Surviving

M has been with us for a week already. She's definitely not a rare gem but I find her a lot more obedient than J. Although she's not as proactive as J, but I like the fact that she's more sincere and doesnt insist on doing things her way.

Maybe I have learnt cos Daddy Lim says that I am much harsher with M than J. I also realised that it all voiced down to expectations. I reminded myself that M is new and needs training. Thus, I didnt expect her to initiate but told her to move her butt to do X when she doesnt. With J, I closed my eyes most of the times and sometimes get irritated at the things that she did/ didnt do. With M, I make sure that I tell her if I didnt like the way certain things turned out.

In my opinion, so far so good. Lots of training to be done and I hope that M doesnt show patterns soon and would stay on with us for a long time. Changing maid is so tiring. But it is true that she's always so tired by the end of the day. J will still be jumping with energy. There are so many occasions that we found light still on in the baby room at 10+pm when we had J. Daddy Lim sometimes find her sitting in the dark. We used to wonder what J is doing in teh dark, missing family?

For M, most days, she turned in at 9 to 9+pm, even before Lil Shauna hits the pillow. M switches off her light and hit the pillow when we bring the princess into the room. We are worried that she cannot handle and quit on us when Lil Isaac comes along. -.o" It will be much tougher than and she will not be able to turn in so early + sleep peacefully through the night.

And of course, ah mah had loads to complain, from the very 1st maid until this one. She expected each maid to perform miracles but they all couldnt and communication is a big barrier, which make things worse. She will use her very chim ang mo to talk to M, who is totally clueless about what ah mah is saying and thus cannot deliver, resulting in ah mah calling me to nag about M. This I totally hate, especially when I am at work. Haiz. Mum complained about how M is so much slower than J, how she cannot take initiatives and appeared lazy at times. -_____-" I told mum that she cannot expect M to react the same way as J, she has no training at all, no work experience at all and could even be a tai tai in PHL! So, just tell her or dun expect her to know what to do next! Aiyo. But ah mah being demanding works good for me. Whenever something dun go right, I would tell M that ah mah dun like, ah mah wants it this way, ah mah says... Ah mah name is so good to use. Hohoho.

Lil Shauna doesnt reject M, but she asked about J the 1st few days that M arrived. I hope things will get better.

Mummy Lim

Taking the 2nd Place

Daddy Lim is such a poor thing, especially now. He had to share my attention with Lil Shauna since the day that she arrives and the princess is getting more and more demanding, not only in terms of my attention but also of physical possession. As e princess grows and inherits my terrible "shui xiang", the bed gets more n more crowded such that we have to buy a new mattress to make bed space n also to prevent Lil Shauna from flipping from the bed to the floor. Daddy Lim and I had been taking turns to sleep on the mattress. Afterall, nothing beats the comfort of our big bed.

However, during the recent night shift, I had been tucking Lil Shauna to bed and she's used to jumping on the bed, singing and monkeying before finally flipping all over the bed for a favourite spot before finally dozing off. Daddy Lim will always take the mattress for his 30 mins snooze before waking up to send me to work after he return from his night shift in the morning. And on rare occasions where Lil Shauna wakes up when Daddy Lim is snoozing, she will find him on the floor. The result? Daddy Lim has been permanently banished to the floor. The princess has openly taken over his position on the bed! Now, when Lil Shauna is ready for bed and Daddy Lim lies on the bed, she will whine n kick Pappy and demand that there is "no space", even when there is. When asked where Pappy sleeps then, she will point off the bed n confidently declares "there". Poor Daddy Lim will then give in to her princess and go to the pathetic mattress. Many times, she even openly declared tat she doesn't want Pappy to sleep on HER bed. -.o"

A 2nd incident to show how neglected (by me) Daddy Lim has been. He has been bugging me to mend his socks and I had promised him but putting him off until yday. Well, we can always buy new socks but he told me tat the socks are wearable just tat they needed some mendings. I didn't noe how pathetic he had been until I saw the amount of socks I have to mend. Each one comes with holes, big or small and he ran out of no hole socks to wear. Yday. he totally ran out and had to savage a pair that he had already thrown into the rubbish bin. Sob, so poor thing. Daddy Lim was so glad when I mended some of his socks last night.

I wonder wat will happen to him when Lil Isaac comes along. Haiz. I think we better work hard on the couple time tat we wanted. Hmmm, when was the last time we went to the movie? Or a last quiet slow dinner without the baby? Haiz.. Bb, I love you dip dip. Muakz.

Mummy Lim

Growing Baby

We seldom use the computer in front of Lil Shauna. That is bcos she too will want to use the keyboard. And there is no way that you can use the computer when you have a toddler messing around with the keyboard.

A few days ago, Daddy Lim was at the computer and Lil Shauna wanted to imitate Pappy too. So Daddy Lim opened her pix folder and showed Lil Shauna her baby photos. The 1st time, Lil Shauna couldnt relate that the baby is her. I mean, she does look very different.

Only after we told her that the baby is her did she then relate. She will then acknowledge that the baby is "baobao" even when the baby in the pix looks totally unlike her.

Yday, I was trying to kill time while waiting for Daddy Lim to fetch us to go nainai's house. So, I switched on the computer and went through the pix and video with her. And I realised that Lil Shauna has grown so much. A while ago, she was still a helpless baby.

We watched her grow, learning to take her 1st step, speak her 1st word, feed herself and many more. And now, she's such a cheeky girl, full of fun and laughter.

Suddenly, I wonder how did we survive the initial months where she cannot speak or express her emotions and wants. It must have been tough and I am glad that humans are such forgetful creatures, such that we will be willing to try for no. 2. Hohoho. As for Daddy Lim, he is conned by me. Muahahahaha.

We will be reminded of how difficult it was when Lil Isaac comes along. In the meantime, we will enjoy our princess. She's pretty fluent in her speech now. She can describe something that has happened or something that she sees. She can even holds a proper conversation with us now. Although the conversations are usually senseless, it is interesting to see how she strong her words together. :) We love her so much.

Mummy Lim

The New Maid

She's Michelle, taller than J and much darker and prettier. She came with the same shoulder length hair. We had requested for her to crop off her waist length hair before coming to Singapore. She is only 26 YO, married with a 3-YO son. Her husband is working as a Security and brings home instable income. She's here to earn $$ to support her family, just like many other foreign workers. A lady of few words, which is so differnt from J, something that we will probably appreciate. But she has never work as a domestic maid previously and in fact never worked before after her graduation from college. Unlike J, who was a transfer maid and had worked 4 weeks in Singapore before coming to us. J noes alot of housework, requires minial prompting, took a lot of initiatives and keeps teh house clean without much monitoring.

I noe there is probably no such thing as a perfect maid. I had prayed for the impossible and it didnt come true. But what I really asked for is somebody who will really take care of Lil Shauna and loved her like we did. I cant tell yet.

We told her the ground rules. We wanted to set things right but expected her not to remember that much. We told her the routine and we can only keep our fingers crossed that thinsg will turn out fine. We wanted to look strict and fierce but that wasnt in us. ;p

We started seeing things and knew that it will take time to make things work.

