Hello.

It’s been some time. Quite a long some time since I’ve posted anything here.

I have 2 blogs, and the initial intention was to keep family-type entries separate from other-type entries. In hindsight (and with much confusion as to which blog should be updated, when), there’s really no point in having 2 blogs since life, is life, and everything is intermeshed into one anyhow. So, I’m probably just updating one blog from hereon (and will try to maintain the other, just so past entries are not lost).

So. Some updates since my last entry.

Ethan is now 5yo and attending year 1 of kindergarten in a nearby, rather well-known pre-school franchise, which has good school amenities (as opposed to other pre-schools in the same fee range). Lots of Chinese classmates, with a smattering of Indians and Malays. So he sounds a lot Chinese. I think it’s an alright mix. He started play school when he was 4yo (in 2012) and had an Indian teacher who was lovely. This year, we chose a Chinese teacher for him just to give him a “rounded education”. Perhaps next year, when he’s 6yo, we’ll choose a Malay teacher to prepare him for primary school. He’s doing well and it quite a talkative little boy. Loves everything American Idol (especially Ryan Seacrest, microphones, speakers & stages). At some point, he was a big Tom Jones fan and was able to perform a couple songs (with much panache!) Ethan is still not much of an eater. He doesn’t take anything sweet (other than classic donuts which he calls snow donuts or our make-do, snow toast which he has at home). He is a big fan of spaghetti & pepperoni pizza. Quite the daredevil when it comes to water parks. Hates alligators. He can recite the Our Father, Hail Mary & Glory Be with minimal mistakes – and says his nightly prayers to ward away “bad dreams”. Pretty protective over his little sister but lately has started defending himself as she’s always trying to irritate him.

Ava is now 2yo and is a real mummy’s girl. She’s super touchy-feely and loves to touch my arms while sucking her 2 fingers –her comfort when she’s feeling sleepy. She’s doing great development-wise, excellent motor skills, loves to climb, run, balance, do the downward-facing dog pose, is able to speak & converse pretty well. Oh yes, she can tell jokes. She loves chocolates & sweet drinks, cakes, sweets and is basically like any typical kid who stuff their faces with junk until stopped. Generally, shes got no problems with eating but do have a preference for the junk over the nutritious. Still, shes game for trying out new things (plain yoghurt with honey, all sorts of fruits & juices). She’s quite possessive over me, and cannot see me sitting with daddy or big brother Ethan. She swings between being a princess (loves purple & pink, glitter etc) and being a tomboy (loves jeans, shorts). Ava’s relationship with her father is somewhat funny with her always insisting “I love mummy”, even if the father says “But I love you Ava!”. Like Ethan, Ava too sleeps through the night. Unlike her brother, she never took to the pacifier much, preferring instead her own fingers. Often times, her hands smell icky due to her sucking but I love it. It’s amazing how the horrid smells your own child emits/creates is something that you revel in (yes including their morning breath).

Both the kids get along pretty well with each other. Thanks to Ethan who just loves his sister and wouldn’t allow us to be too hard on her, even if shes naughty and hes getting bullied.

So now we get to the latest news.

We’re expecting Baby No. 3. I am about 14 weeks and am due on 6 Apr 2014 (based on LMP) OR 16 weeks and due on 29 Mar 2014 (based on baby’s development). In short, I’m past my 1st trimester and all the inherent challenges therein. We were definitely trying for a 3rd child, my being 36 this year and wanting to add on to the brood. So we weren’t surprised when the home kit tested positive (well I wasn’t; the husband, on the other hand, fell back on his default reaction: skepticism. tsk tsk). Given my history with early miscarriages, we went full out on the pregnancy support (as prescribed by the gynea) to ensure that the pregnancy is, well, supported. So far so good. 1^st trimester has come and gone and I’m off the support. Baby is doing good and hopefully will continue to be blessed and do well till delivery. We’ll be able to tell the gender at the next check-up (which is about 2 weeks away). ~Let baby be healthy and strong~

Ethan seems to be doing ok with the news and often kisses my tummy saying “Hello Baby!”. However, apparently, he did mention to his cousin “My mummy is having another baby. She doesn’t love me anymore.”

Ava, hmm, I’m not too sure. I don’t think she understand what this means. But when you lay it out clearly, she seems to know how it will affect her. Example:

Me: Ava, you’re gonna have a baby soon! You’re gonna be a “Kakak”.

