Last night i told Peanut to throw her soiled diaper into the trash bin. So she took the diaper from my hand, crawled to the bin, and dumped it in.
I gave her a round of applause and shouted bravo cause she understood me and she did it right. She was very happy and she clapped her hands after and we both giggled. Simple pleasures. Before having her, i never understood how exciting and fulfilling it is to experience the world through your child's eyes. I now do.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Penang, again
Two weekends ago, we went to Penang for a long weekend. My MIL went for a retreat with my FIL, so she won't be able to take care of Peanut. So me and DH took two days off from work and we decided to go there for a short getaway. And also, we need a break!
View from the Penang bridge. Unfortunately it was a bit cloudy when we arrived. Otherwise, it would have been gorgeous.
The next morning. Check out the blue skies. So nice..*sighs*
This street reminds me of Phuket and Pattaya. These sidewalks are filled with stalls at night.
Still jolly even though she was in the seat for close to 5 hours.
Overall, it was a great trip. Relaxing, fun, and very laid back. All we did was to eat, sleep, played in the pool and walked around the night market. And oh, we went to a mall too. I think Penang is one of my favorite states because it's surrounded by the sea. I love beaches! It gives me such a warm, nice happy feeling when I see one. We stayed at the Holiday Inn which is right next to the beach so that was great. And we ate tons of food. From orr-chien, to plates and plates of char kuay teow, cendols, asam laksa, you name it, we should have eaten it!
It was a great, manageable trip and I look forward to bringing her to more places in the future.
View from the Penang bridge. Unfortunately it was a bit cloudy when we arrived. Otherwise, it would have been gorgeous. 
The next morning. Check out the blue skies. So nice..*sighs* 
This street reminds me of Phuket and Pattaya. These sidewalks are filled with stalls at night. 
Still jolly even though she was in the seat for close to 5 hours. Overall, it was a great trip. Relaxing, fun, and very laid back. All we did was to eat, sleep, played in the pool and walked around the night market. And oh, we went to a mall too. I think Penang is one of my favorite states because it's surrounded by the sea. I love beaches! It gives me such a warm, nice happy feeling when I see one. We stayed at the Holiday Inn which is right next to the beach so that was great. And we ate tons of food. From orr-chien, to plates and plates of char kuay teow, cendols, asam laksa, you name it, we should have eaten it!
It was a great, manageable trip and I look forward to bringing her to more places in the future.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Readjustments
When you have a kid, it's all about readjustments in your life. Below are a couple of "areas" which i think needed major readjustments when Peanut first came into our lives:
a) Sleep
The No.1 major change you need to do. No longer can you wake up whenever you want. Think you can laze around in bed till 10am, while sipping a cup of hot coffee and reading the papers on the weekend? Think again. You'll be lucky if you can sleep past 7am, or she doesn't slap you awake first, or knock your coffee on the bed. I have been the unlucky recipient twice when she whacked my face cos i was still sleeping. And no, pretending to sleep doesn't work when she's all awake and bushy-tailed and might get herself into trouble if she's left on her own device.
And bedtime. For the most part it's been okay. Some days she just needs to drink a bit of milk before she falls asleep. There are some days when she's still rummaging through my drawers at 1130pm at night. I have tried various means to make her go sleep. From counting sheeps, to pretending to sleep, to holding down her down on the bed (gently la of course) so that she'll get the signal that she's supposed to sleep, to singing various nursery rhymes. Most of the time i'm successful; other times i'll be too tired to try, and will just try to stay awake until she gets too tired and fall asleep herself.
b) Eating
Yes, meal times are no longer the same, especially when she's older ( 1 year plus and above). She now wants to be "'part" of mealtimes. If I drink something, she wants to drink as well. And God forbid if there's a straw in my cup, for she'll be drawn to it like a magnet and will want to start stirring the drink and drinking from it. So i have to get the waitress to get me a cup of water with a straw in it, just so that she can have her own drink too, and leave my coffee or tea alone.