1. We brought M for dinner after collecting her. She wanted noodles and we got her wanton mee. We even give her Chrysatimum tea. She barely finished half the noodles and didnt at all touch the wantons. Her drink was 3/4 full. We asked her and she said that she dun want the food anymore and she didnt like the taste of the drink. -.o" I think my mum will jump at the amount of food that she wasted. And she eats painfully slow. Faint.

2. With her in the car, we picked up LiL Shauna and she was lost upon seeing her. No instant or natural connection. we had to tell her wat to do. Well, I expect that is normal and I could still take that.

3. M wanted to call home to tell her hb that she has arrived safely. I tot it was reasonable and allowed her to call. I told her 15 mins and that she should hang when time's up. She was still at it beyond the 15 mins and I realised that she is not as seld-restraining as I tot she would be. I had to interupt and ask her to hang cos I wanted to teach her to make milk.

4. She came with a huge luggage but not exactly alot of stuff. I brought her through the house, name a few routines and told her to unpack and go to bed. We were all tired. She woke up bring and early on Sat morning but DID NOT do anything at all. My fault, I didnt give specific instructions on what to do before Lil Shauna wakes up. J took a lot of initaive and was always wiping and cleaning when we left for work and I had assumed that M would too. Haiz..

5. M needs alot of prompting and instruction. I supposed it voice down to the fact that she has never work before. Of course everybody wants an easy way out. She would rather carry the bag or push the stroller than to chase or entertain the baby. I made it a point to tell her what to do. She's not too bad when she's told to entertain Lil Shauna. Lil Shauna doesnt rejects her.

6. M is not as good with housework and I am pampered by J. Our home had never been very, very clean. But J did a good work and we had always told her that. So when M come, I had half expected the same standard. But M is not as good. She leaves things lying around. -.o" She didnt foresee the need to boil water, to change Lil Shauna's water in the bottle, etc. I see a long training path and lots of reminder. Last night, I told her the requirement - our house is this clean when she comes. It can only gets cleaner, not dirtier.

7. To make sure M has things to do before Lil Shauna wakes up this morning, I instructed her last night. Wipe the table, sweep and mop the floor. I expected her working on the tasks when I woke up this morning at 7.15am. When I got out of teh room, I saw her still sleeping. -__________-" I woke her up and she started on the tasks. Aiyo.

8. I got out of the room to check on her. The house is not too dirty to begin with. She was mopping the floor and the mopped floor was really wet, not acceptable. Ah mah or Lil Shauna will fall down. I told her and have to see if she improves tomorrow. I dun think she clean the baby's room, bcos I never say. Haiz..

I have to leave Lil Shauna alone with her before school on Tuesday and I am worried again. If this is the standard, I duno if she can handles Lil Shauna alone. I also have to manage ah mah's expectation. Ah mah cannot expect M to noe and take iniative. I wonder how are they gg to communicate.

Leave it to God lah. This is too much for me to bear.

Mummy Lim

Updated @ 26 July 10
M still has a long way to go. I am trying my best to remind her whenever that I can and I do fear for tomorrow when I go back to work. Bcos I am around today, Lil Shauna sticks to me and refused to let auntie helps her. -.o" I am trying my best to let M takes care of Lil Shauna to get some hands-on.

The latest wrong - she made a cold milk for Lil Shauna. -.o" I kept reminding her 80ml cool water, 40ml hot water, but the actual composition will be dependent on the water temperature. But teh milk ended up cold. Haiz... But subsequent milks were Ok. i think I need lots of faith.

An Emo Day

I had been plagued with so much negative tots and bitterness recently. It was bad and it is affecting me badly. I worried about everything that is to come, sending J away, the new maid, putting Lil Shauna alone with the new maid, the arrangement when Lil Isaac comes along. There seems to be no perfect solution. I know that things will work out eventually, but how and what? On Friday morning, I decided to give all to God and rely on faith. But I guessed my faith was smaller than the mustard seed and died away shortly.

My mum got to know that I will be sending J to the agency without Daddy Lim's help on Sat morning. Daddy Lim will be at work. She was worried that J would turn violent and hurt the pregnant woman and started nagging and nagging and insisted that we send J away on Friday night instead, so that Daddy Lim can escort. I had to call the agency and they managed to arrange for me to collect the new maid and send J back on Friday evening. Praise the Lord. I was encouraged and saw God at work but my humanistic emotions took over soon after.

I saw something that my mum did and all the negative emotions came back. My blood boiled and I lost control. I called her and there were negative exchanges and we quarreled, not once but twice over the phone. I blamed her for her favoritism and she insisted that I sandwiched her and cos her to be miserable. We slammed each other's phone and of course there was no closure like before. I was badly affected.

Life goes on, work continues and we rushed off at 6.30pm to pack for J. We didnt want her to pack herself, bcos we wanted to avoid whatever possible confrontations and there was no time. We threw her belongings into her luggage, put them in the boot and picked her at Centris. We called my mum to ask her to meet us at the lobby.

The plan was to tell J only when we are nearing the agency. Afterall, she doesnt noe the way there. But I duno what my mum told her, probably about helping us take something? Cos she opened the boot immediately when she saw our car and saw her luggage. -__________-" Plan failed. We had to tell her that we are sending her back when she boarded the car.

She didnt turn violent or struggle like my mum feared. She asked why and I told her that I had lost my trust in her and this relationship cannot continue. She did cry and the trip to the agency seems exceptionally long. Silently, I curse at every red light and car that blocks our way. And my heart stops whenever the car stops. I half-expected her to open the door and escape. There were awkward silences after we broke the news to her. I had to ask Daddy Lim to talk to me in Mandarin so that there will be sound. I couldnt bear the silence.

We helped her with the bags upon arrival and we came out of the wrong car park exit and had to walk a distant to the agency. I was half worried that J would escape again but she was cooperative. She checked her luggage in a small room at the agency and we saw the new maid. At that point, I wanted so much for the whole thing to end. This emo trauma was too much to bear. It was so upsetting to see J in the room checking the stuff. I wonder if we should have given her another chance. Haiz.. Too late, choices made and we have to move on.

We finally brought the new maid away and ended the emo day. I am amazed at the amount of emotions that I can take in one day.

Mummy Lim

Updates @ 26th/ 27th week

We saw Lil Isaac this evening. :) It had been 3 weeks since we last seen him and we are excited to see him again. God has been gracious and my BP remains good at 116/60. This is so much better as compared to when I had Lil Shauna. Lil Isaac is about 1kg, his weight had doubled since 3 weeks ago. He is probably still a little on the low side but Lil Shauna was only 800+g when she was this old. Thank God. Dr Kee mentioned that Lil Isaac is growing properly, that he has a strong heartbeat, is active and has lots of water to swim in. Great! So, the next visit will be 3 weeks later in TMC. By then, he should be about 1.4 to 1.6kg.

I am getting anxious as the big day draws near. Yes, I am a 2nd time mummy but the 1st time happened too quickly for me to react. Labour was done in 6 hours. I heard that the 2nd child always come faster than the 1st and I hope I will have time to rush to the hospital. Hohooho. If God allows, I am opting for natural birth with epidural this time. I really have no idea what to expect. For Lil Shauna, I was already lying in the hospital bed when I felt my 1st contraction and when the water bag burst. I often wondered how embarrassed it will be if my water bag is to burst while I am outside, like when I am waiting for the MRT? -.o" I better start praying for contractions to happen at the right timing.

