First Words

Like many other parents, I can't wait for Justin baby to utter his first words. For months, the only sounds coming out of his mouth were some language unknown to any earthlings. Simply put, he was only capable of making noises.

These few days, he seems to conjure up this one word... ok...there is no such word but he repeats it several times a day that it is almost convincing.

And that almost-sound-like-a-word word is.........."MUMBA!" :)

Before you alternate tab or open a new window to check out this word on Dictionary.com, let me save you the trouble as that returns no results.

It does not matter that this word does not exist and it does not matter that it may be a meaningless sound to others. To me, that is Justin baby's first word. In fact, I believe he means "I am happy!". Simply because I can tell from his eyes that he means it :)

Improvised Toys

I am sure many parents will attest to this.

When you are out with your little ones and they start to get cranky, what do you do? You improvise toys on the fly! Unless of course, if you are one of those are always well prepared with an entire bag of toys on your day out.

Here is Justin Baby looking satisfied with the camera case. In fact, he really treated it like his new toy and was so entertained by it for the rest of the afternoon.

Happiness Is...

Happiness is...

When I open my eyes in the morning and the first thing I see is Justin Baby awake at my bedside, playing blissfully with his toy car.

Our First Trip with Justin Baby

For the first time in my life, I was actually kind of glad to be back in SG after a holiday. You must be thinking I have gone bonkers... who wouldn't prefer to be on vacation?!?!

Of course, it was still a dread to return to the cruel world of endless emails, incomplete tasks and sales targets after pretending they never existed the moment the A380 took off. But I don't think I could survive another day of a 10-day intensive training camp. In another words, it was still a holiday... but minus away the relaxation part. Oh wait... unless if you consider 2 nights of foot massage that sent me straight to deep sleep within the first 10 min.

I half expected that to be the case the moment we decide to take on this challenge of bringing Justin baby to Tokyo followed by Beijing. Wierd combination I know but let's just leave it as " a result of various various factors" and get on with my griping.

I knew it would be challenging (which was supposed to be part of the fun) but not THAT challenging. The last time I felt such physical torment was probably in the labour ward. There was endless flights of staircases throughout the trip (yes, both countries) that we have to overcome as a family of 4 + 1 and sometimes with 4 huge luggages, 1 stroller, 1 humongous baby bagpack and an increasing number of handcarry bags as the trip progressed. What will remain in my memories in many years to come would be the endless walking around with baggages in the merciless hot weather. If you think the Beijing traffic is bad, try the human traffic. Imagine being packed like sardines soaking wet in a human jam on Great Wall. Inconceivable.

To me, hotel rooms had taken on a new definition. It was where I spent every night emptying an entire bag of dirty milk bottles, spoons & containers.... washing them, drying them, refilling them, and repacking before hitting the showers. It was also where I ransacked my luggage (aka the mobile provision store) for the next day's supply.

So was it enjoyable at all? Well, not everyday Justin baby gets to suck milk at The Great Wall, poop in The Forbidden City, crawl around on tatami floor, eat in a bullet train, sleep in a cable car... and always having some place different to go everyday. So my guess is it was most enjoyable for him :)

Putting everything aside, the very simple joy of being able to spend 24 hours over 10 days together and all that extra bonding was totally worth it. And did I mention Justin baby had a stubborn pamper's tan line that still hasn't quite gone away?

Some Things Never Change

It recently occurs to me that some things do not change much over the years from one generation to the next.

Maybe it is because my parents still stay in the same old place where I grew up in.

When I was still a tiny toddler, my dad used to bring me downstairs in the evening and sit by one of those old fashioned bench facing the road and watch vehicles go by. He would point out that the buses are approaching and what their service numbers are.
These days my dad still do the same thing... not for me of course :-) but for Justin baby as a grandpa. This soothes baby Justin the same way it did for me.

