That Time of the Year Again!

We went back to Pan-Pac for a one-night complimentary stay on 23 Dec. I have to say that we manage to "accomplish" alot more this time round... including Matty. Matty as usual wasn't too keen to take his afternoon nap amidst all the excitement and the oh-so-many-buttons-in-the-room-to-press and the oh-so-many-drawers-to-pull-out . We had to resort to strapping him to the stroller and push him around the shopping mall to rock him to sleep. In less than 10 minutes... it was a total knockout for Matty. Mummy and Daddy took this opportunity to get some shopping done and enjoyed an afternoon cuppa while Matty snoozes away in his stroller. It was great that he managed to recharge during the afternoon because we had wanted to take him down Orchard Road that evening.

The weather played a big part for the evening programme. It had been extremely wet for the past one week... raining almost incessantly on most days. We didn't think that we will be gung-ho enough to brave the downpour along Orchard Road and still need to squeeze through the crowd. It was good that we finally saw a bit of letting up on that day itself... so we hopped on the MRT from City Hall to Orchard Road. It was Matty's first train ride and we could tell that he was a bit apprehensive. But his "inactiveness" was only good for 4 stops... by which time he was struggling to get off our laps and ready to explore the train.

We didn't manage to walk down the whole Orchard Road as planned... only survived the short stretch between the train station and Ngee Ann City. Firstly, the walkway was congested (as expected) and the booths by the side of the road made it worse... taking up almost half of the passageway. People stopping by the booths contributed to the problem further. Secondly, there was no way that Matty this short can breathe or walk in the crowd (actually he pretty much refused to walk and preferred to be carried even while we walk through Suntec, City Link Mall towards the City Hall station). So Daddy had ended up carrying Matty most of the time. Definitely not a joke to carry such a big sack of rice.

Matty got his new bed at Takashimaya that night. It was high time that he move out from his existing cot and make way for Baby Elaina.

By the time we made it back to the hotel, Mummy had a pair of really sore legs from the amount of walking with a big tum tum and Daddy had a pair of really sore arms from carrying Matty. Despite the really really long day... Matty was still wide awake after his milk. Attempted the same trick again by strapping him to the stroller and pushing him around the mall again. Slightly after 11 pm, we finally got our "lights-out" and thankfully Matty slept through the night this time round until the next morning when he got woken up by the alarm clock. Not much explanation needed as to why the alarm clock went off... obviously somebody was fiddling with it earlier that afternoon.

Christmas eve was pretty much a family affair with everyone over for dinner. I think Matty finally figured out the purpose of those nicely wrapped boxes under the Christmas tree. Christmas Day was just a slow day with Mummy's side of the family here for a visit.

Now that the fun is over... its time to take down the tree this coming weekend and let it hibernate until next year Christmas.

(And here's a cheeky photo of Matty...)

Mummy's Survival Guide (Window Shopping With Toddler)

Mummy has finally conquered my fear of venturing far out with Matty alone. It has always been a daunting thought having to deal with a demanding baby all by myself outside the comfort of home. At least if it is in a familiar surrounding... things will be more manageable.

We decided to drop by Takashimaya last Saturday as Matty took a long nap at 7.30 in the morning for 3 whole hours... after he was up and about at an unearthly hour of 4.30 a.m.. Daddy was invited to a wedding luncheon at Meritus Mandarin that afternoon and so we took the opportunity to while away the afternoon in Orchard since the likelihood of Matty taking another nap in the afternoon is as remote as the sun rising from the west - in other words not going to happen at all!

Here are a few pointers on how to survive a shopping trip alone with a toddler in tow:

(1) Always stick to places where you are familiar with.

This is important because you basically don't have the luxury of looking for amenities like the washrooms, lifts and escalators at your own time and tide. You can easily plan your route when you know what is at where. As it is... it can be frustrating having to deal with a toddler, so you need to learn not to add on to the stress level unnecessarily.

Know where exactly the toy department is. It keeps your toddler occupied and happy. A happy baby has a happy mummy. Besides... you can take a breather while your toddler fiddles with all the buttons and switches... and it doesn't cost you a cent (unless of course if your toddler knows how to demand that you buy the gadget after the free trial).

For some energy boost... it is also vital for you to know where to get some quick-bite or a drink to fill yourself up. Don't expect to yourself to be a wonder-woman. It is no joke having to handle a food tray with a toddler both at the same time. Secondly, your toddler is not likely to have the patience to sit in the restaurant with you while you enjoy a meal... which explains why you often see one parent keeping the toddler entertained while the other one ferociously gobble up the food as though he or she hadn't had a drop of food for days. Fast-food is usually a good choice... unless if it is extremely packed and almost impossible to accommodate the stroller (if you had brought one along). Food like bread or pastry which allows you to eat while on the go is probably the most ideal.

(2) I love baby-friendly malls.

Let's face it! Not all places are suited for a fun-family outing. It is definitely no fun (or not funny) when you cannot find ramps for the stroller to breeze through or diaper changing stations when your baby soils his or her bum.

The best is still a shopping mall that has a clean and spacious nursing room readily available for a diaper change or milk-feed. Have always been sceptical of how sturdy those plastic diaper changing station we often see in public toilets. The thought of seeing your 12kg toddler come crashing down with the changing station isn't a very entertaining one. On top of that, you can hardly find any space to put your bag and necessities while changing your toddler.

(3) It Helps to Have a Smiling Baby on Hand.

Although it is a universal truth that babies suffer from mood swings like everyone does... nobody wants to acknowledge that fact and be close to a brawling brat. I have seen parents entering lifts with an inconsolable baby only to be greeted by other disapproving passengers who cannot wait to press the "door close" button on them. On the contrary... with a lovable baby, strangers are more than happy to open the door for you, hold the lift, help you with the stroller up and down the stairs. You can even get away when you accidentally bump your stroller into them (but remember to be gracious and apologise profusely as well).

(4) Freebies for Baby.

Freebies like balloons and flyers can come in useful when you need to keep your toddler entertained and busy for whatever reason... and most importantly it is FREE. .

(5) Fear is Self-Generated.

Like driving, venturing around with your toddler alone is only fearful because of own fear. Sometimes it helps not to think too much, worry too much and go with lots of guts.

A Princess By the Name of Elaina

After many many rounds of searches, deliberation, self-debating and discussions... Daddy and Mummy have finally decided on what will seal Baby Junior's fate - her name.

Mummy eventually came down to three names for Daddy to choose from "Elena", "Elaina" or "Leyna". Not sure why... but the three names actually sound rather alike. Maybe it is because I have subconsciously decided on how the name should fall on the ear when called. At least the three names are not commonly use, easy to pronounce, sounds nice, retains the original spelling and not likely to be made fun of. The few (or should I say many) pre-requisites which we have set ourselves up with since day one.

Daddy made the final decision and chose the name "Elaina" over the other two.

I hope our little princess will live to love her name because we really did put in alot of effort and time trying to decide on one for her. In any event... she can always get a deed poll done if she really feels otherwise about her name later on in life... but I do hope it won't happen.