We have just decided that I will deliver at TMC. The last time, I had wanted to opt for TMC too but I ended up in NUH. Dr Kee delivers in both TMC and Mount A, both hospitals are just as far from our place, but at least Daddy Lim is familiar with the route to TMC and there is shopping center nearby if there's really a need to kill time. Similarly, if complications are to take place, I will check myself into NUH. If Lil Isaac is of a good weight and no birth complications, I hope to check myself into a 3D2N luxurious stay in TMC. At least I have something to look forward to after my last road trip to Malacca. ;p Daddy Lim is willing to foot the bill. He said that this is likely be the last time that I am preggy. Hehe.

As the pregnancy progresses, I also am going through an emotional roller coaster. I was upset over the maid's issue recently and also the childcare arrangement when the new maid comes. In a few days' time after the new maid's arrival, I may need to leave Lil Shauna alone with the maid and I am worried. Then, I am also frustrated about the arrangement when Lil Isaac comes along. There are simply too many unknowns now and I get unsettled. Just this evening, I actually felt sad that I have to send J away. Sad not bcos I cannot bear to let her go but more so that she will be upset at my decision. And as I was having dinner, I felt an unexplainable sadness. Haiz.. Lil Zu-Le aka Isaac is supposed to mean Joy and Laughter and here am I working towards a depression. -______-" I must be positive, I must be happy. I better go and hand my problems to God now.

Mummy Lim

Why Mummies Grow Fat

It is always so easy to gain weight and so hard to lose weight when you are a mummy, even when you are running after toddler(s). I had aspired to be a yummy mummy way before I conceive Lil Shauna and I am still nowhere near. Why? Many, many reasons.
I am suffering from insufficient sleep and I have to munch on food to stay awake whilst in the office.
Lil Shauna cannot decide/ tell me what she wants to eat when I asked her, so I decide on her behalf and she refused to eat what I bought subsequently and asked for something else. I had to buy what she wanted to make sure she’s well fed and I finished what she couldn’t.
Lil Shauna asked for ice cream bcos the jiejies are eating ice cream, but she had 2 mouthfuls and decided that she had enuff. So, the rest of the 7/8 goes to mummy.
Worse still, she wanted some other stuff after eating the 1/8 ice cream and the cycle repeats itself.
To make sure that Lil Shauna doesn’t overstuff herself with tidbits and crackers, noble mummy attempt to finish most of it in a scary speed.
To make sure that Lil Shauna has a good variety of delicious biscuits to bring to school for snack time, I overstocked and attempt to “clear” stock to prevent wastage.
Her delicious biscuits are calling out to me and I cannot resist.

When Lil Shauna is taking her nap outside of the house on weekend afternoons, I sneak break filled with fries and nuggets and sinful cakes, so as to energise myself in preparation of the bouncy baby.
To spend time with Daddy Lim, we attempted supper after Lil Shauna turns in. You can imagine how late and how fattening that is.
I have “no time” to exercise before I had Lil Shauna, so you can imagine how much time I am left with to exercise after she comes along.
No wonder I cannot lose weight lah. The temptations tripled now that I am preggy. It is so easy to tell myself that I can indulge in the extra food bcos I am pregnant now, that I have the rights to eat and I can always lose weight after I deliver. Lies! Sob, I think I will be up one size again after Lil Isaac arrives. -__________-"
Mummy Lim

Gathering

The SHSS girls met up again last Sun. This time, we invited Ms Teo to celebrate her bday. The last time we (Lil Shauna included) saw her was during CNY, although that was just a few months ago, Lil Shauna must have grown alot cos Ms Teo kept commenting that she looked so different.

I have to be reminded 2x about how shy Lil Shauna is on Sun. We went to church in the morning and Lil Shauna went to the jolly room as usual while I attended the service. Lil Shauna doesnt like church. -.o" On Sun mornings, she would often tell me that "I dun want go church, I want to go kai kai". If I stayed with her in the jolly room, she would cling on to me. She would behave better without me but not very participative. When I picked her at the end o the service, I would see her roaming around the jolly room but she wouldnt talk. In rare occasions, she would wave goodbye and hug some favourite helper aunties. One of the helpers had to tell me how shy and quiet Lil Shauna is when I picked her up. Haiz, I noe. I think she is just overwhelmed by the number of adults in the room. She often react better when there are more kids. She is shy and I duno how to help her overcome her shyness.

We had lunch and took a cab to Mummy L's place in faraway land Pungol as Daddy Lim was still stuck at work. Lil Shauna took her nap in the cab but woke up shortly upon arriving at Mummy L's place. It was barely 30 mins and I wasnt able to coax her back to sleep. It must be the new environment and the "new" faces that kept her awake, even though she had seen the "aunties" just a month back.

I was so proud when Ms Teo kept commenting that Lil Shauna is a pretty baby, that she has nice eyes and stuff. Hohoho. But when Ms Teo asked who does Lil Shauna take after, she refused to believe when I say that it is me lor. Ms Teo kept wanting to give credits to Daddy Lim too. She must be too kind to Daddy Lim liao. Hohoho. The truth is that Lil Shauna is so pretty bcos she takes after me and she is so pretty bcos I am pretty. Lol.. ;p

The rest of the girls joined subsequently and there were J gorgor, AN jiejie, Lil Shauna and G baby. AN jiejie was much more active being a healthy baby this time and she brought this pink bag loaded with toys. I tot it was such a good idea and we bought a Barney bag for Lil Shauna too.

AN jiejie spent her time chasing after J gorgor and G baby attempted to chase the both of them in her maximum speed on 2 legs. It was so cute. Lil Shauna prefers to play toys with J in a corner or to sit quietly on the sofa to watch TV. I think she must be shy. Haiz, reminded 2nd time. She does play with Fione and Felicia at home, in fact, Fione is like her bestie. Regardless, I was glad that she's entertained and doesnt stick to me. It is like Mummy P's dream comes through, the kids were well entertained and the adults catch up and eat. Wahahahaha..

Suki was traumatise again. Lil Shauna loves Suki, but we had to ask Mummy L for permission before we disturb Suki. Lil Shauna was again excited in "sayanging" Suki in her own way. But to prolong Suki's lifespan, we kept the session short. Lil Shauna was back to her toys and TV shortly. Bcos I was too happy eating and catching up, I ended up with no pix. Oops.

We left at about 5pm and headed to nai nai 's house. I am so glad that I am planning for the next gathering cos it will be at OUR place. Hohoho. No more travelling to the faraway land. But the kind Mummy L has to remind me that most of the girls are staying or will be shifting to Sengkang and Pungol (read: sheer torture) and most gatherings will be taking place in the faraway land in the future. Great, I can see the taxi uncle laughing and $$ sign flashing in their eyes. To minimise such traveling, I have decided to volunteer to plan at least 5 gatherings next year. Hohoho.

Mummy Lim

The Little Things

I think it must be bcos I have decided on sending J away, thus I start to notice all the little things that she does, which does not go well with me and it irks me no end. Maybe this way, it soothes my conscious more wrt my decision to send her back? I am actually hoping that the new maid will come soon. I haven decide how I should break the news to J on her last day. I am expecting her to cry. My mum is worried that she will turn violent. -______-"

So, how have she done over the past week to drive me crazy?

