Regression and Progression

One may ask how these two can exist at the same time? Jedi and Krisal seem to have role reversals at times! Of course adding spice to my already packed day!!
Krisal is finally learning to walk! Today she walked 5 steps all on her own before collapsing in my arms. She is beginning to fiercely resist me carrying her as she wants to try her new found skill on the ground. But not all grounds are clean and I have to 'wrestle'' with her to keep her in my arms!
Jedi on the other hand is superbly mobile! But these days he has this request before he sleeps. He would say "Mummy/Daddy carry me like a baby." So we would carry him in cradle position and he would attempt to make a baby face by scrunching it up and blinking several times! Hilarious! But I think its coz he sees his mei mei always in a sarong and being carried here and there which makes him miss being a baby again.
This reminded me that Jedi is after all only 2 1/2 years old! He is still kind of a baby. I realized that ever since mei mei came, he kind of became all grown up and big-boy-like in my eyes as mei mei was the new baby. This reminded me that he still wants to be given that soft and tender attention, and to be assured that he is still our baby. I had better treasure these moments coz once he reaches teenage hood, this would definetly be the last way he would want to be treated. I guess to every parent, these moments with our children when they are so young are precious indeed.

I can walk so no help please!

Love me, squeeze me, hold me!!!

Hiding Veggies in My Yummy

The only vegetable Jedi would eat is carrots. No spinach, no peas or rather nothing leafy and green. They would be given a "Bleah!" and a prompt "I don't want!". So Jedi has been eating carrots almost everyday as well as some fruits to ensure that his bowel factory does not close down!
Yesterday I suddenly had an idea! He loves to eat egg omelette with kecap manis (an Indonesian sweet soy sauce). So I cut up some xiao bai cai and fried it up with the omelette. Sucess! He ate it up with his plain porridge! He is into eating Teochew style now...plain porridge with dishes! So happy! Finally some greens in his diet although the omelette does not look so impressive presentation-wise... hee!

Egg Omelette with Xiao Bai Chye


I'm Happy but Mummy is even HAPPIER coz I don't know what I just ate!! hahaha!

We Gave Each Other A "Carrot" not "Carat"

We celebrated our 4 years of being husband and wife. It was them that i realised that time passed faster than i expected. When that special day was approaching, we told one another that there is no need for gifts-buying or ceremonial stuff. More importantly, it was the opportunity that we can ctach up with one another that means alot more to us.We had a simple celebration in the night when the 2 kiddies are asleep. I bought a cake with 1 big candle and 4 small ones, The big candle for Evan's birthday, and the 4 small ones - one each for every year we are married. To me, that was one of the moments that both evan & i appreciate one another. We didn''t give each other a carat, but we gave carrots to one another all these while. Carrots which are more valuable than a carbonised stone.- Carrots are a source of food. We provide for the family- Carrots are natural sweeteners. We sweeten one another and continue to be a delight to each other- Carrots cannot not be bought by no matter how many carats you have- Carrots nourish the body & soul, carats only cut your internal organs and don't forget a big hole in your pocket as wellIt's ok if you say i am talking non-sensical or carrot-fetishly. This blog is dedicated to carat-ians
The value of a diamond: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8661995/
DAN

Eh! B C..Kiam Chye Cha Lo Ti!!

Krisalyn is becoming an Ah Lian! She talks loudly,bangs her toys and her favourite word these days is "EH EH EH!" So Jedi will imitate her and they will have thier duet of EH going back and forth! My house is becoming like a market! She has a loud voice for her small size! My little chili padi!

Jedi's 1st Concert!

2nd November 2007 marked Jedi's first concert in his entire life! This was the first time he was gonna perform on stage and we discovered later that it was to his favourite song "Mr. Sun". We felt weird putting make up on a little boy but he seemed to enjoy it and even asked for more colours to be applied to his eyes! He lookd quite pretty after that though! Had to reinforce that this was just for his performance! haha!
Was so wonderful to see him on stage. As it was his first time, I think he was kind of overwhelmed by the crowd. So he posed on stage throughout the song. But he looked good though! like a little male model (mummy being thick-skinned lah!). We were very proud of him for doing his best and praised him for looking so handsome in his outfit!
I kept telling Dan that I really feel like a parent now! Never dreamed of the day that I would be sitting in the audience watching my kid perform! Guess these are the little joys of parenthood!

