Our first Lunar New Year with Kayla

The Tiger Year is our first Lunar New Year with Kayla (though i was already bringing her along in last CNY inside my tummy ). It's both enjoyable, yet tiring to bring a baby along for visiting. We've to prepare many things before we can leave the house yet have to wait for the little princess to wake up from her beauty sleep, bathe her at the appropriate time (i.e. not when she's yelling for hunger!), and preparing the milk bottles for the next feed etc... By the time the adults are ready to prepare for themselves, she started to cry and demand for attention and needs to take turn to carry her..AH... We are already shagged even before we stepped out of the house.

Apart from having to carry her from place to place, the other party has to carry all the barang barang - the diaper bag, the milk bottle+hot water flask+milk powder bag, the mandarin orange bag, and the handbag which contained all the ang pows!!!!!! *Aching hands*

Bringing a baby out for too long is also inadvisable as they will turn cranky when they got tired, hot, hungry...So always have to play along with her change in mood and condition. As they are young, its also not good to expose them to too many people for fear the spread of germs to them..So we have to cut short the visitings and make sure she has ample rest along the way.

We cant really enjoy the festive goodies to our fill as we have to take turns to take care of her. Have to gobble the food fast even when our in-laws are helping to take care of her. I can take it as dieting bah?
 
Well....despite all the above grumbles, its a joy having Kayla along for our CNY visits! She gets to collect the ang pows, and received the well-praises from all the aunties and uncles! She's so chubby dubby that everyone wants to pinch her cheeks and munch her thighs lor! WAHAHA! I agree that she eats a lot and absorbs well so that explains her chubbiness. And Its a totally different feeling having to take care and be responsible for your own baby. Everything else is not important anymore, except her hearty smile and her well-being. And when you know she only wants us, and you feel like you are the most important person in her life.

We wish Kayla a very good Tiger year, with good health (most important!) and lots of happiness & love...

Photos of Kayla in this Lunar New Year:

hehe. Gong Xi Gong Xi. Ang Pow come come!

On 1st day of CNY

Kayla with her Mummy

Kayla with her Papa

Kayla with her friends
(Middle: Klaske from Netherlands, Right: Kegan from SG)

Kayla lo-hei-ing! (from afar!)

A new Theme, for the New Year

Can't get back to sleep when woke up ard 4.30a.m. Decided to give my blog page a new look, with a new Theme. Refreshing colors.

希望新的一年,会有新的希望,新的开始,从新做`个更好的自己...

Baby Kayla is 6 months old!

Baby Kayla has reached the mid mark of a year old, and there are so many exciting milestones that she has achieved!

~Flipping on her tummy by herself, frequently (I am so proud of her when she finally able to achieve that!)

~Starting on solids like porridge, baby biscuits, fruits and liking them! (Have to learn how to make nice purees and porridge for her soon!)

~Growth of 2 tooth at the front lower gums (When I tried to breastfeed her, she bites me a few times with her 2 budding tooth and its really painful. So painful that I pinch her cheeks very hard. And she cried in pain..I felt bad after doing that to her. Then I started to teach her not to bite me, and she managed to learn veyr quickly how to feed on me without biting me now! )

~Babbling sounds syllabus like "k" (K for Kayla? Trying to call her own name?), "ba" (I think she will call her papa first!) , "gr" (sounds like "girl")

~Sitting by herself for more than 10+ secs


~Standing firmly on her 'meaty' pair of legs when holding straight up on a flat surface

~Pulling things off whenever they reach her hands

~Throwing toys onto the floor when sitting on her highchair

~Started to recognise people more and will cry or get scared if strangers get near to her.

No doubt starting her on solids is fun, it is not easy for us! Cuz have to prepare the ingredients, cook the ingredients, mash the food, and feeding her from spoon is a slower process than drinking milk from bottle. Hope we will get used to the new stage of feeding soon since she likes her new foods readily!

Our 4th Wedding-versary

20 Jan 2010 is our 4th Wedding-versary & also our 8th Pator-versary. Initially we planned to go for a short Bintan trip with Kayla, but it din materialise as Kayla jux recovered from illness; I am terribly busy at work especially with the auditors here for these 2 weeks. So ended up we have to stay in SG.

Despite the plan being foiled, we still make efforts to go for our own date on that special day of ours! Took half day off from work and went to catch a very belated show - Avatar! It was a very nice show, definitely exceeding my expectations of the show. Enjoying every minute of the show, so much so that I can't bear to leave my seat to clear my full bladder

After the show we proceeded to our Weddin-versary dinner @ Ikoi Japanese Restaurant - one of our favourites for Jap buffet. Spent the time talking to each other, bonding with each other as husband & wife as we may not have the time & heart to do so when caught up with the busy demands of life.

It feels really good to be able to enjoy such couple loving moments every now and then..

His gift for me: Thomas Sabo's charmlet with a heart charm (representing his love), and a baby pram charm (representing the baby in our life)

My gift for Him: A "Because I Love You" coupon - can be redeemed at any time!

Baby Kayla's New Year

It wasn't exactly a Happy new year for Kayla as she spent her post-Xmas and new year in sickness.

She first started with a fever on 28th Dec 09, and we'd to bring her to KKH for consultation as it happened after clinic hours. After waiting for hours, we managed to reach home after midnight. Then we woke her up at 3am for paracetemol medication. That's when inexperienced me who tried to feed her with the syringe, didn't manage to feed her successfully. She spit out some of the medicine, then she vomitted. We had to send her back to KKH again, as told by the doctor in the earlier visit. So its another few hours time. Kayla was really tired. She fell deep asleep in the pram while I kept dozing off. Its 7am by the time we reached home the 2nd time. Both husb and me were so beat that we knocked out when touched the bed. All these while we slept beside Kayla and made sure we measured her temperature, and kept her cool by putting the cool plasters on her forehead, armpits, behind her neck, above her groin, and on her back. The cool plasters didn't really bring down much of her heat so I went to do sponging on her. It worked immediately! Her temperature was much normal after a few times of sponging.

Throughout the process we were worried for her, but fortunately her fever wasn't very high. So its monitoring her condition for the next few hours and days.

Everything resumed normal after a day or 2, then come to 31st Dec 09 (Fri)/1st Jan 2010 (Sat), we noticed that she started to cough with wheezing sound. We called up her pd clinic on saturday and realised the pd was out, and another pd was in the clinic. So we decided to wait till Monday 4th Jan 2010 to let her see the usual pd.

Very bad news was told to us after the visit to pd - she had bronchitis. The phelgm in her tiny lungs are unable to be purged out. So the pd advised us to admit her to hospital so that they can treat her through the usage of nebuliser, medication and physiotherapy session (physio session, together with the usage of nebuliser, can help to loosen the phlegm such that she can either pass the phlegm through her stools, or spit them out through vomit). We were very worried for her as this was the first time we faced this as new parents. And also worried for Kayla. When she had her first nebuliser and physio session, she didn't cry. Probably it was something new to her. When at subsequent sessions, she kept crying, especially at the physio sessions as they pat repeatedly at her side, and back. We couldn't help but to onlook by the side. We were so heartpain. The final straw came. She was brought into the treatment room for suction of the phlegm so as in order to bring the phlegm for lab test and to analyse the type of bacteria before they can prescribe correct medication. We were not allowed in. Standing outside the treatment room, we heard her desperate loud cries..crying for help, crying for us, crying in pain...Both of us hugged each other and cried in each other's arms... She's such a poor little baby who had to suffer so much and our heart ached.. When she was finally out, her face were full of red blood spots due to over-exertion when she cried (I'd those when I vomitted too hard during pregnancy). She was sniffing so hard, and looked very scared.. Husb hugged her tightly in his arms. I can only comfort her by sayang-ing her. It must had been a terrible experience to her...

Worse still, during her 3 days stay in TMC, I'd also fallen ill due to a flu virus. Had not been ill since I was pregnant and suddenly kena a serious flu when I shouldn't be sick at that time! So I only managed to stay in the hospital with Kayla for the 1st night, together with husb. The next night I had to go home and rest, while I left husb alone to attend to Kayla himself. I felt very bad but I kept coughing and/or sneezing. So I was in dilemma - to stay and to try to take care of Kayla but risk passing her more germs, or to leave and let the poor husb to take care of the poor Kayla by himself? It was really tough when I'd to go through the experience of having to take care of my baby when I was really ill that time.. Life is no longer the same once you become parents. You take a back seat, when your child comes first in your life.

So, it wasn't a Happy new year and pleasant experience for the Yammies. But it had made us stronger - I love and treasure Kayla more than before. I've witnessed how supportive my husb had been to me and his love to his baby. I've experienced close support from my in-laws. I wish we will be happier, healthier in the coming years...and I hope Kayla will have a better New Year in 2011.

Our Secret Date

Sssh... It's our secret date... 

We were on leave on last Friday, without informing my in-laws - Kayla's caregiver during the weekdays cuz we planned to go on a Secret Date! A date that belongs to juz both of us!

Started with Yakiniku Lunch buffet @ Daidomon - quite difficult to eat with peace if Kayla is around..sorry girl, have to leave you behind for this! We've always wanted to try this so decided to have it when she's not around.



Next we rushed to Plaza Sing for a movie date - 2012. A very touching movie on the end of the world... It's especially touching after we became parents to Kayla and the scenes of the separation of parents and children makes my heart break. My tears kept flowing.. During the show, I kept missing Kayla and wished the secret date could end soon so that we can go and pick her up asap!

Despite missing Kayla loads, I still enjoy my private time with dearie... It makes long missed lovey dovey husband-and-wife feelings to return and makes us closer again.

I think I will want another secret date with dearie again! hee.. *Sorry Kayla!*

Sentiments 2009

My 2009 is an EXCITING & FULFILLING year for me...

After carrying Kayla for 40 weeks inside me, I finally become a mother on 26 July 2009.

It was not easy as a new mother starting from day 1 after she arrived to this world... Doing confinement and taking care of a newborn baby seemed to be the toughest moment I'd encountered. Without the support of my hubbie, I wouldn't have survived the 1st month, and also managed to breastfeed Kayla successfully. I am grateful for his endless support since the very 1st day even till now.

Moving on to the 2nd, 3rd, and now Kayla is growing well and strong in her 4th month! How time flies! Sometimes when I look back and try to recall the beginning times, the memories seem blurry...haha... How weird! Maybe the happiness as a mother now has over-ridden those lack-of-sleep zombie days, and those non-stop-crying-frustrating days bah. The joy of having her in our life, and seeing her growing and developing everyday makes our life so much fulfilling. It is good to have her in my arms, cuddling her, talking to her, smiling to her, listening to her baby talk, watching her play, witnessing her sleeping in peace...

My life won't be complete without her existence.

And now with friends around me also becoming new parents, I will try to render my support and lend a listening ear to them as much as possible, especially I've went through the tough stage myself. It's fulfilling to know that our tips/advice helps them and make things easier for them as new parents. We will be on the same path from now onwards, so support for one another is very important.

Let's look forward to a better 2010, together with our new bundle of joy bah!