Happy Little People in the House

Surprise for the day...

2012-01-19T16:19:00.004+08:00

Yesterday, Momoi who is a picky eater suddenly ask for spinach dish (lots of them) during dinner - She must be impressed with MIL cooking. After dinner, she volunteered to wash the dishes??? Hmm.. MIL said the spinach must have given her extra energy to do the work - like Popeye. Hope she'll help with the dishes again tonight... hehe so that I have one less job to do at home.

Oh my the kids are growing up fast... soon I hope I'll have many helpers at home.

Dream World Day 2

2012-01-12T21:59:00.003+08:00

Today is my day 2 here. The place is windy and cold. The water heater turns cold after 3 minutes. Weather has been very good - sunny and the view of Mount Kinabalu is very clear. Tomorrow is our last day, hopefully the other groups finish presentation early and the weather is as good as today.

Dream World

2012-01-11T20:15:00.003+08:00

At first I was sceptical to travel this far at 24wks. But thank God the road travel was OK. So here I am at Dream World Kundasang till the weekend. Hopefully if all is well be back home by Friday night. Muahhh... kisses for the kids at home.
Tonight MIL & FIL will be taking care of the little kids as Darling Hubs is also having his exam. Thanks mom & dad!

Proud of you my son!

2011-11-16T13:51:00.004+08:00

Congratulations Joshua for showing great improvement in your final exam and placing yourself 9th in the class and in the whole primary 2 batch! Mama and Papa feel proud of your achievment. Keep up the good work son!

Thanks to Papa to for guiding Joshua a day before his BM paper.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY NOAH!

2011-06-30T16:36:00.005+08:00

Happy Birthday to our lil' Tigger Noah James. It's been a Tigger-ific year and can't believe my cub is now one year! So here's a Tigger cake for you to celebrate with your teachers in the Nursery.

Thanks Mandy for the cute hand-drawn Tigger!

Here's Noah showing he can hold the standing position for a few "clicks".
Today also marks a full 1 year breastfeeding journey with Noah (the longest I ever had).
So, Noah when you grow up you should belanja Mama for letting you breastfeed this long.
Dear Son, enjoy your day today cos' tomorrow you will see the Doctor for your injection.
Hehehe...

2011-05-04T10:47:00.003+08:00

Momoi: Uaua, cantik kan tu hotel kita pigi tadi?

Uaua: Momoi, tadi kita pigi airport laa... bukan hotel.

I can't help but put a big grin on my face. Oh my dear Momoi - sorry you were not properly introduced to the place called airport. I must admit the KKIA airport looks nice and when we were at the MAS ticketing office she must have felt as though she's at the hotel lobby. I wasn't impressed by the service though - I don't think they handled my frustration on their lousy internet service very well.

Now I just love flying using firefly - too bad they only have limited flights to KL in a day. Hope they'll add some more flights soon.

When Papa Go to School, the Kids...

2011-04-27T13:37:00.006+08:00

.. get to meet Dodu and fool around...

... in their make-believe car. Hehe...

Rubiks cube is also good for...

2011-04-27T13:25:00.003+08:00

...crawling. -Noah James.

Free Internet Access??

2011-04-08T07:55:00.003+08:00

I was given free internet access yesterday when I checked in at my favorite hotel here in KL. As I was typing, I wondered whether it truly free as now the rate is RM214 as compared to years back it was in the range of RM 180 - 190. Perhaps that's the price for the new upgraded LCD TV and also so called "free internet". I can't be bothered about having new or clearer TV as I'll be using the hotel to catch forty winks only. I need a fridge more to store my precious milk. Pretty frustrated when I was given a room with a malfunction fridge. I requested a new room and was given this more spacious room. Now, happy me is pumping while typing this entry.

That's the fridge, the LCD TV and the jug kettle.

Close-up my ice packs (in black pouch) and 2 bottles of fresh milk expressed late night yesterday. Missing my tiger cub a.k.a Noah. I bet he misses me too.

Nursery Rhymes by Moira

2011-02-05T06:14:00.005+08:00

Our dear little Moira - if she's not crying, she'll be talking or singing. According to hubby, she even sings before she sleeps at night. So before I forget the songs that she entertained us everyday, I take this opportunity to post it here before the sun rises and the kids are awake.

Two little eyes to look around,

Two little ears to hear a sound,

One little nose to smell how sweet the smell,

One little mouth to speak and eat.

Strawberry strong, strawberry strong,

Because it's red...

Cicak, cicak, didinding,

diam-diam merayap,

Datang seekor nyamuk,

Nyap... Nyap...

Lalu ditelannya...

(new)
Katak hijau, katak hijau
Dia sudah datang
Lompat sini
Lompat sana
Uak... Uak... Uak...
(hehe... funny kan)

There are a few more she always sings but I could't get the words exactly, perhaps I'll ask the teacher next Monday. (Sometimes even the teacher forget the song :P).

I hope when Moira grew up she will teach her children these songs too. One thing about Moira, she loves to sing as much as she cried or cried as much as she sings. I remembered when she was just a little baby, she used to throw tantrum and made a fuss if she didn't get her milk straight-away (and that is when she is few months old). Now this little baby has grown into a singing angel-thank God.

Enjoy while you can...

2011-01-15T07:10:00.008+08:00

Time, Kids and Family.

I noticed the kids are fast growing-up and catching-up with each other.

Noah is now coming to 7 months by 30th Jan 2011. Now he can sit by himself and once in a while I even catch him try to pull himself to stand. I'm still giving him breastmilk and introduced rice cereal when he turned 6months last year on the 30th Dec 2010. He's got one tooth which I felt since last month when he breast feed. He's an average breastfeeder - in a sense he doesn't really bite me but if I'm delay feeding him (let him cry for longer than it should - I'm talking about until he terbatuk-batuk) he will bite me before sucking furiously (marah la tu).
The siblings call him baby "botak" because he's the only one born with the least hair (but now his hair started growing already). So it won't be long when all of us miss his "botak" head. He weight 7.5kg and fluctuates around the weight this month (maybe because of the cough and flu).
He babbles a lot and he puts everything he caught with his hand into his mouth. He's a pretty serious baby - doesn't really laugh unless the gesture/action pass his funny test. Like the Paed said to me, everyone must love him because he's the youngest - it seems in the house he's got the most attention from everyone including the siblings. Even Titi and Momoi likes to go into the baby cot and play with him.

Theodore - the funny guy. I love his cheeky face. This little guy can look at you and can make you smile for no reason. He is now obssessed with following what Moira is doing - be it girlie thing or just anything. And this little mouse bites and he loves to bite Moira or Joshua if they refuse to share. And when this happens our whole house turn into a small running track with Titi chasing Momoi and Uaua around the house.
To make matters worst, whenever I tie a ribbon on Moira's hair, Titi also wants a ribbon on his hair. When Moira put on her pink school uniform, Titi also want to put on the pink school uniform. I wonder why he didn't choose his older brother Joshua as a role model instead of Moira.
He is now learning to talk simple words, some we understand but some we need some de-cryptography skill.

Moira - the "parrot" in the house, if she is not singing or talking then she'll be crying - the only time when Moira is quiet is when she is asleep. Last weekend she drew a few parrots with her signature "big eyes" drawing. At first her drawings doesn't have pupils, but Papa taught her to draw the pupils so that her parrot doesn't look like a blind parrot.
We send Momoi to the Chinese Playschool and as we anticipated she cried on the first day and she refuse to let me go. The second day - same thing happen but I manage to leave her in the class. The third day - she puked in the car and Titi also almost puked in the car as he wanted to follow Momoi to school. The fourth day - claws on Papa. The fifth day - No more crying (maybe she accepted the fact/fate).
Last Saturday, she followed Joshua to abacus. At first she was a bit sceptical about following Joshua but when the teacher showed her the book she shoo-ed me out of the class. I was quite surprised that she like the class and the teacher liked her too. The teacher said she can write numbers, recognise number and can concentrate (even better than some kindie kids). Well, we'll see again this weekend if she wanted to follow Joshua again.

Joshua - my "big" boy is in primary 2 this year. And he was just happy to be promoted to the best class this year. It means this year will be a challenging year for Uaua to compete against his already bright classmates. Well, we'll just do our best and guide him. Interestingly, he likes to learn and love to be in the class but doesn't like to read story or whatever books. I remember when I was his age I was a book worm- I read anything from magazine, story books, newspaper, labels, anything. I noticed children nowadays doesn't appreciate the essence of holding a book and reading from a book. They prefer reading from the internet which I believe a long jump from the fundamental.
I'm not sure how to go about this, but perhaps a more often visit to the library may help. I'm not sure. I'm just envious of parents' having kids who loves reading books - how do they do it?

Now back to the topic - enjoy while you can is what my husband says when I complaint of having not enough time for everything. So hubby said I should enjoy now while I can and don't complaint so much or worry so much or think so much. And so I started to enjoy what ever time I had with the kids, just do what I can do for everyone, fit everything in the limited time frame and at the end of the day have enough rest to face another tomorrow.

Seems tiring but the time is worth spent and I'm content - no regrets. Just like my mother used to say to me, "If you want to do something make sure you'll not regret later".

Papa & Son Birthday Celebration

2010-12-12T23:35:00.008+08:00

This is a late entry but I just want to post it here for record purpose.

We celebrated Papa's **th Birthday and Joshua's 7th Birthday on the 27th November. Joshua's actual birthdate is 25th November just 2 days apart from hubby's birthday on the 27th.

It was just a small and close gathering of family members at our little house. I can see that our family is growing bigger now that our house seems pretty crowded with kids and siblings/in-laws. I originally planned the party theme to be pizza and spaghetti but dad also brought 2 chinese dishes which everyone gladly chomped as well. Despite the inpromptu planning, I'm glad the dishes turned out well and the kids were well behaved and co-operative while I was preparing and cooking. The birthday menu was Spaghetti Al-tonno (Tuna), Pumpkin Soup, fruit salad and cheezy-pizza from pizza hut.

Anyway, it was a fun gathering for the kids. They have to find the hidden pictures before they can get the cake.
Prior to the cake cutting, Joshua also did his first piano recital for the family members on a song London Bridge is Falling Down (DIL got it on his videocam, will paste the link here once I figure out how to upload the video).

Everyone is waiting anxiously for the cake, including the 2 cousins Ryan andTiti patiently waiting by the table for their share. The birthday cake was Strawberry Truffle Ice Cream cake. Yummy...
And finally before everyone goes home we had a family photo taking session. It was very hard to keep the kids stick to one place or put a straight face.

The end... (I wish to write more but I also have piles of reports & papers to write... tsk...tsk...)

Sleepy boy

2010-12-07T17:17:00.003+08:00

Theodore is getting the hang of sleeping on dinner table - perfecting the art everyday. Hehehe...

5 months Noah

2010-12-07T16:57:00.000+08:00

Length: 64.5 cm
Weight: 7.35kg

Growing up well. Still tolerating breastmilk. Able to turnover and back. Smiles and interact a lot with siblings and people he knows.

2010-11-22T10:53:00.003+08:00

Has it ever occured to you that when you sick, you'll deal with your sickness alone. The agony, pain, torture you and only you can feel. Although people around you are trying to help, ease with medicine but the biggest trouble is only felt by you and you alone. The rest can only pity, empathize or maybe even don't care because the pain is solely yours.

It is different when you are happy or celebrating something or just crowned as the millionaire, everyone wants to feel what you feel. And in fact you don't need to invite people, they just come to you to share your state of happiness, ecstasy, and some lucky people may even have a pinch of something from you.

Well that's two totally different feeling. That's why (probably... there maybe other reason) when you are affected by the former it is easier to lose hope and let go. I just remembered mom, how she suffered from her sickness after reading a doctor's blog. It's true, it is easier to manage a person sickness when a family-member is fully supportive and know the patients daily maintenance i.e. monitoring glucose level, giving out medicine, listening time, etc.

Saying "Don't know" is no excuse not to learn.

Order in the house

2010-11-16T09:34:00.007+08:00

Hubby quietly took a photo of the children sleeping on my camera phone on Sunday (14 Nov). It is very rare to get them all asleep at the same time. Usually either Titi will fall asleep first then Momoi but when Momoi already asleep, Titi will wake up. Our day will always be busy when the kids are at home with house-chores, cooking, kids bath-time etc.. But when they fall asleep like this it's time for me and hubby take a long breath... finally all is quiet and peaceful in the house.

Press

2010-11-06T23:26:00.003+08:00

This morning Moira followed me to send Joshua to his abacus class and then to the market. On the way from the school to the market we had conversation...

Moira : Mama I know how to spell SEAT BELT, S S E R P is seat belt!
Me : Hmm??? (I looked at her and saw she was reading the print on seat belt latch) Ohhh (half-laughing)... that is P R E S S - PRESS not seat belt.
Moira : P R E S S - PRESS
Me : Tinggg... Correct!

I'm so amused... my 3 year old can spell! She is a fast-learner for her age and she can even write and draw and colour nicely already. Huh... my kids are growing at lightning speed, I just wish I can freeze the time and enjoy their baby-time.

Funny moments...

2010-10-31T17:24:00.004+08:00

At dinner table... (2 weeks ago)
Papa: Uaua... eee you eat orange like monkey!
Momoi: (Teasing) Eeee... Uaua Monkey, Uaua Monkey...
Uaua: Kau tu Baboon...
Papa: (Laughing) Ngamla tu... monkey & baboon adik-beradik...

Breakfast this morning...
Mama: Titi sit if you want to eat the cake...
(And Titi came running to the kitchen and find his little spot next to the fridge...)

At lunch-time yesterday...
Titi protested when he didn't get Papa's portion of the chicken rice and finally fell asleep at the dining table...

Kids really colour our days in so many ways. I just want to capture moments like this here for the kids to see when they are bigger...

Breast Cancer Awareness

2010-10-31T16:45:00.004+08:00

I always look forward to weekends, when we have more leisurely time in the mornings and have some time with the kids.

Now, hubby and the 2 boys Uaua & Titi went to MIL for a haircut while Noah & Momoi is still in lala-land. So I'm left with an opportunity to write my weekend experience.

Yesterday, I went to the Breast Cancer public forum organised by the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon. Yes, we do have support group for breast cancer patients and I think we need more support group like this for other terminal diseases as well. I know I need a lot of help when my late mom was sick and sometimes even doctors can't help much which perhaps support group like this can offer assistance and advice.

Anyway, there are few things I find from the forum which are interesting...

1. Men can get breast cancer too and men need to do Breast Self examination as well. And if men got breast cancer they usually die very fast because it's usually late stage when it appears as skin rash on the breast.

2. Control your diet. Being fat can change your body to produce more female hormone and this can put you high risk of getting breast cancer.

3. Breast cancer is not a preventable disease. The only way make sure that you do not have breast cancer is through regular self exam and screening.

4. Anyone can get breast cancer (as young as 17 yrs old).

5. You are also high risk of getting breast cancer if you are a smoker or a drinker, a woman, fat/obese, never or given birth after the age 35, never breast-feed.

6. Breast cancer is the top leading cancer affecting women in Malaysia.

The moral of the forum - Love yourself & love your breast. Start doing regular breast examination. I myself got lumps while I was pregant and will go and get it checked again. Huh.. it really got me scared. Especially when someone I knew (a relative and a friend) just died of breast cancer 3 days ago. It really saddens me and may her soul rest in peace. It is true breast cancer doesn't only affect the sufferer but also the family and society.

4 months Noah

2010-10-30T23:16:00.000+08:00

Noah is 4 months! He is now 7kg and 64cm in length.

The nursery told me he turned-over on Friday. I'm yet to witness the momentous event myself. He is getting more 'botak' everyday. In fact, Noah has least hair s compared to his siblings from birth.

Still fully on breastmilk and I intend to continue as long as Noah wants. I love to see his satisfied face when he had done with breastfeeding.

STRESSED...

2010-10-28T13:28:00.002+08:00

I'm stressed.....because

1. I found out that I lost my SD card (I hope whoever found the little blue rectangular 256Mb thingy will return it to me... It got lots of pictures of kids & me & my mom in it).

2. The milk container I've done packing fell when Momoi was trying to help and I have to wipe the floor and re-fill the container and wash the milk bag again.

3. The kids (Uaua & Momoi) was teasing each other in the car and after sometimes Momoi start screaming because she cannot take the teasing.

4. Titi also screaming because he wants to join the crowd.

5. Titi insist the world Cup song - Waka-Waka to be played and he will start to sing along. When either Uaua or Momoi start to sing-along, Titi will start screaming again until both Uaua and Momoi stop singing (He wants to sing and everyone just listen and this happens in the car).