Brother and Sister Love

Its been a looooooong time....

Its been a looooooong time since Dan and I have been able to have a night out together. Usually, we spend the day then go back to fetch the kids from my aunt's place on certain weekends. SO it was so wonderful to have some time as a couple and get away from the kids for a few hours. Even the din of a wedding dinnner was melodious to my ears!! I think I'm deprived!! hahaha!! But it was great to have the night out, indulge in nice food and wine and dine with friends. Think I need more of these to keep myself sane! Think Dan will faint when he sees this! Coz we had to pay a hefty angpow as well as several to the taxi drivers who ferried us and the kiddies later! Thanks dear for the hot date!

Facing a crossroad in mummyhood journey....

I was recently offered a job to work part time from home. I was pretty excited at the thought and felt that it would be a good chance to earn some extra money for our expenses and my vain needs too! I was pretty confident too that it would be manageable as both kiddies are more or less on a schedule.
So I went to check it out. The job offer was alot like my previous field of work in counselling and social work. I felt a twinge of nostalgia and suddenly began missing my working life a little. However, the more I listened, the more I realized that it was not feasible. Although it was from home, it would demand a vast amount of time networking, documenting, report writing and telecommuting with other organizations. How would I be able to make a professional call with my kiddies's "duet" in the background??
As I walked home, I began to realize the importance of the little everyday tasks that I do and not realize. Seeing to the needs of the home and the kids and having quality time with hubby would all have to take a back seat if I committed myself to take the job offer due to the nature of the work. Would it be fair to my hubby and kids to have more money but at the same time a stressed up and hassled mummy trying to balance yet another portfolio on my plate? Right now I'm a Wife, Mummy, Housekeeper, Cook, Nurse, Co-Disciplinarian, Mentor...would I be able to handle one more? I realized the answer was "No".
Looking at my two kids and hubby that night, I thanked the Lord for this experience to remind me why I had stopped working in the first place. It was because of my commitment to bring up my children the way I want to in the way of the Lord and not shortchange them. We all have roles to play in our lives. There will be a time when I can return to the work I love but I guess for me now, it is this. And I want to give it my all with the Lord's help and guidance.

Jedi loves Krisa with Hugz

I Bite

Krisal's two upper teeth came out while we were in Perth. Instead of the two front ones, the side ones came out first! Poor mummy and daddy got bitten by them when we tried to soothe them with teething gel!

Also crusing time has begun with the support of the furniture in the house. Can be hectic at times getting her out of trouble in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the day. But the good news is, she is getting bigger!! 9 months old!

Jedi Loves Jesters' Pies!

Krisal and Jedi's Mini Room Makeover

For Jedi, his room was converted to a "Big Boy's Room" 2 weeks back so Mei Mei's playpen that she was sleeping in got an upgrade! They are both quite happy with the swap!

Jedi's Pee Star Chart

Ok I know. What a name! hahaha! but this was a great way to motivate him to keep peeing into the potty. After the ordeal of the hanging underwears last week, things are much better with the occasional accident here and there. He's finally able to stand and pee. The turning point was when we went out with my sis-in-law, Lynda and her family to IMM. Jedi hadn't peed from 4pm till almost 9pm! And everytime we asked him to pee he would say "Don't have.". Finally when Dan brought him to the toilet to answer his own call of nature, Jedi felt inspired and peed into the urinal! From that night, he was proudly standing and peeing! The only problem now is getting him to poop in the potty....but we are proud of him for now..

Pee Pee Everywhere!

