Tuesday, March 31, 2009

New maid

Baby's upgraded from an indoor helper to an outdoor helper.

For the summer

AN got a new pair of sun goggles for the coming summer.

The sun's always been glaring in Tucson, except for the couple of months in Winter. The glare's back and can only get worse as it gets hotter.

Each time the car turns and the sun gets in, AN will shun and start complaining "oops...so bright!".

She's excited to have her own sunglasses but can't understand why hers is so unlike ours. She can use hers as a hair band too.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Praise the Lord

..for her 1st mushy stools in 4 months today!

I made a mistake and bought her Plum juice instead of the intended Prune juice. She didn't like Plum juice when she first tasted it. Took her a couple of days before she decided to take a sip and decided it wasn't too bad afterall. We soon ran out of Plum juice, coz I couldn't help keeping myself from drinking it.

So, this time round, I made sure I bought PRUNE juice (I don't understand why it has to be PRUNE juice although both contained as much fibre - 3g for 8 oz serving. My mum just kept insisting it was 'better' without being able to explain why.)

It tasted quite yucky and I was worried AN might turn her nose away from it but she didn't! In fact she seemed to like this better than the Plum juice.

After not having passed stools for 5 straight days, she cried again (heartache) when she had to go yesterday. Those were gigantic, dry and hard stools that exited her, but I was glad at the amount that came out. She must have emptied her bowels.

So I thought, till she started sobbing this morning like she does each time she's straining to get her poop out.

Before I could bring her anywhere near the toilet bowl, I caught the fragrance of her stools! I checked her diaper and true enough, she did it and her stools were mushy!

Mum got worried and asked if it was diarrhea -_________-"

That was her usual type of stool and I was so happy to see that after 4 months!

She did cry, either out of fear (like whenever she felt like pooping, she would feel terrible pain at her anus), or out of the disgust that she had something stuck to her butt.

If she can pass motion as effortlessly like she did this morning, I pray she will sooner than expected, get over her fear of feeling the urge to go.

Thank God for the wonders of Prune juice that worked for AN.

AN (About going in, and about going out)

Going in

We had our (I mean, AN's) 2nd art class yesterday and thankfully there were more kids this time. Having been through the 1st session, AN was a little more participative than she was previously and had more opportunities to watch and imitate other kids paint and paste this time round.

She was more interested in the container filled with soapy water still.

With every opportunity she had, she would pay the soapy water a visit (she had to have those teeny bit of paint, glue or sand on her fingers washed away..hmm..)

Music class on the other hand needed less efforts to get her more participative.

She would jump and dance at every opportunity and chose instruments from the boxes that Ms Erin brought out.

It makes me happy to see her enjoying herself.

Going out
What goes in must come out, right? Baby walks in, baby has to walk out (hopefully willingly instead of be carried out and struggling)

She wasn't really cooperative when we left yesterday. She appeared ready to go, till she noticed the slides and tunnels at the main area for play. That was when she wanted to go in to play and we started struggling. I could understand her anger at me for tearing her away from what she wanted to do. I tried to explain that we had to leave but she couldn't hear me. We then left with AN screaming.

Nowadays, before we go anywhere and before I take her out from the car seat, I'd ask that she be a good girl and not refuse to leave or return to her car seat when we had to go home. She would tell me "ok" or "yes" and keep her word, till last Thurs). I thought she has learnt to accept going home as as part of going out prior to that.

She was perfectly cheerful last Friday and Saturday when we had to leave (after music and play classes). And she would willingly allow us to strap her in the car seat after going out each time for about a month now.

I suspected if she didn't notice the play area, she might be more willing to leave with me.

So, I tried to bring her out of the door as soon as I could this morning, before she laid eyes on the play area and she was good all the way.

*phew*

She'll finally get her turn to play tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed that she will not refuse to leave with me again.

Updated:
AN's 2nd art piece. It's a lesson on the colour red this time. Pardon the one-eyed lady bug.