When I was two plus, I visited the doctor downstairs for fever and my mum always reminds me about how I was once scolded by the doctor for crying too much when given the jab. I think his exact words were "So big already still cry!" By the way, this doctor has a reputation of being stern with his young patients. Yesterday, I brought Justin baby to this same doctor. Yes, the very same one. Age has caught up with him (and me) but I am still a little intimidated by his firm disposition. He pressed down Justin baby's tongue hard to examine his mouth and ordered the nurse to sponge him from head to toe due to his high temperature. In a split second, baby Justin's screaming and wailing filled the entire clinic... and maybe even the shop next door. Mr no-nonsense-doctor showed no empathy except "Why so fierce?!?"

I am sure I will be able to pick up a lot more childhood memories of my own along the way as long as a large part of baby Justin's growing up journey is spent in this little old flat of my parents.

Irresponsible Dreams

Initially, I did not think much of it but when it happened twice...

Oh... I can be such a horrible mummy.... at least in my dreams.

Months ago when I just started driving around with Baby Justin in the car, I must have felt a little stressed about the whole safety, comfort, logistics and no-available-parking-lots issues because I had this dream, or a nightmare rather. I was walking towards the lift in my block at the end of an exhausting day with my handbag in one hand and laptop in the other. Then suddenly it striked me that I have forgotten all about Baby Justin whom I have left behind in the car locked up in the dark and faraway carpark!!! I woke up while trying to drop everything and dash back for him.

Just last week, I dreamt again. This time, I was with a bunch of pals hanging around a hotel lobby planning what to do for the night. Then someone suggested we check out this new drinking hole down the street. Somehow Baby Justin was asleep in my arms at that moment and I started thinking how I could sneak away for a couple of hours. The next few scenes that followed were just illogical but in the dream itself, I thought it to be a great idea!

There I was, placing the soundly asleep Baby Justin in the middle of a gigantic bed of a hotel room secured by pillows and bolsters all around. I then left him all alone in there and went down to the hotel reception to pass a hand-written note to a group of hotel staff and instructing them how much milk to make for him should he wake up while I was gone! When I shared this with a friend that day, she questioned: "Shouldnt you tell them to call you instead when he wakes up rather than make milk for him?" That wasn't even the point!

But hey, isnt there a saying that dreams often present quite the opposite of reality?? Maybe I should just seek comfort in that in the absence of any better excuse :P

Bad Hair Day

I always thought trimming a baby's hair is a piece of cake... oh boy I was wrong. Luckily Baby Justin won't remember this episode when he grows up... no one would be pleased with uneven patches on his head.

I actually did not plan to notify The Man about this disastrous hair cut in the beginning, half of me hoping that he will never discover (how evil) and the other half of me hoping that he does discover but comfort me by saying it is quite a good job (total self-deceit). But me being me... I could not hold it anymore after a whole night without any response from him.

Me: "Eh, did you notice anything different about Baby Justin today?"

The Man:"mmm... no leh. What?"

After a few moments...

The Man: Aiyo! WHY LIKE THAT?!?"

More Toys!

Just as I wrote about buying the right toys for Baby Justin in my last post, I received a toy car myself today from my dad! Yes, at the age of thirty-four, that was what I got.

My dad just came back from a holiday and I was delighted when he pulled out from his luggage a red MINI. How sweet :)

Anyway, here is adding to my MINI (pun intended) galore ... compliments from my dad, my bro and Mr Liew. There is also an even smaller key chain MINI but is MIA at the moment...

Toys Not Enough???

Adults always complain about "Money Not Enough". How about babies? Do they complain about "Toys Not Enough"?

Maybe not.

My conviction is based on the fact that there are a few toys with very high traction (remote controls included) that never fail to keep Baby Justin entertained. Just like the good old "spinning spidey". He can get so hyper watching it spin and spin each time, like he is seeing it for the very first time. On the other hand, there are other toys which he took one look and then ignores them for the rest of their existence.

I thus conclude that it is not about having enough toys. It is about having the right toys. You are better off with one great toy than ten lousy toys.

Cannot relate? Well, it is like clothes.

There will be favourite pieces that always end up in the washing machine every other week and there will be pieces that just stay hanging lifelessly in a corner of the wardrobe without seeing any daylight. So when we (girls) always complain about not having enough clothes (even though we are out of clothes hangers and out of wardrobe space, subtly invading into the men's territory), most likely we are not buying the right clothes!

So coming back to toys. Here is a classic example of a good buy vs a bad buy.

These were our very first Christmas presents for Justin as parents. A fabric safari animal book and a soccer ball that lets out a funny sound when bounced. You can see how hard we try to balance his academic and sports development from a young tender age...hahaha...

In this photo, he seemed thrilled with the two gifts above but what you don't see is that the book is now so seasoned and crumpled whereas the ball stays hidden in a box collecting dust.

This blog entry should end here but I just want to share another irrelevant shot snapped seconds after the one above. Back in December, he still couldn't sit up by himself so this is him about to topple sideways and my "claws" in a desperate attempt to grab him :)

Lyrics Gone Wrong

Since we were on this topic of children songs & nursery rhymes...

Last night, in an attempt to entertain Baby Justin, The Man started belting out a song which was apparently not on his "I-know-the-lyrics" song list (which is by the way not very long and countable with one hand).

"Blah Blah Black Sheep...have you any wool..."

"Halo! Sheeps go Baa Baa! Not Blah Blah!"

"Really?"

I nearly flipped...

Well... unless of course there is a sheep out there which really does blah blah blah blah all day long...like me :p

The Magical Song

There is only one sure way to keep Baby Justin from making way too much noise in the car.

I can't remember exactly when but it all started some months ago when he decided that being stuck to the car seat for the entire journey from ECP to KPE to PIE was too much for him to bear...

I also can't remember how it started but I must have tried everything from talking nicely to him to screaming (almost) at him, from switching the radio on & off repeatedly to doing the same for the lights in the car, from dangling one toy to a dozen toys infront of him. I ended up so exhausted physically that I just laid back and started singing whatever that came to my mind. And that didn't work until I came to this song - the magical song.

And that magical song is "Ten Green Bottles".

Don't fret if you don't know this song because you DON'T have to know this song if you DON't have a crying baby in your car....

For those of you who know the song... yes... I know... what a boring song...

So, he was screaming on top of his lungs and fidgeting in his car seat but the moment I started on this song...he stopped and gave me a 3 second stare before looking away and kept quiet for the rest of the song.

Sometimes, the moment the song ended, he started his crankiness again. I did experiment with other songs but none worked better than this because they don't usually last past the first couple of lines.

Until today, I still do the same but this is hardly a song that can last the entire journey... so sometimes I will have to keep repeating the entire song or double, triple counting the bottles (so there will always be bottles left hanging on the wall) just to keep the journey peaceful until we reach our destination.

Seriously, I can almost sing myself to sleep as I sound totally like a broken record... but hey... it works for my baby!

And that is all that matters.

Like Father Like Son

Recently, I have come to realise that there are certain common traits between The Man and Baby Justin.

1. Both make significant amount of noises during sleep.

2. Both love to put one hand undermeath their pillow during sleep.

3. Both have explosive appetite sometimes. While Baby Justin screams for that occassional bottle in between feeds, The Man can cook himself a packet of instant noodles, peels himself a banana and tops it up with a can of coke or a bar of ice-cream in between meals.

4. Both cannot stand a moment of dullness and constantly need some form of action infront of them. For Baby Justin, it would be one of his toy collections or adults acting like clowns. For The Man, it would be either his iPhone, PSP or Laptop (together with the TV... but never the TV alone).

5. They prefer hanging out than staying at home.

6. Both look good in stripes. Horizontal ones for Baby Justin as they make him look chubby. Vertical ones for The Man... er... for obvious reasons.

7. Both have a high tendency to fall asleep during one of my speeches.

Roles Rules

Everybody has a role to play in Baby Justin's daily life.