Ava: Noooo… I not big! I baby!

Plus, everyone keeps talking to me about the middle child syndrome. Sigh. I hope she doesn’t have too hard a time. Ethan had it a bit tough when Ava was born, and he wasn’t even the clingy type. Ava on the other hand, is very attached to me and that seems to have escalated lately (perhaps due to Baby No. 3 coming).

Oh well. Let’s just hope everything and everyone will be ok.

So, there’s my news. Will hopefully be able to post new entries every now and again. Perhaps not as often as before, when I used to have more downtime than my present company. Till then.  

ethan updates

my first-born is currently learning to speak in phrases & full sentences. here's a preview:

i dovann = i dont want
let's go
i vann = i want
mummy naughty (??)
shu-shu = susu
christmas? = please sing a christmas song mummy
be-dai = please sing the birthday song mummy
mummy work?
my dada = dad
shit down = sit down (while pushing your face or shoulder into the sofa)
in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, Amen, Peace be With You
please
thank you
welcome
babai
see you later
water (says this very rarely since he hates drinking water)
check = ear thermometer
sheeping = sleeping
wake up
cake
cheese
byead = bread
piyei = play
big / small kitar = big / small guitar
open wight = switch on the light
off = switch off the light
press = press (e.g. press a button)
mushik = music
ohh boootifoolll = oh beautiful
ohh yummy delishes = oh yummy delicious
scared = i'm frightened
painn?? (usually asked in a questioning manner after he has done something for you to say ouch)

etha*n the super-dynamo

etha*n in a hood

he loves the kitchen

running out

running out

running in

come follow me

finally tired

insists on having half his body on the cold tiles

his favorite: asian food channel

my superhero stance

etha*n is 8months old

:-D

hes sick (again). tsk tsk... yes, its still the cough & flu. kasian dia. the coughing is the one that gets to me. i hate hearing him cough in his sleep.

my mom says hes probably feeling poorly because hes teething. which is happening. i can see his front upper gums tipped white which is the tooth cutting through i guess. also in the last 1 week he has been a bit difficult. tossing & turning in his sleep & when hes awake, hes constantly putting his fingers in his mouth to alleviate the soreness i guess. cos he chomps at his fingers & not sucks at them.

at 7months i was so eager to check out his weight. but ma boy, hes a bit of a mr wriggles. & when we placed him on the weighing scale in the clinic, the needle was going haywire. i think i might take him to try it out again tomorrow since we're in the vicinity of the clinic.

im not sure what was my update in the last entry. probably the same i guess. he can now take a few steps while standing supported in his cot. last night, he tried to stand unsupported by letting go of the cot railing a couple of times. but my mom said he "bergegar" hihihi... means, shaky... so farnee. my dad thinks hes a curious little boy cos he always watches my dad when he walks past him to see where my dad goes or what he does.

my favorite moments with etha*n is when its just the 2 of us rolling around in bed laughing. his idea of a funny good time is biting me on my face or knees or tummy or wherever lah. which makes it ticklish & im usually howling in laughter. this gets etha*n going even more. we're almost wrestling with each other. at the end of it, both our faces will be full of (his) saliva. haha... the husband tends to leave us alone during these times as it just means he can watch his tv uninterrupted. you dont know what you're missing babe! but then again, with that face full of stubble, never mind lah, better you dont come near us.

the brain development of babies are amazing. etha*n now knows when he does something cute & he'll keep at it bcos it makes me laugh. the latest thing that he does is sport a gummy smile & close his eyes till all you can see are slits. then he'll open them ever so slightly to watch your reaction (to the gummy smile that makes him look extra chinese). a split second later he'll quickly close his eyes again but not before you see them rolling upwards as he pretends that he wasnt looking at you at all. & through all this is gummy smile, shrieks of laughter and shoulders rolling in pleasure.

the next milestone to wait for apparently is his first step. so i guess i should re-charge my camera batteries. i cannot wait. but before that time comes, i'm gonna have to start babyproofing my home already.

etha*n is 7mths

yes he is. in fact, he is almost 7.5 months now. i've been so bad at updating his progress. i keep reminding myself that this will some day come in handy for myself (when im a septuagenarian with alzheimers) and maybe he would like it too (when im septuagenarian six feet under) as a reminder that i love love love him.

new things:

- hes got 2 front lower teeth & it looks like the 2 front upper ones are coming soon

- he can stand in his cot / playpen on his own. actually he can now squat & stand, stand & squat. something that he couldnt do earlier. he only knew how to get into a standing position but then he wouldnt know how to get back down. so, when hes tired of standing, he cries & someone has to come & help him sit again.