6. When we reach home, Uaua, Momoi & Titi start asking for this and that... while Noah start to cry because he doen't like to be left alone in the baby cot (Well, Noah also wants this and that...)

7. Well... I'm used to all the above 2-6 (it's my daily life now) but what makes me stress even more is NO. 1.... ohhh where is my SD.... Hubby said forget about it... maybe I will (but I still hope to find it somewhere). It feels like a piece of my mind is lost when I lost it because I usually carry it around in my handbag until yesterday when I noticed it was gone... gone...

I want it back so much not because the RM value (SD cards are soo affordable nowadays) but for the sentimental value of the pictures that it contain. Soooo... if anyone happen to get the SD card please return to me (including the kiddos k... if you been playing with Mama's stuff please return to Mama immediately - as if the kids read my blog hehe)

Updates...

2010-10-05T13:43:00.004+08:00

Update no 1:
Noah is 3 months and during last check-up his weight is 6.8kg and this is how he looks now...

And he started to show attempt to roll over...

Update no 2:
I celebrated my 33rd birthday on the 3rd October with hubby, kids, dad and PIL at Oldtown Citimall - lunch is on Hubby (Thanks darling!) and then a little shopping at Giant (Got new shoes for the kids except Noah). Everyone had a great time - especially the kids. We seldom bring them out together as it is not easy to control 4 kids outside the house.

Update no 3:
Titi have started to articulate simple words... latest ones are "give" and "Delicious"

Back Karabau-ing

2010-09-03T08:53:00.003+08:00

Just a quickie. It's been 2 months now since I get the much needed leave. Now back karabau-ing since 1st Sept with many things to pick-up from where I left them.

On another note, baby Noah is also 2 months and here are his stats:

Weight: 5.8 kg
Length: 58.5 cm

And yes he is smiling, gurgling, and sometimes we can catch him laughing. And he loves to socialize even at mealtimes. Another happy baby in the house...

Noah's Full Moon Celebration

2010-08-11T15:45:00.001+08:00

Fashion Statement

2010-08-08T00:25:00.004+08:00

Not sure what to call Titi's latest fashion statement. He went home from the nursery wearing long sleve and 3/4 pants and he found my hat lying around and wore them. Papa said he looks like "ala zaman British" with all the wrong colour combination and posing "ala Model".

Noah is One Month

2010-07-30T18:18:00.000+08:00

Noah's development at one month
Weight: 4.5 kg
Height: 54.5 cm

Hospitalised

2010-07-22T16:34:00.005+08:00

Our poor little Noah was hospitalised on the 8th-11th July 2010 with suspected Hirschprung's Disease.

He was having fever on the 7th day of his life and when I brought him to see the Paed at RMC on the 8th July 2010 at 3pm, he was already 38.4 deg Celcius. So the Paed suggested Noah to be admitted for proper monitoring. That night he didn't sleep well and was very cranky. I have to carry him or put him to sleep next to me that night. His temperature rises to 39 deg that night but he was given only antibiotic injection (no paracetamol-too young for his age) and dress him light clothing and sponge him. It is really heartbreaking to see him cry and feeling uncomfortable with the IV needle they put on is left hand.

The next day, Paed did further check (x-ray and rectal exam; blood & urine samples already taken day before) as his fever is still high. When the Paed did PR (rectal exam) his stool was explosive and baby tummy looks a bit distended. Baby Noah was put on drip and No-breastmilk order until his fever is down (He was crying when they put him on drip and was really hungry). The Paed recommended baby Noah to be referred to the Hospital Likas Paediatric Surgeon for suspected Hirschrung's Disease.

When we reach Hospital Likas on the 9th July 3pm, we were seen by the Paediatric surgery Dr and he order to continue breasfeeding Noah (whew... what a relieve I don't like the sight of hungry baby in my arms and a breastfull of milk but not able to do anything about it). We were sent to the Paediatric Surgery ward and baby Noah was placed on a infawarmer & finally feeling full. His fever went down soon after and never come back until the day we were discharged - which left all the Dr including the Specialist puzzled (why he was sent to the ward in the first place).

Baby Noah was far more comfortable in Hospital Likas than at RMC or even at home. Perhaps the bitter cold air-cond and infawarmer did soothe him bit. On the last day (12th July) the Specialist asked me, "Your baby seems comfortable, do you like to stay here longer?" Hehe... He must be joking (I said in my head). I told him, "Although I like to stay here longer but I prefer to go home." So he ask his MO & HO, what do you think? And they all said "The baby should go home". And so we were discharged on the 12th July 2010.

Yay! baby Noah is going home for the second time!
See what I mean... he looks so comfortable in there.
Doesn't look like a sick baby at all.

On the 19th July review, baby Noah stats - weight 3.8 kg, height 52.5 cm. Medical Dr said probably his immature intestine got infected instead of Hirschprung while Surgical Specialist said we need not worry if baby is doing fine. So for the time being - we tried not to worry so much. Never in my life I appreciate when a baby poo because it shows that he is normal.

Today his poo looks nice (like cake batter) and yellow - which makes me a happy mom.

Milk: Does it Really Do a Body Good?

2010-07-22T09:54:00.002+08:00

This is for my own info and motivation to keep breastfeeding Baby Noah despite the troubles and busy daily schedule.

Source - http://drjaygordon.com/pediatricks/dairy.html

In August 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued an official statement about allergenic proteins in a mother’s diet appearing in her breastmilk and creating problems for her baby. They stopped far short of talking about excellent research showing that cow’s milk in the diet of a pregnant or breastfeeding woman creates even more problems than we ever thought for her nursing baby.

Breastfeeding moms get lots of advice about the food they should be eating while nursing their babies. I try to discuss this with the mom- and dad-to-be when we meet during a prenatal appointment. I often wish I could talk to more women before they become pregnant to discuss anti-allergy measures and other topics.

Please don’t misunderstand the incredible superiority of human milk for human babies. Infants who receive formula have more intestinal problems by far than infants who drink breastmilk. Uninformed medical practitioners have actually told mothers that their babies were “allergic to their breastmilk.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

Babies can be allergic to protein fragments from mom’s diet which end up in the milk, but if they are sensitive to those proteins, they would be much more affected by an artificial baby milk made entirely of non-human protein. Even so called “hypoallergenic” formulas are rarely any better. They are made of proteins broken down into smaller fragments to provoke less of a reaction. They are still allergenic and don’t solve the problem for many babies.

Common Symptoms of a Reaction to Dairy

Green, runny stool
Blood tinged stool
Skin rashes
Chronic nasal stuffiness
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Excessive abdominal discomfort
Cramping
Coughing
Mimic of GER (gastroesophageal reflux) symptoms
Heartburn
Spitting up
Gassiness
Constipation

Gassiness

Babies are gassy. That is an immutable fact caused by the need to double or triple one’s weight in a year. Try doing that yourself and see if you don’t spend a little time gassy.

I have seen the gassiest babies get better when moms removed dairy products from their diets.

Some babies seem to cry much more than others and their parents describe them as “writhing in pain.” Changing the nursing pattern helps some newborns and older babies if overactive milk ejection reflex (OMER) or a hindmilk/foremilk imbalance is the cause, but many more babies are helped when mom changes the way she eats. My list of allergens begins with cow’s milk and continues with eggs, peanuts, wheat and citrus. The most important change a mom can make is to stop drinking milk and eating things made with milk.

Blood in Stools

Babies with blood in their stool often stop having blood when moms stop drinking milk and eating other dairy products.

Cow’s milk protein irritates the intestinal lining and virtually always causes what’s called “microhemorrhaging.” Sometimes this bleeding is quite visible and helps alert parents to the need for mom to change her diet. Blood in the stool can be frightening but is rarely dangerous. It has a few other causes such as viral irritation, but the most common reason I have seen it is dairy allergy.

Eczema

Eczema lessens and often goes away completely when breastfeeding moms become dairy-free.

Skin rashes occur frequently in newborns and babies. The most common, worrisome, persistent problem is an allergic rash called eczema. Dermatologists and allergists describe eczema as not a “rash that itches, but an itch that rashes.” That is the first thing that happens and the first thing the parents may notice: increased irritability and “face rubbing” by their baby. They may also see a red rash which becomes more and more “angry” looking and eventually gets scaly and even bloody. Superficial skin infections can follow and be difficult to treat.

Dairy elimination is crucial. Long before you use cortisone cream, stop all dairy. Stop peanuts and eggs, too.

Constipation

Babies who are constipated often improve when dairy is eliminated from mom’s diet. Older children may also get relief from constipation with complete dairy elimination. In older children, studies have shown that some bedwetting may also be cured by dairy elimination. The allergic reaction to the offending protein in milk is exhibited in a variety of ways that affect the bowels and urinary tract. If your child is suffering from problems in these areas, dietary restriction should most certainly be considered prior to doing further testing or using medications.

Changing a breastfeeding mom’s diet or changing the diet of an older child eating solid foods will often lessen medical problems dramatically.

Cold Symptoms

Babies who have constant runny noses often get better when moms stop all dairy. Cow’s milk allergies may look just like “hay fever” at any age: stuffiness, cough, runny nose that seems to persist for weeks and weeks.

Older kids with ear infections often stop having ear infections when dairy is removed from their diets.

This has been a key intervention in my practice. I have cared for hundreds of kids who have taken ten or even twenty courses of antibiotics and even steroids. They were able to cancel scheduled ear surgery because they got better when they stopped drinking milk and eating cheese. The ear infections just plain stopped for many of the children and for others they decreased to manageable childhood illnesses rather than being a constant source of pain, school absences and incapacity.

Read more at: http://www.notmilk.com/mucus.html

GER (Reflux)

Before a baby gets evaluated for GER (gastroesophageal reflux), breastfeeding moms must eliminate all dairy from their diets. To some, this seems like a drastic step. It is far less drastic or invasive than the tests and medications for GER in babies.

When eliminating dairy and watching for a reduction of GER symptoms, patience is a key. The offending protein can take a few weeks to be completely undetectable in breastmilk. Many will see improvement within days, because the levels begin to decrease as a diet devoid of dairy is consumed. It is not unusual to see little change until two or three weeks after eliminating dairy.

The almost miraculous improvement in hundreds of troubled babies in 22 years of practice might be the strongest evidence, albeit anecdotal evidence, that I bring to the table. Does this work 100% of the time? No, nothing works 100% of the time, but dairy elimination is the single-most important advice I give to dozens of people each and every week.

Casein and B-lactoglobulin

The two proteins that trigger the biggest allergic response are casein and b-lactoglobulin. If your baby doesn’t get as much relief as you had hoped just from dairy elimination, read labels carefully. Soy cheese and many other foods that we expect to be dairy protein-free are really not. Even diaper creams may contain casein.

Increased exposure to allergens like dairy allergens can even lead to fatal reactions. Fortunately, the “minor” symptoms almost always go on for a long time before major reactions in almost all babies, children and adults.

Lactose Intolerance

The major “sugar” in cow’s milk is lactose and some people confuse lactose intolerance and cow’s milk protein allergy. Lactose intolerance evolves gradually after about age 7 or 8 years and is particularly common in those of Asian, Native Alaskan and African decent. Gassiness and bloating after drinking milk, eating cheese or ice cream occur in many people. Some choose to ignore it, others limit dairy and still others just use supplemental lactase (an enzyme) to lessen their symptoms.

Viral stomach flu can create temporary lactose intolerance.

We adults are clearly not meant to drink cow’s milk and the number of children adversely affected by dairy protein and dairy sugars is underestimated in mainstream nutrition books.

A very informative article in August 2000 issue of “Discover Magazine” features a discussion with T. Colin Campbell, an ex-dairy farmer now a Cornell University nutritional biochemist:

“The bottom line for Campbell is simple: ‘It’s unnatural to drink milk.’ Most adults in Asia and Africa, along with many in southern Europe and Latin America, have trouble digesting lactose, the main sugar in the milk of both humans and cows. Some suffer from bloating, cramps, or diarrhea if they try. A 1978 population survey, compiled by geographer Frederick J. Simoons of the University of California at Davis, suggests that it was only because of a genetic aberration that milk became a food staple in northern Europe and North America. Nature normally programs the young for weaning before they reach adulthood by turning down production in early childhood of the enzyme that breaks down lactose. But a gene mutation inherited by people of northern European descent prevents the production of this enzyme from being turned down. As a result, the majority of Americans can drink milk all their lives.”

This excellent, short article also talks about osteoporosis as it relates to dairy consumption: Countries with the highest dairy intake have the highest incidence of osteoporosis. This striking fact seems at odds with everything we think we “know” about calcium and nutrition. Osteoporosis is related more to calcium excretion due to salt and protein intake than to calcium deficiency in the diet. The entire article and the attached graphics are well worth a look.

Other Medical Experts on Dairy

Hundreds of medical articles and many books have been written about the problems with milk products in humans. The authors are physicians of great standing in the medical community. The late Frank Oski MD was head of the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University and the editor of the Yearbook of Pediatrics. The late Dr. Benjamin Spock was the most famous and most influential physician of the past 100 years and many other doctors have participated in trying to bring dairy’s shortcomings to the attention of doctors and patients alike.

Dr. John McDougall often cites milk’s problems alphabetically:

Allergies (dairy is the leading cause of allergies in adults and children) and continuing with a discussion of . . .

Anemia. Again milk products are the number one cause of this problem because they cause blood loss and also interfere with iron absorption. Additionally, kids who drink lots of milk feel very full and often have no “room” for healthier iron-containing foods. Dr. Oski wrote many articles about milk’s role in causing anemia in America’s children.

Arthritis is the third on Dr. McDougall’s list and he documents published studies from the British Medical Journal, the Journal of Arthritis and Rheumatology and other major medical journals. The mechanism of action involves antibody/antigen particles which lead to inflamed joints.

Atherosclerosis, or heart and blood vessel disease, make the third “A” on the list. Milk is the number one source of saturated fat in most diets. A further problem involves the antibodies formed against milk attacking the delicate lining of arteries.

Blood loss, constipation, and diabetes follow in alphabetical order. The medical evidence strongly points to early exposure to cow’s milk leading to an increase in Type 1 diabetes. I have seen constipation clear up in a matter of days when parents remove dairy products from their child’s diet and the intestinal blood loss from drinking milk (or exposure to milk protein through breast milk) is an accepted medical fact.

Read more at: http://www.ffl.org/html/milk_facts.html

Talking to patients about dairy products is a lot easier than it used to be because the “problems with milk” are better known than just a few years ago. Still, it’s hard to combat the $400,000,000 annual advertising budget available to the purveyors of dairy products. Milk does not “do a body good” nor build strong bones. It is a traditional food which has become a lazy staple of the American diet.

Children (and their parents) get healthier when they have fewer dairy products and are healthiest when they have none.

When I’m talking to older kids about making dairy a smaller part of their diets, I tell them that it’s kind of like an old Seinfeld joke: “Hey, look at those large animals in the field! Let’s go squeeze those things underneath them and then drink whatever comes out. Then, let’s take whatever’s left over, put it aside for a year or so and . . . eat it!” The kids respond with a hearty “eeeeew!” Even adults get it sometimes.

Colour of the Day

2010-07-22T09:47:00.004+08:00

Whew... glad I found this article related to baby stool. Very useful info to moms out there too if you are concerned about your newborn baby stool.

Source - http://drjaygordon.com/pediatricks/general/poop.html

The Color of the Day: Solving Bowel Movement Mysteries

I have often asked parents not to bring poop samples into my office. While there is a lot of information to be gleaned from studying full diapers, I think I can do most stool analysis on the phone or online unless an emergency situation occurs.

There is a wide variety of color and consistency of bowel movements. In my glamorous job as a pediatrician, I discuss this hot topic every day.

A change of pattern can throw the most confident mom for a loop and can even confuse an experienced pediatrician. Babies have blood in their stool fairly often and it virtually never is the sign of serious illness, but I pay a lot of attention to this because it alarms parents and requires that a reason be found.

We shouldn’t be any more surprised to see a variety of bowel movements in our babies than we would in anyone of any other age. In breastfed babies, the mom’s diet can affect the color or consistency of a baby’s stools, particularly if the baby is showing an allergic reaction to a certain food or food group.

Sticky, tar-like and green or black
This is meconium. The first stools of a newborn will be this consistency and color. It is what is present inside the bowels of a newborn upon birth and will clear itself out within the first couple of days and represents the “byproducts” of building an entire human being for nine months.

