The New Man in My Life

February updates...

2012-02-02T15:29:00.002Z

Went to my first basketball game with S. It was in the afternoon so Janice came to help look after the kids. Definitely exciting, NY Knicks vs Orlando Magic..too bad Knicks lost at the last quarter.

Josiah was finally chosen as Star of The Week. He was so excited and enjoyed finding things to bring to school in the mystery bag beginning with letters Q and R. We gave him quilt, quarter, Quaker Oats, razor, Ribbon, red packet

His teacher said he did not understand how to give clues and instead just gave the answer to class....oh well, I did try to ask her what does he need to do but she told me that he would know.

Josiah recited John 10: 11, 14 for Midland Park Gospel Hall Sunday School Treat. Will post video later.

Joanna is sitting up unassisted and not toppling over at all. She is eating apple, pear, toast, rice, egg, cheese, sweet potato, carrot, oatmeal cereal in very small quantity. Recently I caved and bought her some commercial baby food as it was a hassle to prepare 1 tablespoon of baby food 3 times a day. I do freeze batches of apple, pear & carrot puree but would probably try to be more chill about her eating habits and quantity. For instance, on weekends, if we are out or at church I do not even bring food for her. She has milk and will have a little table food if suitable. Very chill, right :p

Personal achievement this past month:

- Took Joanna to FAO Scharz to hang out and look at baby stuff. Walked her around Central Park and even bought an artwork. Not a big deal but Joanna hardly goes out with me alone unless we are going to the grocery store round the corner. Central Park is a good 25 minute walk away and being a Malaysian at heart, I find that way too far :p

- looking after both kids till bedtime as S is busy with work/ work function/ NBA match. Figured out how to get dinner, bath & bedtime routine for both of them. Thank God for Ipad2! First dinner for Josiah, then dinner for Joanna, then bathe Joanna, dinner for me (if she is not fussy otherwise no dinner for me till late), bathe Josiah, iPad time for Josiah with threat of punishment if he comes in to disturb me putting Joanna to sleep, brush teeth and read story for Josiah, clean up mess from dinner, pray Joanna will sleep through the night....

- made my first ever CNY cookies : Almond cookies - looks good but taste okay only

- made pineapple tart for CNY - looks okay only but tastes good

- made new friends with another mum in building. She has been God sent and so friendly and helpful. We just had our first family meet-up and it went very well. Planning to spend Superbowl Sunday with them over steamboat

- going out with other adults for lunch! crazy but very good for keeping my sanity and need for socialisation

- taking Josiah for playdate with his classmate. It is so difficult to make this effort as I'm still not comfortable bringing Joanna along.

- managing to print photos and make photo album for Joanna as well as greeting cards for the believers in London whom I miss dearly.

- planning lunch date with S as it is Restaurant Week in NYC. We are going to Bar Boulud, owned by famous Daniel Boulud for $24.99 (3 course)

Josiah 5 yrs old and Joanna 7 months old

Mini Shaun, she likes doing the lip thing

My big boy

I love this picture so much

Josiah's coat from his old school in London!

Zombified

2012-01-07T03:22:00.001Z

Still suffering from yesterday's lack of sleep.

S: did you like the chocolate muffin?
J: oh yes, it's so yummy and delicious, you must try it!
S: (laughs)
J: what's so funny?
M: (laughs)

You had to be there.

NYC so expensive

2012-01-06T08:18:00.001Z

We had a late night trying to figure out our finances for the year. Our resolutions: eat out less! NY is such a tough place to live in. But then again, we felt the same way in London too. Is it just us?

S keeps thinking we save too much which is such a ridiculous concept. One can never save too much. One day he'll thank me.

First day back

2012-01-05T00:56:00.001Z

S went back to work today, leaving me with the two kids.

Joanna sat up for the first time on her own. At 6.5 months, you did it girl!

We had hard shell tacos for dinner while Josiah had the usual delicious chicken soup.

It turned -6C today, absolutely freezing, the only comforting fact is that NYers tell us that this is as cold as it gets.

Warning: Too much poop details. Do not read if squeamish

2012-01-04T02:30:00.001Z

Now that Josiah is back home and semi tolerating solids, I can blog about every mothers nightmare.

A trip to the ER at 1.30am!

Josiah has been suffering from diarrhea since Monday. It wasn't anything too bad, and so we just carried on as normal. Tuesday night he woke up every hour and I noticed blood in some of his stool. Wednesday took him to our Pediatrician who said it is normal and he looks fine. Thursday he was looking good in the day but once evening came about. He was in so much more pain. But somehow my "mummy instinct" did not kick in yet. Somewhere around 9pm, I felt like something was wrong. Joanna was being fussy and after settling her went to check on Josiah and found him so tired he did not even realize that he had gone all over himself. In hindsight, I should have gone then but we thought he was sleeping so we'll see what happens in the next few hours. I packed his clothes and stuff to bring to hospital, just in case. He slept with me and the moment I felt him stir, I quickly helped him to the toilet. He was crying so hard and I knew it is time to go. The next 24 hours was the worst experience in being a mom. The helplessness of watching your child in pain, weak, having to endure a battery of medical test... I cried so many times and felt so alone but had to carry on for him. They took blood, gave him IV fluids, took x-rays, ultrasounds but were unable to find anything. Yet he was still having painful bloody stools that left him sweating.

Since S was with Joanna, I knew that even with a switch I'd not be able to get some sleep. Luckily, I manage to get our helper to come for a few hours. And Mary, from the assembly came all the way from New Jersey so I could further sleep another 2 hours. It was all that was needed to keep myself from falling apart. For those with family and friends nearby, be thankful and grateful that in event of such emergency, you can turn to them.

Basically lab test came back positive for bacterial infection, basically severe food poisoning. We are guessing from him eating his chicken rice in Chinatown on Saturday, he ate it all because it was good. I have to say, I am not sure I can look at that chicken rice dish without feeling angry!

He was released home a few hours before 2012. Hence, I did not celebrate NYE this year- to top it off, Josiah fell of the bed and had a bump on his head. Sigh, 2011 was not his year.

He has been on a diet of dry food like toast, cereal no milk, potato and chicken soup with rice. He is still going and in some pain so am still praying for full recovery. As his friends start school today, looks like he'd be home another week.

I'm dreading the next few days looking after both of them without S!

Josiah's Birthday

2012-01-03T05:14:00.000Z

Our little big boy has turned five. Hard to believe that five years have passed so fast. We're most thankful of course that Josiah has recovered well from the recent Campylobacter Jejuni coursing through his body. He woke up with a little tummy ache in the morning but was ok for the rest of the day. He managed to keep down some toast with jam (no butter!), cheerios, rice and soup and... some blueberry muffins.

We didn't want to let him have a cake yet so we went to Food Emporium and he choose the mini dozen blueberry muffins. Tried to persuade him to go for chocolate chip but he insisted and after eating the first one said to me, "See? I do like blueberry muffins!"

It was nice with my parents first calling to wish him happy birthday, then S' parents, then the Leongs in the evening - who sang Happy Birthday for him and finally the Batchelors, who Josiah shares his birthday with.

It's not the scale of party that we had last year in London but Josiah was happy and that's all we can ask for.

ps: S had to forego his NBA ticket to stay in.

pps: Joanna had her first taste of broccoli today - she didn't look too impressed.

With my new favourite toy: Iron Man (with the triangle, mom)

The number five has to face me

2011 Lookback

2012-01-02T23:57:00.001Z

Here are some of the 2011 highlights that we are grateful to our Lord and Saviour for in 2011:

The wonderful and safe delivery of our beautiful girl, Joanna Ow Yang Jo Ling
How the two siblings seem to get along. Josiah loves her and says that's the #1 reason he prefers NYC to London. The way she laughs when Josiah entertains her.
How quickly Joanna started sleeping through the night. Sleep is a wonderful thing.
Our fantastic parents. S' mum who came to help set up our apartment and then mine when I was so pregnant and couldn't get around, to helping out with the first few hardest months. My dad for entertaining Josiah for 3 months so Josiah wouldn't feel left out.
The believers' at Midland Park Gospel Hall, especially the Huans and the Hamiltons who helped us settle in and had us over lunch and arranged a baby shower.
The apartment - having a place to call home that is our little comfort from the madness of the city.
The smooth move from London to NYC. Our second major move to another city, this time when I was 7 months pregnant. Truly our Lord showed his name in Jehovah Jireh when all we needed came through.
S having a job when so many are struggling this year in this tough time.
Safety - despite the freak weather in NYC from an earthquake, to not-Hurricane Irene in August to the freak snowstorm in October, we were kept safe.
For the dates that S and I have had. We've managed to try a few Michelin star restaurants (Jean George, Nobu and Daniel).
Amazon and Fresh Direct: Internet shopping - the boon of every parent! And the bane when the credit card comes in.
Geneva School - such a blessing to find a good Christian school and that Josiah was accepted. The weekly bible verse, and wholesome spiritual teachings.
Splurging on our bed - so good we have to mention it!

Milestones for Josiah in 2011:

Understanding time. Dates and days. Its so convenient now that we can explain he won't be able to eat / get something until xx.
Counting to 1,000 in English, about 50 in Mandarin and maybe 10 in French and Spanish (we'll see if the last two last).
Singing "Two Tigers" in Mandarin and some French songs we don't understand.
Reading - he can read the Usborne reading series (Level 3), and is so keen on having stories read to him from either the Usborne series or the Jesus Storybook.
Wearing his spider-man costume every other day (only the red one please).
Speaking more confidently and talking. (Tough question: How did Joanna come out from your tummy? From your belly button!)
Eating a wider variety of food - pizza, noodles and beef burgers (Shake Shack only). Fav food are chicken rice and chocolate chip cookies (with a small detour to pound cake for 4 months).
Handwriting - after 2 months of Kumon, his handwriting improved where he can grip his pencil correctly and write his letters mostly legibly.
Counting - again Kumon helped him to start basic arithmetic.

Milestones for Joanna in 2011:

Being born (woo hoo!)
Sleeping through the night at 3 months
Sucking her fore and middle fingers on her left hand to self sooth.
Getting over mummy cutting said forefinger at 5 months (while trimming nails).
Having a left foot that seems to have a life and beat of its own.
Itchy fingers that scratch every surface and grab anything in its grasp.
Crazy funky hair from birth that's mellowed a little in month 6.
Already a high achiever (top 80th percentile in weight, although only 50 in height): Wearing 9-12 month clothes from Carters and size 4 diapers from Pampers at 6 months.
Eating oatmeal cereal, carrot, apple and squash. Her favourite is toast.

Here's some of the lowlights of 2011 (well it wasn't all good):

Josiah coming down with a severe case of food poisoning (campylobacter jejuni). I took him to the NYU medical center after he was so dehydrated. Thank the Lord it wasn't anything worse and thanks to Mary Z for spotting me when she had a party to organise.
Not being able to be there for Steven Tallash when Mary was called home.
Not living with a washer and dryer.
Having to make friends all over again.
Living with NYers - such a grumpy and arrogant city.
Having to clock 100 hours while having 2 kids.
S working late hours again (while having 2 kids)
Having to relearn how to get bargains - it seems like we keep overpaying.
Living further away from Chinatown(s) - no more Fortune Cookie / Gold Mine.
Learning how bad Chinese food is in NYC - seriously, what's up with the quality?
Learning how to tip - after tipping 10% in London, the 15-20% in NYC is like reprogramming.
Losing S' DSLR on our trip to Philadelphia with all our photos.

Here are some milestones for us:

Handling 2 kids and clocking 100 hours of work and cooking meals.
The start of our relationship with french press and fresh bagels.
Made a better effort making our house a home. Organized the cupboards, hanging pictures.
Surviving more than 24 hours of no sleep during Josiah's food poisoning.
First baseball game (NY Yankees) and American football (NY Jets)
First American holiday (Philadelphia)
First Thanksgiving dinner at the Huans.
First MGPH conference.
First time staying over at the Ninans.
First baby shower at the Hamiltons.
First iMac and iPad
First time kitting up our home with the whole furniture and electronics.
First time seeing the Bersih rally
First Bugaboo (got the Bee)
Here are some NYC firsts:

Cruise around NYC and seeing the Statue of Liberty
The MET
Rockefeller Centre during Christmas
Grand Central
Central Park (the playgrounds, the zoo and the reservoir)
Natural History Museum
Empire State Building
Macy's, Bloomingdales, Century21
Chrysler building
South Street Seaport
DUMBO
Flushing
Highline
Chelsea Market
Flatiron, Union Square, Madison Square
Walking around UWS, UES
Finding Zabar's and Sable's

2012 Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T05:37:00.001Z

Jan 1 2012: our goal for this year - to blog everyday. S will try and take a photo to add depth to it.We've started our first day of the year and of course, we didn't get to go to the meeting. Josiah is still recovering from his food poisoning. Thankfully he's taking solids but we've had to keep it simple. He asked for pizza and cake - but got Cheerios and rice instead. He's been a trooper though.I went to get supplies at D'agostinos, my one trip out for the day. Lovely weather. We stayed at home and tidied up the book rack after Max and Yoon Mei commented how messy our apartment looked. Sigh. We try but I guess we'll never be tidy.S left in the evening to get Josiah's presents. We just didn't have time to get it with J falling ill. Unfortunately they sold out of the one toy he really wanted - a 4 pack iron man set, so we got a subtitle instead. Will update how that goes tomorrow!We finally watched the King's speech. S tried to put Joanna to bed but no success. Yesterday was hilarious, she couldn't recognize S without his glasses on. She was so upset. Then again I clipped her in her high chair today. All these accidents...

2011 Brings Big News - Part 2

2011-08-10T20:04:00.003+01:00

New York, New York - a city so fantastic that it has to be repeated twice! Everyone who has been there has raving reviews about it. Everyone else was so excited for us but then why was I in tears?

Because I am feeling crap from pregnancy and did not want to pack and move - I wanted to nest and make my home cosy. I wanted to relax and enjoy the rest of my free time preparing for a new person in our lives. I wanted to be calm so that the baby would be calm too (unlike Josiah who was NOT calm at all!) But all that I wanted was not what God wanted. Shaun and I pray over this sudden turn in our lives. Why would God want us to leave UK when the work for the assembly there is clearly needed? Why now when we are due to have a baby? When Josiah has settled into his school? When we have found friends and support group...

Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

That was the verse that kept coming back to us when we were making this decision. So chin up and start packing, folks! We had to get rid of a lot of our belongings because of the difference in voltage, difference in bedding sizes and also limited weight allowance. Poor Josiah - most of his toys had to be given away including his bicycle and scooter.

Thinking back, it was such a whirlwind that I can hardly believe that we are now in NY. We were living in temporary accommodations for one month before finding our new apartment in Midtown East of NY. Shaun's mum came to help us with the unpacking and setting up of our new home. We were so thankful as I was almost 8 month pregnant and could hardly move without huffing!

Now the waiting game for baby girl begins.....stay tuned!

2011 Brings Big News - Part 1!

2011-07-28T15:34:00.000+01:00

What excuse can I give for being away for so long?

What news is so big that it takes months to announce?

Is this enough as an excuse? :)

Probably not but then it has been a rough pregnancy so far. I spent the first trimester being so sick that I was afraid to eat, which made me more sick and so I had to force myself to eat. Never, ever felt that way about food before! Those who know me would know that I love to eat. I am never one for dieting, food fads...etc and even if I tried, my hunger pangs would make me eat :)

Wanting to puke 24/7 and then puking at least 2-3 times a day was enough to put me off food for good. Except that I'm pregnant and need to eat. Typical story of my life, when I am not allowed to be on a diet, then suddenly dieting is the easiest thing to do. On numerous occasions, I would literally be in tears trying to find something that I think I can eat. Nothing looks appealing to me and I had ZERO appetite. The worst time was one of the school run to pick Josiah back from school and whilst walking, I suddenly threw up on the sidewalk! Yucks....and I used to think that puke on the sidewalk belongs to drunk people. I now have new found perspective on sidewalk puke :p

Fast forward to second semester, I start to feel a little better in month 5, but then I start to fall sick. Just a bad, bad cough that refused to go away. Being pregnant, I am unable to take medication. All that coughing just made me feel tired, is hard on my pelvic muscle and is irritating to say the least especially when I have to talk. To top things off, Shaun delivers me the biggest shock by announcing that he is being transferred to New York and is needed there AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Pregnant, toddler in tow, feeling sick and having to plan a major move to a place I have never been and don't know anyone there.

Is this enough of an excuse? YES - I think so!

Stay tune for Part 2 of my crazy life :p

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-22T17:02:00.000Z

I love my Spiderman costume

I love it when Daddy reads to me

And life passes by....

2010-12-07T11:21:00.000Z

Has it been more than 3 months since Josiah started school??

Well, our lives have changed so dramatically that I am still reeling from it.

So what has changed? EVERYTHING - and it stems from one huge change, bedtime!
After nearly 4 years of sleeping like a typical Malaysian kid ie about 9-10pm; he is now having to go to bed at 7-8pm so he can be up early enough for school. The snowball effect of going to bed early includes earlier lunch, dinner, bath time and no more going out at night. He might not even see Shaun before he sleeps.

On the upside, Josiah is really thriving in school. He loves the uniform, loves the teachers and loves going to school. Basically, if he is slow in getting ready in the morning, I just tell him that Daddy is going to school without him.... he focusses and immediately hurries up. I am so happy that he is happy in school.

He started out going for half day school and is now doing three full days from 9am-3pm. The first few weeks of the additional hours was tough ...... on his bladder!! You see, my little man has inherited my toilet phobias despite me trying SO hard to be normal around him and toilets. He prefers to hold in his wee-wee instead of using the school toilets. With his incredible bladder control, he manages when he is on half days but on the full days......well, let's just say, he is the only boy with a "take-away" bag at pick up. I have tried talking to him and explaining the need to let the wee out as soon as possible, but his response is that "someone is using the big potty" ???!!! Telling him to use another potty (out of the 5 others available) seem to be unsuccessful. Is he my son or is he my son? Sigh.
Few more weeks of this, constantly telling him that his actions of holding in wee-wee would make his ku-ku broken and we are finally seeing some dry trousers at pick up. Ermm, yes, I cannot bring myself to refer to this *blush* penis as penis :) I'm old fashioned that way - heh, heh..... Just going to leave it to his teachers to correct him! *blush*

On the diet/eating front, he has realised that the longer hours meant that he is famished by the time I pick him up at 3pm. And of course, I never bring a snack - hey, I'm trying to be a good mum here!
He tells me that his tummy is rumbling and I'll tell him that he should have had his lunch. Then he tells me that he HAD his lunch, comprising of ONE potato (I imagine only one small piece) and ONE bread (also probably tiny piece). He always refuses vegetables and sometimes has the pudding.
So basically, he is eating the side dishes as his main meal. But I know it is a big step for him and continue to encourage him to eat the main meal. Problem is, his preference for Chinese food is so strong - he just hates English food, unless it is fish fingers or sausages. The fancy school menu normally comprises of exotic lamb tagines with coucous, pot roast, goulash, sheperd pie, sweet curry is just beyond his simple palate. He just wants chicken rice :p

He loves singing and dancing in school - frankly, that is all they do at the moment. Very, very slack compared to Malaysian kindergarten. I believe they learn ONE alphabet and ONE number a week. So lesson time is really easy-peasy for him. They have tons of different songs and he is loving it. Apparently, they even have a "Get Movin' assembly", where they gather to dance to all sorts of lively songs - one of his favourite is YMCA!! Sweet - old is gold!
The all time favourite song is the 'Witch Doctor' song which they play all the time from YouTube.
Check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8qDphoQPdw

I reckon we have contributed a lot to this clip having more than 4 million hits!! Josiah can listen to this about 8 times consecutively - warning, it is the tune is very catchy and soon it would be haunting you like it's been haunting me. Uh Eeh Uh Aah Aah Bing Bang Walla Walla Bing Bang!!!!!

