Jarrod & Zachary :)

Long overdue pix of my two nephews Jarrod and Zachary, when they were back in Singapore for awhile back in April.The boys have grown so much since we last saw them, before they left for Australia. That's Jarrod above, he's 5 years old this year. And here, below, is Zachary, he's 3 this year.
Here below are my cousins Yew Hui & Yew Ling - we're all partners in crime in loving the boys to bits.

We managed to get some nice shots with the boys :) happy happy...

Human totem! :D
Andrea and the boys :) pity we didn't get a picture with Joel in them. Hmmm... *mental*note*

pictures taken in April 2008
Jarrod @ a few months to 5 years old
Zachary @ 3 years and a bit

24 hours a day

People who read my blog tell me that it's rather obvious that I am enjoying motherhood. Yes, I would say I am, tremendously. Isaac has been such a blessing and a great topping to the wonderful relationship I have with hubbs.

And as you can tell, we spend a lot of time meeting up with our friends. And a great variety and quantity of friends we have too - so much so that even though we fill our calendar meeting friends all the time, we can only manage to meet the same friend, a few times a year.

Well, it's not just us, I suppose. It's just the way it is. We all go through different stages in life, and everyone just gets busier and busier with whatever it is they're doing now, and it's so hard to find a common time or date to meet sometimes. People have their jobs, kids, studies, hobbies boyfriends/husbands, other friends, etc etc.

And everyone has 24 hours a day.

Sometimes I wished we had more hours in a day. Like, 48 hours. We can spend the same number of hours working, say 10 hours, and sleep enough like another 10 hours, and we'd still have 28 hours to do our own stuff. Wouldn't that be great?

That would probably help. But then, there's still the same problem of change. Change is the only constant nowadays. I keep hearing that, seeing that. Even my priest said that during homily one day. And it's true.

Change is sometimes good, and sometimes bad. I suppose we feel good about change when we're expecting it, and seeking it, even. But sometimes, I feel, change feels bad, when you're not prepared for it or when it catches us by surprise. Though i guess then everyone would say that the best is to be able to adapt to the change as and when it happens. Of course. Model answer. Riiiighhht.

I'm reading this book right now. About this guy, who enjoys just living his life by the day, and on the road, hitchhiking and stuff, just existing day by day, relishing in the change and uncertainty that each day brings him.

Sounds like great fun to me. Reminds me of the time when I was backpacking in UK. Not solitary. Almost. Felt a bit like it. Kinda miss it. Reminds me of Aberdeen, Scotland - when I was there on student exchange, I miss that. I had time to be alone, and yet I had my international friends.

I miss my international friends, one of which passed away unexpectedly, the rest of them so far, scattered round the world. I miss school time when we could have tons of time to spend with our friends. I miss doing playback, seeing my playbackers. I miss my good friends, I miss spending time with them. I miss seeing and talking to them almost everyday. Even when everyone's in tiny Singapore it's difficult to meet up. Everyone's busy doing their own stuff.

It's just different now, I guess. I'm a mother and a wife, and I simply don't have enough time to do everything I want to do, meet everyone I want to meet. I wouldn't trade Isaac nor hubbs for anything in the world. But I do wish I have more time. Perhaps just 30 hours a day would suffice? At least I'd have more time to travel around to meet more of my favourite people. If they'd see me, that is, if they have time too.

sighz

Siang Ling & Ken welcomes Mikayla!

Congrats to Ken & Siang Ling!!! :) My dear uni friend Siang Ling's just given birth to her little girl Mikayla on 25th May 2008! Coming into this world of ours at 3.21kg and 55cm long - Mikayla's one slim gal indeed!

These pix below are actually dated 19th April 2008 - about a month before Mikayla was born. We'd met up for dinner to catch up and all :)

above pictures taken on 19th April 2008
Isaac @ 8 months plus
Siang Ling @ a month to full term! :)

yes, I'm busy... and lazy... hahahaha

yes I know, I've been horrible with posting lately. yes, I've been very caught up with work and all, office has been very 'happening' lately. And once home, usually occupied with Isaac and when I get him to sleep, I'm usually so tired that I fall asleep with him. Doesn't help that my home PC's still kooky - that's why am now like two months behind in photos. Oh but I can now type with my right hand again!

ok arm update! :) I've been castless since the 23rd May 2008 - our 3rd wedding anniversary haha. hubbs has been joking that him having to bathe me while I was in cast is his birthday cum wedding anniversary present to me. hahaha. It was fun while it lasted, but am very relieved to be castfree now, coz then I can bathe myself at my own convenience! We used to like have to place Isaac with our neighbours just so we could both go bathe. But Isaac'd cry his head off if he doesn't have us around, so that was kinda tough.

