My little monkey

He gets very crazy in the afternoons before his naptime.

I'm not dead....

....just really really really spent. I haven't had a live-in nanny for close to 2 months now, so it's been non-stop night shifts, early morning wakes and on top of that i'm still expressing once at 3am.


For the sake of sanity (and our marriage) we've decided to convert back to a full-time-live-in nanny. Finding good help is not an easy process. I've interviewed close to 15 nannies in the last 1 week. I've been through 1 who quit on me after 3 hours (am i that bad?), and I finally found one today who is acceptable, SO FAR.


Despite my complaints and the so called "hardship" we've been going through, i'm grateful for quite a number of things.

1. I've gained more confidence in caring for T. The last nanny commented that I wasn't able to care for T on my own because whenever she went on leave something would happen to T (like he'll get a rash, or a red butt). I felt very angry that she dared to spew such nonsense, I knew she was trying to hurt me because our relationship had turned sour towards the end. But at the back of my mind, i knew I had relied on her so much that i never had the confidence to take a stand and do things my way.
2. Our mother-child bond is definitely stronger today than it was 2 months ago. I love our bedtime routine so much. I read him the same Thomas and Friends storybook every night, say a prayer, look into his eyes and hold his tiny hands before putting him to sleep on his tummy. He can now sleep without patting or holding or rocking, he just needs to hear my voice and know that i am there.
3. Routine routine routine. I am a believer of routine. T has never been more alert, happy and well-rested. On the contrary, me following T's routine strictly has allowed me more flexibility with my own time because i am not a slave to his unpredictability. I know when he sleeps and wakes so i plan my activities around it. I'm lucky that i discovered T needed a routine quite early so training him was quite easy.
4. Family time. It's so easy to become lazy when the nanny is around. Just leave T at home while we go out and spend "adult" time. But without the nanny, we're forced to bring T wherever we go, and it's so surprisingly enjoyable! I do feel like we're spending quality time as a family and it brings us so much joy and satisfaction when we see how happy T is.

All in all, I'm just really grateful for the way things are.

5.5 months

4th to 5th month is supposedly the most exciting period for a baby. There's an overall increase in alertness and a greater awareness of their own bodily functions. Whilst there is tremendous progression during the day, sleeptime suffers from an equal regression- a baby who normally sleeps through the night will now tend to get up in the wee hours to "practice" his newly acquired skills. You must think "wow, how cute is that!". In reality, not so cute. I've been waking up to roll T back into position, i was on the verge of duct taping him to his bed so i could have a bit more sleep.

Having said all that, we're very proud of T's recent developments. Even the part-time Ayi said that he "grew-up" after not seeing him over the weekend!

He recognises mommy and daddy! Today he reached out to me for the first time. Mountain Man and I have been taking turns to reach out to him so he's been ding-donging between us the whole day. hehe.

Who needs stacking blocks when cheap paper cups can achieve the same! T had fun squishing and chewing and destroying the paper cup pyramids i built.

He managed to find a cable taped behind the poster.

" I solemnly swear I am up to no good"

He also started his first taste of real food!! I let him try chewing on some steamed carrot sticks the other day, but it was rather uneventful because the sticks were very slippery so they fell on the floor in a matter of minutes. He couldn't bite off anything because i didn't dare to make the sticks too soft in case he chokes!

The steamed brocoli "trees" were abit more interesting. He happily gnawed on the branches and leaves in this video.

"look ma! I made a dent!"

He obviously didn't have enough so he moved on to his bib after that. hehe.

Can't wait for the actual 6th month mark. I am so ready to start him on solids!

Tamagotchi sits!

He's been sitting assisted for the last 1 month, but today he managed to stay upright for quite long, can even lift his hands...

Gong xi gong xi

Happy Lunar New Year! Hope everyone's getting all plumped up with new year goodies!

