School and Church

School started for almost 2 weeks and things are going well. For the time being until my SIL completes her confinement, Popo will be bringing the kids and MA to Centris every morning and we will fetch them in the evening. Lil Shauna will thus board the school bus with Felicia at Centris and alighted at Centris. This arrangement works really fine. Lil Shauna will don her uniform and tie her hair just like the 2 Fs, no tears at all. She enjoys taking the school bus with Felicia too. The bus auntie sometimes relates that they quarrel in the bus but they also appear to enjoy each other’s companionship too. Lil Shauna does not seem to have any other issues with school now. She enjoys school and sometimes relates to us the things that she does in school, the songs she learn and even the prayers that they do. J The change of classmates seems to have no impact on her at all. Phew… At least we don’t have to run around looking for new school or managed a crying Lil Shauna.

Then again, I cannot help worrying that Lil Shauna will start rejecting school again when they stopped their daily shuffle to Centris. Well, Lil Shauna will still see Felicia on the school bus and in school. Then, my SIL told me last week that she has tried to apply Felicia to the Kindergarten that Fione is studying now. It is a well-known Kindergarten in ​Jurong West, very popular and it is more academically driven than New Life. They do not have a vacancy now but will inform my SIL if there are drop-outs. My heart further drops but I will be happy for Felicia if she does get into that school. It is really more reputable I also tried my luck and called up that Kindergarten. I was told by the administrator that the registration is already closed and the waiting list is very loooonnnnggg. Ok, I get her hint. I can only hope that Lil Shauna learns how to be independent soon or get used to going to school, such that when Felicia does go to her new school, Lil Shauna will continue to enjoy going to New Life. *crossing my fingers and toes*

We have started picking up going to church again since Lil Shauna stops her My Little Gym classes on Sunday afternoon. Amazingly, Lil Shauna likes church and I enjoy the time that I spent with her alone. During the last few visits, she was participative in the worship and activities. Now that she is 3 YO, almost all enrichment classes are independent classes. I realized that I actually missed those times that I spent with her in the various enrichment classes that we have attended. Boohoo, my baby has grown up. Come next year, she will move to the next level of Sunday school classes where parental companion is not allowed. Another challenge. We just have to take things as they come and pray more. I have been praying so little recently. Haiz. Jia you.

Mummy Lim

Sleep

Lil Isaac is a poor sleeper and nap-per. I read on baby centre that babies between 6 to 9 months should be sleeping between 11.5 hours to 15 hours a day including the naps but Lil Isaac is barely meeting the quota. He is such a bad sleeper and nap-per compared to jiejie.

Jiejie started sleeping through in her 6th month. And she took solid 2 to 3 naps at 8th months, easily each of 1 to 2 hours each. It was much easier with her. In fact, jiejie only stop taking nap recently. We started allowing her to skip her nap a few months back during weekends. And she had too much fun in Centris during the June holidays and was well trained. Now that she's in the afternoon class, she skips her nap on most days. But she will turn in at 9ish and sleep until about 7ish, which makes up about 11 hours.

Lil Isaac goes to sleep at about 9pm. He still wakes up once a night to latch, 2x on bad nights. During the day, he naps badly too. He takes 2 to 3 naps but each nap can be as short as 15 mins. On good days, we get nap lasting an hour. Phew. Must be his tiger instinct, such that the slightest noise wakes him up. Arrggghhhh.

We went to nainai's place 2 Sundays ago and Lil Isaac's eczema threatens to flare. Not that nainai's place is exceptionally dirty, but compared to the constant cleaning at our home, Lil Isaac is pampered. Since then, he has woke up 2x every night!!!!! Last night, after waking up 2x, he woke up at 5.15am to play with me. By the tine he is satisfied and willing to go back to sleep, it was already 6am, time for me to prepare for work.

I am a panda. Yawn.
I don't know what happened. I don't know why Lil Isaac decides to torture me. Growth spurt? But he doesn't wake up bcos he is hungry. He sometimes doesn't latch much and drift back to lala land. -.o" boys are generally poor sleeper and nap-per?

Mummy Lim

Everyday Pictures

Pretty jiejie.


Cheeky boy.


Love...


Pappy & Mummy.

Mummy Lim

Wild, Wild Wet

We brought Lil Shauna to Wild, Wild Wet (WWW) 2 Saturdays back. It had probably been a year since the first and last time we were there. I remembered I was with a big tummy then.

I brought Lil Shauna to WWW with ah yee, my brother and the 2 Fs as Daddy Lim had to work and could only join us later. The last time to WWW, Lil Shauna was clingy and needed Daddy Lim to accompany her on every slide. This time, she was so much braver. After a few attempts, she insisted that she slides on her own. On an occasion, she even insisted that she climbed to the slide on her own and that I had to wait and catch her at the bottom of the slide. While she climbed, she constantly looked back to ensure that I wasn't following her. I swear she was the only 3 yo climbing the slide on her own. My eyes didn't left her and I freaked out when she didn't come down the slide. I held my breath until when I finally see her at the bottom of the slide. Luckily, she only insisted to do so once. My weak heart cannot take it lah.