When I went for my check-up on the 23rd, had my cast removed, then arm x-rayed. Doc says that the bone hasn't joined back yet, but she say no need to put on cast again - she wanted me to be castfree, so that I can exercise my arm - so that it won't be so stiff. Boy was I glad - I can bathe myself again! Albeit with one arm! But at least I didn't have to worry about getting the cast wet. Plus it was getting real itchy underneath the cast eeeuuuwwwww....

So... my arm's been getting better... with every day that passes, I am able to bend it a bit more, and straighten it a bit more. Widening the movable angle everyday. When I first had the cast removed, I couldn't even touch my face. But as of yesterday, I realised that I can just manage to get my thumb to my nose!! kekeke... can make faces at people already hahahaha... but coz I can't reach my face, I'm still feeding myself with my left hand. Which is a good thing that I'm now proficient even with chopsticks with my left hand!

Still can't tie my own hair though... coz my hand can't reach my head yet... so I cut off my hair! hahahaha... had a haircut last Saturday - now my hair's ony just above my shoulders! Kinda like how my hair was in JC time. But then, it was kinda a disaster coz the hairdresser kinda thinned/layered it too much so now my hairs sticking out in places. Ah well, actually dun think it's the hairdresser's fault. My hair's just too unruly!!! hahahhaa...

Well, enough about me. Let's talk about Isaac. He's crawling very fast now, and his climbing skills are very good - making his Papa very proud of him. hahaha... Once, he was sleeping in the bedroom and we quickly slipped into the bathroom, leaving the toilet door ajar so that we could hear Isaac if he cried. But as we were bathing halfway - Isaac crawled to the bathroom and pushed opened the door! hahaha... And just two mornings ago, I was bathing in the toilet, and hubbs was sleeping, Isaac just woke up (didn't cry), and crawled to the toilet to look for me! Hilarious!

He's also starting to stand on his own, and he's 'cruising' aleady - walking with support - like furniture etc. Oh and he knows how to argue and fight already. If we scold him, he knows we're scolding him, and starts to argue back in his gibberish. Full of excuses, this boy, yak yak yak, yak yak yak. If we continue to scold him and point our finger at him - he'd grab our finger to bite. sighz... hubbs says it's retribution for me.

oh and he and Isabelle have been fighting. Over toys and stuff lor, what else. Think I mentioned before, that Isabelle tends to snatch toys away from Isaac. Whatever he is holding or playing - she'd want it too. And quick as lightning - she'd grab it from him and run away. So now, he goes on alert whenever he sees Isabelle nearby. It's hilarious! You can see it in his eyes and body language - his eyes flash and glare at Isabelle, and his arms and body position themselves to guard the toys he's playing with at the moment. And when Isabelle comes to grab his toy - he'd hang on to it for dear life! and there'd be a mini tug-of-war between them! And I must give Isaac credit for even though he's about 2 years younger than Isabelle - he's almost as strong as she is, and puts up a good fight guarding his hoard! hahahhaa...

well that's my boy for you. He's a fighter :) good spirit!

Isaac in classic ah pek singlet!

Here's my Isaac in the classic hole-ridden ah pek singlet. Cute hor. hahahahaha... Every child should have this ah pek singlets as part of their wardrobe growing up... it's essential!!! :)

Isaac looks very macho in the singlet, doesn't he? His arms look 'muscular' like, and coupled with his BOY face and his crew cut hairdo - oooohh sooo macho boy look! *swooooon* hahahhahaaa...
These shots were actually taken in NTUC, whilst we were getting milk (for me calcium-less bones!) - and Isaac wasn't even bothered by the cold. He now takes the cold pretty well, and sweats easily than before. When he was younger, we had to dress him in double layers all the time as he seemed to be bothered by the cold, and could take the heat very well. He hardly broke a sweat even while wearing two layers.

pictures above all taken on 20th April 2008
Isaac @ 8 months plus

Well, as they say, the only constant in life, is change! Especially for babies!!! :D

Under Attack by Isaac boy

video taken on 19th April 2008
Isaac @ 8 mths plus

I've been trying to take videos of Isaac crawling. He's very fast nowadays, covering large distances in a very short space of time, and scaling large obstacles like the sofa, and me, and hubbs. Yes, he literally climbs all over us!

This video is one of Isaac "attacking" me when he sees me with the camera... he likes to play with the camera case, and the camera too. Somehow, even when I switch off the camera, he knows that at the part of the camera lens - the shutter is movable and so he moves the shutter so that he can touch the lens!? urrghhh leaving his fingerprints all over the lens... sob sob...

hahaha well, that's my Isaac boy for you. Enjoy!

Isaac and his nonsense

picture taken on 13th April 2008 Isaac @ 8 mths & a week

This is Isaac giving me an intent look before proceeding to pull the tissue paper out of the box, piece by piece... urrgghhh... he thinks it's fun. sighz.

Our little one is starting to show his character.True colours, I hear some of you sniggering. Yes, yes, the whole works. And he appears to have a fiery temper, with a generous bout of bullish stubborness.

All of which hubbs proudly proclaim - Isaac inherited from me.

Sighz.

But Isaac's also very - wait, SUPER active, and we can see the makings of a very mischievious one... which... all obviously he got from hubbs, right? (Must share the blame mah... ;p).

It's our worst fears come true! What if Isaac inherits the worst of hubbs and I?! (We couldn't really decide which was worst - a son that inherits my temper, or a daughter that inherits it. Hubbs says daughter more jialat. I tend to agree. But then see Isaac now like that... sighz...)

We can only pray that the rest of Isaac would inherit the better of the genes between the both of us. Erm... like... hope and pray that...

1. he can study well like me (well, not that I'm like a scholar or anything, but better like me at least than like hubbs' right!? better of two worsts you know ;p) ...
   
2. his aptitude for the Chinese language is like hubbs
   
3. his aptitude for the English language is like me
   
4. forgiving nature - like hubbs
5. meticulous - like me
   
6. physicals like hubbs - the bottomless pit - can eat and eat and eat and never get fat. plus very fit, agile, sporty...
7. articulate - like me! :) nuff said.
   

Well, our biggest consolation is that Isaac's very smiley! :) He got that from us both! hehehe... thus, in similar fashion, we pray that he'd

1. be friendly & likable and have tonnes of friends, like us
   
2. have good EQ and good "ren2 yuan2", like us
   
3. that he'd enjoy reading, like us
4. that he'd enjoy sports & the outdoors, like us
5. in general, be a nice person, like us
6. oh and he must be a kind boy, that's important. Like us. *beams*
   

But, of course, no matter how Isaac, and the rest of our kids turn out, we'd still love them unconditionally. We can only hope, pray, and do our best to nurture them in the way we want them to be. And we're lucky to have one another to try to prevent the kids from picking up the 'wrong stuff' from the other parent.

As for Isaac's temper and stubborness (aka ti-ki-ness)... well, in mitigation, I have this to say - at least now I'm not so bad, right!? mellowed down tremendously already! So... Isaac temper will get better in time! :) ... er... We'd just have to tahan the next 25 years at least, that's all! ;p

Isaac @ 8 months with E.T.

ET pix again! Late again! hehehe... these pix were taken a month ago, when Isaac was about 8 mths old. Speaking of which, in the excitement of me breaking my arm and all - we forgot to take Isaac with E.T on the 6th again! Will probably take him with E.T. this Saturday.
Isaac seems to be growing taller, but he doesn't really seem to be putting on much width wise. My mother-in-law often laments in teochew, that Isaac's face "has disappeared" - as in, his face is much sharper and more defined now, than when it was all padded up with his baby fat.

My father, on the other hand, happily informs me constantly that "Isaac looks very slim and trim now." hahaha... which I am inclined to agree with more.