A Different Kind of Pain

It hasn't been easy on Matty (which invariably means Daddy and Mummy as well) for the last 2 nights.

Matty woke up crying rather badly on Saturday night due to two mozzie bites on his left sole. I can fully understand how irritating the itch is when it is at the sole and can feel quite swollen as opposed to bites on the other parts of the limbs. Initially we thought that he was frustrated with the pain caused by teething but realised that it was otherwise when Matty kept rubbing his feet. As it is... it has never been easy trying to coax him to go back to the la-la land once his sleep is interrupted. It was made worse because not only do we need to make him sleep... we had to distract him away from the itch.

The whole family ate something that didn't agree with our tummy yesterday and all of us suffered from mild food poisoning late at night. Matty was not spared and pooped twice. This time round we thought it was the mozzie bites that woke him up... but turned out that it was due to the tummy-ache. It was a pretty rough night having to clean up for Matty and getting him to doze off again... and with Mummy and Daddy taking turns to sit on the throne when we could have use those time for something more worthwhile - sleep. Resilient like he has always been... Matty was up at 4.30 in the morning after a round of loose stool and refuse to go back to sleep. He seemed to have recovered alot faster whereas Daddy and Mummy looked so worn out today.

I think I just got attacked by the Zee Monster and can hardly keep my eyes opened. If I can... I would very much love to take the rest of the day off work.

Why Oh Why?

Why oh why... did I do it?

Why oh why... didn't I stop myself?

Why oh why... was I so foolish to try and take the risk?

Why oh why... did I need to pee in the middle of the night?

Why oh why... did I press the flush button?

Why oh why... did you wake up (because of the flushing sound)?

Why oh why... are you such a light sleeper my boy?

(Arrgghhh... cursed and swore at myself last night for waking Matty up after I flushed the toilet. I knew very well that there was a chance of him waking up... but I still took the risk. This mummy here sure did not learn her lesson after so long. Next time I think it will be less of a hassle to use the toilet on the ground floor!)

Tis' A Season to be Jolly

The year is coming to a close once again... which means time to put up the Christmas tree for the 2nd time.

I think Matty definitely appreciates the tree alot more this time round as compared to last year. He stood in a daze when he first saw the tree after he got up from his afternoon nap last Saturday. Other than Matty... Mummy is mesmerised by the tree myself as well. The glow given off by the bulbs give a heart-warming feel to the whole place.

Next... to fill the bottom of the tree with lots of pressies to complete the picture.

Conferring a Name Upon Our Little Princess

Mummy and Daddy can't seem to agree on a name for Baby Junior. We remember it was a job of less than five minutes when we decided on "Matthias" for Matty. Not the case this time round.

Well... we had actually decided on a pair of name ("Shervahn" for a girl and "Matthias" for a boy) when we were expecting Matty but wasn't sure if it was going to be a boy or a girl. We have now decided that "Shervahn" was a bad choice... not because it didn't sound nice anymore but rather people will have problem pronouncing the name just by the spelling. As it is... the name "Matthias" is giving a lot of tongue twisting issues to family and friends. Though a fairly uncommon name to be given... Mummy had always thought that it shouldn't look unfamiliar to fellow Singaporeans with a Mr Matthias Yao as a Member of Parliament. I guess I was wrong.

So what did we put on our plate this time? Here's what we have...

Natasha - Born at Christmas (Russian)
Renee - Reborn (French)
Lindsay - Old Scottish Surname
Elena - Light of the Sun (Spanish)
Adara - Beauty (Greek) or Virgin (Arabic)
Elaina - Variation of Helen which means bright one (Greek)
Leyna - Little angel (German)
Sharlene - From the name Charles (French)
Selene - Moon

Daddy's first choice was actually "Selene".... but Mummy can't help but associate the name with "Celine Dion". Her face just keeps appearing each time. And as much as I like the French name "Renee" I can just imagine people calling her "Re-ni" basing it on the spelling. French names are harder to pronounce since we don't live in a French speaking community. "Elena" is nice too but the name seems to give more meaning if the baby is born in the morning... and that is something which we do not have a control over.

After much elimination, Mummy has decided that "Adara" and "Leyna" appears to be the best of the lot on the account that they should be easier to pronounce but still unique and uncommon. Daddy is all for "Adara" though. Not sure why... but sometimes I find "Adara" nice sounding and sometimes not. It is so hard to just make a decision and get it over knowing that it is a name that will follow our little princess for the rest of her life or until she gets a deed poll done... whichever comes first.

Now Mummy is toying with the idea of re-spelling the name "Shervahn" just to make it easier to pronounce... but which means the name loses it authenticity in a way.

Simply in a fix!

Welcome to the World of Pink

It's a girl! Yes Baby Junior is a girl! Which means lots of shopping for all the sweet and pretty stuff.

We had the detailed scan last Friday. Not only did we finally get to know if Baby Junior's gender... it was good to know that she is developing well. Except of course we have to get another quick scan in another four weeks' time just to make sure that the blood flowing out from the heart is normal as well.

Like Matty, she is one active baby and it wasn't easy try to get her in the right position and pose for the scan. It took a total of 40 minutes before the session came to an end.

Mummy was also prescribed with iron tablets due to the low blood count (saw that one coming!).

Now that Mummy has managed to sort out Matty's old clothings over the weekend.... it is time to draw up a shopping list for Baby Junior. Most of the newborn clothing can be re-used... but Mummy is reluctant to dress Baby Junior up in Matty's clothing like pants, t-shirts and shorts meant for boys. Don't want to face the situation of an identity crisis when we bring her out. As for the jumpers that Matty used to wear day-to-day... most of them are really worn out and I feel so bad to recycle them for Baby Junior. I swear that I am not trying to find an excuse to do more shopping.

The next most important thing - think of a name for Baby Junior.

Confusing Vocabulary

Matty though a little slow in learning to walk has been picking up new words fast and furious. Though it can be both exasperating and comical when he gets some of the words mixed up or mispronounces...

Us: Close the door
Matty: Off

***

Us: Turn off the tap
Matty: Gone

***

Us: Balloon
Matty: Bar-Bar (translation - bubble)

(He used to say "ber" for balloon... but ever since he was introduced to bubble, anything that is round and floats is a "bar-bar".)

***

Us: Up
Matty: Up
Us: Down
Matty: Up

***

Us: Train
Matty: Car-Car
Us: Chair
Matty: Car-Car

(Anything that has wheels and move is generalised as "car-car".)

***

Us: Bear
Matty: Dare-Dare

***

Us: Truck
Matty: Gar-bi-Gar (translation - garbage truck)

(Any vehicle that is large and has a big storage at the back is a "garbage truck".)

***

Us: Watch
Matty: Clock

(Anything the can tell the time is a "clock" whether you hang on the wall or wear it on the wrist.)

***

Us: Taxi
Matty: Tat-tee

***

And the most ultimate one so far....