- his hair growing (yayyy) so it looks a bit darker now. got some length into it. ok maybe like 1.5cm like that only lah.

- he loves fruit juice --i use a shredder to shred pear or apple & stuff this into a fresh fruit feeder (which is basically a thumb-sized mesh bag) & he sucks the juice through. he absolutely loves it & gets angry when i take it away for a refill.


- he can do monster sounds hehehe... by growling. & he will do it again if you ask him to. but first you must say: baby, make the monster sound. roarrrr!! so then he will do lah.


- he can follow instructions. im trying to get him to take to the sippy cup. so i read that sometimes they dont know that they have to suck (for those cups with the stopper valves). so, one day, after numerous times giving the sippy to him & him not wanting it. i told him "see, look at me. you have to suck on the sippy baby" & so i took a sip from him sippy and exaggerated the sucking. & you know what... he immediately sucked on the sippy when i let him try it!! however, that was the only time lah. after that he didnt want it haha. as soon as the sippy cup touches his lips, he makes a face as if in distaste like that. & ya, very the drama --he scrunches up his whole face as if i gave him something sour. padahal, its just water AND he didnt even tilt the sippy yet to even get to whatevers inside.


- i caught him imitating me on the phone. muahaha... i was on the phone one day & he was just crawling about & climbing all over me. finally, i gave him a remote control (which he has a fascination with) thinking that he was just gonna play with the buttons but instead he put it to his ear. on a few separate occasions. & last night i gave him my handphone to hold, & he put it to his ear again. so farnee. & so amazing actually. not that he is amazing (which he is of course cos he has me as a mum hihihi), but babies in general are amazing for learning things.

etha*ns sick today. got it from me when i was sick (& on mc for 3 days) last week. & i got it from the husband who was sick 2 weeks ago. started with a sore throat / pharyngitis / tonsilitis (one of those lah) & graduated to a full blown cold. however, etha*n's started with the runny nose which i feel is better than having a sore throat. so we took him to the clinic this morning. poor baby. he only JUST started getting round again & now hes sick which means maybe he will lose the roundness. dangit.

here are some pictures of him at 7mths:

he loves standing now

this is ethan having a go at the piano

this was taken exactly at 7mths old to the day. i dunno why but i love this picture.


the best thing we ever got was the car seat



he was watching tv in this pose

in his new ikea high chair. he like dangling his legs.

i can see over my playpen now

check out my "apek" son i.e. one leg pants up & one leg pants down

my little monster... phwroaaarrr!!

my baby

etha*n is 6mths

actually, he's past 6.5mths old now & yes, a lot of new things have developed. & since im way too lazy to get into the nitty gritties, i’ll just give you a bit of the highlights:

1) he went on his first 2 plane rides to sabah for christmas & then coming back to KL on new year’s day. he was ok-ish on both trips. thank God it was just a 2.5hour flight each way.

2) of course, that means that he's also gone on his first trip back home to sabah to get in touch with his sabahan roots. we even managed to get a picture of us wearing our kadazan costumes. it cost me rm35 to make one for etha*n. i had my own & the husband pinjam-ed his from someone.

3) he "began" his swimming lessons (although it’s still confined to just one toe dipped into an inflatable pool). it was too cold for him though so his whole "swimming" experience lasted about 5seconds tops.

4) he got sick on my first work day of 2009. it started off with a blocked nose, progressed to a runny one & graduated to full-blown cold (with cough added in the mix). & yours truly had to be the hero that sucked the snot out of his nose –eeuuww indeed but i tried not to think about it. yes, even when i tasted the "savory-ness" hehehe… disgust? of course! do it again? only if i have to. after he recovered from the cold, datang pulak the rashes which we thought were measles but actually were not. so because he wasn’t feeling all that great, etha*n didn’t actually put on any weight in between 5mths and 6mths. so slim & sexy my son. poor thing.