I feel, that this just reflects how different our two families are. Hubbs' family are all very skinny. Blessed with skinny genes, they eat gigantic portions at meal times, all kinds of fatty meat, skin and innards, fried stuff , loads of carbo, etc etc - but yet remain skinny people. My family, generally have FAT genes. We eat like birds - very little or no carbo, steamed, soup or boiled stuff, skinless, fatless, small portions, exercise - and we juuuust manage to stay within the healthy weight zone, bordering on being overweight. Generally, coz it doesn't include my sister - who is blessed with ultra skinny genes. But then, even my sister watches her diet closely and exercises too. So, there.

When hubbs wasn't hubbs and was just The Boyfriend came over to my place for dinner the first time - he almost dieded. He could like finished up all the food! The amount of rice and food that he eats is the same as what my dad+mum+bro-in-law+sister+me eats!!! hahaha it's how much he eats but also how little my family eats... After awhile my mum realised that The Boyfriend was devouring every scrap of food available to him, and started to cook more when he comes for dinner. hubbs get a whole extra cup of rice cooked when he comes for dinner. hahahaha...

Frankly speaking, I'm hoping Isaac will tend towards his Papa's skinny genes, than my FAT genes. You can imagined how pissed I was when, at two/three months with Isaac increasing his weight at an exponential rate, hubbs told me:"Don't worry, he won't be fat next time one lah - he has my genes." To which I exploded:" YOU MEAN TO SAY HE HAS NONE OF MY GENES?!?!" Angry Mama personified!!!

pictures taken on 13th April 2008
Isaac @ 8 mths & a week

pam's arm update

Hi guys! no pictures with this post coz I had't uploaded any pix this past weekend coz my home pc's like konked out on us - sadness. Ah well, the PC Doctor's coming on tomorrow to take a look at it.

hehehe thanks for all the messages and smses asking after my broken arm. It's doing really well. I've this fibreglass cast that covers from my right palm, wrist, elbow up till like 7 cm below my arm pit. It's really hard so that's cool. Coz I can like swing my arm into the door frame and not hurt myself!

Plus I can still carry Isaac with my left arm, so, I was telling hubbs that I still can defend my baby if anyone wants to take him from me coz I can swing my fibreglass arm into the bugger and knock the living daylights outta him! HAHAHA. yes, I'm the new Marvel hero - Fibreglass Arm Girl! (FAG?!?! geez, let's try again!) ermmm... I'm the Wonder Arm Mummy! WAM! Offend me, and I'd WAM you!!! kekeke...

Well, think I mentioned that hubbs now has to bathe me *giggle* very ticklish *giggle* amongst other stuff, hooking my bra and like tieing my hair. But I try to do a lot of things on my own ok... With my trusty left arm & hand, I can

• wear and take off my top (provided it's not too tight)
• wear and take off my bottom
• go toilet and do everything necessary all on my own (hubbs heaves BIG SIGH of relieve)
• brush my teeth
• wash my face
• eat with fork/spoon - am training on the chopsticks skill
• pretty efficient at typing and using the mousepad
• carry Isaac
• steer the stroller in any direction required
• very efficient in smsing

Not too bad, yah?!?!?! hehehe...

I'm also trying to exercise and train my right hand to be stronger. On the day I fell, last Sunday 4th May, I could hardly move my right hand fingers, coz of the pain and that my arm was very weak. So everyday I move my fingers, open, close, open, close, open, close... Doctor says must exercise, if not it'd become very stiff.

There's been a lot of improvement since. Now, my arm doesn't hurt when I move my fingers. And everyday, in addition to exercising, I let my right hand carry something. As of yesterday, I could support the weight of two handphones, without straining at all. Also, yesterday, I managed to type out a few words on the phone too!

hehehe... See! I'm doing aye okay! So don't need to worry too much about me :p (though I'm basking in all the attention HAHAHA) oh! and this past weekend I got hubbs to take pix of me breastfeeding Isaac in my WAM condition. hahaha... so... pix coming up! ;p stay tuned! :)

Isaac bathing vid

video taken on 13th April 2008
Isaac @ 8 mths plus

Isaac bathing video! kekeke... he loves playing with water... :)

Update: It is a fracture! But specialist doctor says the bone is in place, so not so bad. Just need to cast it in order to let it heal properly. Officially, I'm on MC till 23rd May, but I intend to go into office at least a few times a week, if not full time.