Us: A-B-C
Matty: A-A-A or M-M-M

(The alphabet contains only "A" or "M" depending on his mood for the day).

Head-Spinning Week

So much had happened in the past one week and Mummy haven't had the time to document anything.

What started out as a long weekend to be filled with loads of outing... ended up as one filled with germs. Daddy came down with a bad headache on Sunday morning (22 Oct)... so we decided to head home to rest after we had lunch at Hog's Breath Cafe to celebrate his birthday. True enough... by nightfall his throat was starting to itch.

Daddy had to turn up at work on his birthday to clear some work despite we had planned to take leave together for the day since early this year. Not wanting to waste the whole day sitting around at home... Mummy and Granny took Matty to the newly opened Vivo City. We spent a total of 2 hours in Toys' R Us... with Matty fingering all the buttons and switches that he can lay his hands on. Again we decided to head home after lunch with Daddy as he was looking worse than the day before. He badly need to see a doctor for some prescription. Unfortunately... Matty came down with fever that evening and we decided that both of them should be separated physically for the night. While Daddy went home to rest, Mummy and Matty spent the night over at Granny's place. It was a gem that Matty slept through the night that day. He needed the ample rest to keep the fever away.

Tuesday (24 Oct) was recovery day for both boys... with Mummy shuttling between both places. Another day burnt! We had initially planned for an outing to Botanical Gardens.

First day back at work was a disaster. Never did I expect my inbox to be so filled with emails even though I was only away for one working day... not to mention that most countries in the region should either be celebrating Deepavali or Hari Raya Puasa. Not too sure if it was because of the flu bug that I might have caught from Daddy... or I was too busy to realise how cold the office was (probably a concoction of both)... Mummy started to sneeze non-stop towards the late afternoon. The itch at the back of the throat is usually not a good sign as well.

Darn! I officially declared myself as sick on Thursday (25 Oct). The fact that Matty was wakeful the night before didn't help with my condition. The ultimate torture is to be sick when you are pregnant... and still need to handle a teething toddler. You can never feel more sick than this. But the good thing was the family doctor certified me as unfit for work for 2 days even though I had requested for only 1. I think being a preggie does give you some perks... like this one!

Decided that I should try and drag myself to work for at least the morning the next day to prevent the volume of work sitting in my office from escalating. Good decision there... as Mummy ended having to rush out some last minute urgent work. By 1 pm... I was famished and tired... wrapped up my work and headed home. But that was not it. Matty's nose was dripping like a tap by then. Rushed him to the paediatrician for some medication and by the time I plonk myself into bed for a nap it was past 4 in the afternoon.

Mummy's head has been spinning since I got into work this morning. I think I am allergic to work. Chalked up more than 30 emails for just being away on Friday afternoon. How not to be stressed out? Hopefully I will be better tomorrow now that things are pretty much under control.

Road to Independence

It was a busy busy weekend for us. MMR jab, wedding luncheon and shopping trip. So busy that Matty got knocked out so badly on Sunday night (much to our delight!) that he slept before 10pm and woke up briefly once at 5.30 in the early morning for some water before falling promptly back to sleep.

Matty has taken a liking to walking in the past few days unlike before when he will instinctively crawl rather than walk. But our dear boy is still the slow to warm type and will only venture around a new place on its only after gaining some familiarity. He had quite a bit of fun pacing around the wedding reception area and the shopping mall after a bit of getting used to. Once that happens... he won't allow anyone to hold his hand and dictate where he should go.

We bought a pair of sandals for him yesterday so that he can walk to granny's place every morning and back home every night. He is getting a bit heavy for Daddy (now weighing 11.4kg) to carry all the way home and up 3 storeys. The downside is that a 3 minutes walk can now stretch to more than 6 minutes long... with his little "detours" along the way. Too many distractions... like the car, a dog or even a neighbour's gate.

Matty was trying to feed himself with the spoon last evening over dinner. The thick and sticky consistency of macaroni and cheese is a good practising dish as the food sticks to the spoon and doesn't fall off easily. Each time he manages to scoop the food and put it into his mouth is enough to make him fill up with self-pride and beam from ear to ear. He even attempted to feed Mummy though I have to admit that the smell of his formula milk added to the dish doesn't quite agree with my palette.

The doodle board given to Matty as a birthday present is starting to gain favour. He finally worked out that he has been holding the pen upside down (despite being told many many times) and can scribble on the board. But he seems to enjoy the "erasing" rather than "writing"... and each time he erases his own "chicken scratches" away... he will declare with a loud "gone!".

(I must get Daddy to blog what happened last Saturday when Matty creeped up behind Daddy and stuck his little hand through Daddy's legs while Daddy was peeing and tried to catch the "rain". Ewww... gross!)

Can't Place a Name Yet

It was time to check in on Baby Junior again last Saturday. Wasn't as active as the last visit... and just snoozing away.

We couldn't see if Baby Junior is a boy or girl due to the positioning and the lower half of him/her was blocked by the placenta. The placenta is right at the front... around Baby Junior's feet and I think it will be a while more before Mummy can feel the kicks. Hopefully we can determine if Matty will have a baby brother or baby sister 4 weeks later when we get a detailed scan.

Flashcards vs Magazines and Flyers

Ever since Matty got his little table and chairs from Ikea... he started to spend a fair amount of time sitting and "reading"... though not quite the usual publications that most toddlers read - magazines and flyers that we receive in the mailbox... and even catalogues from flora/gift shops.

Matty has never shown a keen interest in story books and Mummy kind of gave up reading to him. We never made it past the first house getting blown down in Three Little Pigs. Recently... grandpa bought a few sets of flashcards for Matty... as expected he messed up the sequence of the cards within minutes. Mummy has never been a strong believer of teaching with flashcards even though it seems to be the latest craze with a lot of fellow mummies of this generation. It may have proven its worth but being able to pick out the right cards at 12 months old does not make the kid a genius. It definitely takes a lot more to say if a kid is "gifted" or "intelligent". Different strokes different folks. So I am not too bothered that flashcards does not hold out to be an appeal to Matty. He will eventually learn the words through other means.

Magazines and flyers seems to work wonders with Matty though. He points to things that he is familiar with when he flips through the magazines and name his favourite objects like car, ball, clock and flowers. He remembers which magazine has what object and at which page. He has even learned brand names like "Esso" and "BMW" through the magazines and flyers.

Looks like our boy has a very different sort of library from others!

(Something cute to put down as record - We finally figured out what "kar-pi-kar" means. Matty has been saying it repeatedly since last weekend. It means "garbage car". Actually grandpa has been telling him its "garbage truck". But I guess he really like cars alot!)

Toddling Toddler

We were all exhilarated last evening when Matty finally decided that it was high time he started walking independently. The precious moment has finally arrived on the day when Matty turns 1 year, 2 months and 26 days old! A little later than expected… since he has always been a fore-runner in terms of gross motor skills since a newborn.

