Artist with a sense of humor, or a phony one at work?

As with the last artistic work by one of the furkid, we found another interesting work this morning: There was pee in Maen's eating bowl.

Was just noting that Maen can sleep on her own puddle of pee and this is now happening. We have totally no idea who the artist is or if it's the work of the same one (who enjoys showing off works with pee)

We wonder who the artist is...or if this second art piece is wannabe..

(something tells us it's Baileys this time)

Hannah and Ethan

On left is Mr Liow's cousin's baby girl who's 9 days younger than ER. Both of Hannah's parents are tall and so is she!! She is so long ER appeared short and fat when lying beside her.

My little hairstylist

This doll that AN has, called Kerry, has long hair. Sometimes I'd tie her hair up in braids like I'd do on AN, so if I don't, AN will ask me to do it for Kerry.

Today, AN decided to style it differently.She gave Kerry short hair!

A heart for us

Never knew we have one very artist furkid!

We do not know who peed a 'heart' for us but ... aww...

We love you too (^____^)

The fur siblings

The elderer Liows

This bed is supposed to be elevated for easier cleaning (once the irobot is up but it still is not. I'm using the iecology again and loving it!! M&M Ma!! U wanna give yours another chance?)

This pair had been lazing a lot. Baileys started drinking LOTS of water and peeing a lot at my parents place before ER came. And his pee was clear (from drinking soooo much water). I was worried there could be something wrong with his kidney or liver and read up on it (can't remember which organ now...can you believe it?? Blame it on the pregnancy that took away part of my memory). Didn't sound like it and he's still playing, eating and behaving like he always does.

Now that they are back, they are not drinking as much water as they did at my parents' place. Baileys was the only worry at that time in fact. Maen's drinking habit was nothing out of the extraordinary.

Now, both hardly finish a bowl of water a day -______-" And their pee (both) are yellowish...sigh...Yes, nothing's good enough. Drink a lot also worry, drink too little also worry. Pee clear also problem, yellowish also problem...

I'm attributing Baileys' appetite for water from June to Sept before ER popped, to the weather change. The home in Tucson has aircon on 24/7, not back here in Singapore. Even though it's drier there (at least 80% drier), they are indoor most of the time other than when they get their walks. Here it's hot, even though humid..maybe that makes Baileys feel thirsty more often..? Makes no sense right? Ok, nevermind.

They had been sleeping on our luggages since we returned in June and finally get to sleep on their own bed!! We have the elevated one from Tucson that they slept on for almost 2 years still in the storeroom. Wanted to set tt one up too but, I think don't need already. No more corners in the house for that bed (needless coz who needs so many beds so near to each other).

Maen has this bed and 3 storage areas under our kopi table. Baileys either sleeps on this, or on the floor right next to the window as he always does. He loves the sun.

When they sleep, they do not care what's happening to each other. I remembered Maen kicking Baileys off that old elevated bed few times already and Baileys, even though more considerate (sleeps only on a side of the bed), doesn't care when he's sleeping on the side that has no pee stains (Maen liked to pee on that bed somehow..dunno why). So, she suffers her own doings by sleeping on pee stains.. too bad for her.

The human siblings

The littlest Liows 

Our first night trying out Mr Liow's new sleeping formation. ER slept in his cot for most parts of his first 5 weeks of life (if not on the master bed with my mum and I during the weekdays of my confinement) till Mr Liow suggested he could sleep in the rocker beside me instead. This is so that I do not need to get up and out of my sleeping position to attend to him. 

There are times when all he needed was a pat or hug, or simply be rocked to sleep but if he was in the cot, I'd have to move about. Sweet and smart of mr Liow to think of this. All I had to do was rock him if I didn't think he was hungry (if he started whining an hr after his last feed or something etc).

This was of the boy lying beside me when I tried nursing him lying down few days back (first day was good but he started showing signs of indigestion from the second day). The big sister saw him on the same bed when she woke up and was so excited (she loves him and that's sweet.). She shooed me away and asked to lie down beside her 'own little brother'. She's starting to label him as her 'own little brother' since days back.

Oops...the flash was a little too blinding. The boy was blissfully unaware and spared.