We just got back after an 11 day trip to SG. It wasn't as hectic as the trip at the start of this year because we spent most of our time at home. We didn't want to screw up T's sleeping schedule, and also because Mountain Man got diagnosed with gout! It's not life threatening, just really really really painful when the attack comes. I know cos i witnessed the agony on his face when i stepped unto his foot by accident TWICE (Sorry i really didn't mean to!).

The plane ride back was rather exciting. Upon checking in we realised that we weren't seated together, someone somewhere screwed up the booking system. Good thing the staff of Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport were kind enough and took the trouble to shuffle the passengers just so we could sit together. It meant that we had to give up the bassinet, but there was no way either one of us could have handled T alone on the plane.

Anyway, here's T's first lion dance peformance. He got so excited/scared when he heard the dong dong ciang he kept kicking. But it got too loud so we had to move away. More pictures coming right up!

Sitting up

On a lighter note, T has lost interest in flipping. He doesn't like being put on his back anymore. The big boy now wants to sit! In this tripod position, his chest is supported by a huge ball so he doesn't topple forward.

Routine Training in Progress: Day One

Since the day T was born, I've kinda sat back and let the nannies dictate/control T's life. Actually i THOUGHT they did a pretty good job at caring for him, if one day i had to do it myself i never doubted that i couldn't. I've never questioned the way things were done, and I never insisted on anything I initially wanted (like the pacifier or the swaddling). I always felt that T was an "easy" child.


4.5 months passed really quickly, throughout this period I knew that T was never able to take naps longer than 1 hr. But I've always thought that it's because he's a natural catnapper (ie takes short naps). And I must admit that because i didn't put him to sleep often enough during the day, i didn't think it was a big deal.



It's only after the nanny left that reality really hit me. T doesn't sleep not because he wants to stay awake, but because he can't stay asleep. For the past 8 days, he always took multiple short naps and he was always kind of tired and sleepy during playtime. The flu of course made his moods even worse.





So today, i began day one of Routine Training, all in the hope of creating some predictability and improve upon T's sleep. I've been warned that all my efforts will go to waste once i go back to Singapore and screw up his schedule again. But i'm hoping that after this round of Routine training, round 2 will be a "breeze".



I am using the Baby Whisperer's recommended schedule, and a light version of Pick Up/ Put Down (Pick up when he cries, Put him down when he stops crying. But i cheat by carrying him for abit longer cos it really pains me to see him cry).

Here's his schedule for the day:



7am- Rise and Feed.
It went pretty well. T was happy that i didn't "ignore" him till 8 like i normally do. He didn't eat much cos he had just ate at 5.


730am- Play.
This went well. His spirits were high and he went boink boink on his jumperoo.


9am- Nap 1.
This is where the challenge began. He fell asleep quite quickly at 9am, but woke up soon after at 930am. He spent the next half and hour crying while going back to sleep, it was horrible!! But he managed to go back to sleep and slept till 1030am. First big hurdle over, PHEW!


1030am- Play.

Just before his feed at 11.


11am- Feed.


1130am- Play.
I brought him out for a cuppa coffee at starbucks. He likes going out. And surprisingly, he didn't fall asleep on the pram like he normally would!!


1250pm- Nap 2.

I am supposed to set the stage for 20 minutes before his 1pm nap time but he fell asleep even before 1pm. He slept well for half an hour, woke up crying and i spent the next 45 minutes pacifying him and putting him back to sleep. He finally woke up at 245pm. Not bad.


3pm- Feed.


330pm- Play.
At this point i wanted to die already so i handed him over to the part time ayi while i snoozed for a bit. And i instructed her not to let him sleep till 5pm.


5pm- Sleep (this is a catnap).

He woke up 40 minutes later, on the dot. I was so glad tht i didn't have to put him back to sleep.


540pm- Play.

Keeping him happy during this time was a bit more challenging. He was crying and refused to be put down. I pretty much carried him round the house. I was sooo happy when mountain man came home because the part time ayi had gone off. I just feel alot calmer (less crazy) when mountain man is around.


630pm- Bath.

It's T's favourite activity so it kept him happy for a while.


645pm- Feed.

it's 15 minutes ahead of schedule but he looked really hungry.