It was magical to see him actually running about in less than an hour later. Now I fully understand why mummies who have experienced the moment kept saying that it can happen anytime without you knowing and progresses faster than anyone can imagine.

Matty’s facial expression was a clear indication of just how proud he was of himself for hitting this major milestone of his life. He was equally as excited as everyone else with his new-found “freedom” and independence. We are sure that he will put it to good use (or should we say “exploit”) in the days to come.

Our little baby has now grown to be a toddling toddler in that magical split-second!

(It was a good thing that we managed to capture the moment on video http://kaikoon.multiply.com/video/item/1)

To Kill A Mocking Bird

Being woke up by a sudden cry is nothing strange to Mummy ever since Matty came into our lives... but for the last 2 weeks other than Matty's cries, I have been constantly stirred in the wee hours of the morning by a different type of cry.

We got ourselves a new neighbour who likes to sing at some unearthly hour. A new (irritating) bird just moved into the park next to our house not too long ago. We are guessing it could be a magpie going by the sound it makes. Just a wild guess though cos we learned how a magpie sounds like from one of Matty's Hi-5 VCD. The stupid bird (did I mention irritating too!) starts chirping as early as 4.30 in the morning. Not only is the singing loud... it echoes due to the silence around the neighbourhood (obviously... because most people in their right mind will not be up at such a crazy hour). As it is... Mummy is facing a sleep deprivation crisis due to the constant running to the loo in the middle of the night and Matty's need for a cuddle, milk, water etc etc etc... having to deal with a bird which has no sense of consideration for his immediate neighbour and trying too hard to outdo the rooster is just too much to bear.

At least if it is an insensitive neighbour who sings away on his karaoke system... we could have easily called the police in. What do we do with a bird which we are not even sure how it looks like and hops from tree to tree other than to curse and swear while lying in bed and hopefully drop back to get as much sleep as possible before Matty decides it is rise and shine for him.

Oh So Hyper ~~

We run the possibility of having another hyperactive baby! Argghhhh... not the best of thoughts that we would like to entertain after our experience with Matty.

Mummy was back at Dr Lim's clinic last Saturday for another around of checkup. Now at 11 weeks and measuring 4.4cm from crown to rump... Baby Junior sure can move alot. He (Mummy and Daddy are almost certain from our intuition that Baby Junior is a boy too!) was waving his arms and kicking his legs non-stop. Even Dr Lim cannot help but comment that Baby Junior was really active. The scary part was that we don't even remember Matty to be this active when he was at 11 weeks. Could this mean that Baby Junior will be more hyper than Matty? Guess that only time can tell. Mummy is willing to settle for another hyperactive baby on the condition that he sleeps well at night. Fingers and toes crossed!

Due to the fatigue from not being able to sleep well for the last 3 weeks (a result of Matty's crankiness, Mummy fallen sick and Matty gotten hospitalised)... Mummy lost even more weight - 2.5 kg in just 1.5 months. It was a bit of concern to Dr Lim.... but I'm not too worried as I had built up a "reserve" of 5kg prior to getting pregnant. Not a bad way to burn it actually.

In the meantime... the "chopsticks test" predicts Baby Junior to be a boy. We should be able to tell if that is the case at the next round of checkup... of course depending on Baby Junior's positioning. As much as Mummy would like to have a girl to get a good mix (and to dress her up)... we will settle for 2 even if Baby Junior is indeed a boy. I don't think I can handle having 3 boys running around (we run a 50% risk if you think about it). Anyway the advantages if Baby Junior turns out to be a boy - we get to recycle most of Matty's clothing... which is a huge saving considering the amount we had spent on getting those clothes which he hardly wore and of course I think boys tend to click better together. They will make good playmates (and not to mention fighting-mates) in the years to come.

As we approach the end of the first trimester... Mummy is feeling alot more relieved. Especially lately when the bloatedness and light-headedness seem to have subsided alot and makes me wonder if everything is ok in there for Baby Junior. Hopefully I can start feeling the movement soon... which is usually the case for subsequent pregnancies and serve as a form of daily assurance for Mummy. But I would like to clarify that it should be movement during the day and not night. Good to start letting Baby Junior know that when it is time to sleep... we sleep.

Caught a Bug

Matty woke up with a more than ever cranky moody on Sunday morning for no rhyme or reason (or so we thought). Mummy didn't detect that Matty was running a fever until after a shower and he was still feeling warm. The weather has been unpredictable lately... extremely warm today and the next day raining cats and dogs.

Dr Chan suggested that it was probably better if we bring Matty down to see her even though his temperature was only 38 degree celsius, on the account that he was behaving as if he was very uncomfy. It was a good thing that we did as his temperature went up to 39.6 degree celsius within an hour. Matty had to get admitted for observation so as to make sure that the temperature would not rise beyond that.

Shortly after the medication was administered... Matty's fever seem to have subsided alot and he was back to his active self again and we were not even done with the admission registration. However, the temperature fluctuated throughout the rest of the day and we were ordered to get a blood test and urine test done on Monday... dashing the remote chance of getting discharged on Monday morning.

Drawing the blood was a big challenge. Not only do we need to restrain Matty and prevent him from moving... his tiny vein made it hard to get the needle at the right spot. Mummy's heart ached to see him cry so much. Due to the amount of force used... it gave Matty a little bruise on his left arm.

Matty probably was a phobia now of nurses in cute aprons. Because he will be reminded of the yucky medication that he had to take. Every time he sees one entering the room he will instinctively scream and cry first to protest. Otherwise the rest of the time he acted like he was on some sort of holiday away from home. Nobody could tell that he was ill.

The temperature finally stablised on Monday night and we were allowed to be discharged on Tuesday morning. It was good to know that the whole saga was finally over.

Matty rolling around and having fun in the cot...





In trance with the TV...



Time to go home. Better taking count of the bags we have...

Panda Eyes

Matty turns exactly 14 months today but something is just not improving. He hasn't been sleeping well lately (not like he was previously) and each time he wakes up it is a painful process trying to coax him back to sleep.

As a result of the lack of sleep... Mummy hasn't been able to concentrate in the office and had fallen sick more than a week ago. Daddy caught the germs from Mummy earlier this week and has been leaking like a tap until now. The fact that Mummy is expecting BJ makes me even more tired... and the constant trips to the toilet in the middle of the night cuts short on my rest time at night.

Matty was at his worst behaviour last night. He was up at 1.30 am and after more than 2 hours of patting, rocking, lecturing and what not he was still fighting sleep. At 4 am... we decided to take him out for a ride in the car and hopefully the motion will help him to fall back to sleep. It worked... thanks goodness! Never imagined that we will need to resort to such extreme measures. It goes to show the degree of our desperation.

When will we see some good times?

Majulah!!

A message from Daddy who is now resting at home due to a sore throat (germs from Mummy)...

-----Original Message-----
From: Ng Kai Koon [mailto:nkaikoon@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 10:46 AM
To: vyap@kraftasia.com
Subject:


Just came back from my mum’s place cos she wanted the stroller & also folic acid because they ran out.