Greenish or Yellow/Brown, grainy or seedy
This is the transition between meconium and a regular breastfed stool and begins as mom’s milk is coming in on the second, third or fourth day of life. There may be three stools each day, ten, or even twenty. Occasionally, even a baby in the first week of life will skip a day and have no bowel movements at all. Call your doctor to discuss this even though it is normal. This does not require a dietary change or supplementation of a breastfed baby.

Light yellow to bright green, loose/runny, curdy, lumpy, seedy, creamy, mustard-like
These are normal breastfed stools. The consistency, frequency and color vary from day to day. My wife described the smell as “curried yogurt”. Opinions on this odor description differ widely.

Frequent Watery Stool often “Greener” than usual
How can you spot diarrhea in a baby who has loose frequent stools every day? This type of poop is “diarrhea” in a breastfed baby. It can be due to a virus, a bowel infection, stress, anxiety or a food intolerance.

Hard, pellet – like, presence of blood or mucous
This is constipation in a breastfed baby and is so very rare that I cannot recall ever seeing it in a baby who is receiving breastmilk as a sole source of nutrition, as are most babies in the first six months. It could be related to a food allergy. Formula fed babies get constipated much more often and may even have harder bigger stools like older kids and adults. Getting these stools softer is a balancing act of great proportions.

Black stools often accompanied by constipation
This is the result of iron supplementation. Iron fortified infant foods and infant vitamins can cause constipation. A healthy breastfed baby does not need iron supplementation. The iron in breastmilk is much more bioavailable than any other form.

Red streaked stools
This usually comes from bleeding in the lower intestine or rectum. Most often it is caused by rectal fissures which are tiny “cuts” around the circumference of the anus. This can be a reaction to dairy in mom’s diet. Elimination of all dairy is the first line of defense in this situation. I have seen countless babies who had blood in their poop which resolved when mom stopped all dairy products and returned with even a small amount of milk or cheese. Other dietary changes may be needed for breastfeeding moms. Formula fed babies lose blood from the lower intestine when they drink cow milk formula and some have the same losses on soy formula. Occasionally, this “micro-hemorrhaging” can become visible as blood streaking on the surface of the stool. Persistent or increasing blood in the stool or blood mixed with mucus (described as “currant jelly” stool in the texts) requires an immediate call to your doctor.

Green, frothy stools
This can be a result of a hindmilk/foremilk imbalance. A true imbalance is rare. It is often seen accompanying a forceful letdown. Lactation consultants will help moms find a nursing pattern which works to combat this problem. If letdown it too forceful in the early weeks, the solution can be to allow milk to leak into a cloth diaper during letdown, then latch baby back on. Feeding two to three times off the same side may also show improvement. Caution should be used with same side feeding as it can decrease supply.

Green, mucousy stool
This can be a result of a virus. Often the only sign we see of a virus is in the green stool. This is evidence of malabsorption in the intestines. Watch for how many days and with what consistency it is occurring. With a virus, it will run its course over a few days and begin to improve.

Another cause of malabsorption in the intestines can be teething. The profuse saliva of a teething baby can cause irritation in the intestines interfering with proper absorption. When babies teethe, we can see lots of drooling. Large quantities of saliva is swallowed which can irritate the intestines causing runny, acidic stools. This can also cause a rash in the diaper area.

There is something important to point out regarding frequency of stooling in an exclusively breastfed baby. Many parents are concerned when after the early weeks where they may have been seeing a little bowel movement in almost every diaper, they suddenly begin to see days go by without any. This is perfectly normal. There is a great range of frequency of bowel movements with exclusively breastfed infants, ranging from a couple of times a day to several days. There are completely healthy nursing babies that have a bowel movement once a week, once every ten days, or even a few that go a bit longer. If your baby is healthy, developing well, nursing well and the consistency of the bowel movement when it does make its appearance is soft or loose, then do not be concerned. It is not constipation if it arrives in soft form. Constipation would arrive in pellets and hard formed pieces.

In summary, stools in breastfeeding babies are predictably green, brown, yellow or orange. It is runny and has curds almost every time. It changes color with viruses, may have a small amount of blood (call your doc) and may come once a day and even taper off to once a week or more after a few weeks of age. Formula feeding babies may show a little trickier set of changes involving constipation and diarrhea. This is just one small reason to strongly recommend and support breastfeeding your baby.

Welcome Home Baby Noah James!

2010-07-07T11:47:00.007+08:00

We are happy to announce the new addition to the Happy Little People gang

Baby Noah James

DOB: 30 June 2010
Time: 2.20pm
Weight: 3.24kg
Length: 49cm

Me - just happy baby is finally delivered safely. So here's my delivery story for treasure.

I was worried sick since the day I got false labour. Everytime the contraction hit me I was ready to run back to the hospital but at the same time worry that it might be another false labour. I must have got food poisoning as I had a feast of young jackfruit soup, hinava, bamboo shoot soup, peanut soup, cake, etc on Saturday (day before false labour). Perhaps the food mixture trigger some chemical reaction in my tummy that's causing me to have contraction.

Glad to be home next day (Monday) and went to work on 28-29th June. I even went to Ryan's birthday dinner on 29th June and ate a variety of dishes. And again that night, my tummy start to grumble again. At 3 am, I cried because I feel as if my tummy going to burst like full blown balloon (feels like tummy cramps too). Hubby call MIL to come over and we head to the hospital straight away.

As soon as we reach the hospital, contraction monitored again and was showing dwindling pattern just like before and baby heartbeat is somewhat faster than normal. Anxious that it maybe another bout of food poisoning, I asked for enema to relieve constipation. I was feeling better after some bowel movement but contraction still went on but not as strong as before.

Then, Dr came at around 9am and checked but I haven't effaced and dilated yet. So he suggested that it's better for me to be induced as prolonging the unsteady contraction may not be good for baby. Well, I agreed but with heavy heart (just afraid it does not work and I had to go for emergency c-sect).

So I was induced with pitocin 8ml at first - result no contraction and still smilling. An hour later, Dr ordered to increase to 10ml, few minutes later I felt the strong contraction again. At 1pm, Dr came and felt I only opened 3-4cm and still high. So he broke my water and told me I'm going to deliver at 5pm. I shouted... whaaat still a long way to go (I was already in pain...).

At around 2pm, the contraction already torturing me and I can even feel the baby is pushing himself out. Hubby even asked, "Sakit kah?" I answered him "Napa mau rasa kah?" He answered back smiling "Tidak apalah ko sajalah". (Kurang asam...)

Told the nurses baby is coming out and frantically they send me to the delivery room. I was already shouting... "Nurse call the Dr I can feel baby's head... and call my hubby too" and yet they still give me that cool look. Finally few minutes later, Dr came and said "Cepat juga...". He took his time to tie my legs, injected the LA and cut perineum area and asked me to push (I just can't believe how the Dr and nurses can do everything so gracefully and slowly when I can feel the baby head going to pop... unbelieveable no panic at all). So with one push baby Noah is safely delivered. After baby is out I told Dr "I thought you couldn't make it already..." He said smilling, "No la..." (Ciss... confident punya Dr).

The nurse showed the baby to me and Noah gracefully peed for the first time (just like his brother Joshua).

The End

.

Well Done my Son!

2010-06-29T11:45:00.005+08:00

Joshua won the School Break Project organised by the Guidance and Counseling teacher at his school recently. So here is his masterpiece that earned him KFC lunch treat with Mdm Eve.

I made him write so many times on the particulars and the story so that he got it right. So there you go my son, your effort is finally paid off. I hope this will boost his morale to try again next time.

Joshua 1st Semester result is also out. Here is a glimpse of his result:-

BM 92% - A
English 94% - A
Maths 87% - A
Science 92.5% - A
Kadazandusun - B
Moral - A
Art - C
Music - A

Overall percentage - 92% - A

Whew.... what a relieve. I thought he will do badly because I don't have enough time to do revision with him. Most of the time, this mama will get panicky one day before exam and when in panic mode we can only do so much. Even more sad when Joshua himself said he wants to learn but mama got no time to teach him. Then I have to outsource to the hubby (terpaksala gotong royong kan).

Luckily most of the times Joshua did his homework on his own (yup.... he does his homework without much persuasion). At least we have explained to him that doing school homework is his duty and Joshua has accepted the fact. Same as, washing his school shoes, emptying nursery bag to laundry basket, putting laundry in the washing machine, clearing toys before bedtime, getting ready dinner table, packing school bag and nursery bags. In fact it is amazing for his age, he can do so much stuff around the house and that really help me a lot. I'm just so glad and thankful to have such a thoughtful and wonderful son. Mama & Papa love you so much son!

False Labour

2010-06-29T09:28:00.002+08:00

I thought it would only happen to first time mothers and that I won't be fooled by my own body as this is my 4th pregnancy. How totally wrong I was. On Sunday evening, I dragged myself and hubby to the hospital because I was having terrible contraction from morning. I also had diarrrhea like symptoms in the morning.

When we reach the hospital the contraction is already 9 mins apart and by the second hour 5 mins apart. However, cervics only open 1cm then 2cm, then stopped progressing anywhere. Then by midnight contraction getting further apart that I even enjoyed watching German Vs England world cup match - despite being sleepy from tiredness due to the pain.

In fact, that night was supposed to be my mom's 40th day memorial service. I so wanted to go but hubby said better err on the side of caution better go to the hospital and get checked rather than regret later. Prior to this, during the 38wks review the doctor already caution us to come if anything happen. He told us he just did emergency ceasarian due to baby not moving for 2 days but mother take it lightly and only come to see him on the second day. When he delivered the baby is already blue and not breathing. Huh... that made me and hubby worried. Now if baby did not move I would poke my tummy just to see him move.

Anyway, I'm still around with my very pregnant belly. Walking like penguin now. Doctor also advise me to go for a walk. Haha... maybe I should do that. I've been delaying the walking exercise as I wanted to wait until the 4oth day memorial service done but I missed it anyway. I feel sad but sis told me all went well. A lot of relatives attended the service and the food was more than enough. So with everything is over now, I can concentrate on labour, baby and my own stuff.

Growing up kids

2010-06-24T15:47:00.003+08:00

Here's a picture of Momoi and Titi - aren't they cute. That's Titi's favorite spot in the kitchen actually. I can always find him there while I'm cooking or washing the dishes. Momoi just recently join in. Look at both of them - almost the same size already. I bet by end of this year Titi will overtake Momoi in terms of size.

Just went to see the Obgyn today for 38wks review. I weighted the same as 2 weeks ago 60kg and baby is now 2.8kg (gain 200grams from previous). When I gave birth to Titi at 38wks he was 3.8kg. So his younger brother is going to be smaller. I pray for easier delivery too this time. Hope all is going to be fine. So much things happen I just take one day at a time. Don't want to worry so much of the future nor dwell so much in the past.

The Result is Out...

2010-06-15T09:03:00.006+08:00

Waiting for the result of the Histology is like waiting for a life sentence to be read out. Anyway, I went for review with the Genereal Surgeon last week on the 10 June 2010 and here is the result: - "NO MALIGNANCY" whew...

I had lumpectomy done on my left breast on the 3rd June 2010 and now the scar is still healing and the swelling almost subside - but slightly painful to touch. It was an hour procedure and I requested Local Anesthetic without sedation. Huhu... brave me and lucky me when I chose not to be sedated as apparently the lump keep moving away causing the doctor have to cut bigger area (around 2 inches incision and pretty deep too) and inject the LA a few times at different spots during the procedure. I smelled my flesh being barbequed and keep imagining what were they doing.

The surgeon was quite nice actually -he keep asking me whether I'm afraid or not and I told him as long as I'm not in pain I'll be alright and he also told me that I'll be hearing lots of sound but nothing to be scared off. Pat on my back I manage to stay still for 1 hour - though it's pretty difficult for a 35 wks pregnant body to be in one position for too long (back is aching and the baby is kicking like nobody business during the procedure - perhaps he too can feel the tension). Poor baby - mama has to get you involved but it's a relieve also to feel you moving all the time which means you are alright in there.

Thank God I can now rest my mind on the issue and concentrate on the new baby arrival. Last review with Obgyn at 36wks I weighted at 60 kg and baby is approx. 2.6 kg. No wonder it feels heavier now and my pelvic bone is in constant pain. I guess my body is preparing for the Day. I even feel the need to clean the house - "nesting instinct" everyday that I won't rest until all is done for the day. And as usual, I would sneak at 2 am to have my delicious ripe mangoes (afraid that I might go into labour and can't have it for a month). Uhhh yummy...

Rest in Peace Mom

2010-06-10T16:23:00.006+08:00

Born: 26th September 1947
Departed: 21st May 2010

Here's a picture of mom taken on 18th February 2010. That's 3 months before she left us forever.

When mom left us a mixture of feelings happen to me. I can be sad as sad I can be but I can't be too sad also because I am carrying a baby and I have my own family to worry. So many things happens that even my aunt Beatrice is so worried how am I going to cope with my own life and health. I even have to call her everyday to tell her that everything is OK. God bless you aunty. Thanks so much for your love, care and support - like my sister said Aunty Beatrice has become our second mom.

Now 3 weeks has passed, I just had to be strong and try to appreciate what's left and all the blessings that happen along the way. In fact, in the midst of troubles I find that God has blessed me with so many wonderful people and events/circumstances that take my worries away.

Many times how I wish mom would still be here to see her 6th grandson arrive in the labour room like she did for the rest of the grandchildren. I never had confinement lady because mom will cook my favorite chicken lihing soup, herbal bath and even bake me a cheese cake when I had Titi.

Now that mom is gone, I guess I have to learn to be even stronger. Especially with the coming of our new baby. God, please give me the courage to face the coming days and wisdom to decide when troubles come my way.

Mom - missing you terribly but don't worry about me. I'm one tough cookie.

Just want to share a piece of thought (I might use this with my own children someday)...
taken from: inspiringthots

A Parent's Wish

To our dear child,
On the day when you see us old, weak and weary,
Have patience and try to understand us.

If we get dirty when eating,
If we can not dress on our own,
Please bear with us and remember the times
We spent feeding and dressing you up.

If, when we speak to you,
We repeat the same things over and over again,
Do not interrupt us.
Listen to us.

When you were small,
We had to read to you thousand and one times
The same story until you went to sleep.

hen we do not want to have a shower,
Neither shame nor scold us.
Remember when we had to chase you
With your thousand excuses to get you to the shower.

When you see our ignorance on new technologies,
Help us navigate our way through those world wide webs.

We taught you how to do so many things,
To eat the right foods, to dress appropriately,
To fight for your rights.

Then at some moment we lose the memory
Or the thread of our conversation,
Let us have the necessary time to remember.
And if we can not, do not become nervous,

As the most important thing is not our conversation,
But surely to be with you and to have you listening to us.

If ever we do not want to eat, do not force us.
We know well when we need to and when not to.

When our tired legs give way
And do not allow us to walk without a cane,
Lend us your hand.
The same way we did,
you first tried your faltering steps.

And when someday we say to you,
That we do not want to live any more.
That we want to die!
Do not get angry.
Some day you will understand.

Try to understand that our age is not lived but survived.
Some day you will realize that, despite our mistakes,
We always wanted the best thing for you
And we tried to prepare the way for you.

You must not feel sad, angry nor ashamed
For seeing us near you.
Instead, try to understand us and help us
Like we did when you were young.

Help us to walk.
Help us to end our way with love and dignity.

We will pay you by a smile and by the immense love
We have always had for you in our heart.

We love you child,
Mom and Dad

To do or not to do...

2010-05-20T11:14:00.002+08:00

I have finally made my decision - that I am not going to do the lumpectomy this time. Apparently, I found out I'm having lots of lumps in both breasts and doc suggest to do lumpectomy to take some samples to send to the lab. I've met 3 doctors so far, all suggest that I do but I can still postpone if I want to and I'll be put under observation. So for now I opt for the latter suggestion due to the current situation I'm in. Mom has been hospitalised since last week and going to hospital a lot can risk infection. I'm afraid the wound from lumpectomy won't be able to heal in time for delivery and may cause unnecessary risk/difficulities for me and the coming baby. So - KIV first.

Last check-up I was only 59kg and baby estimated weight 1.98 kg. Well, I didn't gain much weight after a lot of walking the past weeks. Still plan to fully breastfeed baby with current condition, it is even riskier not to breastfeed. I hope the lumps are just lactation cycst that will go away with breasfeeding.

Life is difficult right now. But praying hard that I'll be strong and nothing will go wrong.

I want this...