5) however, we found a new pediatrician that we’re quite happy with. her name is dr. padmini at dr altaf's children's clinic in ttdi. the only downside is that she only works there once a week as she has opted stay home to take care of her special child. the upside is that she also works 2days a week in sri damansara which is just opposite where we live.

6) heres a big one: etha*n is now sporting 2 lower teeth!! so cute lah... i dunno what made me decide to check one night & when i did, they were freshly cutting through the gums. its more prominent now though. i find it amazing how fast they're growing. now if only his hair would grow as fast. anyhoo, i think the other teeth are coming too because he seems quite irritated with his inner mouth --hes always putting his fingers in, sometimes ALL 10 fingers together.

7) heres another big one: we had our first separation when i went to awana genting for 3d2n for work. etha*n & the husband went over to my mil's to stay for the 2nights that i was away. i missed him so much. but im not sure whether he missed me or not. when i came back, he didnt seem to miss me pun. tsk tsk tsk... so i dont know whether to be sad or happy that he can be independent. i chose to be sad. so, during the cny break we stayed home for some bonding time away from other people. it was just the 3 of us, lying in bed in front of the tv.

8) & yet another big one: etha*n can SIT on his own now. sometimes i'll be a in split-second state of panic when i dont see him in his playpen. actually, hes sitting in one corner with his toys & is not visible.

9) he can even crawl short distances. a bit dangerous this because he'll start grabbing the table cloth and anything within sight. the most common things to grab are:

- the mail when i get them from the mailbox while im carrying him
- the front grill which is rather helpful cos he grabs the the grill shut so i can put the padlock on also while im carrying him
- the house keys, which he tends to grab when im about to lock or unlock the house door. macamlah pandai kunci pintu.

10) etha*n also starting to form his own personality. of course he smiles a lot BUT he also has a temper. he doesnt like it when i leave him in the playpen & will start a whine-y cry even before i've lowered him into it. his version of a tantrum is just the crying lah.

11) hes also vocal now. makes a lot of loud noises & the hilarious bit is that when you tegur him for being loud, he gives a softer, almost whispered, version of it muahahaha. gilos. i dont notice any ma-ma-ma or ba-ba-ba or any of those text-book sounds that babies are supposed to make at this stage. the sounds he makes are just aaaaaaaaaa. either the loud or quiet versions.

12) when he turned 6mths, we re-started him on solids – rice & vegetable porridge or rice nestum or fruits or rusks with milk. last weekend i made him rice & ikan bilis porridge. looked so boring to me. he ate it though. this weekend i have to go shopping for his food stuff. before that i have to make a few calls to get some tips haha.

13) we got a walker/rocker as a gift when etha*n made his debut in the world. & finally, he can use it now. so, hes standing for limited periods at a time on this contraption & its rather cool cos it has those toys in front of it with music & squeeks & what-nots. thanks husband's boss for getting it for us.

ok i'll be uploading some new pictures later.

happy half-year birthday my sonny boy.

a week of (a few) firsts

first word
this is a bit late coming but sunday, my son said his first word –HI. he said HI to me right after his bath while i was changing him. it was so cute. & kinda long drawn, like Haaiiiii… ok maybe it wasn’t a word but just one of those sounds babies make. but it really sounded like a word. & why would HI be his first word instead of say, beer or shop? well cos we always say HI ETHA*N / HI BABY / HI SON / HI & i say it the same way as he did (if he really was saying a word & not just making a sound lah)… drawn out. he said it a second time sometime during the week too. but then, you know, maybe it wasn’t really a word hehehe.

first taste of cereal
the other first is that my son ate baby rice cereal for the first time also on sunday. he didn’t quite take to it but he did have some. the face was all a-mess. i wish i had taken a picture but my camera was in the car & i didn’t want his first mouthful to be given by the maid. but you know what? after the first few mouthfuls she decided to step in anyways. i am so annoyed. & while i’m giving him a break from the spoon & giving him a few sips of milk from the bottle (which is what the books say i.e. the first few feeds is meant to familiarize your baby with the experience, not necessarily to feed him a full meal), she was tsk tsk-ing me??!! the cheek of that woman! yes, yes… i was at my mil’s again. why do i still go when i don’t like their influence on my son? well, that’s why it’s a love-hate relationship. the way i see it, i do have things to do & occasionally i need someone to babysit & who else should do it but the person i’m paying to do exactly that, right? also, at the end of the day, it’s my husband’s family home & it’s not like i’m cutting off relations with my in laws right. nanti sakit hati plak.