1. We hitch rides on my bro's car frequently. She opened the car door, got out of the car and left it open. My bro sarcastically asked me if they have a maid who will help my maid closes the car door. She already got scolding from my mum for doing so and did it again with our car last night. -.o"

2. She watched TV whenever she gets the chance and I saw her watching TV now in the dark on my internet camera. I think Lil Shauna is still sleeping.

3. She still talks too much. I told her to watch herself in front of ah mah. On Sat, Lil Shauna went to class with Daddy Lim and Felicia was sleeping. Fione wanted her attention but J ignored Fione and went to talk with fellow maids right in front of ah mah, my SIL and me. Haiz. Yes, Fione is not her direct charge but I told her before that she should help.

4. She must take afternoon shower and is at it forever. She showers 3x a day, even Daddy Lim doesnt do that and she can be in the bathroom for a long time. I have no idea what she does inside that requires such a long time. Yday morning, we were all ready for church and J wanted to go to the toilet. After that, she asked for shower!!!!! Why???? She didnt do much housework like she usually does and she's not sweating badly. Anyway, she asked and so I allowed and told her to be quick bcos we are running late. She took at least 10 mins and I had to rushed her in between and she came out of the toilet with a shampooed head. In which aspect does that look like a quick shower?

5. She closes her door the moment we bring Lil Shauna into the room. I think J has more privacy than us. -___-" Sometimes, I see her light still on at 10+pm after Lil Shauna is tucked in and I duno what she does inside. Haiz..

6. She sometimes chose to look after Felicia than Lil Shauna cos Felicia is much easier when she's in her good mood. When we are out on Sat, she seems to be more like my bro's maid than ours. Haiz.

Yes, no maid is perfect. It is about how much the employer can tolerate. I think I have been closing one eye for all the time that she is here and I cannot help but notice now. I have to admit that I have spoilt J. I have not laid down enuff ground rules. I was the one who allowed her to turn in early bcos Lil Shauna sticks to us in the nights. I didnt stop her when she started striking conversation with others. Yes, my fault.

I think I have to be more strict with the new maid, telling her that she has no chance when it comes to bringing Lil Shauna out, that we dun like her talking to other people, that she is only to take one shower a day (unless necessary), that she cannot closes her room door even during sleep time (afterall Isaac will sleep with the maid next time). I think I better start thinking hard about what else. And I am gg to call the agency to find out when my new maid is coming.

Mummy Lim

Updates on 20 Jul 10:
J made my blood boil again last night.

On our way back from Malaysia last weekend, I dismantled the portable DVD player car holder so that I can remove the player from the holder. Lil Shauna had wanted to watch Barney on my lap and not in her car seat. I passed the holder and the knob to J and asked her to hold them for me. I have told her once in the past that the holder and knob are important. I saw her kept them in the front pocket of the bag but the holder was way too bulky for the pocket.

I didnt noe what happen to the holder and the knob until I found the holder in the car last night but not the knob and I sensed trouble. I went home and asked J. She totally forgot about it and claimed that it was in the car but cannot tell me where and then maybe in the bag and it wasnt (I serached the bag before I asked her). Expected, but my blood still boils.

This is not the 1st time liao. She's basically a very neat person and will attempt to keep everything that she sees lying around in the house. These things will normally go into one of the drawers or the storeroom. She even attempted to keep Daddy Lim's brand new bicycle into the storeroom! BUT, the thing is that she's forgetful. She will keep and she will forget. And when we asked her about it, she cannot remember and we cannot find it. It is super irritating when that happens. If she keeps it and cannot remember then who can find it????!!!! My blood still boils now.

The agency told me that the new maid should come in tomorrow. She's on the waiting list for air ticket. We should be able to get her on coming Sat and I am seriously counting down. I didnt even want to talk much to J now. It must be the hormones.

Facebook

I have often heard a colleague of mine complaining about how the rest of us are so inactive on facebook n I have friends who are so active n seem constantly on facebook. I have to admit, I am too lazy to do anything about my facebook account. It was created a long time ago bcos Daddy Lim was crazy about the facebook games then. He had helped me to create an account as well so that he can complete against me n gain points/ levels. Hohoho. I only have 3 pix in my profile and they were updated donkey years ago. It is basically very neglected.

Over time, I received emails constantly to accept friends' request or that I m being tagged. I have totally no idea what the latter means n I simply ignored both.

Lil Shauna was sleeping just now n Daddy Lim was out for a ride. Feeling bored, I have decided to visit my facebook account n am amazed at how powerful it is. I mean I have heard n read about it but am finally seeing it myself lah. It took me some time to get a hang of e navigations but soon I was looking at other friends' friends' profile n comments and lost in tine. Looking for people whom you have lost contact is so simple now, one can even find their kindergarten friends lor. This somebody must have know this other somebody who is somehow related to this other somebody who is related to you. Woohoo, crazy, no wonder people always say tat the world is so small.

I was glad to know that abc is now married n def has a baby girl n hij is an operations manager, but I remain just as lazy. I accepted none of the 57 pending friends' request. I didn't noe tat I have tat many friends, I feel so popular now. Lol.

Now I noe why so many people are addicted to facebook. Maybe I will get active at it one day, maybe. As for now, I shall spend my time chasing after Lil Shauna n blogging. Hehehe.

Mummy Lim

Preparing for Lil Isaac's Arrival

I am now 25 weeks according to my calculation but 26 weeks in Dr Kee's record. The 3rd trimester starts in the 27th week and I am very near. That is also when the all the aches and pains and tiredness come back until the baby pops. I think I am almost there. Although no aches, I am so, so tired. I could hardly keep my eyes open after lunch, it was a constant battle with the Zzz monster. It is worse nearing bedtime, I have to make special effort to stay awake to blog, like tonight. Otherwise, I will be stealing sleep while Daddy Lim tries to entertain the princess and I will wake up for the last leg of patting her and singing her to dreamland. I am so grateful that Daddy Lim is back on day shift.

However, this pregnancy is also so much better than the last one. The last one was so eventful and I suffered high blood pressure (BP) by 16 weeks. The high BP not only zapped me of my energy but also gives me dizzy spells. And when one of the dizzy spells hit, I cannot tell if it is bcos of my low iron or my blood pressure shooting, making myself worrying sick and further aggravating my BP. It was one big vicious cycle. This time round, I am so much more "bouncy", so much so that some of my colleagues who haven seen me for a while didnt dare to ask if I was pregnant for fear that I am not and merely put on weight. -.o" Errr.. yes, I am just plain fat and the tummy is my spare tyre and I have a big beer belly. Hohoho.

As 2nd time parents, we are also less anxious. I remember how we had endless things to buy for Lil Shauna before her arrival and we were constantly shopping for this and that. This time, Lil Isaac's shopping list is so uber short. Well, he can always use jie jie's stuff. We have bought him a few pieces of rompers and some new home clothes, new bottles, spare parts for my breast pumps, BM storage kit and those are about all.