2010-05-04T09:21:00.002+08:00

This is i-Roomba. With a push of a button, it can vacuum the floors and intelligent enough to avoid falling from stairs and hitting the wall. Read more about it here.

I've seen this product when I visited the Mother & Baby Expo at MVEC 2 years back. I wanted to get this i-Robot thingy but hubby said it'll be another junk in the house. But, this time around I think I'll seriously need this if I'm not getting a maid to do the vacuuming and house cleaning.

Now I just have to find ways to get this "baby" into my arms.

Handsome Boy

2010-05-03T08:53:00.003+08:00

Uaua & Momoi's conversation at the dinner table last night...
(Me & hubby was in the kitchen when we overheard these 2 kids talking)

Momoi: Uaua... kau kah tu handsome boy yang Mama angkat

Uaua: Mana?

Momoi: Tuu... (pointing at the family picture when Joshua was only 1 year old)

Uaua: Ya... (smiling... aisyeh terangkat si kawan kena puji adiknya)

Me & hubby found it cute as Momoi knows to use "handsome boy" in her statement. Perhaps I'll scan the picture post it here later...

Revision and bla-bla-bla...

2010-04-23T16:51:00.005+08:00

Just wanna paste a link here on Breasfeeding Colicky Baby for my self-revision and reminder. It's been 6 months since I last breastfeed little Titi and I feel that I need to re-learn the skill again with the new baby.

On another note- here's something I heard on RTM1 pidato Antarabangsa competition (don't get me wrong -I don't always switch to RTM1 and watch this kind of program but that was during my out-station trip to KL and was left with limited channels to choose from).

"Seorang ibu boleh membesarkan 10 orang anak tetapi, belum tentu 10 orang anak ini boleh menjaga seorang ibu yang tua."

In this current era where everyone is earning a living (either by choice or by circumstances), this statement has some thruth. We tend to neglect our parents, but what is the little time we have to spend with them everyday as compared to the years they have spent raising us up until what we are today.

We need to sacrifice a bit of our time for them while they are still around no matter how busy we are - after all when they are gone all is left is the memory we have with them. So it is our choice really - whether we want to have good memory that we have done our best while they are still alive or regrets for not having done our responsibility as children.

Breastfeeding for Jaundice Baby

2010-04-07T15:04:00.002+08:00

*** I found this article is useful in preparation for the coming birth.
*** Another tips I got from a teacher at my son's school while attending PTA meeting 2 weeks ago - boil "tulod-ulod" or if cannot get the fruit just boil the leaves and bathe the jaundiced baby. Not sure how true is this but can try with the next baby.

The diagnosis of jaundice in their newborn baby is often very frightening to new parents. They immediately begin to think that something is very wrong with their infant, and may not be fully informed about the facts, which are actually very reassuring. Because jaundice is such a common condition, some medical professionals don't take the time to explain all the details, because they deal with jaundiced babies every day. However, when the baby in question is your own precious newborn, you need to get as much information as possible to put your mind at ease.

Nearly all infants are jaundiced to some degree. In the vast majority of cases, newborn jaundice is a normal process, which many researchers feel may even serve protective functions, such as guarding the infant from the effects of oxygen free radicals. It makes sense that something that occurs in the majority of babies so routinely may be part of nature's plan for the human infant.

Jaundice occurs when a yellow pigment called "bilirubin" accumulates in the tissue, especially the skin, where you can see it as a yellowish or orangish tint. In adults or older children, jaundice is considered a pathological condition, but this is rarely the case with newborns. The very common type of jaundice that most babies experience is called normal, or "physiologic" jaundice. Physiologic jaundice is not a disease; it is nearly always a harmless condition with no adverse after effects, as long as the bilirubin count doesn't reach dangerous levels.

Before babies are born, they need high levels of red blood cells in order to get oxygen from their mother's blood. Immediately after birth, when they begin breathing high-oxygen blood outside the womb, they no longer need their fetal hemoglobin. The red blood cells containing fetal hemoglobin now need to be broken down and eliminated from their bodies. Bilirubin is a by-product of the breakdown of these extra blood cells, and is removed from the bloodstream by the liver and excreted in the stool. It accumulates in the meconium (fetal stool-the black, tarry stuff that the baby excretes the first couple of days after birth) and if not excreted, can be re-absorbed into the baby's system. The newborn's immature liver may not be able to process and excrete the bilirubin fast enough in the first days after birth, so jaundice often develops. This is especially common in premature infants.

Bilirubin is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood, or mg/dl. The average level for an adult is 1mg/dl. The average full-term newborn will have a peak level of 6mg/dl on the third or fourth day of life. Levels usually go down to about 2-3mg/dl by the end of the first week, gradually reaching the adult value of 1mg/dl by the end of the second week. It usually takes the newborn's liver a week or two to mature enough to handle the build-up of bilirubin in the blood. It is important to know that there is no evidence that bilirubin levels of less than 20mg/dl during the first week of life, and less than 25mg/sl after that have any harmful effects of healthy, full-term babies.

So, if jaundice is such a normal condition, why all the concern? Because there are rare medical conditions which cause bilirubin to rise to dangerous levels and can cause brain damage. Years ago, before we had the diagnostic tools and treatment options that we have today, some babies with very high bilirubin levels suffered from a condition called bilirubin encephalopathy, or kernicterus. This is rarely seen today, and then usually only in very premature or sick babies. Doctors today monitor bilirubin levels very carefully, and initiate treatment well before levels get high enough to cause problems.

There are three types of jaundice: Normal, or physiologic jaundice, affecting the majority of newborns; pathologic jaundice, caused by medical conditions such as blood type incompatibilities (the most common cause), as well as prematurity, infection, liver damage from rubella, syphilis, or toxoplasmosis, and metabolic problems such as hypothyroidism; and late-onset, or breastmilk jaundice (probably caused by a factor in some mother's milk that seems to delay or prolong the excretion of excess bilirubin).

It is important to understand the different types of jaundice, because each has different causes, consequences, and treatments.

Physiologic jaundice affects nearly all newborns to some degree. It is more prevalent in certain ethnic groups, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hispanic, and Native Americans. If you define jaundice as bilirubin levels of greater than 10mg/dl, one study found that Japanese newborns were more than three times as likely to be jaundiced as white newborns. Babies who are premature or are low birth weight are more likely to become jaundiced. Babies who don't feed often enough during the early days, and who don't stool often, are also more likely to become jaundiced. This underscores the importance of early, frequent feedings. Colostrum (the sticky yellow fluid produced before the milk comes in) acts as a laxative. Bilirubin accumulates in the baby's stools, and if it isn't excreted, it re-circulates in his system. Frequent stooling helps lower bilirubin levels.

In the baby with physiologic jaundice, bilirubin levels will usually peak between the third and fifth days of life and are usually less than 12mg/dl. Occasionally they will go higher than 15mg/dl. Most doctors will monitor levels closely during this time, checking the baby's levels with a blood test, pricking his heel, toe, or finger. If the levels are rapidly rising, or are 20mg/dl or higher (lower levels are used with premature infants), phototherapy is often suggested. This is a treatment which involves exposing skin to blue range light which breaks down the bilirubin and makes it more easily excreted. Years ago, nurses found that babies who were in beds near sunny windows had lower bilirubin levels. Researchers then found that phototherapy can make bilirubin levels drop quickly. Until the past few years, babies with high bilirubin levels had to be in the hospital for phototherapy treatments. Now, with new technology, babies can receive phototherapy at home using bili-blankets, provided by home health care providers. In most cases, bilirubin levels drop rapidly after phototherapy is initiated, and once the levels begin to go down, they almost always continue to decline. Usually only a day or two or therapy is needed. Most cases of physiologic jaundice will resolve without the use of phototherapy.

Here are some suggestions for preventing and/or treating normal, physiologic jaundice:

Feed your baby early and often. Remember that colostrum acts as a laxative, and frequent stooling lowers bilirubin levels. Keep track of urine and stool output (see article on How to tell if your baby is getting enough milk).

Avoid water supplements. Only 2% of the bilirubin is excreted in the urine, and 98% in the stools. Colostrum and milk contain fat, which stimulates bowel movements, and water can fill your baby up so that he is less interested in nursing.

Encourage your baby to stay awake and to feed at least every two hours. One of the things jaundice does is make your baby sleepy, especially is he is "under the lights". (See article on Waking sleepy babies).

Supplement with your expressed milk. If your baby is sleepy at the breast, and is having fewer than three large bowel movements in 24 hours, consider expressing your milk after feedings and giving it to him (preferably not with a bottle at this stage; he may become confused by rubber nipples if he is only a few days old). Use a dropper, syringe, cup, or tube-feeding device if possible. If your only option is hand expression or manual pumping, you may want to consider renting an electric pump for a few days until the bilirubin levels go down. Babies are often sleepy and lazy nursers as long as their levels are elevated, and the pump can provide extra stimulation to ensure an adequate supply.

Expose him to indirect sunlight. Undress him down to his diaper and put him in a room that gets a lot of light. His skin is very sensitive, so never put him in direct sunlight.

Avoid medications such as aspirin and sulfa drugs. Make sure your doctor knows which drugs you are taking, so that you can discontinue or find substitutes for drugs which might cause problems.
Pathologic, or abnormal jaundice is caused by medical conditions, and usually shows up at birth or within the first 24 hours after birth. The levels often rise quickly (0.5 mg/dl or more per hour). The baby may need immediate treatment, but breastfeeding can and should be initiated and continued. The colostrum and milk he receives will help him move his bowels, speeding up the elimination of bilirubin from his system. A sick baby needs the benefits of breastmilk even more than a healthy baby. In some extreme cases babies may be given exchange blood transfusions. This is the fastest way to bring down the bilirubin level, but is seldom needed these days since phototherapy is usually effective. If you are separated from your baby during his treatment, ask for information about where to obtain a hospital-grade breast pump to use while in the hospital and after you go home. A sick baby with elevated bilirubin levels will often be too sleepy and weak to nurse effectively for a while, and you may need the extra stimulation from the pump to ensure an adequate supply of breastmilk for him.

There is a third type of jaundice called late-onset, or breastmilk jaundice. This type of jaundice shows up during the second week of life, and peaks around the tenth day or later. It affects a very small percentage of infants (between 2% and 33%, depending on how you define "jaundiced" -- usually a level of 5-10mg/dl). The bilirubin count can remain elevated for weeks or even months, but will eventually level out at adult levels of 1mg/dl. The diagnosis is usually made in a healthy, thriving infant, and only after all the pathologic causes of jaundice have been ruled out. Often, this type of jaundice runs in families, and breastfed siblings are likely to be jaundiced as well. No one is sure why this type of jaundice occurs, but there seems to be something in some mother's milk that increases the reasbsorption of bilirubin, or decreases the liver processing of bilirubin. When the baby is temporarily given formula, either as a substitute for, or along with mother's milk, the levels drop quickly, rising again as the baby returns to total breastfeeding. Even though we are not sure of the cause, what is important to remember in cases of late-onset jaundice is that the baby is not harmed in any way by continued breastfeeding. There has never been a case of kernicterus associated with this type of jaundice, or any detrimental after effects. Because we know the well-documented benefits of breastfeeding, the baby should not be denied the advantages of breastfeeding, given the fact that the slightly elevated bilirubin levels will soon return to normal levels without any intervention. Once pathologic causes are ruled out, nursing should continue. Sometimes babies are taken off the breast for 24-48 hours just to make the diagnosis of breast-milk jaundice, though this is seldom necessary. If your healthcare provider wants to go this route, and the levels drop significantly, then breastfeeding should be resumed.

In most cases, jaundice is a normal, possibly even beneficial process that can be managed without interrupting breastfeeding. The treatment for physiologic jaundice is more breastfeeding rather than less, and sick babies with pathologic jaundice need breastmilk even more than healthy babies. Even in rare cases where the jaundice is caused by the breastfeeding, there is no reason to wean and every reason to continue giving your baby the best possible nourishment -- mother's milk.

Jaundice
by Anne Smith, IBCLC,
http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/breast/AS-jaundice.htm

Ini bukan Van laa...

2010-04-07T09:02:00.003+08:00

On our way home yesterday evening, I had this conversation with our 3 year old daugher Moira...

Mama: Moi, mana suda gincu mama? Nah hilang sudah.

Momoi: Ada tuu...

Mama: Itulah Momoi tiap pagi pakai gincu mama. Macam la ada urang tinguk di nursery. Vain!

Momoi: Ini bukan Van laa.... Ini Exora laa....

Mama: haha... Ada-ada ja anak nii...

Have a nice day!

Wishful thinking...

2010-04-06T12:34:00.003+08:00

I did another Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) today - the usual test I would do everytime I get pregnant. I dislike the glassful of glucose on empty stomach. It made me dizzy and nauseous. I dislike the needles, they need to take 3 blood samples (each sample one hour apart). I dislike the long wait. But, yay! Test ended just now. I hope I don't need to do this test again ever in my life.

Anyway, on another note I've been contemplating last night what to do after the baby arrive. I expect "extra-busy" will be my vocabulary everyday. Now, with 3 kids at home with no maid somehow I can still manage the house and work. Not sure when it's 4 though. The first year is always the difficult year. Sometimes, I wonder how other mothers with 8-9 kids manage their family. Hubby casually mentioned to me last night that perhaps they are full-time housewives.

However, I'm in a situation where I'm holding 2 important posts right now - one where I answer to my boss who pays my salary every month-end and the other one where I answer to God, kids and hubby who pay no salary only satisfaction when all things turned out well. The question now is it still possible for me to keep this 2 posts with 4 kids + 1 hubby needing attention and a house and business to run? I need to device some ways to make life manageable. After brainstorming last night I came out with a list of stuff that could make my life easier (whether it's available in the market, that I have to find out)...

1. Washer and Dryer (so I can just dump the dirty laundry and it'll come out clean and dry)
2. Home-cooking catering with home delivery service (anyone who does this business please contact me)
3. Robot (Hubby laughed at this idea - well I need a robot who can do all the folding, vacuuming and mopping. I've seen one that does vacuuming and mopping not sure about folding though.)
4. Dishwasher and Dish dryer

Hey, that's not that many isn't it. So I guess my life will still be manageable with 4 kids provided we have someone to look after them while we go to work. No need to worry so much now.

I need a lot of patient and help me God so that I have plenty of them.

Breaking the long silence...

2010-03-16T11:42:00.001+08:00

Been silent for many many months now. The year end activities and the 1st quarter of 2010 has kept me busy. (Perhaps if I'm diligent enough I will post some backdated entry)

This shall be my first entry for this year and so I would like to start with the recent photo taking session we had with inspiredbygavin during the Chinese New Year break (18 Feb 2010).
(InspiredbyGavin is also having school break promotion, to find out more click here)

A lot has happened during the past few months... birthdays, celebrations, family event, kids growing-up and etc. All happen before my eyes but time and other important stuff I need to attend to did not permit me update here. It would nice to have all that jotted down somewhere here.

Anyway, for today's record here is a new song Moira sang to tease her brother this morning.

Si Joshua... Si Joshua...
Dimana...
Disitu... disitu...
Kencing tilam...

Hearing this coming from a soon to be a 3-year old (tomorrow is her birthday) is really amazing. Hubby and I had a good morning laugh this morning but we also remind her not to do others what she doesn't want other to do to her. And everyday we wonder what they'll be like when the kids grow-up, we just hope 3 of them be nice to each other and keep each other company.

Little people growing up

2009-11-12T13:37:00.006+08:00

We brought Titi for his pneumococal jab last week and we had him measured. At 10 months, Titi is 8.4kg and 75cm tall. Paed says he's doing well. As far as learning development, he's doing well too he can clap hands and wave bye-bye at 9+ months. He can pick little objects with his fingers. He drinks his milk without much fuss when he's hungry, sleeps on his own when he is sleepy and only complaint when we ignored him too long. We are just happy he is such an angel (hopefully he'll stay the way he is now until he's big).

As for our little princess M, she is really talkative now. She likes to sing, she can even make conversation with Joshua and play with Joshua. She's happy to help when I ask her to do little chores like putting the used bottles from nursery in the sink (she even help me peel off the labels...hehe) and peeling off garlic skin. She started sleeping in Joshua's room already but occasionally she would creep back to our den wee hours in the morning (well at least now I can sleep through the night without her kicking my back or stealing my bolster... hehe). She realy has a good sense of humor... (like the photo above) Although, she gets on my nerves sometimes, but I always adore her sweet smile and "manja" disposition.

So that's about the 2 little people growing up story for now. Joshua's growing up story will continue in the next post...

Public Feedback Anyone??