I am one happy mama and I want to thank all his teachers for making his first formal school experience such a happy one!

Can you tell Shaun got a new camera :)

My little chef

I love this pic - Grandma and Josiah

My First Day at Big School

2010-09-09T14:19:00.003+01:00

It was our first morning in "Big School" today. I tried to put Josiah to bed earlier last night hoping that he would be in a good mood today but alas - Josiah (the real Energizer bunny) tossed in bed for about 1.5 hours. Well, at least he fell asleep because I did not. Typical worry wart mum!

Anyhow, he was up and about, excited about school until the time we had to change him into his uniform. Oh, I'll let the photos speak for themselves. In the end, it was the only tears he would shed that day and I was so proud of him. Some other boys were crying in class but he was happy to be in school...just make sure to strip him off his uniform the MOMENT we step back home and he is happy.

Big day, big boy and a big smile at pick up.

Why was I so worried?

Look at those tears...

In the bus - his famous smile is back!

How I love you

2010-09-08T10:52:00.001+01:00

Obviously, I am going through some rough time leading up to Josiah starting school. Somehow it feels as though I will be losing him to the rest of the world now. He has always been my little baby and then my little boy and now he is going to be someone else's friend. He's going to have to listen to someone else aside from Shaun and I. At times like this, I really wish that I have the guts to say yes to homeschooling. Unfortunately, with my lack of discipline and organisation skills - I fear I may do more harm than good going down this path. Anyhow, back to me being soppy about him growing up - just wanted to post his latest quirks and sayings that makes it that much harder to let go.

I love it when he wakes up from his nap and is always in a bad mood, all teary, upset and wants to cuddle with me for a little while before he pushes me away :p In those special 20 minutes or so, I get to smell his hair, kiss him, hug him and rub his little tummy with no complaints from him. It is as if he is happy to be my baby for a little while. It makes me so warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.

I love the way the hates the way I dry his hair after a wash. He is extremely concerned about not having "spiky hair" and will pat his hair down angrily. So cute and so Josiah!

I love the way he checks himself out at any mirror or reflecting surface - he is so vain. I have caught him checking himself out at the oven door, the shiny door knob in my toilet and have even caught him checking himself using a sunglasses on the dining table to check if his mouth is dirty. So cute, so OCD and so Josiah!

I love the way he shudders when his fingers touches any squishy stuff like cream, chocolate sauce, sauces....
He has come a long way from those infant days when he cannot touch even grass or sand but I guess his little OCD about things touching his fingers have not gone completely. So cute and so my Josiah!

I love the way he looks at me after he has done a poo and asks me if I am happy....my heart melts....I must have been quite the nagger back in those potty training days.

I love the way he gives me the cheeky grin - to try to evade a punishment, to make me laugh or just to make me heart him more.....you choose, because I fall for it every time.

I love our little ice cream game he plays with me whilst I am cooking in the kitchen. Josiah would climb into my laundry basket and pretend to be the ice cream seller. I love ice cream and I love Josiah :p

I love it when he says things like,
"You have milk here" whilst pointing to my breast. When I explained that there is only milk in the breast when I have another baby, he replied, " That's okay Mummy, we can buy one tomorrow" leading to a discussion on how babies have to grow in the tummy and he quickly said that I have a big tummy, leading me to tell him that his Mummy is just fat. Classic Josiah.

"You come and play with me?" he uses both thumbs to point at himself whilst giving you the cheeky grin. Heart. heart. heart

"Mummy, you are just like Katy" - from his favourite children's cooking programme, "I Can Cook" on Cbeebies whenever he sees me in the kitchen.

"Can you open the banana skin for me?"

"I want some wallaa (water) please?"

I could go on but am guessing that most would have had too much of sweetness from this post for a sugar high. So better just stop and let the pics speak for themselves.

Josiah only feeds himself when he is served fish fingers!

The Spider Man shirt that he wants to wear 24/7

Move aside Jamie Oliver - meet chef extraordinaire, Josiah Ow Yang

Uh, oh - cheeky grin....what has he done? Try to ignore the flower hairband on his head :)

When asked who messed the living room, Josiah is always answers with gusto," Me, me, I did it!"

josiah + mummy = love

We love to jump!

2010-09-06T23:27:00.000+01:00

This month marks the end of one chapter of Josiah's life - his carefree life as my little boy. He will be going to nursery every day from 9am to 1pm from September 9th onwards. He will be attending a boys' school near our house. He has a cute uniform with matching hat and blazer. The only problem will be to get him to wear it as he is going through his "I only want to wear ______ today" phase. We go through his conversation multiple times a day when faced with clothes changes. He wants to wear home clothes to church, he refuses to change into pyjamas at bedtime and changes about 4 times a day just because he feels like it (he just goes to drawer and helps himself). Every time there is silence and he is not playing - you know he has gone to change his clothes!! A month ago, he wouldn't have cared less if I had dressed him in a pretty dress. Go figure.

Jump ahead - he has his own opinions on dressing and is adamant that he gets his way. Good luck to me this Thursday trying to get him into his uniform and to school on time. The latter struggle would also involve nap and sleep time which has always been an issue for us.

I have also started my driving lessons after passing my theory test two weeks ago. Big change for me too as I have not sat behind the wheel since 2007. So far, I've only been allowed to drive in a straight line and turn left. Hahaha.....it is really like starting driving from scratch. But I am not bothered as I have always been a nervous driver and London traffic is no easy ride.

Jump in anticipation of change.....

Josiah still drools a fair bit for his age

Do not focus on my belly button!!

Pure Happiness

Notice the hands? Truly father and son jump team :)

Car wash

2010-09-06T11:34:00.000+01:00

Do not be deceived by the photos below...

This scene is not done on a weekly basis...not even monthly basis :p

It's the first time the car has been washed since we bought it and left it in the basement in January 2009.

Shaun got his driving license in March 2010

You do the maths

Josiah does the wash

We love our car - she may be old and smell funky but she moves and so we love her.

Summer 2010

2010-08-10T16:35:00.003+01:00

London is a wonderful place to live in - especially in the summer and spring time. There is so much sunlight and we can go outdoors everyday! Here's what we have been up to this summer :)

The cheeky monkey posing in Hyde Park

Our inaugural BBQ with Leong family - note the pathetic BBQ pit!

We had BBQ ribs, sausages, chicken wings, salads, garlic bread and cherries

Our mode of transport since March this year - she is more than 10 years old and is extremely underpowered but has given us a chance to go places we have not been able to go for the past 3 years. So we love her!

A spot of golf at Celtic Manor Resort, Wales. Is that golf or hockey, Josiah?

Forget golf - driving the golf buggy is way more fun

Windsor castle where the Queen abodes

3.5 years old : I want to go to Malaysia

2010-08-02T16:48:00.001+01:00

Since my parents have gone home, Josiah went through 2 weeks of refusing to talk to them via Skype. Then suddenly, he started telling me he don't want to go home (whenever we went out) but wants to go to Malaysia. I would tell him that Malaysia is very far away and we cannot go there now.....big burst of tears!
I have tried telling him that if he misses his Kong Kong and Po Po, he can talk to them via the computer. But I think he realises now that nothing beats having them around. I agree with him too.

Josiah's achievement so far:

- Able to ride a bicycle on his own
- No more nappies, Josiah is fully potty trained; day and night. I am so proud of him for being Mummy's big boy!
- Able to remove socks, shoes and jacket on his own. Although he prefers it if I do it for him, of course.
- Able to count from 1-20 easily.
- Recognise all his alphabets, both big and small capital
- Loves Mummy & Daddy to read his favourite books like, Jack & the Beanstalk, Little Red Hen, Usbourne phonic series like Frog on a Log, Sam Sheep Can't Sleep, Goose on the Loose.
- Able to use scissors to cut paper on his own
- Able to copy write all alphabets and numbers 1-10
- Able to count correctly up to 10 items
- Able to recognise Daddy's car from a fleet of cars at the car park. Actually, he recognises the logo of the car and can tell us other cars that "look" like Daddy's car.
- Able to tell me when he is hungry and what type of food he wants.
- Able to help me cook in the kitchen without making a mess
- Able to wash himself in the shower and brush his teeth on his own.

I know this sounds corny but, "My baby is grown up now" and it did pass by so quickly.

Sniff.

Excuse me whilst I look through his baby photos and reminiscence.

Potty Training : The grand finale

2010-07-26T22:46:00.010+01:00

I started my potty adventures here and here when Josiah was about 2.5 year old. But it is only since last week when I finally declare him truly potty trained. It only took me like ONE YEAR!!!

Is this normal? Am I a failure? Well, I sure do feel like one especially since we were stuck with the whole poo problem for quite a while....

"Josiah can tell you when he needs a wee and has not had an accident; day or night. He can tell you when he needs a poo but refuses to use the toilet. Go figure!! Anyone with similar predicament out there, please, please help me out. My latest plan of hiding his supplies of nappies and telling him and showing him that we have run out of nappies ended in major disaster. Two days of holding it in, one screaming boy and one very painful exit was enough for me to lay this matter to rest for some time again. We both needed to chill out about it and erase the bad memories associated with it before trying out anything again. "

In theory, Josiah would be able to tell you that nappies were for "babies" and he is a "big boy" but when the time comes, with tears in his eyes, he'd say that he is a baby so he can have a nappy. We even upped the game by promising him blue scooter if he manages to do it in the potty for one week. For one whole month, he would correctly tell anyone that he would get a scooter if he poop in the potty. Yet, at the crucial moment, tears accompanies his pleas for a nappy. It was so frustrating for me especially since I could not establish what exactly he was afraid of. I tried asking him so many times but he could not verbalise his fears.

Then, one Tuesday morning, when he was about to go - I told him that he could have the nappy but he has to sit on the potty WITH the nappy. Or he could just sit on the potty without the nappy. His choice. He cried and protested, I repeated my terms hoping that at least I could get him to sit on potty whilst he was pooping in the nappy. Josiah surprised me by choosing to sit WITHOUT the nappy ??!! And just like that - he did it!!!

I gave him the whole kisses/praises/high fives/hugs and of course a promise to get his scooter. On Wednesday, we had an outing planned and I told Josiah that we could then give baby all of his nappies since he was a big boy now. He heartily agreed and it was done. I did not know it then but a more sinister twist to this whole potty business was just about to begin. Thereafter, Josiah refused to use the potty, choosing to hold it in and telling me that he has ALREADY used the potty ie in his head - he only has to use it ONCE.

I kept explaining to him that everyone needs to poo everyday...etc and having to repeat the whole "big boy" story again. Even threat to return his scooter did not help. He also refuses to use the nappy. At that point, he was holding it in for three.whole.days at a time!! My lowest point being one afternoon when Shaun and I spent 2 hours trying to persuade him to use the potty with no avail. He sat on the potty, he cried, he screamed, he was given more liquids, he sat and nothing. Nothing at all. He fell asleep on the sofa exhausted from the whole thing. When he woke, he jump up and went to the potty and did it. This horrible pattern continued for another week. He would hold it in as long as he could before literally jumping into the potty for 5 seconds. That night, I prayed to God to take away his fears and the following morning, he went on his own and have been going ever since.

Basically, he does not like to be told to poo. So now even when I see him doing the "holding-in dance", I just ignore it and hope that he chooses to go soon. Sometimes he does and sometimes he succeeds in holding it in and will only go when he cannot hold it anymore. My little stubborn boy!

Bye bye nappies!!!!

My big boy

June 2010: A rough month indeed...

2010-07-13T11:42:00.001+01:00

I have pondered over whether to post about my recent ordeal here, in Josiah's blogworld and concluded that it is something that I want to remember in years to come.

About 4 years ago, when I was on the doctor's office getting my first ultrasound (because my period was late), our joy at seeing tiny Josiah was overshadowed by a 10cm cyst on my right ovary. Seeing that I had conveniently 'forgotten' to go for a gynae checkup before getting married - I was devastated. I blamed myself for not catching this cyst earlier and now it is too late. I am with child and the doctor refuses to operate until at least 3-4 months into pregnancy. I was upset mainly because I wanted the cyst removed as soon as possible before I could bond with my baby. I know I would not be able to deal with the guilt if I lost the baby. Since Doctor #1 refused to operate, I scheduled an appointment with another doctor on a Saturday to get a second opinion. That same week, I was swamped at work with getting the team ready for auditors inspections. My stress levels were sky high and it did not help that I had to worry about cyst and my baby too. Early Friday morning, I woke up to pee and when I got back to bed, a dull pain started. As I continued to lie in bed, I knew something was wrong, the pain was getting worse. I woke Shaun up and we rushed to the hospital, I was in so much pain that I could not stand straight and was vomiting from the intensity of the pain. Hours later, Doctor #1 informed us that the cyst had twisted and caused all that pain. According to Doctor #1, if I chose not to operate that day, I would have to risk such pain whenever the cyst twisted around. But if I went ahead with the surgery, I would risk losing baby who was just about 6 weeks old at that time. We prayed about it and went ahead with surgery. It was horrible coming out from surgery but my baby was still with me. So I was on bedrest for the rest of my first trimester. I was given hormone pills to keep baby happy and told not to walk / sit - just lie down lots. It was super BORING but it worked. I went back to work after that and went on to have the most text book pregnancy and delivery!

Fast forward till end of last year, I noticed that I am needing to go toilet frequently again. Had a hunch that something was up and did not want to repeat my mistake again. I went to get an ultrasound and saw that same dark spot again on the screen. This time is was about 6cm on the left ovary and there was another one on the right ovary but not as big. Consultant gynae advised to get it removed immediately but I was not keen on surgery especially with no one around to help me look after Josiah. So hatching this whole big plan involving flying my parents to London and timing the surgery two days after their arrival! So on 2nd June, Shaun and I walked - yes, you read correctly, walked to St Mary's Hospital and waited for the doctor to operate. It was strange because nurses came round to ask how I am - fine, more that fine, I feel great...my parents are here...the sun is shining....so why am I subjecting myself to this ordeal again? Shaun would remind me that living with it is like living with a bomb inside me. Nice. Thanks.

Anyway, the doctor was 2 hours late and I was starving since I am not able to eat or drink anything from the night before. I was nervous but yet wanting it to be over so I could go home. This time I remembered to let the anaesthetist know that I am very sensitive so could she please not over-drug me...she did a great job. And I did need very little drug to get me to la-la land. I remember her talking to me as she drugged my up and next thing I know, it was 2 hours gone by, and it is over. Now the nasty bit - as usual, I was shivering and shaking from the drugs. Then as I tried to drink some water, nausea hit me - HARD. I could not keep fluids down and 3 hours later, am still stuck in recovery room. As night fell, the nurse started hinting that I should move on with it. Or decide to stayover. In hindsight, I should have just stayed the night because my first night at home was horrible. I had pain all over my body and kept waking up from the pain even with strong painkillers. My tummy was bloated from the surgery and I had to resort to my pregnant clothes.

It took another 2 weeks before I could walk more without pain and a further 2 weeks before I was back to normal. By this time, Josiah was in the midst of his chicken pox episode. Yes, it was such good timing. Josiah broke out in red spots but was generally quite happy. He had spots on his back, tummy, scalp, fingers and probably his mouth. He called them "moles" and was quite proud to show us all his spots. Putting calamine lotion on him was tough because he kept saying it was too cold. We kept him home for 2 weeks. He was mainly playing with my Dad the whole day. Mum and I even managed to sneak in a few shopping trips in between so everyone was happy. And to top that off, we even managed two short weekend breaks to Wales and Stratfordyums!

So despite the rough start, June 2010 ended quite nicely.

Dinner at Stratford Hotel - Indian food for the gals, fish & chips for the guys!

Rose garden at Warwick Castle

Chicken Pox galore!! Big one on the nose :)

Itchy, itchy....

Week 2: My "moles"are disappearing

Food Gallery : Chinese New Year Goodies

2010-05-31T16:38:00.002+01:00

A long outstanding post from 2010 Chinese New Year celebrations.

I am always homesick during these festive occasions. I miss my family, friends and of course the glorious food back in Malaysia. So here was my pathetic attempt at my very own CNY celebrations.

(A special thank you to Shaun who went to Chinatown to get me some must-have ingredients for CNY dishes.)

Check out the huge pineapple...we only used it as decoration as we didn't know how to cut it for consumption!

Braised pork belly with mushroom, scallops, oysters and "fatt choy"

Stir fry prawn with garlic and oyster sauce

Chicken soup with ginger

Broccoli with bean curd, fresh scallop and crab meat

I love beancurd!!!!!!

Food Gallery : Kitchen Updates

2010-05-28T16:32:00.000+01:00

Since my last posting about my cooking view here I have gone on to be more adventurous especially with baking and trying more complicated dishes.

Enjoy!

We first had this dish at Carluccio's and quickly realised that it was cheaper to make on our own. Just needs the freshest buffalo cheese, vine tomatoes and basil - a sprinkling of black pepper!

Stir fry Kai-Lan with garlic

Spanish chicken - a tomato based dish with olives and onions

Josiah loves eating chicken katsu don so here was my attempt. Does not look as good as it tasted :p

When I can find the four angle bean, I can make this dish!

Not a pile of %$^* - it's my double chocolate cookie

I am just like Daddy

2010-05-25T13:03:00.001+01:00

After our bath the other day, Josiah said this to me quite a matter-of-factly

"Mummy, I just like my Daddy"

"You mean you are a boy like Daddy" I replied.

"Nope, because my tummy soooo big like Daddy" said the cheeky monkey whilst bending forward to make his non-existent tummy stick out.

Shaun was not impressed when I told him as he is quite sensitive about his tummy. But I thought it was hilarious.

____________________ o __________________

Josiah is now almost 3.5 years old and I think he is beginning to lose some of his baby traits.

Let's do a re-cap....

Josiah can tell you when he needs a wee and has not had an accident; day or night. He can tell you when he needs a poo but refuses to use the toilet. Go figure!! Anyone with similar predicament out there, please, please help me out. My latest plan of hiding his supplies of nappies and telling him and showing him that we have run out of nappies ended in major disaster. Two days of holding it in, one screaming boy and one very painful exit was enough for me to lay this matter to rest for some time again. We both needed to chill out about it and erase the bad memories associated with it before trying out anything again.