Now I know why I put off toilet training for so long and kept procrastinating!Its ALOT of cleaning!!! I finally decided to pluck up my courage literally and told myself "OK Jedi needs to start learning to pee before Mei Mei gets too mobile and quick and starts meddling with the mess on the floor.
Day 1 (Monday):
Once Jedi came back from his playgroup and had his lunch and bath, I bravely gritted my teeth and told him that he was going to be promoted to Big Boy Pants (alias briefs!)! I think I was more exicted than him! Anyway I told him that from now on if he needed to pee, we would go to the toilet bowl where he had his own toilet seat to pee! Once again, I sounded and looked even more excited than him! So the diaper was whipped off his butt and the Big Boy Pants was on....
Well, I have never washed so many little briefs in a day in my life! Hung them out of my window and by the end of Day 1 there were 7 little briefs of different colours and happy faces of Batman and Barney dangling from a pole. These were the testimony of my ordeal of the day!! So you can guess how many times the floor had to be mopped! The amount of pee that had to be cleaned! And you know with toilet training, Mummy should try her best not to show an angry or irritated face when pee splashes on the floor instead of the toilet bowl! And with little Krisalyn crawling everywhere, it was really hectic!
Day 2 (Tuesday):
Given the previous days events, I was feeling really apprehensive about what the day had in store. Decided to change strategy. Believe it was divine wisdom from the Lord. Out came the pee pot. Its more portable and at least he can reach it faster than having to run to the toilet and climb to the seat. So the pee pot it is for now.
Had 1 success! And I have never felt so happy to see pee in my life! I can't believe myself! Its as if I won 4D or smth! Jedi was so happy too and he was rewarded with lots of praise, stickers and his favourite cookie! Can tell this Mummy was esctatic!
So the number of little colourful briefs went down to 6!
Day 3 (Wednesday):
Today was so much better. Jedi peed in the pee pot 5 times out of 7! But he still cried when the sensation of pee was coming so it was a good indicator to ask him to "fly" to the pee pot! Each success is giving me much encouragement as I was on the verge of flying the white flag after Day 1!
He's still not there yet but I pray the underwear line out my window will slowly get less. Toilet training is tough man! And for some strange reason, Krisalyn is very attracted to Mr. Pee Pot and keeps crawling there! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Krisalyn's Hospital Stay

Life is really full of ups, downs and unexpected and unpredictable moments. But the comforting thing is the knowledge that the Lord is in control of it all!
We were planning and getting ready to go the Perth this Saturday to visit my folks. Jedi and Krisalyn were still recovering from thier bout of bronchulitis that had gone on and off for abt 2 months! So this set of exhausted paretns were looking forward to a good break! Went for a review to the PD to see if they were ok to go. Jedi was given the green light but Krisal was advised to be admitted to the hospital as a chest X Ray showed that there was signs of infection in her lungs as the phlegm had been there too long! PD advised us to postpone the trip as Krisal was in no state to travel even if she had just recovered!
On the bright side, it felt like a mini retreat! Hubby took leave from Wed till the end of the week. I had to stay with Krisal in the hospital so it felt like I was giving birth again! haha! So hubby and Jedi came to visit Mummy and Krisal in the hospital. Was a good bonding time for us as a family. I also had more one on one time with Krisal and Dan had father-son time with Jedi. Coincidentally, our good friends Clement and Soann were also at the same hospital as us as she was deleivering her second bundle of joy! And another good friend of ours who had also gone to the same PD as ours, was also there as her one month old baby had a slight fever so she had to warded for observation. It was really funny as we are all from the same cell group so it was like having a mini cell gathering there!
But the Lord is good and Krisalyn has fully recovered though she has to finish up her antibiotics. Jedi has also fully recovered so I'm praying hard that this flu virus doesn't come back!

Little Wars Beginning....

guess it is inevitable. I realise that the older my little sweetie grows, she is becoming not such a sweetie at times to her Kor Kor. She just loves to bite her Kor Kor's precious die-cast Hot Wheel cars as her mouth is really quite itchy coz of the munchers that are preparing to explode from her gums! So this is the scenario:
Mei Mei crawling around. Suddenly stops and lunges forward to a shiny hard thing!
"I must really try this" she thinks "hmmmm....its cold and hard! Cool! The PUUUUURFECT cure for my itchy gums!"
Kor Kor playing happily but suddenly realises his favourite blue 77 die cast car is gone. Looks high and low and finally sees it. Its even more shiny as its now glistening with a coat of saliva from Mei Mei's mouth!
"Oh No!!!! Mummy! Dirty!!' and in an instant the cure for the itchy gums is grabbed out of the satisfied mouth!
Wails ensue!
So this is a perfect situation to teach Sharing right? But not so easy when you see both parties equally upset at not having the toy that met their own need!!! Patience Mummy Patience!
I am now trying the 'Exchange Policy"...still works for now as Mei Mei is satisfied as long as her itch in kept in check!