2009-10-20T10:17:00.002+08:00

Tuesday October 20, 2009

Govt seeks public feedback to improve national unity

PUTRAJAYA: The Government is seeking public feedback and ideas on ways to improve national unity in Malaysia.

According to a statement from the office of the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, the feedback and suggestions received from the public would assist discussion on unity and 1Malaysia at idea generating sessions or labs.

The feedback sought by the Government Transformation Programme led by the Prime Minister’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) can be submitted to Pemandu’s website www.transformation.gov.my via email at ideas@transformation.gov.my.

The public can also write in to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala at Blok Barat, Aras 3, Bangunan Perdana Putra, 62502 Putrajaya.

“Through the labs, the Govern-ment plans to come up with radical, practical and innovative solutions to achieve and promote national unity and social harmony in the country,” the statement said, adding that the effort to promote national unity, the cornerstone of nation building, was in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s commitment to “1Malaysia: People First, Perfor-mance Now,” and the creation of “One Dream, One People, One Nation” concept.”

In addition to national unity, Pemandu is also seeking public feedback on each of the six National Key Result Areas (NKRA) – reducing crime, fighting corruption, widening access to affordable and quality education, raising living standard of the poor, improving infrastructure in rural areas and improving public transport. — Bernama

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Finally this is where we can voice out our opinions and suggestions to improve our country and anything we would like the government to hear.

So fellow Malaysians lets get our ideas to our government - perhaps one day someone up there will listen to us. I would be very interested to feedback on the Education system and extending age of child that qualify for child care centers or home nurse for small children and elderly... among other things.

Busy month...

2009-10-19T16:48:00.003+08:00

My 10 years service bond officially ends on the 1st October just before I turned 32 and that is the start of my crazy daily schedule as an employee, a mom, a wife, a maid, a teacher, and hehe... not forgetting "milking cow".

Celebrated my birthday on Saturday with kids and hubby, house chores on Sunday, visit my mom on Sunday and birthday dinner with mom, FLy to KL on Monday and come back to KK on Tuesday, meeting in KK on Wednesday, Fly to KL on Thursday and come back to KK on Friday, House chores on Saturday, Family Dinner with distant relative on Saturday Night, Gaya Street tour with distant relative, Continue house chores Sunday evening, visit mom Sunday evening, dinner at MIL Sunday evening, Internal meeting on Monday, Fly to Sandakan on Tuesday and come back on the same day, Meeting with customer on Wednesday in KK, Fly to KL on Wednesday and come back to KK on Thursday and finally took a day leave on Friday! Whew.... (At the end of the week I wondered to myself - where did the days go...)

Two weeks ago I was really negative and skeptical on being able to survive the busiest week without having too much stress. I told myself to take a day at a time and I did it! Plus we were able to cinch a deal with the management on something I've been working on since 3 or more years ago... hooray!!! but the deal is we have to finish it in 1.5 years - our staff is going to blow their heads off when they hear this from us. And my boss finally granted me a day leave I deserve as I've been working hard. Now I wish to have long holidays to spend with hubby and kids... I still have 30days leave entitlement... hehe... looks like something can be arranged here.

It's CLEAR again!

2009-09-30T16:04:00.004+08:00

I just can't be happier than now (well since yesterday actually when hubby announced the result at home). Theodore's urine culture result was out yesterday and the result - CLEAR from the nasty bacteria (second time).

Actually the docs ask me to take his urine sample since last month but I've been postponing as I'm not in favour of giving antibiotics (just incase the result turn bad) to treat UTI as well as any unnecessary invasive method to treat (especially if it's just a trial and error and not proven to be working). Anyway, Theodore was also visited by the Coxsakie Virus a month ago so I don't think if we take the urine at that time it will be a good sample.

As soon as hubby sent his sample on Saturday to the clinic, my mind also started worrying and guessing what the result will be. Finally after 2 tests - the first was in July and second done on Saturday (26 Sept 09) both showed CLEAR urine. Which means no need to do MCUG and circumsicion. Thank God!

While worrying, I also did some research on UTI and found very useful info from Health Freak Mommy's blog (my SIL told me about this on Saturday night while the kids play with each other). So I shall leave the link here for my own reference in case I may need them in the future.

And oh... Little Handsome Theodore is now 9 months. (Perhaps I will measure his stats when I can find the time)

Sitting straight for his 9 month photo-shoot

Before & After

2009-09-29T08:52:00.007+08:00

This is Joshua before and after the haircut on Sunday 27 Sept 09. He specifically requested "botak" look but of course I do not have the heart to shave his head bald. This is my first time cutting his hair. Usually Joshua will have hair cutting appointment at MIL "barber shop". I hope MIL won't freak out when she saw her Grandson new hairstyle (hasil kerja tangan kasar yours truly)... hehe...

Public Breastfeeding – Indecent Exposure?

2009-09-23T16:05:00.004+08:00

By: Organic Motherhood with Cool Whip (View Profile)

On September 4th, a breastfeeding rally was held in a Giddings Plaza on the North Side of Chicago in support of Lauren Trost who was harassed for nursing her seven-month-old baby Hank in the same plaza. The month before, Trost was in the plaza helping her sister to open a jewelry store. During the course of the day, Trost sat down to nurse her infant son in the public plaza and was approached by a woman who accused of doing something illegal and indecent by publicly breastfeeding her son.

Approximately fifteen moms nursed their babies simultaneously to show support for Trost and for public breastfeeding at the rally. Surprisingly, there was a great deal of positive media coverage of the rally, both on television and in local newspapers. My father sent me a link to an article in the Chicago Sun Times, which bore the title, “Breastfeeding Moms Rally to Support Hassled Woman.”

I was thrilled to see that the media has chosen to cover public breastfeeding in such a positive light. But what I found disturbing was that even though the media coverage was positive, 90 percent of reader reactions to this article were shockingly rude, hostile, or perverse. Other articles that covered the rally in a positive light also had extremely negative reader reactions. Here is a small sample of these comments (I retyped the posts “as is” with grammatical errors intact):

Can we at least get an advance warning next time???? Geezzzzzzzz, I want to have a chance to get into my baby costume.
How come it is never a hot mom in public breast-feeding? It is always some hippie, angry at the world so I won’t shave my armpit liberal that does this kind of thing.
I just don’t think it’s proper for women to show their breasts out in public unless they’re on the beach
7 months old and still on the teet?something tells me she will still be doing it when the child is 14 months as well
No wants to see these women breastfeeding. Have some discretion and get a life.
I don’t see why Trost felt she needed to stage a demonstration. If she used discretion and covered her breas ts. I hope Trost knows she opens herself up to perverts and freaks (voyeurism) by just whipping her breas ts out in public.
Does no one have common sense? Both these women sound like typical spoiled shrews. Breastfeed, but cover up and be discreet. And the other woman should have just moved on. 10 bucks says no one had to take off work to do any of this, just a bunch of bored housewives.
Is there a waiting list? Or do you have to know someone. My qualifications: 52 years old lactose toleration own my own teeth post-nibbler syndrome (sorry) sleeps through the night also, are there government grants to become part of this program? Ill sit down and suckkkk my thumb.
Why would you want to do something so intimate with child in public? Are you looking for attention?
Anyone who is really against it should go there with information on breast pumps and formula alternatives and pass it out to women there. Can we get a sponsor here? I don’t want to see a 20 or 30 (or 40) year old woman’s breasts with her kid sucking on them. I just want to enjoy the neighborhood food and shops. Can’t you feed your kid before you go out? I guess that would be too intimate, private, and simple.

The comments from the readers reflect the real opinions of the general population here in the United States in regards to breastfeeding. Essentially, the public opinion about breastfeeding can be summarized in the following belief statements:

1. Breasts are sexual objects and therefore it is indecent to nurse, whether publicly or privately. Additionally, women who breastfeed publicly should feel ashamed of themselves and deserve the harassment, perverse comments, and other negative attention they receive.

2. Babies do not need to breastfeed. Formula is just as good.

3. Women who are stubbornly determined to breastfeed should at least remain at home because it is unnecessary, indecent and perverse to do so in public.

In a country where breastfeeding is actually on the rise statistically, it is interesting that general public opinion about the subject is still so pervasively negative. When did feeding an infant in the way God intended become a sexually perverse act? Why should a mother feel a sense of shame when she is doing the most natural thing a mother could do—feeding her baby?

I am a staunch breastfeeding advocate. I have nursed both of my sons past the age of two. I know that breast milk has enormous advantages for my children’s well-being (emotional, mental, and physical) but I have to admit that I still feel slightly uncomfortable when breastfeeding in public. Why do I feel this way?

The truth is two-fold. The first half starts with the advent of infant formula companies and their corrupt marketing strategies. According to the National Fertility Survey 68 percent of mothers born between 1911 and 1915 breastfed their first baby, compared with 35 percent of mothers born by the early 1940’s.

In the 1940s, evaporated milk formulas and commercial infant formulas began to seriously compete in the market. Commercial infant formula was touted as the new “scientific” way of feeding your baby which also liberated mothers from needing to be in constant contact with their infants. Women in the United States, as well as in other Western countries, rapidly accepted this new model of infant feeding and breastfeeding rates began to drop continuously from this point forward. At the same time, formula companies promoted their product in third world countries, ultimately leading to malnutrition, health problems and death in millions of infants abroad because of improper sanitation, weak or improperly mixed solutions of formula, and loss of the many natural benefits present in breast milk.

By 1971, breastfeeding the United States was at al all time low of 23 percent. Consider also, that this statistic includes any baby that was ever breastfeed, even a single time. It wasn’t until after July 4, 1977, when an enormous boycott was launched against Nestlé and other infant formula makers, that the public perception of breastfeeding began to improve again. Also, at this time, La Leche League and other lactavist groups began to rally to improve the public understanding of the real benefits of mother’s milk.

The second part of the equation is that while women’s breasts were no longer being utilized as they were intended (to feed human infants), media in this country became more and more explicit in using women’s bodies as sexual objects. Women’s bodies have become in our country an extraordinary tool for advertising, marketing and sales. As the standards for what is acceptable to appear on television deteriorate and you can see nearly naked women bumping, grinding and tantalizing viewers on practically every channel, it is not shocking that the American public cannot conceive of women’s breasts as anything but sexual.

At the same time, it is important to remember that this is a cultural phenomenon and does not represent anything more than the depravity, frivolity and density of American society. In plenty of other cultures around the world, women’s breasts are still perceived as utilitarian tools with which babies are nourished. None of the mystique and sexual aura surrounds them. Men and women of all ages congratulate women who breastfeed their children publicly and encourage them to continue for as many years as the children desire to do so.

In her wonderful, thought-provoking article, Breastfeeding in the Land of Genghis Khan, Ruth Kamnitzer talks about her experiences as a Canadian living in Mongolia. She explains that breastfeeding is not only accepted in Mongolian culture, but embraced, expected and encouraged. Children are expected not only to nurse, but to nurse “to term,” which could be anything from two to four years old and sometimes upwards of that.

In Mali, women go around topless, breastfeeding their infants without even a sideways glance from onlookers. Carolyn Latteier, the author of Breasts, The Women’s Perspective on American Obsession, wrote:

Well, we do have a peculiar obsession with breasts in this culture. A lot of people think it’s just the human nature to be fascinated with breasts but in many cultures, breasts aren’t sexual at all. I interviewed a young anthropologist working with women in Mali, in a country in Africa where women go around with bare breasts. They’re always feeding their babies. And when she told them that in our culture men are fascinated with breasts there was an instant of shock. The women burst out laughing. They laughed so hard, they fell on the floor. They said, “You mean, men act like babies?”

But the ultimate truth is we cannot escape from the society in which we live. It’s wonderful that breastfeeding is accepted and encouraged in other cultures, but if we live in America, we have to acknowledge the fact that many people are uncomfortable with watching mothers nurse their babies.

What is the solution? Plain and simple—more public breastfeeding. The more people see something, the more common it becomes, and the less it jumps out as a shocking anathema. So, get out there mommies and show those nursing boobies to the world. Breastfeeding moms everywhere will thank you and your baby will too.

First published September 2009

Find this article at:

http://www.divinecaroline.com/22108/82971-public-breastfeeding---indecent-exposure-

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Being able to breasfeed my babies up to now is a blessing for me - and still going to breastfeeding TeeTee until he is 1 year old or anytime he still want.

I think it's true to get more mothers to breasfeed their babies - we need to be open about breasfeeding - we need support from the society. After all it's God's gift to all mothers- to be able to nourish your own babies. I enjoyed talking to mothers in my office about the benefits of breasfeeding and really happy to see those who never breasfeed their babies are now breastfeeding (at least part-time).

It can be done even if you are working 8-5 or working away from home - trust me it's do-able. I'll bring my pump and cooler pack everywhere I go (even attending to a fire crisis in Sandakan recently). I know it's so out of the mind, but at the end of the day it's worth just to see my baby sweet smile and sleepy murmur at the breast.

Ribbon Gurl...

2009-09-22T07:20:00.004+08:00

Moira's latest craze - Ribbons

The kids busy messing around with my pc.

New Development

2009-09-07T11:47:00.015+08:00

Now it's the littlest member of the family turn - our happy little Theodore caught theHand Foot and Mouth virus apparently from the nursery. The first symptom appeared (fever) on the 4th September and followed by spots (like chicken pox) 2 days later. Moira already caught the virus last year, so we are not so worried at home. (Adults and children above 5 do get this virus but the symptoms are mostly mild)

With the newfound virus he was more clingy and cranky - perhaps the feeling of uneasiness, sticky and soreness made him like that. He enjoyed extra attention and care from us. Luckily he is still mostly breasfed, the symptoms is not as bad as Moira's last time. He still want to drink his milk and eat a little something. I gave him papaya and very watery baby cereal.

I was planning to take a week leave to take care of Theodore, unfortunately I was called for another meeting in KL middle of the week. So Darling Hubby, MIL and me take turns to care for Theodore during the week. I'm so very lucky and thankful to have hubby and MIL around.

At 8 months, Theodore is weighing 7.5kg and length 72.5cm. He can...
~Stand on his own (holding furniture)
~Crawl
~Clap his hands/toys together
~Say mama/nenen/papa when hungry
~Loves to play with Uaua & Momoi
~Grind his 2 visible lower front teeth
~Loves banana and apple
~Can take coarse porridge but shows dislike of the plain taste
~Started to eat on baby chair

Messy me on me Baby Chair

I still haven't tried any meat or fish on him. Perhaps will let him try when I've got time to buy some fish during the weekend. I'm not pro to putting anchovies in the porridge as fresh fish is better than preserved fish.

Huhu.. can't wait for the long weekend to spend more time with the kiddies...

My Stick Family

2009-09-01T16:52:00.002+08:00

Cute Heh... Next time I'll paste the code somewhere.

aaah... our lovely kids...

2009-08-17T13:25:00.005+08:00

So much happens since I last posted here and the kids have grown so much from last time.

Uaua just lost his 2 front lower teeth on 13th Aug (Right) and 14th Aug (Left). His permanent tooth has been impatient - his permanent molar and lower front inscisor was seen trying to erupt the gums a month ago when I brought him to visit his favorite dentist.

Tee Tee like his brother also got his first 2 front teeth last week 10th Aug (almost the same time like his bro.). I actually felt the teeth grinding my nipple when I force him to feed. He's been pretty preoccupied socializing with his siblings nowadays that I have to force him to feed or sometimes I bring him to hide from Uaua and Momoi or the TV.

Momoi has been amusing us lately with her choice of sentences and words. She can count up to 13 or 14 and say her ABC. Yesterday she was asking me to spell the word "FIFFY" on her pillow and to my surprise she corrected me when I say 'F' on the letter 'Y'(I wasn't even looking at which letter she pointed). She showed her two finger when she count 2 pears to Papa yesterday. However her bed manners are something she still need to improve. Every night she will cry once or twice for no reason (or maybe there is a reason that we are yet to understand).

Huh... life as a mother of 3 is really busy for me. If I can divide 24 hours daily - my normal operating time will be 8am-6pm (work and work and think and think some more... I'm paid to think) 6pm-8am (cooking, cleaning, teacher, entertainer, milk production machine, kids-playmate). No wonder I feel there is no tomorrow... Tomorrow and today is the same.

We all had a good laugh....

2009-07-23T16:23:00.002+08:00

One evening (last week) as we were parking our car at our apartment parking lot, I saw one guy coming out from his car wearing pink T-shirt. So I made the following comment...

Me: Uaua... look at that uncle - he wore pink T-shirt like mama's T-shirt...

without much thinking Uaua answered with serious face...