Wednesday, March 25, 2009

My gifts

From Mr Liow and My mum

And my Adrielle has also just turned 30 years old!


Saturday, March 21, 2009

KS Mum

The more I read on forums about babies' developments (not milestones set by the experts but what other mummies say their kids can do), the more worried I get.

Some toddlers can count 1-20 at 20 mths (some 16mths!) and up to 40 by 22mths. Some toddlers are even smarter! AN at 23 months can only count 1-3 and backwards. A mummy asked if the standard of the nursery her son's attending now is too low if they only teach him to count from 1-10. At the rate other kids are picking things up, AN's going to remain at the bottom of her class every year when she starts schooling.

And then some kids at 23 months can already read aloud words from flash cards while AN still baby talks and doesn't stay still for flash cards (she wants to play with them).

It just gets more and more depressing the more I read about what other mummies say their kids can do.

I better stop going into threads that do not concern AN, focus on getting her eating and pooping habits back on track before I start worrying about everything else.

Proverbs 12:25 - An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.

How true that is when my anxieties rubs off AN each time she doesn't eat enough, doesn't poop, doesn't whatever-else. You'll see AN frowning and behaving wierd.

The Lord will take care of her academically. I just have to do the sowing and planting. The harvesting will come later.

C is for constipation, again

It's been a 3 months long battle against hard stools that AN's been passing, along with blood from her torn anus.

Some information that I do not already know from searching the Net includes (I miss Dr Terrance Tan every time I think of bringing AN for professional help):

- If your child develops small tears near the rectum from trying to have a bowel movement, let him or her sit in warm salt water three times daily (your doctor will tell you how much salt to add to the tub water). Do not leave your child alone in the bathroom. After the bath you can rub 1/2 percent hydrocortisone cream on the area. This cream can be bought over-the-counter at a drug store. (I miss buying drugs and creams at clinics after consultations...that way I know chances of giving AN the wrong medications and amounts are much lower)

- If your child is one year or older, he or she should eat fruits and vegetables three times daily. Encourage the child to eat raw unpeeled fruits and vegetables. Cut the food into small pieces to prevent choking. Avoid food that can't be chewed easily. (Her PD also mentioned raw. It's time I stop behaving paranoid over Salmonella.)

- Some foods can make your child's constipation worse. Limit the amount of milk, ice cream, cheese, white rice, bananas, cooked carrots, and applesauce in your child's diet. (white rice - staple diet, bananas & cooked carrots - baby's first foods from 6 months till now. Carrots are her recent favorites/ must-haves)

Taken from: http://www.healthsquare.com/mc/fgmc0302.htm

It's AN's diet that causing her all the pain, yet these food are either her favourites, or exceptionally crucial for growth.

*Scratch head*

Not easy...sigh...

Friday, March 20, 2009

Gymboree Art Class

Took AN for Gymboree's art class a while ago.

There were only AN and I, besides the teacher.

It was rather boring compared to the play class and AN felt the same way too when she kept telling me "out" and pulling me towards the door soon after we stepped into the classroom. She wanted to go out to play with the other kids. She LOVES to climb and rock on the rocking horse. She LOVES the Playgym.

I didn't bring her out coz it was art class we went there for, so it had to be art class we stayed on for.

1st thing AN got her hands on was Playdoh. (Boring thing was) Mr Cosmo (the art teacher) and I rolled the dough, flatted them and cut shapes with shape cutters while AN went to play with the chairs and everything else. She didn't seem interested in playing doh -_________-"

Next 'project' was to paint a paper plate cut up into the shape of a fish with orange paint, stick 'scales' and an eye on it. AN enjoyed herself painting the fish although she appeared to be quite a clean freak. She'd go "oops", "eeeeeee", "mummy", "sai sai" (everything that's dirty is "sai sai") whenever the orange paint got onto her hands and she'd offer her hands for me to wipe clean. Wonder why she's hardly anything near clean at home..hmm..