Right before we all tucked in one night, jie jie AN saw ER had his fist on his face and decided to move it away.

 

It makes her feel better to see that he's not suffocating himself.

And as usual, she's my very good helper by day too. If she was any older, I'd allow her to carry him. It's a pity the best she can do at this point is to rock him and as he grows, rocking may not work anymore.

ER Gallery - 5th Weeks

Daddy took jie jie to sleep in the other room so that mummy can have more space with the little tiger on jie jie's bed. Gracious jie jie didn't mind giving up her bed to her little brother as much as not having mummy sleeping by her side..this girl. But still, she relented and had a good time watching Nemo till daddy fell asleep.

But this is not about her. It's about the little tiger boy:

ER's first ride on the car seat that served his elder sister for throughout her toddlerhood.

His first 'bubbles' (he's got less juicy lips than AN used to have..maybe this is just beginning!)

 

ER has mastered 'transposition'. He is now able to turn directions. We have to remember to pull the handle of his cot is up after we're done with putting him in or changing him from now on. We dont' want him to fall off the cot at this tender age. I should say, we don't want him to fall off from anywhere, ever, at all.

Maen is still herself

It's been a while since Maen found a place to hide in or under. She's grown up and no longer the petite little puppy she used to be. She's still petite for a CKCS but...FAT! Once upon a time, she could squeeze under our sofabed but when we went to Tucson, the furthest she could go under the sofabed, was up to her neck, head buried under.

When we got this coffeetable, both Mr Liow and I shared the same thought: Maen will be happy with storage spaces on 3 sides on the table. She's bound to make it her sleeping space.

She can read thoughts: she found her way there the very next morning and has been making the spaces her own since then. -_______-" That's for newspapers, my girl (now cleared for her comfort).....

"Uh-oh...caught..."

"erm...hi mum..."

Baileys feels the Singapore heat and decides it's cooler outside the box.

Crazy things happen

And more to come..

Woke up at 8am. Was about to clear the shit in the toilet but it was so dark. Light are now totally gone. NO MORE LIGHTS IN THE TOILET.

I had been telling Mr Liow when I first noticed the light flickering. He didn't think much of it. Then it randomly wouldn't turn on, so I suggested we get the light each time we went to the supermarket. He said he didn't know what light to get so we could never get new lights to stock up. He said he would check up no he didn't. The apache incident got him really busy, and now that it's been answered for, he still is coz he has to settle what comes AFTER.

I didn't want to bother him too much. He's been busy at work and busy with AN after work. Sometimes I wish he'd be more detail minded or proactive at home. I can tell him something many many times, till it slips my mind and it gets forgotten. Yet I feel bad nagging about these things coz I know if he could, he'd want to relax after work. But then when the need for what we all have forgotten arise again, it's almost always at the wrong time and I'd be the one having to do something about it, in this case, clear shit on dark grey floor, in the dark. I dont' even know if I'm stepping on shit....by...the....way!!!

And by the way, we have 2 separate lights in the toilet...one up in the middle, one at the wall where the mirror and sink is. Both are now down...so imagine how many times I've talked about getting LIGHTS and got none...Dear, I know you busy, but please...at least SHOW ME THOSE LIGHTS SO I CAN GET THEM SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW OK?

I don't see shit on my feet after I was done, and I don't smell shit. I don't think I walked on shit.

Hate it when things we need go missing at the wrong time...

I see stray stuff lying around, I put them back. Mr Liow can't find, I direct him to the place to RETURN THEM TO, he takes them out to use, and then they go missing again... Don't want to keep nagging at him so, I wait till I reach my limit before I explode at him.

There was a pair of socks on top of our shoe cabinet. I don't know if they are clean and I don't want to go smell them. They had been lying there for days and no one claimed them. Whatever that doesn't belong to anyone, they become Baileys' and Maen's. This has been houserules for years.

So while we were out last evening, Baileys and Maen went to play with them. They didn't chew through the socks but they were happy to find something to play with that smells familiar at the same time. Mr Liow admitted those were his, and they were not clean. Laundry basket is in the kitchen, less than 10 steps from where he threw the socks on the cabinet.