Uaua: The shop he bought the T-shirt finish stock ba... Left pink colour only.

Me & Hubby: Hahaha...

Caught in Action

2009-07-20T14:05:00.007+08:00

Just 2 weeks ago I caught Theodore doing his 4Wheel stance when I was about to fly to KL on the 7 July. However, I didn't manage to shoot a photo because as soon as I was ready to shoot he was already smiling and lost his balance... (hehe... so I smiled back at him). And this happens a few times until one day he was so tired and slept in this position...

"Sleepy 4Wheel Stance"

While we were away at work, he did his daily work-out at the nursery and manage to stay longer in his 4Wheel stance for me to take some more pictures last week...

"Doing my 4Wheel pose"

And last Sunday (19 July 09), I caught him again but this time doing the "Mermaid Sitting Stance" and there I was calling hubby loudly to take a look at his son latest skill. All of us (incl. Uaua & Momoi) squeal in delight...

"My Mermaid Sitting Stance"

Our Dear Little Theodore... You are really growing very fast. I even heard Uaua told Momoi that she can rough-play with TeeTee soon (so that Momoi won't disturb him very often).

Theodore's Baptism

2009-07-13T13:37:00.004+08:00

We had Theodore Baptised on 28th June 2009 2pm at Stella Maris Church.

I've been wanting to post the photos since many days ago and finally manage to get this done today.

Maid Issue

2009-07-01T14:46:00.004+08:00

I'm very much in agreement with the letter in today's the Star - tele-working to solve the maid issue. In fact, most of us working parents do not really need a maid if we can have flexible time and work-condition or if we can have local home nursing service that we can depend on to take care of our children and elderly.

The government should also do more to help it's people by perhaps training our own citizen to be professional nurse and house helpers. After all getting a Indonesian maid nowadays is not as easy and cheap as it used to be. So we might as well spend the money to train our locals and recognize Nursing (Child and Elderly) and house helpers as careers/skilled jobs.

Imagine our young locals from rural areas come to town to work as handphone sellers, cleaning lady, coffee shop assistants, etc and earning RM450-500. That is the same wage we are paying our imported maid plus approx RM 1,500 for their documents and not forgetting the free lodging and food. While our locals who are paid the same salary have to pay house rents, bus fare & own food for the same or almost the same workload.

Isn't it wonderful if we can pay our own people to do the job rather than being too dependant on imported work-force and at the same time we are also creating more job opportunities for our own people.

Before this can be realised of course we need to educate our own people to accept Home Nursing as a career so that it will not be looked down and thought as less glamourous job by our own society.

Well, that's my opinion as I actually need helpers at home to deal with the house work so that I can have some rest and more time with the kids and also someone to care/assist my parents. Other that I'm pretty happy with whatever arrangement I have now.

Wednesday July 1, 2009

Why not try tele-working?

WHENEVER we hear of maids being abused, there will be a knee-jerk reaction by many parties.

I think, instead of “fire-fighting”, the Government should look into the reasons why we need maids, and who are the ones needing the maids. A majority of them are working parents with young children or elderly to care for.

There has been suggestion of setting up day-care centres at offices. While it is a noble idea, it doesn’t work if you have school-going children as you need someone to pick them up from school and send them to their tuition or extra classes in the afternoon.

Since most offices are away from homes, it is not practical to send the kids to day-care centres in offices when they need to go to schools near their homes.

While there are transportation and transit services available, the cost could be too high for a family with three to four school-going children. Having a maid is still a cheaper option.

Most of the households that require maids are working couples. To reduce their dependency on maids, why not allow workers to tele-work? You can do video conferencing, Skype, email, etcetra from home and get your work done. While the children are in school, one can still go to the office for team meetings or meeting clients.

If your child goes to a typical Sekolah Kebangsaan and Sekolah Agama like mine, they will be in school from 7.30am to 1.30pm, then 2.30pm to 5.30pm. That is a lot of time for one to do work (housework and office work) at home or outside. You can still continue your work after 5.30pm if you need to after picking up the children from afternoon classes.

Such an arrangement will reduce our dependancy on maids because at least one parent is at home to handle housework and child-minding, and at the same time, there is no (or little) loss of income for the household.

I wish our Government and corporate organisations would realise the many benefits of allowing their workers to tele-work. Having a parent at home with the children is better than having a foreigner whom you barely trust to take care of your most prized possessions, your children. And for the employer, there will be no loss of manpower since the employee still has to achieve the goals set by the company.

If countries like the United States, Britain, Sweden have done it, why can’t we? This is the same question that I and a few friends asked our HR manager in our company 10 years ago. I have also been involved in various dialogues with NGOs on teleworking for the past eight years since I started my business from home. But until now, we have yet to see it being implemented effectively.

I urge the Government and related parties to seriously consider allowing and implementing the tele-working policy for the benefit of all of us, espcially our future generation.

DAYANG LILY ABANG MUAS,
Shah Alam, Selangor.

Theodore is 6 months!

2009-06-29T15:32:00.006+08:00

Our cute little Theodore is 6 months and as usual I took some photos for our rememberance. So many snaps but this is my fav...

Theodore at 6 months
Weight: 6.9 kg

Theodore is adored by his 2 siblings and at home he is called TeeTee or Titi or Titing. Both Joshua and Moira loves to play with Theodore or show him new tricks. I'm just afraid that he will grow up too soon as a result of this.

I can see that he is learning fast - he knows tapping on water create splash and now he no longer likes to lie in the bath-tub, he likes to sit instead and play tap-the-water.

He is a very likeable baby and easy to maintain - he sleeps on his own in the baby cot. Even at daytime if he wants to sleep I just put him down and he just sleeps. I am really happy and grateful to have such a wonderful baby like TeeTee.

I let him taste his first formula just a week ago (16 June) and as expected he didn't like the taste - he simply push the bottle with his tongue and smile (hehe... those cheeky smile). Then I use the same technique when I first introduce EBM to him, of course he shows some resistance but since he is hungry he finally took whatever is available to him (kasian... but what to do I was going to KL for 3 days and my stock count was only 16 bottles at that time). Now, occasionally I give him a little formula (only 3 oz a day) to get him familiarize with the taste.

He started on solid (I gave him heinz plain rice cereal) last Saturday (19 June) just one teaspoon initially. Now he can even finish 1.5 tablespoon.

Makan time...

Unfortunately, the bacteria in his urine still haven't cleared off and today I send another urine sample to the clinic after another round of antibiotic - cross my fingers I hope no more bacteria. Otherwise, the doc will have to circumcise him. Other than that our little Theodore is a healthy, friendly and sweet little baby.

Dear Little Theodore - Mama & Papa, Abang Uaua & Kakak Momoi loves you. Muuaah...

I won these...

2009-06-06T15:32:00.006+08:00

RM 200 Cash, RM 200 Hamper (from Johnson&Johnson),
Certificate and Silver Crown

I feel so proud, elated, adrenaline-rush, I-don't-know-how-to-explain feeling when the emcee announced my name as the 2nd prize winner for the "Outstanding Breastfeeding Mother Award" during the "Our Little Wonders - Our Future" Baby Contest held at City Mall today 06 June 2009. I registered TeeTee too for the baby contest. He cried as soon as he saw the judges (perhaps he was terrified by their un-friendly faces).

I didn't expect to win (though I hope to win) as there were so many people. I was tired and the kids need their afternoon nap but luckily hubby suggested we hang around a bit till the result is out.

We didn't manage to take any photo as me & hubby busy minding the kids.With 3 kids on-tow it's hard to move around, we even lost UaUa for a while when I went to take the prize.

I personally feel my breastfeeding experience really paid-off. Special credits to hubby too for the encouragement and support (especially when I'm outstation). Tomorrow, I'm going to watch the news. Most probably the news will come out in the Chinese paper. Heee... I'm just so happy.

I will post the photos once I got hold of it..

My 5 months Boy!

2009-05-27T12:55:00.004+08:00

My Theodore is 5 months today and it also means I've been fully breastfeeding him for 5 months now! Whew... 1 more month to go before I start him on solid and perhaps a little taste of powered milk (or maybe not - I'm happy to be moo-moo).

For a 5months baby, Theodore is quite tall perhaps he'll grow tall just like his papa. He likes to take bath and he's a friendly and playful baby - like's to laugh at Uaua's playful gesture, even when he is feeding he will smile/laugh if he caught eye contact with me.

Among his favorite pastime, chewing his feet, sucking his hands (not fingers but hands), smilling, rolling over and back, watching telly, making (funny) sound and socializing.

Hehe foot munching time...

Look Ma... No hands...

Hehe... playing peek-a-boo with me this morning

10 years... now what?

2009-05-21T17:12:00.002+08:00

I'm in this particular stage of my life (career-wise) - I call it the "cross-road" where I have to decide to turn left or right or just move on. For the past few months I've been thinking about it. Until now I'm still not sure what to do but I have this yearning to turn right or left and not go ahead.

There are a few motivations for me to think this way (not in particular order):-
1. I need a change of environment
2. I love my family
3. I love my kids
4. My bond is finally coming to an end
5. I want to spend more time with the kids
6. I'm exhausted - I need a break
7. I want to do something that I like in my own time

and if I can find ways to do what I want to do and still get the same pay I would. Haha... I'm stuck in a situation. God help me.

Hello Darling

2009-05-05T13:08:00.004+08:00

It's been a week now Momoi call her papa Darling. I can't believe my ears at first but now it seems the name Papa = Darling to her.
Almost all sentences have the word Darling whenever she talks to Papa... hehe...

Bye Darling
Hello Darling
Darling...Darling....
Please Darling...
Oo..Oo.. Darling...
Mandi Darling...
Darling jalan...
Goodnight Darling...
I love you Darling...
and one song she likes to sing... Oh my Darling... oh my Darling...

Obviously... Papa's girl. We went to see the Paediatrician yesterday and she suggested that I should start calling hubby Papa... but... nah... after all it's soo cute listening to her calling Papa=Darling and I believe the time will pass and she'll be calling Papa = Papa again.

Thank God for more milk...

2009-04-23T12:32:00.004+08:00

aaah... This morning I woke up at 5.30 am admiring my growing collection of milk....

Collection on Tuesday...

This morning I have 10 bottles... 5 to the nursery and 5 as a stock.

Perhaps it's madness (my colleague pun kesian at me) but this is the least I can do for my children. If a cow can do it so can I... hehe... small scale industry grade milk.

Milk Supply issues...

2009-04-21T16:41:00.003+08:00

While researching about milk supply booster I came across this site and I found it very entertaining and enlightening.

Milk supply is getting better after a little rest yesterday and papaya soup in the afternoon and evening (heee... I'm desperate - I don't mind drinking papaya soup day and night as long as breast co-operates). Also, I shall feed the milk making machine with protein, fats and water (as recommended in here)... hehe and that means me.

While milk supply is getting back, I'm still having major headache due to blocked sinus and tried nose/sinus wash (as recommended my kid's paed). The result - I'm still feeling congested but nope... I'm not going to take any flu medicine (even the doc I met yesterday smile in disbelief at this). I've bad experience with them while breasfeeding Moira.

I'm off now to breastpump again... hehe... happy to have more milk again. Hubby called it industrialisation (what a big name...). Thanks Aunty J & Jasica for the tips and advice.

In pathetic state...

2009-04-20T14:42:00.004+08:00

My health condition has been pretty bad lately due to lack of sleep. Milk production has reduced tremendously. I've tried Milkmaid tea but the result still not satisfactory. Poor TeeTee... he's been behaving like hungry baby for few days already... I'm still not ready to let him take any formula due to so many virus flying around the house and outside. I know once he take formula he'll get sick himself (from past experience with Moira).

Kasian... my hungry TeeTee... so hungry he has to put both hands in his mouth

Later I'm going to try Jamu Selapan - saw this from here... hopefully milk production will rev-up.

Latest update - TeeTee was able to turn by himself last week... Hooray!
Another baby fast growing and mama wish TeeTee's babyhood period is forever...

Happy Little People in the House...

2009-04-07T14:39:00.003+08:00

Its hard to take pictures of 3 of them together

They give me headache when they scream and cry
nonetheless they always make my worries miles away with their smile
(especially the cheeky ones)

The eldest of the three have grown so much over the years and will grow some more...
The middle one... growing up to be a young girl but still like a baby...
The youngest... still a baby but now fast catching up his sister...

My 3 adorable Happy Little People in the house... Joshua, Moira & Theodore
Mama loves you so much.

Happy Buff-Day Momoi!

2009-03-18T11:03:00.004+08:00

Our dearest Momoi turned 2 yesterday!

At first, I planned to send a birthday cake to the nursery for her to celebrate with her friends but unfortunately she got infected with conjuctivitis just a day before her "buff-day". Too bad for her... we have to KIV her buff-day celebration to a later date.

So on her birthday, she spend the whole day at Dodu's house with bro. Uaua - poor kids, they are under quarantine and kept as far as possible from baby TeeTee (Theodore).

Here's a couple of pictures of our 2 year old "Ultraman" Momoi and her Bro... hehe. (Papa call them ultraman eyes... hehe)

Momoi's eyes is still swollen and very red. Uaua's eye getting better...

And last night before she sleep she sang happy buff-day again to herself and everyone until she fell asleep (she's been singing the song almost everyday for one month already) and say a little prayer. Perhaps it's her way of reminding me and hubby of her buff-day.

Busy Momma

2009-03-04T08:15:00.003+08:00

Latest update... I've been busy for the past one month. My mom was not feeling well which add up to the existing busy schedule of minding the kids and family business (the usual stuff - cooking, washing, folding etc).

I have to KIV anything to do with shopping, pampering myself, internet or hobbies until everything settle into normal mode again.

So for now, I shall concentrate on my work which was left untouched for 2 months - my boss did some of the little task while I'm away. Thanks Boss!

The other half of my time shall be spent on the kids and family.

Life as a mum is always busy but I'm not complaining because as the kids grows it will get easier. So for the time being just go with the flow.

Loyar Buruk si Joshua..

2009-02-02T17:44:00.002+08:00

Last week after having dinner I sliced 2 apples for desserts...

Joshua: Banyak juga apple ni... Siapa yang makan semua ni?
(There's so many slices of apple. Who will eat them all?)

Me: (Dengan selambanya menjawab) Kita la...
(Us la...)

Joshua: "Kita" means Papa, Mama, Uaua, Momoi & Theodore. Mana Theodore buli makan???

Me: :-]

Full Moon Celebration

2009-01-27T05:56:00.004+08:00

24 January 2009 marks the end of my confinement and also Baby Theo Full Moon... yay! (The actual full moon celebration should be on 27 Jan 09 but I can't find shops that take orders during CNY).

We celebrated the day with family and friend at my parents' house. It was pre-CNY celebration too as most of the dishes my mom cooked was traditionally cooked during CNY by my Kung-Kung way back in the old times when she was young (that's what my mom told me). Anyway, the dishes was really delicious especially the Yam Pork (Kiew Nyuk). I was really a glutton on that day (talapas kandang...hehe) after a month of Chicken in Rice Wine (Lihing) soup.

For my moms' credits here are the list of dishes she prepared:
1. Yam Pork
2. Chicken with mushroom
3. Chu Kiok (Pork's leg in sweet vinegar)
4. Pork fried with bamboo shoot
5. Fried tang hoon (Fried glass noodle)
6. Macaroni Salad
7. Hinompuka (Sticky cake wrapped in banana leaf)

On top of that I also ordered 3 other dishes
1. Prawn Salad
2. Sweet and sour fish
3. Mix vege

and my sister also ordered
1. Fried mee hoon
2. Fried kuey teow

After the "makan session" my aunts open a gambling session (kua merah) which as long as I remember is a must family thing to do during CNY.

So the Full Moon celebration was more like CNY celebration or maybe an excuse to get together with family. While I'm having fun talking to cousins and helping myself to the delicious food, baby Theo was happily sleeping all through the day (perhaps he was lulled by the noisy surroundings).

Here's some photos on that day...

Happy 1/12 birthday Theodore, you are growing very fast. You will soon outgrow the small basin we first bathe you in. And next time we know you are a big boy already.

Huh, time flies really fast - I still have 1 month leave which is going to end soon.

Taming Theodore

2009-01-12T14:52:00.004+08:00

I'm doing this post just for my own record as well as reference for others who might need it.