The Daddy:

- The official chauffeur

- The official photographer

- The diaper changing assistant

- Greets him good moring with his favourite cot mobil animals

- Carries him to and from the car in the mornings

The Gong Gong:

- Carries him up four flights of stairs if I have more than one bag to handle

- Makes funny animal noises which sounds to me like a cross between a monkey and a chicken

- Carries him outside to appreciate his pots of flowers along the corridor

- Sings him nursery songs that I have never heard of in my entire life

The Po Po:

- Takes turns with me to bathe him

- Attempts to make him nap in the afternoons with pretty low success rate so far

- Burps him which I have very little patience for

- Makes milk & feed him

- Entertains him constantly with little animal softtoys

The Uncle:

- Knocks off in the evening and sings boring army songs to soothe him when no one else seems to be bothered by his crying ( I once dozed off listening to him)

The Ye Ye:

- Welcomes him home every night with some Chinese New Year songs

- Chats with him in the rocking chair while we have our dinner

The Ma Ma:

- Makes milk & feed him (usually outsourced by The Daddy) if I am still having dinner or showering

- Attempts to make him sleep for the first round at night

- Bathes him on Sundays

The Mummy:

- The official milk supplier

- The official jukebox

- Oversees milk & diapers supplies in both households

- Kisses him every morning when he wakes up

- Continues with the morning greetings of his cot mobil animals while The Daddy changes into his working clothes

- Takes on any of the above when anyone decides to take a day off

And thanks to everyone playing their roles so well.... I am still sane and enjoying every bit of motherhood :)

Executive Decisions

XH and myself were joking over tea about how we have to constantly make several "executive decisions" on a daily basis these days... more so than when we were working :)

Examples of such tough calls:

"Let me see... should it be 60ml or 90ml this time?"

"Now that the baby falls asleep at the breast, should I burp him now and risk waking him up to another round of non-stop screaming or leave him as he is?"

"Not again! Here comes the stinky poo... should I change his diaper now or hold on for a while more in case he is not done yet?"

"Mmm... he looks so sound asleep... should I wake him up for an overdue feed or allow myself a few more moments of peace and quiet?"

"Aiyo... making noise again! Should I go carry and pacify him or let him learn how to soothe by himself?"

And no matter what we decide on today, it might just turn out differently tomorrow...

Good Night No More

It is now 4:35 am.

While my heavy eyelids are telling me to get some sleep, the rest of my body simply refuse to co-operate, with the main culprit being the brain.

Other than that, the rest of tonight has been progressing quite typically so far.

Typical is briefly defined as follows ever since the grand arrival of Junior.

Needless to say, the 2 to 3 hourly feeding is enough to drive any sleep-deprived mother insane. On top of that, I am usually treated to the "Tang Symphony No.9" with Junior whining or wailing on my left and The Man snoring on my right. Not sure if it is in D minor or C major but it does vary a little from time to time. I must say they do a pretty good job synchronising without a conductor.

The feeding can sometimes be tranquil with both Junior and myself dozing and nodding off to dreamland unconsciously for a few seconds only to realise we have unfinished business on hand.

At other times, feeding can get into an intense physical and verbal battle with Junior's knees and elbows all over my bruised body while I struggle to adjust myself to yet another awkward position which I would later regret.

As if that is not enough, there is also the occasional pooping event. Junior somehow prefers to do his mega poop during the night before, during or after his feed. In fact, "prefers" is an understatement because I believe to a certain extent it is some sort of conspiracy especially when it is followed by pee or even more poop while a new diaper is still being put on. Trust me, the sight of his whole bum smeared with **** and watching the live action of more **** flowing out like a fountain is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

So these days when The Man and I wish each other Good Night at bedtime, it no longer holds the same meaning as before. I think a more appropriate thing to say would be Good Luck.

It is now almost 5am.

By now, my brain is finally convinced that some sleep, however little, is required before Part II begins... let me see... in about an hour's time maybe.

My Three Motherhood Helplines

Forget about those 1800 numbers or those never ending lists of motherhood web forums. Who needs them anyway when I have 3 great friends who are just a phone call or sms away for real-time advice and references.

Firstly there is Justin's Godma. Having three kids of her own, she is able to share with me her valuable experiences and perspectives to what works for the different situations encountered, which brands are better, what are the more essential items to prepare in larger quantities and what are the items that might just end up as white elephants. Beyond that, I also look upon her as a source of motivation, whose energy level I can draw upon. If she can juggle three young kids with a demanding job, I should have no excuse with just one, especially given the kind of help I have around me.