Mummy P has passed us a bag of hand-me-down recently and I was so excited when I saw some of Lil Shauna's old clothes in them, those more unisex ones. So, the stuff did go one round and really came back to us. They brought back so much memory. :) The hand-me-down seems too little and this cheapo mummy did not immediately top up with new purchases. Instead, she shamelessly asked Daddy Lim to sms his friend who just gave birth to pass us more hand-me-downs, even when their new baby is a lady, Well, who says boys cant wear pink? At home should be Ok lah. ;p

I have also kept some of Lil Shauna's old clothes that we liked a lot. Most of Lil Shauna's old clothes, we gave away or passed to ah yee to sell I dont see much reason for keeping, even if no. 2 had been a girl. Then I have reasons to buy more new clothes for no. 2 mah.



So, it was another walk down memory lane when I unpack those old clothes to add on to ah yee's flea market collections. It only reminds me of how fast Lil Shauna is growing up.

We have been trying to tell Lil Shauna about Lil Isaac, whom we fondly address as "LeLe". She knows that there is a baby in my tummy and will sometimes go "sayang LeLe" when she stroke my tummy. However, she still gies "no no" when we remind her that she is going to be a jie jie soon. -.o"

Just today, when my mum asked her where is LeLe, she pointed to her own tummy. Hohoho. And when I asked her to sayang LeLe, she actually stroke her own tummy. I am waiting for Lil Isaac's kick to be really strong before getting Lil Shauna to feel him. He is already starting his karate kicks but not consistent. It is too tough to ask Lil Shauna to sit still and wait.

So, it is just 14 to 15 weeks to go. Although I had history of prematured birth, I am praying for God to bring Lil Isaac to full term and trust that He will. Amen.

Mummy Lim

Port Dickson Part II

Day 2 was much better. :) The kids were happily running around the room playing hide and seek and whatever self created game before we headed for a not-too-bad buffer breakfast at the hotel.

Then, we went to the beach for some sand digging.

It was low tide and the water was shallow. You can walk very far into the sea to have the water reaching only your knee. As the waves were much weaker as compared to the ones in Desaru, Lil Shauna had a good time walking in the water, scoping up seawater and sand and picking up shells. The beach wasnt very clean nor the water very clear but acceptable. Then we came to this part of the beach where we found really tiny crabs (lots of them) digging holes in the sand. Lil Shauna was curious yet scare, it was quite a funny moment before she insisted that she wanted to go back to the same beach bcos she "pa pa". The kids got sandy and had fun before we head for more swimming. We basically swam and swam until we all turned prune like. Lol.
We had a quick lunch at the KFC at the Central Market before heading back for a nice nap. Yum yum, I just love relaxing trips, especially when it comes to afternoon naps. Daddy Lim must have influence me. Lol.
After a nice and relaxing rest, we went kite flying. It was a first time for Daddy Lim, me and also Lil Shauna. Ah yee even got us a nice kite from Singapore, but my bro managed to buy 2 kites in Port Dickson at half the price. Hohoho. We had to fix up the kite ourselves and there was no instructions, so Daddy Lim tried to figure out and the kite got fixed up and it looked pretty decent. Somehow I think Daddy Lim was proud of his handyman skills but the kite didn’t made it to the sky. Apparently, the string is to be tied to the wooden structure of the kite and not the kite “body”. With all the tugging and wind impact, our kite starting tearing and couldnt fly. Sad. But Lil Shauna still get to fly a kite a little, one of my bro's kite. Kite flying is actually quite boring. After you get the kite into the sky, you just tilt your head and stared at it. No wonder Lil Shauna lose interest fairly quickly. I was worried that Lil Shauna would let go of the kite. After a short while, all the kids grew bored (me too) and it was more swimming! It is strange how the kids can soak in the pool for hours after hours and not get sick of splashing and waddling around.

We had our 2^nd attempt at seafood dinner. This time, we knew what we are looking for – the staff must speak English or Mandarin and no pools of stagnant water. We found a Chinese seafood restaurant this time and had a good and not too expensive dinner. :)
Back at the hotel, Daddy Lim had wanted to chill out after we tucked Lil Shauna in and we were roaming the hotel looking for the lounge and found their mini karaoke box with switched on mics. So Lil Shauna got to sing karaoke for the 1^st time but without music. Still, she enjoyed herself just as much.

Then it was back to the hotel room for more jumping around, crazy runabout and kiddish games, but the kids totally enjoyed themselves. It seems so nice to be kids, so carefree. When we finally tucked Lil Shauna to bed, we were too comfortably settled into bed and too lazy to move. Hehe, lazy parents.
Lil Shauna started tossing and turning at 2am and woke us up. She settled back to sleep after her milk and Daddy Lim thought that we should still chill (since we were already awake) and we decided to catch the World Cup finals despite not being football fan at all. I think it must be many years ago that we actually catch a soccer match on TV. We have never watched a match together. We didn’t even know who was playing against who for the Cup but since the hotel has live telecast + the coffee house serves hot food and drinks.
I think we enjoyed the hot food and drinks more than the game. Lol. Afterall, we were not supporting any team in particular. We were sitting quietly in the midst of supporters who were cheering their team on. It was quite a funny sight. By break time, it was still no goal and we both agreed that it was quite boring and we were better off sleeping and we headed back to the room. So much for World Cup. Hoho, but at least we accomplished Daddy Lim’s goal of “chilling”. Lol. We only found out that Spain won the Cup the next morning.
On the last day, we had breakfast at the hotel again and checked out early as per my bro’s suggestion. We decided that we would drive to Malacca for lunch since Malacca is along the way back to Singapore. I think the adults were all quite sick of soaking in the pool. It was a great choice cos we had good food in Malacca, got to buy the local products and split the journey back home by 1/3, making the rest of the way back easier.

We arrived in Malacca just in time for lunch and we were fascinated by the shops and tot that we should have spent more time in Malacca but we had to make sure that we catch the kids' nap time to have a peaceful drive home and couldnt stay long. Thus, we had to leave shortly after lunch. The sun was just as hot in Port Dickson and Lil Shauna finally agreed to wear her new cap for like 2 mins.

We found this famous chicken rice shop and tucked in delicious chicken rice balls. Daddy Lim loves the chicken rice so much that he proclaimed that the chicken rice was worth the trip to Malacca. Hohoho.

We left shortly after lunch after some shopping and drove the remaining journey back to Singapore. Lil Shauna fell asleep shortly after we board the car and woke up almost nearing Singapore. She was grouchy but manageable and potato chips and “tang” (sweets) always do the trick.
Back in Singapore, we saw that it was still early and went in search for a princess bed. I am still harbouring the idea of Lil Shauna sleeping on her own and hope to entice her to do so by getting her a really nice princesscy bed. Our search was futile and we had dinner at IMM before heading home. Lil Shauna was helping and helped to carry her Badoh bear and toys while we lugged the rest of the luggage.