Josiah can be reasoned with to some extent, for example, if he wanted milk and we did not have any, we could tell him that and he would just understand. Or if he had left his beloved blankie, ChowChow at home, then we can remind him that he was the one who forgot to bring it and he would just understand. He might sometimes ask for it again in a few minutes but with a few repetitive answers from us. He would just understand. Isn't this amazing? I am so proud of him.

Josiah says the cutest things (in my opinion, of course) like:

"Don't forget Mummy"

- if he is in the car and I have yet to get in

"Don't forget my Chowchow"

- as he leaves home

"Why you have no pants, Mum?"

- when I am wearing a dress

"Can't you hear my tummy rumbling?"

- typical of Josiah to wait until he is starving before telling me so

"I want pancakes/muffin/sausage"

- that's Josiah treating me like a 24 hour family diner.

"This is so yummy" and proceeds to give me a thumbs up

- wow, such a satisfaction from a praise of a 3 year old. Really makes me believe I am a fantastic cook :p

"Why you become Yee Yee?" "You become Yee Yee again??"

- Josiah thinks I looks like my younger sister whenever I tie up my hair in a ponytail.

Josiah even tells us now when he wants to go to bed. It is truly amazing this feeling of watching him turn into a mini adult.

Malaysian Tales: Departure Time

2010-05-24T15:29:00.002+01:00

Ever wonder what happens when a somewhat sane mum decides to take her 3 year old son on a 13 hour flight ALONE? Why does she do it? Will she survive the journey to blog about it? Read on.

Josiah with his cousins Lyndon and Rayna

For weeks leading up to the departure, I tried to block out all the 'worst case' scenarios in my head. I knew that it is too late to think about pulling out and should then focus on trying to prepare for the trip. My journey started with trying to pack all sorts of entertainment materials (toys, DVD player, books, colouring stuff), extra clothes for both of us, milk bottles, medicines and even my laptop into my backpack. Obviously that was not going to work so I had to add on his usual baby bag on top of my backpack. Oh, don't forget his lunch/dinner and snacks and at least 3 chow chows!! Did I mention it was still winter so although we were headed to 35C, we were both still dressed in 3 layers and a huge winter jacket. And finally the stroller itself - cannot do without it as I know it would be the only way I can make my way to the airplane in the event he does his usual "Mummy, carry me" antics!! I would not be able to carry him, his baby bag and a huge backpack...... Goodness me, what have I brought on unto myself???? And I am not even thinking about the 13 hours in a confined space yet. Heart pumps hard. Feel faint. Focus woman!!! Focus......

Anyway, back to the beginning of my nightmare/daymare, we were pretty fortunate that Josiah was in a good mood the day we were leaving. We bought him a new toy and told him he could play with it on the aeroplane. He was very excited to get on the aeroplane but the usual waiting time in the airport plus security checks plus having to be woken up at 6am .....get the picture? By the time I said good bye to Shaun and tried to keep it together (ie not burst into tears of regret and fear), Josiah and I were already exhausted and I have yet to clear customs or anywhere near my boarding gate.

Josiah started his, "Mummy, I want to go home". A phrase which would haunt me for the rest of the 13 hours and actually the rest of the month in Malaysia! I told him we were going to the aeroplane and going to Malaysia.

"Mummy, I want to go home" he replied in his most whiny voice. I had to ignore that to keep sane.

When I cleared customs and found my boarding gate, I gave Shaun a call to let him know we are somewhat okay. Of course, Josiah had to up the game by deciding to jump off the stroller and run off to a pharmacy.

What on earth??!! Oh, no -this could only mean one thing......he is going to do a poop. So there I was bags and all, standing OUTSIDE the pharmacy whilst Josiah looks at some women's stockings (he is always drawn to the women's stockings since young!) and I try to act like this scenario is completely normal whilst Josiah takes his sweet time to poop. Don't ask me why he refuses to poop in the toilet when he is already 100% toilet-trained for his wee! It's a million dollar/pound/ringgit question that I don't have the answer to.

Thank God we were early as this unanticipated nappy change would have wrecked my mental state even further than I can imagine. As if to test my sanity - Josiah then decides that he would make a run home just as I folded the stroller en route to boarding the plane. I had to physically drag him crying and screaming to the aeroplane. All the beautiful Malaysian Airliner stewardesses looked at me accusingly.

"Kenapa ni? What's wrong?" one asked.

"He doesn't want to go home to Malaysia because he knows London is his home" I answered as he tried to make another run from the aeroplane. He was stopped by one of the stewards who carried him back to me. I told the air stewardess to try to find another seat for the passenger next to Josiah if possible as it was going to be a L.O.N.G flight. As the rest of the passengers filed in, I quickly put on my thick-faced skin in anticipation of all the glares and sniggers. But that was totally not necessary since I was put near all the other babies flying to Malaysia. All whom are younger than Josiah and they all spent the rest of the flight crying and screaming non-stop. I hate to admit it but I was super pleased as I was able to try to relax knowing that all the other passengers are glaring and sniggering at the other parents.

The rest of the journey went by in a mind-numbing, body wrecking, slow motion routine of me trying to entertain Josiah using the in-flight entertainment, DVD player, going to toilet, walking up and down the aisle and finally using my laptop. I refused to look at my watch fearing the worst. But when I finally looked at it - 6 hours had passed. And then I blanked out - ie I cannot recall now how I managed the rest of the flight since he only napped for ONE freaking hour!!!

I recall telling Josiah at one point that I cannot open my eyes, I am sooo tired, I NEEED to just nap for a few minutes so would he please, please, please let me sleep?
Of course any sane human being would comprehend that I was begging for sleep but a 3 year old only can comprehend that he is bored and needs another walk-about the aeroplane. So off we went again.

By the time I arrived in Malaysia, I had been awake for nearly 24 hours. I was running on adrenaline and could not switch off. Josiah promptly slept in the car and I could finally relax and soak in the sunshine.

I am home. I am alive. I survived the journey. And then I met my old friend.

"Welcome home" said my good ol' friend Mr Jet Lag

Josiah in One Utama shopping center

Amsterdam the teaser...

2010-04-16T22:37:00.000+01:00

Finally caught Josiah singing his third favourite song (after "Wheels on the bus" and "Jesus Loves Me")

Guest Post - Missing u...

2010-03-04T00:39:00.003Z

This is a guest post from Shaun while the family is back home in Malaysia. They've been back for about a week now and thus far it looks like things are ok. They've managed to meet up with some old friends and even renewed some nasty habits (like biting?).

Its getting late at night coming from the bible reading (Mark 1:1-8) and I really miss the family and MY in particular. We got to talk for almost an hour today which was great - a mini celebration for passing my UK driving test (finally!). Doesn't beat having them here though.

It's strange because lately I'm the one that's off travelling while working and now the shoe's on the other foot. When I'm away, I feel terrible - not that places like Algiers or Istanbul are terrible but its not that much fun. Didn't think that staying in London would feel so lonely.

This all comes back to Michael Buble of course and I thought that the song is quite apt for the occasion. London is large and has a population of 8 million yet one can feel incredibly lonely here. So here's Mr Buble saying much better than I can - because without you babes, I'm ready to come home.

Also, since we're on a theme today, I don't do this often enough but Mr Buble wrote this for then girlfriend but it seems that I've been much luckier in love. I've married a girl who means "Everything" to me. Thanks for putting up with all my nonsense. Its a long way to March 20 for me but I'll be here waiting for you.

On a little side note, this is my first attempt at embedding a youtube video, so am hoping this works.

Three Years Old : What a milestone

2010-02-02T14:15:00.005Z

Happy New Year, folks....a bit late but then again, anyone who knows me would not have even raised an eyebrow. Typical of me. Have not changed and probably never will. No new year resolutions for me!

Back to this post to celebrate Josiah's 3 years on this Earth and all his accomplishments so far.

Turning three has been so exciting for Josiah and I. No one told me about how it seems like your baby matures overnight and is replaced by a mini adult, capable of holding opinions, conversations and most important - holding his PEE. Yes, the regular type of pee from your kidneys....bring out the trumpets and drum roll please because Josiah is almost 90% potty trained. It happened suddenly and all that tug-of-war over potty business just vanished. On day, whilst we were bumming around the house - he just went to the toilet, pull down his pants and had a wee. ON HIS OWN. No pleading, threatening, no bribes.... Just felt like he needed to go and went. And he has been dry all day and all NIGHT. Just like that.

Magic. The feeling - oh, so sweet...

Now for the 10% failure bit - well, he seems to still enjoy the "number 2" whilst standing in his nappy. He'd ask for one and no amount of threats, bribes and pleads from me would change his mind. But at least I never had to clean out a soiled undie so am quietly trying to look at the bright side of this weird scenario my son has caught me in. Am praying for that sudden magic to happen again and trying not to pull out all my hair before it happens.

Three Years Old : What a milestone

Josiah has been the type to need a nap. It may be a late nap in the day but without it - he is absolutely cranky by 5.30pm. In the last week, he has been able to stay awake without having a tantrum and then sleeping for 12 hours straight at night. Oh, sob, sob....this day that I have been dreaming off since he was born has finally arrived.

Magic. The feeling - oh, so sweet...

And to add to this - he has finally settled into his nursery. It only took 4 months but for such an intense boy, this is brilliant. He no longer cries when I drop him off and in the last week he has even been happy to stay on when I come to pick him up.

To celebrate his new independence, Shaun and I finally had our breakfast date. We dropped Josiah off and went for a nice, poshy breakfast at the York and Albany which belongs to one of Gordon Ramsay's chain restaurants.

The feeling - oh, so sweet...

Three Years Old : What a milestone

Random milestones off my head includes:

- Josiah sleeping on a toddler bed now with his own duvet. I know, unbelievable that he was still in a baby cot and with a sleeping bag until three. But this is me, and anyone who knows me wouldn't have raised an eyebrow :p

- Josiah says, "Don't kiss me, Mummy" and so proving that boys do grow out of kisses faster than girls.

- Josiah says, "Josiah's sweetie pie is house" because he loves staying at home. He has his toys, TV and bed here. Who needs to go out?

- Josiah says, "Yi, err, san..." and my pathetic efforts of trying to teach him another language pays off.

- Josiah tells me, "Mummy your eyebrows are black" whilst rubbing my eyebrows. This is why I am so blessed to be able to stay at home and not miss moments like this.

The feeling - oh, so sweet...

I love you, Josiah.

I may not be your sweetie pie but you will always be my sweetie pie.

Ho, ho, hooooyaa....

2009-12-16T17:05:00.004Z

Shaun was meant to go to Algeria this week but thank God that he didn't because just after 4pm on Monday, Josiah got the "man flu". Misery all around this Christmas, folks. To date, his temperature is still holding on despite administering 4 hourly paracetamol via syringe (his favourite way of taking medicine). I have given him numerous sponge-wipedowns, two of which occurred at 3am on consecutive nights. My new carpets arrived yesterday evening and he has managed to puke on it by lunch today. In my sleep deprived haste to wash out puke-filled bedsheets, pillow, pillowcases from previous night - I managed to overlook a used disposable nappy in that pile and it went straight into the washing machine. I purposedly put on the LONGER wash thinking of all that yucky puke.

It is a week before Christmas, a week before I travel to Ireland and I have one sick boy, one jelly-filled washing machine, one new carpet with a funny smell to it, one load of puke and jelly filled laundry yet to be dealt with, one anniversary outing cancelled, one pair of sleep deprived adults in our lovely cold home.

So ho, ho, ho to everyone else in the world who is actually enjoying their Christmas season.

Oh, did I mention that my anniversary plans had to be scrapped tomorrow as I brave through my third consecutive day INDOORS. It is a record since Josiah was a baby.

And it was snowing this morning. Hooray...or not. I don't know because I am not human at this point. I am just a breathing machine focused on getting by another night without sleep.

Happy 4th Anniversary, Shaun. Here's to many more fun years (refer to above paragraph) together with me.

I think I have got cabin fever. Treatment for that? A trip back to sunny Malaysia should be an instant remedy. Except that it costs too much and at this point I am too tired to even shower.

Despite this I did manage to bake a cake for Shaun's birthday coming up this Saturday. My first attempt and I'd have to say, it did put a smile on my face

Happy Birthday Babes!

35 months old: My backside is number 3 and other tales

2009-12-10T12:29:00.001Z

One month short of his third birthday, Josiah is talking in longer sentences now. Going to nursery has definately added to this aspect so here are a few things he says now.

"My backside is number three"

Don't know the background of where he got this but he told me this when we were running around in circles. I did ask him what number was MY backside and apparently it is also number three. Hmm, go figure...

"I don't like it"

Applies to just about everything that is different from the norm. Trying to get him to put on new shoes/jacket/hat/watch different episodes of his favourite shows will be met with a resounding "I don't like it" response which if no action taken on our part to retain the 'normal' bit of his life will result in a meltdown. So frustrating. I am hoping it is just a toddler phase and refuse to believe that he might just be a very confident kid who knows what he wants ALL. THE. TIME!!!!!

"Stop talking, say bye-bye"

Hahahaha, this is him getting upset when Shaun and I are talking to anyone on Skype. He absolutely hates it and will make it clear to the other party that he wants our attention. It is really rude and I have spoken to him about it but it still occurs and I admit I sometimes bribe him so I can say hi to my parents or in-laws!

"1,2,3,4....10. Ready or not here I come"

Josiah's version of hide-and-seek is him asking you to stand at HIS chosen corner and then him pretending he cannot find you. If you actually hide then he is upset and tells you to stay at his chosen spot. Obviously this game is only played about 3 times max before I get bored. I do not have patience for these sort of games.

"Josiah farts"

Woohoo, and he does quite a fair bit of farting and is quite proud about it. He jumps around after that and says, "What's that noise" Too much MAN-ness for me....yucks....

"I love it"

Normally referring to his favourite food which at this time is yogurt, ice cream and cake. Yes, he is my son and he has a sweet tooth just like me. Shaun enjoys watching the both of us literally fight for a piece of cake. Depending if we have guest or not - I will really fight with Josiah for my share of cake. But if there is a guest around, I'd grudgingly let him gobble up my dessert and put on a sad pout for Shaun who alway sides with Josiah on this matter. See these men just gang up on me all the time.....

"I am too busy...with (insert toy here)"

Apparently Josiah is too busy playing with his cars/trains/aeroplanes to even go out to meet Daddy for dinner. So much for loving your parents - we are obviously only a substitute for anything with wheels or can fly. Boo hoo.

And here is my sweetie pie in his Thomas top which I got for a bargain 50p!!

Our first christmas tree

2009-12-03T17:23:00.008Z

We finally took out the second-hand christmas tree that has been sitting in storage since 2007 and put it up. Josiah was so excited and helped with putting in the branches. I went out to get some baubles (correct term for hanging christmas balls) and beads. Voila, here is is the Ow Yang Christmas Tree 2009. The lights that came with the tree only lasted one day after we forgot to switch it off before we went to bed.

Josiah loves to pull the lower balls off and throw them around like a real ball. Luckily they are now shatter proof and will kinda bounce even!

My sister says the tree is still too bare but then I think it should be bare so that I can buy more stuff every year!

Winter Wonderland 2009

2009-12-01T14:49:00.006Z

Goodbye Autumn, hello, my ol' misery-bearing friend, Winter.

Being the type of person who prefers the weather to be cooler - I absolutely dread winter. This will be my third winter in London but I do not look forward to it anymore than the first one. The adage of one "getting used to it" does not apply to winter weather. I mean, it is one thing to prefer being in 20C with air conditioning and it is another to be walking Josiah to nursery in the rain with temperatures about 10C.

Goodbye short sleeved tops, shorts, sandals. Hello to bulky jackets, gloves, scarves, boots, umbrella, hat, heater and the dreaded flu!

Being the type of person who is normally not so flu prone, this round with me having to walk Josiah to nursery and working up a sweat in cold, windy weather has made fall ill at least three times to date. And this cold weather will be here until March or April next year.

Goodbye to walking in the park at 6pm. Hello to staying in two days in a row (my maximum stay-in record so far) The park now closes at 4.15pm and the playground at 3.45pm. Why? Because it is pitch black by then and obviously no one wants to go to the park but ME??!!

Can you see why people get Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) here? I would be S.A.D too.... apparently the lack of sunlight and miserable weather makes people depressed. You don't say.

Anyhow, I am just ranting about the weather here so when I finally go back to sunnier days, I would relish it and remember how miserable it is to be cold almost 5 months of the year.

Remember how troublesome it is to have to layer up like a blimp and still feel cold.

Remember how Josiah hates to be layered up or wear any hat/glove/scarf making it twice as hard for me to even think about going anywhere knowing that he might catch a cold.

I miss home so very, very much.

Of course London is not home to me. It never was and I tried to make it home. But every time I am once again caught in the rain, cold and miserable with no bus in sight. All I want is to go home.

I think I have SAD - what do you think?

Oops, I forgot that I was going to blog about the Winter Wonderland. Yes, folks, there are some upside to winter. One of our favourite is visiting the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, having a hot fresh German sausage and hot chocolate whilst watching people go ice skating and sit in the rides. This year, we went in the afternoon right after a heavy downpour so there wasn't such a big crowd which was fine with us. We got our sausages and Shaun even had a corn on a stick. Josiah refused to take any rides so we did not stay too long. My highlight was the yummy sausage and the singing reindeer! Check him out at...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JXA1AeFpKY

And the answer is...

2009-11-23T16:17:00.005Z

Josiah punched out the hole from the bottom of his blocks bucket and the result was this picture...

So looks like no one got it right although pretty good guesses all round.

Thanks for taking time to visit my blog!

Mystery of the missing....socks!

2009-11-19T00:15:00.000Z

Is it just me or is it weird that I have more than 10 SINGLE. different. socks sitting forlornly waiting for its partner?

How did this happen? Where are those socks? Why are they missinig? Who took them?

I could go on and on but the fact is my forlorn pile of socks remain. With each load of laundry I do, I might come across one single famiiliar looking sock.

Aha....I have found a match, my happiness only lasting a mere five minutes when I discover that I have another two SINGLE socks to add to the pile.

Frustrations - it never used to bother me but honestly, it is irritating to have to look at a pile of SINGLE and different socks. I mean, those socks taunt me, telling me that I am a failure as a keeper of my family's clothes. Telling me that if I cannot even keep track of socks, what other pieces of clothings are missing but that I am ignorant off. Telling me that I am a bad wife for sending my man out with potentially mismatched socks all.the.time.

"Have you no shame? You must be doing something wrong for us to end up like this" sneered the sad, old looking white Nike sock.

"I miss my darling," sniffles the elegant black sock.

"I'd rather be thrown away than having to put up with these other grotty single socks" screamed the odd blackish green one.

So please, anyone, help me find my missing socks or I may have to resort to killing them just so I can keep my place as Lady of the House.

I will not be overthrown by a couple of ratty, pathetic but pompous sock forming a gang and bullying a poor mum who has never been good at housekeeping anyway.