first full turn
when etha*n learned to turn from his back onto his tummy, it seemed like such an achievement. maybe because of the dramatization on his part hehehe. to turn required all the grunts & screams he could muster. so loud & noisy was he that when he finally managed to get onto his tummy, it was like “yayyy baabyyy!”. after that, it looked like he was also trying flip over onto his back but no more drama so i haven’t really been paying attention. maybe also because i’m not around him to notice. but yesterday, he did it!! almost effortlessly. no screaming required. it’s still funny to watch though cos his bum is up in the air & the intricate crossing of the legs & ankles in order for him to flip back is amazing. i know for us adults its like oh no biggie lah right but this is a baby who is just learning to do things.

better hand / finger control
etha*n is now also better able to grab with his fingers. the most prominent is when i’m feeding him & he’ll grab my hands to either push away the milk bottle or to put it into his mouth. push + pull. then sometimes one hand is searching for my finger to hold on to while hes drinking his milk. & boy can he pinch. & punch. sometimes im punched in the eye while im sleeping & hes trying to get my attention. hihihi… the husband said we have to get him some grabbing toys soon. what are grabbing toys?

lets hope all this hand/finger control wont lead him to flick the finger at someone haha.

anakku yang kini 4bulan umurnya

today etha*n turns 4months. clapclapclap to you baby ball.

my camera is battery-dead & i forgot to charge it from last week. so i got no pictures to upload for now. i'll upload them later lah.

my botak chin son is now growing his hair out. unfortunately, he has a habit of pulling them out still. the latest with etha*n is that hes turning 360 degrees in his cot/playpen. hes quite quick about it too. hes also shouting & screaming now especially when theres company. kinda funny cos hes so excited that there are people around. then he'll be kicking his legs out & throwing his arms up --like so excited liedat lah. funny sure... but not funny when he doesnt want to drink his milk cos hes distracted. omg...

last night, i tried something out with him. i was lying down next to him in my bed & he leaned towards me. at first i thought maybe it was just random body movement but then i moved to his other side & he leaned towards me again. actuallynyer he was leaning towards my arm so he could chomp on it hihihi...

the husband & i got him a mobile (toy, not a mobile phone ya) to keep him company while he berguling-guling in the cot. the husband belanja this one from mothercare at rm210. its quite nice & soothing too. it has lullabies, soft toys going around & around as well as blinking lights.

the other new thing is the new playpen i got for him!! i'm so glad that i got it for only rm149.00 in carrefour. its the "sweet cherry" brand which my friend introduced me to (thanks sonata). & im very happy that its in navy blue & with a bit of grey thrown in. you know, there were pricier brands with uglier designs. shocking pinks & shocking greens... ughhh!! luckiness i got this & cheap too. no more do i have to roll the cot in & out of the bedroom. maneuvering it out of the doorway is one thing, having to lift it over our elevated floors is another.

the other night i got the husband to put etha*n to bed as i was busy with house chores. boy was he crying & crying but the husband finally managed to calm him down. then... guess who decided to stick her head in front of him & smile & wave at him? yup... moi... then i nonchalantly walked into the bathroom for a shower. of course that started the cry fest again hahaha... so farnie... the husband was so anger with me. he said: you KNOW he wants you, why did you wave at him summore?!

hihihi...

etha*n is a changeling

- he clasps his hands in front of him & starts staring at his mittens with such concentration that i myself start looking at them.

-he sucks on his fore arm instead of his mittens. maybe because i keep telling him he cant suck on his mittens.

- he sleeps by hiding his face on my chest or shoulder –yes hiding. with the nose penyet-ed on me. which is cute but also worrying. i worry that he cant breathe and i worry that his nose will be permanently flattened. haha.

- i think hes teething cos he seems to want to bite us. & he drools all the time.

- he has a temper –omg does he have a temper. he must get this from me lah ni.

- hes trying to sit up on his own which is also worrying cos he is forever curled into a sitting position now. takuts nanti hunched?