We had feared that Lil Shauna would torture us badly as she had a late nap and her parents were dead tired. But she was tired too and we finally managed to coax her to bed by 10+pm. Phew.
I was quite sad to be back. I realized that I really love holidays even if they are just across the Causeway. I love the feeling of looking forward to holidays, to be away from work and forget about work, to spend $$ without having to consider too much and most importantly to spend quality time with Daddy Lim and our precious princess. J
But fear not, cos we have decided to drive to Malacca soon. Hehehe. Now, I have something to look forward to again and I think Malacca will really be the last time I travelled before I be confined at home bcos of my big belly. Ah yee will also be joining us this time. I think she is just as desperate for a trip. It was be a really short one night trip and I think we will enjoy just as much. Hehe.
Mummy Lim

Port Dickson Part I

Lil Shauna has grown up. She now understands the meaning of "kai kai". We had been telling her a few days before the trip that we are bringing her to Malaysia to kai kai. Unlike the previous trip, where she got angry when we dragged her up in the early morning, she sprung up when we told her that we are bringing her to kai kai and very cooperatively got dressed. "Kai kai" is the new magical word. :)

We actually delayed her bedtime the night before and brought her for a super early MacDonalds breakfast. We were having our breakfast at 4.45am and my bro's family joined us at 5.15am. By the time we finished meddling with the GPS and was ready to set off, it was almost 6am. As planned, the 2nd link was empty and Lil Shauna fell asleep shortly after we cleared the custom.

Daddy Lim had a quiet drive and the expressway was pretty empty most of the time. We started off while the sky was still dark and slowly waited for daylight to fall on us. It was our 1st road trip and it was a pleasant experience.

Lil Shauna woke up when we were about 2/3 into the journey and we kept her busy with Barney, Hi-5 and loads of potato chips. She had a tidbits buffet during the entire Port dickson trip. -.o"

We arrived at about 9am and the hotel was more run-down than we expected, nothing like their website and their services were quite bad. As the rooms will only be ready in the afternoon, we went for our second round of breakfast - roti prata. We drove to their Central market, which is no bigger than our heartland interchange. There were so many small shops selling roti prata and the pratas looked really big and good. However, they taste so-so only. Lil Shauna was enjoying tearing the prata and helping herself to the sugar.

The sun was scorching hot. It actually hurts to stand too long in the sun and we escape to Port Dickson's biggest and only shopping center. It was no bigger than North Point and it appears as if they are trying to save electricity bill - the place was warmed even with air conditioned. -.o"

We then went back to the hotel and the kids spend the next 1+ hour soaking in the pool until the hotel room was finally ready. The drive and swim exhausted all of us and we were grateful for a good afternoon nap with Lil Shauna.

Good weather awaits us and our spirit was lifted after a good nap. The pool was busy with people and the tide was up, filling the lagoon in front of the hotel with water. At that point, the hotel looks pretty better.

We then went out looking for food, good seafood and were told that there are plenty of seafood restaurants in Port Dickson. We settled for one that is near to the night market and it was a bad choice. The place was rundown and dirty and they have big water pools filled with stagnant water. The staff do not understand English, their menu is in Malay and we have to order with whatever limited malay that we know. Everything that we asked for was "goreng" when they asked how we want to cook it, bcos that is the only malay word that we knew. Now that I think back, I wonder why we didnt just leave the place.

The wait for the food to be served was long and we were there feeding mosquitoes. -________-" The service was bad and the portion miserable. They finally served us BBQ chicken and BBQ fish but no cutlery or rice. We have to keep calling for the staff for forks and spoons! And right behind us, there was a table of malays. They came later than us but got served before us and they were enjoying sweet and sour fish, fried prawnballs and what-have-you while we looked at our unappetising BBQ chicken and fish. The kids were impatient and dinner was bad and unfulfilling. Right after dinner, we had to whack the night market for Ramli burgers and hotdogs and corns and nuggets to fill the hollow left by the dinner.

The night market is supposed to be the "hot" thing in Port Dickson. It is only on every Sat night and it is literally hot. There were so many people and the waiting time was so long. Haiz... I think we are too used to Singaporeans' efficiency. So we ended up tabao-ing and tucking in in the comfort of our hotel before ending the day.

Well, it wasnt our best trip and the best way to start a trip but it was still enjoyable. Afterall, we were on an holiday and I was desperate for one. Hohohoho.

Mummy Lim

Paranoid Mummy Lim

I didnt want to ask J to help much while we were in Port Dickson. It is either I do it myself or get Daddy Lim to help instead. It irks me alot when she comes in at the wrong time to snatch the baby away or tried to avoid when I needed her help. Anyway, it will soon be over. I wonder if she notices a change in my behaviour, but I did sense that I was less warm towards her.

So when I finally decided that I would send her away and after the call to the agency, I became paranoid. I rather she deals with the housework than Lil Shauna but we have to work and it is no choice for her to spend time alone with Lil Shauna in the morning before school.

This morning, my heart skipped a beat whenever I dun see them on my laptop. I thank God that the pan and tilt camera in the living room is working fine today. Sometimes, it constantly gives me problems. So whenever they are out of range, I would pan and tilt until I see them, even if it is just a back view or part of their head. Suddenly, I fear that J can read my mind and knows that I am sending her away and might harm or rough handle Lil Shauna. Yes, I am being paranoid and I even tot about sending her away immediately, but the new maid might take 2 weeks or more to come. Relaxed, relaxed, breathe in and out..

Haiz, I think I will be this tensed up until we finally send J away and get the new maid. Then, it will be a whole new routine of training the maid and we duno yet if the new maid is better, the same or worse. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

Mummy Lim

To Go

We are back and the decision is to let J go. I was still soft hearted on Friday night while we were at the agency, wondering if she deserves another chance. The Port Dickson trip was her last chance of redemption and she failed the test.

Nah, there werent gross mistakes, she was her usual self, which was also why she failed. My mum kept complaining about her during the trip, about how she wasnt wasnt to take initiative with the kids. My SIL got to know that we have intention to change her and her kids quite like J. They too are looking for a maid andf my mum jokingly suggested for them to take over J and it was a straight "no". My SIL thinks that she talks too much, too sociable and too tough to tame. I mean, I had been telling her to control herself in ah mah's presence, that ah mah dun like her to talk too much to other people, yet she is not improving. When my bro got to know that we are changing the maid, he too was in agreement. He thinks that she is too initiative taking for the wrong things. With so many people agreeing, it was easy to make the choice.

I too noitice a change in behaviour in J. She wasnt too willing to carry Lil Shauna much. Instead, she will attempt to half drag and half walk Lil Shauna. In some situations, I would let Lil Shauna walked too, but if it is to climb up or down stairs, to walk uneven grounds, I would carry Lil Shauna. In the end, I had to ask Daddy Lim to carry Lil Shauna, which J gladly allowed. I got to know that this already happened in Sgp, my mum asked her previously and she said that it was tiring to carry the baby. -___-" And my mum complained big time about how J wasnt willing to shower the kids. It was showerhead style in the hotel and the bathroom was cramped. J would let the water run and stand outside of the door, probably fearing getting wet, but how are the 3 kids supposed to bath themselves? In the end, my mum got wet trying to clean the kids. Oops. And as usual, when some of the adults were playing with the kids, we will be in some corner watching TV! She even switched on the TV herself! Ok, while it is true that the kids are well-entertained by whoever, but the room is cramped and the kids are hysterical. I think it makes perfect sense to help make sure that the kids did not injure themselves than to take a break at whatever chance.

Haiz, so you can see that it was an easy decision. I called the agent to activate the new maid application immediately upon getting M1 signal in Sgp. And we allowed her yo call home last night. She was supposed to talk for only 20 mins and I usually do not restraint her. I expect her to exercise self control. Last night, she was still at it after 20+ mins. We purposedly walked out of the room to hint her. And after the call, the hubby actually called back. I duno what happen, but I supposed it is not good. Even Daddy Lim agree to let her go. Her fate is seaked.