Since it was practically a personal class for AN, an hour would be too long. The teacher got AN some water to drink, and biscuits to munch on. I'm not sure if it's part of the syllabus but something told me that was to pass some time.

After the 'snack' session, we had a last project to complete.

Mr Cosmo said the objective of the day was for the kids to learn the colour 'Orange', so AN was given some orange paper flowers with orange bits and pieces to paste onto a blue piece of paper.

AN had totally no interest in pasting flowers at all -_____-". She went to play with the bubbles in the plastic container containing soapy water for the kids to rinse their dirty hands after painting.

I asked if kids attending art class for the 1st time behaved like she did and Mr Cosmo assured me that she was very likely distracted coz there were no other kids she could watch and follow. Thursday classes are new, so most parents would go for the Monday class (almost always full) and Thursday classes are empty, like today.

I tried to book our next session for the coming Monday (so AN can have company) but sadly, places were already taken up. Poor AN will have to learn art all by herself again next Thursday, unless some parents realise they can join the new Thursday class.

Going home each time after Gymboree is a challenge. AN will scream and shout and stretch all 4 limbs out against the door so she need not leave, but we have to.

It was embarrassing when I had to carry a screaming AN out to strap her back into the car seat before I returned to fetch her art pieces, my socks and her shoes. Was really glad the teacher came out with AN's stuff before I even managed to strap her in. He said it's a common that kids behave like AN, throwing fits and refusing to leave after all the fun. I believe that's true but have yet to notice any fits as bad as AN's in the other kids (sigh....)

AN continued to be angry with me for about half of the journey, throwing her arms in the air and crying each time I tried to talk to her (Terrible Two or Terrible AN?) but as I drove, she started to calm down a little. By the time we got home, she seemed to have almost forgotten that she was angry with me.

That was a fruitful trip for me (and AN, I hope). It was my 1st time driving her out on my own . Thank God her screams and tanthrums did not result in something nasty..hehe. I'm convinced I've been immunized to her cries after 23 months of caring for her.

Lastly, I leave you with our art works. The fish completed by AN and flowers by yours truly.


It's music class tomorrow and I'm hoping to bring her out on my own again. hehe. We'll see how the class is like. I'm quite looking forward to it :)

*p.s. I drove my parents to La Encantada just now. That's probably the furthest I've gone since I started driving. It is easy to get there tho (just keep going straight). hee. Just a mental note for myself.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

All the the matter of a....chair?

All in the matter of abt an hour, from reading cross legged to watching the papa playing on Wii


...and then falling asleep under the lulling effects of riding in Mario Cart with the papa.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Popcorn is GOOD!

I have always thought of popcorn as movie snacks that's high in fats and empty calories.

WRONG WRONG WRONG!

AN had been constipated since December. She'll poop every 3-4 days and very solid poops. Once in a while her poop will be mushy and so it's hard to say that she's constipated.

It pains us to see her cry each time she poops and along with poop, there'll be blood.

Unable to take it anymore, I took her to see the PD yesterday. As with past experiences, seeing a PD is as good going to the library and having the librarian refer you to the book shelf to get more information.

I was given 2 pieces of notes to study about constipation, which when I went home, found even more information on the internet that my 'handouts' did not tell me.

Was reading through this: http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/toddler/toddlerproblems/constipation.html
"Popcorn also has lots of fiber in it. Give enough grams of fiber.... ....."

What? Popcorn?

After doing more searching in the NET, I found some articles
http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/food/articles/popcorn.html
http://www.tooter4kids.com/Popcorn/what_is_popcorn.htm
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/media_17000_ENU_HTML.htm
and many more.

So while shopping just now, I got a pack of popcorn upon mum's suggestion (to snack on as we shop) and AN LOVED it!

It was salty (unlike the caramelised ones in our movie theatres) and TASTY! This is the 4th time I had popcorn here since we came (the last 3 times with Mr Liow during movie time while my parents helped watch over AN).

A little too salty for AN in my opinion but since popcorn is this amazing, I'm going to get those from supermarket and pop them on my own!

3 cheers for fibre in popcorn!


Monday, March 16, 2009

AN's new hair style

I had to cut AN's hair coz it was getting long and messy, irritating the baby who kept grabbing at hair tickling her neck and face, and baby doesn't like to have her hair tied up.


Snipped off lots of hair at the back and a little of her fringe.

She doesn't look like she's got very little hair after the haircut! I think she looked a little bald previously because the various parts of her hair were growing at different speed.

Will update with pictures soon. We're going to Desert Museum now. hee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
updated with pictures @ 6.06pm:
Before



New hairstyle

'
I wasn't able to capture the back of AN's hairstyle. I made a little 'mistake' but it's not reeeeeeeally obvious (unless you look carefully).

I thought she looks cute. hee. Definately neater ;p

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Maen's Entry: My birthday present

Mummy has always been one without innovative ideas and it's apparent from the presents we get from her each time.

Gor gor got Greenies the last time, remember? And then I got Greenies, too. Will we ever get something different?



Not that I'm complaining.

And I think mummy loves me more coz in addition to Greenies, she got ME dental chews too! *I hear someone else telling me the dentals chews are for both of us. I think it's just the wind.*

Human puppy took it upon herself to categorise our treats according to kind.





Has she learnt to read nutritional labels as well?

Why was gor gor guarding MY greenies and where was I.....?

The human puppy was even more excited than we were at receiving the package. Greenies are for puppies above 6 months old, you know? The human pup has to be 42 months old before she can chew on one. We'll save some for her when she gets there.

The coupon below is good news. Mummy said we could start looking into new treats, especially if it's delicious and doubles up as a supplement.

What's human puppy doing?
She's signing "I love you". The sign's missing 4 other fingers in total but who cares, right? As long as she loves us ;)

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Holiday highlights

We're back from Las Vegas and BM are also back from Camalot!

Mr Liow's purpose of bringing us to LV again this time was for us to catch a show and so that my parents (mainly my mum) could go donate to the Casino.

With the help of my mum, we did catch a show afterall. AN is a super glue and has to have me in view all the time. Mum was so sweet in suggesting that she try distract AN while my father kept insisting that AN will make a fuss without us around -______-" My dad is lousy with kids and he makes no efforts in trying to bond.

We watched 'V' (I don't really know the exact name of the show we watched. 'V' for Variety? 'The Ultimate Variety Show'?). We had 2 other movies since my parents came. Mum was of so much help irregardless of whether AN was good in our absence! She'd try to distract AN, play with her and make her feel better one way or another. It was nice being by ourselves without AN once in a while although that in that short span of an hour or so, I miss AN terribly. hee.

That was Mr Liow's birthday present to me, he said. hee. Thanks Dear. I enjoyed the show a lot, and your presence made it perfect.

So, while we were away, mum did her best in making sure AN didn't notice our absence. Try as she might, when it was near bedtime, AN started to ask for me.

When we came back, mum asked if I bring AN to church here. I told her no and then mum asked if I taught AN to pray. Told her we do pray together every night.

She said AN, at some point while waiting for us to return, sat still, closed her eyes, clasped her palms together and started mumbling "papa....... mummy...." AN was praying by herself! Mum could only make out words like "papa" and "mummy". The rest of AN's prayers were for the ears of the Lord only.

After praying, she started to tuck Pooh Bear under the blanket, gave him a kiss and then laid down beside him, snuggling under the same covers as him. Sounded to me she was going through with Pooh, the same routine I go through with her every night.

Mum kept laughing each time she recalls AN praying and tucking Pooh Bear in. Must have been adorable.

Next up is about Baileys & Maen.

As usual, they looked happy when we went to pick them up yesterday. Jo wasn't around the day I brought them there and she was still resting when we went to get them again.

Jim said Jo hadn't been feeling very well lately. We do pray that she will get better. They are a really nice couple and extremely loving towards the dogs under their care. It's obvious from how Baileys shower licks on him. Baileys is usually reserved towards men he doesn't know, or like.

There were new beds when we went there yesterday. Big and comfy ones!

Jim/Jo had just gotten them recently for the dogs. One of the beds were BM's favourite. One snuggled in one corner while the other one hid in the opposite corner. The bed was big enough for at least 4 of them!

That was how sweet they (BM's nannies) are! They need not get new beds for the dogs. Those were not their own and big comfy beds were not cheap. Moreover some dogs chew on beds and who knows how long those beds will live. Still they did get those beds so that the dogs under their care had nice beds to sleep on.

We had a short chat outside with Jim before heading to the groomer's. They stayed at Sonoran Terrace for 5 years long time ago. He warned us about rattlesnakes and advised us to bring torches with us if we were to walk BM at night. His mini pin (who's crossed over rainbow bridge by now) almost got bitten once. He said one can never be too careful when we live among rattlesnakes. hee.

It was a nice chat. We do hope to see Jo the next time we bring BM there.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

About Driving.

I'm still sick, so no Gymboree for AN today. Didn't tell her we were going in the 1st place so she didn't know. hee. Good la, then she won't feel disappointed. Mum suggested I leave them there and she'll keep AN company but after giving some thought, and looking at the sky now (looks like it's going to rain), guess not.

And I'll have to bring BM to Camalot in a while's time on my own.

I either have to drive my car across the busy road, or drive on my side of the road into a lane somewhere, then make a left turn out at the traffic lights so that I do not have to dash across the road.

Mr Liow is usually encouraging but he commented yesterday "right turn also cannot make it already, let alone your left turn". No, we were not quarrelling, just chatting.

Win already.

He was the one who asked me to send the furkids for boarding. Then days later, he decided that I should wait for him to come back to send them there.

To have your confidence built up over a week or two of practice under the scrutinising eyes of your parents, then be slapped with a comment like "right turn also cannot already....", it BOTHERS me...

Maybe I really can't drive afterall, and all the encouragements were just jokes..

Updated 1705hrs:
Took the furkids to Camalot without a problem. Both of them were seated throughout the short ride (each to a seat at the rear) and got excited only when we reached. My little darlings were so well behaved it almost felt as if they were not with me in the car at all!

We went to Gymboree (for the 1st time on my own) with the intention to sign up for the classes after lunch, before the promotion ends. I received in my email a coupon that takes $20 off enrollment fees (on top of the class fees) and that makes signing up now even more economical.

Couldn't find the place afterall so we came back.

I really don't think I have a problem with turning right (or left, for that matter). I even did a U-turn just now ok?

I'm feeling less lousy now.

Nevermind what anyone tells me. As long as I drive safe, I should learn not to be bothered that I can't drive as well as some others on the road. Just that I have to learn never to tell AN "You can't do as well as the other kids", or "You can't even do this".

Amen

I pray with AN every night since she was born and as she got older, she would fidget through the night time prayers.

Early last week, I asked her to pray with me and she did, putting her hands together and shutting her eyes (for a short while only) while lying down. And in the name of Jesus, she went "Ahhhhhmey".

We got her this night time prayers "Precious Moments" doll and at the end of the prayers each time, AN will go "Ahhhhhmey" with the doll.

She started to pray with me about 3 nights ago, kneeling and keeping her eyes shut for longer (yes I was peeping at her while I pray). She would blabber her own prayers, putting in words that she can say and then we 'send' our prayers up with our "Amen". She's learnt to pronounce "Amen" now instead of her usual "Ahhhhmey".

And then before we shut off the lights to sleep, I'll sign "I love you" to her. I'm trying to make that into a night time routine. hee. Own gratification la, coz I think it's sweet.

AN will return her "I love you" sign and give her sweetest smile before the lights go out.