- he knows us. i notice that he will calm down when i take him. & he looks at me instead of anyone else. & when his dad comes, he will give a toothless smile. but then again, he smiles all the time. hmm..

last weekend we had a bit of a scare with him. he was throwing up his milk at each and every feed. and his stool was dark green to the point of being black (I would post a picture of it here but it might disgust you hehe). we wanted to take him to the clinic but the few we went to was closed for the long weekend. however upon consultation with those in-the-know (i.e. medical school dropouts), ethan could’ve been shocked (terkejut) or masuk angin. apparently when babies are shocked they are unsettled & the blackish stool is actually bile. and the puke is also yellow. not milky white but bile yellow. so sad ok. towards the end tu, when he was puking bile instead of milk, i was crying while he was puking. susah my hati.

this all started on saturday night cos we took him to his uncle’s house at about 730pm. he started puking at 930pm and only stopped puking the next morning. not lah puke continuously but right after his feeds. and he pukes out of the nose as well. then he’ll cry so pitifully –so heart wrenching ok. & I’ll be holding him to my chest with the puke drenching both of us. I can’t even put him down or pass him to the husband as he doesn’t want me to let go. so sweet hor but so very very kasian like that.

the kadazans/chinese/malays/indians all believe almost the same thing:

i) kadazans – masuk angin or something shocked him

ii) chinese – terkejut cos something shocked him

iii) indians – don’t take him out at night because there are “things” roaming about & children are more sensitive to this than adults

iv) malays – taking him out at about 7-730pm is not a good time because there are “things” roaming about

v) indonesian – masuk angin or something shocked him

im not gonna argue with anything. so i'll just play it safe for now. i mean maybe this is all superstition but surely theres some scientific logic behind it right, as with most superstition.

its amazing how fast time has flown & how big he is now. he'll turn 4months next week. i wonder what new things are gonna happen. but in my readings, the turning 4months apparently brings with it many challenges. crankiness, changing sleep & feed habits etc. sebab tunggu gigi keluar i suppose & theres a growth spurt in the 4th month.

so, heres to more change. i hope we'll survive it!

yet another milestone

today i join the throngs of people who send their kids to someone else to care for.

my parents abandoned us on saturday. & for most of the weekend, it was just us 3 as a family.

i'm proud to announce that i even managed to sweep, mop & do the laundry. clap clap clap for me. the husband has also attempted to feed etha*n. unfortunately for him, the baby's started becoming a bit unpredictable with his feed times. unfortunately for me, the husband fell sick yesterday so he hasnt been able to help me with the baby. never mind. hes made up for it by doing the housework.

today is etha*n's first day with my MIL's maid. yes, despite all my complaints, we have decided to send him to her after all. better a known devil than an unknown one (ok i gotta stop being bitchy). also, we found out that the babysitters in kepong run up to rm650 - rm750. madness hor? ALSO, because the MIL's maid is a bit sot-sot, we've decided to apply for the new maid at the end of the month. if the new maid comes early, then she will stay with us & in the mornings i'll send her & the baby to my SIL's. & later when the MIL's maid goes bye-bye in june 2009, the new maid will move in with the MIL. the financial arrangements are that we split the cost of getting the new maid as well as her monthly pay 50-50. my dad asked me why dont i just get my own maid. well, one i live in an apartment & i've got no place for the maid to "live" in (not just sleep in). second, i live in an apartment & i need some privacy.

ok so back to my son's childcare arrangements: hes with the maid now. i told him to make sure he smiles at her a lot so that her hati pun sejuk towards him. & boy has he taken my instructions to heart. he has smiled & chuckled non-stop since saturday night when we went there to visit & get him used to the maid. so much so that one of the uncles told him to "save it for tomorrow". hehehe. in the mornings i drive him to my MIL's with him sitting in the car seat next to me. which apparently is not the right place for him but at the moment i need him to be able to see me or else he'll be cranky. so, i'll be driving & he'll be smiling at me. so farnee.

i'm heading home now to get my son. i cant wait to see him.