Mummy Lim

To Go or Not To Go

I got e maid agency to send me CVs of suitable maids. There aren't many choices according to my criteria. I was looking for someone in her late 20s or early 30s, so tat she has e energy to chase after Lil Shauna n no 2. Someone who is married with kid so tat she has experience with baby n toddler. One whose kid is not too young so tat she doesn't has to worry too much when she comes to work for me. And of course, she must b willing to work 7 days a week. Very difficult meh?

I only received 4 CVs from e agent. One was way too fat, e other look didn't look pleasant enuff. Like wat e agent advises, to look for somebody pleasant since we have to face her for 2 years, hopefully. I shortlisted 2 n didn't wanted to interview them. In my opinion, e short conversation doesn't reveal much. I asked e agent to interview on our behalf. E agent was only able to get one of e 2 candidates n she was willing to look after kids + go without offday.

We did go down to e agency this evening to sieve thru other CVs but we didn't fancy anybody else. I spoke with e potential maid m was surprised to hear a low pitch voice at e other end, so different from how she looked. She asked me if she can carry a hp, which of course I say 'no' lah. But I told her tat I would allow her to call home once every 2 weeks n she was fine with e arrangement. Haiz, all phl maids want hp. J asked me too when she 1st arrived n I was so glad tat I didn't give to her. She's so sociable. If she has a hp, I think she will b constantly on e hp.

If we take e new maid, she will b here in about 2 weeks' time. We will kip J until then. I couldn't make up my mind. But Daddy Lim was probably right tat I must b quite sure to have made my way to e agency. And when Daddy Lim tried to ask me to give J another chance, I was reluctant. Looks tat I m quite bent for her to go.

We r gg to Port Dickson tomorrow. I have signed all e necessary papers with e agent. If J doesn't do anything to make me change my mind or further make my blood boil during e trip, I will call e agent to activate e plan on Monday.

Yes, a new maid might not b better n we have to start training all over again. But maybe we r in luck? And if we have to start training, we might as well start now, then to wait until Isaac is here.

Looks like it is more or less confirm tat J will go. I feel so evil, but Daddy Lim reminded me tat this is nothing compared to e workers tat I have sacked n terminated. Hmmmm.., how "comforting".

Mummy Lim

Arrrrggghhhhhh

I wrote such a long post and it was gone!!!!!! Arrrrggghhhh, makes my blood even more boiled. Dun want to rewrite. Long story short. My maid brought Lil Shauna out without permission this morning. I am gg to send her off and get a replacement.

Iritating. %*^(*%&^$^%#&^%$*&^

I am gg to bed.

Mummy Lim

Life is Exciting

We have good news in the family, but my 1st reaction wasnt of joy but shock, which was quickly taken over by anger and I became very upset. My mum told me the good news last night after my hard day of work. I have to admit that there was no joy at all then.

I spoke to my mum at length and the more I speak, the angrier and more upset I was. There was no solution and no conclusion to the conversation. I called Daddy Lim and had the same conversation again. I was still upset. Daddy Lim tried to offer solutions but none seems to work. Haiz..

Then my sis came home and we talked somemore. And the more we talked, the more I realised that I wasnt angry at the event or the good news. The anger was actually channelled at my mum. Somehow, I noe that despite all that I have done for her, she will put my brother first and jump to his rescue if need be, at my expense. What I felt was a sense of betrayal. I can predict that she will flip even if she has made promises to me. Haiz, so many years liao and I still cannot resolve this issue. I am forever fighting for her attention and get upset when she doesnt reciprocate, getting jealous that she favours her 1stborn over me. Wat to do, human nature. Haiz..

And when I finally go to bed, I noe that it is not a case where there is no solution. We all just need to make adjustments. I am just a sore loser, tasting defeat even before the war has started and hating it. It actually made me lost sleep and I was still feeling very bad this morning. It must be the pregnancy hormones. Pui!

But then, I saw love in the event. God must have done things for a reason. My sis was very encouraging and promised to help if need be. She also reminded me that Daddy Lim is standing by me and even though none of the solutions that he gave seem to help, he was just trying to make me feel better. This morning, my sis even sms me verses to encourage me and reminded me that she loves me. Orrrhhhhh.... I want to cry lor. I love you too, ah yee.

And I took the courage to sms my SIL, encouraging her and telling to her that I am willing to make adjustments to make things work in the best possible way. I am still trying my best to make relationship better. :) Her replies were encouraging too and it further comforts my heart.

Life is exciting, full of surprises. I think I need to pray for the issues with my mum. It was there and still there. Haiz, women are still petty animals. But I know that things will work out fine bcos God is watching over me.

Pappy, I love you too!

Mummy Lim

A Mind of Her Own

Lil Shauna is growing independent day by day. Now, she wants to wear her own shoes and wants to buckle her strap while in the stroller. However, she sometimes take forever yet refused help and gets fustrated if she cant succeed after several attempts. Is this part of Terrible Twos?

Anyway, she is starting to pick the top that she wants to wear. If she's in the wrong mood, there is no way to put on what she doesnt want. Thus, we have to pick several tops and she will willingly put on the piece that she likes. Luckily, she's still ok with her bottoms.

And shoes! She must pick wat she wants to wear.. Arrrggghhhh.. So, if we are to buy shoes for her now, it must be something that she likes. Our princess..

Recently, Daddy Lim and I got her 2 new pair of shoes. I think she is soon to become the person with the most pair of shoes in the family. Her shoes are not cheap, easily $20 to $30+ each. So, I heartache when she started complaining of her new shoes after a few wear. Apparently, there is something wrong with the in-sole that makes her uncomfortable.

On Sunday, she wore the other pair of new shoes. By afternoon, she complained of "stuck". -_____-" New shoe leh, 1st time wear leh. She refused to put it on and we have to buy her new shoes so that she can continue walking. Waste $$ again. Ah yee attempted to pacify her by putting on a plaster for her, which is not the wisest choice. Cos after that, whenever she saw the plaster, she complain of "pain, pain".

We searched high and low for the perfect shoes that the princess will like but she refused all our choices. And she's still without shoes. I figured that wearing socks will help amd socks is definitely cheaper. So we switched tactic and coaxed her into getting new socks instead.

We found this pair of really cute "Badoh bear' socks, but it totally didnt go with her dressing but who cares (actually, I did, LOL)! She likes Badoh bear and willing wore her socks. She noes nothing about fashion sense and didnt complain about how bad she looked after that. It was quite bad. Agree?

Mummy Lim

Lil Shauna is an Ang Mo Kia

Just over e weekend, it dawned on me tat Lil Shauna is largely monolingual. She can do simple mandarin words like "ping guo" (apple), "mian bao" (bread), "pi gu" (backside), "tong tong" (pain pain), "tang" (sweets) n her famous "bu yao" (dun want), but those are about all.

I converse with Daddy Lim mainly in mandarin but we would automatically switch to English when we have to communicate with Lil Shauna. The maid speaks to Lil Shauna in English as well (of course lah). Only my mum speaks to Lil Shauna in partial mandarin n partial broken mandarin. But strangely, tat does little to her mandarin. Fione speaks good mandarin while Felicia speaks simple mandarin, only Lil Shauna didn't seem to get e vibes. Hmmmm...