Thanks Hubby Dear

Just a word of thanks to my "pillar" (other than the Lord of course!)
Thank you for.......
being my partner and best friend
being my partner "in crime" to bring up our two little ones
being a God-fearing man who covers us in prayer daily
being a wonderful playmate wth Jedi and playing the "boys' games" that Mummy can't play as well
being always there for us as a family despite your work commitments
being my cheerleader and encourager when I'm feeling down and lousy abt myself and coming with the Ben and Jerry's Ice-cream or anything chocolate to give me that sugar boost!
being calm and sane in the midst of the madness of life and knocking sense into my head when I need it
being a loving father to the two kids
and....
for being with me in this journey of marriage, parenthood, and someday grandparenthood.
Thanks dear.

Exhausted!

This flu big is really getting on my nerves! It has hit ever since Jedi started playgroup in July! Not being a nitty picky mummy but I know the direct germ spreader was a little boy sitting in the same school bus as Jedi who was coughing away like mad! Turned out not to be just his bus mate but also his classmate! Well, I shan't be so nasty. Guess he was also a poor victim as well!
So I thought that Jedi was gonna fall sick and then he would bounce back after his medication as usual. He did....but passed it on the Krisal! AHHHHH! So two for the price of one germ! So this poor mummy had to run up and down to the PD and meet hubby there after work to see him for the night appointment. PD checked them out and said it was the flu and as he suspected they had mild childhood asthma, he instructed that I needed to put them on the nebulizer four times a day! ok that means multiplied by 2 it 8 times a day!!!!!!!! *FAINT* Any parent who has gone through the experience of using the nebulizer on a 2 year old and an 8 month old would understand. It requires the child to sit relatively still so that means mummy and daddy have to think of some creative ways of keeping them occupied for the 5 min of gas intoxication!! By the way the PD fee was $250! (poor hubby's wallet!) and the nurse at the PD was candid enough to tell him "Daddy, today's damage is $250!"Damage indeed!
Feeling more at ease after seeing the doc and marching home with bags of medication I felt empowered to fight this flu!! So I did and Jedi recovered and so did Krisal but 3 days later I saw a glistening glob threatening to fall out of Jedi's nostril! My heart sank and I could feel it literally contract!! yes you guessed it! It was Round 2 of the flu! So it was the whole story once again of going to the PD.....blah blah blah
Now its Round 4! I can literally hear the *ding ding* of the bell! This round was really bad as Jedi had a very high fever of 40 degrees and once again passed it to Krisal. Krisal developed a terrible diaper rash too as a reaction to the antibiotics so was really bad. Found that Desitin worked wonders though. A thick creamy slab of it on her butt helped with the pain. SIGH!!!!! now both of them are on antibiotics and I have decided that I need to let Jedi rest at home and fully recover before going back to school. Thinking of jabbing him with the pneumococcal vaccine as well as heard from a girlfriend that it doubles up as a good flu vaccination as well. But he needs to be at least 10 days well first....so will prob keep him at home till Term 4 of the school. Better to let him fully rest and recover fully before going back again.
Oh dear I'm making the school sound like a germ-ridden place! But I have heard(don't know how true) that kids who just start playgroup or any kind of childcare have a tendancy to fall sick back to back for 6 months to a year. Then when their immunity builds up the occurence will get less!
So it really is the 'flu that never ends....it just goes on and on my friend..." But really thank the Lord for my hubby as he took leave for 2 days to help with the kids as I was sick too. Without his help think my fuse might have exploded! Very patience-trying esp when the whining and crying goes off at the same time! Think hubby is really more patient than me. Thank goodness!
A very Tired Mummy

