Good things in life...

Lyrics to Butterfly Baby Song - Current fav song ;p

2011-10-21T10:14:00.000+08:00

BUTTERFLY BABY

By Angelina Perete

sang by Angelina Perete and her daughter Estee

Fly,fly little butterfly,

got me curious

when you fly by

where you're from,

and where you're going

Did anyone ask Why?

Mommy loves me

That's Forever

Daddy's worry

When i get older

I'm just wonderin'

How far i'll see

How clever i could be...

Mommy. mommy

look what i can do

i can dance and sing real loud for you

how i move now...

you can see..

Oh I hope you'll be proud of me

oh baby, baby...

You're my pride and joy,

you make me feel..

Like I'm the Queen of troy

When you're happy...

sun will shine

Oh we're wrapped up in this moment of time

Here you are, my darling little girl,

There are joy and pain in this world

When you're ready, the truth you will be told,

i'll let you know

but for now, you and your brothers

Fill you lives with love for each other

One you've grown

you're flying together,

My love protects you dears

Mommy. mommy

look what i can do

i can dance and sing real loud for you

how i move now...

you can see..

oh i hope you'll be proud of me

oh baby, baby...

You're my pride and joy,

you make me feel..

Like I'm the Queen of troy

When you're happy...

sun will shine

Oh we're wrapped up in this moment of time

dooo, dooo, dooo, doo , doo

oh baby, baby,

Mommy. mommy

look what i can do

i can dance and sing real loud for you

how i move now...

you can see..

oh i hope you'll be proud of me

oh baby, baby...

You're my pride and joy,

you make me feel..

Like I'm the Queen of troy

When you're happy...

sun will shine

Oh we're wrapped up in this moment of time

la, la, la, la, la, la

Oh we're wrapped up in this moment of time..

doo,doo,doo,doo,doo,doo

ph we're wrapped up in this moment of time...

Current favourite song

2011-10-21T09:11:00.002+08:00

Absolutely love this song...sweet and meaningful lyrics by our very own Sabahans - Mother & daughter duet (Angelina Perete and her daughter Estee)

Their live performance...

More on the song and singers:

Angelina Perete sings this heartwarming song "BUTTERFLY BABY" she composed and wrote for her children in the school canteen - together with her own daughter Estee they deliver a duet that you are sure to enjoy. Enjoy it and share it. If you Enjoy and Love BUTTERFLY BABY Song, See More By Connecting with Angelina Perete on her fanpage at https://facebook.com/AngelinaPereteFanpage - Known for its catchy vibe this was produced and arranged by Roger Wang. Thank you for all of you who supported the song with votes on the Borneo English Top 10 charts! After the song was introduced on the Mothers Day weekend, it debuted at No 1 and remained there for a whole nine weeks. Thanks to you! Mothers and their daughters will love having shared this together. Thank you all for your support. Truly appreciate your encouragement and kind words. Catch it on Facebook too. There is a growing community so come on vote and then connect with others. She has a thank you msg for friends at http://angelina-tq1.angelinaperete.com

For the shopaholics ;p

2011-07-29T10:10:00.001+08:00

Many faces of Ethan

2011-07-22T15:09:00.001+08:00

Ethan having fun with the camera ;p Pictures taken at CKS Millenium meant for the Johnson & Johnson Baby Contest but I managed to get Ethan's pictures taken just for the fun of it...not meant for the baby contest as it was meant for those 3 yrs and below only ;p

Ethan is 4 today!!

2011-06-07T10:33:00.003+08:00

Oh my.. how time flies..

Look how you've changed. Look, how you've grown

You've filled our heart with so much joy

We're so very proud of our little boy

Both Mummy and Daddy...and your lil baby brother Eli too

Wishing Happy 4th Birthday especially to you our ever dearest Ethan

As every day passes and we watch you grow

Our love will be constant we want you to know.

Poem adapted from HappinessPages

Mother's Day Baby Photo Contest

2011-05-10T14:40:00.003+08:00

Dear all,
I've entered Eli's in a Mother’s Day Baby Photo Contest. Please give your support by voting for Eli ;p

How to vote:

Step 1: Go to Mama Babies page here and click LIKE

Step 2: Go to Eli’s Photo page here and click LIKE on this page. TQVM!♥

Mom's the best

2011-05-08T22:57:00.000+08:00

Happy Mother's Day to all mommies and especially to my Mummy and MIL dearest..

Know the ABC..

2011-05-06T09:53:00.000+08:00

This is another worth reading article for parents who would like to encourage their children in recognizing the alphabet. Read on :)

How to Encourage Kids to Recognise the Alphabet

4 May 2011

CHILDWISE
By RUTH LIEW in ParenThots

MY three-and-a-half-year-old daughter started kindergarten this year after having been in a nursery. In the previous setting, she did not do much academic learning.

My girl is now facing difficulty recognising and remembering the entire alphabet. The teacher has given us cards with the alphabets she still doesn’t know and we are to help her learn them.

My husband and I try our best to go through the letters/words with our girl and have used many “props” like cards, books, etc in the process.

We are beginning to get worried about her lagging. We are also concerned about pushing our child before she’s really ready to learn all that’s required of her. I hope you can give us some insight and tips. – Worried mother, Sarawak

There is more to reading than just being able to recognise the alphabet or doing spelling. Children need reading readiness skills such as being able to speak the language, listening, experiential background, visual and auditory discrimination, perceptual motor skills and interest.

Parents can do more than just getting children to recognise the alphabet and rote-learn words. Children will learn the meaning in print through hands-on and fun-filled activities.

Reading aloud to your child is one of the best ways of getting your child interested in the printed word. When you read to your child, she will learn that every word is made of the blending of sounds and they stand for the names of things and people. She will also gain pleasure from interacting with you during story time. By reading, she understands how words fit into a phrase or sentence, and the beginning of that stage happens when the child understands the concept of nouns, verbs, pronouns, adverbs and other forms of speech.

As they mature emotionally and cognitively, children with an expansive range of vocabulary will develop a love for reading.

Learning a list of words will not make your daughter a better reader. She may memorise the list of words in their shapes and sounds. Sadly, this does not mean she is progressing in her reading skills.

Many children get turned off by the idea of reading and writing because the process of learning is just too frustrating when they are not ready. They get labelled a failure at a young age.

Read to your young child at home at all times. Start with simple storybooks with beautiful pictures. Engage her in conversations about the characters and the plots. Dramatise the tales you read in the books.

Write down her stories when she shares them with you. Have her dictate her story for you to write word for word. Later, she can illustrate her story. You may end up with several self-authored books that both parent and child can be proud of.

Research shows that a child’s sense of self is critical to his achieving success at work. Children who are confident and skilful are better at handling stress.

You can involve your daughter in all kinds of household activities that require reading and writing, like making a shopping list, doing up a menu for dinner, writing reminders and even making up greeting cards for relatives and friends.

To motivate your child to learn to read, she needs your encouragement and support. The kindergarten teacher may only require her to learn letters and words, but you can do more for your daughter. You will help her develop literacy competence through her love for books.

About books again

2011-05-05T13:51:00.001+08:00

Yup still under the same topic here is what Times has to offer for the KK folks ;p

Inculcating reading habits in children

2011-05-05T13:46:00.004+08:00

I wanted to keep and share these great tips from a mom taken from Paren Thots. I hope both Ethan and Eli will grow up loving books :) And talking about books, do you know you can order books from Book Depository without having to pay for shipping fees? Yes, thy offer free delivery world wide and I've already ordered and received a few books from there ;p

Anyway read these 6 useful tips if you too want to instill good reading habit on your children :)

1- Bring our children to the nearest library every week.
We used to live in Hamilton, New Zealand, for 3 1/2 years. There are some local libraries available there for everybody. So, every week without fail, we would bring our children to Hillcrest Library to borrow some books, CDs and puzzles. They really love to spend their time there. Right now, we make sure that we will buy some books every month so we can have our own mini library soon!

2- Spend about 30 minutes per day to teach them phonemes.
The best way to teach is to make sure that it's going to be an interesting approach like using starfall.com as a tool or any kind of teaching tools. I used flashcards with my eldest daughter but with my second daughter, I have to let her choose what she likes to do as she has a shorter attention span compared to her sister.

3- Play “I spy with my little eyes" whenever we go out.
It's a must for us to play this game because it can also help me to redirect their attention while waiting in the car before we reach our destination. As both of them have recognised letters and even phonemes, I always ask them to spot some words or letters around them.

4- Prepare a nice corner or even a conducive room for our kids to learn.
Kids love to see something colourful and exciting. So, we have dedicated a special corner with a special bookcase, table and chairs for them to sit and read their favaourite books. They can use the place any time they like and they have regarded it as their special place to have fun!

5- Story time every night.
This is a must even when we are so tired and busy. At least we will spend about 10 minutes to tell a simple story or choose a page from their favourite story book. Sometimes we even create our own story when we want our imagination to run wild!

6- Make a book as MUST for their birthday present.
Every time other people ask what to buy for our kids' birthdays, we prefer that they buy more books rather than toys. Our kids love them too and they never get tired or bored with books compared to toys. They will only get excited about new toys for few weeks and then they will completely forget about the toys.

Eli's wobbly but soon to be steady walk ;p

2011-04-26T14:21:00.001+08:00

Eli is getting better in walking...he is beginning to walk more than crawling now...by the time the daddy comes home he might be walking steadily :)

Handy Eli

2011-04-26T12:18:00.000+08:00

I hope Eli will not smash his toy to pieces too soon ;p

YES or NO as simple as that

2011-04-26T12:04:00.003+08:00

I was reading about the fantastic move that the Health Ministry is doing in trying to curb obesity issue in Malaysia. Various measures are being proposed to keep our children healthy including to list the BMI result in their report cards, banning some unhealthy food, recommending healthy food etc. I totally 101% support the move as both Ethan and Eli will eventually be going to school and I do worry about the kind of food they will eat in school as we will not be there to monitor them.

But what irk me most is when I hear things like this morning over the radio. We now know that the Government plans to ban Nasi Lemak from the school canteen and as I would expect there are of coz protest especially from the Nasi Lemak sellers. Understand they will grumble especially if that is their main source of income. Anyway, upon hearing the complains and how it will affect a group of people's livelihood, I heard over the radio that there is a proposal to still allow the school canteen to sell Nasi Lemak twice a week. At that point in time I was like, what the heck are they doing??!! Ok, let's say that is allowed, for those who just can't resist Nasi Lemak (btw I do love Nasi Lemak!) after being deprive from it for a day or two he/she may want to not only take 1 pack but perhaps 2 or even 3 packs (breakfast, lunch and tea time) of Nasi Lemak in a day!! So tell me how does tht help to prevent obesity in our community??! It is the same concept as when you are very hungry u tend to eat more to ease your hunger...Why can't thy set a rule that sticks to the MAIN objective which in this case is to prevent obesity. IF they really are serious about it why can't they propose instead of allowing Nasi Lemak to be sold in the school canteen twice a week, please give the sellers a new list of healthy food that thy can prepare and sell instead. HELLOO.... please think out of the box and be creative, smart, forward looking and positive okay...when there is challenge why can't we sit down, discuss and think of a better way to solve the problem before we open our mouths instead of acting 'gabra' and talk nonsense and embarrass ourselves! Come on we're are better than that right?! Double BIG sigh...

Photo of the day

2011-04-12T15:02:00.000+08:00

Ethan at 6 months old

Eli at 12 months old.