Just e other day, ah yee played mandarin er ge for Lil Shauna via you tube n Lil Shauna was so stun. She stared at e video as if e kids were speaking in tongues. *palm-face*

I know we should do more to help her to be bilingual, but it is so difficult to look at her n speak to her in mandarin. Oh no, we have an ang mo kia. It is so hard to b parents now.

Mummy Lim

Small Tummy

I was with my mum when I met a colleague yday in Suntec. She was carrying a belly too. We stopped and asked about each others' belly. ;p I got to know that she will be delivering in Dec 10 while I told her that I am due in Oct 10. So, I should be at least 1+ months ahead of her. It is probably the clothes that we were wearing, cos her tummy does look almost as big as mine. And she too joked that her tummy looks bigger.

We went on our way and my mum started kpo-ing about my colleague's due date and stuff. Oh, she's expecting a boy too.

Then my mum got worried and commented that my colleague's tummy looks bigger when she's due later. And my mum started questioning if Isaac is growing properly. -________-" Great...

Haiz, what can I say? Yes, Isaac is a little below average, but my BP is normal and so I am actually not worried about his size. And Lil Shauna is an excellent example that we can compensate for the baby's low weight when the baby is out. Lil Shauna was constantly at the 5 percentile while she was in my tummy and now she's a healthy big baby who definitely takes after her gigantic parents. She can envy about her petite friends in the future just like how I did when I was younger. She is now 13kg and is taller and bigger than Felicia who is 5 months older. In fact, she's bigger than most of her peers.

I think I better start wearing clothes that shows my tummy, then nobody can complain about my tummy being small. In fact, I think my tummy is really big, bigger than when I had Lil Shauna. Ok, let's be contented. :) And I amke actually starting my 6th month. In just 4 months' time, I will be due! Scary...

Mummy Lim

Tiring Sunday

Sundays are bad now that my belly is growing bigger and Daddy Lim is on night shift. Daddy Lim can only spend the morning with us and have to catch up on his sleep in the afternoon to gear for night shift. So, I am left to handle the baby alone for the rest of the Sunday. Well, not exactly alone but Lil Shauna still left me panting for breath by the end of the day, just like now. And it is not even the end of the day... She will still jump around, demanding play until she finally collapses and falls asleep. Poor me. -____________-"

This early morning, Lil Shauna was awoken by tummyache and she was squatting in her favourite spot (in the room), poo poo-ing. We went for an early breakfast and brought her for a dip in the public pool. We returned just in time to prepare for church. Maybe the swim left her too tired and she wasnt too coperative during church. We had a quick lunch and Daddy Lim sent us (and ah yee) to Paragon to waste the rest of the day away.

We had tea at the same cafe while Lil Shauna naps. But I think the music was a little too loud this time and Lil Shauna woke up about an hour later. We brought her to toyrus where J did most of the chasing and we left for Takashimaya, toys dept for more chasing. Heng I have J, otherwise, I wun survive until now.

After the last Paragon experience, we decided to take the MRT to Raffles City for dinner and it was a fantastic choice. We spent the last half an hour after dinner at the Robinsons toys' dept before heading to the taxi stand. There was a short Q and we got our cab really quickly. Lil Shauna had her milk in the cab and I entertained her for the rest of the journey. I was so glad to be home.

I so needed a rest by the time we were home. Luckily Lil Shauna was willing to let ah yee showered her (and J took over subsequently). I had a quick shower and am here brainlessly typing away.

Perhaps the day didnt sound that bad. But when Lil Shauna demanded that Mummy had to carry her, my legs went wobbly with her 13kg plus the 6kg that I had put on since I got preggy. Seriously no joke. I pant and puff after a short walk. And she either has to sit on my tummy or somehow her leg will poke into my lungs, making breathing even more difficult. Haiz, I think soon, carrying her will be even more difficult and she doesnt seem to understand Mummy's pain. Sob.

Ok, enuff ranting. Mummy has to take over after snaking for a little while more. I hope that the one hour nap + the swimming and the whole day's activities make her tired enuff to have an early night. On one hand, I am so glad that Sunday is finally over. And then again, I am so sad that my weekend is over just like that. The irony of life.

And this is the last Sunday. Hooray. Next weekend, we will be in Port Dickson and Daddy Lim will be back on day shift. I hope that it will be a loooooonnnnngggg time before he goes on night shift again.

Mummy Lim

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Lil Shauna is a little monkey and bcos she is my baby, that makes me a big monkey. Why?

For convenience sake, I have my rubber band on my wrist all the time. And so?

Lil Shauna has hers around her wrist too. So cute!

Mummy Lim

Gathering @ Mummy Leong's Place

Our monthly gatherings now are so much more lively. Although catching up is tough, we still make efforts to come together. I guessed, we are all looking towards to the day where the kids can play by themselves while the mummies relax one corner and drink coffee/ tea. Well, we probably have a long wait. ;p

For the past few gatherings and the future ones to come, we visited one of the girls' place. With so many kids, traveling to public places is near impossible. This time, we went to Mummy L's place. YJ and Mummy J is back with AN! We haven seen AN for the longest time. When she left for US, she was still a tiny baby and now, she has suddenly become the jiejie of the group. In a few months time, we will be adding on 3 new babies, Mummy J, Mummy Y and mine. Hohoho, gatherings in the future will be very busy.

Mummy L doesnt have many toys at home but she has Chinchilas and the kids were well entertained.

Lil Shauna loves the Chinchila, whom she happily addresses as "rabbits". Yes, very expensive rabbits. Maybe bcos she's well-accustomed to Nono, she's totally unafraid of the "rabbits". I was more worried for Mummy L's Chinchila than for them to bite her. -.o" I heard Chinchila are very timid animals and they easily died from heart attack. I very afraid that that would happen. Luckily, they were all still safe and sound when we left. Poor things, Lil Shauna tried to sayang them in a rough way while Baby G attempts to feed them potato chips. They are not at all safe from the kids. ;p

We had a good time, just that Mummy L's place is so, so far from ours. They are in Pungol! The cab costs us $24 to get home. Mummy S was nice to offer us a ride home but we took cab instead as their car got a little squeezy. I heard the next gathering will be there too. I think Lil Shauna will be happy to visit the "rabbits" again. And this time, Daddy Lim will be back from night shift, transporting will have no problem. :)

Mummy Lim

Quick Update at 23+ weeks

We saw Isaac last night. He was active and in a werid posture, which makes measurements difficlt. A rough guide, he weighs between 520 to 570g, which is a little on the skinny side. Dr Kee says that he should be ideally 600g. I am not too worried cos I am supposed to be 24+ weeks preggy in Dr Kee's chart but I think I am probably only 23+ based on my ovulation date. And I know that we are in God's good hands. :)

There was no re-assurance that Isaac is a boy. We can only hope that God dun play a trick with us. Lol. All else are fine. There are lots of fluid and Isaac is active. Most importantly, my BP remains normal at 116/76! Hohoho. I was praying hard just before they took my BP. :) Yes, I noe it was a last minute effort, I will spend more time trusting God now. Oh, and healthy weight gain too. I have gain 6kg so far. Even Dr Kee realised that I am monitoring bcos at this time the last preggy, I was heavy and I started off lighter. Yeah, praise God for His protection!

Mummy Lim