Apparently, your son was so busy playing with my mum’s t-shirts that he didn’t notice it but walked across the length of one closet in mum’s room, which is about 4 steps or so… :)

Progress!

Muacks

Precious Moment

The long-awaited moment is finally here! Matty took 2 baby steps last evening. ^.^v

A Long and Extended Weekend

It was Singapore's 41st birthday last Wednesday so Daddy and Mummy took leave for last Thursday and Friday... which extended our weekend making it a 5-day weekend.

Wednesday, 9 August 2006

Checked ourselves into Pan-Pacific Hotel for a one-night complimentary stay. Like all fellow Singaporeans... we did it in hope of catching the fireworks. But to Matty, nothing was more exciting than exploring all the drawers and buttons that he can lay his hands on. He practically left his DNA and fingerprints in all corners of the room.

Mummy was misled by a bum-boat flyer earlier thinking that we could catch some fireworks along the Marina Bay area that evening. Waited for one whole hour and nothing happened. We were not the only ones. Hordes of people lined the Esplanade Walk and outside Marina Square. Daddy was initially sceptical that there will be fireworks along Marina Bay but upon seeing the crowds... he was swayed. Should have gone along with Daddy's suggestion to take the Pan-Pacific bubble lift up and down. We might have been able to catch a little of the Kallang Stadium fireworks. *pouts*

It was a rough night for everyone though. First Matty stayed up till 11.30 pm before we could coax him to sleep. He was up again around 2.30 am for one whole hour. Screamed and cried... probably because he wasn't in a familiar settings.

Thursday, 10 August 2006

Took Matty for his haircut. It has been more than a month since he got a trim but the minute he realised that we were fast approaching the barber shop... he started to cry buckets. Not sure why the strong reaction... but I think we got the message that he doesn't quite like getting his hair snipped. Its gonna be tough having to drag him to the barber shop in the future. The final blow (in every sense of the word!) came when the hairstylist used the hairdryer on him to get rid of the hair that got chopped off. Well... like the last time we had to get him a scoop of ice-cream to cheer him up after that.

Friday, 11 August 2006

After all the running around for the last 2 days... Mummy was nearing a physical meltdown!

Saturday, 12 August 2006

Back again to Dr Lim after 2 weeks to check on Baby Junior (affectionately referred to as "BJ" by Mummy). A big sigh of relief to see the heart thumping away. Another hurdle crossed. Expected due date has been moved to 30 March which means Mummy is towards the end of the 6th week pregnancy as at that day.

Mummy lost 1kg in just 2 weeks. Actually quite glad that I lost weight considering that I have put on too much previously. I take that as "having spares to work around with". Ironically... getting pregnant seems to be the easiest way for Mummy to lose weight. Just like 2 years ago when Mummy was first expecting Matty... lost quite a bit of weight during the first trimester due to lack of appetite.

The one thing that Mummy doesn't quite look forward to is the popping of the daily supplements every morning. Firstly, the thought of it is enough to make me queasy. Secondly, Mummy is really lousy in swallowing pills. I tend to gag on them quite often... making me puke. I hate to see the breakfast getting flushed away. Just imagine how wasteful it was when I had birdnest soup one morning only to flush them down the toilet bowl 5 minutes later. Thirdly, the prenatal multi-vitamins have this weird smell that doesn't agree with most preggies. Have agreed to try Obimin again rather than Revicon. So far so good... except that Obimin is oblong in shape and will need to go through the hassle of cutting it into 2 before swallowing it. Lastly, Mummy has this tendency to drink too much water (due to many failed attempts to wash the pills down the throat) making me bloat up like a water barrel after that.

Sunday, 13 August 2006

We finally met your future Ghim Ghim over dinner last night. This is the first time my dearest brother has ever brought a girl home. Hopefully this one will be a success story to share in time to come.

Situation Awareness

As babies grow older... they really do have a better understanding in alot of things that are happening around them.

Matty has always displayed alot of toughness when it comes to getting his jabs. But last Saturday his strong front crumbled even before the immunisation was administered. He started wailing his lungs out the very second we try to put him on the weighing scale. He somehow remembered that after the weight-taking he will be given his jab. Managed to get some momentary relief (both him and us) when Dr Chan stepped out of the office. Of course it didn't last long before she re-entered the room with the needle and that sent Matty into another bout of hysteric. I can almost swear that the cries sounded as if some poor boy was being brutally tortured.

Sometimes ignorance is definitely a bliss. Knowing too much may not necessary be a good thing after all.

Baby Junior

It has been confirmed. Matty will be promoted to big bro in another 35 weeks (if not more based on our past experience!).

Mummy went to back to Dr Lim last Friday to confirm my status as "preggie-yet-again". Currently 5-weeks pregnant and due to go back in 2 weeks time to check on the first heartbeat, as we are still too early in the pregnancy and could only see the gestational sac. Due date has been noted as 22 March 2007 for now.

Mummy has named the new addition to the family as "Baby Junior" (until we confirm the gender at a later date)... as Mummy is still calling Matty "Baby" all the time and not likely to change for the next 20 years.

Daddy and Mummy agreed that regardless of whether Baby Junior turns out to be a girl or boy... we will "call it a-day" and officially "close factory". Mummy always felt that 2 is a good number and Daddy was the one who preferred 3. I think Matty's hyper-activeness has made Daddy changed his mind =p

After that Mummy will need to stick to a strict exercise regime to keep in shape... especially since I am weighing alot more in the past few months. Never in my entire life have I been so heavy except when I was 5 months pregnant with Matty. Even Dr Lim commented that Mummy is a bit heavier than before... grrrrr!!!

The Art of Finger Pointing (Part II)

Matty throwing packs of pocket tissue on the floor)

Daddy: Matty... NO!
Matty: *points to NOse*

******

Grandpa: Where's your eyes?
Matty: *points to eyes - slides finger to nose - slides finger to mouth*

(So did he get it right or wrong?)

The Art of Finger Pointing

Mummy: Matty... show Mummy where's your nose.
Matty: *points to eyes*

Mummy: Which one is your nose?
Matty: *points to ears*

Mummy: Where are your eyes?
Matty: *points to ears*

******

Uncle Bryan: Who is the handsome boy?
Matty: *points to ownself*

Daddy: Who is the handsome boy?
Matty: *points to ownself*

Mummy: Who is the handsome boy?
Matty: *points to ownself*

******

Moral of the story - It doesn't matter whether you know your body parts as long as you know that you have right combination to give you the looks.

An Exciting Week

Just when everybody awaits anxiously for Matty to take his first step... he has actually made a lot of progress unknowingly. In a span of one week, he is able to indicate his age when asked by showing a big "one" with his forefinger... comb his hair (or at least the action of) when given a comb... and do the hand-washing motion. Just last evening, he mimicked the bombing sound when the ships in Pirates of the Caribbean were bombed when the movie was screened on tv. This morning he kept doing it over and over again. It is a no wonder some parents refuse to let their children have the tv for fear of picking up things they are not suppose to.