The boys 1st trip to the cinema

2011-04-06T14:11:00.003+08:00

Hubby and myself have been talking about bringing the boys to the cinema for quite a while...and after some thoughts we finally brought them to GSC Suria Sabah last saturday. Earlier on I was reluctant to bring Ethan to the cinema as Ethan being Ethan will not be able to sit still thus will be a bit hard to handle...I was afraid he will be running up and down the cinema aisle or worst still making so much noise that we have to leave the place in minutes upon entering! But now that he is bigger and has improved in terms of staying put and listening to instructions we thought why not to give it a try...as for Eli, we thought we just gamble tagging him along..if he cries I will bring him out and go for window shopping hee..I had my SCC ready with me in case that happens hehehe..

Anyway, am glad to say that Ethan was okay considering it was his first movie at the cinema. We watched Hop since that was the only children movie available on that day. Ethan managed to finished the whole movie except a trip to the toilet which ended up hubby buying popcorn to perhaps lure Ethan back to the cinema theatre ;p Eli on the other hand was a bit uneasy in the beginning especially with the loud sound effect and the huge screen! hehe...but he settled down after a while though he was a bit apprehensive in between which I gave him his milk to calm him down...but towards the last 15 mins he couldn't take it anymore so I brought him out...and guess what I ended up doing with him?? I had to go up the escalator and down the staircase a few rounds to keep him quiet from his crocodile tears!! Yeah just like his big bro, he loves going on the escalator too. He even refused me carrying him when we went down using the escalator to the parking floor...he only wants hubby to carry him..perhaps he thought I will not bring him on it again after I stopped to entertain his 'request' earlier on ;p Oh well, at least the boys had an enjoyable time and we managed to strike of one of the many things that we wanted to do with Ethan (and Eli for that matter). So yeah a trip (the first one that is) to the cinema is off the list now. And since the boys were rather well behaved we can consider bringing them out for a movie again next time ;p

Tame your inner chocoholic...NOT!!

2011-03-30T12:40:00.005+08:00

Yes, am also a chocoholic (well...a rather tamed one as compared to previously hee..). In the past, just the mention of chocolate will instantly open my eyes, put a smile on my face and eliminate the feeling of bored, mad, sad etc. As I get older and probably after eating tones of choc coupled with the need to reduce my faithful FATS, I have better control or rather forced to control myself from indulging too much on those super yummylicious and sinful food. However, once in a while I do crave for it and that's when you see me picking small bars from the shops after lunch at work ;p (and I wonder why my fats stay ever so faithful to me!!? ;p) BUT, I have been good you know...hubby was away in Labuan for some offshore work a few weeks ago and brought home mind you not 1 or 2 but 7 big bars of chocs just for me!! I still have about 4 bars in the fridge...so bravo to me hehehe...15 or more years ago those bars would have been gone in just maximum 3 days!! I can finish a whole big bar within an hour then!!

Anyway, am sure most of you especially those choc craze lot knows about Loacker wafer - see picture below..this and other flavour of the same range are easily available in the local shops...

Photo 'borrowed' from here.

Well, I am a faithful fan of those delicious wafer choc too BUT never did I know about Creme Noisette also by Loacker from the Gran Pasticceria range until Dawny has generously bought for me and Neneth from her Labuan trip. It looks so tempting that I opened up the package though we just had our heavy breakfast yesterday. So we ate and we savoured the rich, creamy and fine milk choc with the crispy wafer and crunchy nuts to our hearts content... And yes we finished the whole box!! IF you wonder what I'm talking about...this is it

Image from Loacker

YESSS...I'm in lurve with Loacker's Creme Noisette...so the next time hubby goes to Labuan and maybe even to Brunei...this will definitely be in my shopping list for hubby and maybe the only item but with a BIG number to indicate how many boxes I want!! ;p So if you haven't tasted this, you should and if you have don't you just love it!!! I know I do :)

Cheap homemade beauty tip

2011-03-30T02:11:00.004+08:00

Neneth shared with me her homemade beauty tip to clear blackheads and whiteheads...after seeing the pictures she took yesterday I was instantly convinced!! So without much delay I tried it just a few minutes ago and...

walaaa...kapish you stubborn white/blackheads! ;p

So folks this is one super cheap beauty tip...will only cost you around RM0.40! And greater news is that it is so easy to do!

What you need:

Just an egg
A few facial cotton.

How to do it:

Take out only the egg white onto a small bowl/ container
Peel the facial cotton into thin layers
Put the facial cotton on your face especially areas with white/blackheads i.e. nose, around nose area, between eyebrow area etc
Dap the egg white on the cotton til it is wet
Let it dry where you can feel your skin tighten
Remove it and along with the dry and hardened facial cotton are those unwanted white/blackheads! :)

Happy me will make this as a once in a fortnight beauty regime from now on! Thanks Neneth!! :)

My precious...

2011-03-29T17:28:00.001+08:00

My world...brotherly love..

My two boys...thy grow oh so fast....Ethan is going to be 4 in June while Eli just turned 1 early this month. Like most boys at his age, Ethan is into super heroes. His favs are Batman, Ultraman, Spiderman, Superman and Ironman. Eli on the other hand is hooked with the Disney Chanel cartoon characters...among his favs are Mickey Mouse where he will dance to the Mickey Mouse songs without fail! ;p He loves Timmy Time and and Pororo too. And as long as theres' music on he will pause from whatever he was doing and glued his eyes to the telly and start his groovy moves heee...I will have to record his dancing moves one of these days as remembrance..he just look so awfully cute! ;p Can't wait to see them in bit! :)

Children see...children do..

2011-03-23T13:46:00.005+08:00

Celine shared this video on FB - scary but good as a wake up call or reminder not only for parents but those who look after children too...

Socks for Japan

2011-03-23T10:27:00.004+08:00

Hi folks, I saw this humble charitable effort called "SOCKS FOR JAPAN" at CathJ's blog and thought although it seems small but means a lot to the victims in Japan. Jason Kelly is the founder of this cause but locally it seems Kristie is generous enough to help coordinate the donation from Malaysia. You can read both Jason's and Kristie's blogs to read more details on the charitable cause and why 'socks'?

So if you're keen to help out you may contact Kristie directly. As I have no time to purchase the socks, I am gonna bank in my donation to her to do the necessary ;p

FYI, deadline is this Friday, 25th March 2011. All donations will be recorded for full accountability and transparency towards this cause.

As Kristie put it in her blog, "Tell your friends, family, school or workplace about Socks for Japan, and please spread the awareness of this cause! Whether you donate 1 pair or 50 pairs, each is equally important."

You can visit SOCKS FOR JAPAN on Facebook for more info too.

Mercury poisoning part II

2011-03-22T09:28:00.000+08:00

For the benefit of those who would like to know a little bit more about mercury poisoning, I would like to share with you thanks to Gloria who has researched and compiled (and pinned it on her refrigerator as a reminder of which you can do so too hehe..) on the same topic for your reference :) Happy reading !! And oh thanks Glo for letting me share this useful info ;p

Should I give my baby fish?

Fish is a major source of omega-3 fatty acids (specifically DHA and EPA), which are important for a child's brain and eye development. It's also low in saturated fat and high in protein, vitamin D, and other important nutrients. Fish is too good a nutritional choice – especially during early childhood – to give up, and most experts agree that the benefits of eating fish usually outweigh the risks.

Almost all fish and shellfish contain some mercury, but large predator fish accumulate the most. That's because predator fish eat other fish – fish that have absorbed mercury themselves. And the bigger the predator fish, the more fish it eats. Larger fish also tend to live longer than smaller fish, so there's simply more time for mercury to build up in their bodies.

Experts are still debating exactly how much mercury is harmful, but most agree it's a good idea to avoid feeding your children fish that are high in mercury and to limit (but not eliminate) other fish in their diet.

Fish to avoid

Some types of fish contain contaminants such as mercury. In high doses, this metal is harmful to a child's developing brain and nervous system. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that you avoid feeding your child shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish – large predatory fish that contain the highest levels of mercury.

Purdue toxicologist Santerre recommends that children between the ages of 2 and 6 not be served fresh or frozen tuna, striped bass, bluefish, Chilean sea bass, golden snapper, marlin, orange roughy, amberjack, Crevalle jack, Spanish mackerel from the Gulf of Mexico, and walleye from the Great Lakes.

So which fish – and how much – can I safely serve my child?

The FDA/EPA advisory says it's okay to serve your child two child-size servings a week of any fish and shellfish, other than the four you shouldn't serve at all: shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. (See special restrictions on canned tuna below.) A child-size serving is 1 ounce of fish for 1- and 2-year-olds; 1.5 ounces for children ages 3 to 6; and 2 ounces for a child over age 6.

By the way, fish sticks aren't part of this equation because they're generally low in mercury. But they're also not a good source of omega-3s.

Fish that are both low in mercury and high in healthy fats: Herring, Mackerel (Atlantic, jack, chub), Rainbow trout (farm raised), Salmon (wild or farm raised), Sardines, Whitefish, Anchovy.

Very sorry as I am unable to give you the exact links of these info but Glo assured that they are from various reliable sources :)

I've also extracted this from the net for easy reading

Extracted from Tuberose.com

Mercury poisoning

2011-03-17T10:28:00.002+08:00

My mum has always reminded me not to buy big fishes for the boys...reason being the amount of mercury content on bigger fishes which means older fishes may be more than the smaller/ younger fishes. Honestly speaking, I never check the facts but I assumed my mum is right as it does sound logic. Besides my mum normally reads or pays attention to such info. So I always trust her advice ;p Anyway, back to the title, here's an informative personal experience about mercury poisoning for the sharing.

Mercury poisoning

31 August 2009

Taken from Paren Thots

My son is 18 months old now. We started feeding our son cod fish, and occasionally salmon since he was six months old until one year old.

We found out that he was suffering from mercury poisoning during a routine checkup when he was one.

There were no signs or symptoms of mercury poisoning. We casually asked the doctor whether it's okay to feed him cod fish (chilean sea bass) every day since we read that it contains high mercury content.

The doctor said he was not sure, but if we were worried, he could do a mercury test for my son. We found out that my son's mercury level was nearly nine times higher than the allowed level, which is less than 75. His was 622.

After a dose of DMSA (the treatment for mercury poisoning) and a few months of natural healing, his mercury level is now back to the normal range, that is 48.3.

A lot of Malaysian parents are not aware of the danger of mercury poisoning. We were very lucky to discover this even before the symptoms showed. Just imagine if your child is poisoned and you finally find out, say 10 years later when his mental and physical health have been damaged by this poisonous substance.

I strongly recommend parents take their children for a mercury test if they have been feeding their children with cod fish or any deep sea big fish which may have high mercury content.

Early detection and treatment are effective damage control for our precious children. After all, we feed them with expensive fish because we believe it is good for their brain development, right?

A concerned mom

Fish is served on alternate days for the boys (same reason as the Concerned Mom i.e. for brain development) and normally I will buy Tenggiri (Spanish mackerel) if not the black or white pompfret fish and occasionally red snapper...but last Sunday I got to know another type of fish that is good for babies/young children recommended by one of the lady fishmongers. Since the few left Tenggiri fish seemed rather 'old' I decided to try the newly introduced fish. I can't recall the name as it sounded very Chinese to me but it does sound something like "nguyen" fish... I'll have to go back to her again to ask for the actual name as the fish meat is really nice with fine and soft texture..especially good for babies who just started on solid :)

Japan, my hat off to you

2011-03-15T09:04:00.005+08:00

It didn't register in my head how calm and civilize the Japanese are while on the road to recovery (let's pray that there'll be no repeat of a massive earthquake and Tsunami there..) until I read this article entitled "In tragedy, Japanese impress world" this morning. Hubby and I were watching the CNN on the situation in Japan particularly on the currently seems oh so fragile nuclear plant last night. But what caught my eyes was how the houses, cars, and even aeroplanes were swept away by the huge waves as though they were of your children toys. I didn't want to watch any of the videos nor the pictures earlier on as I know it'll be too heartbreaking..and after seeing the footages last night, it confirmed my unease in watching them.. Indeed the footage moves me and my heart goes to all the people over there who have lost their loved ones and homes. May more people be rescued and that those who are wounded will have sufficient medical attention. And may those who have somehow got separated during the misfortune be reunited again especially the children and their parents...