I do pray our relationship will continue to be that of a loving and understanding one.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Random thoughts on the 1st day of our week

For more than a week now, the weather ranged between 28-32 Deg C in the afternoons. I think the cold weather is officially over *sob sob*. It was in fact more cool than cold this winter, hitting zero only once in a while in December and then ranging mostly in the 10s of deg C thereafter. It wasn't even cool during the recent nights *sob*

Was so hot when I brought my parents out just now *sob again*

I have really fallen sick :( I've got thick mucous along with that sore throat (thank God it's not that sore now). I sound so sexy now with my new deep, throat-y and lao hong voice.

AN is coughing a little here and there. Like I've prayed against the cold the other time, I will pray that the Lord will keep AN well this time as well.

Had made plans to bring AN to Gymboree (and memorised the route there) but guess I will have to call in sick. Don't want to spread viruses to the toddlers in class.

And I miss Mr Liow more than I did last week.

Mr Liow is keen to bring us to Las Vegas again this Thursday and so poor BM have to go to Camalot again. I don't think they are complaining tho. hehe. They wag so happily when we put them on leash (irregardless of where we take them) and then turn into mini-generators when they see us pull over at Camalot.

Maen always disappears without a second thought. Baileys will at least turn to look at us a last time before he hops off with either Jim or Jo.

Does make us feel happy that they are happy there too.

3 more days to our trip. Praying that I will get well so that I will not dampen the vacation mood.

See you in less than an hour's time dear, I hope.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

My Maen's 4 years old!

Time really pass fast, when we have 3 little ones who take turns to grow up.

You came as a little puppy, fearful of even a raised hand wanting to give you a pat.

Then youe grew up learning that there's nothing to be afraid of, and became a fearless little 'teen'.

From a timid puppy who flipped 4 paws into the air to any dogs keen to befriend you, to a cheerful little girl, my little precious Maen has so grown!

They always say that ignorant is bliss. How true is that for you who always seem to just go with the flow (Baileys) and voices out your displeasure without second thoughts. You never meant harm as much as you brought destruction (to our furnitures when you were teething, to our sleep when we slept in the same room and even now as we sleep in different places).

When punishment seems only right, it's never hard to soften at that look in your eyes that say you will never do it again. Mummy knows you will repeat your offence but then, oh well..

You were used to limitless cuddles and had mummy's laps as a sleep mat till the human puppy arrived. Yet without complaints, you not only accept the fact that you have to share mummy, you even helped to watch over the helpless infant.

The infant has turned into a monster toddler who pulls you by your collar, disturbs you when you eat, hugs you in the middle of your sleep. Given the little princess temper in you that we know you possess, you could have gotten angry and taught the little monster a lesson but you never did.

You follow the little monster when she takes you by the collar, eat as fast as you can when you could have snapped at those little fingers, gives the little monster your tummy when she comes snuggle up with you while you were in deep sleep, taking you by surprise.

You think mummy doesn't know the little monster has also been secretly feeding you treats behind my back, do you?

Whenever this little monster wakes up crying, you never fail to show up and give her licks that tickles her, making her feel much better that mummy's busy somewhere and out of sight.

I thought I had remembered wrongly when I recalled that you were turning 4, just days ago and started doing the maths from your birth date. You just do not look like you are 4. Everyone who sees you thinks you are a puppy and you still behave like you are. You play with Baileys like you did when you were a puppy, you jump at our faces to lick us like you did when you were very little. You eat fast and try to steal Baileys' food every morning like you used to and innocently step across the boundaries we set, pretending that you didn't know those rules exist.

But we know you have matured from the way you allowed Adrielle to manipulate you and share everything you have with her. We are thankful that you have been healthy for the past 4 years.

Mummy's sorry that you had to share our affection and attention with this little one and am thankful for your willingness to do so.

We pray that you will continue to be healthy, stay your cheery self (can you minus the barkings in the wee hours of the mornings please? Mummy needs to sleep..) and not bully Baileys so much?

We love you Maen.

Blessed 4 years old.