But probably the most exciting thing to Matty is that he finally gets to eat the same stuff that adults eat. No more bland and blended food. We had Japanese last Saturday and tim sum on Sunday. Fingers cross that the food consumed will not throw his digestive system out of whack. At least now we can keep him seated for the first half of the meal. It was quite a chore having to keep walking him around all the time. There was almost no way to glue him to the seat especially with the grandparents around. The other thing is that it is now so much easier to manage time when we don't have to worry about preparing food beforehand for Matty or making sure that he gets his lunch or dinner at home.

And now back to the issue of when he is going to start walking... =p

Mummy has been so busy with work and everything that I didn't have time to make a note of one of Matty's biggest moment in life - his first birthday.

Nothing to shout about... just a very small luncheon at home and cake-cutting. We then had a dinner over at my own parents' place and another cake-cutting... but at least there were some balloons and presents. Really could have done better but shan't dwell about it anymore.

The most memorable part is probably that Matty finally got to eat the "adult's stuff" as well as his own cake.

Due to the lack of nap... it left Matty extremely exhausted, overwhelmed and cranky at the end of the day.

*Sigh* and no surprises from him. Still no sign of him taking his first baby steps.

Four Million Smiles

Guess who's in?

~ No Title ~ (Too Tired to Think)

The past one week has been super busy for mummy leaving me with no time to blog and jot down Matty's development (not like there has been alot in one week.)

We celebrated Matty's lunar birthday last Tuesday. Just a simple affair... some mee-sua and red eggs. It was Mummy's lunar birthday too but I didn't think it was of any importance to mention it here. Now I fully understand why some people don't think that having a child sharing the same birthday is something to be excited about! *sigh*

And nope... Matty still has not taken his first step and he seem to have lost the enthusiasm to stand unsupported as well. But he is getting lots of practice with his fingers... pointing us in the direction to go, who to carry him and what he wants. Shopping has now become a chore when trying to manoeuvre the stroller through a narrow isle. Chances are that Matty will knock something off the shelf with his out-stretch arm taking in a feel of all the items on display. Oh yes... he somehow picked up the twinkle twinkle little stars hand action... but mood dependent though as usual.

New word mouthed over the weekend - "cold cold cold cold cold...". Not that he is feeling cold but he was referring to "air-con" in his own baby language. Granny has been telling him the big white thingy stuck on the wall blows "cold cold air". That explains why!

Mummy is now zombified due to lack of sleep last night. Matty was up from 12 plus to 3.30 in the morning. This time round I am fairly certain it was because he was too excited about all the new toys we got for him as birthday pressie yesterday afternoon. He couldn't stop talking at 2 am and it was quite obvious that he didn't want to let Mummy sleep when he tried to pull my quilt away at least twice.

*brain dying off*

Skipping SEVEN & EIGHT... and on to the caNINE

We have all been waiting (im)patiently for Matty's 7th and 8th tooth to sprout for weeks. Well... at least that's what we expect. (Teething is the most popular self-consoling reason that all sleep-deprived parents cite after a spell of cranky nights.)

We know from the health booklet that the next 2 teeth to come along are at the front lower gum. But much to our surprise last night, we actually found Matty's upper left canine peeking out. Judging from the size of the pearly, it must have cut through the gum since 2 weeks ago. Haven't had much luck to get Matty to open his mouth wide enough for us to check for the upper right canine. Going to try again later this evening.

Maybe one day we are going to wake up in the morning only to realise that Matty has a mouth full of teeth. This is the result of us humans paying too close attention to one area and neglecting the others.

The Luxurious "Car"

Mummy and Daddy took time out during lunch today to place a cake order for Matty's first birthday.

We initially agreed to get this really cute cake from The Patissier...



But in the end we chose another design because for a 3D cake like the one above, we can only have brownie for filling and to please everybody's taste bud... brownie is definitely not a good choice. The reason why they use brownie is because brownie is dense enough for the cake to retain its shape.

Of course to Mummy, the price is a bit too steep for a cake. Cute as it may be, $280 for just one cake... I think we can buy alot of toys with that money and Matty probably appreciates it more! Daddy thinks it is ok though. So now we know who is the really loaded one.

As for the design that we eventually chose... AKAN DATANG!!!

Hi-5 Action Hero Concert

After all the waiting and waiting... we finally saw Hi-5 "Live" last Saturday!!!

Matty just had his lunch and keeping himself entertained with the flyer before the start of the show.


Daddy and Matty - seated minutes before the show starts.


Doing a bit of "exercise" during the intermission.


And to end it all... Mummy got one big smooch from Matty. (This is a first as he refuses to kiss Mummy despite many persuasions.)

Lost & Found

Lost - Daddy lost his wedding ring last Thursday in the office and was unable to find it despite his search attempts. If he still can't find it today... he will need to get a replacement. Hopefully the design is still in production.

Found - Baby Matty just found out over the weekend that he could actually stand unsupported. Well he has been capable of it since about 2 months back but he did it unknowingly. He was enthusiastic about trying it out last Saturday and that's about it. Hopefully he will master the courage to try the new stunt more often. Practice makes perfect ya?

Lost - Baby Matty lost interest in his kiddy ride just mere 30 seconds after the ride started moving. See the photos below? The frown on his face and then scrambling to get out....




Found - An old man was found dead in his house last night and highly decomposed. He stays 2 houses away from Granny. God.. the stench was really really bad. The humid weather yesterday probably made it worse. The man actually fainted on his driveway about a week ago but when the ambulance arrived he was up and about. Mummy even made remarks a few days after that the man could be dead in the house upon seeing newspapers lying on his driveway for days. But at that time there was no stench at all. Hmmm... now that I recall, makes my hair stand. Yikes... now we will be forever reminded of this incident everytime we walk pass the house.

Prince Charming

Baby Matty turned his charm on yesterday at Baby Caitlyn's 1st month celebration.

The little girl in the background of the photos came over to our table after Matty gave her a smile... heh heh ;)

News Bulletin - Man Found Dead at Foot of Cot

A man was found dead at the foot of a cot on Sunday, 7 May 2006 at 7 in the morning. The deceased has been identified as Mr Smiley.

Another person known as Baby Matthias Ng was spotted at the scene. Baby Matthias Ng was said to be in hysteric when the police arrived. He was found screaming and crying in the cot.

According to the police, Baby Matthias Ng was heard blabbering in baby language just minutes before Mr Smiley was found dead. The police have not been able to ascertain if Baby Matthias Ng was talking to Mr Smiley then. Shortly after which, a loud thud was heard followed with Baby Matthias Ng's cries. It was believed that Mr Smiley hit the baby monitor first before landing on the stool. The baby monitor was found toppled over on the floor not far from the body.

The police has also indicated that Mr Smiley could not have committed suicide and was likely thrown out of the cot as Mr Smiley has been incapacitated for months since his batteries ran out and have not been replaced since then.

Baby Matthias Ng has been brought in by the police to assist in their investigation.