Like the usual saying - taming a horse, some babies need to be tamed as well, particularly if one has been breastfeed exclusively for more than 3 days. Theodore is no exception, not to repeat the same mistake I did with his sister Moira whom I breasfeed exclusively for 1 month and then only introduce EBM(Expressed Breast Milk) in a bottle which she refuses to drink. So this time I try to introduce bottle earlier to Theodore at 1 week old. To my dismay he refuses to drink his milk from the bottle at even 1 week old!

When we went to check his jaundice on the 5th Jan, hubby suggested that I bring a bottle of EBM (just in case he might need them). So when we arrived at the clinic and the nurse finish taking his blood sample, we sat down and there I was trying to persuade a hungry baby to drink from his bottle. One senior nurse passed-by (after sending some hospital guests to the door) and asked why the baby not taking the milk. I told her that he is used to breastfeeding. So she smiled and said - let me show you the technique how to tame a breasfed baby taking their bottle. So here's the technique - she even taught me and hubby how to handle and properly bottle feed a baby and many other tips (really glad I met her but silly me forgot to ask her name).

(Perhaps if I have time I'll do the illustration later with baby Theodore)
1. Sit comfortably on a chair.
2. Hold baby head with one hand supporting baby neck. Baby held away from body in semi-recline position. (Looks more like sitting position)
3. Hold the bottle with the other hand. Place the bottle in between the thumb and index finger and use the thunb and index finger to hold the bottle. The other three fingers should be free to move.
4. When baby open mouth, push the bottle into baby mouth with the teat 3/4 or whole-length inside baby mouth. Put the three fingers below the chin and stimulate the baby to drink the milk by using the three fingers to lift the baby chin (so that baby closes his mouth).
5. Continuously use the three fingers to encourage baby to close his mouth with the teat inside his mouth until he begin to suck.

Baby may cry a little as a show of his preference- but it's a battle of the strongest - baby or bottle-giver. Once baby accept defeat, he will suck from the bottle.

It took around 15 minutes for the nurse to tame Theodore to take his bottle. Me and hubby were so delighted when at last he began to suck (can't believe can tame a baby like that). At first I was thinking of changing the teat to wide-neck size and other shapes, but since we manage to tame him I just stick to his ordinary teat. Ever since being tamed I give Theodore one bottle-feed daily just so he remember how to feed from the bottle. After my 1 month confinement, I will then breast pump to stock -up for work. I plan to fully breasfeed at least till his 6th month when we introduce solid food to his diet (dunno if I can last that long with the frequent outstation trips I have to make - we'll see how). Huhu... I'm now officially moo-moo in the house again.

Theo is 1 week old!

2009-01-04T04:49:00.003+08:00

Time flies so fast and it's been a week since baby Theo first introduction to the new environment (other than the darkness in the womb). Here is his photo at 1 week...

He still looked bit jaundiced but he is feeding well and now start to have regular bowel movement. Hope this will help clear the bilirubin. Actually, Theo has undecended testicle (both left & right) at birth but I got one of the local masseurs to correct the position and lucky she managed to get one testicle down. The other one still a bit higher but I can see that he is finally wetting more nappies now as compared to the first few days only3 nappies in a day (Perhaps it was due to his testicle being undecended).

Theo is also exclusively breastfeed and I was quite amused at 1 week old he totally refused to suck the expressed breastmilk from the bottle. I guess I have to train him to accept bottle earlier - otherwise I would have problem when I go to work or outstation later.

Life is good at the moment after 1 week with a new-born baby - long break, spending more time with the kids but I was a bit sad that the school holiday is going to be over soon and I didn't do much things with Uaua - I have lots of plans of things to do with him but somehow it didn't materialised. The only thing that I manage to get him to learn is swimming which starts 28 November 08. It was his first time in the pool and having sensitive nose he sneezes all the time - poor boy.

Momoi is also pretty grown up now - I spend most of the time with her during the 2 weeks nursery break. Comparing her with Theo now I can't believe she has grown this big - I still miss the baby Moira. She is so adorable with her smiles, big eyes and chubby cheeks. She can sing A-Z, say 1-10, sing few nursery rhymes (in her own language) and can understand simple instruction. She eats on her own (starts taking solid - rice & family meal when Theo arrives). I can see she can be independent and loves her baby brother. I guess the timing is just right - the only thing that I didn't manage to teach her yet is potty training. At night, she still try to escape from her brother's room to our room to sleep next to me.

While Dodu (MIL) was busy bathing Theo I manage to catch Moira doing her funny stuff again - she took the small bucket and put on top of her head. MIL & I can't help but laugh... hehe...

Finally thanks to MIL for helping with bathing Theo and cooking delicious meals for hubby and kids. All this time I never get bored with my confinement food until I saw my MIL cooking in the house - I almost forgot I am only allowed to take my food. Thanks to Mom & Dad too for sending me my delicious confinement soup (so eager to have them- my favorite lihing soup) and bath daily and even stayed with me in the hospital until I delivered. I know mom is not feeling very well but she still stayed on. I am so lucky to have such wonderful parents and in-laws.

Here's a photo of MIL with Theo at 1 week. This photo was taken by our talented Joshua.

Welcome Home Theodore Zachary

2009-01-02T01:16:00.007+08:00

I have safely delivered our latest addition of the little people in the house - on the 27th Dec 2008 at10.35 pm. It was a long labour as compared to the 2 siblings. The blood sign came at about 10.30 am and hubby called MIL to take care of the other kids. We went off as soon as MIL reached our home - well they say the third one usually faster.

I was admitted at Damai Specialist Center at about 12.00 noon but contraction was not strong and regular. Dr L. came and checked at about 2 pm and asked if I agree to get induced with pitocin or just wait. Well since we are already there and hubby is very eager to meet his son - we agree to get induced.

Unlike Momoi's once the drip is on, it only take 30 minutes and here comes Momoi. Now I believe it's true that every pregnancy and delivery is different - once the drip is on we waited and waited until 6 pm I can still smile and joke about the contraction being not strong. Then Dr L. came to check and said to me "wah still no pain? strong girl ah- good!" So he increased the dose to double 10ml/hr and confidently he said see you later with a big smile.

Again after the dose double, I thought the labour is not going to come and the nurses even said if by 24hrs no labour I might end up in surgery. And that scares me a lot as I've always prefer normal delivery. Lucky God answered my prayer and I began to feel the contraction pain at about 9 pm.

I was wheeled to the labour room at about 10pm and Dr L. came and checked again and declared to the nurses we are going to have a baby in 30 minutes. Huh... finally the pushing part. I was lucky to have my mother as doula (she was my doula for the 2 kid also). Somehow it gives me courage having her around during delivery. Dr L. even joked when I requested my mom to be present - he said "ramai-ramai pun boleh.. hehe".

I remember mom said "Why are you scared? This is not your first time." But deep inside I'm scared I have not enough stamina/strength to push knowing this baby is going to be a big baby as a result of the excessive Christmas feast. When finally I heard baby Theodore first cry, the feeling was beyond relieve that I finally delivered baby Theodore safely. I can't describe the amount of pushing I need to do to get the baby out - but what I can say it was more work than Uaua's and Momoi's. I was lucky Theodore did not wait until New year otherwise I mught have to go for C-section surgery.

So here's a welcome to our little (big) bundle of joy...

Theodore Zachary Tuining

Born: 27 December 2008
Time: 10.35pm
Weight: 3.82 kg
Length: 52 cm

Welcome home Theodore
now we have Joshua, Moira and Theodore!

and thanks Aunty J for posting... Yes I agree we are short of Simon in the family hehe...

Christmas Is Here

2008-12-17T12:16:00.005+08:00

Dear Family and Friends...

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New year.
This year didn't manage to do any Christmas deco at home as I'm quite busy with year-end work tie-ups and preparing for the birth of our baby. So much things to do and so little time to do them.
Anyway, wishing you all happy holiday and take care where ever you are.

Lots of Love from
Happy Little and Big People in the House

Happy 5th Birthday Joshua!

2008-11-25T08:26:00.003+08:00

This morning we sang this song to Joshua

"Happy Birthday to Uaua,
Happy Birthday to Joshua,
Happy Birthday to Bartholomew,
Happy Birthday to Joshua,
May you'll grow up Healthy and Happy!"

And we exchange hugs and kisses.

Joshua was blushing red... hehe...

Me and Hubby thought to ourselves, our boy is "big" already.
It's been five years since Uaua was a baby
when hubby was impressed how tiny his feet was.
And how soft his skin was.

And he even had a little song for Joshua...

Joshua, Joshua, Anakku...
Yang comel dan manja...
Macam Panda...

"Happy 5th Birthday Joshua!"

Papa, Mama, Momoi & Little baby
Loves You!

Uaua... oh... Uaua...

2008-11-15T18:58:00.012+08:00

Joshua's antics no 1:

Joshua is fully toilet-trained now but as usual he had a few "accidents" at night and in the morning especially if he just have to let it go earlier than the scheduled time. Last Sunday night and morning was no exception, he wet 2 mattresses! We have 3 mattresses in Uaua's room (2 single mattresses and 1 queen size mattress).

So in the morning when he woke up he proudly announced to Papa...

Uaua: Papa... Papa... last night I didn't wet my "bantal kici" (such victory!)... I wet the mattress only...
("bantal kici" is Uaua's version of "bantal busuk" (smelly pillow) he had since he was a baby)

Papa: (Geram and half laughing face...)

Joshua's antics no 2:

Yesterday's conversation on the way home...

Papa: (Talking to Mama) Nah... I got the PS CS3 program you've been looking for from my friend.

Mama: Wah... Thank you (2x) I'm so happy later tonight can install and play around with it...

Suddenly Uaua with sour face pinched Mama...

Mama: Why? What's wrong?

Uaua: (Tears welled-up) Papa didn't get program for me... I want to play program also!

Papa: (Trying hard not to laugh) Program is not a toy laa... It's something to install in the pc.

Joshua's sour face

Long or Short?

2008-11-12T12:27:00.007+08:00

Momoi is due for another hair-cut soon. Her fringe is getting longer and distracting her views. Papa on the other hand prefer to keep her hair long so that she can be Rapunzel (like Mama last time).

Anyway here are some of short and long looks Momoi had. Votes are welcome - Long or Short?

Short....

Long...

So what say you - Long or Short?

Me and My Girl...

2008-11-12T11:30:00.004+08:00

Let the pictures tell a thousand words...

2008 Family Day

2008-11-10T12:56:00.009+08:00

This year we manage to attend 3 family days. Uaua's school family Day was held on 16th August 2008 at Uaua's school, Papa's company family day was held at Menara Tun Mustapha (previously known as Yayasan Sabah building) car park area on the 17th August 2008 and Mama's company family day was held at the Marina Sutera on the 8th November 2008.

Uaua's school family day was also held in conjunction of the Merdeka celebration so the kids did some marching and sang the 'Tanggal 31" song by the Late Sudirman. There were also tele-match between the classes (more like matches between the class teacher as they were shouting/cheering on-top of their voices for their teams).

We didn't get much shots during Papa's family day as we were too pre-occupied with queing-up to get the food and finishing our meal. We were really hungry, the food was not that yummy and not enough to feed the crowd and the queue was damn long. The activities was also held under the hot sun and not kids friendly, so we only helped in the "makan" department. We only manage to take some shots on the way home when we brought the kids to visit the famous tall (est?) building in KK.

Last weekend we attended another family day, and this time we brought Aki and Dodu along. We were given 900 tokens to be used to participate in the games and redeem household goods (rice, Milo, detergent, etc). We managed to get Aki to participate in the games - Golf putting and Lawn bowling. While Uaua, participated in the Fancy Dress and Filling up water in the bottle. Although we didn't win in any of the games/activites but Uaua is still happy as he was given consolation prize for participating the fancy dress (fortunately "sour face" didn't count as not-qualified for consolation). Uaua was reluctant to put on his "Hawaiian" costume but after much persuasion he obliged and even brought along his favorite yellow pail (but he didn't agree to wear his sunnies though - it would make him look dashing if he did).

Quite a productive year for us in terms of participation/attendance in the family days organized by the school and company unlike the previous years. Now, looking forward to 2009 Family days.

Breast Cancer Awareness

2008-10-28T14:21:00.002+08:00

Hehe... this is a tag by Miss Mathew. It's been a long time since I've done a tag (not that I'm looking forward to being tagged - more of a relieve actually... whew). Anyway, talking about breast cancer awareness, I wanted to do breast cancer screening many times but haven't decided how to go about it. I'm looking for a package deal - woman health screening (something like that). Perhaps will do it next year after I'm done with breastfeeding. Huhu... looking forward to the birth of our baby in Dec or Jan and breasfeeding thingy. Motherhood is such a joy.

-> Tag begins here ->

-RULES-

1. Put the logo in your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who shared it with you. -> Miss Mathew

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs

Aunty J

AgnesC

Jasica

Jppmom

Jessie

Tracy

Azq

so ladies... here is your turn to spread the Breast Cancer Awareness to others...

IKEA oh IKEA...

2008-10-22T16:07:00.004+08:00

I just love IKEA furniture. I went there few years back with some Sarawakian friends and we almost wanted to buy everything in the store but didn't eventually. If we did, we would be paying hefty fees for the extra baggage.

While I'm looking for chest of drawers for our precious bundle of joy and I found one that I like from the IKEA website. It's just too bad that I cannot do online shopping and have them delivered here.

In the meantime I just want to keep this link just in case I got someone who can help me buy my dream IKEA furniture.

Or I have a choice to get my dream chest of drawers from a local shop here, either ask them to buy from IKEA or custom made one for me or just find one that looks similar. Up to this point I still haven't decided what to do.

Whatever it is, I need a furniture that serve the following purpose:-
1. Changing table (convertible to shelves - grow with your child)
2. Drawers to keep baby clothes
3. Shelves to keep baby toys and books, etc.

Perhaps I will take some time out this weekend to shop around first. Hopefully I'll see something that I like.

Papa & Mama "Tagap" kah?

2008-10-21T09:03:00.003+08:00

Last night conversation with Joshua was like this...

Joshua: Papa & Mama kaya kah?
(Papa & Mama rich kah?)

Mama: Tidak la... Napa tanya?
(No la... Why ask?)

Joshua: Abis kawan Uaua cakap Papa & Mama kaya...
Papa & Mama tagap kah?
(Cos Uaua's friend said Papa & Mama rich...
Papa & Mama muscular kah?)

Mama: :-D Tagap mangkali la tapi tidak kaya
Napa Papa kawan Uaua kaya kah?
(half laughing - Muscular maybe but not rich
Why your friend's father rich kah?)

Joshua: Ya... Abis Papa dia Polis...
(Ya... Cos his father is a policeman...)

Mama: Papa Uaua kerja apa?
(Your father work as what?)

Joshua: Papa kerja di office jual karan
(Papa works in an office selling electricity)

Mama: Mama Uaua kerja apa?
(Your mother work as what?)

Joshua: Mama kerja di office jual telefon
(Mama works in an office selling telephone)

Mama: Good... Next time kawan tanya Mama & Papa kerja apa Uaua cakap macam tu aah.
(Good... Next time your friend ask what Mama & Papa work as you tell them that aah)

Joshua: OK

Hehe... funny what kind of conversation our kids have with their friends nowadays.

Phewww...

2008-10-15T10:56:00.006+08:00

I went to get the GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) result from Pathlab yesterday. I'm so relieved the result turn out OK... Within normal limits. I have also done similar test during my previous pregnancies and the result were also the same. In fact, my O&G tell me no need to do but I'm worried as my urine glucose is always high. So I did the test again - don't want to take chances.

Hee... so happy with the result that Me and hubby went to celebrate at Hana Japanese Restaurant, Citimall yesterday. But darling hubby reminded me not to eat anything sweet - good result doesn't mean I can indulge. Thanks darling for reminding...

Since I got family history of diabetes I'm actually cautious about my diet - normally I would drink tea or coffee without sugar. Consume less carbohydrate, but sometimes this can be very difficult especially during the festive season. Do more exercise (for me house cleaning is an exercise).

So until then, I pray that our precious baby is doing well and will be delivered healthy and safely.

How Sweet...

2008-10-10T08:34:00.004+08:00

Last night I was smilling to myself when I heard the 2 kids conversation...

Uaua: Good night Momoi, I love You

Momoi: Lof you doo (Love you too)

Awww... so sweet. I just want to re-confirm she meant what she says...

Mama: I love you Momoi

Momoi: Lof you doo (Love you too)

She can say the words and she meant it... I'm sooo happy. Soon, we'll have 2 noisy birds at home talking to each other. And Uaua will no longer complaint he cannot understand his little sister.