And I now order baby friendly food. Meaning, i'll eat food that i can feed her with too. No curries or other spicy stuff .And me and DH are still not doing the "you take care of her while i eat first". We like to eat together so we try our best to fit her in into our mealtimes. Not easy, but still doable for now.
c) Going out
My gosh, going out. It's like preparing for war. Before we even step out of the house, there's a whole bunch of things on the checklist which we need to get ready. Milk bottle, water bottle to refill her water, sippy bottle, hankie, milk powder, porridge (and if we're going out for the whole day, two set of thermos for lunch and dinner), a small blanket / cloth, extra clothes just in case she wets herself, small toys, her snacks, wet wipes, diapers wtf! I no longer bring my handbag out. I just toss my wallet and phone into the diaper bag, and hope I don't forget anything. I'll usually bring two bags out. One diaper bag, and one of those recycle bag so i can chuck those stuff that needs to be within reach fast inside. By the time i'm done, i'm exhausted. And coming home after a day's out is another event. I need to wash the bottles (i prefer to wash these myself, rather than asking our helper to do it) and unpack most of the stuff. Phew.
d) Choosing your destinations
Nowadays, we tend to go to places that has more space. Places that can accommodate our stroller. Like those cafes and restaurants. And places that has clean baby changing rooms. I think Gardens by far has the best baby changing rooms. The room is clean, it has a sink and toilet in it, and it's spacious. In baby changing rooms in other malls, they tend to just have the changing table and the sink. No toilet. How in the world do they think mothers who are out ALONE are gonna use the toilet and pee?? We can't possibly push the stroller into those normal toilets. These toilets are usually very cramped, and there's no way you can park a stroller inside.
e) Your shopping habits
There's no more time for facials, massages, or whatever u wanna pamper yourself with. And shopping? I think online shopping is a haven for mums out there. And even when you wanna go out and shop with baby, i always feel that i need to be fast when browsing for stuff, and you know some shops are just so small to bring the stroller in you'll be bumping into those clothes racks, and mannequins? And oh ya, you gotta pause and stop when salesgirls chat you up with the usual questions "berapa umur bayi you ni?? Can walk already? Lelaki ke perempuan?" Oh and these doesn't happen in shops alone. It happens in restaurants and lifts too! I don't mind la actually, who doesn't wanna talk about their own baby right? :) And you can get interesting info and facts from other mothers out there too at the same time.
f) Your outfits
Cannot wear high heels anymore when you're out with a baby!!! I don't want to trip over and fall when i'm carrying Peanut. So it's all flats. And I normally wear a blouse with a not so low-neckline, lest your baby pull your collar and expose you for all to see. :P
g) You gotta have four, scratch that, SIX pairs of eyes and a new pair of lungs.
Peanut is at that age where she's curious about everything. She'll stick pencils into her ears, attempt to drink my hot water, open and close drawers, pick things up from the floor and put them into her mouth and goes Yummm and it's all up to us mamas and papas to shout "NOOOOOOOOO......" "STOP IT" "DON'T TOUCH THOSE!" "DON"T GO NEAR THERE" I feel myself turning into my mum screaming at all of us when we were kids, but honestly peeps, there's no other way to do it other than raising your voice when you see them picking up some dirt on the floor and putting them into their mouth when they're like 10 ft away and you're too far away to physically stop them. So, shouting a bit, helps. It helps to distract them before it happens. And your eyes need to be on them 24 /7 like a cctv in the bank. No compromise.
So many things to change eh? But that's life when u turn into a momma. It's all about changes and it's all worth it! xoxo.
a) Sleep
The No.1 major change you need to do. No longer can you wake up whenever you want. Think you can laze around in bed till 10am, while sipping a cup of hot coffee and reading the papers on the weekend? Think again. You'll be lucky if you can sleep past 7am, or she doesn't slap you awake first, or knock your coffee on the bed. I have been the unlucky recipient twice when she whacked my face cos i was still sleeping. And no, pretending to sleep doesn't work when she's all awake and bushy-tailed and might get herself into trouble if she's left on her own device.