Wait a minute. These are not even my socks, why should I care? Let Shaun deal with them - he should be able to keep them in line or do you think he is in on this as well.....hmmm.....

Making me believe that I am losing my mind by keeping those socks hidden.

Stop. it . now

Help me, anybody, where is CSI team when I need them most?

Gratefully yours,

Lady of the House (not!)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-18T15:03:00.001Z

Yes folks, it is remnants of dried blood in his nostrils. Nasty...his nose bleeds are back.

Want to guess how I got this photo?

Just leave me a comment and I'll post the answer up in the next few days.

I want a broom??

2009-11-17T15:13:00.000Z

Since Josiah is on his fourth week at nursery, I would like to update on his eating habits at the nursery. Most days he would only eat the dessert (yogurt or something sweet) and pick at the main meal. He only eats most of the meal when they serve pasta, shepherd pie and fish fingers. He does not eat any roast meat and veggie combo, or couscous or chicken type dishes. No one is also able to get him to take a snack (fruits, biscuits or toast)yet but the teachers have been very understanding in persisting to encourage him to eat independently.

On the mornings that Josiah goes to nursery, I would normally anticipate him falling asleep in the stroller on the way home especially when his teacher tells me that he had a proper lunch.

So when she told me had ate MOST of his lunch today, I knew he would be sleeping on the way home. He slept for about 1.5 hours and then woke up asking for milk. Then he asked me for a broom.

A broom? Why is he asking for a broom? Don't know. But as I hand him the broom - he looked at me like I was nuts.

I want to go to the ROOM, Mummy

Right - that's more logical. Hmm....wonder how many more incidents where I have not been able to understand him and offered him other things from what he asked for.

Well, Josiah, when you grow up, do enlighten me because I find you strange and you probably find me even stranger!! A broom.....bah....

Happy Tuesday all.

Alone time.....finally!

2009-11-06T11:03:00.002Z

Hello world, this is my first time blogging in my own house....all ALONE!

For all those with young children, this moment is a moment to be celebrated and savoured. Josiah has been going to nursery for 3 mornings for three weeks now and this is the first time I have felt relaxed enough to come home. Before, I was always hanging around the nursery, you know, in case they had to ring me to get him....etc. I was also frequently leaving the nursery feeling upset because he is crying so hard when I leave but now, he is happy and smiling when I pick him up. So I know the crying bit in the mornings are just his little way of saying,"Hey, I want you to be here with me" which is perfectly normal seeing that we have NEVER been apart like this.

Anyhow, with the morning runs, even when it is raining, I have managed to catch myself a cold. So this morning, I was thinking about not sending him but then this incident happened and I knew that it was going to be one of those "Let's Challenge Mummy's Patience Day" so opted to send him off albeit later than usual.

Our morning started as usual and I gave him a choice of cereal or eggs (half boiled). He was excited about the eggs as I always let him put it in the egg container and he hasn't had eggs for some time. After waiting for it to cook, I then proceeded to put soya sauce on it and then he said he did not want it. I tried to coax him and reason with him but he was adamant. So I ate the egg and was thinking of using the other egg for lunch or something. Then, he said he wanted the egg....and I told him that he had better eat the egg this time or else I would put him in timeout corner.

He ate one spoon and told me, "I go stand in the corner."

Grrrr......now I have the leftover egg and one hungry boy to deal with.

He did not even cry whilst standing in the corner and then requested for cereal!!!

Although it is weird to be home without him, I could definately get used to this. After nearly three years, I am happy for some time alone....

...to have a relaxing breakfast
...to read my papers on the actual day it arrives and not three days later
...to cook dinner at one go without having to say,"Wait a minute, Mummy is cooking" like 20 times
...to have a shower uninterrupted
...to play the piano and actually hear what I am playing amidst Josiah's banging
...and finally just to be able to poo like a normal person without rushing it or having someone try to sit on my lap or worse play with the flush

Life is good.

:)

Mummy is naughty...so am I

2009-10-28T16:18:00.001Z

You know that feeling, when sometimes you think you have a good idea and without consulting anyone else just rush ahead and do it. Then when the inevitable good idea turns out to be not quite the good idea in your head - you know you are in trouble!! And normally by then it is just.too.late.

Damage done. Your son has got two bald SQUARE patches on his head and he has to go nursery the next morning.

Why, oh why, did I even try to deviate from my usual scissors and use the new electric shaver?

What was I thinking? Obviously, not thinking enough or else this wouldn't have happened.

Yes, folks....for some insane reason, I decided to try out the new electric shaver on Josiah whilst he was happily watching TV. Then for another insane reason, decided used the smallest attachment thinking that since he was small, he should not use the big attachment. WRONG!!

I had tears in my eyes when I ran my hands through his hair to see this :

I rang my friend for advise but decided not to go with the "little monk" look and have opted to wait for it to grow and hopefully forget about this whole incident.

Sometimes, even mummies are naughty.

Here is my little naughty boy, caught in the act of counting my kitchen drawers !!.....

33 months old...I am losing count

2009-10-24T12:10:00.003+01:00

I file all of Josiah's photos by month and seeing that he is nearing three....I have to admit that I am having trouble keeping count of exactly how many MONTHS old he is. When people asks me his age, I would reply - nearly three or 2.5 years old. So every time I want to upload some pictures from the camera to my laptop, I have to do "the count".

33 months old.

That is how old my son is. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Let's do the mandatory list of his achievements so far:

- Can count from 1 till 20

- Can recognise all his alphabets

- Can recongnise numbers 1-9

- Can walk up without assistance and walk down holding on to the banister

- Can jump lifting both legs

- Can feed himself better

- Can eat pasta, pizza, pork chop, mushroom

- Can use the potty for a wee (but not able to tell me when he wants to go)

- Can talk in sentences using up to 4 syllabic word like caterpillar, helicopter

- Can recite Little Miss Muffet, Humpty Dumpty, This Little Piggy effortlessly

But I would have to say his greatest achievement this month is to be able to say, "See you later, Mummy" and then watch me go off without crying. Yes, folk....he is on the road to a little separation from me and I am sooooo happy for the both of us.

This new nursery has been super supportive in making this process as natural and painless as possible for both the child and parent. I have been going to the nursery every morning and I stay with him every time. We leave as soon as he is crying and not happy (so not to associate the nursery as a bad place) . We always leave when he is happily playing (so he associates happy memories of the nursery). On the fourth morning, I went over and said bye to him and left for 30 minutes. On the fifth morning, I said goodbye and left him for one hour. Although, he is still teary when I leave him in the morning, his recovery gets better and better. He is now able to stay on his own for the entire 3 hours or so. And he even had his first meal of pasta which he ate all on his own. I know I am rambling but I am just so happy for him and so proud of him. I await the day when he is able to say goodbye in the morning without crying.....now that would be fantastic. Shaun and I have already planned to celebrate that day by going out for breakfast together.... I predict that Josiah will take up to 2 months to be able to achieve that so stay tuned.

When I grow up, I want to be a...

2009-09-17T21:55:00.010+01:00

Doctor, lawyer, teacher, scientist or maybe an accountant like my Daddy...

Nope, I think I would like to be a photographer.

Here I am with my first "still model"

He is a good friend to agree to pose for me.

Thank you, Elmo. I love you

xxx

Josiah

Are you ready, Elmo?

Elmo, say cheese...

Okay, this shot looks good....

The finished photos...

A closer shot....perfect :)

When will I see you again?

2009-09-14T15:21:00.006+01:00

I have consciously been avoiding having to blog these past few weeks. Why? Because I am feeling a bit down and I am just so L.O.S.T.

Lost, feeling lost, losing my mind.... you get the picture. To clarify and maybe help you understand, let's see... My in-laws went home after 6 weeks, then my parents left after being with us for 4 weeks. Josiah is not making a lot of progress in potty training and I have had to spend every morning in nursery trying to get him to like it. I just struggling with all the changes and having to put on a "it's okay" face for Josiah whilst feeling absolutely crap inside. I have difficulty falling asleep and yet hate to have to wake up to face the reality in the morning. Crazy, crazy time for me.

The pain mainly in having to send Josiah to nursery and seeing him screaming and crying every.single.day. It breaks my heart and is just as painful for me to turn my back and walk away calmly. I know it will get better but really wished that it would "get better" sooner. It makes it harder for both of us too knowing that this nursery is not the right one for us. The nursery itself is wonderful with a huge sandpit and playground, lots of different types of toys...etc But the staff there, my goodness, they all look so uptight and unfriendly. No one really talks to the kids there, no smiles, no laughter.....even their singing session is depressing. The teacher puts on a tape and holds up a book to show the kids. She does not sing, the kids are not encouraged to sing....my goodness, what is the point of a singing session. His assigned key-worker is cold and unfriendly. She is always in a rush to go for her "break time" and leaves the nursery before I can even ask her about Josiah. Enough said. I have made the decision to change nursery today and I hope the next nursery would be better for the both of us.

In the mean time, I am going to enjoy our time together again, going to playgroups together. I know that Josiah would love nursery when he meets with the right key person with the right attitude. He is so easy going and loves to be around other kids so this step of independence is quite due. Plus, I am hoping that he would gain from being with other kids around meal time and learn to feed himself. He is the only nearly three year old I know who still does not self feed and it is beginning to bug me. I love to feed him (which ensures that he actually eats) but I know that it is time for him to learn this new skills which I have failed to impart to him. I am not a good mum when it comes to thing like this and here I am trying to delegate it to the good people at his nursery :p

Typical. When the going gets tough, the tough gets a "helper". Hehehehe....

Happier times - group photo in Bruge, Belgium

Potty Training : A New Potty

2009-08-05T14:46:00.006+01:00

Folks, I have never been one to advocate buying expensive stuff especially for kids. But this whole potty business has gotten me potty in the head as well, so I placed an order for a nicer potty that is more like a child seat with a removable portion at the bottom. When the potty arrived - Josiah was all excited about it and had a wee in it the first time he used it!!! He was so excited about taking out the bottom part and pouring it in the big potty. As a reward, he gets to flush and wash his hands (something that I never let him do otherwise!). Well, that was a couple of days ago and today, he finally told me he needed to use the potty. I was so shocked that I literally dropped everything to rush him to the potty. We had TWO request to use the potty today and a few wee-ing on demand. I am on a potty-high and decided that I should also try to bake some cupcakes for the first time. Those who know me will read this with jaws open as I NEVER bake, I have been quite adamant about buying desserts whenever I feel like it. Of course, it does help that my mum-in-law left all the ingredients and baking utensils behind with hopes that I'd pick it up one day. So here it is, my first cupcake using the famous Hummingbird cupcake recipe. Let's hope it turns out okay.

And for Josiah - Mummy is so proud of you! It is a big step for you and I am glad that we did it together. I hope you would remember this and one day come back to Mummy for help / advice knowing that I will endevour to do everything I can so you can succeed in anything you put your mind to.

Cupcake anyone?

Potty time! Day 2 & 3

2009-07-30T14:40:00.003+01:00

Feeling disheartened and wanting to go out, I have decided to try the potty training in the morning till whenever I feel like going out which is usually after 1pm. In Day 2, I decided to let him run around without pants at all with hopes of catching him in action and pointing out to him that it is called a "wee wee" and that he CAN control it if he wants to. Despite having Grandpa around to help me watch him and try to catch him before he wee on the floor, we failed miserably. Not one drop in the potty and lots of Dettol floor wipe action instead! We went out for lunch to reward all the adults for trying :)

Day 3 started out well, I had a nice talk to him telling him about how he will get a lollipop if he manages to wee in the potty. I managed to get Josiah to sit for really long time on his potty but guess what? He just did not have to wee at all. From 9am till 1pm he was dry and just as I put him on his highchair for lunch, the dam broke and it was like Niagaria Falls at the dining table. Out came the Dettol again. It is nearly 4pm now and he has just sat on the potty for 30 minutes and not one drop. Frustrated at this, I put on his nappy and got down to the laptop. It is super tiring looking at his little "koo koo" for so many hours hoping to catch a little sign that he is about to wee. I have never looked at it for so long before. Ever. The problem is that he does not drink a lot of water and he has never been a fan of water, getting his water from milk and soups only. I have to make sure he has more water to drink tomorrow.

Toddlerhood: The Next Frontier

2009-07-26T19:13:00.006+01:00

"I can't see Daddy anywhere" said Josiah this morning as we are heading out to church.

Wow, his first proper sentence.

Instead of answering him, I looked at him wondering how I once was in awe when he said his first word. Nowadays, his vocabulary is growing and his quirky remarks really makes my day.

I know one day, I will look back on this and moan about how he cannot stop talking but for now - I want to savour this warm fuzzy feeling I get whenever I hear him talk.

His other achievements include:

Able to sing Twinkle, twinkle, ABC song, Incy Wincy Spider, Little Einstein song
Able to count from 1 to 12
Able to identify most colours
Able to identify most alphabets
Able to read a few words like dog, cat, duck, frog, horse, pig, chicken, Josiah, Mommy, Daddy, Thomas, Percy, star, car, Harold, James.
Able to do some simple puzzles
Able to paint and draw and colour quite well

Ahhh....but of course, I must also remember the things he is still struggling with, which includes:

Not able to walk down steps on his own, he can walk up with help
Not able to jump or climb too well
Not able to feed himself with a spoon properly
Not able to remove his socks or shoes on his own
Not able to eat pasta, pizza, most veggies and fruits
Not potty trained

I am looking forward to his independence which I think will improve when he starts nursery in September. He will be going for 3 mornings and although it will be a welcome break for me, I am honestly dreading that day. I want my freedom yet don't want to be away from him. Get it? Nope....well, I don't get it too. Such a strange mix of feelings which I believe only another full time SAHM will understand.

Does he miss his baby stuff too?

Josiah in Prague

Potty time! Day 1

2009-07-25T19:54:00.000+01:00

Alas, I succumbed to pressures from everyone to start potty training. I am not bothered that Josiah is still in diapers, come on, he is only 2.... what's the hurry? My parents, in-laws, friends and even Shaun has been pestering me about it. To me, being potty trained is not as cut out as a lot of people think. People think that once the child is potty trained, then they don't have to change nappies anymore. But from what I observed, once potty trained, you'd have to bring even MORE stuff. From travel potty, to change of clothes - and not to mention those crazy, stressful moments when you are on the train and the kid suddenly wants to go potty....!!!#&**!!

At the moment, Josiah gets a change of diaper in the morning after he poos. Then another one in late afternoon and one before sleep. No fuss, no mess....I can go out with him the whole day without having to keep track of time because I know he has a diaper on. Without the diaper, the onus is on the parent to remind the child if he/she wants to go potty. Then parent (usually the mother) will have to find toilet and bring child to toilet quickly. How stressful is that? Add to that the scenario when an "accident" occurs when you are outside. Goodness me, I would be throwing out a lot of pants at this rate because I cannot imagine having to wash out poo from his pants. Blech....yucks....can I delegate this portion of motherhood to anyone else? Anyone else??? Help!!!

Back to Josiah's potty training, we started out with me putting him on potty. He sat for 5 minutes and then wriggled to get out despite me trying to keep him on longer. He proceeded to wet his pants 5 minutes later. After a change, I reminded myself to ask him to go potty in another 15 minutes, but he had another wet pants before then. By lunchtime, he'd wet 4 pair of pants and had one tantrum because I was asking him to sit on the potty. I also had to ban him from sitting on the sofa or our bed - see how cruel this potty training is..... Mental note to myself to get some blankets for the sofa. Sigh. I am not happy at all.

Just before his nap, I put a nappy on and all was well for the rest of the evening. Shaun is not well and I just couldn't cope with two upset boys. Will try again tomorrow morning.

The upside to this exercise: Saved ONE piece of nappy today. Yay. =.=

Wordless Wednesday: Josiah is 2.5 years old!

2009-07-15T14:30:00.000+01:00

Perfect

2009-07-13T14:05:00.004+01:00

With Shaun's parents here, our life has significantly improved, in fact, is close to perfect. Josiah is having a lovely time with his Grandpa and Grandma, Mummy is getting a break for Josiah and Daddy is free to do anything when he gets home from work.

The question is now, with all the free time, what happened to the blog? No post since June....

Well.....the answer in two words : SUMMER SALES

We have been out shopping almost every other day, scouting for bargains and indulging in some well earned retail therapy. All the boys in the household suffer from the retail therapy in their own ways.

Shaun is getting poorer everyday but at least he is not being dragged around looking at clothes, kitchenware and shoes. shoes. shoes.... In fact, he is probably the least affected, managing to escape this shopping horror by staying in the office earning more money for me :)

Grandpa is by far the most worst off - having to follow the ladies around, helping with carrying stuff, then being left to entertain Josiah whilst we shop and then having to pay for the damages. Not very nice.

Meanwhile, Josiah learnt early on how to deal with this whole shopping ordeal by asking for milk the moment we get into a shopping place and settling in his buggy with his favourite "chow chow" cloth and daydreaming of a better place. Possibly a better mother too.

Food Gallery : The Improvement

2009-06-23T22:01:00.000+01:00

More dishes from my kitchen............

I think this looks like "left-over night" with the only fresh food being the fried egg ;)

We had a couple over who were previously from Middle East and they loved our flat which reminded them of home. And with some Malaysian curry....hmmm.....

Burger again but this time with home made fries....does look a bit burnt - maybe that's why the veggies are hiding it :)

When I got back from holiday - a bunch of apples looked like it was going to go bad so I quickly got some puff pastry and ta-da, some home made apple puff

My all time favourite - curry noodles with fish cake and "tau pok"

Roti canai and curry chicken...of course the roti is the frozen type!

Pancakes from Nigella Lawson's recipe - this is more like the American type than the crepe-type

Cream mushroom pasta with roast chicken and basil

Guess what is this?

Yes, my very own "siew yok"

Not too bad a wife now, right....heh,heh......

Happy Tuesday all

Food gallery

2009-06-18T17:02:00.016+01:00

Those who knows me will know that I am hopeless when it comes to cooking. Having grown up with a maid, then married and moved in with in-laws who had a maid.....get the idea.....

There was 2 years in Australia that I survived mainly through instant noodles and bad, bad cooking. I remember eating breakfast cereal for every meal at one point.

So, when dearest hubby said we'd be living in London one week after I had Josiah. I was too numb to realise how much improvement I needed in terms of my pathetic cooking skills. I had to feed both my boys and myself. So started a painful but exciting journey of culinary delights (or not so delightful! Ask hubby for more honest opinion)

I may not be the best cook around and my menu is not very extensive but for someone who started out barely able to cook rice WITH a rice cooker. Here are some of my accomplishments.

Hee....hee....

Come Dine with Me

Found out early on that roasting chicken was a fail-safe option so we had lots of that in the early days, badly fried veggies were also on my menu most of the time :(

Yikes, check out my version of "ngau hor" or beef hor fun noodles! Looks terrible but hubby says it tastes good. Sigh. Such love.... :)

But don't worry, it got better and with this ensemble of homemade 'char siew', mixed veggie stir fry and omelette.....we started having some actual guests come for dinner. Woo.....