The kids had so much fun at the slides, they kept going up and down, no signs of boredom. There is this big bucket that spills water at regular intervals and the kids enjoyed getting 'drenched' too. The last time, they were so scared of the big splashes.


We all had a good time, the adults too.


Lil Isaac didn't get to join in the fun. Daddy Lim was supposed to bring him to the pool when he came to join us but the baby was having his nap. Well, there will be chance. By then, Lil Shauna should be independent enuff to go up and down the slide herself. Hoho.

Mummy Lim

I Can Read

I was gan cheong about looking for another phonics school when I failed Zoophonics. There are quite a few big names in the market. The last time I checked LCentral, they only accept students who are 3.5 years old. I remember checking I Can Read (ICR) too and they were off my radar bcos of their location and they are really expensive.

Recently, I also check with Morris Allen at JP and it is really expensive, almost $50 for a weekend session. I don't know what prompted me but I found myself surfing ICR website and saw that they have a branch at JE! That means that I can bring Lil Shauna to the class via MRT conveniently when Daddy Lim is not free. I called to check and found them much cheaper than Morris, at $30+ per lesson. But what attracted me most wasn't the cost or the location but the assuring administrator.

She sounded really nice and was patient in explaining how their program works and the progression. She was sympathetic towards parents whose kids are clingy (read: me) and explain how and why it is a no parental companion class but assured that herself and another administrator will help the teacher when there are crying kids. There will only be 6 kids to 1 teacher. After I explained what happened at Zoophonics, the administrator did not slam them either. She was simply reassuring and asked us to start Lil Shauna later, when she's ready. Ahhhhh... Again I don't know if the program is good but I am much lured by the services of the administrator.

I will probably send Lil Shauna to ICR after she got over her Zoophonics trauma. I expected her to cry buckets when I send her to ICR but I guessed we have to start somewhere and we will get one day? Hehe.

Mummy Lim

On Leave

I am on leave today to babysit the kids so that my bro can accompany my mum for her medical appointment. So, how did I spend the day?

Popo woke me up at 7.30am as we had to leave early for Centris. She needed to settle the kids before she leave for her medical. We tabao bfast and reached Centris at about 8.30am. I fed Lil Shauna her breakfast and had mine and latched Lil Isaac and tucked him for a nap. Then I entertained the kids until it was time to get them ready for school.

The kids left for school at 10.45am and it was peaceful. MA looked after Lil Isaac while I rushed my quarterly board paper. When it was all done, I had lunch and latched Lil Isaac again and he had his 2nd nap. I was really tired and took a really nice nap. I didnt even nap on a bed, I simply flopped on the floor and drifted to lala land for a good 1+ hour nap. Well, now that jiejie is skipping her nap on weekends, there is no opportunity for me to have one. I really needed this nap. I felt so recharged after the nap.

When I finally woke up, I went to get a cup of Ice cafe Mocha from Starbucks and tabao the hao da da ji pa and 2 slices of strawberry cakes for the kids. Yummy, how good can life be. The Ice cafe Mocha was heavenly.

Then it was a mad rush to help bath and feed hungry kids who just returned from school, more TV watching, latching and playing games. Then we brought the kids to JP for dinner and some shopping at Kiddy Palace and headed home. We spent some time with the kids and they were both in dreamland by 9.45pm. So, Daddy Lim and I sneaked out of the house and are now happily sipping cafe Mocha at Mac Donalds. Hohohoho.

I think I am really cut out to be a HBD tai tai with a maid. Lol.
*Hint, hint*

Mummy Lim

Popo's Update

My bro accompanied Popo to NUH for her appointment with the ENT specialist. I think she was put through some hearing test and was diagnosed with severe hearing loss for her right ear but her left ear appears normal. Well, the hearing loss could very well be due to old age but the specialist also mentioned that there is a slight possibility of a tumor growth sitting on some nerve thereby affecting her hearing and at times causing her dizziness. The specialist recommended a MRI scan to eliminate the possibility. If it is merely hearing loss or imbalance ear fluid, the he will prescribe medicine for the condition. Prolong hearing loss in one ear can also cause dizziness. He was not willing to prescribe the medicine now without the MRI. I think his immediate concern is to quickly rule out the tumor growth possibility.