715pm- Prepare for bedtime.

I told him a story, he fussed abit and finally went to bed at 730pm.





I hope i can go through with this again tomorrow. And i REALLY hope this routine thing will give him better napping habits. Mothers if u've been through Routine Training, give me some tips/encouragement pls...

Here's a picture of T for corsage: he has the same links as bubbles and he loves chomping on them!

Flu Fest

It's been almost 2 weeks since my last entry. I haven't had the strength or the time to write because our family had been nursing successive flu infections. First T, then me, then T again and finally Mountain Man.

T got hit the worst because he got 2 different infections. The 2nd one was extremely potent because it also gave him a fever. The flu wiped out his appetite completely, at times he ate less than 30ml per feed. He has also lost all sense of routine because he keeps falling asleep every other hour. To make matters worse, he also suffered from a febrile seizure - his back was arched and his eyes were rolled backwards for a good 30 seconds, it really scared the shits out of us.

And as if the flu weren't enough, my nanny also had to leave because her mother has cancer. So to sum it up, it's been the most horrible 2 weeks.

Now i must attempt at introducing some semblance of a routine back into T's life. I need God's superhuman strength!

New tricks!

Looking all handsome on the bumbo. He used to lean forward on the bumbo, but now he's a little more firm.

T is becoming more kaypoh with his hands. Some people say it's the result of eating too much crabs during pregnancy.

He's been wanting to feed himself since we went back to Singapore. His accuracy is still lacking so the milk will often end up everywhere but his mouth. It got to a point where half the milk will be wasted.

So i decided to put him on a training water bottle just before he takes his bath everyday. A. He gets to practice. B. He learns how to drink water (u'd be surprised that most kids don't take to water very well). C. He understands now that he can play with the blue bottle, but not the milk bottle.

Here T is "reading" a book from Aunt Corsage! I realised tht by putting the book upright, he can flip the pages better. Of course sometimes his head will get stuck in between the pages.

His latest craze is the Jumperoo... He's not tall enough to tiptoe on the ground yet, so the nanny put a hard pillow underneath. He plays with the little spinning gadgets while going boinky boinky...It keeps him entertained for a good 15 mins all by himself.

Lately, his toes have joined in the fun as well. I love pretending to bite off his toes cos it drives him absolutely bonkers!

Here's a nice recent shot of T and I...

Why become a mother?

The weekend that just passed felt like the longest weekend but not in a good way. It was non-stop slavery for 48 hrs because the nanny went on leave. For once in my lifetime, i really looked forward to Sunday evening, specifically the moment when T goes to sleep at 830pm.

Last night after that last feed, the whole room was dark and i can finally hear silence again. I felt a kind of peace in my heart that i couldn't explain. I said a little prayer to thank God for giving me such a beautiful baby.

I've always believed that it was better to love than be loved. The feeling of loving someone is more intensed and makes u do crazier things. Before i gave birth i've always wondered if Love was finite. Maybe things between Mountain man and i would change because i would have to divide my love for him, maybe 50/50 between him and the baby (or 40/60). But God in His amazing ways have proven that human beings are capable of creating more love out of a screaming-pooping-burping baby.

It is such a privilege to be a woman because i get the chance to experience maternal love. My heart is so overwhelmed with a love so deep that i think only a mother can understand. So there u go... One good reason to become a mother.

Caveat: all these loving feeling MAY/WILL disappear during the day when u have to scrub shit stains off the sheets.

The visit

Just before the turn of the year, my SIL Angie brought my 2 nieces Shannon and Sonia to Beijing to visit T. I knew it was a little crazy to travel to a strange country with 2 kids in tow IN WINTER, but she did it. BRAVO! I'm sure the nieces won't forget the very snowy encounter two weeks ago.

Anyway here are the pictures i took, enjoy!

Mountain man the super"manny" singlehandedly entertains 3 children. Shannon and Sonia just got out of bed.

Shannon was so sweet to T. She's telling him a story from a bible picture book which was a gift from my sister Wina.
Picture perfect!

