A weekend of celebrating little ones' milestones

Over the weekend, we celebrated one niece's turning of one month (and a week) old and another niece's turning of eight years old.

The first celebration was held on Sunday at The In-Laws' place, among close relatives. The SIL requested that I chip in my homemade tau suan (mung bean dessert) and I threw in another dish in the form of 'kong bak pau' - chinese subway, as one of the cousins explained to his son. I was chuffed that the relatives pronounced the kong bak pau as their number one favourite.

It was great to see both the SIL and her five-weeks old doing so well. Baby SQ looks exactly like the female version of her big brother! So no worries, my dear SIL! While you may be a little bit dismay that she looks like a boy now, given how handsome SK is, I am certain little SQ will grow up to be a pretty lass too! :)

Hot mama with her offspring

A cousin showing off her DIY M&Ms manicure

HEllo, cutie!

Five-week-old vs 19-month-old

Then, on Monday (it was a long weekend due to Hari Raya Haji), The Husband and I took C out for a belated birthday lunch. Well, her actual birthday was on Sunday where her parents had held a birthday bash at home. She had voiced her disappointment to my mom (her grandma) upon knowing that The Husband and I could not make it. So this was a make up treat for her.

The Husband and I had actually gotten her present weeks ago (for fear that I would give birth too early). In fact, we had also bought the other two nephews' birthday presents already (one in December, another in early January) and they are all stashed away neatly in our wardrobe. Very kiasu, this pair of uncle and aunt.

Don't the kiddos look like their grandma?

Go green. Give presents unwrapped.

Getting the birthday girl started on her new boardgame

 We were glad that C seemed to enjoy herself.  Since she started primary school, she seemed to have become this angsty and sometimes defiant tween. The C that gotten along with us yesterday was more like the girl that we always knew - chatty when alone with just The Husband and I whose love language is acts of kindness. No scowls, no rolling of eyes. Instead, she was all smiles the whole afternoon and was really sweet to Anya and her own little brother. Prayerfully, she will outgrow the rebellious phase quickly. 

A piece of bad news

An ex-colleague, who fostered a friendship with me because we became first-time mothers months apart, recently discovered that she had 4th stage of lymph nodes cancer.

It all started with a persistent backache that rendered her immobile after she fell pregnant again in recent months. She had to seek treatment immediately and has since terminated the pregnancy. This friend has started a blog to document her battle with the illness. If you do visit her blog, I am sure you will agree with me that this lady has astounding strength and optimism. While her story is heart-wrenching at the beginning, I am certain that she will emerge as a inspiring survivor at the end of her ordeal.

Please, together, let us keep her and her loved ones in prayers. Jiayou, YM!

Another conversation with The Tod

This time round, the conversation drove both of us nuts.

Here's the setting:
The Tod and I were watching Pororo on Disney Junior channel. This particular episode depicts how Crong (one of the character, a baby dinosaur) found a baby seal by the sea. I wish I could upload the picture of the said baby seal (the crux of this conversation), but I could not find it on the Internet. Anyway, for some reason - probably the husky "barks" of the baby seal, Anya thinks that it is a dog.

"Dog!", she said while pointing at the baby seal. 
"No, Anya. That is a seal. A baby seal.", I replied. 
With her chin slightly jutted, she repeated, "Dog!".
"No. It sounds like a dog, but it is a seal.", I explained.

This line of conversation ping-ponged to and fro between us for the next couple of minutes, with her repeatedly insisting that it was a dog while my patience thinned out while trying to get the facts across to her.

The end of this conversation was eventually initiated by The Tod whom, with a grave tone of finality drawled, "DO-O-O-OG..!..!", and simultaneously tossed a small toy in her hand onto the floor in exasperation.

Is this the start of mother-vs-child verbal sparring?

At 36 weeks

Last night, I had a series of Braxton-Hicks with a slight dull lower back pain. Those tightness around the tummy, alternating with Mini Bun's vigorous movements kept me from falling into deep sleep the whole night. I will be lying if I say the possibility of premature labour did not cross my mind. Especially given that groggy sleepy state, judgment tends to deteriorate.

Now I understand why some expectant mothers will have false alarms. Ironically, I do not remember being this confused about labour signs the first time round. Nor do I recall Anya's movements in my belly being so low. With Mini Bun, I could tell that her head is near the pelvic area and every time she turns her head, it feels like she is messing with my bowels and bladder. Very peculiar feeling! Quite uncomfortable, I should say! Hmmm.., I cannot even articulate how it feels like when she hiccups, which is very frequent in recent weeks!

Possibly the last pic of us deck out in nice outfit before we become a family of five.

Is The Husband trying to assume a preggy pose?

Jacob Ballas Children's Garden

 On Saturday morning, we finally set foot on Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. I have talked about visiting this much-talked about attraction for months but since I fell pregnant for the second time, we seem to have become a sleepy lot, preferring to sleep in on weekend mornings.

We have invited The Helper to join us as she has seen pictures of us picnicking in The Botanical Garden and had told me that she wanted to visit the place when she gets her off day (The contract stated that she is not allowed on off days till after six months). However, I disclaimed beforehand that this is another different part of the botanical garden and may not be what she is hoping for.

The Husband and I were quite impressed with the garden. It is indeed a wonderful place for young children. The size of the garden is manageable for both parents (who have to lug strollers, bags and whatnots) as well as children. Yet, it is packed with educational values that stimulates the children's senses. We'd think that the features such as the suspension bridge and waterfall can be interesting and even exciting through the eyes of a 5-year-old, making the learning fun.

For Anya, however, it is apparent everything is new, strange and some, even possibly a tad scary to her. She was reluctant to explore most parts of the garden, preferring to sit in her stroller, hold onto one of our hands (sometimes even both of us) or wrap her arms tightly around one of The Husband's leg.

Sweetie, that's the eggplant that you and Daddy refused to eat at dinnertime.

"Hmm.. what is Daddy trying to point out to me?"

"Can you see it?"

The following are some of the experiences that she had there and what I imagined were her thought bubbles.

So many children within the same compound at the same time, screaming, running and laughing? "Hmmm...."

Touch the mimosa plant and the leaves clam up? *startled* "Are they going to clam my fingers too?!?"

Walk the suspension shaky suspension bridge? "No...! I like my grounds firm and unshakable."

At the playground, feel the sand under your feet? "Ewwww......"

Running around the waterplay so that huge sprouts of water come raining down onto me while other children scream, run and laugh around me? "Doubly scary!"

Okay, this tiny water sprout is more manageable for tiny me.

The Husband and I learned something new on this trip too. We learned that it is high time that we expose our toddler to more greenery and other new things. :P

Oh, it was also on this fateful day that Anya bruised her kneecaps twice in the same day. Once, in the morning during the walk. That evening, we took the In-laws out for dinner at Ga Hock Seafood Restaurant and the poor tod had fallen down again in the dark when The Husband took her on a walk around the vicinity.