Back to my initial thought, as the tv screen shows the aftermath tragedy especially on how the people are coping and reacting...I remembered how a lady who although was 'stucked' at her 'drown' home didn't panic when she saw the rescue team...in fact, she just wave a white cloth to inform she is there and that she is alright...another scene showed an elderly couple being helped onto a rescue boat - both of them were calm and steady..no screaming, no crying ..they just quietly and calmly got on the boat and sit down and wait for the team to rescue the other survivors...as the boat sailed away their face though sad and seem to have lots on their mind were still calm...another scene showed a mother reunited with her daughter...although both of them were hugging each other so tightly and in tears of I supposed mixture of happiness and sadness..their reaction I would say still composed..none of those screaming and yelling or dramatic scenes...after remembering these, yes, I totally agree with the article when it says "Japanese showing calm as they search for loved ones or wait for basic necessities. There is not a hint of looting or violence, even as residents line up at half-empty stores."

I have to say the Japanese absolutely impress me with their calm, cool, unruffled and composed behaviour despite the shocking and heartbreaking disaster. My hat off to all of you over there and and like the article pointed out, I hope and pray that with such fine manner, you will win more voluntary aids to help you 'rebuild' you and your country in no time. I honestly hope and pray that you will get through this day and that you'll have more strength to 'rebuild' your superb country again... I will remember you in my prayer and may God bless all of you..

Ban on BPA bottles starting March 2012

2011-03-14T15:37:00.001+08:00

I just read this on the paper after lunch today...glad to hear that the government is finally going to ban those polycarbonate milk bottles. So yeah..always go for non-BPA milk bottles :)

Ban on polycarbonate milk bottles from next year

By LESTER KONG

Published: Monday March 14, 2011 MYT 1:06:00 PM

PUTRAJAYA: Milk bottles for infants made with polycarbonates containing the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) will be outlawed from March 1 next year.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the Cabinet had decided to ban such milk bottles due to BPA's risk to infant hormone systems.

"The enforcement will be made in stages and the industry is given one year to comply by making changes to their machines and buying new raw materials," Liow told a press conference on Monday.

Enforcement from March 1, 2012, will be done according to provisions in the Food Regulations 1985 under the Food Act 1983.

Liow said the move was in line with the World Health Organisation's recommendations, adding that the European Union (EU) had also made a similar announcement earlier this March to make the ban effective in June for EU member countries.

BPA is used to make baby milk bottles because it made the plastic translucent and stiffer while those without BPA had a less clear and dirtier look to it.

Source: The Star Online

Red red wine

2011-03-14T10:41:00.001+08:00

I believe most people will have their one particular favourite colour. But if you ask me what is my favourite colour, I won't be able to tell you what exactly it is as my favourite choice of colour varies depending on my mood. I love all sort of colours especially the bright colours e.g. orange, baby blue, apple green, lilac etc (joy, happiness, love, children etc), pastel colours offwhite in any tone e.g. blue, green, pink and cream, (soothing, calm, peace, harmony..), earthly colours e.g. brown, beige, earthly green (natural, keep feet on the ground feeling), and bold colours e.g. red, black, silver, bronze (firm, all out, strong, bold, determine, elegance, maturity). And no, don't ask me I should be able to pick one from those many colors as my fave as I will not be able to do so...like I said, it all depends on the mood I am :)

So you may ask what is my fave colour now? Well, currently I'm into RED! Yes, red since end of last year from Xmas to NY to CNY till now red has been my choice of favourite colour... I'm not sure how long this will last but at the moment I'm loving RED :)

Hubby bought this handbag (I was really tempted to get this but luckily I felt in love with this one especially with the 50% discount and it is 10 times cheaper!!) for me before 2010 ended but I only started using it on Saturday..was too busy to unload and clear my old handbag...show how much rubbish I have in my handbag hehehe... Well, I think most people will know especially my hubby, mom and MIL how heavy my handbag is ;p

and yes of coz I need a matching wallet ;p

and a red bag organizer too...

and thank goodness my lappy, mousy and hp are already of the same tone ;p

and I have a matching shoes as well ;p (oh please ignore the dry wrinkly feet and without colours on me nails...I used to be diligent in applying lotion on my feet before bedtime but am too lazy to splash some lotion on them after my first pregnancy ;p)

of course I don't forget my 'ang pow' boys :)

and I've been wanting to use this pic but was too lazy to blog about it but thought it is perfect to use with my red red wine entry ;p This group photos was taken during our annual dinner committee member photo shoot last year...I love that the red colour brightens up the photo ;p

My family through the eyes of Aishah

2011-03-11T16:08:00.002+08:00

We have a special visitor at work today and she is a very artistic and talented little lady...see her drawing of my family...yeah she pays attention to details that she is able to highlight my thick lips and Eli's spikey hair ;p

..based on this picture....

..and am not putting her fabulous effort into waste so it became my first new office wall decor ;p

Thanks to our special guest, my wall doesn't look so empty anymore ;p

and if you wonder who's that lilttle lady is, here she is - meet Aishah, the little artist ..aren't she adorable :)
She's the lovely daughter of my colleague Neneth :)

To Aishah, thank you so much for your special piece of art..indeed a priceless masterpiece worth keeping! And as an appreciation of your hard work, Tante Joyce dedicate this special entry just for you ;p Keep up the good work as who knows you might be the next Picasso ;p

Aishah & myself :)

Us again with her masterpiece behind ;p

1 Year Old Eli

2011-03-10T09:58:00.001+08:00

Yay!! Eli turns 1 today...how time flies and my precious lil' guy is growing up so fast!

Happy 1st Birthday my cutie pie...Daddy, Mummy and KoKo Ethan love you very very much....hugs and kisses...

As of 8th March Eli weights 9.05kg and is 75.5cm in length...more about him in my next entries especially on his 1st Birthday Bash and his Baptism. Stay tune ;p

Oh BTW, you can have a sneak preview on Eli's birthday party at Glo's from Inspired By Gavin Such lovely pics she took! Oh..Glo specializes in taking children and children events using natural light photography...you can contact her if you wish to engage her fine services :)

5 Tips to Develop Positive Kids

2011-03-08T18:22:00.000+08:00

I received this in my inbox today and thought it is a good article as reference and reminder for me. Hope you'll find it useful too :)

5 TIPS TO DEVELOP POSITIVE KIDS

I have a confession. Despite the fact that I work to develop positive leaders, schools and teams, I’m not naturally a positive person. The research says it’s not my fault. Turns out some people are born with a more positive disposition while others are born with more of a negative disposition. But there is hope. The latest research in neuroscience and positive psychology demonstrates that we can mold our brains and ourselves to be more positive, which is great news for me and my children.

For the past ten years I’ve researched and practiced countless strategies to enhance positivity. I’ve worked really hard at becoming more positive which I guess is why I’ve become a good teacher. I’ve seen the fruits of these efforts in my life and in the people I’ve taught—most importantly my own children. I’ve seen how simple strategies and daily rituals can make a tremendous impact on their mindset, belief system and outlook on life.

I believe that positive kids become positive adults and as parents we can play a significant role in shaping our children’s perspective and mindset. In this spirit I want to share with you several tips to develop positive kids.

1. Success of the Day - Each night before bed, at dinner or while taking an after dinner walk ask your children their success of the day. The success could be a great conversation, an accomplishment at school, something they are proud of, a situation where they helped someone, etc. The important thing is to help them focus on accomplishments instead of failures. When we help our children expect success, look for success, and celebrate success they find more success and gain more confidence. Of course they need to learn from their mistakes and failures, but let’s help them to not dwell on them.

2. Bedtime Prayer - A ritual such as this provides your children with a foundation of peace, security, and confidence that gives them the strength to take on the daily challenges of being a child.

3. Implement the No Complaining Rule - It’s a simple rule that says you’re not allowed to complain unless you identify one or two possible solutions to your complaint. This empowers children to become a driver of their bus instead of being a passenger griping on the bus. They also learn to use complaints as a catalyst for positive change and positive action. Visit www.NoComplainingRule.com

4. Teach them the Positive Shark Formula, E + P = 0 - This is from my latest book, The Shark and The Goldfish, which is a story about a nice and positive shark who teaches Gordy the goldfish how to overcome his fear of change and find food. After all, Goldfish wait to be fed. Sharks go find food. The formula reveals that we can’t control the (E) Events in our life. But we can control our (P) Positive Response to these events and our response determines the (O) outcome. This formula helps children develop a strong locus of control which is a perspective that through their beliefs and actions they have an influence on their life. They come to believe that they are not a victim of circumstance but rather a hero in their own inspirational tale and that they can turn their challenges into opportunities and transform bad events into good outcomes. This helps them stay optimistic and believe that their best days are ahead of them, not behind them.

5. Feel Blessed instead of Stressed - As parents we need to realize that children, like adults, deal with a lot of stress...and stress is the enemy of positivity. Well, the great news is that when you are feeling blessed you can’t be stressed. The research says we can’t be stressed and thankful at the same time. Thus, a simple ritual is to help your children identify 3 things they are thankful for each day. You can create a gratitude journal together or you can encourage them to write these blessings on their blog, diary or simply talk about them at dinner. And anytime they are feeling stressed you can encourage them to recall something they are thankful for.

I encourage you to think of your child’s mind like a garden. Each day you want to help them weed their negative thoughts and plant positive thoughts. One day of weeding and planting won’t do much. However if you practice these strategies each day, over a week, a month, a year, a lifetime, the garden grows more healthy and vibrant. Nurture your child. Take time to coach them and nourish them with lots of love and positive energy and you shall see the fruits of your efforts.

Stay Positive,

- Jon

© The Jon Gordon Companies, Inc - www.JonGordon.com | 904.285.6842 | Info@JonGordon.com

Men in uniform

2011-03-03T11:44:00.000+08:00

He might not be a man yet but to me he does look good in his school uniform ;p

Finally, after weeks of waiting, he finally gets to wear his new uniform along with his new white rubber shoes & socks. The look of a growing boy... I loike :)

This is what friends are for ;p

2011-03-03T11:17:00.002+08:00

Aren't life more interesting when you have colorful and beautiful 'background' in your life heeee ;p

BTW, nice pose Yato! Wakakakaka...

New and preloved baby stuff up for grab

2011-02-14T17:39:00.000+08:00

For new mommies and 2nd or 3rd time mommies watch this space as I'll be letting go a few preloved and new baby items soon! Til then Happy Valentine's Day!! :)

Bootylicious Eli ;p

2011-02-05T00:46:00.000+08:00

Eli likes to do this recenly...

Here he goes..

Yay..he did it...

Not til after a few falls...

But he ain't a quitter..

See what I meant? ;p

He does get frustrated in between falls...

But once he gets the hang of it...

...its easy peasy to do ;p

Facecrooks

2011-01-17T13:20:00.001+08:00

Much has been said about the pros and cons of Facebook..here's the downside of it if you do not know how to protect yourself...so beware on the danger of FB...