3mths old today

etha*n is 3 months old today :-). happy birthday my ball of a baby boy. i love love love you.

hes going for a jab today. so i hope he'll take it well like he did the last one. but i know he might get a fever in the early hours of the morning. poor baby.

he can laugh & chitchat & turn over onto his tummy & scream & tsktsk & pull himself up to a sitting position.

his grandpa says that he is demanding & determined & has a temper. i hope he wont be like me.

my mom says that he is physically present but mentally absent because sometimes hes staring straight at you but when you say something hes jolted out of his reverie.

he smiles a lot & chortles & plays along when he is tickled.

at 2 months & 3 weeks old, he weighed in at 6.71kg. so maybe hes 7kgs today?

he recognizes his daddy & i love seeing them together. he loves his music & sings along all the time. but mostly when hes sleepy & being rocked to sleep.

when he wants attention, he gives a little cough here & there. till you pay attention. so cute lah.

the best is waking up & seeing him sleeping contentedly next to me. & i love saying "dont cry, mummy's right here."

i took him to church yesterday & he was such a good boy. i guess the airconditioning helped some. lucky me.

i cant wait till its december & he goes off on his first plane ride. & celebrates his first christmas. & meets his sabahan side. i want them to say: hello baby etha*n, you're half sabahan too.

my son's milestones

i cant believe how time has flown.

• started drooling
• starts wearing bibs for drool-control
• stopped using mittens because he sucks on them so much then smears drool all over his face giving him a pimply look :-p
• sick for the first time; he has the flu & is coughing. altho its quite sad to see him like this, his coughs are really cute.

who knew i could love someone this much? even his awful-est, nastiest smells are addictive to me. really.

the best is the sour-y smell of his teeny tiny fingers, enclosed in drool-soaked mittens & fermented day & night. masam... but hes my son & i love everything about him.

ok maybe his poop smell is an acquired thing. but i'm getting there. :-D

i am so anal

some day when my son is older, he will read this & think my madre said "anal".

he is nearly 10weeks old & i am already planning his first birthday. oh well, better to be prepared right? right.

we've decided on the theme & even his attire for the day. we already have an idea of what kind of entertainment he'll have. in fact, i've already started on the guest list (?!!??) & we're about to buy the party supplies.

lucky kid.

saiko mom.

anyways, ive also made a list of things to pack for our trip back to sabah. if i was totally without control, i would've already started packing now. hihihi... actualllllyyyy... i already put his clothes aside. in fact, we've already bought his christmas baju. timberland summore. omg im gonna spoil him silly. how lah this? but but but... theres hope for me still cos i havent bought his attire for my brother's wedding. but hmm... when shall i do that? i was also thinking of getting another diaper bag but the backpack type so i can stuff all his things in & still have my hands free to deal with him while we're at the airport. but it is too pricey lah... about rm300 to rm500. madness or what. i read in this forum that one lady paid rm1700 for hers. gilos.

what present can i give him for christmas ah?

i recently ordered something for him & it will be delivered by october. not for christmas but i feel bad that we actually havent bought him many things. most of his clothes are either hand-me-downs or gifts from other people. but we, his parents, havent really gotten him anything. other than the cot & the car seat.

i want to get him some developmental toys. or some kiddy music cds or books. but then i'll need a small player to put in my room.

at the moment he has this to play with:

i so geram with him lah.

back to work

hello.

my 2 months maternity leave is up. today is my 6th day back at work. i haven’t really had the time or inclination to update my blog. i notice this about new moms. i just don’t feel like logging on & crafting an entry.

etha*n just turned 2months last saturday. we took him to the pediatrician for his jab. i was so afraid for him haha… but he took it like a real trooper. he didn’t even cry when the needle was stuck into him. but he did give a small yelp a few seconds after that. hehe. both the husband & i are quite proud of him. he is now 6.16kg (at birth 3.19kg) and 63cm (at birth 47.5cm). in the last few days, hes been having slight fever in the early hours of the morning & i notice has been a bit crankier than usual. this is due to the jab but he is much better now.

look at him now.

etha*ns a real smiley baby. i have been thinking that i should take more pictures & videos of his smiles & chuckles & i have, but nothing beats seeing it live hehehe. i know it sounds lame, but hes a real joy to have. hes starting to have conversations with us now with his cooing & yelping. when i sing him to sleep, he “sings” along. well, he coos while i sing & when i stop, he stops.