Mountain man has a little groupie...This picture cracks me up. Sonia really looks like she's enjoying it.







It also happened to be my SIL's birthday on Jan 1st, so we surprised her with a cake. Sonia's missing from this picture cos she slept through dinner.

Angie: Thanks for coming all the way here to see us. Hope u've enjoyed ur stay. God answered ur prayers, biggest snowstorm in 30 yrs just for u and the kids. =)

A new play area

Since T has started to flip, it's time to upgrade his play area into something a little more "vast". So i bought a huge child friendly playmat (like one his cousin Timmy has in Singapore) and dedicated a play corner to T, right next to Daddy's drumset.

See how happy he is...

It's even big enough for Daddy to lie on! Mountain man is so sweet, he's trying to tell T a chinese story with his broken chinese. 这个狮子设么设么设么....

T getting real high with daddy

This is evidence of how T enjoys being "scared".


After close to 30 minutes of non-stop laughing, he demanded some cuddle time. Look how he got his Dad to carry him!

Hello, we're back!

Apologies for the long hiatus. I didn't bring a laptop to SG so i didn't get much access to the internet. Actually even if i did, i wouldn't have time to blog cos i was just so crazy busy. Looking after T without the help of a nanny was just insane.


We were doing something every waking minute- change nappy, bathe, wash bottles, sterilise, express milk, pat to sleep, playtime, feed... T was also incredibly fussy the first 2 days due to the extreme change in temperature (from -10 to 30 degrees celsius). On top of all that there is the stress of flying with an infant, i was so afraid that he may cry non-stop or hurt his ear during take-off and landing. I was so stressed that my milk supply dipped and i had to supplement him with formula.

But given our trepidations during this trip, we've also encounered many milestones, and we learnt alot more about him too!

1. He now flips on his own without any assistance (at 3.5 months!).



2. He makes a new face.



3. Increased his vocabulary, now he makes the Darth Vader sound "kkhhhhh, kkkhhhhhh" and "AarrRRrrrrr", like he is about to say Arrribah...
4. Found his toes so he loves to grab his socks and pull them off.
5. In general, he prefers women to men. Mountain man says he likes to "kuah char boh" cos his eyes always follow pretty women.
6. He likes to play rough. The louder, the more shocking the better.
7. He can sleep in noisy places at night. We went to Holland V for drinks, went to friends' place to play mahjong/chit chat, and he even slept through very loud "yum seng" at a wedding.
8. At night, he can sleep on his own without patting, rocking, singing. Just leave him in his cot, he'll cry softly and fall asleep!
9. Last but not least, not really a milestone, but it's a decent family picture in 4 months.

Happy 4 months T, mom and dad are so proud of u. For more pictures of our 12 days stay in SG, click here.

Celebrating 100 days

T turns 100 days (thereabouts) today. Apparently babies in China don't really go out before they turn 100 days, so this is a key milestone for them.

Happy 100 days to our little family!

Don't they look cute? Awww.... somebody pls tell me that T's looking more like me now.

Hands on...

T is developing his motor skills quickly in the 3rd month. Other than putting his hands together and playing with his fingers, he also yanks my hair out, pulls my shirt, pokes my face.

Luckily, he also seems to have a flair for music. He realised that constant banging results in music.



Daddy teaches T how to be a pro-drummer.

hello sunshine

Walking by faith...

My 3 month old son can do this!

On turning 3 months

The day T turned 2 months, i heard his first laugh.... His laughter was considerably rare and hard to "induce", but yesterday a whole new T emerged. He laughed at everything, everyone and he couldn't stop "talking"! I couldn't even turn away for 1 second, he'll demand that i continue with "the conversation".

I'm also proud to report that T is still on my breastmilk after 3 considerably difficult months. I hope these saggy breasts won't stop working anytime soon!

I... wanna rock and roll all night.... and party everyday...

I must admit that i'm not a KISS fan, but i couldn't resist the cute T-shirt! My little rocker is so handsome!!