I'm still taking care of Isaac at night, and breastfeeding him. We tried leaving him at hubbs' parents' place on Monday night but Isaac cried and cried and refused to sleep. My father in law called hubbs at 12mn to tell us that Isaac was crying non-stop - so in the end we drove down at like 12plus at night, and slept over at my in laws. So now we've gone back to bringing Isaac home every night

It's been tough on hubbs. He has to take care of me now, and he has to handle most things for Isaac now, when we're at home. Thank heavens that hubb has always been very hands on and has no problem doing all this stuff. Just makes him busier, that's all.

Ah well... we hope I get well faster, coz this is causing us a lot of inconvenience!!! sighz! I'd rather this had happened when I was younger, and not a mother yet... And while hubbs was bathing and dressing me, he also said:"This is why it's important to stay healthy in old age." Sighz... how true...

Isaac is 9 months old today!!!

Isaac is 9 months old today!!! These few pictures are not his usual smiley ones though. I decided we shall have some non-smiley pix for once - so next time Isaac knows that he'd given us some trying times too. hehehe...

even the 1st and 3rd pix are not his usual smile... and this 2nd one has him, just not smiling!
this here below is isaac rubbing his eyes when he's sleepy. it kinda reminds me of how I used to rub my eyes when I was young. When Isaac's sleepy or frustrated, he rubs his ears too. haha now, I dun think I did that when I was young...
sleepy and frustrated Isaac look... kekeke...
all above pictures taken on 13th April 2008
Isaac @ 8 months plus

Got some current news for you guys... guess what??? I just fell down on Sunday, at the park. Broke my fall with a straight arm, and something in my elbow went creeaaak. So after 5 hours at AH's A&E - I now have my arm in a cast. X-ray didn't show any dislocation nor any obvious fracture, but can see that's somethings not right. So anyway, I've to see a specialist to see what's really the matter... will update you! :)

Milk Trial - update

Sorries for MIA-ing for such a long time! Been super busy at work! (though someone insists that its not so busy now... :p) So shall compensate with writing a bit more now! :) something which I haven't had the luxury of doing in a long while!
It's been quite a long while since I've talked about milk. Well, I'm proud to say that Isaac is currently still 100% breastfed by his mummy dearest. So, that's like approaching 9 months this coming 6th May. Well of course, Isaac now eats porridge and cereal etc. So he isn't just drinking milk alone. But still, he's on 100% breast milk - have not supplemented him with formula as yet. Well that was the good news. Unfortunately, this silly bugger, has recently (after the Good Friday Easter Sunday weekend), refused to take milk through the bottle! As in, in the day time when I am at work, Isaac refuses to drink breast milk that my mother-in-law tries to feed him through the bottle. Sighz. He only wants to latch on ... to me... when I am with him. Well, I must admit that it feels good to be 'wanted'. But yet, we're worried that he isn't getting enough milk. He is, afterall, still a baby. He needs milk!
pictures above taken on 6th April 2008
Isaac @ 8 months

So he's been eating porridge in the day. He used to take porridge twice in the day, and nce of cereal (Frisocreme - which has milk powder in it). But recently, he's taken to refusing the cereal as well, and so he takes porridge three times a day.

Worried me has been popping my multi-vites and calcium pills more diligently these days to ensure that I am providing him with quality milk ;p And coz his demand for milk has dropped, so has my supply, and thus I don't even need to pump in office now - I just make Isaac drink right before I go to work - and that can last me till I come home from work and let him drink.

In fact, come to think of it, Isaac hardly drank the frozen milk that I'd painstakingly stockpiled for him. I think in this past 9 months - he probably drank like 10% of the milk that I have frozen. The rest have all been given away. At last count, my milk has been drunk by at least 7 other babies, other than Isaac. Well, at least it wasn't totally wasted.

Well, I hope to breastfeed Isaac to 1 year old. But having interrupted sleep for 9 months is taking its toll on me. Isaac still wakes up at least twice a night to drink - and now that he is refusing the bottle in the day, I don't have the heart to wean him off night feeds either. So we're thinking of starting him on formula... we'd have to start sometime... plus, I'm not sure I want to breastfeed through pregnancy either - if and when we eventually want to get pregnant.

ah well... we'd see how it goes :)