Both taken from The Star Online

Love bite

2011-01-17T00:40:00.001+08:00

No, its not what you're thinking...rather am talking about special 'love bites' by my cutie pie Eli ;p

As of today, our precious baby Eli has 4 incisors (2 at the bottom and another 2 at the top). Looking at the "When to expect babies' teeth" guide I posted much earlier, I'm expecting at least another 4 more incisors before he turns 1 in March. I guess he must be trying to satisfy his biting instint because of late Eli has been sinking his baby teeth on me!! Just yesterday alone I received two love bites from Eli! ;p

The second love bite I received yesterday courtesy of baby Eli ;p

When it comes to brushing or cleaning his teeth/ mouth..forget the finger brush or a towel..this will do less damage to my fingers, thanks to Pigeon!! ;p

Our little treasure ;p

The boys with their cousins..

2011-01-12T10:37:00.001+08:00

Left to right: Theodore, Elthan & Eli, Joshua & Noah, Moira

Big bros with their lil bros ;p

Fighting over toys already!!??...tsk tsk tsk...

On Ethan's playschool progress...

2011-01-12T09:42:00.002+08:00

Remember I made an entry about Ethan's progress report from his school previously...well we received his second progress report from the school just before his playschool closed for the year end festive seasons last December. Seeing the improvements he made just over a couple of months time put a smile on our faces..Glad he is improving..well done Ethan..keep up the good work eh ;p

I'm back..and Eli is now 10 months old!

2011-01-11T14:04:00.001+08:00

Hi everyone, my apology for keeping this space idle for a while..life has been pretty busy.. both at home and at work...thus the long silence....well, laziness is another factor too of coz ;p

Photo taken by Eddie Johari

Anyway, just a short update on my cutie pie Eli who just turned 10 months old yesterday...He is now 8.7kg and 74cm in length. He makes attempts to crawl and stand and is able to sit more firmly without support. Can be very vocal in his own way, be it when he is frustrated, excited, happy, demand for something etc. Unlike Ethan and much to my dismay, he doesn't take much water...but I hope to be able to train him in liking water again..I had succeeded during the Christmas and NY break but somehow he has returned to the old habit of disliking water again after the break..sigh..

Food wise he is still eating sieved food...have tried to feed him mashed food last weekend but he doesn't seem to agree with the texture yet as he would throw up whenever I feed him mashed food...oh well, will have to try again this weekend...I don't remember Ethan refusing mashed food before...I guess Eli is more of a fussy eater? ;p

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2010-12-24T18:07:00.002+08:00

Photo taken by Adam R. Adzim

Dear family, friends and relatives,

Have a Blessed Christmas & A joyful New Year with all your loved ones...May the New Year brings you all the good things in life...

Love at Christmas,
Joyce, Alvin, Ethan & Elijah

8 months Eli

2010-11-12T11:24:00.000+08:00

Weight: 8.2 kg

Height: 72.5cm

It has been 40 years...

2010-11-09T11:11:00.001+08:00

That is how long MIL and FIL has been married yesterday...so Happy 40th Anniversary to both my PILs and wish you many more years to come :)

Celebrated PILs 40th Wedding Anniversary at Krishnan Curry House last night.

Ethan's first concert

2010-11-02T00:57:00.006+08:00

He had his first concert at his Playschool last Saturday. Here's a video of his first performance. He was distracted initially with the balloons but managed to start clapping his hands and did his own version of the twist as the music starts... watch how he did the twist til to the floor mind you hehehe...but unfortunately it was short lived as the school's cd got jammed in the middle of the performance and Ethan being Ethan had to say it out loud to me who was bz taking the video shoot...he was ever ready to start dancing again but as the cd continued to get jammed he got bored and started to play with the balloons happily again! Tsk tsk tsk...must remind the playschool to keep backups in case it happens again in the future ;p

Ethan with his Principal

Ethan with his mommy :)

More photos during the concert can be viewed in my FB :)

EPF: Withdraw savings at 75

2010-10-28T08:44:00.002+08:00

Read this article today...we should take it out as soon as we can and put it in ASB or any other channel that gives us better %

EPF: Withdraw savings at 75

KUALA LUMPUR: All contributors to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) should withdraw their savings upon reaching the age of 75.

This is because no contribution would be accepted upon contributors reaching that age and no dividend would be paid on their savings.

EPF Corporate Communications Unit head Nik Affendi Jaafar said contributors’ savings would also be transferred to the Registrar of Unclaimed Monies when they reached the age of 80.

“The EPF is not like a bank. That’s why we don’t encourage contributors to continue saving with the EPF because after the age of 75, we will no longer pay any dividend.

“We will also transfer the money to the Government if it is not claimed when the contributor reaches the age of 80,” he said yesterday.

Nik Affendi was asked to comment on the confusion relating to EPF contributions after members reach 75. — Bernama

Eli's 1st tooth is out!!

2010-10-22T16:39:00.000+08:00

I just noticed his first tooth this morning ;p

Children education fund

2010-10-21T17:11:00.004+08:00

Frankly speaking, I always thought that funding the children education is usually from either the usual hard earned money that we put in our saving accounts, buying education fund via insurance companies, education loans from banks, grow your money via varios investment schemes etc..But it never crossed my mind to buy property as another option to fund the children education ...to buy as their future homes yes but never thought it could be used for their education purposes too where you are able to buy and sell just like shares..pardon my ignorance heee....Anyway, I find these two articles by Carol Yip from the Start Property an interesting read especially on the "Part 2" and on the financial education bit ...do read on if you want to know more ;p

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Investing towards your children's education fund - Part 1
Ever wondered how our parents paid for our undergraduate education? Some of us attained our degree without our parents’ financial help, but it is safe to say that majority of us had help. For parents who had saved and paid for their children’s education, they worked hard and saved from their hard earned money. Some of them knew how to multiply their savings by investing in businesses, properties and shares, yet others merely kept their savings in the bank’s fixed deposits. Regardless, sacrifices were made to place us where we are today.

Nowadays, we face different challenges from those of our parents. Our more affluent lifestyles bring other concerns and worries about our future financial sustainability, including the ability to pay for our children’s education. It is obvious that we need to hedge our savings against the increasing cost of living and education costs for our children, but we don’t really know how to. Coupled with the unpredictability of interlinked global economies and fluctuating financial markets, we have a confusing mix.

Although we can use various financial formulas to project and calculate our children’s future education costs, there is no magical way to predict or compute accurately. There are many unforeseen situations such as:

a. Foreign exchange differences/fluctuation of future tuition fees and cost of living at college/university.

b. Rise in cost of inflation of the country where the children will reside for their education in the future.

c. To buy or not to buy a car when the child is ready to go to college? To buy an apartment nearby the college for child’s safety or to pay rental? If you decide to purchase property, where will the money come from – education fund or separate savings?

d. Unclear about the type of education that the child wants – local or international school, local, twinning or overseas degree? Is a Master’s degree necessary in 10 years’ time? Do future job markets demand higher education for an entry job?

Human nature when it comes to investmentsThere is a certain irony about being human. We have almost limitless amounts of financial information and know-how available in the market place, including financial advisors to provide advice. Yet still, some parents struggle to save and invest for their children’s education fund. Why is that so? Here are some of my observations:

a. Procrastination to look for ways to save and grow money.

b. Refusal to learn investment skills, financial education and literacy to grow savings and investment portfolio.

c. Fear of taking risks.

d. Not conducting regular reviews of savings and investment growth, at least on an annual basis.

e. Using the wrong investment products/strategies and realising it too late when there is a need to cash out.

f. Not increasing the absolute amount of savings to the education fund to cater for the increase in education costs and inflation rate.

g. Experiencing panic when discovering that savings is not enough. Unless the earning capability increases as the children gets older, it is better to be frugal in spending and save more as early as possible.

It is understandable that children’s education is important for parents and no parents are willing to risk their life savings in investments that will not give the required growth to pay for future education costs for their children. Hence, it is a continuous effort for the parents to keep a close eye on the choice of saving and investment strategies.

No amount of financial education and advice can help unless parents work on their personal finances via ‘hands-on’ money management and investments.

Investment strategy that suits youYour chosen investment strategy must suit your life’s situation and your ability to manage investment risks because it is a lifelong pursuit until the child is financial independent. You should nurture your investments with appropriate investing strategies to maximise capital appreciation. Possible styles include:

a. Choosing an investment product has capital growth and income yield over the long-term—property investments, shares with dividends, etc.

b. Choosing a portfolio that consists of several types of investment assets that you can buy and sell for investment returns over a period of time—properties, unit trust, shares, gold bars and alternative investments.

c. Choosing capital growth—business investments, company stocks, blue chip shares or private placement, venture capital investments, etc.

Since there are many possible investment choices, there is a need for a regular review of your investments’ growth. Constant review of the money set aside for your children’s education when the child begins his or her secondary level is important and more so when he/she progresses into Form 3 onwards. Even if the child is in college/university, continue to review your investment portfolio yearly. If the amount of growth is not according to the current trend of education costs increase, then you may need to restructure and/or find better investment alternatives. Continue to find ways to make more money when there is still time to do something about it.

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Investing towards your children's education fund - Part 2

Property investments for your children’s education fund
You can save towards purchasing property as an education fund for your children in the future. Here are some tips.

1. Monthly saving, which is supposed to be saved for the education fund, can be used for loan repayment.

2. Select a well-located property for capital appreciation and rental income:

i. Rental income can be used for housing loan repayment while you continue your regular savings to build up a bigger pool for your children’s education.

The additional savings can be invested into other investment opportunities to grow your children’s education fund. You can create a diversified portfolio of investments to spread the investment risks.

ii. When there is a need to pay for children’s education in the future, 18 to 20 years’ time, the rental income can be used to pay for your children’s expenses when they are in college or university.

iii. When there is capital appreciation, the property can be sold for a lump sum (after housing loan settlement) to pay for your children’s tuition fees and monthly allowances.

Be creative when you invest in properties:

1. Buy one property for each child. It can be an apartment, house, shoplot or office – provided that it gives good returns.

2. Invest in a shoplot where you can rent out different floors or buy blocks of apartments or commercial offices for different sources of income.

3. Properties that are not sold for payment of education fees can be reserved for your retirement. It can even be given to your children as their wedding gift so that they can stay near you at your old age.

Financial education at home: Team work between you and your children
The ‘real value’ of investment is actually your children. They are your ‘lifetime investment’. The greatest return is when they value you as their parent more than money can pay for their education.

It is a team effort for the family – communicate with your children when you review the investments for their education fund. This way, your children are aware of your challenges and commitment towards having enough to pay for their education. At the same time, you are teaching them about the importance of financial planning at an early age.
Providing continuous career guidance and assessments when your children are growing up is important to ensure that you have invested your hard-earned savings in the right education. It is better to assess which career the child likes. Why pay for an education that they are not interested in? Make the right choice.

If the amount saved is not enough when it is time to pay for their education fees, there is a need to look for other degrees within your affordability limits. Your child has to keep in mind both the lump sum (tuition) fees and the monthly allowance required during college or university so that they can work with you to manage the limited savings for their education needs.

Financial stresses can affect your child’s studies. Your child needs to understand and live within these limits. If the issues are communicated clearly and approached as a family unit, a matured child will strive to study harder and find solutions for any financial difficulties. Scholarships, and/or a part-time job can help to relieve the financial burden.

Other important aspects of parenting:

a. Family lifestyle and values

The kind of lifestyle that parents expose their children to at a young age can impact how they behave in college/university. Parents have to think of the lifestyle that they have given to the children because it will directly affect how they spend their money.