The naughty blues

I came across a very perspective changing view on so called behaviour that we as parents label as 'naughty'. You know the kind where you can feel your heart beating faster and your blood pressure rising?? Well here goes...
"A misbehaving child is a discouraged child.This misbehaving child is letting us know he does not think he has belonging or significance, and has mistaken beliefs about how to find belonging and significance. The cure? Encouragement."
Made me sit back a while and think. Children need to be watered daily with positive encouragement. I have seen how Jedi's eyes and little face beams when he is praised or gets a clap. And the sadness in his eyes when he is reprimanded. Guess all we need is a little more love and patience.

I'm getting mobile at 7 months old! Watch out everybody!!

Happy School Days and Uncle Benny's Bus!

Hooray!! Jedi has settled well in his new school and is enjoying it everyday! After the first two days of being on his own he stopped crying but he took a little longer to get used to the idea of getting on board the school bus in the morning on his own! But..... Daddy, Mummy and Mei Mei are ALL so proud of Jedi for now getting on the school bus happily and waving goodbye to him in the morning. We make it a point to go down all together as a family to say bye to him and he really enjoys that. The school bus has made him more independent than he was before and he looks so cute in the morning holding his school bag and water botle and climbing on the schoolbus and waving goodbye! Good job for a tiny 25 month old! It seems he has made quite a few good guy buddies in the class according to his teacher and they make good bus buddies too as they sit the bus home together. Only thing is that he has picked up this phrase from an older boy in the bus...'Baby Buttock!'' keeps saying it over and over again! stays in your head though!
I used to think that him being so attached to me and crying when I left was worrying but I realised its actually a very healthy sign of the secure attachment that he has with us.I guess every child is unique in his or her own way. I always feel it is so pressurizing to follow the "by xxxx months your child should....and you should....'Perhaps it's the Singaporean kiasu mentality to compare this and that.From bottle weaning to toilet training to school issues next time? Is there no end?haha!

Never Give Up!

Jedi has started singing along to the Hillsongs Kids Worship CD 'Rainbow" and he will just sing excerpts from the songs that he likes. I was having a really down week and he really ministered to me through his little singing:
"Let your light shine and let Jesus shine through you!"
"Never give up!"
"One Way! Jesus!"
Dan was telling me that Jedi seems to know the importance of looking to the Lord in times of difficulty and not give up but perservere through prayer. What simple childlike faith!

Big Boys' School

Jedi started his first week of school at Gracehouse Kindergarten! His first day was on the 3rd of July and I think I was feeling more nervous and apprehensive than Jedi! The first day was really eventful and I sat on the schoolbus with Jedi as it was his first time. He was all excited looking at the things out of the window. Later a set of twins came on board and one of them began wailing his lungs out as his 'nai nai'didn't get on board the bus. Jedi just looked at him and grabbed my hand a little tighter.
Then we went to the class and parents were allowed to sit in on the first day. There were a few other kiddies also having thier first day blues so the room was filled with distressed crying and wailing! Jedi was quiet but he stuck to me like superglue!! However, he enjoyed the format of the lessons as they were well-structured and captured his attention. He relaxed when it was snack time, story time in Chinese and English and music and dance time! after that the superglue effect came back strong!
The second day I felt more nervous as I was gonna just firmly say goodbye and leave! So we boarded the bus together and off we went to school. The whole time I explained to him that Mummies couldn't go into Big Boys School! He nodded and even said "Mummy Bye Bye' and "no crying''! Finally, the moment of truth came and I said goodbye to him firmly and left him in the arms of his teacher. I told him I would be back later to pick him and then left. The sound of his wails followed my ears!!!!!But I stuck to my guts and left!!
Today was a little better and the teacher said he cried less and even danced and smiled to the songs although he woluld occasionally burst into tears when he remembered that he was on his own for now. Tomorrow is the challenge of putting him on his own on the schoolbus as I have been following him for the last three days so its the crunch time tomorow!
Ha! I think I am suffering from seperation anxiety! The thought of the schoolbus and the wailings that will def come make me feel as though I'm gonna sit for an exam tomorrow!! But....I must learn to let go and trust that the Lord will watch over him. After all, he needs to learn to be independent too! Now I am beginning to understand how easy it can be to become an overprotective parent!! sigh....well tomorrow is another day and I'm sure he will make it through!!! You can do it Jedi and so can Mummy!!! Daddy thinks I worry too much and I think its true! haha!

Sweetie Smiles

Mummy was siniging an exaggerated version of Happy Birthday'' to Jedi kor kor and Krisalyn got all excited at the thought of all the presents and food in store! Its either that or Mummy's singing was hilarious!

It only takes a germ...to get two kiddies sick...

Sigh! Jedi and Krisal are both down with the flu blues since last week! Krisal is recovering but still has a snorty noisy nose while Jedi suddenly developed a high fever! 1 kid sick is really a headace so can you imagine TWO at the same time???plus a sick toddler is one cranky grouchy bag of tears!
But like all things that happen in life, lessons can be learned. The best remedy is not the medicine to stop the sniffies but...LOTS of patience (can be trying on the nerves at times!!), hugs and kisses and of course lots of prayers for a speedy recovery!
How often do we complain and whine when we are upset to the Lord? but He is ever so patient and His love often bears us up in the midst of life's difficulties. In the same way, we are learning as parents how to be more like Him in our actions esp towards our children even when they are having a grouchy whiny day.

The Story of a Secret Garden In a Pacifier...

Praise the Lord!!! Jedi has been weaned off his pacifier!! We used to dread hearing his cry aat night looking for his pacifier and we had to wake up just to pop it back into his mouth!!!! We have been praying hard as to how and when to wean it off and we were really dreading the consequences!! Then I realized yesterday that there was an ecosystem of algae rapidly springing up inside his pacifier teat! showed it to him and made the most horrified expression and said in the most horrified way:"Jedi!! Your pacifier is soooooooooooooooooooooooooo disgusting! Its black! Yucks!"and with a dramatic fling the pacifier was flung across the room. Then, gingerly I picked it up and let him see the greenish alage inside and he looked really horrified!!!! hahaha! He refused to have his pacifier and even threw it away into the dustbin on his own!Slept through the night without it as well without a fuss or crying! Really Praise the Lord!!! Fear Factor for a 23 month old!
hmmmm parenthood sometimes seems to be about being good actors and actressess! wahahaha!

Forks and Spoons

I LOVE Chicken Meatloaf! Mummy's first attmept tasted nice although the presentation was a little burnt on top! Getiing steadier with the spoon now and feeding the floor a little less now!Still mastering the fork which I don't quite get at times

Seeing the World the Right Way Round!

Wow! Things do look different now! I can finally begin my posing lessons with Mummy! As you can see, like my bro I need prayers over the Hair Department!

Tock Tock Tick Tock

Wanted to pen this down so that I can look back and see how we juggled our two little ones. As I write I realise that mummyhood has changed my personality!! I was an I S (for those who know personality diagnosis) but I think I have become a C S!!! I have NEVER been so structured in my enitre life!! However, I have learnt that although there are times that I feel life is out of control, I tell myself that kids are like balls...they bounce arond with endless energy and sap the living daylights out of you...but with God's strength (def not ours!!) they can be juggled!!
7.00 - 8.00: Jedi wakes and has his milk and bath by Dear
8.00 - 9.00: Krisal wakes and has her milk while Jedi has breakfast
9.00 - 9.30: Bathtime for Krisal and sometimes Jedi if Dear has to go to work earlier
9.30 - 11.30: Naptime for Krisal. Cooking time for Jedi's lunch and spending one on one time with Jedi
11.30 - 12.00: Jedi's lunch
12.00 - 1.30: Krisal's milktime and Jedi's playtime and TV time
1.30: Krisal's naptime and one on one time with Jedi
2.00 - 4.00: Jedi's naptime. Cooking time for dinner. Naptime or R&R for Mummy
3.30 - 4.00: One on one time with Krisal and milktime
4.00 - 5.30: Wipedown for Krisal and time with Jedi and Krisal
5.30 - 6.00: Jedi's dinner
6.00 - 7.00: Krisal's resting time (sometimes crying time!) Jedi's bathtime.
7.00 - 7.45: Daddy and Mummy dinnertime
7.45 - 8.00: Krisal's milktime and sleeping time
8.00 - 8.30: Daddy's time with Jedi. Wipedown and milktime. Storytime and prayertime
8.30 - 12.00: PEACE AND QUIET!!!!!! (Mummy and Daddy's fav time!!!!)

Bottle Donation to My Mei Mei and Learning to Drive

I have finally decided to give all my baby bottles to my mei mei! see I'm such a generous bro!! I'm now drinking from my new cup with a straw! *Clap clap!*
Also, I have finally dicovered how to play with the big car of mine that Daddy bought me. I thought it was all the while one of my cars that I line up to parallel park every day! Thanks to Cousin Garyth kor kor who bravely got on and showed me how to drive like a cool dude!
I'm a BIG boy! But I still have a long way ahead to get even BIGGER!!
Jedi

Panda Eyed Days are gone...

Praise the Lord! Krisalyn started sleeping through the night since 11tth April!!! Hallelujah!! Being sleep people that's very important to us!! Now Daddy and Mummy can have a good night's rest without waking up at unearthly hours to put milk into a hungry little tummy! So proud of her! Stay this way baby!!

Food Time

Being a mummy does mean I got to pick up some basic cooking skills fast! hah! here's what Jedi likes to eat so far at 22 months...
spagehtti noodles in vegetable broth with fishballs
egg omelette with ham and corn
macoroni soup with shredded chicken
steamed fish with veggies
steamed egg pudding with minced pork
plain rice and plain spaghetti noodles (yah tasteless but he somehow likes it!)
one sunny-side up egg with rice and soup
still thinking of what else I can make to give him more variety..ideas anyone?

Surviving Motherhood 101

These are the things I tell myself to stay sane!!
1. The mess on the floor from Jedi's mouth is an artisic expression of his independence to eat on his own!
2. Pretend to understand what Jedi is saying by agreeing and saying 'Really??'' However, it dosen't work all the time so....change the topic! (it works most of the time....but he sometimes give me the 'huh??'look!)
3. Krisal's crying at 4am WILL NOT wake Jedi....if it does then Dan will handle! haha!
4. Not finishing my breastmillk is alright...I will somehow produce enough to feed Krisal. (everytime throw away that 10ml also very sayang leh!!! lactaing mothers or mothers who have lactated will understand!!!)
5. eating less during one meal is alright....Jedi will survive! No point stressing as the food will still end up on the floor!!
6. crunching a cube of ice can help when my blood pressure is gonna explode! (poor ice and poor teeth!)
7. salivary kisses and hugs from grubby Jedi and a smile and coo from sweetie Krisal is my reward after a long day's work! (its truly the sweetest thing desptie it not being so fragrant!)
8. screaming into pillows helps!
9. if all else fails...whack a bar of nice dark chocolate! Yummy!! the stress will burn the calories away! haha! but careful very adicitve...i'm having withdrawal symptoms!

A helping hand in timely need

Had a challenging week with Dan gone for business trip and was left with the challenging task of looking after the two babes on my own!! really scary man! But really thank the Lord for seeing me through! Its really amazing how the Lord provides help in times of need! My dear aunt came to help me at night when that was most needed and it enabled me to put the two of them to dreamland much easier. Really thank the Lord for her as a helping hand is always most appreciated in times of need. I still recall this quote from someone recently..."Blood is thicker than water." How true that in times like these you realise how your family is the one that will always be there for you and help you through without expectaions. Let's thank the Lord for our familes!!

my daily prayer

"Lord grant me the strength and patience as i raise my kiddies. May my actions and words reflect Your love and minister to them. Guard my lips from harsh and discouraging words but instead help me to speak encouragement and love into their hearts. Help me to be the mother You want me to be and to lean upon You and not on my own strength. Help me to take one day at a time and not worry abt tomorrow or the next day. Grant me a double portion of Your strength and help me to always stay close to You. Amen!

Jedi has four stitches!!!

Jedi has now officialy become a boy!! haha! He now has a macho scar under his chin! how he got it? you wouldn't believe it! playing his toy cars! think he lost his balance and hit his chin on our hard marble floor and slid at the same time. At first mummy kept asking him not to scream as thought it was just a normal fall till I saw so much blood! *faint* Had to go to KK Hospital to stitch it up!
Funny thing is that right after being stitched he was back to his usual self and even went for apple dippers with daddy at mac! guess he couldn't see the wound so he prob forgot about it! boys!! haha!

CNY with our two bubbies!

We had a lovely CNY with our two kiddies and catching up with family and friends! was a great breather for me as have been cooped up in the house since i 'bombed'! bringing along our two bubbies was like going travelling as had to bring two bags! but we still had much fun munching on all the goodies and yummy food! think need to lose weight man! hope you all had a blessed CNY!

A Tribute to our Confinement Nanny

4 February 2007 marks the end of the duties of our confinement nanny - Auntie Ah Kiok. She will be going back to Malaysia to prepare for the Chinese New Year in 2weeks time.In total, she spent about 27 days helping with Evan's confinement as well as with our baby No. 2. To both of us, we have enjoyed her presence, her sense of humour and her cooking. She was a nice auntie to have around and a good conversation companion. At night, it's quite enjoyable when the kids are asleep and we will watch Ch8 Highest Peak and Ch5 Amercian Idol.The most touching moment was when both my wife and auntie teared in each other arms, and with auntie's consistent reminder to Evan to take care of her health and eat right despite having to take care of the 2 kiddies. For a total stranger, this comments must have touched Evan's heart, especially when she needed it the most - the cheers and encouragement to spur her forward in her "hand-full" ministry of personally taking care of our children. Maybe she isn't after all a stranger to Evan, since auntie was a close family friend since Evan's grandmother's time. I guess the tears shed by both women were of those that they missed each other's campanionship, of laughing at Jedi's comical stunts, of Jedi calling her "Auntie" in his "ang-mo" accent, and many memorable moments.Auntie Ah Kio:Although you will probably never get to see this blog (she can't read & write, not to mention surf the net), but with our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation, we thank you for your love for our 2 kids, the care that she has given to my wife Evan, the little pieces of apples and guava for Pana-Dol my dog and the household chores and cooking that she undertake. We miss you and maybe if God permits we shall meet again..(maybe when Evan gets pregnant again!!!???!! oh no!! muah ha ha )In the meantime, we pray that God will touch your heart and life and that you will know Him in a personal way.For those of you out there:If you are "irritated" or annoyed by your inlaws, caregivers, babysitters, nannies, etc: just one comment: Be thankful for what help you have for your children - a little or a lot. Remember afterall, they are your children and your responsibilty. To those who wanna have children and REALLY taste the joy of parenthood: take care of your children yourself fulltime. A big sacrifice for most of us, but you will really see it for yourself. (Read Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson)Kudos to Auntie Ah Kiok!DAN

Krisalyn Lim is Born !!

After 40weeks and 1 day, our beloved bundle of joy is born. Krisalyn Lim is born on 07-01-07 (7 January 2007) at 0303 hours. Perfect numbering play for a new born, better than being born with 11 other kiddies on 1 Jan 2007.We thank God that it was a smooth and swift delivery (approx 5-6hrs), and no complications. Krisa is a very healthly girl and weighs 2.83kg. Except for the high jaundice levels, she is in the pink of health. She has been enjoying several suntanning sessions in the nursery! Hot babe! Welcome home little one! Your kor kor, daddy and mummy love you very much!

Contented After a good Breastfeed

Being burped by Mummy

Contented, Fed and Blissful

Krisal's First Cry Into Our Lives!

This clip brings back a flood of emotions and memories of the labour and the joy of hearing and seeing her for the very first time! She wasn't very happy to be pushed out from her nice warm swimming pool where she had been spending her last 10 months in! She is indeed a blessing and a gift from our Lord!