The case has been classified as unnatural death.

Home Sweet Home

We got back a bit later than usual because Auntie Alex gave birth to Baby Caitlyn yesterday and we popped by for a visit after work.

Matty must have been missing home so much that he was frantically waving bye bye to everyone as if he can't wait to go. No prompting or whatsoever from us. Of course we got the message and quickly left for home.

Moving Forward Again

Just when Mummy felt that Matty is somewhat stuck in his development... these are the stuff that he managed over this long weekend:

(1) Wave bye bye (yeah finally!!!). Mummy was ecstatic when he lifted his arm and waved to everybody on Saturday night.

(2) Understand the concept of "putting in" and started stuffing blocks in his toy mailbox. Mummy demonstrated to him once and he followed suit (I call it the "monkey see monkey do"). But he refused to perform the stunt again yesterday. Starting to suspect that he is doing in on purpose and go the opposite direction.

(3) Self-fed himself with his banana puffs. Still alot of practice needed with his pincer... but at least he is getting it.

(4) Say "mum-mum" when he wants to eat.

(5) Mouth other words like "gar" for "car", "bear bear" for "Pet Pet diaper". He was exceptionally talkative yesterday. It was so embarrassing when he kept self-talking while we pushed him in his stroller around Kinokuniya. Not only did he talk to himself... he was giggling to himself last night for no apparent reason.

And other than the above... Matty has reached another level in terrorising Mummy and Daddy with his awful-before-sleep-ritual. Mummy twisted my right wrist while carrying Matty because he was struggling free. I had to hang on to him in case he falls and break his head. Going to see a Chinses sinseh later this afternoon to get the wrist fixed.

Other than the usual wayang show before sleep... overall he is a darn cute baby!!

Lagging Behind?

Mummy is getting a little paranoid over Baby Matty not being able to wave bye bye. Never really came to mind until Dr. Chan casually asked if he was able to do it. To make matters worse, Mummy found out just yesterday that most of the babies in the forum board are able to do it when they are seven or eight months. Oh dear we are lagging way behind.

Actually Matty was able to do it when he was three months old but he somehow unlearned that when we failed to practice with him on a regular basis. Same thing with shaking hands.

Daddy and Mummy's mummy retorted that Matty being a bright boy knows how to do it... but he just refuses to. Talk about self-consoling

Weekend Come and Go

Thought that Matty would have busted Dr. Chan's weighing scale last Saturday... but much to our surprise he is still under 10kg. Still at 9.6kg. We swear that he feels alot heavier than a month ago. Maybe it is because our arms have been aching from the strain of his weight. Head measures at 46.2cm and he is now 72cm tall. As usual the jab didn't give him tears.

We brought Matty to the Jurong Bird Park yesterday. Had free tickets from Daddy's office. Matty didn't think much of the bird show... 5 minutes before the performance started he was already fidgety and showed more interest in the birds hovering around in the sky. He enjoyed the Lory Loft though. It had birds flying "freely" in the enclosure. Tried to bring Matty to the man-made waterfall but before we got to it... he had dozed off. Only managed to hear the waterfall but not see it. We only spent a grand total of two hours at the Bird Park. Definitely would have felt the pinch if the tickets came with a cost. Guess that Matty is just like Mummy and Daddy - not a very nature person. Shopping malls with nice cool air-conditioning is probably more our cuppa!

Guru in the Making

Mummy has become an avid collector of recipes especially for baby food. We have a baby connoisseur at home and he needs variety. Actually Mummy enjoys cooking just never really had the chance to. A guru needs good recipes... and that's what I am doing for a start. When Baby Matty grows a bit older... hopefully I will find more time on hand to go into the complicated dishes. Would love to bake too... but that requires a bit more effort as we need to get all the fancy pansy apparatus. Don't want to spend that kind of money unless I know that I make every cents worth it.

In the meantime... waiting for a guru to appear and tell me how to get Baby Matty to sleep better. He is still fighting sleep and getting harder and harder to "restraint". Humour doesn't quite work... he just gets too happy to sleep after that. Lecturing him makes him all sniffy and puffy eyes... he ends up having a bad night making things worse for everyone. Every few days we need to think of new alternatives to lull him to sleep. Hi-5 vcd is losing its power. He use to knock out after thirty minutes... then it became one hour and now after 2 rounds he is still wide awake. I just hope that someone will send me the answer I need one of these days... and please make it quick.

Scaling New Heights

Baby Matty managed to climb up a small flight of stairs all by himself last night. Only 4 steps... but a big feat for a small feet like his! :)

Not sure how he actually managed to work it out... nobody has taught him how. You should see how smug he was after that.

He was climbing on fours... let's see when he will start pulling himself up using the railings by the side.

Drama-Mama

Baby Matty has gotten well adjusted to having to sleep alone. He doesn't wake up as often as before and seems to be sleeping better. Thanks goodness!! At long last Mummy is getting more rest. Fingers and toes crossed that he will stay that way or at least improve on it. Perhaps Daddy is right that our snoring and ruffling of the quilt in the middle of the night wakes him up... considering that he is a light-sleeper like Mummy.

We also learned that he can be such a drama-mama. He screams and weep whenever we need to leave him alone for a while... but for the past few mornings he was happy to stay in bed all by himself. When Mummy woke up on Sunday morning... the house was in absolute silence... but found Baby Matty standing in one corner of his bed, peeping through the door that was left ajar as if waiting for someone to walk pass his room.

We use to hide and he seek for us. The roles are now reversed. He learned how to grab his towel and hide his face to play peek-a-boo. Quite amused with what he did.

Don't want to mention this here but hopefully Baby Matty won't blame Mummy for making a mockery out of him... he had a bad haircut yesterday and looking absolutely horrible right now. *Sigh*. No more magazine-cover-baby-looks. Can't wait for his hair to grow out soon. In the meantime no more photo-taking. Can't afford to have any incriminating evidences lying around.

Job Hazards

For two days in a row I had to deal with four idiotic persons all with a one-track one. Some people just muddle through their work without careful thought... and of course there are those who think too much, harping on things that are so irrelevant and creating more stress to themselves and the people around.

Half the time, work related stress is due to having to deal with people like these... only a small portion of it comes from the tight deadlines. Talk about job hazards... gotta learn to keep my blood pressure in check. No wonder as we grow older... we need to pay a higher premium for our insurance.

Deprived

Baby Matty will definitely grow up to be a foodie like Mummy and Daddy.

For his age he is quite adventurous when it comes to food (actually almost everything!). He won't reject new food introduced to him.... but whether he likes it or not is a different story. Frankly I can't quite think of what he doesn't like to eat. He is now the official fruit tester in the house. You can tell from his face if the fruit is sour or not. He scrunches his face so much that it sends everyone laughing instantaneously. Should really try and capture a photo of his expression one of these days.