Parents need to differentiate the savings for child’s education and lifestyle – like getting them a brand new car or secondhand car. The child needs to understand the priority of going to college/university is to get a degree and not enjoy a lavish lifestyle. They should take the public transport/share transport with college mates if they have to.

b. Teach your children about financial education – it’s free

Constant financial education and communication with your children about how to manage money at home is important. You and your spouse should advocate a frugal lifestyle – spend wisely, save smartly and quickly pay off any debts.

Soon, your child will understand that:

i. What is not used up for their education fund can be used to buy their first house or car. Money not spent comes in handy when they start their career and for your retirement.

ii. If there is insufficient money, they will know how to manage the limited resources and find ways to fund their education such working part-time to pay for their own living expenses or tuition fees. It is about knowing how to appreciate the initial financial support to embark on an education path.

iii. If there is a need to take a loan for their education fees, the child knows he/she is responsible to repay the debts.

In summary, even if you feel that it is the parent’s responsibility and obligation to give your children an education, it is just as fulfilling when you educate and teach your children important family values and good money management skills. These are important life lessons and skills that are not taught in our education system. So, teach financial education at home to prepare your children for today’s materialistic world.

Mummy's Munchster

2010-10-20T13:36:00.002+08:00

Remember I posted about a friend of mine who took our family pictures in 2009...well here I am blogging about her again but this time is about her blogshop called Mummy's Munchster..

So folks, go visit Mummy's Munchster, a KK based blogshop for funky, nitty and useful products for all the mommies and their darling little munchsters out there! ;p On second thought, I think this is not only applicable to mommies but also to all the wonderful aunties, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, nephews, nieces, friends...ermm..well, practically anyone who wants to get something special for that special little one in their life...remember X'mas is just around the corner ;p

Eli clapping hands & peek a boo-ing

2010-10-18T13:57:00.000+08:00

Blueberry: Free Shipping for Clearance Stock!

2010-10-18T13:18:00.003+08:00

Got this in my inbox...so grab it fast if you're interested!!

Dear Joyce ,

We just stocked our Clearance store with lots of one size diapers, and MINKY!!! All one size pocket diapers will come with 2 bamboo inserts--1 small inserts/doubler and a one size adjustable bamboo insert.

Get free shipping when you order any one size diaper or weehugger cover from the clearance section. Use code 1010 at checkout. For international customers, get free shipping with a minimum order of $50. Use code 1010INT. Free shipping code expires Oct. 24.

Click on the image below to go straight to the store. Clearance stock usually goes fast!!

Budget 2011:Abolition of import duty on 300 items...

2010-10-18T10:29:00.004+08:00

.....The items include apparel, handbags, shoes, shampoo, suits, children’s apparel, wallets, hair colourants, golf balls, imitation jewellery, talcum powder, curtains, table cloth, blankets, bed sheets, shirts, undergarments, lingerie, nightwear, perfumes and mosquito netting...

Is this good news or bad news to you?? As for me, its both bad and good news...bad for my pocket (more shoppings!!!) but good for being able to afford better quality products ;p Now...I wonder if the price for this be reduced any soon...

I so loikey the color and the patent material combination...make it affordable please...yeah...another wishful thinking again ;p

Ethan@playschool

2010-10-13T17:29:00.003+08:00

We received Ethan's Progress Report Card from his playschool a few days ago...

Here's the report on his general skills and attitude developments... (click on image for bigger view)

And this is what his class teacher says about him ;p

According to his teacher, overall he is okay...just that he can't sit still and VERY PLAYFUL...apparently he is the only one that cannot sit still...he will only join the group activities for a short period of time before he starts to wonder around and does his own stuff ;p Do you think we should be concerned especially seeing not a single 'A' in his report card? BTW, A = Good; B = Satisfactory; and C= Need Improvement.

Personally, I think it is too early to worry because after all he is still in playschool ;p He should still be playing and having fun.. besides I do think he has improve although maybe not as good as others but I still think he has improve tremendeously in terms of speech and following instructions as compared with before ;)

Yup..that's my boy alright :)

Baby poo

2010-10-12T12:17:00.005+08:00

Yeah...I know the title doesn't sound appropriate but if you're a new mom or even experienced mommy the topic is quite a relevant topic especially if you have a constipated baby in your house ;p

I supposed all babies will go through this phase whereby they will experience some kind of constipation occasionally...sometimes your baby doesn't poo for a few days which sometimes really there is nothing to worry about especially if you're breast feeding...but other babies have to struggle hard while doing their big business to the extend you can see their faces turning so red and you may have to help them ...sometimes you may even see some blood stain on his poo/ diaper...which will definately rings the panic button!! Which parents wouldn't right!!

Well, in Eli's case, it is not so much of no bowel movement for days..in fact he does poo poo almost everyday..the only thing is that his stool can be quite hard at times..we even have to help him at times as I'm afraid he will hurt his anus (pardon the language as my mind is blank and can't really thinkg of a political right word to use hee...) if we don't...this started when he starts on solid...unlike Ethan who loves water, Eli doesn't take much water...so that probably is one of the reasons...we started giving him pureed fruits such as papaya which helps a bit though...and started giving him water using spoon instead of the bottle...we have also started to give him green leafty vege such as spinach too...as of last nite...his poo still a bit hard...if you have gone through the same thing with your baby and have found a solution, please do share with me will you? :)

Anyway I got the article below from Abbott Malaysia and thought its a good article on constipation for my own reference and for the sharing...

What to Do When Your Child Has Constipation

How to recognize constiation

Hard and dry stools are the main symptoms of constipation. If your child has not had any bowel movement for 3–4 days, or strains when passing motion which consists of hard, dry stools, it's likely that your child is constipated. It gets even worse when your child’s stomach gets bloated, he/she is easily fatigued, refuses to drink milk or water, and the anus starts to crack and bleed when passing motion.

Causes of Constipation

1.Fluid intake

There is a direct relationship between the hardness of the stool and how much the intestine can withhold. Especially in the first six months after your child is born, he/she will easily get constipated due to the relatively small size of the intestines and loss of fluid. Fluid loss may occur in more obvious forms like sweating, passing urine and less obvious forms such as through the skin and breathing. Even in air-conditioned rooms, one can still lose fluid, which is one of the main factors leading to constipation. Try placing a pot of water in the room to keep the air moist. Also, make sure your child drinks plenty of water–if your child does not like drinking plain water, you can try to add some glucose.

2. Fiber intake

As your child grows older, you will start feeding him solid food, which slows down the speed in which stools pass through the intestines. During this period, water retention inside the intestines will increase, and if your child's fiber and fluid intake is insufficient, this will increase the chances of getting constipation. Therefore, when you start feeding your child solid food (around 4–6 months old), start with food that's less solid. When your child is 7–8 months old, feed your child with brown rice porridge which contains more fiber than white rice porridge, and fruit pulp rather than fruit juice. To effectively prevent constipation, feed your child with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables such as papaya, mango, banana, spinach and cucumber, grounded to a pulp.

3. Accumulation in the intestines

Even with a fiber-rich diet and plenty of water, constipation may occur due to a change of environment and missing the urge to defecate, resulting in stools staying inside the intestines for an extended period of time. When water is lost, the stools become hardened, blocking the intestines. That’s why when your child has an urge to pass motion, let him go to the toilet. Otherwise, you may need to see a doctor to treat the constipation when it gets worse.

Temporary constipation and change in bowel movement

If your child suddenly changes his bowel movement habits, or reduces his/her need to pass motion, it is normal if due to the following. After a short period of time, when your child’s intestines slowly get used to the changes, his bowel movement will return to normal. However if not, you may need to consult a doctor. Frequently seen causes leading to changes in bowel movement:

•When your child changes from breastfed milk to formula milk
•When your child starts eating solid food
•When your child switches brands of milk
•When your child’s appetite changes
•When your child’s dietary intake changes

Solving constipation problems

1. Feeding your child to stimulate bowel movement

The stomach has a very unique attribute–the stomach colon reflex. When food arrives at the stomach, this will stimulate intestinal peristalsis and ease bowel movement.

2. More water, fruit juice and soup

When constipation occurs, feed your child more water, fruit juice or soup. Especially fluids with high osmotic pressure, for example a 5-gram packet of glucose powder with 50c.c. water will stimulate bowel movement.

3. Fiber

For children who no longer treat milk as their main source of food, select fruits and vegetables rich in fiber such as spinach, tomatoes, sweet potato leaves, broccoli, burdock, guava, dates, pears and mangos. Grind these into a rich pulp and feed children younger than a year old. Such rich fiber dietary intake is good for bowel movement, especially date juice and date pulp.

4. Yogurt

If your child is six months old and has constipation, you may try feeding him some yogurt to help bowel movement.

5. Check if protein intake exceeds regular consumption

Avoid adding protein supplements into your child’s milk, to prevent constipation caused by protein overdose. Remember, water is the most important method to solve your child’s constipation problems. If fiber intake increases while water intake stays the same, your child’s constipation will get worse.

Some misunderstandings

Some mothers are worried that constipation problems are caused by milk that is unsuitable for their children. After changing milk brands, a few of the children get better, but most of them have deteriorating conditions. What’s going on? In short, different brands of milk have different ingredients. When your child switches to a different formula, the constipation seems to go away, however after the adaptation period, the constipation problem recurs again. Otherwise, some mothers use fatty food to feed their children in order to relieve constipation. Often, this will result in diarrhea. Most doctors and healthcare practitioners do not suggest using this method.

How to handle an emergency

If your child’s constipation has been going on for 3–4 days, there are firm, hard stools present at the anus, and you have already tried all sorts of food therapy but to no avail, you may try the following methods:

•Apply some Vaseline or cold cream onto a paper stick, cotton bud or anus thermometer, and gently prick around the anus to stimulate it.

If there is still no bowel movement, gently stick the thermometer 2cm deep into the anus for continued stimulation. After milkfeeding, due to the reflex of the stomach-colon, it will be easier to pass motion.

•Bowel cleansing.

This is a last resort for emergency occurrences but mothers need to ensure this does not become a habit, or else your child will slowly lose the urge to pass motion. Especially for children below 1 year old, you may need to seek help from medical personnel.

The above information is about the causes of constipation and ways to relieve it. If it is still unable to solve your child’s problem, please see a doctor immediately.

7 months Eli!

2010-10-11T16:49:00.009+08:00

Yes! My little cutie pie is now 7 months old since yesterday :)and yes he is on solid now...

roll over is not a problem anymore..

He loves his Koko

Eli is one happy baby boy...who wakes up with a smile on his face :)

and is able to wait patiently for his mommy, daddy and Koko to get ready before I will cuddle and change his diaper in the morning...

But he can be very fierce and can really shout when he is not being attend to after calling for a long time or when hungry pang attacks!!

He turns and tosses around and sometimes can turn 360 degree even in his tiny baby cot and this is how he will end up at times ;p
He loves looking at books and will get exctited whenever we show him colorful pages or when we tell him stories even if it is just boring black and white newspapers ;p

He can clap his hands now...
Another water baby as he loves his bath time and will certainly complaint whenever I bring him out of his bath tub ;p

Oh btw, I don't have his development stats now as his review at the clinic is only once in 2 months now :)

He loves outdoor...and is indeed a playful little baby

But most of all he is always generous with his absolutely gorgeous smile which make us adore him even more each day :)

30 Ways To Cut 100 Calories

2010-10-11T10:52:00.001+08:00

Something interesting to read especially if you're trying to loose some weight ;p

30 Ways To Cut 100 Calories

4th anniversary

2010-10-07T08:34:00.002+08:00

Yes, it has been 4 years since the day we say "I do" at Stella Maris Church :) Happy Anniversary to me and hubby!! :)

Photos of the day

2010-10-04T17:36:00.002+08:00

Hubby and the boys...

Me and the boys...

U-Hotel @ KB

2010-09-23T17:55:00.004+08:00

As mentioned previously we went back to KB again for the twins’ fullmoon party (will post a separate entry on that..). The hotel that we stayed at is called U-Hotel. It’s a new hotel which was opened just 3 months ago. So everything was new and fresh :) The rooms are clean and presentable. Not bad at all for the price we paid…even Ethan and Eli love the hotel room especially Eli as he kept rolling over and made so much happy noises ;p

Happy “Raya-ing”

2010-09-23T17:31:00.001+08:00

This year we only visited 3 Hari Raya open house…2 on the 1st day and 1 on the 3rd day (didn’t manage to take any pics on that day though..too bz wt the boys )…hubby was away on the 2nd day of Hari Raya so no visiting…there were more invitations but with an active toddler and a baby I don’t think it will be practical for now ;)

The boys, me and MIL at the 1st Raya open house...

The adorable Kaleigh Anne with her mommy

Hubby and his childhood friends...

Such a darling lil sweet heart isn't she..

Eli with MIL just after his afternoon nap

The boys with their daddy at the 2nd Raya open house...

My happy baby J
MIL with her Aunt i.e. Aunty Annie – Grand Aunty to Hubby and Great Grand Aunty to Ethan and Eli J

With the family of Grand Aunt Annie

Eli & Noah

2010-09-23T17:30:00.002+08:00

When SIL and her entourage i.e. Joshua, Moira & Noah came over a couple of weeks ago, I quickly took some photos of Eli and Noah…both of them were born on the same year with only about 3 months apart. Eli was born early March while Noah was born end of June. Ethan and Moira were born on the same year in 2007 too…about 3 months apart as well…Ethan was born in early June while Moira was born around middle of March...

The two tiger babies...

Noah seems ready for a boxing match ;p

The four cousins…the pigs and the tigers…they are supposed to be compatible with each other as pig is the secret friend of tiger in Chinese horoscope :)

Eli and his Dodu

The bigger kids having a blast…at that juncture, Moira was being outnumbered by the 3 boys and 2 baby boys (1:5) in the house ;p

Mansau ansau in KB

2010-09-23T12:05:00.018+08:00

Hello folks! Sorry for the long silence...I've been having and still is having internet connection problem at home...so haven't got the chance to do any blogging...anyhow, it's my lunch hour now so taking this opportunity to do some overdue entries if time permits ;p

Anyway, we went for a day trip to Kota Belud (KB) on the first Saturday of this month just to get away...it wasn't planned...in fact the trip was only meant for hubby and Ethan but in the end I decided it would be fun for me and Eli to tag along with them too ;p So did the packing and off we went...pics below will tell u more stories :)

Above and below - the happy faces of my boys going for a long ride :)

Eli taking his late morning nap

Ethan monkeying around while Eli taking his nap...

...before he dozed of to lala land...

..and when both of them awake...Eli as usual like to play with his Koko especially the hair by pulling it ;p

...and when they are done playing or teasing each other...this is what Eli do whenever he wants to be carried and cuddled ;p

Upon reaching KB, we had our simple yet yummy and not forgetting very reasonably priced lunch at this coffee shop restaurant...

..and when we are done with our lunch I saw this sign board from the coffee shop...and guess what the banner says...

yup...its a bundle shop!..what did we do..of coz I asked hubby to go there!! ;p

and this is my best buy for only RM7...cool eh ;)

...just as I was paying the stuff, hubby's friend called and said he was almost there...so we followed his car from behind to his mom's house...this little girl is of coz his little angel :)

The men and their not so baby babies :)

Willis's house has a big and nice compound especially with the carpet grass..so Ethan being Ethan took the golden opportunity to not only roamed around but ran around chasing the pet dog too!! tsk tsk tsk...

Him having fun while hubby keeping an eye on him...

Playing with the pet dog...

here's Eli taking his late afternoon nap...

Ethan was supposed to take his late afternoon nap too but he was too excited to take his nap...still so fresh even after the running around and his milk...hmmmm...

in the end I gave up and let him go outside to play again...

With cute lil' Janelle...

As it was approaching evening...we made a move from Willis's home and proceeded to his in-law's home where his newly born twin boys and wifey are staying during the confinement period...

so meet the younger bro Jeremiah...

and the elder bro Joel ...both were sleeping soundly so we didn't stay long..also becoz it was getting darker...so we left for home...

pics above and below..showing happy and exhausted boys of ours on the way back :)

We definitely had a great time during the very brief trip..and so we didn't really mind going back there again for the twins' fullmoon party which we did two weeks after this trip! :) Will blog about that and our Raya break next...

6 months

2010-09-15T13:42:00.003+08:00

Eli turned 6 months old 5 days ago...

Siaran tergendala sebentar...

2010-09-14T08:28:00.006+08:00

Sorry folks as you will see my blog in a bit of a mess right now...please bear with me while I try my best to sort it out okay ;p It's all due to me upgrading my blogger and yes with a new header thanks to Cindy again ;p Later peeps!! :)

Out in the park...

2010-09-03T12:44:00.006+08:00

We used to bring Ethan to the park at Taman Rimba when he was around 2 years old. But due to the hype of H1N1 at that time, we stopped bringing him out especially to public places including the parks. Anyhow, recently we went back to the same park for a fun outing with the boys :)

When we first arrived he was still holding hands with the hubby...

But shortly after that he let go of hubby's hand and started to roam around especially seeing a couple of kids playing with a kite..

Eli can only watch the Koko running about...

Ethan can't wait to go up on the slide above again ;p

Wheeee.....

Eli did enjoyed looking around the park though...

Ethan fancies anything that comes with a steering wheel...Eli getting tired??...

But the Koko still wanted to play eventhough the sky was getting darker..

And here he is crying in protest when hubby had to carry him back to the car ;p

Out & about baby gear...

2010-09-03T11:49:00.013+08:00

Now that Baby Eli is almost done with the reflux (yay!!!) , I'm quite keen to bring him out and about for some fun outings and these will surely come in handy :)

Big Eyes Pouch Sling

Fisher Price High Chair Cover

Maya wrap ring sling in rasberry

Deana's ring sling

Totseat

Except for the Totseat (coming soon.. hee...) , all the rest are already in my possession. If there is such a word as babygear freak, I think I might pretty much quality for it!! ;p Honestly speaking, baby gear is not cheap but it is so hard to resist cool baby gear that can simplify your life...Having said that, they can put a bigger hole in your pocket too!! Can somebody puhhhlease stop inventing hip, new, innovative, fun, sometimes wacky or highly functional and smartly designed products for little ones!!! NOT!! ;p

Kiss goodbye to the 30s...

2010-09-01T13:14:00.012+08:00

I got a pleasant bday surprise on my bday and the title above was what exactly written on my bday cake thanks to my dearest and not forgetting cheeky friends at work... but as I said am not afraid to tell my age..that is why u can see the cake wt these wordings (ignore my name spelling error hehe..) and all the candles on it here ;p BTW the cake is super yummy and only 8 of us shared that whole big piece from SR! Very rich cheese cake and oh so yummmy...indeed we were very happy and satisfied lot!!! ;p

Note: All pictures from Sindut

To all the beautiful ladies above plus Con Con...thank you once again for the lovely surprise...tapi gimmick mau bawa sia p pantry tu ba...bikin suspens ja tapi it worked hahahaha....

Apart from this, our company had the usual bday month party at work where there are only 2 of us who shared the same birth month (if there was no change of management I would be the only one who's bday falls on August oh..huhuhu...)...bday wishes were also happily received via FB and SMS...As for hubby, he was away for work on my bday but he paid for my shopping last Saturday as my bday gift which I have no complain at all hehehe...so folks, that is my bday story for this year :)

"Tee-hop" means thank you

2010-08-26T13:42:00.005+08:00

Ethan has his own way of saying things at times.

Like any other parents, we try to teach some basic or courtesy manners to our children to encourage respect and appreciations of others. 'Thank you', 'please' and 'you're welcome' are pretty common ones. However, Ethan some how refuses to say those words. It was only recently that he finally started to use the word 'please'. As for 'thank you' this is his own version ;p It's either he is baby talking or simply just teasing me ;p

Birthday celebration

2010-08-25T14:33:00.009+08:00

We celebrated Uncle Tony's 66th birthday last Sunday at the Emperor Restaurant and while Ethan was having so much fun with the cousins ...Eli was 'socialising' with other extended family members especially from hubby's side...more pictures in my FB :)

Ethan having the time of his life ;p

Lil' Eli with Uncle Nicky

BTW, see how 'playful' Ethan is even to his teenage uncle...tsk tsk tsk...

and oh...talking about birthday...I turned 39 yesterday!! Looking foward to the big 40 next August and yes I am not afraid to tell my age nor do I feel ashame about it!! ;p what I wish more is to grow old gracefully and hopefully as I age I will be a much stronger and wiser person. So here cheers to myself!! :)

Medela Mini Electric Breast Pump - New

2010-08-24T10:21:00.001+08:00

Go to my online garage sales blog for more info :)

Photo of the day

2010-08-23T11:50:00.006+08:00

Ethan just wanna have fun! :)

Noah's Fullmoon

2010-08-19T13:16:00.005+08:00

Time flies and before we realised, Baby Noah celebrated his fullmoon on 1st Aug. Ethan of coz as usual had so much fun during the party.. eating, playing, discovering and 'bullying' his cousins and new friends ;p

As for Eli, it was the first outing for him...previously we didn't bring him out much except to MIL's , the clinics or doctor due to the inconvenient cause by his reflux..but now that his reflux is almost gone we can enjoy bringing him out more :)

Baby Noah being baby of coz was in lala land most of the time during his party but he is such a cutie pie nevertheless!!

Come and enjoy the photos in my FB

And oh.. I've asked Hannie to make a page especially for baby Noah as one of his fullmoon's gifts.

The final look after the page has been framed up :)

And talking about Hannie, here's another page she made on Ethan recently :)

It has been 5 months today...

2010-08-10T16:57:00.003+08:00

It's in my hands now...

2010-08-03T13:08:00.008+08:00

Got this in the mail today...can't wait to try the SSC from Snuggbaby on Eli or even Ethan... that is if he allows me to wear him..then again he might if he sees me wearing Eli ;p

Photos taken from Snuggbaby

This video is just for my reference as how to fold the SCC back into the snugg carrier sleeve...

While this video shows how to use a soft structure carrier (SCC) -I can't find a video by Snuggbaby so I keep this video as reference first ;p

Why French women don't get fat..

2010-08-02T16:36:00.005+08:00

I was taking a short break from work and was reading an article when this "The French Paradox: The Reasons French Women Don't Get Fat" article grabbed my attention. I did a quick read and below are the reasons why French ladies are forever slim...

French women eat 'good' fats rather than 'bad' fats
French women savor their food
French women eat fresh
French women eat regular meals and don't snack between meals
French women indulge -- in smaller portions
French women drink plenty of water

Basically, its all the dos and don'ts of healthy eating though it is easier said than done eh ;p If only I have such discipline in following such regime hee...but then again I guess it is easier when it is already a part of our daily life or way of life/ culture like those chic and poised French women...Anyway, its a good practise that I hope to 'master' one day ;p

My boys

2010-07-29T12:50:00.002+08:00

As I was busy doing chores in the kitchen last Sunday...my hubby captured this video recording of our lil' boys ;)

Bonding and fun time with their Daddy ;p

It's all about spider...

2010-07-29T12:30:00.000+08:00

These are just video recordings of Ethan singing songs about spiders :)

You must be thinking what that small hat doing on Ethan's head ;p Well, it belongs to Eli (once belongs to Ethan of course) but Ethan refused to let it go eventhough I kept teasing him that the hat only meant for babies ;p

This video depicts how Ethan behaves with Eli during one of our usual morning drives to 4 different destinations i.e. Eli to MIL's , Ethan to playschool and both me and hubby to our work place ;p

Trucking Ethan

2010-07-28T13:01:00.005+08:00

Ethan always has a thing about cars but yesterday evening was an exception where he managed to 'drive' a big truck to his heart's content while waiting for me to get off from work ;p

Changing gear...

See the face...so serious ;p

My tiny Ethan in a huge red truck ;p
My lil' truck driver :)

See mummy...am driving a big truck!
..even though my feet can't reach the pedals ;p

eeeeee...still can't reach!
Oh well...at least I tried mummy ;p

My lil' Transformer

2010-07-26T13:01:00.005+08:00

Ethan started to appreciate some of the superhero characters such as Superman, Spiderman and Ultraman a few weeks ago...he could even sit still and watch the Spiderman movie or the Ultraman tv series ...not only that...he started to be fussy about what he wears now...he will sometimes choose his own outfit which makes me pull my hair out at times especially when he pulls and messes up his chest of drawers or the piles of folded clothes! And since his 'new interest' he will always search for his "Superman" clothes...he only had 2 pairs previously but I managed to get a few more pairs from CT Departmental Store a few weeks ago while they were on promotions...so at least he has a few pairs to rotate when he is in the mood !! ;p

Tadaaaa...

Before the transformation...

and after...

Happy Mum on sales..

2010-07-26T12:58:00.002+08:00

Just to let you know that the maternity/baby shop in KK Specialist Centre is having sales...so if you're interested be sure to drop by...the promotion started just last Saturday :)

My poor kiddos

2010-07-21T11:57:00.009+08:00

Both Ethan and baby Eli has been under the whether...Ethan has just recovered while baby Eli is still recovering from mouth ulcer... due to that both of them have not been eating well especially Ethan. He seems to have lost some weight as he didn't want to take his usual meals ... nor does he want to take his milk or water especially for the first 2 days. Actually, I didn't realise he has mouth ulcer and I was wondering why he doesn't want to take his milk or water...it was only when he started to whine and cry and kept pointing to his mouth when he was eating his banana that I realised he has mouth ulcer...when I first saw the ulcer I thought he might have caught the HFMD but a visit to his paed confirm it is not...phew...what a relieve ... but from then on he refused to eat his usual meals...at least for 3 days...luckily it was during the weekend so we could do a trial and error on what he can or will eat...though his appetite was bad at least he could take in some noodles and most of all his favourite Baby Bytes biscuits...he could finished up to 4 packets and even more if I didn't stop him ;p He was able to eat the butter/cheese spread sandwich that I prepared for him too.. as for his milk I reduced the hot water so it won't hurt his ulcer while feeding... he has no objection with hard boiled egg (only the white part) too...

Talking about medicine, previously, it was like World War III to feed Ethan his medicine...at times we need 3 people just to feed him medicines - one person to hold his head and mouth, another to hold his super strong legs while the 3rd person to feed him the medicine... but giving him his medicine nowadays is a lot more manageable...the trick is that we have to tell him that those are his vitamins instead of medicines ;p

Here's Ethan eating his cut and peeled grapes...

As for Eli..it is more heartbreaking as he can't speak. The only way he could tell us he is in pain is by crying and crying he did...a lot...till he almost lost his voice :( Poor baby his ulcer must have hurt him more as compare to Ethan...it's really heartbreaking to hear him cry for food and at the same time cry due to the pain...but as of last nite...the pain may have reduced as he didn't cry when I fed him his last milk before bedtime (I made his milk with no hot water..just room temperature boiled water...) Just hope he will recover soon ...

But am thankful that despite the mouth ulcer both boys are as active as ever...so that is a good sign :)

Just like his big bro, Eli doesn't like to take medicine too. He started to protest even before the medicine goes into his mouth ;p

They were in town..

2010-07-14T08:56:00.009+08:00

During the last school holidays, hubby's SIL and the kids were in town for a short break. So what better time for Ethan and Eli to meet up and play with their cousins including the latest addition i.e. Baby Sarah...she is such a chubby and cuddly baby...I tell you, those super chubby legs are to pinch and bite for!! ;p

FIL with Adam, Ethan & Farah

And now with Eli minus Adam ;p
Baby Sarah is only 6 days older than Eli but just look at the size difference!! At 3 months old she was already 6.3kg!! Oh btw, pardon the shiny & oily face ..it was a very hot afternoon!! ;p

FIL with his two lil' heroes ;p
Just look at her!!
Me & my precious lil' treasure ;p

If only you could see Sarah's chubby thighs...you will be like me wanting to bite and pinch them!! haha..

Cute lil Adam who is about 4 month younger than Ethan...
The kiddos with MIL and SIL :)

Eli is now 4 months old!

2010-07-10T00:00:00.006+08:00

Baby wearing...

2010-07-05T14:58:00.015+08:00

I've been looking at modern baby pouches ever since I had Ethan..but it was kinda late to start on Ethan as he was almost 1 year old then...I tried putting him in a pouch which I bought from Moley Garden but he made so much noise to demonstrate his dislike in it hehe...so that pouch has been kept in the cabinet til now ;p

But as I had Eli I started to look at pouches again and without hesitant bought another brand i.e. Little Pods which was on 50% discount previously at Tiny Tapir. After purchasing 2 in red and turquoise (yeah I know but the price reduction was too tempting to resist...it was like buy 1 get 1 free hehe..) and so I told myself that I will start wearing Eli from newborn...Indeed I started but didn't last long as I only tried it on him for a few times b4 I hang the pouch back ;p I reckon I lack of confident and afraid I might hurt Eli...

Eli was 3 weeks old then...

However, recently as I was talking to Zura about baby wearing I realised I should try to wear Eli in my pouch again as it would be handy especially I'm maid-less now. I need my hands to be free so I can do more things and would be able to move around better ...if Sandra is still around I will surely bug her again but too bad she isn't around now... so the next best person that came to my mind was Joyce... I thought I could ask Joyce if she could show us how to wear pouch properly since she is one of the experts in baby wearing and I know where she lives which is not far from my home ;p So I YM her and we set a date which was last Friday :) Zura is going on a trip to KL soon and wearing her baby will be very handy...

Thanks Joyce for showing us how to use the pouch and for demonstrating us how to use SSC and Mei Tai...Gemma is such a cuddly and lovable lil' princess and your Gaga is sooo handsome! Love it when he obediently let you wear him at your back as a demo to me and Zura hehe..

And guess what..am so glad we went to you Joyce coz during that weekend, Eli has a brand new 'attitude'. He only wants us to feed him while standing up!! At 5.9kg, he is not as chubby as Gemma but it can be tiring holding him on one arm with one hand feeding him... so who came to my rescue??? My red hot Little Pods pouch of course!! Heee...

I can even take some pics while feeding him ;p

My fussy lil' monkey who indeed has a mind of his own!! ;p Nevertheless, we love him to pieces!!

Hmmmmm...I think we should form some kind of baby wearing group in KK coz I think it will be useful for inexperience mothers like myself to learn from the experts like you Joyce :) Ba Joyce kau start la hehehe... Karmilla you oso ..kamu dua la jadi sifu ;p

What's in the mail...

2010-07-02T11:17:00.004+08:00

These I ordered from Deana of Pink Apple Design :)

A clutch with matching wrist key chain and a wet bag plus I got a complimentary wrist key chain too ;p

Just to show the size of the wet bag...

Baby Noah

2010-07-01T13:25:00.006+08:00

Announcing the arrival of Baby Noah James T.

DOB: 30th June 2010

Time: 2.20pm

Weight: 3.24 kg

Length: 49cm

Heartiest congratulation to my youngest bro and SIL on the arrival of their new baby boy!! To baby Noah, welcome to the family sweetie!! Mmmuahhh!!

"Celebrate" mini album

2010-07-01T12:34:00.014+08:00

As promised, here's the Celebrate mini album that was created by FM with all the photos added in. This is the "after" look and if you want to see the "before" look do click here :)

The beginning of another wonderful piece of work by FM..it's all about the arrival of Baby Eli...The end

Briliant isn't it?!! :)

Oh btw, FM sent me this card via pos the other day...cute eh :)

Simply gorgeous!

2010-06-30T14:46:00.009+08:00

Update: FM has entered this scrap page in a challenge (search for "precious little prince"). Cool eh ;p

A dear friend of mine did a scrap book on baby Eli yesterday evening. I was sooo thrilled to see how beautiful the piece of art she made as she passed it to me during our lunch date today. Just look at the pictures below to see what I mean...I am sooo loving it!! Thanks so much FM !!! I can't wait to have it framed up hehehe...

Oh btw, besides this absolutely gorgeous work, she made baby Eli a mini album which I've yet to take pictures for showing off ;p Worry not as I will soon put up the end result to show you how creative this lady is ;p Thanks a bunch once again FM. And if you don't know what else to do with your mountains of scrap book kits you know what you can do with them right! ;p I know I know...don't push my luck eh Moi ;p

I'm a sucker for anything pretty especially flowery stuff ...so u know why I'm sooo liking it!! :)

Well, for those who wants to keep their meaningful photos in a creative and artful way yet don't have time nor the patience to do so, you know who to find :) It's a great idea to give as a present too :)

Pre-loved items for sales!

2010-06-29T16:50:00.010+08:00

Hi everyone, come visit my online garage sales.

I've just put up the gently used diaper covers for sales there! More to come e.g. Madela electric pump (never used), prefolds (gently used and new), small size fitted (never used) Ftec smartbook/netbook (almost never used - suitable for your little ones), pouches (used and unused) etc...it's a first come first serve basis..

Rolling over

2010-06-24T12:46:00.010+08:00

Eli has attempted to roll over when hubby put him on the sofa last Sunday (at 3 months 13 days). He kept putting his legs up and turned his body to the side till he rolled over ;p However, I must say he got a bit of help as the sofa is a lil' bit slanted. So that made it easier for him ;p Hubby did let him try to roll over on our bed just to test him. It wasn't as easy for Baby Eli and hubby ended up helping my poor baby ;p No matter what, it's another milestone for my precious :) Here's a video and a few pictures of him trying to roll over ;p We were all there to give him moral support including Ethan who gave him a gentle push ;p

Eli ready to roll over! ;p

Here he goes...

Yay...he did it!
Here's a lil' help from his Koko...
An attempt on our bed...

It ain't that easy on a totally flat surface for Eli ;p

Do daddy gave him a little helping hand ;p

And yay... good try Eli! ;p

“Steam, flip, blend and serve” - I sooo want it!!

2010-06-21T10:00:00.007+08:00

I stumbled upon the Philips AVENT Combined Steamer and Blender while I was blog hopping at Fara's. I thought its a cool and useful gadget to own especially when Eli starts on solid. That will be in about 2 months plus time. I remember I used to press vegetable and meat/fish chunks through a sieve for Ethan when he first started solid. It is doable but very time consuming and can be tiring when you have 101 things to do and you're already tired with other things...but with this steamer cum blender thingy...it makes preparing and cooking baby's solid food a lot easier as it's tagline says "Steam, Flip, Blend & Serve"... How does it work?