Close up shot of my 'char siew'.... I use a scissors to cut it just like some hawkers in Msia!

Simple pork/beef steak with potato salad and veggies

Home made bacon mushroom carbonara pasta. The sauce is made from scratch from single cream, cheese and lots of bacon! Yummy and unhealthy so this dish has been banned from our menu lately.

Simple hor fun with chicken and yummy 'hock chew' balls (from Msia of course!)

McDonald's the Ow Yang style

......to be continued.....

29 months old : A Snapshot

2009-06-12T15:44:00.000+01:00

I remember thinking that people who sit out in the sun must be crazy. Why sit in the sun when there is shade?? After two years in a country that basically only sees nice weather for about 6 months a year......I am living in the park

Yes, routine with Josiah goes like this on a lovely warm day.

1. Wake up

2. Breakfast

3. Pack up bag

4. Walk to park

5. Sit/play/eat in park

6. Nap in stroller

7. Come home only to cook dinner & shower

8. Eat dinner & sometimes visit the park again!

9. Sleep

10. Repeat above every day, soaking up all the sunshine London can offer

Downside to this is obviously the mess in the house from lack of housekeeping. But who cares....the sun is here, enjoy it whilst it lasts.

Plus, I love to see Josiah is shorts and t-shirts, and here he is enjoying the outdoors

Josiah at Ethan's 2nd birthday

Climbing up the big slide

Peek-a-boo

Watch out Simon Cowell

2009-06-09T22:08:00.000+01:00

With parenthood, you always win some and lose some....when baby is young, it is boring routines of feeding, nappy change and nap. Then as they need less frequent feeding and less nappy change, they start to nap less.

When they cannot move around, it is not as fun as when they are crawling or walking but your house is neater and there is less danger of them hurting themselves.

Finally, when they cannot talk, you can only guess what they want but once they start talking - you cannot control what they are going to say or how loud their voices will be!

You win some and you lose some.

me : ***singing 'If you are happy and you know it...'*****

Josiah : Stop, Mummy, stop singing!!

me : Okay.... *hurt feelings*

Simon Cowell, you have a replacement here! *Presses buzzer*

When he is not criticizing my singing, Josiah spends his days with Thomas the Train.

Check it out.

p/s: Warm weather is gone, rain is here. Everyday. Since last Friday. Sigh. Cabin fever

Happy Tuesday all.

Mummy is an alien

2009-06-02T10:19:00.000+01:00

I am the type of person who enjoys my "me time" whilst getting ready in the morning and dislike it when Josiah is around asking questions or poking around the toiletries. But since becoming a mum, I have had to share this precious time with him.very.reluctantly.

The upside to this is he gets to learn a few things about getting ready like brushing teeth, washing face, applying moisturiser (he calls it cream and always asks me for more cream for himself) and putting on my contact lenses.

So I guess I should not have been surprised when he said to me this morning

"Mummy, put on the eyes?" then proceeds to hand me my contact lense solution

.....hmm.......

Watch out for alien Mummy near you......

Happy Tuesday all

p/s: did I mention the weather spiked up to 25C this week :) Happy days.........

28 months old: Mummy, buy this one......

2009-05-28T09:30:00.001+01:00

Josiah's vocabulary has increased tremendously and he is finally talking in short sentences. I just had to post to remind myself of this achievement. I define this a memorable milestone for any child as suddenly, they are part of our adult world - understanding, listening and giving opinions on all matters. Such an amazing experience for a first time mum :)

Vocabulary log

train tracks - Josiah see "train tracks" in any parallel lines on your clothes, on the side street, on building walls and any material with lines on sofas, table....etc! He'd then proceed to run Thomas over it, very roughly, hence the huge rip on my table cloth

orge - Josiah's most advance word learnt from watching the Little Einstein.

Thomas, Percy, Edward, Gordon, Spencer - he can tell these Thomas the Tank trains apart whereas I tend to call all blue ones Thomas and all green ones Percy.

A usual conversation which takes place at least 10 times a day....

Josiah: Mummy, train tracks is broken. Mummy, fix train tracks.

me: Okay, Mummy fix it for you.

Josiah: Mummy, play?

me: ermm...okay

Josiah: Mummy, train tracks is broken

me: I just fixed it, it's not broken.

Josiah: Mummy, train tracks is broken..

me: !!!!!!!!!!! geram........!!!!

Josiah: Mummy, train tracks is broken. Mummy, train tracks is broken, Mummy, train tracks is broken, Mummy, train tracks is broken............

Other frustrating orders from Josiah:

1. Mummy, sit/stand/play here!! (He'll pull you from whatever you are doing and would likely to burst into tears if you said no)

2. Mummy, buy this one.....car/bus/train/ball....etc

Luckily, he is still quite okay when I say no and take it off him and put it back on the shelf.

3. Mummy, watch Pocoyo/Wall-E/Little Einstein??

This is the first thing he asks for when he wakes up, right after, Mummy, milk...and Mummy, take off bag (sleeping bag). Exact same request. Every day. Same sequence.

4. Where is my "chow-chow"? We CANNOT leave home without it. On our recent Paris trip - even one chow-chow everyday was not enough, I had to wash them as they'd be soaked by night and I had to get him another one for the night.

5. Go to the park? Or Mummy go out?

Josiah loves going out except for times when he hates going out. So he is either asking to be out or crying when I ask him to put on his shoes!

6. See you later

A phrase he learnt quite early on because the porters downstairs the apartment always says that to him whenever we go out.

Josiah and his sunnies in Brussels

Posing with a huge gorilla (behind the glass closure) in Jardin Zoo, Antwerp, Belgium

Honey, I'm working late tonight...so am I!

2009-05-19T13:02:00.005+01:00

Yes, we are back from a lovely holiday in Paris. We had 5 days there to slowly cover Paris especially with Josiah in tow. Will post about Spain and Paris soon....ermm....promise.....hehehe..

Anyway, back to laundry piles and normal routines. This morning started with this conversation:

S : Will be working late tonight.

me : Yeah, me too.

S : ??? Oh yeah....you do work late.....

me : In fact, I even sleep in the office and I never get a holiday - because even when I am on holiday, my boss chooses to come along!!! How irritating......that small fella.... :p

But don't tell Shaun that I am in fact in love with my boss!

Happy Tuesday to all

Here's my boss in front of the Notre Dame

Wordless Wednesday - Hello Swan!

2009-05-13T12:35:00.005+01:00

More photos taken by Josiah

2009-05-06T10:29:00.000+01:00

Here is how my hair looks like from behind! Quite shiny, huh... :)

A single "chow chow" amidst the toy area.

Josiah's crayon handiwork - luckily he took a shot of this since I tend to throw out his "artwork". Bad, bad Mummy!

His latest fascination with helicopter whom he uses as Rocket from the Little Einstein series.

Taken in Spain - Uncle Max and Teddy posing together. Will update on the Spain trip soon.

Look at me, Mummy

2009-04-16T16:17:00.009+01:00

Josiah finally started climbing on chairs and is doing better with steps. I must say, lots of respect to those mummies out there whose babies started climbing around since 10 mths old !!

I am having heart attacks on a daily basis and am wondering how other mums survived all this monkey business.

Also spring is upon us and temperatures have risen to a nice 15C - lovely. Here are some lovely spring shots.

Wanna guess what is making him so happy? It's not the beautiful blossoms behind him

It is the free yellow lollipop from the restaurant!!

Beautiful cherry blossoms?? Sorry don't know much about trees...

My little cheeky monkey

Wordless Wednesday - all my favourite things

2009-04-15T16:36:00.001+01:00

Cannot live without my 'chow-chow' and my latest fascination with the balloon pump. Hat is just Mummy's way to try to distract you from noticing that my mouth is stuffed with a piece of smelly cloth.......

My yellow boots and empty Thomas box which I carry around like a hangbag...sorry, man bag!

Thomas and tracks.... going round and round all day long.

Our little photographer boy

2009-04-12T23:13:00.000+01:00

It has been a few months since we let Josiah have a go with our faithful 4 year old, Canon Ixus 50

Initially, all he did was look at something through the screen thinking that he had taken a photo. After showing him how to press on the button, he went through a phase where his fingers would block the entire picture. But behold, with some practice, here are some of his prized photo shots of things that matters to him.....

Of course this is only a fraction of his gallery - the rest have to be censored. Especially photos of Mummy in her pyjamas sitting in front of the laptop!

Our living area or better known as Josiah's play area - Mummy's hair on the side!

I quite like this shot of the Ferrari or was he trying to take the trampoline...

A nice photo of Daddy from ground level.

This was a nice one too - he lined up the motorbike guy next to his favourite ambulance (aka nee-nah)

Of course, plenty of shots of his favourite train Thomas & Friends but I think one is the best.

Happy Birthday Mummy!

2009-04-10T14:35:00.007+01:00

Aah, it is the time of the year again, time to ponder over the last 365 days (normally without much recollection), one year older, one year wiser....

I must say that this year I had a pretty full on celebration. More so that last year when the big three-oh happened. It started with some unexpected visitors to London, our church friend from Australia was here with the family and since the father was working - I ended up being tour guide for the day. So off we went, four kids aged 8, 6, 4 and 2 plus two brave mothers conquering London buses, Tubes and tourists crowds. Since the kids had watched Annie 2 - the movie, they wanted to see the actual site where it was filmed. Only thing is they are only able to give a simple description that is was near a lake and had a statue nearby. Whoa....Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park has plenty of those. But being kids, they were happy to see a few and each to them was the "correct" one :)

We then hopped on to the famous London bus so the kids could sit on the upper deck. Josiah and I in our regular handicapped/ stroller spot below. The kids kept asking me to bring Josiah up but then I know that with the swerving bus and the steep steps up to the upper deck it would be too dangerous. So in the end, after sitting a bit upstairs all the kids came back down to accompany Josiah. After some yummy lunch of Pizza Hut (my first time in London), we went to Big Ben for some photos. We parted with the promise of meeting up again on Monday when Shaun would be on leave.

That same night, my good friend LS came from Nottingham for our yearly "girly outing" - which normally entails lots of chatting, shopping and chinese food. We had a nice spa planned next morning and then off for some dim sum. In the afternoon, I took her to Portobello Market before spending the rest of the evening in the park.

On my birthday, we had a slow start and nice Japanese lunch. We then bought a small cake to bring to church so we could treat the believers after the bible reading. Josiah was a happy chap at the mention of cake. He had a big slice and was hyper from the sugar afterwards.

What a lovely weekend it was - a gentle reminder that it sometimes gets better as we grow older. Looking forward to next year's birthday then :p

Big Josiah and small Josiah

With Jeff and Wendy Walker

Group picture with the believers at Hope Hall Assembly

I love Mummy

2009-03-24T18:11:00.004Z

Josiah has got a fever since yesterday afternoon. He was up about 3 times last night and has been lying around this whole morning. No appetite and no energy to play, so I have been giving him lots of hugs. So when he said, "I Love Mummy" - my heart melted instantly.

Folks, it does take 2 long years but it is worth every bit of it. I shall savour the moment whilst it lasts!

I love you too Josiah!

Do check out the new videos posted on YouTube, just click on the picture on the right.

We miss home....

2009-03-19T14:56:00.005Z

I have our family photo in a frame on display and have seen Josiah stopping by to look at it. I wonder if he remembers everyone in the family, I know he can recognise their faces but can he still remember the fun times he had with them. I'd like to think that he does and that he misses them as much as I do....

We miss everyone back home.

I wonder what is he thinking?

He is all excited now

Our family in Malaysia

Naughty Milk Tales

2009-03-19T09:21:00.004Z

Of late, Josiah can understand when reprimanded for naughty things which he does. One of his favourite naughty thing is to pour the remaining milk in his bottle on his bed, then tells you that it is wet. The few times I have caught him in action - I told him that he is a naughty boy.

One morning, Josiah says, "Naughty milk" trying to blame his bottle for the mess. *Roll eyes*

Guess he figured out this wonderful thing called 'blame' - see, you don't have to teach kids to lie, they do it naturally.

On the other hand truth may hurt......

After a nice meal with another young couple expecting their first baby, I told Josiah that there is a baby inside the mother's big tummy (she is due anytime now!). Just to check if he understood what I was saying, I asked him again later that evening, where the baby was. He pointed at Aunty A's tummy.

Well done Mummy, I taught him a new concept and was feeling quite pleased with myself until he pointed at my flabby tummy the next day saying there is a baby there!! Sniff...there goes my over-inflated ego.

This week, Josiah also reached another milestone this week by managing to stay awake for 12 hours straight without a nap! Amazing feat for a 2 year old. I was exhausted and so was he by the time it was bedtime. Sadly, he did not sleep through the night as he was probably too tired so kept waking up crying through the night.

Here are some pics from my mobile :

Bath times are still his favourite - he plays with the same toys everyday, his pink bowl and blue boat!

My two boys outside Buckingham Palace.

Weekend Getaway - York, 6th March 2009

2009-03-12T15:33:00.005Z

Seeing that our passports were being held hostage by the UK immigration for work permit renewal, we are unable to book any cheap getaways out of UK. So we settled for this offer from Times newspaper which gave us rail tickets, 2 nights lodging, 2 breakfast and one dinner for 240 pounds. So off we went - our first holiday of the year!

Friday:

Since the rail tickets were open tickets, we took our time to have a proper breakfast before heading to London Kings Cross to catch the train. In fact, the trains that go to York come by every half hour so it was really no waiting time at the platform. We got a nice seat with a table so Josiah could play with his trains and look at the scenery. Two hours went by in a jiffy and we were in York! The Royal York Hotel was situated next to the train station - very convenient. Room was huge with lovely furnishings and a built-in trouser iron board! We set off to town which was about 15 minutes walk and came up to Betty's, a renowned cafe in York. Although it was a working day at 2pm - there was still a queue to go in. Everyone told us to try it out and we were not disappointed. Even Josiah the pickiest toddler in London ate heartily. We had their sausage and rosti, Betty's rarebit and scones. All done to perfection...yummmy...what a lovely way to start the holiday. I was even happier when Josiah fell asleep on the couch after eating, something he has never done before. Normally, he'd be crying and fretting until we get him into the stroller and push him around so Shaun and I managed to have our scones like normal human beings. Eating at normal chewing rate. Sipping tea leisurely. I told Shaun I could live in York, his response was - you've only been here an hour.... maybe, but I've not felt so relaxed in a long time.

We walked around York town and managed to get to York Minster just as the church bells started playing hymns. Beautiful. By the time we got back to the hotel, it was dinner time and we adjourned to their dining hall for our complimentary dinner. Although we were stuffed from lunch/high tea, we were not able to cancel it to another night so just went to taste the food. It was not too bad but definately not worth 50 pounds as per price on the menu!

Saturday:

Josiah woke up twice last night just to remind me why I find holidays so tiring. At least he was well-rested so we could be about our touring in peace. We went back to the York Minster for the full tour, unfortunately, they do not allow kids below 8 years old to go up the tower so we had to skip that. It is a lovely church with beautiful stained glass windows, high arches and mozaic tiles

There was going to be a choir performance that night so university students were practicing their pieces. Perfect timing since I love to listen to choir singing. We stopped by 31 Castlegate for lunch and received dagger eyes from the couple on the next table (probably hoping for a romantic meal). Shaun had his fish and chips while Josiah had his chicken and chips. I stuck with my boring chicken mushroom pie.

Next stop was Clifford's Tower which has rebuilt after 150 Jews committed suicide there. We climbed up the tower having to carry Josiah for the view but there wasn't much up there. Not the best 6 pounds spent. We walked around town some more, scouted for the meeting the next day, took shelter at York Minster again and settled back into the hotel.

We were still full so we jumped into the "heated" swimming pool. Once again, I find it misleading as it was C.O.L.D. But the new wetsuit I bought Josiah definitely helped but boy did his lips turn BLUE. He did enjoy it a lot and learnt how to kick his legs... time for swimming lessons? We ended up at a Tex Mex restaurant for dinner and Josiah did a great job of feeding himself so Shaun and I could have a proper dinner. Except the food was so-so and service was slow. Oh well.

Sunday:

After a harrowing night of whining and crying, Josiah ended in our bed and continued the torture by kicking me the rest of the night. I was quite glad it was morning so I could jump out of bed with the lil monster...grrr....oops, it's Sunday...must not be distracted...

We took a taxi to the meeting in St Andrew's Evangelical Church and passed them our commendation letter. Josiah immediately made friends with a boy and started playing behind the hall. He was good the rest of the meeting and we had a wonderful morning having fellowship with the believers there. We couldn't stay after the breaking of bread as we had to check out of the hotel by noon.

Our final stop before leaving York was the National Railway Museum. Josiah had a ball seeing so many trains on display. After an hour, he wanted his Thomas and promptly started playing with it on the floor. Time to go then....

The trip to York was our first holiday of 2009 which I would say went quite well despite the rough nights! All of us felt relaxed upon our return to bustling London and looked forward to our next adventure in Estopona, Spain in April.

Till then, here is the link to York photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/meiyeeleow/YorkTripMarch2009#

Random notes to myself

2009-03-02T12:08:00.013Z

My toes have not seen sunlight since October last year with exception to the 3 weeks back in Malaysia. They are always wrapped in socks or house slippers! Josiah too - only time it is not wrapped in a sock is during bath time :p

Swimming in a "heated pool" during winter is a bad idea. For one, the water is still cold although it is considered "heated". When the cold air hits you from the pathway of the changing room to the pool, it is enough to send me running home (except that I paid 5 pounds for entry so must at least dip in the pool for xxx amount of time to make it worthwhile)

Josiah has new bad habit of wanting to cut his nails - sometimes, it is the first thing he asks for in the morning. Or when I am out at the shop or in church. Annoying.

I love to vacuum. And I love my Bosch vacuum cleaner.

I have newspapers delivered to me on Mondays and Thursdays. Why? Because it takes me about that long to finish reading it.

Josiah is still unable to climb up the dining chair at age 2yrs 2 mths!

Josiah's latest fascination with Thomas the train has resulted in my handbag getting heavier - I need to bring at least one train with me at all times. He will asks for it when we are waiting for the bus, sitting in the bus, sitting through a ministry or eating in restaurant.

Josiah can now say his name and likes to call himself "Josiah baby"?? Dunno who put that idea to him. He sometimes refers to Daddy as "Small Daddy" and sometimes as "Big Daddy" - ????

When asked to say Josiah Ow Yang, he'd normally say Josiah Ow Pang and if I correct him, he'd say Josiah Ow Pang Yang!!!

Josiah still remembers when Kong Kong and Po Po took him swimming in Awana. He says. "swimming Kong Kong"

Josiah will say, "Tickle Mummy" then runs over to tickle you.