Of course he won't get to taste everything... still too young for most of the stuff. You can tell that it is a torture to him when he had to keep swallowing his saliva just looking at us eat. Even worse if you show him banana or papaya and if he knows it is not meant for him... he will start to shrill. But he managed to get a "taste" of the curry puff yesterday... by grabbing Granny and "kissing" her on the lips. Poor boy... he must be so deprived.

Separation Anxiety

Baby Matty moved into his own room last Saturday. It was a whole day work just to put everything in place... his cot, new shelf, sound system. It took us a while to figure out the best place to position the receivers so that we know when he cries in the middle of the night.

Mummy was so worried that he will miss us and not get used to the idea of not seeing us in the same room as him. But he did ok. On the contrary it was Mummy who suffered from separation anxiety. Oh dear... :p

Eight and A Half Months Old

Things are looking alot better now that Baby Matty's teeth are out... well at least for now until his next tooth starts to cut out. He now has 4 at the top and 2 at the bottom. Well not like he sleeps through the night but at least he does fall back into sleep quite promptly and he stopped waking up at the dot of every hour. Then again we are not sure if he is going keep this going. Every time when things are looking up... they don't usually last long.

Baby Matty can cruise around the house quite well nowadays. Not sure when he will start letting go and attempt to walk unsupported. By then we will have more back-breaking moments... not sure if it is a good or bad thing. He blabbers alot more often as well. Mummy just had a funny "conversation" with Baby Matty this morning. He goes "papapapapapapp"... I reply with "papapapappa"... and he will follow up with "papapapapa". He actually paused to listen and wait for his turn to speak. Not much luck trying to get him to say "mamamamama" for a change. If I hadn't mention this... he only says "mamamama" when crying... otherwise its "papapapapa" most of the time. "Baobao" is another word that he can mouth at the moment.

Trying to say "no" to Baby Matty more often lately as well. He tests his limits all the time... from dropping things onto the floor while sitting on the high chair, pulling the curtains (he just can't seem to stop doing this even though he has been told repeatedly not to) to touching the breakable stuff. He knows that he is not allowed to... you can tell from the shifty look he has every time he attempts to do the "un-doable".

Feel Like Crying

Time and time again I tell myself not to lose my cool and patience with Baby Matty... but almost everytime I get a big "F" for that. Each time after the dust has settled, the feeling of guilt will engulf me.

I am desperately in need of rest but Baby Matty just has lots of energy to burn. Putting him to bed is like going to a war. It use to be bad but now it is worse. He will struggle and cry non-stop the minute he knows that we are trying to get him to go to sleep. Sometimes I really wonder if other parents have it just as bad. Most people I talk to tells me that a baby's sleeping pattern is more predictable once they hit 6 month old... they sleep long and better. I wonder what happen to mine.

The bad night is giving me a splitting headache. Nowadays I really dread the evenings.

I Want Out

It was an extremely lousy weekend for Mummy. Daddy's mum did something unreasonable that sent Mummy into a rage and I ended up having a big arguement with Daddy. Not his fault but he was the nearest object that I could vent my frustration on. Mummy was so upset that I took a really long walk after that and ended up with a sunburn.
I shall leave the exact details to my memory... whatever it is she is still Daddy's mum and your granny. What's between her and I shall stay that way... nobody else is to get involved. As her daughter-in-law... she probably doesn't care how I feel about her but for her son and grandchildren I am sure she will still hold them close to her heart. Like I always tell Daddy... it is just not the same.

To dampen my mood even further, Baby Matty wasn't sleeping well again last night waking up at a 2-hour interval. Each time he woke up it will take me at least 30 minutes to rock him back to sleep again. I lost my patience yet again. I don't know how long I can keep this going. It has been 8 months and I have no idea when he will learn to sleep through the night. This is taking a toll on Mummy both physically and emotionally. We have done and change what we can possibly think of but nothing seems to work. I am at my wits end! How I wish he can talk and tell me what's wrong.

If you should ever come across anyone saying how much they enjoy parenthood... they got to be either lying or only telling the half-truth. No doubt that parenthood has its many joy... it can be equally tough and frustrating... resentment will set in every now and then. Daddy who use to tell me to be patient is starting to lose his mind now that I wake him up to help me out. Talk is cheap... when you go through it... you will understand.

Finally Got In!

Today is one of those rare occasions that the blogspot is accessible from office. The company blocks the site and hence nobody in the office can enter blogger. Mummy hardly has time after work to login which also explains why the infrequent posts.

Since the last post, we had celebrate Chinese New Year and our 2nd wedding anniversary. Matty has since got his 2nd lower front tooth and was even admitted on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year for constipation. He was crying really badly when the enema was administered... Mummy ended up crying with Matty. Since don't know when, he started to crawl like a pro, pull to stand. It just came so naturally without anyone teaching him how exactly to do it. He tries a little each day and all of a sudden he was performing each trick without much effort. Learning to cruise bit by bit lately. Perhaps he will start to walk without us knowing one of these days. He is getting harder and harder to restraint. As he grows... he is becomes less reliant on us... prefering to be left alone on the floor rather than be carried nowadays. Like I always say... soon we will be sending him off to college.

Now I just hope he will learn to fall asleep on his own and sleep through the night. A little difficult since he is teething. Mummy's patience seems to run out fast these days especially when we are having a rough night and I find myself having to wake up and carry Matty... to rock him back to sleep. Carrying a 9kg baby can be draining... much so in the wee hours of the morning. But like Linda said... just relax and enjoy the parenting before he grows out of it. After the talk with her... it actually made me feel better and stop looking for answers to make Matty grow out of this stage. Nonetheless every night before going to bed... I pray hard that Matty will sleep well. I want my much needed sleep. People around have been commenting that I look haggard. Actually without them telling me... I could see it from the mirror.

Daddy and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary on 8 February. We took Matty to Mt Faber for a picnic. Daddy and I went there once long time ago for a picnic as well. Except that this time round we are better and knew what to bring along. We even took Matty for a swim later that day. We had dinner at San Marco... it is right at the top of Fullerton. Fullerton still brings back alot of memory for us. Nice place... I am still waiting for someone to hold a wedding there so that I can try the food once again.

First Tooth

Matty got his first tooth yesterday. When we can get him to open his mouth, you can see the little tooth on the bottom jaw. Unfortunately, it also means that it hurts a lot & he'll start crying rather suddenly. Getting to sleep & staying asleep is also tough for the last couple of nights.

Guess this is the time when all parents need to brave through & hopefully with more teeth, he will be able to start trying all the nice yummy food that he is always looking at intently...

Happy New Year!

Baby Matty turned 6 months old yesterday... and it was an exciting day for everyone as he hits another milestone.

Much to our delight and surprise, he was able to sit up unsupported yesterday. He was doing ok in the earlier part of the day... but by evening he was sat like a pro! Not only that... he could stand for a while by holding on to the side of the playpen. We are fairly he certain he was proud of his achievements for the day... because he simply refused to lie down after that.

He had his other "first" as well... his first dip in the pool!! Mummy and Daddy forgot to let him test out the water first and that send him screaming his lungs out. Opps...

I wonder what's next.