And bedtime. For the most part it's been okay. Some days she just needs to drink a bit of milk before she falls asleep. There are some days when she's still rummaging through my drawers at 1130pm at night. I have tried various means to make her go sleep. From counting sheeps, to pretending to sleep, to holding down her down on the bed (gently la of course) so that she'll get the signal that she's supposed to sleep, to singing various nursery rhymes. Most of the time i'm successful; other times i'll be too tired to try, and will just try to stay awake until she gets too tired and fall asleep herself.
b) Eating
Yes, meal times are no longer the same, especially when she's older ( 1 year plus and above). She now wants to be "'part" of mealtimes. If I drink something, she wants to drink as well. And God forbid if there's a straw in my cup, for she'll be drawn to it like a magnet and will want to start stirring the drink and drinking from it. So i have to get the waitress to get me a cup of water with a straw in it, just so that she can have her own drink too, and leave my coffee or tea alone.
And I now order baby friendly food. Meaning, i'll eat food that i can feed her with too. No curries or other spicy stuff .And me and DH are still not doing the "you take care of her while i eat first". We like to eat together so we try our best to fit her in into our mealtimes. Not easy, but still doable for now.
c) Going out
My gosh, going out. It's like preparing for war. Before we even step out of the house, there's a whole bunch of things on the checklist which we need to get ready. Milk bottle, water bottle to refill her water, sippy bottle, hankie, milk powder, porridge (and if we're going out for the whole day, two set of thermos for lunch and dinner), a small blanket / cloth, extra clothes just in case she wets herself, small toys, her snacks, wet wipes, diapers wtf! I no longer bring my handbag out. I just toss my wallet and phone into the diaper bag, and hope I don't forget anything. I'll usually bring two bags out. One diaper bag, and one of those recycle bag so i can chuck those stuff that needs to be within reach fast inside. By the time i'm done, i'm exhausted. And coming home after a day's out is another event. I need to wash the bottles (i prefer to wash these myself, rather than asking our helper to do it) and unpack most of the stuff. Phew.
d) Choosing your destinations
Nowadays, we tend to go to places that has more space. Places that can accommodate our stroller. Like those cafes and restaurants. And places that has clean baby changing rooms. I think Gardens by far has the best baby changing rooms. The room is clean, it has a sink and toilet in it, and it's spacious. In baby changing rooms in other malls, they tend to just have the changing table and the sink. No toilet. How in the world do they think mothers who are out ALONE are gonna use the toilet and pee?? We can't possibly push the stroller into those normal toilets. These toilets are usually very cramped, and there's no way you can park a stroller inside.
e) Your shopping habits
There's no more time for facials, massages, or whatever u wanna pamper yourself with. And shopping? I think online shopping is a haven for mums out there. And even when you wanna go out and shop with baby, i always feel that i need to be fast when browsing for stuff, and you know some shops are just so small to bring the stroller in you'll be bumping into those clothes racks, and mannequins? And oh ya, you gotta pause and stop when salesgirls chat you up with the usual questions "berapa umur bayi you ni?? Can walk already? Lelaki ke perempuan?" Oh and these doesn't happen in shops alone. It happens in restaurants and lifts too! I don't mind la actually, who doesn't wanna talk about their own baby right? :) And you can get interesting info and facts from other mothers out there too at the same time.
f) Your outfits
Cannot wear high heels anymore when you're out with a baby!!! I don't want to trip over and fall when i'm carrying Peanut. So it's all flats. And I normally wear a blouse with a not so low-neckline, lest your baby pull your collar and expose you for all to see. :P
g) You gotta have four, scratch that, SIX pairs of eyes and a new pair of lungs.
Peanut is at that age where she's curious about everything. She'll stick pencils into her ears, attempt to drink my hot water, open and close drawers, pick things up from the floor and put them into her mouth and goes Yummm and it's all up to us mamas and papas to shout "NOOOOOOOOO......" "STOP IT" "DON'T TOUCH THOSE!" "DON"T GO NEAR THERE" I feel myself turning into my mum screaming at all of us when we were kids, but honestly peeps, there's no other way to do it other than raising your voice when you see them picking up some dirt on the floor and putting them into their mouth when they're like 10 ft away and you're too far away to physically stop them. So, shouting a bit, helps. It helps to distract them before it happens. And your eyes need to be on them 24 /7 like a cctv in the bank. No compromise.