You put your chopped up food in the steamer, insert water in the water compartment and when the water is all used up the unit will turn itself off.

Then, you flip over the container part of it, insert it back into the base and press just one button to blend it!

Furthermore it is a more nutritious and healthier way of preparing baby's food since food will be steamed instead of boiled.... Another good thing about this gadget is that it has a compact design for easy storage - Product dimensions: 16.5cm (Round Base). 30.8cm (High). So I can easily bring it to MIL's during the weekdays and bring home during weekends :) And yes, though it is pretty pricey at RM399 but I sooo want it!! Anybody knows if this is already available in KK? Otherwise I will just order online ;p

Destash!

2010-06-15T13:17:00.005+08:00

I'm destashing about 8 small size diaper covers including a couple of limited edition prints from Bummis...these are mostly bought brand new except 1 purple Thirsties cover. All small size as they were used when baby Eli was newborn til he was 2months plus. I used it with the traditional napkins :) So stay tune while I sort out the pics and pricing! ;p

Balding Eli

2010-06-15T12:48:00.007+08:00

Like Ethan, baby Eli started shedding his baby hair a few weeks ago...previously Ethan's new hair was very curly so I wonder how Eli's new hair will turn out to be :) MIL and myself wouldn't mind at all if he has curly hair like Ethan too ;p

Anyway, Eli's hair loss is pretty bad as I can see hair on his baby cot, his clothes, in his bath tub after bath. I sometimes see hair near his mouth too...so from a 'well-haired' baby...

....Baby Eli is now balding ;p Thank goodness my hair is not shedding...well at least not as bad as baby Eli's ...

Eli turns 3 months old!

2010-06-15T12:33:00.003+08:00

This is a delayed post as baby Eli turned 3 months old 5 days ago i.e. 10th June ;p He still has reflux which can be heartbreaking and annoying at times. But at least baby Eli is growing well and happy. Like Ethan, he wakes up with a smile on his face too and its a joy seeing his smiling face during the crazy morning rush :) I've updated his developments here.

Weight : 5.3 kg

Length: 60cm

Ethan's 3rd Birthday

2010-06-08T16:33:00.007+08:00

We initially planned to celebrate Ethan's birthday at his playschool this year. Unfortunately hubby was away for almost 3 weeks and only managed to come home exactly on Ethan's special day in the evening. So we had a small celebration just among us at PIL's last nite instead :)

I wanted to have Elmo cuppies or cake to bring to his playschool...since that was cancelled I ordered cheese cake from Strawberry Cakehouse instead...

Hubby lighting the candles while Ethan waiting patiently...

Ethan getting impatient ;p

Birthday boy posing for the camera! :)

Blowing the candles..but it was hubby who blew the candles out in the end ;p

Cut the cake!
Another pose while cutting his cake ;)

"Nah...here's a squashed piece for you Daddy!" ;p

3 years old he is!

2010-06-07T13:40:00.003+08:00

Happy 3rd birthday to our dearest Ethan!!

We love you unconditionally!!

Lots of love, hugs and kisses from Daddy, Mummy and your Baby Brother Eli

"Conversations" with Baby Eli

2010-06-02T17:03:00.002+08:00

Baby Eli will be 3 months old in 8 days time.

His reflux has toned down although he still throws up once in a while. But it is much better than previously. In terms of milk intake, he now takes 120ml every 2 hours though there are times (rarely..) it may stretch til 3 hours especially when he takes a long nap. He is mostly on Similac formula milk...I only breastfeed him during his early morning feeds and occasionally during the day when am not at work.. I know am not a perfect mum ;p

Anyway, the two videos below are recordings of him "cooing" with his grandma :)

You can hear some background noise coming from his big bro Ethan who was busy watching his Elmo's World dvds ;p

Say "cheese"!!

2010-06-02T12:32:00.003+08:00

Besides "talking", Eli also loves to smile..here are some smiling pictures of him :)

This is not his best smiling shot but I just want to show you his dimples! ;p

Baby Development : 1-6 months

2010-05-26T10:06:00.010+08:00

This chart was taken from Babycentre.com for my own reference to monitor Eli's development:

Milestone Chart : 1 - 6 months

Child's Age: 1 month
Mastered Skills (most children can do):

Lift heads - yes
Responds to sound - yes
Stares at faces - yes

Emerging Skills (half of children can do):

Follows objects - yes
Ooohs and ahhs - no
Can see black and white patterns - yes

Advanced Skills (a few children can do):

Smiles - no
Laughs - no
Hold heads at 45 degree angle -no

Child's Age: 2 months

Mastered Skills (most children can do):

Vocalises sounds - gurgling and cooing - yes
Follows objects - yes
Holds head up for short periods -yes

Emerging Skills (half of children can do):

Smiles, laughs - yes
Holds head at 45 degree angle - no
Movements become smoother - not sure

Advanced Skills (a few children can do):

Hold heads steady - no
Bears weight on legs - no
May lift head and shoulder (mini-pushup) - no

Child's Age: 3 months

Mastered Skills (most children can do)

Laughs - yes
Holds head steady - not quite
Recognizes your face and scent - I think so and especially his grandma's voice

Emerging Skills (half of children can do)

Squeals, gurgles, coos - oh yes indeed!
Recognizes your voice - yes
Does mini-pushups - have not seen or let him try

Advance Skills (a few children can do)

Turn towards loud sounds - yes
Can bring hands together and may bat at toys - bat at toys or his milk bottle
Can roll over - no

Child's Age: 4 months

Mastered Skills (most children can do)
Holds head up steadily
Can bear weight on legs
Coos when you talk to him

Emerging Skills (half of children can do)

Can grasp a toy
Reaches out for objects
Can roll over

Advanced Skills (a few children can do)

Imitates speech sounds baba, dada
May cut first tooth

Child's Age : 5 months

Mastered Skills (most children can do)
Can distinguish between bold colors
Can roll over
Amuses himself by playing with hands and feet

Emerging Skills (half of children can do)

Turns towards new sounds
Recognizes own name

Advanced Skills (a few children can do)

May sit still momentarily without support
Mouths objects
Stranger anxiety may begin
May be ready for solids

Child's Age: 6 months

Mastered Skills (most children can do)

Turns towards sounds & voices
Imitates sounds, blows bubbles
Rolls in both directions

Emerging Skills (half of children can do)

Reaches for objects and mouth them
Sits without support
Is ready for solids

Advanced Skills (a few children can do)

May lurge forward or start crawling

May jabber or combine slyllabes

May drag object towards himself

Photo of the day

2010-05-24T10:32:00.001+08:00

My two little rascals ;p

Reflux

2010-05-13T09:24:00.007+08:00

Baby Eli has reflux. It is a common condition experience by about half of young babies from 1-3 months old. Some of you like myself may not have heard about it especially if your babies never had such 'problem' before. So let me just share with you what reflux is just for general knowledge.

As defined by Baby Centre,

" Reflux is what happens when your baby's stomach contents come back up into his food pipe (gullet or oesophagus) or even into his mouth. The long name for reflux is gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Babies get reflux because the muscular valve at the end of the food pipe, which acts to keep food in the tummy, hasn’t developed properly yet. This means that when your baby’s tummy is full, food and acid can come back up. This can cause him to bring up small amounts of milk (possetting) or even vomit.

During the first year of your baby's life, the muscular valve gradually gets stronger and better at keeping food down, so his chance of having reflux decreases. About half of babies will get some reflux during their first three months, but it’s only a real problem for a small percentage of these. By 10 months only about five per cent of babies have reflux (CKS 2009, Rudolph et al 2001).

According to Eli's paed and from the readings I did on reflux or GER, it is not a health problem that we should worry too much. Your baby is ok as long as he/she is a happy spitter and is growing well despite the vomiting/ spitting. However, mum being mum I still worry whenever he vomits especially when it is a lot that it will come out from his nose at times too. Most of the time he is a happy spitter except when the vomit comes out from his nose. He will get angry and starts to cry. It's heart breaking to see him getting upset then or even if he is not upset...which mothers won't right..I'm also worry if he has enough food since he does vomit out some of the milk...when we went for his 2nd review indeed he has lost weight and was back to his 1mth weight...he was already about 5kg when he was 1 month plus but during his 2nd month review he was back to 4.5kg :( But I guess that was due to the heavy vomiting initially...but now that the vomiting has tone down a bit and he started to take in more milk (from 60ml to 90ml per feeding) hopefully he will be back on track soon...

Anyway, I've noticed that the reflux on him started only from week 6 ..it was quite bad initially whereby he once vomited through his mouth and nose 3 times in one particular day... when we brought him to the doctor, he was given only one type of medicine to control him from vomiting too much...his paed said health wise, he is ok...it is only the reflux that is causing the vomiting...he said it is a phase (for babies 1-3 mths) that he will go through and will get better as he grows...his paed told us that the vomiting will still come back but as long as it is not too much like more than 3 times in a day that he vomits through his nose then it is ok...a few small vomits in a day is fine according to his paed...so with that in mind I pray that his reflux will subside soon...and indeed it has subsided a little... he still vomits now and then...sometimes a few times but at least so far (keep fingers crossed) he only vomited once through his nose in any particular day... so til his symptoms subsided or disappear completely, we need to stop and burp him more often on every feed and will need to keep him in an upright position for about half an hour after each feed before laying him down in his cot...sometimes he will make a bit of noise in between his naps which sometimes I think it is because he feels uncomfortable and need to be burped...and most of the time when I do carry and put him in an upright position he does burp :) So far his record is 9 times of vomiting/ spitting in a day...but I've read on the internet some babies can vomit/spit up to 20 times a day!!

Some friends who experienced the same condition for their babies gave anti regurgitation formula to their babies but I haven't resort to that yet (though I've bought a small can of Novalac AR formula and a bottle of Dentinox the anti wind/ colic infant drop as standby)...I've changed his bottle teats to anti-wind/ anti colic types to reduce air bubbles though...

Oh well, as frustrated and tiring (lack of sleep in the nights as I worry he will vomit or worst get chocked, a lot of changing, cleaning and laundry to be done...in fact some doctors described this condition as a "laundry problem" rather than a "health problem" as the baby is not having any health problem..just an immature digestive system...) is this reflux thingy is causing me, I'll just have to put up with it for a while for now... just as long as my baby is happy and healthy ... that is all that matter to me :)

Read this article from Babycentre if you want to know more about reflux and here is another article on 14 steps to help improve a baby's reflux for your own reading pleasure and reference :)

Photo of the day

2010-05-11T16:55:00.003+08:00

A perfect mismatched clothes...

Eli's Fullmoon

2010-05-11T10:43:00.006+08:00

I know I've been away for too long...been busy and been lazy due to tiredness lately...will make another entry on that later on ;p

Anyway, a month has gone by...I'm back at work and baby Eli is now 2 months old. How time flies....so before I forget I would like to make a short entry on Eli's Fullmoon. It was an intimate Fullmoon Party with a few relatives and close friends at my parents' home on 11th April afternoon. Eli was asleep most of the time during the party while Ethan was busy roaming and socializing ;p

Oh btw, in case you're wondering, we ordered the cake from Pink Roses Cake while the cuppies were made by Sharon S.

Here's another blog entry on Eli's Fullmoon by Aunt Agnes :)

1 month

2010-04-18T15:32:00.005+08:00

Just a quickie before I forget about Baby Eli's 1 month physical developments:

Newborn

Weight: 3.75kg

Length: 50cm

Head Circumference: 35cm

1 Month

Weight: 4.5kg

Length: 58 cm

Head Circumference: 36cm