at the moment my parents are still around to care for him while im at work but they’re leaving mid-oct. then its time to send him to my mil’s maid. eughh!! shes actually quite good with kids. i just don’t like her attitude with adults. hehehe…

i’ve been getting a lot of comments & advice on not manja-ing the baby by carrying him or singing to him or swaying while i put him to sleep. i’ve gotten so tired of it & heres my answer. hes only a 2 month old baby. its time for me to bond with him. i do want him to be independent but come on… he is only still a baby. i want him to feel loved. sometimes he gets up from a nap & starts looking around the room frantically & i have to keep calling him so he knows he’s not alone. it must be a mom thing but i find everything about him adorable. including his crying. if i’m separated from him, i can even tell his brand of crying in a shopping mall (i.e. when he’s with my parents i mean).

life has certainly changed. he sleeps with me in bed at the moment because the husband is not well & has been relegated to the floor. by the way, he relegated himself. etha*ns cot is outside in the living room to make way for the husband’s mattress. i often sleep with my glasses on to the point that it’s kangkang now hehehe. having him in bed with me makes it easier for me to feed him at night but we’re still hoping that we can let him sleep on his own in his cot. im mixing breast feeding with formula feeds. at my peak, i could express enough breast milk for 4x 2oz feeds which was great... at first. then i started missing the actual breast feeding, you know, where the baby is latched on to your boob. its nice to bond with the baby that way. its not the most easiest thing to do cos yes, at first there was the pain & the cracked & bleeding nipples. now its less painful so i guess it was just a matter of getting a hang of it. now that im back at work, my milk flow has reduced, & im feeling guilty for not breastfeeding fully. at the end of the day, i try as much as possible to breastfeed only for his night feeds. the breastfeeding probably helped with the weight reduction but now that im so irregular at it, my weight has stagnated at 51kg.

im experiencing a bit of the separation anxiety that people talk about so much now that i’m back at work, but there are times when i feel guilty cos i don’t have it so bad. maybe this is because i’m used to being away from him cos during my maternity leaves i was running a lot of errands and driving my siblings around (they came to visit). maybe my separation anxiety is not too bad but my feelings of guilt for not being with him & not breastfeeding is. by the time i’m done with my errands or work & reach home, i’m so guilt-stricken that i’ll be hugging the life out of him.

hes so cute & round –i call him “mummy’s ball of a baby boy”. my mum calls him “humpty dumpty”. hehehe…

my “ball of a baby boy” was baptised in a small chapel in sungai buloh. a real out of the way chapel... like going into the jungle like that. but i liked it. it felt very cosy & personal. the baptism was held on merdeka day which fell on a sunday. lucky for us, monday was a day off. i actually dont have any pictures of him in his outfit taken on that day itself. so the following pictures were taken after the event.

about etha*n alexand*er

hello world

i am exactly 15 days old today

date: sunday 13 july 2008

time: 1pm
weight: 3.19kg

height: 47.5cm

pantai medical centre kl

i delivered etha*n in week 38 of 40 i.e. 11 days early. it wasn’t really a surprise cos the gynea told me to be on standby from week 36 onwards. i was also “expecting” to deliver early. well, its more like i “hoped” that etha*n would come early as i could no longer take the weight of being pregnant. on my last friday at work, i had already planned to ask my gynea for a 2 week mc for the rest of the pregnancy. at 38 weeks, etha*n was already 3.19kg & i was 63.5kg (18.5kg heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight). if i had delivered later, i suppose etha*n would have been heavier & who knows if i could deliver him vaginally.

etha*ns doing well except for a bit of jaundice which he developed on day 3. the pediatrician at pantai told us to sunbathe him for 30mins in the morning & in the evening for 3 consecutive days. unfortunately, the weather's been a bit off since he developed it. we went to another pediatrician who told us that sunbathing does more harm than good & that we shouldn’t worry as its just a mild case of jaundice. the rule of thumb is that as long as he continues to poo & pee regularly & remain active, the jaundice will be worked out of his system on its own.
etha*ns a smiley little boy. in fact, i’ve caught him chuckling in his sleep a couple of times. muahaha... its a real hoot to watch. im lucky to see it though cos the husband hasnt had the opportunity to catch these involuntary laughs. so farnee.

hes now 2 weeks old & starting to show some manja-ness. at night he sleeps best when placed between the husband & i, which makes it difficult to train him to sleep on his own. i just don’t have the energy to keep getting up from bed & rocking him to sleep again & again. besides, the nurses told me to breastfeed in bed at night. its really cute to see him snuggle up to me though. in fact i’ve been telling him that he can only manja with me & the husband & no one else. hehehe…

check out his macho look: