced to about 15 to 30 minutes per session instead of the initial one hour or so. And then it reverted back to the old pattern! Less sleep again :( But on the good side of things, I think my breast milk is stabilising. Though sometimes when Junior gets too impatient he doesn't want to latch on properly and that isn't good for either one of us. Have started using the ring sling! I decided to ask Sis Nurhidayati for recommendations since she has loads of advice on breastfeeding and all things baby. I got the gauze double layer ring sling after much consideration (mostly of the colours haha). Black +

Taken yesterday, at three weeks young. We tried making him hold his own bottle :) Didn't last long, of course. Hahaha.

Am at my mum's house now, have been staying here while Husband is in NY for a work trip. Yes! A work trip when baby is only over two weeks?! Sadness. Even the mother of the baby is extra sad :( Can I blame it on post-natal hormones? Haha. He flew last Sunday night, and for the whole day, Junior refused to sleep, only wanting to be cuddled and given attention especially by daddy dearest. It's like he knows daddy dearest is flying off. Heart wrenching. But since Sunday, Junior's been a good boy behaving himself. But sometimes he still wants attention and to be cradled. I guess that's normal for newborns. Five more days till Other Half is home! :) I miss him. Somehow I'm reminded of days of London, cos he's very very far away. If he were to go, say, Brunei, it won't be as bad. New York is just so, scary. Watching too much crime dramas like CSI New York and my favourite Bones makes US sound dangerous with their small, dark alleys and guns!! Guns! Is it real

I am zombified. Sleep deprived. Headache from sleep deprevation. Yesterday we set a new record: baby was awake for four hours and like three and a half of it was spent on breastfeeding. I could feel my breasts empty and much lighter! Plus, before that he was already waking up for feeds like every hour. I do hope it's because of a growth spurt! Have tried my best to avoid formula milk, but when he refuses to sleep after almost an hour and a half of breastfeeding at night and I doze off while breastfeeding at the edge of the bed, formula milk is sooo tempting to quench his never-ending thirst. Puts him to sleep quickly and lasts a little bit longer. Plus it's dangerous too what if I accidentally lost grip of Junior. Today Junior is 15 days old. I can't really believe it, two weeks and eleven hours ago, I was pushing with all my might to get this darling out. Felt like its been ages though! And I kinda miss the feeling of being pregnant. I was heavily pregnant yet energ

It's Day 11 with Junior, but it feels like we've had him for a few weeks! Haha. My mum's been a fantastic help around the house coming almost daily to cook and help with household chores. Best mum ever :) Her mum did that for her too when she gave birth to me, and I think she's just passing it on. And it's a huge advantage having your parents live near you! Junior was born on 30 June 2011, at a little past 11pm, and weighs a whopping 4 kilos! By normal birth mind you. A total of 44 hours of labour, though the contractions at the beginning weren't that bad cos I could still walk around the hospital. We went to the hospital on 29th, two hours earlier than our induce appointment because I already had "show". We thought, Junior's very punctual! First sign of labour on his EDD! But dilation took longer than expected, plus there weren't enough beds for non-emergency cases like me so I had to wait till 30th afternoon before they could burst my water

...because Junior is out! :) Have loads to tell, but I don't know where to start. I'm loving Junior more and more each day, and I thank God for this blessed child. He just gets more adorable by the day, and it's amazing to see what he can learn. I do hope we can be the best parents to this little angel. Amin.

Baby's still not out yet! I have a feeling Junior's gonna be overdue. Hahahaha. The Husband really can't wait for baby to be out. It's like so near but so far. Check up went well, Junior is of healthy weight -- or maybe TOO healthy since he's on the heavier side! Haha! And my health is all well and fine, so there's no need to induce. We did a major clean up of the house last Saturday, even cleaned the ceiling fan! One of our frames was broken in the process, when it's not even hung up on the wall yet! So wasted. We bought a pair of bamboo floor lamps and the pair of Moroccan-ish lanterns that we wanted so much, but when we brought them home, honestly we didn't know what to do with them. Haha! We literally sat at the sofa and stared at them for quite some time. Maybe our TV wall is just too big and whatever we do is kinda weird. I am very much in a holiday mood already. I am BORED here. I wanna bake. Can I go home and bake? I wanna make butter cake an

Please please let me get well soon. It was only a few weeks ago I was plagued by cough, and now I'm having slight fever and a bit of flu. I have to be in tip top shape! Gonna use a lot of energy soon! Was very reluctant to come to work today, felt like sleeping and sleeping and the weather's perfect for that too. But then I thought of outstanding laundry and cooking and I thought, ah well I'll just leave those and go to work hahaha. Or maybe I shall go back in the afternoon. Yesterday I felt these weird constipation-contraction-like compresses coupled with backaches for about one and a half hours. I'm seriously not sure what it was, could be false alarm cos I walked a lot right before getting those, and when we got home I felt much better. Have to start monitoring such pains. Baby don't come out so soon! I have yet to stock up my fridge, and iron as many clothes as I can, and go Ikea! :)

So I ended up not baking anything over the weekend. Was planning to do cheesecake and/or German cookies but none done. I was so certain I bought potato starch already but I couldn't find it anywhere! I also have a tub of sour cream to use before it hits expiry date i.e. in two days' time! Luckily I found some banana sour cream cake recipes that looks easy and have great reviews. Hope to try it out today! I have been feeling lazy and sleepy a lot lately, especially during the weekend. Shopping trips have to be cut short cos I feel my legs are too tired, tummy too heavy. Eyelids become easily heavy too, haha. And besides, I can't buy clothes yet! Not even shoes! Emergency grab bag already packed, and we've pretty much cleared Junior's room, washed his clothes and put up his wall sticker, all set for his arrival! My mum says he has too many clothes. Haha. But thinking that Junior will need to change clothes a few times a day, and I bought sizes of up to 9 months,

So on the way back to office, I beat the red light at that unnecessary traffic light near MacRitchie specially installed for all these rich buggers who play golf at the posh country club nearby. Other times I beat or choose not to beat (hey, I'm not always a reckless driver haha) the red light, I make decisions swiftly. But not just now! This is not good. I saw the light change, and I braked. Not once, but twice. But it wasn't enough to stop the car in time, so I stepped on the accelerator instead. Why in the world did I brake when I know I couldn't make it!! Darn. I do hope the cameras didn't catch me. Or else I'd have to say I thought I was going into labour and I needed to rush to the hospital. Hahaha. Bought a whole tiramisu cake, hopefully it'll stay intact. Can't find a fridge big enough to accommodate it. My sister thought that tiramisu has coconut milk. Wonder where she got that idea from. And!! My dear sister-in-law bought this for Junior! H

In a couple of weeks or so, I'll be having a baby. I can't imagine it happening! I can't imagine myself going through labour! But holding our little bundle of joy in my arms would erase the pain I suppose. Speaking of which! Junior is kicking me non-stop. Hahahha. I can't believe it! A baby! Our baby. Our very huge responsibility. Have been looking around for educational books. And my my these books especially those in series aren't cheap! I tried looking for second hands, but there's not much of a market for them. We'll have to get creative and find ways to stimulate Junior's brain! I do hope we'll be able to educate him well, and bring him up in the best possible manner. Maybe I should get my craft materials out again and make some DIY cards and toys! Makes it more worthwhile and get myself involved in the whole process. I have some ideas already in mind, I hope I'll find the time to make them for Junior! :) Oh and I would love to do so

I've subscribed to the daily English papers for my home! So exciting! Reading the actual papers isn't the same as reading the online version. There seems to be less news online too. Reading the papers used to be a chore. It is one of those things that your parents force you to do when you were younger, and you hated it, but later on in life you'll finally see that they're doing you a favour. Now, I check with the CNA website or TV channel almost everyday, and we listen to 93.8 Live on the radio to work without fail. I used to think who would listen to such a boring music-less channel, but look at what I'm doing now! Haha! And I'm going to introduce Junior to the newspapers as well, even though he won't be able to read yet. Never mind that he'll mess up the papers and dirty his hands and looks intensely at the news but not understanding anything (oh won't it be sooo cute! Haha), as long as he familiarises himself with them. Oh yes! Now that I&#