Josiah can sit on the potty for about 5 minutes but he doesn't know what to do whilst he is sitting there. I tell him to try and "shee shee" or "mmm mmm" then he will grunt and say "it is stuck"

So much for potty training

The cold air and hard water causes your skin to dry up like prunes here. So I would have to moisturise every day - you would know if you have missed a spot on your body because it would be scaly and itchy in the next few hours after bath! I have never used to much moisturiser in my life being born with enough oil on my face to fry an egg! Poor Shaun who has dry skin - he needs super moisturisers like Cetraben which is way too oily for me (see I told you I was full of oil!)

Josiah can still wear some tops which are meant for 9-12 months old baby!!

Here are some random photos as well:

Josiah in a snowsuit I got him last year (to fit 9-12mth old) - it still fits!

Josiah in a nice outfit after attending Val's 70th birthday celebration

Josiah exercising on his trampoline - best 9 pounds I have spent.

A blurred shot but this image really captures Josiah - sweet, fun & playful

He may not be able to climb up the slide but once up - he loves the ride down

So funny....

2009-02-18T15:36:00.006Z

"So funny"

The latest phrase from my Josiah. Apparently quite a lot of things are "funny" to him so I cannot be sure that he understands the exact meaning of this phrase but the way he says it ..... is so funny to me!!

Chinese New Year this year was interesting. I hosted a couple of dinners. One steamboat with 2 other chinese families and one for S's boss and secretary. First time buying fishballs, meatballs....type things in London. Quite a novel idea really, this steamboat or more commonly called hotpot here. With the leftover, S and I had another two rounds of steamboat on our own. Lovely to have hot soup and noodles in the cold.

Oh, yes. Talk about the cold - how about the whole snow incident in London. Apparently, we have not had so much snow in London since 18 years ago. The whole of London came to a standstill with offices closed, buses and Tube not running, no school, like a national holiday! It was really nice. We went out to check out the snow and had full English breakfast for dinner (no food and no one would deliver!) The next few days were not as nice as it was so icy and walking with a stroller was a real pain. My wrist and shoulder was hurting from trying to navigate the ice. Josiah quickly lost interest in "snow" and "snowman" because it was too slippery for him to walk and he kept falling down. On the upside, he picked up a few new words like snow, slippery and pain :)

From our window - snow everywhere

Josiah kept saying, "Oh no, car is stuck!" - he loves even other people's cars apparently

Josiah meets Mr Snowman

Josiah learnt the word "scarf" as he has never had to put one on before. BTW, that is my scarf that he is wearing (too cheapo to buy him one!)

Happy Birthday Josiah

2009-01-26T23:17:00.005Z

2nd January 2009

Dearest Josiah,

Happy 2nd Birthday to you.

I love you more than you think :p

So here's a little poem just for my little man...

Star, car, daddy then finally mummy;

Your first words were in that order,

Finicky about what you want in your tummy,

I am beginning to worry you have got some food disorder!

As your vocabulary expanded, my life became more contented

I don't have to guess what you want, I just have to give you what you ask

Sometimes I wonder if I am spoiling you

Aiyoh - for goodness sake's, you are only two

Other boys are jumping, hitting, snatching, pushing and pulling

Thank God for your calm and loving nature

You prefer to jump on the trampoline, push on all your cars and pull my hair

Thank God for your smile and laughing nature

Baby bibs and baby toys are still part of our lives

Drinking milk from a bottle at two?

Sleeping with mummy and daddy - still the story of our lives

We love you for who you are - who cares about the excessive drool

Have a lovely year ahead

It may be full of adventure - but don't be afraid

Mummy and Daddy will be here for you

Every single day, loving you, watching over you

Protecting you from the terrible things in live

Hoping that you would keep alive

Until your next birthday twelve months down the line!

Love always,

Mummy

It's Daddy

2009-01-15T23:15:00.009Z

Am not in a blogging mood this week but just had to pop in this post. It really made me crack up in the middle of the street.

I was out with Josiah on our usual grocery run when he saw this ad on the phone booth on the way to Tesco

He runs towards it happily, shouting...."It's Daddy"

I could not believe what I heard so I asked him again, "Who is this?"

"It's Daddy" he shouted confidently.

Looks like I am married to Colonel Sanders then!

Shaun was not impressed when I told him - oh, come on....have a laugh....hehehehe.....

Josiah at the Winter Wonderland. He started crying once the ride started. Poor baby. He was reaching out for us to save him but all we could do was watch him go round and round :p

He still wanted to 'drive' so Shaun had to honour of going on the stomach-churning ride with him. Don't look at me, I get dizzy just watching these kiddy rides.

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-15T15:52:00.008Z

Happy Belated New Year to all.

We are back in London...actually, for almost 3 weeks now. The trip back to Malaysia was so good for everyone especially Josiah. He spent 3 weeks basking in warm weather and lapping up warm love from family and friends. He hardly slept, played all day and over the 3 weeks became a new boy! More laughter, more brave and of course more naughty!

I think Josiah misses his cousin, Rayna the most - he would asks for 'che-che' in the mornings if she is not already there and when we go out, he only wants to see che-che when we come back. So now we are back to communicating through Skype again. I wonder how long before he forgets about the fun times in KL.

I had my share of fun too. It has been almost 2 years that I have not been separated from Josiah for more than 4 hours. Leaving him with my parents or my in-laws this round made me realise that Josiah is ready to go to nursery now. He loves meeting new kids and immediately starts playing with them, does not look for me when he is having fun so getting him to start nursery now would be good before he begins to be "shy" again. So after settling back to UK time and getting back to our new routine. Looking for the right nursery has been my mission of late. More about that in another post.

Shaun had fun playing basketball - something he does not get to do here because UK is "football nation". He got to watch a movie in the cinema after almost 2 years! We took Josiah to our favourite hang out places like One Utama, Ikea, Mid Valley, TTDI mamak shop... We also managed to meet up with the believers in Paramount and Puchong. Special bonus to be able to meet our close friend's baby girl, Natalie born on Christmas day - we met her hours before flying back to London.

What a lovely way to end the year. It is probably one of the best Christmas present ever - to be able to spend it with all my loved ones back in my own home. Alas, all good things must come to an end. Back to the freaking cold and wet days. Back to having to cook, clean and look after my two boys. Back to having no car and having to do groceries. Sigh. Can you tell that I am not looking forward to 2009? Here's some pics to cheer me up....sniff...

Josiah was great on the 13 hour flight both ways - slept most of the time ( we chose the midnight flight) and watched "Wall-E" and played with his cars. He still managed to fit in the baby bassinet as he likes to sleep all curled up.

One of the rides in One Utama

Cute puppies belonging to the owner of a restaurant we went for lunch

Having a blast soaking in the sun before we went back to 0C in London...brrr...

Josiah had his first swimming experience in Awana pool

Wordless Wednesday : Josiah loves anything with wheels

2008-11-26T23:40:00.005Z

Check this video out...

2008-11-26T23:32:00.002Z

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

Hello from my new home!

2008-11-21T14:44:00.007Z

Three weeks of chaos and madness. Chaos around the house from all that packing and madness from having to pack whilst Josiah is sick. This runny nose and cough germ seems to be some super strong type. Doesn't help that UK doctors will NEVER prescribe medicine for common cold to children. Antibiotics, cough syrup and cold medicines are a big no-no here. Everyone is supposed to let it run it's course but look at how long and tedious it can be.

The move went well, movers came at about 9am and were gone by 2pm. Josiah was brilliant that day - played with his new garage toy (my secret weapon) whilst the movers unpacked everything from the boxes. He couldn't nap in his new surroundings and stayed up until 6pm! Then we thought we'd put him to bed early but he got up 30 minutes later full of energy and was up until 10pm. Man, we were so tired but Daddy continued with unpacking ...etc which was strange until I found out that our family friend from America is coming over the following day! Gasp. Nevertheless, Daddy did a fantastic job and the house looked pretty presentable by next day.

I survived 8 days without internet but would not like to live through that again if possible. First day in our new home, it was raining all day. The apartment was cold and Josiah and I had a cough. I was so, so homesick and wished all day that I could be back in Malaysia. Now that everything is getting back to normal, I am still looking forward to my trip back to Malaysia. I am guilty of daydreaming about eating yong tau foo. Drinking soya bean. Walking around One Utama. Sitting in a car to get to anywhere. Showing Josiah his old bedroom. Watching Josiah play with his cousins. Oh, here I go again. Dreaming away my afternoon.....

Vocabulary Log

Black - from Baa, baa black sheep. He can't say the sheep tho..

Sun - he says this like, "Suuuunnnn"

Mole - he was trying to stratch out my mole on my arm (a bit of an OCD problem of his!) and I had to explain that it is a mole and cannot be stratched out.

Don't touch - from watching Pocoyo - he thinks he IS Pocoyo. Cute!

Wet - mainly used when he purposely tips his cup over to make a water puddle

Elmo - favourite furry friend recently

Kick - he always says this after he sees a ball

Chest, arm, toe, knee

Not winter yet - but this Mummy is too lazy to layer him up so just a short t-shirt underneath the big jacket

Pee-ka-boo, I see you

The movers were going to deflate Josiah's frog but decided to take it as is when I mentioned that Daddy blew it manually!

Here he is with his furry playmate - Elmo

Snowing in autumn?

2008-10-30T13:11:00.003Z

Typical. I finally managed to arrange a night out with another mom for a musical, Wicked. Then weather reports says, possible snow....what? in autumn? Yep. So my one night out turns out to be an early winter celebration! Sigh. Was thinking of dressing up a bit for the show but what is the point when I'd be engulfed by my huge winter parka, wool sweater, thermals, beanie, gloves, scarf, boots...get the picture = michelin man.

Apparently, it has not snowed this early since 1934. Nice to be part of history. The show was great and it was good to be out for a couple of hours on my own.

Monday is here again....sigh...

2008-10-26T22:14:00.005Z

Can you tell from the title that this is going to be a ranting post? Nothing but complaints coming ahead so if you are wanting a happy post....errr...check back in another week or so.

I may have gained an hour from daylight saving today but what is the point when the dreaded cold virus has come for a visit. S caught it first (as usual!) and he was happy to be held hostage by Josiah every night since he would conk out before Josiah anyway. As he got better, my throat got worse, then the body ache, then the fever all passed on to me. This was last weekend....and of course, Josiah has gotten it now. Although I would have to say, he has been a good sport about it in the day time. But when night falls, man, we are miserable together. Yesterday, his nose was so blocked, he could only sleep whilst being carried by one of us. But due to lots of wind in his tummy, he vomited 3 times over a period of a few hours. Besides having to change him in the dark and change sheets...etc, also, big laundry damage. Total laundry damage done last night alone - 1 bedsheet, 3 t-shirts for S, 2 pyjama sets, 2 pillow cases, 4 "chow-chow" / blankies and 1 sleeping bag. My washing machine was already full before this and I had to remove items to wash all above hence creating a laundry backlog. Nice start to the week...

If we have already moved to our new place, no problems since the new apartment has a standalone dryer. Talking about moving, yes, we are moving first week of November. Mainly for a few practical reasons. The new apartment has 2 lifts so no more lugging groceries plus a toddler up three flight of stairs again. Also comes with porter service so no more having to walk down the road lugging smelly garbage before going to work for S. No more having to line dry all of our clothes....how exciting. Hopefully, no more missing parcels as the porter can sign for deliveries. Best of all - no more steps coming into the apartment so less strain on my wrist.

Aahh, my wrist...who conveniently decides to stage a protest after 1.5 years of labour intensive work. I totally understand him (my wrist is a man!) - he has led a comfy life back in Malaysia. Only thing that he lugs around is my handbag (duh!). Since I had a desk job, carpel tunnel syndrome would be his worst nightmare but little did he know what he was about to be faced with. Manual labour in London.

Horror...

Let's see - carrying a 10kg toddler around, pushing a 6kg stroller & 2kg baby bag & 10kg baby on a daily basis, uphill and rough surfaces, doing all above AND then unloading 5 kg of groceries from Tesco off the stroller....get the picture....

He had to work everyday since then, no breaks, no holiday and still be happy about it. Well, he ain't happy no more.

I have tried to make him less angry by doing less groceries manually and more online, not going to playgroups too far away so less pushing of stroller, lots of TLC massages at night with pain gel, lovingly wrapping him in wrist guard to prevent further injury...he is still not satisfied.

I have warned him that I am going back to Malaysia soon and he will face the wrath of those scary Chinese massagers/acupunturist/heat therapist but he refuses to listen. So Mum or Dad, if you are reading this, please book me in for torture sessions as soon as I set foot in Malaysia. Because I cannot survive another 2 years here with an injured (man) wrist.

Josiah's new buddy - Tickle Me Elmo. Incidentally, Elmo is sick too, he does not laugh as much as before. Probably depressed about the weather too.

Josiah is practising his alphabets, shouting loudly at the TV. His beloved "chow chow" is in his mouth in between alphabets. For some unknown reason, he is calling his "chow chow" as "flower" lately. Stumped? So am I...does his white cloth look anything like a flower??

Terrible Two's already??

2008-10-16T16:16:00.011+01:00

Josiah is already 21 months old now. So to make life more interesting for Mummy, he has decided to start the terrible two earlier.

He will only go to bed if one of us stays in the room with him. No trying to sneak out because he has hearing of a cat and would cry and prolong the whole sleeping routine. Daddy now goes in with his iPod, Bible, book, after going for a pee.....cos we both know it will be a long time before he can get out again. Most days, Daddy just falls asleep - probably before Josiah!

He want to choose his socks and shoes before going out. I have no problems with this except depending on his mood, the shoes he chooses may not be suitable. It is cold and wet now but he still wants to go out with his sandals. Although I let him go with socks on - he still slips and falls and gets his socks all wet. Grrrr.....irritating. He even chooses what shoes Mummy should wear.

He wants to take a toy out with him - if it is a car, no problem, just take it. But sometimes, he wants to take him wagon or stroller out. Imagine, we had to take his girly pink stroller to church one Sunday because he was making a huge fuss and we just did not want to deal with a meltdown before going to church.

A few times now, when he is upset, he will just lie on the floor crying. Hrrmph. I do not tolerate such bad behaviour and will carry him up, put him back on stroller and ignore him. So far, been working cos he realise he is not going to get what he wants just by crying.

Vocabulary log

"yucks" - he says this when there are leaves/crumbs/dirt on his stroller

"cute" - dont think he knows the real meaning of the word but he would repeat it especially when he hears others saying it. For example, I told him to look at the cute dog, he would say "cute dog"

"see you" - dont think he knows why we always ask him to say this but he does say it quite well

"nite-nite" - as above

"shoes" - he loves choosing his own shoes. Current favourites are his blue sandals, Bear shoes from Malaysia and Bubble Gummer pair from my parents.

"feet", "hands", "eyes", "nose", "hair" - he points the face parts of his teddy bears and on our faces, he would poke you in the eye and nose just to show you he knows what he is talking about.

"milk" - FINALLY, after like one year effort to sign to him 'milk' and repeatedly asking him to say milk. He can now ask for it and mean it too. Life is getting better, folks!

he can recognise a couple of alphabets too, namely "O", "A", "R", "C"

As I mentioned time and time again that he is quite slow when it comes to physical things. He has finally learnt to sit on his "ride on" and actually push using his legs! Most of these were his one year old presents and now he uses them :)

Also, I caught him trying to climb up my dining chair. Am not complaining that he is slow in this area as I have always been able to leave him alone in the room knowing that he does not try to climb things. But looks like he is catching up.

Welcome to Terrible Two's Album collection!

He does enjoy sitting in the rocking chair complete with vibration - a toddler Osim chair.

Better remember to buy Mummy one when you grow up!

Trying to stack as many crayons into his monster truck.

Mooncake festival may be over but 'Kung Fu panda' lantern is always a hit!

Josiah's first attempt at climbing our dining chair. He hasn't done it since this pic was taken. :p

Alone again....

2008-10-15T16:29:00.004+01:00

My parents left over 2 weeks ago, and life has been quiet since. Josiah's best friend Emma has also gone back to Singapore for good. It would explain why he is super clingy till today, I mean, I would hold on to Mummy and Daddy, seeing that everyone seems to disappear suddenly. Poor fella, I have not had much luck finding him another proper playmate. I mean, he has friends but they are a little too young for him so he is not as excited playing with them.

A more expensive alternative to this problem is to send him to nursery for a couple of hours, maybe once a week (that would cost Daddy a whooping $45 per day!!!!). Daddy's company would pay 100% only when Josiah turns 3 and only 50% if he starts early. Hmm.....tough one!

On home ground, more domestic disasters to mark the beginning of autumn.

Unknown to me, apparently one is not supposed to put ceramic plates into the oven. Well, I've been doing it since long ago especially when I just want to heat up a sandwich...etc

Anyway, was having some guest over to dinner and since the duck was cold, I decided to pop the whole plate (a Wedgewood one, no less) into the oven to heat it up. Imagine my surprise when it broke into two piece inside the oven. Yikes, luckily it was bought on offer by mum-in-law for $1 otherwise, it would have been a double disaster.

Then I burnt up Josiah's lovely chicken stew when I forgot to switch off the heat before I took him for Gymboree class. Poor guy, he had to eat whatever I could salvage from there. Then our bank card got spoilt but in a funny way. We can use it to pay at some shops but then totally unable to withdraw money from the ATM. This is a serious case of the credit crunch - we are running low on cash and on one occasion had to pay card for $2.99 purchase. Alamak, how are we gonna survive for another 10 days like this. Answer: Cashout at Tesco and Mark&Spencer. So when I shop then I ask them for money. Weird but there is no other way at this point.

I think Josiah looks so cute here in Ethan's outfit (thanks Ethan!)

Hug

2008-09-18T22:38:00.006+01:00

My parents arrived on Saturday and although all of us are having a great time, Josiah is again up to his naughty tricks at night causing havoc to Mummy and Daddy's normal routine. He refuses to be put down on his own cot to sleep and insists on sleeping ON me or Daddy ALL NIGHT long!! We are both so tired from the lack of sleep that we have given up on even trying to put him back. Yesterday night was the first time he slept in our bed, even as a baby, he prefers his own cot to our bed - so I am stunned and worried too....

On the bright side, yea....lots of fun with Kong Kong and Poh Poh every day. Josiah loves running around the flat being "chased" by Kong Kong. Whilst Poh Poh indulges him in carrying him around and trying to fatten him up. She has lovingly prepared a Chinese soup which claims to improve appetites of kids who drink it. I made sure I did not have a sip - last thing I want is for me to improve my appetite (patting my love handles *hehehe*)

Today, Josiah says "Hug" and comes over for a hug. He did this a few times and is so sincere about it that I drop everything just to give him a hug. Sigh. Wished I can have these hugs for the rest of my life but I know it is only for a period so am gonna enjoy it.

Hugs away, my little boy!

p/s: I finally bought Josiah a baby stroller - it is pink and he loves it!

Month 20: I know....I know....

2008-09-08T18:16:00.009+01:00

Josiah turns 20 months a couple of days ago. And he is quite the chatterbox these days. He copies everything that you would prefer him not to copy and refuses to say the alphabets or proper words! Typical toddler attitude if you ask me. Testing their limits and boundaries and especially Mummy's patience.