Joshua's Art Work

2008-10-09T11:09:00.007+08:00

Here' a drawing Joshua made on Tuesday

Title: Rainbow

There's a little monkey on the banana tree but the monkey is so naughty that Joshua have to colour him off.
Pretty accurate representation of the actual colour... except for the Indigo and Blue "terbalik"...

Here's a drawing Joshua made on Wednesday
Title: Papa, Mama & Me at the beach

(I ask him - where's Moira? This is when Moira not born yet...)

The water in blue, sand in brown, staircase, Papa, Me and Mama, stalls and cars (he says - kereta buruk...hehe)

And here is another masterpiece Uaua made for Aunty J and Ethan.

Are we more protective of our girls than our boys?

2008-10-09T09:52:00.006+08:00

Yes, were are protective of both our children and it's right to be protective due to the social environment we have today.

During one of those days, the following were the conversation I had with darling hubby..

Hubby: Momoi is sooo adorable and cute kan?

Me: Ya napa?

Hubby: Haiya... If baby already cute dunno what happen she's grown-up later... people say if you have a son - you only have to worry about his dick, but if you have a daughter - you have to worry about all the dicks in town...

Me: :-D (I agree...) And it's even more worrying as your daughter likes to strip her pants when she wants out from the cot (or get attention)...

Tadaaa... No baju.
Nah... nah... take this...

Hee... so happy to be "baju-less"...

As parents it's valid to be protective to our children regardless of whether it's a boy or girl, sometimes when you read the newspaper there are so many abuse, kidnapping, rape, torture etc cases involving kids. And sometimes, it involves kids (girls) below 6 yrs - dunno what those moron see in a 6 yr old. Not sure what kind of people out there - maybe animal not human.

Gone are the days when, girls (or now even boys) can just walk out of the house by themselves and go to park or visit friends house to have their evening time-off. Kids nowadays tend to spend more time at home - but there are also dangers of spend time at home especially with what we have in the internet and tv programs.

There should be balance and parents play an important role to teach children how to balance - for me and darling hubby, we are still learning and ask God to guide us in bringing up our kids. I don't want to have super-brainy or super-power kids, I just want my kids to have a normal life and something that they will remember when they grow up later.

HFMD Outbreak

2008-10-08T14:39:00.003+08:00

Huh... not again... After Moira got this virus few months back (here), I got to be more careful and perhaps warn the nursery of the outbreak and caution them on the importance of washing hands and putting sick kids away (far-far away... preferably send them home) from healthy kids.

I hope parents are extra-vigilant on their children and ownself cleanliness - that's the only way to prevent the spread of this disease. I'm definitely would not be bringing the kids to the shopping complex and public areas this time - although it's tempting to have family outing together.

Hate it when the kids are sick... Everything turn up-side-down.

Tuesday October 7, 2008 MYT 6:50:27 PM

Sarawak on high alert for HFMD

By SHARON LING

KUCHING: Sarawak is on high alert for hand foot and mouth disease following the detection of the EV71 virus sometime in the middle of the year.

The EV71 virus causes a more severe form of the disease.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the situation was currently under control and steps were being taken to prevent an outbreak.

A total of 5,686 cases have been reported in Sarawak this year as of Oct 4, compared with 6,286 in the same period last year.

On Sept 30, a four-year-old in Sibu died from suspected HFMD. In view of the death, Dr Chan urged parents to bring their children to hospital immediately if they noticed signs of the disease.

These include high fever for more than two days, repeated vomiting, poor appetite, dehydration and lethargy.

“When we are on high alert for EV71, these danger signs must be watched for very carefully because early treatment can save the child’s life,” he told a press conference at his office here on Tuesday.

He also advised parents and child carers to practise good hygiene at all times as this was the most effective way of disrupting the spread of the disease.

“Don’t think that this is only a children’s disease, or that only children can pass it to other children. Adults who come into contact with infected children can pass the virus to others.

“So adults themselves must practise good hygiene, such as washing their hands before handling children,” he said.

Identified Foreign Object (Part 2)

2008-09-19T13:51:00.004+08:00

In my previous post, I mentioned about the General Anasthetics (GA) and removal of small piece of rubber material from Uaua's ear.

Well, we had it done on last Friday, 12 September 2008. I served fried rice for him early in the morning and let him eat whatever he wants until 6.40 am. After that, Uaua fasted until the minor surgery was done at around 1pm and he is fully conscious by 3pm.

Uaua before the operation - wearing his Jedi cloth...

Getting ready to be wheeled to the operating theater

Poor thing he was screaming for food already at 2 pm but we cannot give him anything yet as he might vomit due to the GA side effect. Luckily, I got my handphone sudoku and snakes games that he can play until he is allowed to eat at 3pm.

The removal of the rubber material cost us approx. RM 1, 300 but glad all is fine after that. Very expensive piece of rubber. We (MIL & me) even make joke to Uaua that maybe he wanted to plant rubber tree in his ear. All the other nurses and doctors were also teasing Uaua about his mis-adventure. Hopefully he really learn something from this.

This is the rubber that was removed:-

According to the nurses, this year alone there have been few cases like this where kids put all sorts of things into their ear(s) like beads, battery, beans, etc and it doesn't happen to pre-schooler only. Even a seven year old kid also got a case like this last month.

It's definitely a learning experience for us... hubby, myself and Uaua especially.

18 months today!

2008-09-17T17:05:00.005+08:00

Time flies very fast - my little girl is 18months today!

Momoi's early morning smile to Papa...

I really do not want Momoi to grow up so fast. I find it hard to catch up.

Her latest development at 18 months...

1. She can walk, climb the sofa, jump a bit, clap hand, clap feet, wave bye-bye, flying kiss but can be very shy with strangers and the elders (my mom and dad never hold her ever since she knows how to walk).
2. She likes to dance to the music "Mickey Mouse Hotdog dance" and wiggle her booties when she hears this song
3. She can say a few words like mama, papa, gigi, door, pintu, etc and some times make up short sentences "ikat rambut"
4. She got her first molar 2 weeks ago
5. She understand when we say "mandi" she will run to take her towel and run to the bathroom
6. She know when we are having dinner she will run to her chair and say "duduk"
7. She likes to get our attention by taking off her pants and pulling off her diapers. We call her the Stripper.
8. She likes to report when her brother has done something wrong by shouting Papa and pointing at Uaua
9. She calls Papa when she just finish her "big business" for papa to clean up otherwise she will do no 7.
10. She has preference for people, clothes and toys. She loves her Mickey mouse pillow above anything else and when she wakes up whe will drag the pillow around the house.
11. She understand simple instruction - when I ask her to give the hanger to papa to keep or put her dirty clothes in the basket.
12. She will pick up things on the floor and give to me and say "dirty". But sometimes - experiment and put it in her mouth - especially small piece of paper or tiny food bits.
13. She recognise which one is mama's cloth and which one is papa clothes.

There are so many things she is capable of doing that made me miss the days when she is just a baby.

Dear Little Moira...

Even if you have grown taller and wiser, you will always be the dearest baby in mama's heart. Hope you'll not grow up so quick - your papa is not ready to get a son-in-law yet.... hahaha.

Identified Foreign Object (IFO)

2008-09-08T17:17:00.004+08:00

Today we brought Uaua to see ENT specialist for a check. I couldn't remember when, perhaps last month or the month before MIL mentioned about some foreign object inside Uaua's ear when I came back from one of my KL trips.

When we ask Uaua, he keep mentioning little Momoi push a little eraser into his ears. Perhaps he's afraid that we might scold him (guilty kan....). When he caught fever sometime last month, I brought him to see the paed and ask her to check on the ear. But she only mentioned probably it was dried pus and prescribed ear drops.

I don't know what came to me yesterday, I decided to check on the ear again and found that the foreign object still stuck in Uaua's ear. I made an attempt to extract but Uaua start moving and crying. That made me and hubby decide to go to ENT to examine and extract the white object.

So this is the result....

Top: Left Ear - Irregular shape rubber stuck in the ear way
Bottom: Right Ear - Full of ear wax. OK

Doctor's solution :- Have to put Uaua under GA and then gently extract the white rubber. We are lucky it's not something organic like beans or seeds otherwise it may become rotten and cause infection. The GA and extraction is scheduled this Friday and Uaua need to fast 4 hours before.

So that's what happen to our adventurous Uaua. I wonder what was he thinking when he or Momoi persistently (he claims) push the white rubber thing into his ear.

For Uaua, this is the second medical hurdle we have to go through with him after the tooth-ache and almost Root Canal Treatment (fortunately not) we had last week. It seems our son enjoys going to the dentist and doctors nowadays. (Maybe because the doctors are spoiling him - they give him something every visit)

I wonder what he is up to next...

Welcome Baby Ryan Qabel

2008-09-01T17:00:00.000+08:00

A special welcome for baby
Ryan Qabel
born on
01 September 2008 at 10.46pm

To the world you may be one person
But to two person you may be the world
~ Author Unknown

Congratulations
to
the new Mom & Dad
Margareta & Quirinus

best wishes from us
Happy Big & Little People in the House

Good morning world....

2008-08-30T02:10:00.007+08:00

Finally I got to download few pictures from my digi cam after having supper at this wee hours in the morning... hehehe bad habit I know but can't help it - I can't sleep and I'm hungry.

Anyway, here's a picture of the 2 little people early in the morning - tussled hair, "onsod" smell, baggy eyes and all. I just adore the 2 little kids and their antics which I'm going to face in a couple of hours from now.

When I see their faces in the morning, I can't help feeling grateful for the wonderful gift from God. They never fail to make our lives meaningful, eventful and enjoyable.

Mama & Papa loves you Uaua and Momoi...

"Muka-muka baru bangun"

Oooh... I'm still sleepy

Posing in their favorite PJs...
"Gaya, mutu, keunggulan"

Early morning activity while waiting for mama to get things ready...
One getting impatient the other one getting cheeky

Huhu... gonna catch some sleep now.

Home Sweet Home... Here I come...

2008-08-25T19:54:00.004+08:00

Huhu... Finally, I'm going home in a few hours time. It's been such a long weekend for me - WORKING! And I'm not proud of it!

I am not a work-freak person but my kind of job requires me to work at odd hours and even during weekends. I went to KL on Friday evening and had a meeting on Saturday morning. I imagine, everyone at home having a nice weekend off except for darling hubby perhaps as he have to take care of the 2 kids again. Sorry darling to trouble you again- you're the best-est Papa and hubby and we all love you.

Well, I thought the meeting will end early - 11 am ish, but I ended up going back to the hotel close to 4 p.m. And after that I have to do some more work as I need to submit the report by Monday morning before 12pm... Cruel isn't it? I already didn't have any weekend off and ask me to work day and night on Sunday some more. And today I have to attend another workshop here again with the big guns in the company (as compared to me I'm just a small fish - the victim). I wish to be home straight away, smell the sweet smelling kids and home and hubby. I miss home....

I always mention to hubby, all the money we accumulate from our salary are for our family and kids. As such we should never neglect our family and kids... there should be balance because if we become crazy chasing after our careers we might end up not spending precious time with our family and kids. Well, now look who's talking... I even thought I want to resign and apply for secretarial post only (job that doesn't require much of time away from home and not much thinking).

Sometimes, in fact most of the times I envy women who can stay at home and be a tai-tai... but I can't possibly do that yet. Perhaps, one day if I strike a lottery I would resign 24 hours.... hahaha. What a dream.

**Good thing KLIA have WiFi and I can blog from here. I've been carrying this damn heavy notebook the whole weekend and wanted to throw it in the dustbin. Fortunately, I can do this blog here and thought it's a good thing I carry this notebook with me.

Aimo Guitar Version (Macross Frontier OST)

2008-08-06T21:23:00.001+08:00

Darling hubby latest craze - Anime with good theme song he says...
He got me into this craze as well...

Baby Sitting Again...

2008-08-06T13:20:00.005+08:00

Huh... I'm on leave baby sitting again. I guess my leave entitlement this year will be used mostly for baby-sitting the 2 lovely kids - Uaua & Momoi. Darling hubby mentioned - hopefully when both of them has grown-up they will be strong as the immune system defense mature.

Well, Momoi was down with Coxsackie Virus (a.k.a Hand Foot and Mouth) this time. Well, that's the down side of sending the kids to nursery - they can always catch funny viruses from other kids.

I was pretty annoyed and frustrated when Momoi got another virus again. Two days before she got the virus I saw another baby already having fever for 2 days but still being sent to the nursery.

How irresponsible some parents can be!

How can you let someone take care your own child when they are sick and let virus got into another child who is healthy (in Momoi's case, she just recovered from Chicken pox then tummy upset and now this Coxsackie Virus). For all I know, for the month of July alone both me and hubby been paying doctor's fees and medicine, losing precious working days and paying the nursery for nothing.

Anyway, Momoi is showing signs of recovery now - thank God. Finally, she wants to drink her milk and eat her porridge and less cranky and clingy. The ulcers in her tongue are gone.

There is no medicine for viral infection - we can only soothe the symptoms - like ulcers. For the past few days, I've been giving her stepsils and some gel (Medi-gel) on the ulcer but it made Momoi shuts her mouth even more. Maybe because of the numbing sensation. So yesterday, I stopped giving the medicine to her and start offering her what she likes - fruits like Papaya and today watermelon. Lucky me it works - at least she can eat something and helps her recover too. It's pretty sad to see her hungry for 2 days but not able to eat anything because of the painful ulcers in the mouth.

Today, a few medical officers from the Hospital came to our house to do some investigation and I found out from them that the virus is currently active in Kota Kinabalu town area. So for those kids and adults who have not caught the virus - watch out! Stay at home as much as possible and avoid crowded places like shopping complex. Anyone can get the virus- adults and kids and spread it to someone else unknowingly.

Me and My Papa

2008-07-28T16:33:00.003+08:00

Me & My Papa

Another Helper

2008-07-28T15:55:00.004+08:00

I woke up early last Sunday at around 5.30 am to do my assignment/work as I have promised to meet my boss before 8am on Monday to discuss about work. It turn out I was not the only one early that Morning... My little girl was also already fully awake by 5.45 am. So I got another helper sitting in the study room playing with papa's mouse and her toys while I try to do my work...

Busy playing while mama busy working

Mama where's my breakfast?

Creative Joshua

2008-07-28T15:36:00.005+08:00

Last Saturday, Joshua had fun time creating a birthday wish card for his new cousin - Baby Ryan Full Moon Celebration. I asked him to write the birthday wish on a piece of paper before taking my bath and promise him that we will do the craft together after dinner. I was quite surprised to see that he can even spell Momoi's name and later I found out that he got darling hubby to help with the spelling.

So while Momoi is happily dozing, me and Joshua did this...

The front view:
" Happy Full Moon Baby Ryan"

The inner view:
Picture of Aunty Sica carrying baby Ryan and Allie at the side
from Joshua and Moira

Joshua has certainly improved his handwriting and even darling hubby is impressed with his work of art.

Maroon

2008-07-18T16:13:00.004+08:00

What colour are you?

Maroon

You are a creative mind that loves to express yourself in diffrent ways. Your friends often come to you for advice but you don’t really know why. You can be two entire different people. It really depends on your surroundings and the situation. Having fun is a big part of your life but you alsow want some time to yourself or just a minute or two to relax. You hate when things are taken too seriously and think that the world whould be bettre if people could just cut eachother some slak!.. You are a layback person and dislikes doing things in a hurry. You have a couple of friends that you really understand and feel you get something back from, but you do have some that you feel are just tagging along.
Numbers: odd numbers and numbers in a signifigant order.

Fun quizzes, surveys & blog quizzes by

Chicken Pox

2008-07-04T16:35:00.005+08:00

Momoi was diagnose with Chicken Pox yesterday at the age of 1 year 3 months . We noticed she got few spots the night before. Just a day too late for the vaccine. She's supposed to get her vaccine today.

Anyway, since she got it before the vaccine, now she doesn't need to get vaccinated - the doc said save me RM50. Uaua got vaccinated when he was 18 months but also got chicken pox at the age of 2. Momoi just got it earlier, but I guess better earlier than later when they are grown up like their papa.

Some people say it is more difficult if an adult contract the virus. I guess there are some truth in it as I can say Momoi is still active as ever despite her many spots and the itchiness. And she doesn't seem to mind about the spots appearing everywhere - unlike adult, I guess we will be worried if the spots ever gets away and looking very sickly.

Anyway, here I am on leave taking care of little Momoi while trying to do some work - office work. Gosh... I'm becoming workaholic lately...

Momoi still in her cheerful mood...

Poor Momoi - today the spots are drier and more.
Start appearing at the buttock area and now face.