Finally Here

Yes, it has finally arrived. Didn't have the time to test it out, will do so tonight.

Who wants to try? Pls register in advance. Woohoo!

Mummy Lim

Car Seats

There are plans to visit Desaru in June with the SHSS girls. The other families are intending to DRIVE there. -____-"

Driving is still painful with Lil Isaac in the car. He is sooooo active and doesn't sit still. It is either that he fusses, climbs around or we have to entertain him throughout the ride and it is very tiring.

We started training Lil Shauna to sit in the car seat when she was turning 2. We haven't start training Lil Isaac bcos there is not enuff space in Tiguan to carry 4 adults and 2 car seats.

While the daddies were discussing in Mummy SY's house about the road trip, the importance of putting the kids in car seats, the penalty when caught by Traffic Police, Daddy Lim decided that we should start training Lil Isaac to sit in the car seat. Ok, breathe...

We put the kids in the car seats on Sunday, to and fro nainai's house. Lil Shauna was easily coaxed to sit in her booster seat when she sees us putting Lil Isaac in his. She was well entertained by iPad and mamee. Lil Isaac was entertained by Barney show on the portable DVD player and the constant stream of tidbits that goes into his mouth. There was some struggle but manageable.

The going home trip was more painful. Lil Isaac rejected his milk and wanted to meddle with the DVD player more than watching the show. I had to switch it off when he insisted on bringing the screen too near to his eyes. He started crying and struggling about 5 mins from home.

Jiejie was no better. She was tired and threw a tantrum when the YouTube hung due to lost of connectivity. The tantrum continued until we reached home and she was angry with me and refused to sleep with me that night.

Phew, I was so glad to get off the car. I hope the kids get better with more practice. I heard of how parents shut their ears to howling kids in the car seat or how they wouldn't start the car unless everybody is buckled up. I think going out is still possible. Implementing this will probably mean that we will never go home, which I think is totally fine with Lil Shauna. She always doesn't want to go home. Hoho.

Mummy Lim

The Tiger

I brought Lil Isaac for 2 jabs on last Wednesday. He cried even before he got jabbed and walked to the door, whining to get out while the PD prepared the jabs. Of course he screamed and cried bloody murder when he got jabbed. Poor boy.

He weighs 10.3kg and is 79cm. I thought he is small for his age and was surprise that he is at the 50 percentile for both weight and height according to the Health Booklet. He put on a mere 0.6kg from a few months ago. He does eat quite a lot but doesn't like his milk. He drinks so much less as compared to jiejie when she was his age. I saw a further decrease when I stopped supplying bm. It is so hard to make him finish his bottle of 120ml now even before bedtime. Mummy SY assures me that it is alright to cut down on milk after they crossed one year old.

Our conclusion is that he burns what he eats. This tiger is really active. He walks all day or fidgets or basically just keeps moving. It is so tough trying to get him to sit still. I almost surrender when I had to take care of him after his jab. He is too active! I pity auntie and Popo who have to look after him for most part of the day. We are even worried that Lil Isaac will bully auntie into quitting.

Just when I thought that we are done with all the jabs, the nurse mentioned that there is one last to be taken in his 18th month. *laughs nervously*

Mummy Lim

Me

I finally dyed my hair. Yeah! No more white hair... For the time being.

BUT... I am also putting on weight despite trying to control what I eat. In times like this, i miss breastfeeding. Boo! Maybe I should just try to survive on air and water. And painful lumps are still forming and milk squirts when I try to massage them away.

Mummy Lim

Tough Work

My breasts are still lumpy, heavy with milk and tender to touch. Milk still leaks when I try to massage away the lumps. The only comfort is that the worse pain seems to be over.

It is tough to be a woman in Sgp. Seriously, it takes a lot to be able to juggle work and being a good wife, mummy and daughter. It wouldnt take my mum too long to think before calling me to talk/ ask/ complain about things that happened at home. I am sure this doesn't happened to my bro, simply bcos he is the man of the family and brings home the bacon. So, he must be busy at work.

I got the impatient tone when I was caught at work last night and was late to bring Lil Shauna to her music class. Daddy Lim got away bcos Lil Shauna doesn't like him to accompany her to the music class. Well, that preference is mutual and I ended up taking up mummy's role after a long and hard day at work.

I had to take leave to bring Lil Isaac for his jab today, leaving work. A colleague was following up on an urgent work and I was discussing with her over the phone several times this morning.

Arrgggghhhh.. I am just at some low point of my life. Things will get better. It must get better. I need to dye my hair.

Mummy Lim

Stopping, Stopped

It has been 17 hours since I last expressed and there is no discomfort. I think my breasts are ready to let go of the pumps. Woohoo!

It is much easier than I imagine. I think it is easier than the last time. I simply dragged my pump and the next I know, it just happened. I went on and on and there is no engorgement.