Of course there is my good old friend XH, whose baby Claire is just 2 weeks older than baby Justin (who also suffered in the same labour ward and rested just a few maternity ward away). Never did we imagine eighteen years back when we were seated in the same classroom that we would go through pregnancy and motherhood together! As our juniors are just 2 weeks apart, it always feels reassuring to seek reference and compare notes with each other throughout our pregnancy days and now, our baby's development and our "confinement woes".

Then there is BC, the walking encyclopaedia. It is truly amazing how much she knows and she is like this huge knowledge database that can be tapped on for anything from A to Z. Being an extremely warm and helpful person as she is, I have been at the beneficial end of receiving all sorts of tips, "do"s and "don't"s as well as useful advices since the start of pregnancy till now.

I would have been running around like a headless chicken without all the precious lessons learnt from these three amazing young mommies.

I Loved You Before I Met You

The overwhelming euphoria was indescribable.

At that moment, nothing else mattered.

Welcome to this world, my dear Justin!

I just want to let you know...

Thank you for being such great companionship for the past 10 months.

Thank you for struggling together with me throughout the 42 hours of labour pain.

And most of all... I loved you even before I met you.

Time For A Dip

I am so glad I finally made it to the pool this afternoon for the very first time since I was preggy.

I have been putting off this whole idea of swimming because my whale-like body could no longer fit into any of my teeny weeny bikinis... not even close :(

And all those maternity swim wear I came across so far looked just too hideous and ridiculous that I would never be caught dead in them.

So finally last weekend... I found the PERFECT matching set that caught my eye the moment I set foot in the store (from this Australian brand - Sun Seeker).  Most importantly, it fits! (but the size of the bottom piece is really embarrassing to reveal... the sales girl even asked me twice if I was sure the size is right). 

Anyway, I had a really great time at the pool... I haven't felt so light for months!  Especially when I feel really breathless these days just after a 10 min walk, this swim felt like heaven.

I wasn't ambitious at all thinking that if I couldn't manage to swim, I would just walk in the pool. To my delight, I did ten laps slowly without the slightest difficulty! 

Think I am going to hit the pool everyday from now on... or at least every other day :)

 

I Need Iron!

My blood test showed Iron Deficiency (dietary) and/or Thalassaemia traits (hereditary) .  Since young, I have always been low on iron, thus signs of mild anemia at certain points in my life.   Unfortunately, my parents can neither recall nor have any records during my childhood to indicate if it is hereditary.  My gyane explained that if it is really Thalassaemia, then there is nothing much I can do about it but if it is purely dietary Iron Deficiency, I can try to salvage by doubling my iron supplements intake and through foods like beef, spinach & liver.

So immediately after the checkup, I wasted no time in indulging in a beef feast :P

Hamburger Steak... 

Beef Stew...

The nurse was just slapping on my hip while I was on the weighing scale: "My dear, you have put on weight..." So much for weight control. 

Mothers' Day Redefined

I used to feel that Mothers' Day is yet another commercial exploit, with super long queues outside restaurants and OSIM roadshows sprouting everywhere.

However this Mothers' Day, I figured that it can be a significant and meaningful affair not just through elaborate dinners or showering them with expensive gifts.

Here is what I witnessed and learnt over the weekend:

Our own Mothers' Day celebration was actually a night out at KTV with everyone singing their hearts out. (Happening right? I think we might be going bowling on Fathers' Day! Haahaa)  They looked extremely excited and satisfied belting out their favourite tunes.  Spending happy moments together on activities our mothers enjoy is really a great way to bring a smile to their faces. 

During a wedding luncheon I attended on this same weekend, my friends took the opportunity to honour their respective mothers on stage with bouquets of flowers and I could see them gleaming with pride and joy.

Another friend of mine blogged about her baking a cheesecake for her mum on this special occasion and was totally rewarded by how much her mum appreciated and loved it.

And of course this year's Mothers' Day takes on a slightly different meaning for me... though my little one is still doing his mini somersaults inside me... I think that is his way of saying Happy Mothers' Day to moi!