Vocabulary log

"I know, I know".... irritating but no one to blame but myself as he must have heard me say that frequently enough to learn it. He says it with the correct attitude too - sigh, a show off at hand who cannot even recite his ABCs yet.

"Oh, no" - this phrase is copied from his favourite Little Einstein show.

"Runaway" - funny word to learn, but it is part of a song from Barney.

"No more" - used when he finishes his yogurt since he never finishes anything else. Also constantly used when I try to read to him. He just flips to the last page and says no more. Naughty boy!

"Door", "key", "open" - he will now bring you something and asks for it to be opened.

"Thank you" - at least he learnt this concept fairly well. He will say thank you quite willingly

"Please" - bad pronounciation on this one, sounds more like 'piss'

"Flower" - another bad pronounciation, sounds more like "wah-wah"

"Pig", "Dog", "Bear" - yea!!! finally some animal words. I have been trying to get him to say the usual animal name for ages. Previously, he only says duck. Still no progress on cow, horse, monkey - he would just make the noises for these animals!

"Wow", "Oops" - it is so cute when he says these type of exclamation-type words.

"Hello", "Bye" - his favourite being the latter, would say it often when Mummy has been on Skype for some time. He would just come over and say bye without being asked signalling you to end the conversation and get on with play time!

"Where" - does it with both hands open in a questioning manner. Drama king.

"Up", "there", "go" - great that he can tell us where he wants to go now. Not so great when he wants to get 'up' the moment we put him in the highchair at the restaurant.

"Mini" - he loves the Mini Cooper so much.

Still a long way more to proper communication with poor Mummy who have to scratch her head all day trying to figure out what Josiah wants.

One of his latest thing is to sit on any small stool/ledge/corner/step he can find. He would position himself to sit down and then asks me to join him. It is quite sweet when we are out at the park and he does that. I would join him and he would be grinning happily for no other reason than just to sit with me. Sigh. Motherhood's precious moments. Other not so convenient occasions like when I am late to meet up with friends and he decides to sit on the steps before going into the lift. Hurrying him would only make him upset but sometimes, no choice so I just grab him and go. Boo hoo.

He can now slowly go up and down the stairs holding on to the rails. He is a bit late in this development and I am happy that he can even do that. The amount of practice needed - phew! All his other friends (some even younger) goes up and down like a pro. He can manage on his own a small, small step - about 1 inch high. Hahahahaa......what can I say, he's a scardy cat just like his Mummy and Daddy.

He still loves to push things and loves his wagon and any girl-type baby stroller. He can push his wagon for one hour at the park. Great workout for both of us.

Finally, more teeth are popping out. About time too, he must be the only 20 month old with only 6 teeth. I think he is getting another 4 more at the bottom - cannot get a better view of those molars as he will bite if you stick your finger in. Having more teeth also helped his eating. He can somewhat eat some small chicken pieces and loves fish fingers. Pasta is also on his menu now, but stll has to be quite soft before he would have some.

Still loving his bath, he knows to go to the toilet when I mention "bath". Would insist on all his toys inside the tub and then indicate he wants to go in. He'd sit there all day if I let him.

Josiah enjoying his bouncy chair which can convert to toddler rocking chair with massage function too.

Look at me, Mummy....I can read....or maybe not!

Let's Go To The Zoo

2008-08-27T15:56:00.007+01:00

The weather predictions were good, it was a Saturday with no other plans. We decided to take Josiah to the London ZSL Zoo in Regent's Park. We asked Emma and family to join us too. We met up at the zoo in the longest queue I'd ever seen to enter a zoo??!! It was a good 1km long but it was a moving queue so we decided to stick it out. Good move as we had so much fun seeing all the animals in such close proximity.

Josiah was not as interested with the animals as Emma but he had loads of fun running around. I used my "baby leash" for the first time to see if he minded - which he didn't. Problem with the leash is that you would have to keep up with him and is probably more tiring than letting him run around on his own!

We saw a whole range of animals like gorillas (eating), monkeys (scratching each other's backside), donkeys (hee hawing loudly whilst eating), zebra, giraffe, reptiles, fishes, lion (sleeping!), tiger (also sleeping!), vultures (devouring smelly chicken carcass - really nasty!), flamingos (standing around), otters (sunbathing - super cute), meerkats, camels (sitting around), penguins (waddling around looking cute), wild dingo (barking fiercely)...etc

I would say it is a good range of animals but a bit pricey - 17 pounds per person.

We had lunch of fish and chips and pies before the kids went for a nap. Then we walked over to Regent's Park for a quick look before heading for dinner. We went to Phoenix Palace and feasted over some yummy steam fish, pork belly with buns, fried rice and tofu.

All that walking in the zoo went down the drain with that delicious dinner.

Look at the queue...

Josiah and Emma putting on their hats

Daddy with Josiah - my little puppy :)

Posing for a pic in Regent's Park

Two Toddler & One Baby = Fun!

2008-08-22T16:22:00.009+01:00

My cousin, D and family came to visit us last week. It was lovely as I have not seen their 2nd baby, Kirsten who was already 8 months old! Kezia is nearly two and is absolutely lovable! Their short holiday was so we could meet up and Sarah could surprise her family by turning up at her uncle's 40th birthday. Of course, their request was to have as much Chinese/Malaysian food as it is easier to get good Chinese food in London compared to Ireland. We started our eating mission an hour after they arrived - polishing off half a duck, "siew yok" and "char siew". Although everyone was full from lunch, we still managed to finished quite a bit of dinner. Takeaway portions of nasi lemak, satay, nasi goreng pedas, curry mee, fried mee hoon and chicken rice!!!! It was a great holiday for me too. No need to cook and lots of yummy food to eat. The next day, S took a day off so we went for "dim sum" at Pearl Liang where we managed to finish 9 egg tarts. Ooohh.....even the picky Josiah managed to eat one by himself. Then we headed out to Harrods by bus but it proved a bit tricky as we had 3 strollers with us and most buses only accept two or one (if another stroller already inside). We had to take separate busses and met up outside Harrods. More Chinese food for dinner as we met with D's other cousins at Four Season Restaurant! We then decided no more Chinese food for dinner the following day.

Josiah and Kezia played all night and when we tried to put Kezia to bed - all she did was climb out of the cot and came out to play again. So set the pattern of sleeping late every night, 11.30pm every night!! All the parents were tired waiting for these two to be tired... :)

After they went to bed, we had to chat in our toilet as Kezia is sleeping in the living room, Josiah in our room and Kirsten in the guest room. Hahaha. Kicked out of our own home.

Their holiday came to an end so quickly and we certainly missed them.

But we have some lovely pics to remind us of the fun we had

Do come again!

Kezia and Josiah having a chat whilst Sarah is stuck to our front door!

One happy family

Malaysian goodies from Kiasu Restaurant

Wind the Bobbin' Up

2008-08-08T15:43:00.005+01:00

I started bringing Josiah to playgroups more often after he started walking. Normally, playgroups here are organised by churches or council people. We normally go to 2 different ones depending on my mood. The one that is walkable only holds under 3s sessions once a week. The other one in St Peter's Nottinghill is a bus ride away but holds it 4 times a week. Josiah loves the singing sessions at the playgroups and I am trying to be more hardworking in bringing him there. One of his favourite is this 'Wind The Bobbin' Up' - which I learnt from attending various playgroups here. Everyone always sing the same few favourites which includes:

Wheels on the Bus
Old MacDonald
If You're Happy and You Know It
Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Incy Wincy Spider

So now, he will ask for some songs by doing the action for each song. But his all time favourite is Wind The Bobbin Up which is a song about winding a bobbin (some spinning thread thingy). Here are the lyrics;

Wind the bobbin up, wind the bobbin up

Pull, pull, clap, clap, clap

Wind it back again, wind it back again

Pull, pull, clap, clap, clap

Point to the ceiling, point to the floor

Point to the window, point to the door

Clap your hands together now, one two three

Put your hands upon your knees.

I think he only likes it because it involves a lot of clapping. Here's a video of him at the St Peter's playgroup.

10 Baby Essentials

2008-07-31T15:58:00.005+01:00

After hearing some good new of my friends joining the Mummy Club. Was kinda inspired to give my top 10 baby essentials and 10 baby money-waster (oh, my England is so bad these days)

Baby wipes - dunno how my mum did without it. I use it for everything from cleaning baby to cleaning his highchair, clothes, floor, stroller....cannot emphasise how useful it is. I use Pamper Sensitive as the wipes are as soft as tissue but strong enough to serve it's purpose

Baby changing bag - this is a no brainer cos as a parent, this is one item you cannot leave home without. Since Josiah is still drinking milk, our bag still contains the usual hot water flask, milk container, bottle, and cool water. In addition, his bag also has snack container, wipes (told you I cannot live without it), nappies, change of clothes, extra bibs, spoon, cars, trucks, moisturiser (winter time) and sunscreen (summer time)

Baby Bumbo chair - he loved being able to see what was happening. Wherever I went, I took the Bumbo and propped him up so I could get on with showering, cooking, pooping, ironing....etc. A real live saver. Note that some babies just hate it and struggle to get out of it in which case, never put it up on high places. I used to put him on top of the table and kitchen counter but once he started struggling, then only on the floor.

Baby rocker - when he was younger, you could rock him to sleep in it. Or use it like the Bumbo so he can see what you were up to and entertain himself with those silly toys hanging on it. He has the Fisher Price one with the built in buzzing/massaging thingy which he hates. I only bought it because it will convert to a toddler rocking chair for when he is older.

Highchair. I only got him a basic Ikea one but it is well worth every penny because as baby gets older, it is easier to put him in a highchair whilst you go about daily chores. Also it is good habit to feed baby on it. Good for baby to learn to sit and eat. Good for Mummy because baby is at eye level to you so you can sit beside baby to feed and to eat too.

Push-along toy. Great at helping baby start walking and saves your back from having to bend over to support baby to "walk". Josiah uses his even until today - kids loves pushing things all over. We got ours as a gift but I would not hesitate to buy one otherwise

Baby monitor. These expensive gadgets are your key to freedom. We used ours everyday, even on holidays. It allows you to do whatever you want whilst baby is sleeping without worrying about waking baby up with noise or not hearing baby wake up. On holidays, we do the same so we can watch a movie in another room whilst Josiah is sleeping.

Changing mat. I got one of those plastic foam ones. Great to use because you can change baby anywhere in the house without dirtying the floor/bed.

Plastic bib - once you start weaning baby, oh, the mess.... Invest in a nice, easy to clean plastic bib and you never have to worry about stains on clothes.

Hand soap dispenser. I may not be the cleanest mum around but I always make sure to wash my hands before making milk/changing baby/after changing baby/before feeding him...etc. S thinks I am OCD but this nothing compared to most other mothers I know.

Top 10 money wasters!

Baby hats. Well, I guess this is open for debate but Josiah hated hats of any sort from day one. He will only tolerate hats during winter when it is zero degrees! I had tons of baby hats for him (following advice to make sure his head is not exposed to wind) but he just won't leave it on.

Cloth nappies. Tried it. Suffered for it. Ditched it. Newborns, especially those who are breastfed pee and poo almost instantly after every feed. On some bad days, I had to change his nappy 5 times and it was not even 10am yet! Runny poo and cloth....ooh, la, la....no thanks, I will stick with my cheap Drypers for day use and longer lasting Pampers/Mamy Poko for night. Baby is happy and so am I. Sorry Mother Nature, but I don't see you around to do my laundry for me.

Small baby bottles. Just buy the big ones from start. Most babies I know can drink more than 4 oz of milk by the time they are 3 months old. Josiah is the exception and I am still using my small Avent bottles on a daily basis.

Steriliser. Mainly put off by the cost to purchase one - it is super expensive and in my experience, highly over-rated. My confinement lady started with soaking his bottles in hot boiling water daily. Once a day only. I continued with this regime until he was 6 months old, then I started sterilising every other day - and he is fine. By his first birthday, I completely stopped sterilising, of course, continue washing it with soap and warm water after every use (I am not THAT dirty!) Babies are really adaptable so the earlier you start to introduce some dirt into their lives the better for all. They get stronger. You have less to do and less to pack/ worry when travelling.

Pacifiers. Unless you want to start something that might be tough to undo. Do not bother with the pacifiers.

Baby talcum powder. Once a must after a bath but I have read that the powder goes into baby's delicate nostrils and later causes problems. Anyway, I think babies smell great on their own - no need to make them smell like Johnson&Johnson powder!

Hair brush. I kinda like the natural look - after all, they have years of styling/perming/gelling...etc For now, just dry with towel and use fingers to smoothen out.

Bottle warmer. It is really nice to have in the early days especially when you want to warm up some breast milk from the fridge. The cheaper version is to use a stainless steel cup (those free mugs comes in handy) filled with boiling water and sit bottle in for a few minutes. Works just as well and cost nothing. Better yet, train your baby to take luke warm milk and you will reap the rewards when you are out with baby. Josiah got used to drinking his milk super hot - half hot water, half cold water and we have trouble getting his milk his desired temperature when we are out. So he would drink less and we still have to lug about his big hot water flask everywhere we go. My 'ang moh' friends here even feed their babies with milk straight from the fridge when they are past 12 months!!

Baby mat. To be more specific, those cute ones with hanging rattles...etc. It is good only before baby starts to turn. I went and bought a proper foldable mattress. You can use it as a changing area, nap time, play area, take it travelling or parent's sleep area (when Josiah is still running around at 10pm)! It is probably cheaper than the baby mat but can be used for years to come.

Baby lotion. Like I mentioned earlier, I like babies to smell natural and most baby lotions are frangranced. I use olive oil which is natural and frangrance-free. It is easy to apply and can be used as massage oil too. Also, apparently good for the scalp by enhancing hair growth.

Daddy is back! Hooray...

2008-07-31T15:07:00.005+01:00

S came back from his trip to Jakarta and Malaysia with 40 kilos of luggage. And mind you, he travelled quite light as he was going back home to stay with his parents for 3 nights so he has his clothes there. Here's a peek at the goodies he brought back.

3 packets of diapers - I use these for daily wear as they are sooo much cheaper in Msia

3 plastic bags of rambutans - complete with ants and funky bugs from his backyard! Delicious....the rambutans...we drowned the ants and bugs in our sink

Bak Chang or Chung - lovingly made by my mother-in-law. Delish...

3 small containers of home-made kaya from S mom - half gone already

2 packets of "yee meen" from our favourite shop. I know it sounds crazy but I have not eaten "yee meen" for over a year so it was worth risking spillage for it.

chopped garlic - fantastic for cooking.

zip loc bags

toys for Josiah from S parents - train set, books, DVDs

mahjong paper - for Josiah to scribble on and keep my floors safe from his "art"

clothes & shoes from my sister-in-law's son - thanks! put to use already

new plate and cup from my parents for Josiah

a packet of 100 balloons from Grandpa - Josiah loves balloons and says, 'Blow' when he sees the packet. Poor guy, after many failed attempts with saliva spray all over him and no balloon in sight, he finally got it that Mummy suck at blowing balloons.

Was it worth it? Of course. *Rubbing my round belly*

Just look at how alike my two men are. S got new glasses too - groovy.

Putting those mahjong paper to good use. Josiah has just put crayons in his mouth for a taste-looks like it doesn't taste so good

Why I love summer

2008-07-28T16:17:00.009+01:00

I cannot believe that this is our second summer here in London already! Last year, my mom and sister were here and Josiah was just a wee baby. We went to the park to take him for walks and now he runs around on his own!

This week temperature has reached about 29C and without air cond in the house. We are melting. Even Josiah who hardly drinks water can now take gulps of water. We sleep in T-shirts without a blanket and fan turned on to the max. Really reminds me of Malaysia! We make the most of summer by going out to the park every day, sometimes even twice a day. Home is hot, so we only come home for food, bath and bed. Aside from that, we are out. Josiah has gotten so used to this that he will whine and act miserable if I am slow in getting ready to go 'kai kai'. I should be buying him a pair of sandals since wearing shoes these days makes his feet sweat but knowing the weather here. This good weather would not last long and soon all the jackets and long-sleeved clothes would be in use again. So here's a few reasons to love summer....

...you can step out of the house in ONE layer of clothings.

...you can forget to bring your jacket and still be okay.

...you can do the laundry twice a week and not every other day! YAY!!!

...you don't have to struggle with your son to put on his thermal, a long sleeved top, two pants and a bulky jacket. Then put on hat, gloves, socks and shoes, by then, Mummy is already tired but have to do the same for myself.

...you can wear a short skirt (Mummy) / short pants (Josiah)!! Hooray for legs to see daylight after so long!

...your laundry dries instantly and no musty-smelling clothes.

...you can play in the park until 9pm if you wished. Josiah's latest time out is 7.45pm. The sun only sets at about 9.30pm.

...you forget how miserable winter is and actually enjoy London!

On the downside,

...you get sunburned because you spend so much time outside. Ouch!

...you don't feel like cooking because the whole house feels even hotter after that (or is that just an excuse...)

...you wake up thinking it is 8am when it is only 5am - sun rises at about 4am. So some mornings, Josiah and I struggle to get back to sleep because it is too bright.

...hot, hot hot....without air conditioning, sweating like pigs here.

...you throw out more food as they spoil more easily in the heat. I frequently forget to put the leftover food in the ridge before I go to bed!

...you need ice but your freezer is too small to put the ice box in.

...you put on your old slippers only to have it snap whilst I go for a walk and have to walk back bare foot. Sheesh.

Bye-bye slippers - it is the only one I have and since summer is ending, it will be a year before I buy another one.

Josiah having a ball at the park...

Please help....boy and car down!

I wonder what is on his mind when he does this....sniff....looks all grown up now

Got to go now - have to soak up more of those precious sun.....

See you in the park!

Josiah's Day

2008-07-23T22:57:00.018+01:00

Remember when we used to be young and carefree. I don't. Am too busy keeping Josiah happy and carefree. Josiah leads the kind of life many adults would be envious of. Here's a peek at his daily routine.

Let's start the day with a nice yummy bottle of milk followed by full breakfast of cereal, yogurt and fruit (when he is in his eating mode) or just a couple of Cheerios in milk (when he is not)

Next, a little creative art on paper and ends with an original "art" on the floor and crayons thrown everywhere especially under sofa so Mummy cannot find it.

Moving on to balls - this one was on offer and is too girly but he loves it.

Then to his favourite cars!! Check out that happy face.

Help Mummy out with the house chores. Josiah loves Mr Vacuum since young. He used to crawl after it and now he can actually use it. Brilliant!

Before lunch, Josiah get to go to the park or go shopping. He obviously prefers the park except when I take him to drive the 'real' car at the shopping centre.

After all that fun, back home for a nice LONG bath, lunch and long afternoon nap. Mummy meanwhile is busy with a short shower, cooking dinner, cleaning up and definately no naps!