The possibility of a tumor is freaking Popo out. That is especially the case when she has lost quite a fair bit of weight recently. You know how cancer patients often lost weight and are rag and bone. She's in escapism mode and suggests not going for the scan. She tells me that she's not scare of death but is unwilling to go for treatment if she's really diagnosed with cancer. That is bcos my dad suffered from the cancer treatment and he relapsed a few years later. Popo thinks that the treatment will not cure her anyway if she is indeed cancer stricken. Moreover, her kids are already grown up and are independent and she thus has no more worries. -.o"

I don't know what to say but simply told her not to worry too much. I told her that it is probably nothing much and just take things as they come. I had to remind her that she's not that young and it is normal for her to start feeling pain and sickness. But truth be told, I am actually worried after hearing all her grumbling. Pls pray that there is no cancer but a mere case of hearing loss.

Mummy Lim

Update: her MRI scan will be on 19 jul 11.

Popo

It has been almost 9 months since Popo comes and stays with us. Our humble 5-room flat now house 7 heads. Popo has mentioned that she wouldn’t mind continuing with this living arrangement. I guess it largely voice down to the fact that I am working and spend little time at home thus minimizing conflicts. I have also resigned to fate and allowed her to run my household in whichever way that she likes. Many times, I chose to close both eyes and hold my tongue to prevent quarrels. Otherwise, things go well and I am “most of the time” grateful for her watchful eyes and helpful hands.

Popo turned vegetarian when my Dad left 6 years ago and has been pretty healthy until recent years. I supposed that is part and parcel of growing old. Popo had her gall removed years ago. I was in JC then and the doctor mentioned that the removed gall will not have great impact on her overall well-being. A few years back, during a full body checkup that ah yee and I dragged her to, the doctor found unusually high blood platelet count, which signifies a faulty bone marrow. She goes for regular checkup at NUH now but is not on any medication until such a time that the platelet count further leaps. The doctor said that the condition is not life threatening but is not going to get better either. Then knee pain grasps her. We suspected that the ligament or gel is wearing thin. But the pain interestingly “runs” from her knee cap to her shin to her heel and toes. As most older generation, she went to TCM and was asked to restraint the types of food that she eats. Well, it did help to ease the pain a little.

Coupled with the pains, she started getting dizzy spells, followed by vomiting, which she accrues to indigestion due to the removal of her gall many years back. She found that certain food will trigger the dizzy spells and she further reduces her food choices. She thinks that it is the right way to go since restricting the food choices has helped her to manage her pains without medication. -________-“ Then, she started losing weight drastically. We tried asking her to see the doctor but she simply refuses, insisting to self medicate or limit her food choice until one fine day she was hit with a really bad dizzy spell when she was outside. Daddy Lim and ah yee had to go find her and drive her to the doctor. The doctor suspected imbalance fluid in her ears lor, nothing to do with indigestion and suggested for her to go to the hospital to check it out. The episode also stressed her up, leaving her frightful to venture out on her own.

After much prompting, Popo finally went to the Polyclinic with ah yee and got herself an appointment with NUH next Tuesday. I do hope that the dizziness condition is really triggered by the imbalance fluid in her ears and she can get it treated. That way, at least she can start enjoying food.

Recently, she has been shuttling between ours and my brother’s home to help out and she’s obviously strained. She puts unnecessary baggage on herself and works round the clock. With the stress she’s unhappy, skips her meal, gets disturbed sleep and started nagging and getting upset with the maid for being able to take things so easily while she works like a mull. Hello, she’s the maid lor, working harder won’t bring her anywhere and nobody asks you to work doubly hard. That is the thing with Popo, she stubbornly insists things to be done in a certain way and overly stress herself and she complains no end, putting everybody in a miserable spot. Then she refuses to take in options to change things. Then how? Haiz.

The only good thing is that she is aware that she’s losing weight and probably mal-nutritious and is trying hard to eat more to gain weight. She tries not to skip her meal and I also asked my SIL to make sure that Popo is eating more and also healthily. Haiz, life is indeed in a cycle. I bet she used to take care of us this way when we were young. Now, it is our turn to do so. I hope our kids are just as filial towards us in the future.

Ah yee may have intention to shift out at the end of the year. Well, she’s not that young anymore. When that happens, I hope to do up the room, get a proper bed and shift Popo over. I supposed we can do up the children’s room too and get a nice princess-cy bed for Lil Shauna and lure her out of our room. Hohoho.

Mummy Lim

Shorts

Jiejie looks so good in shorts but she only wants to wear her skirt now and it must be pink skirt.



She was willing to wear her shorts yday bcos we were bringing her to the playground and she must be in her shorts before we were willing to do so.

Haiz, when will she grow out of "I must be in pink from head to toe" thing?

Mummy Lim

Looks Like Pappy

Lil Isaac looks like Pappy.


Dont you think so? He has inherited Pappy's dimple and chin.
A handsome young man.


Love him to bits.

Mummy Lim