Now the next thing in my head is the weight gain. I feel hungry at the thought of having to diet and I don't even think I was eating alot when I was breastfeeding and I already put on weight when I eat too much, arrgghhh. I don't think it helps that my 33rd bday is coming.

Mummy Lim

New Auntie

She's here! We collected her last night. She is Lekah, 26 years old and married in September last year. No kids now. Smiley and chatty and very very skinny. She said that she's 42kg but definitely looks less than that.

The kids took her well. Lil Shauna was busy showing off to her last night. Lil Isaac at least didn't reject her.

LK appears a little slow on the housework aspect but I guessed she can pick up speed. Anyway, that is not my concern. She does take initiative to play with the kids and Lil Isaac is definitely testing her limit and trying to tired her out.

I hope you will hear good news from me. This is my last try. I promise myself that I will send both kids to the childcare if this maid still doesn't work out. Cross finger.

Mummy Lim

No More Milk

My milk supply has been dwindling. Now, I barely get 120ml every 6 hours. The satisfaction of breastfeeding drastically reduced after Lil Isaac refused to latch. I lost that opportunity to bond with him at my breasts. The need to express is starting to get in the way. So, after 17 months of breastfeeding, inclusive of 5 months exclusive pumping, I have decided to call it quits.

There had been lots of pros breastfeeding. Lil Isaac had been healthy with few episodes of high fever as compared to when jiejie was his age. I contribute that to my powerful breast milk. I save loads on milk powder, they are seriously not cheap. Most importantly, it allows me to eat without much weight gain. Now I have to watch out for that weight gain that comes with the cessation of breast feeding. I remembered that I put on weight the last time when I stopped (for Lil Shauna) even when I was just breathing in air. Boo!

Popo had been asking me to stop too. We have been supplementing with FM, Lil Isaac is definitely taking the bottle well and has stopped showing a preference for my BM over FM. This is on top of the hassle of having to find time for me to express and the need to warm up EBM.

I had thought about relying on medication to stop but read about side effects and all. So, it is back to the gradual dragging of pumps. I had been expressing between 3 to 5 times a day, depending on how tired I am. I can last more than 10 hours comfortably without expressing. I will start with dropping my lunch express and probably the express right before bed.

Well, I do feel a little “wasted”, but I guessed it has been good enuff and I have definitely done my part as a moo moo cow. Now, what do I do with my 2 ameda pumps, new spare parts and the single medela pump that Mummy P pass to me? I wonder if there are people who may want my pumps (motor) and new spare parts?

Mummy Lim

Sleep

The new sleeping arrangement is working out fine. The kids have gotten used to the idea that they are supposed to sleep in their room. We still do jump around and play monkey in the master bedroom (MBR) after shower but they will ask to go to their room when it is time to sleep. We haven’t been very successful in getting jiejie to sleep on her deck. There had been nights but she spent most of the nights squeezing with Lil Isaac or with me. It is OK with me so long as she sleeps in her room. I supposed as the kids grow and they find it squeezer to sleep together, one of them will automatically shift to the top?

I had been sleeping with the kids and Daddy Lim had been enjoying our big bed on his own. I am looking forward to the day that I get back to my bed too. We are cutting back on night toilet training for jiejie and she’s on the diaper most of the nights bcos I am too lazy to bring her to the toilet in the night. Boo, I should buck up.

As for Lil Isaac, he seems to have grown stickier to me since we started sleeping together. Even Popo realizes that. He often wakes up and starts looking for me in the middle of the night. There had been so many occasions that I was expressing (in the middle of the night) and I saw him walking unsteadily out of the room to look for me. I think he will grow out of it?

Mummy Lim

Auntie No More

We sent auntie back. The agent told us that the new auntie had touched down in Singapore and will go for her medical tomorrow morning. If everything goes right, we should be able to collect the new auntie on Friday or Saturday. So, we will be maidless for the next 2 days.

We had been toying with the idea of sending auntie back earlier. Auntie hasnt been much help and Popo scolded her too much. My only worry is that Popo cannot handle 2 kids on her own. Popo wants us to send her back after seeing auntie staring at the wall for an hour this morning while waiting for the kids to wake up. Popo feared that some of auntie's "wire" might have gotten disconnected.

Popo packed auntie's bag and we picked auntie up without telling her much. We only told auntie that we were sending her back when we reached JE. Auntie appeared happy and relieve to go back to the agency. Well, I guessed this is the best way out for all of us.

Popo worries about the weirdest thing, such as auntie sharing bad things Nd habits with the new auntie, thus scaring off the new auntie. She ended up asking and nagging about unimportant things. I told Popo to save her energy and think harder on how we can make the new auntie stays longer. I surrender liao. If this new auntie still cannot make it, the kids are probably going to the childcare.

I asked jiejie to help by behaving for the next few days since there is no auntie. Jiejie agreed only to throw a tantrum on the way back from the agency and without an auntie. -.o"

Mummy Lim