So many things to change eh? But that's life when u turn into a momma. It's all about changes and it's all worth it! xoxo.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
15 months update: Taking instructions
Peanut is beginning to take instructions quite well, but that really depends on her mood. If she's happy and thinks you're the best thing since milk, then you're in for a treat. She'll do whatever you ask her to do. Otherwise she'll just ignore you. She's getting more and more demanding, she knows how to tell you if she's wet and hating it, she knows how to ask for milk, she can point to a flower and says "fawerr", she knows how to say "baby" if she sees one on tv, and she calls men "uncle" and women "auntie". Even though you're only 20, so don't be offended if she calls you one :)
She can walk a few steps, only to falter and sit down. So she's not really running like a road runner yet. She's very curious. She opens up all drawers, books, bags, whatever you have with you at the moment. She hates being hugged tightly. Her face will turn red and she'll start screaming. She always laughs in delight when she sees her picture on our phones. She kisses everything. Her pictures, her bears, books, our mobile phones; she'll kiss them when we asked her to kiss it. But ask her to give you a kiss, she'll extend her forehead out to you, and yes, you'll have to kiss her instead. She's quiet around strangers and people she doesn't know well; she doesn't even make a squeak.
At 15 months, she discovers how to use a straw. So she'll want a taste of everything that you're drinking, which is not that great cos i'm constantly drinking coffee. I now have to opt for healthier drinks when i'm eating with her, just so that she can take a sip of it too. She wants a piece of everything that we eat too, so eating peacefully has been quite difficult nowadays.I'm not sure how heavy she is at the moment. We only weighed her at the doctor's during her vaccinations and even that is a struggle to put her on the scale. So I'm now estimating her weight to be around 11+kg, as she's getting heavier and heavier.
She imitates whatever we do, so we gotta be mindful of our actions. If I take my vitamin pills, she'll take the bottle and pretend to throw a pill in her mouth. She likes to pretend to drink from a cup, and she loves taking her ear temperature, just because I constantly uses the ear thermometer when she's sick.
So it's pretty easy to teach her some actions. You just got to demonstrate it a few times and she'll do it the next time you tell her to.
This is the "elephant"
This is the "flying kiss"
This is the "lion"
This is the "chicken dance"
This is the "bunny"
And this is "lift up you legs"
She can walk a few steps, only to falter and sit down. So she's not really running like a road runner yet. She's very curious. She opens up all drawers, books, bags, whatever you have with you at the moment. She hates being hugged tightly. Her face will turn red and she'll start screaming. She always laughs in delight when she sees her picture on our phones. She kisses everything. Her pictures, her bears, books, our mobile phones; she'll kiss them when we asked her to kiss it. But ask her to give you a kiss, she'll extend her forehead out to you, and yes, you'll have to kiss her instead. She's quiet around strangers and people she doesn't know well; she doesn't even make a squeak.
At 15 months, she discovers how to use a straw. So she'll want a taste of everything that you're drinking, which is not that great cos i'm constantly drinking coffee. I now have to opt for healthier drinks when i'm eating with her, just so that she can take a sip of it too. She wants a piece of everything that we eat too, so eating peacefully has been quite difficult nowadays.I'm not sure how heavy she is at the moment. We only weighed her at the doctor's during her vaccinations and even that is a struggle to put her on the scale. So I'm now estimating her weight to be around 11+kg, as she's getting heavier and heavier.
She imitates whatever we do, so we gotta be mindful of our actions. If I take my vitamin pills, she'll take the bottle and pretend to throw a pill in her mouth. She likes to pretend to drink from a cup, and she loves taking her ear temperature, just because I constantly uses the ear thermometer when she's sick.
So it's pretty easy to teach her some actions. You just got to demonstrate it a few times and she'll do it the next time you tell her to.
This is the "elephant"
This is the "flying kiss"
This is the "lion" 
This is the "chicken dance"
This is the "bunny" 
And this is "lift up you legs" She's not really looking at me in the pictures. Her eyes were glued to the tv. Some korean boy band with like 10 to 13 members wtf were on tv dancing and singing. A future groupie or what?
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