With all that energy after my nap, Mummy needs to take me to the park again to run around or go to the playground or the sand play area

Zoning out after dinner but before bedtime

Sweet dreams, finally at 10pm. I had so much fun, Mummy. Let's do this again tomorrow.

Sigh. Sure, sweetie....now where are my Brand's Essence?

Daddy, where are thou?

2008-07-23T22:14:00.006+01:00

It has been four days since S left for Jakarta and KL. It is always tough when S is away because I hate eating alone. Josiah's company during dinner time don't count since he (1) does not really eat and (2) does not really talk. I miss our usual dinner banter and idle talk.

Tonight was particularly difficult because my sister is also leaving to further her studies in Perth. With Skype being quite useless in Australia, I doubt we would be Skype-ing as much as we do now. And seeing that she is taking the house laptop with her also means that I would not be able to talk to my parents until they get a another laptop.

On the upside, Josiah's vocabulary is slowly increasing - he can say, 'No more', 'Bye-bye', 'bear', 'up' and his all time favourite word now - 'NO'

He says it with gusto, shaking his head vigorously and does this even when I am not asking or talking to him. Imagine this, pushing his cars on the floor, suddenly, "NO", no, no, no, no...???

Or walking around the house, then a sudden burst of no, no, no.... ???

Really wish I could read his mind. Talking about his mind, his imagination is also picking up. Have caught him a few times giving "food" to his teddy bear. He also picks up empty cup/bowls and pretends to have a big gulp of water.

His latest trick, throwing anything he can find into the bath tub whilst it is filling up before his bath time. He will then point and say "Uh, oh.." Today's damage include Daddy's umbrella, mineral water and some hangers. Past victim include his teddy, laundry and small stool!!

Here he is trying to show me how strong he is.

I made him some star-shaped pancakes for breakfast

To my dearest hubby, 'Come back soon!!!!'

To my darling sister, 'Take care and keep in touch. Hugs & kisses'

To my parents and brother, 'Hurry up with the new laptop'

To my in-laws, 'Thanks for always being online - it is nice to know someone is just a click away'

To my Josiah, 'Please start talking soon' and 'Please potty-train yourself' and 'Please eat more' and 'Please stop leaving your cars/balls/balloons everywhere in the house' and....... :)

Wheels galore...

2008-07-22T23:41:00.008+01:00

Josiah loves anything with wheels - cars, trucks, bikes, fire engines... and spends a lot of time playing with his vehicles. I try to use this interest of his to teach him stuff about vehicles. It is amazing that he can now point out wheels, windscreen, radiator, side mirror in any type of vehicle. He can even point out where engines are located (normally up front) and where the boot is (normally at the back).

Funny, how I spent countless hours trying to show him the difference between a cow and sheep yet till this day, he still gets confused. Sigh. A real boy, this one! Now he can even say, "Mini" - his favourite car when he sees one on the road. Since both of us are not car lovers, our knowledge of car types are pretty basic. Thanks to Josiah, I have now have to learn more about cars.

His love for cars can be used to our advantage especially when we are at the restaurant. My bag always has at least 3 different cars to entertain him. On good days, we can actually sit and eat a whole 3 course dinner together. Of course, we have to clear the table for him to push his cars but it is a small price to pay for some peace and quiet. Every time we bring him to a toy store, all he ever look at are cars even though there are tons of other toys around. Now that he is older, he asks me to open the box for him to play with the car and so our stash of cars comes in handy again to divert his attention when we don't want to buy him another toy.

Josiah and his new Hess fire engine - Hess is the company S works for and they hand out cool toys to all their staff for Christmas. Lucky for Josiah then!

Here he is at Yakitoria when Daddy and Mummy were having dinner with Daddy's colleague.

Holland Park - 12th July 2008

2008-07-22T23:16:00.007+01:00

Summer sales is here and we have done enough damage to our bank account so we decided to take Josiah to a children's fair in Hammersmith which is free. On the way there, we had to pass by Kensington High St - and we got caught again! Ended up with more toys and books for him. And nothing for us as usual...worse is we did not even make it to Hammersmith with all our side tracking. Instead we pop into Holland Park - said to be the most romantic park in London.

It is beautiful and romantic indeed.

We told Josiah to say,"Hello" to the man and he did!

I tried to do some fancy photography but turned out like crap - but don't the boys look sweet together

Our happy little boy

Science Museum - 5th July 2008

2008-07-11T16:24:00.010+01:00

It was a beautiful sunny day - Kensington Garden

It was one of those weekends - we had grand plans on taking Josiah to the zoo or to Richmond where deers roam about. As it turns out, he slept at midnight on Friday as we had some friends over with their 2 year old daughter so only woke up at 9.30am on Saturday. We had the usual Skype call to grandparent's and by the time we were ready it was already near noon. Seeing that we would have to pay nearly 20 pounds per person to the zoo - out of the question with half the day gone. Richmond sounded good until S told me it would take about 2 hours to get there!! Sigh, do wish we have a car at times like this. So as a last minute plan, we decided to go to the Science Museum located just across Kensington Gardens. I decided that we should "tapao" some food from Malaysian Hall as I also had craving for some 'teh tarik'. Mmmmm......the teh tarik was gooood.

Entrance to the science museum is free and it was not too packed despite the weekend. Aaahhh, that's because the Wimbleton is on and the rest of the hip crowd are at the O2 concert in Hyde Park. So we must be to remaining cheapo people hanging out at a free museum.

There was plenty to see but I won't bore you with the details (which I cannot remember anyway!). Josiah was caught up with a touch screen computer and made S carry him to touch the screen for a good 20 minutes! I was so bored and so was S but what to do.....such are parent's sacrifices.... :)

S was unusually hungry so we went to the Basement where seats were available to have our Malaysian curry rice. I had the Lamb rendang and Shaun had the Beef Rendang. Both only so-so and Josiah had some 'happy face' biscuits and a piece of broccoli. Yup, Josiah is on his hunger strike mode again and he is fine not eating anything! But I am not fine...one can only be a parent to understand the feeling when you see you little one refusing to eat or drink milk. Awful. Back to the museum story, we then took Josiah to the kid's corner and he had a blast. Stacking giant blocks, checking out lights and sound, playing with water. Children here are so fortunate to be able to learn science in such a hands-on manner. Josiah enjoyed himself so much and I said to myself I would bring him again when my parent's are here just so I can have a chance to explore the place and not get stuck at the kids corner only!

Here are a few pics of our light and easy Saturday.

Josiah making a happy face whilst eating his 'happy face' biscuits

They have animal hats for you to make stories with your kids - of course, I chose the cow!

He loved the giant kaleidoscope

This cool water contraption shows kids on movement of water and how irrigation works (super fun way to learn)

Josiah konked out after a tiring afternoon

Josiah is 18 months old

2008-07-08T16:58:00.014+01:00

Here's a collection of photos to mark his latest achievements.

Also, I am too lazy to blog today.....

Josiah can drool, make a happy face and play with his car at the same time

Josiah can suck his dummy, remove items from cupboard to wagon and push wagon

Josiah can feed himself

Cheeky monkey with his monkey

Run around on his own

He has 4 teeth on top and 2 at the bottom - notice his large front teeth!! I have to start saving money for braces already.

Practise makes perfect.....NOT!

2008-06-27T15:34:00.009+01:00

Practise makes perfect.

In most cases, this popular saying is true but does being a mother for 1.5 years make me a better mum? Nope. And here is a whole long list to prove that:

- I have gone out and forgot to pack Josiah's bottle!!!! I panicked but it was too late. Tears flowing, Josiah was getting angry - can you believe I had to borrow a bottle from my friend.
Bad Mummy.

- I still have got days when his pants gets all wet because I did not put the diaper on properly. Sheesh, you'd think that with all that practise day in and day out, leaking nappy should be a thing of the past....

- I have also on different occasions forgotten to pack.....bibs, spoons, baby food, hat, hot water, drinking water, clean clothes, even forgot to put on his shoes....my goodness, you are expecting me to forget to pack Josiah too....huh? Snifff.....

Bad Mummy.

That's not all, on the good days when I actually remember to do all the above for Josiah, I would often forget to bring my own jacket / keys/ handbag / watch / handphone...

- I still sometimes make his milk too hot or too cold

- I once put on his shoes on wrongly and did not even notice it until we came home from running around the park!

- I have accidentally let him run around with his pants on wrongly

- I have fed him expired food because I got my calender dates wrong!!!

- I even forgot to feed him his evening milk a couple of time. He was busy playing and I was busy surfing.... very bad Mummy!

But you know what, despite all my shortcomings in mothering Josiah - he has no other choice cos he ain't got another bad Mummy like me. Hehehe....so to all those thinking hard about trying to be a super perfect Mum and failed, don't worry, your little one loves you just the way you are.

Well, they don't know any better at this point so don't worry too much about all your little (or big) mistakes.

See, Josiah still loves me........and I love him too!!!!

He also loves his cars, monkey, cow, chow-chow(smelly blanky).... HEY, not fair, I clean up all his poop everyday...!!

Verona, Italy April 2008

2008-06-04T15:31:00.003+01:00

My favourite Italian moments :

- Josiah saying "Daddeee" in his sweet 'manja' voice. It was his latest word and ohhh....I was so jealous of S. I have spent 100% of my time with him but still "Daddeee" is all he would say in that one week. Hrrrmmph.

- Eating gelato everyday (I did share with S and Josiah...). Must also mention that Josiah refused to try gelato because I ordered it in a cup and not in a cone. To him, ice cream = cone, but when I finally forced him to taste some off my spoon - there was no turning back. Mention ice cream, his mouth opens wide. This is from the boy who guards his mouth like gold!

- Fresh pasta in abundance. They have specialty shops that sells all sorts of fresh pasta. Spinach flavoured, tomato flavoured, black squid ink, ...etc

Amazingly yummy. Don't even need sauce, just pour simple mushroom, olive oil & basil sauce over it. Delicious.

- Josiah walking EVERYWHERE, EVERYDAY - wow, his walking improved so much during this one week. People on the streets cannot believe he had only just started walking.

- Siesta time concept: These Italians really know how to enjoy life to the max. Shops were usually closed from 2-4pm for lunch and naptime! And they partied on till late. Which is bad for us as we often only managed to get out of the apartment at 11am and have to be home at 7pm for Josiah to have dinner and sleep.

- Discovering the adult channel on their TV.....alamak, these Italians are quite "ham sap" - plenty of free channels to choose from after 11pm!! Even UK telly is not as bold as Italy.

- Italian coffee....mmmm......even for a non coffee person, I am in love with their coffee. There are bars, coffee bars everywhere. Men come in, stand at the counter and order a shot of their coffee which is an espresso normally, gulp it and leave! Would definately recommend coffee lovers to retire here, cheap and fantastic coffee.

- Venice is over rated, I mean it is lovely city but sooo commercialised. Instead, I loved Lake Garda, it is scenic, beautiful and not so congested. Check out the pics of Lake Garda at my picasa link.

- I still prefer my "American" type pizza with pineapple and chicken! Italian pizzas are so complex, too high class to me - for eg sword fish, fennel & anchovy pizza....gimme my Hawaiian Pizza from Domino anytime :)

- After 4 days of Italian, I had craving for McDonald! Pathetic but true. McChicken never tasted so good and there was no queue too....Italy is one place McDonalds cannot survive.

- One word: TIRAMISU. Every shop had their own version but all were top class and delicious

- Two words: GETTING FAT. Need I say more.......

Josiah is very possesive of his stroller and makes sure it is by his side when he is walking

Josiah enjoying his gelato

Wanted to upload a video of Josiah entertaining us in the bus to Lake Garda, but the file is too big - so just click on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mum2josiah

Krakow, Poland, May 2008

2008-06-04T14:46:00.010+01:00

Krakow?? Where is that? That's the typical respond when I mentioned that I will be going there for a short 4 day break. Strange place to go for a holiday but this is a subsidised company holiday, which we signed up for months earlier. I was not quite keen to go because the main "attraction" there was the concentration camp called 'Austwitchz' - where millions of Jews were gassed to death. Hmm, definately not a place I want to bring Josiah. Another one of their attraction was the Salt Mines which involves a 2-3 hour walk underground and in part, in darkness!! Also not somewhere to bring my scaredy cat boy! I thought the whole holiday was going to be quite boring but as you can see, Krakow has more to offer than just that. We loved the city center. There was plenty of horse carriages, pigeons, open spaces, parks and cheap food! Our hotel also overlooks one of their national treasure - Wawel Castle which was beautiful. To top it off, there is a cool toy shop here and we used up all our Zloty (Polish currency) as no point in keeping it. So Josiah is one happy boy in this trip.

Weather was good too with temperatures reaching 29C compared to the miserable rainy day in London!

Wawel Castle in the background

Polish people love the Pope and has many Catholic churches

Josiah trying out at being a construction worker in Krakow

Josiah terrorising birds in Krakow

Josiah loves to pose with a post (don't ask me why...)

Happy Birthday to me...

2008-05-08T23:06:00.005+01:00

Aaaahhh, the big "three oh" has come to get me. Started my birthday weekend with a load of junk - literally. See, S bought some stuff from his boss who is leaving for US. We thought is was quite a bargain but after seeing all the stuff in our little flat. It was mayhem, there were boxes and wiring of all sorts, kitchen stuff, lamps, TV, XBox (old version)...and Josiah was just happy picking up anything to stuff in his mouth. I had no choice but to prop him in the highchair and let him watch 2 Brainy Baby DVD which last about 80 minutes. He did not even bat an eyelid when I disappeared downstairs to help S carry stuff up. With the house in a mess, my old schoolmate arrived with her fashionable red bag for a sleepover. We quickly bundled Josiah up and went for a well deserved Vietnamese lunch. Then the girls went for a Spa and left the boys to clean up the house. Amazing - both the spa and the house!! S was super fantastic at clearing everything up that we even managed to invite Josiah's girl friend over to eat my birthday cake.

I cringe at the thought that a few years ago I would secretly think that anyone above 30 is OLD. Now that I am there, I understand why people like my Dad, nearing the big "six oh" (wow!) still think they are young....I will be like that too when I am his age, I'm sure of it.

Aside from my life book filling up with memories, experience, happiness, sadness, ...etc I still honestly FEEL the same as I did in the 20s. I don't think I have changed or matured mentally. I don't think I am wiser or more abled. Still the same. Same old, same old....

Yes, I am a Mum now but as I sit in front of the laptop, blogging...I feel like how I did rushing my assignment in Uni. Words and nonsense pouring out of my mind into my fingers and onto the screen. Just fill up the word quota and press print...hahahaha....I am glad those days were over. I prefer to fill up as much or as little as I want.

Anyway, thank you all for all the birthday wishes and for remembering me far, far away.

Thank you S for the lovely present delivered one week later! A portable grand piano. Oh, it really made my day and will continue to make my day every day here in London. Knowing that I have means to escape reality even for a bit means so much. For all those who is now thinking, "Oh, didn't know she played the piano". I don't - just like to bang around and make somewhat of a noise, some may call it music or some just plain noise. Who cares...important thing is I get instant stress relieve when I bang on it. I don't have to resort to smoking.drinking or drugs for that so I think it is a real livesaver. Love you S, love you.....

Did I mention that it snowed on my birthday. I got to see it lay beautifully as I walked to church and even throw a few snow balls at S. Everyone was excited because it was in the middle of spring and it also hardly ever snows in London. Josiah was not impressed at all, he just looked at it glumly.

Has it been 15 months?

2008-04-02T16:04:00.007+01:00

Josiah turns 15 months today...and his mummy will turn the big "three oh" this Sunday!!

Definately don't feel 30...and don't think I look 30...but then again maybe my tiredness has made my brain go mush as well.

Anyhow, a busy, busy weekend coming and I started it by scheduling a root canal treatment today - DUH... meaning that I would be eating porridge for my birthday. Not nice. So it was a sweet surprise this morning when the dentist said I could still try on permanent filling and see if I could manage. Yippee...thanks Doctor!

First Easter weekend in UK was spent in Bath. We rented a cottage, rented a car and together with Emma's parents off we went. But not before S was given a parking ticket for staying 3 minutes in the Residential Parking lot!!! Cost: GBP120 with a 50% discount is paid within 14 days. Sigh, an expensive start to the holidays. This is Josiah's first trip using the car seat so I was quite ready to face some resistance but he was just grand - all quiet for the first 45 minutes and then had a bottle which energized him for a bit before sleeping till we reached Bath. Emma's mum on the other hand got car sick entertaining her! We had a nice lunch at a deli before heading to the cottage. The cottage was lovely as with the owner, Angela. Apparently, we were the second family there so everything was still nice and new. She even had a highchair, stairgate and cot which served us very well with two babies walking about. Aahh...walking?? Yes, just overnight, on March 17th, my little man decided that he can take a few steps after all. Although he still cannot get up to standing position from sitting, once propped up, off he goes and he is quite steady too!

Basically had a relaxing time in Bath with the day out walking and exploring and coming home for dinner and wind down time for the babies. Except that my little man decided he did not like the accomodations for whatever reason. He was up crying for 2-3 hours every night - nothing could calm him. We gave him medicine but it only kept him for 1-2 hours before he is at it again. I was so traumatised that I said I'd never bring him for a holiday again! I was so physically drained after that weekend and did not look forward to Italy in April!.

Here he is playing with snow.

Every mum I know brushes their babies teeth....gosh, he only has 4 teeth and I am way too lazy to add another routine into his already loooong list of routines. But still, we did get him his own toothbrush to play around with.

His latest cutie trick - ask him to give you a "happy face" and the result.... aaaawwww....too cute!

If Only I Could Turn Back Time...

2008-02-21T09:03:00.007Z

In my uni days, oh so long ago, my flatmate and I used to spend countless hours chatting in our rooms. Topics ranges from latest crush to religion to fashion to family. The question about regrets, say, if you could turn back time, when would that be. I used to be stumped because as much as I would like to say that I have a particular date/time which I would like to relive - truth is, there isn't one.

Well, ask me again today, I can give you the exact day and time! Tuesday, 12th February 2008, 10am. I did the unthinkable of deleting my whole photo and video folder by accident. Gasps. Jaws dropped. Eyes popped open. Tears. Regrets. Too late - damage done.

Fortunately, I have been semi-hardworking and backing up the photos on CDs but I did lose a bulk of his videos and recent photos that I have not backed up yet.

So I hereby serve as an example of why you should always back your precious data/photos...etc because one awful moment could wipe it all away and no amount of tears can bring them back.

As you can see I am still sore about it. Of course, being the typical first time mum, with millions of photos and videos - losing even one blurred shot is bad! So try to imagine the pain....sniffles...

Depressing matters aside, my little man is standing on his own now!! He hates it when you make him do it but I can see that his balance is improving. To all his grandparents, sorry, still not ready to walk yet.

He has also started holding his bottle to feed himself. I still need to do a round two to get him to finish but it is a start.

And here's what happens when you pass him the mobile phone and say, "Ring, ring..."

Right, that's all the updates for now - cheerio folks.....wait a minute, talk about cheerio. Got a cool pic of him with a Cheerio stuck on top of his lips.