He finally threw them in the basket last night, and then I saw another pair lying there when I went to switch the lights off to turn in for the night. I give up....Something tells me that is the pair he's currently using, but I'd prefer them to be in his shoes, not thrown onto the cabinet....sigh...

And AN has to do wierd things lately, like peeling transparent plastics off her rubix cube, taking 2 hours to drink her milk for breakfast (if I don't remind her to drink), taking forever to finish her tiny portion of food (coz she doesn't chew!!!!!! ARGH1!!!!!)

Or she would touch this, touch that, and then pretend to be a baby with fingers to her mouth. She probably is just doing what she does all the time: play pretend. But it's not happening at the right time when I have not time to wash her hands, or forgets to remind her.

And then while I was cleaning the shit in the toilet just now (with shit on papers and hopefully none on my hands), AN wanted to shit too...I was praying real hard ER will not wake up at this time...Thank God he didn't, but he did after his jie jie finished shitting. So BM's shit were left alone in the toilet for a while longer.

She asked to paint but no, sorry. No time to clean up after her or wash her hands. So she's left to find her own things to play with and when left on her own, there are bounds to be things that happen to get me upset about. I know she's not being naughty, just that wrong things happen at the wrong time and it's really frustrating!

ER happens to fuss more than few weeks back, so I can only do things when he's sleeping. When he's awake, he'll be fussing for something. What that 'something' is, it's for me to find out. I latch him on to see if he wants to drink. Sometimes he drinks and fusses at the same time and starts crying when I wait on to see if he feels more comfy with a new angle to drink from. If he still cries, I'll try burping him. He'd feel fine after a burp before last week but this week is different. Sometimes he doesn't burp but keeps crying. Sometimes he burps, and then continues to cry. I'd then check his diapers hoping it's dirty coz if it's not, I seriously do not know what else I can do to make him feel better, other than latch him back onto my breast again to pacify him.

This 'Guess my intention' game I play with him each day can last anything from half an hour to 2 hrs...Everything else has to wait because I can't switch him off.

And then AN also needs attention. She waits and waits and waits, trying to be patient, till she has enough of waiting and starts chanting: "Mummy come..mummy come...mummy come."

In my house, you'll hear the 3 yr old yaking and asking for help, the month old baby crying and crying for attention, escalating to screams if attention is not given. And the things that are to be done which keeps piling up. Dishes, canine wastes in the toilet, the need to feed the 3 yr old and 6 yr olds as the clock tick away, the sticky floor that has to be cleaned, the soiled diaper that the infant has to be changed out of etc etc etc. The list goes on and very unexpected things always happen in the midst of me trying to settle things one by one..

At this hour (12.18pm), I've not bathed the kids yet. I'm taking a breather, ignoring the need to complete my 'to-do' list. Sometimes at this hour, AN hasn't even brushed her teeth..And I'm breathing properly now coz the infant is peacefully in dreamland.

ARGH....ER is awake. Thanks to Maen!!!! GRRRRR....GTG NW.

Ouch!

I tried latching ER in sleeping position for the whole of last nite. that was our second attempt. To give us more space, Mr Liow slept in the other room with AN.

ER didn't sleep as well as he did the previous night. He kept fussing and spitting up milk. There were a few times he was more like throwing up than just spitting.

I decided to cradle hold him when it was near morning. He is either still too young to nurse lying down, or not suitable. There goes my convenience and sleep.

The whole morning after that, he kept burping milk out, and even if it was just air, the burp would be strong enough to 'throw' his body back. This is something very new to me.

sigh...

Will wait another 2 weeks or so to try again.

And from just those 2 nights of nursing like that, my aerola got swollen. It started off with blocked ducts which won't go away no matter how I massaged the area. My professional nurser helped empty my left b....t but just couldn't clear the blocked ducts. So, I don't know hw but the swell from the ducts moved down to the aerola.

It's super painful to nurse on my left now and I'm so tempted to leave that side alone but I can't else it'll only get engorged and that's the end of Left's nursing career.

Am going to grit my teeth and bear with it while the kids nurse. Just hope its not going to turn into some infection and make me sick.

I couldn't afford to be sick with 1 kid, even more so now with 2, one of whom totally relies on me for milk.

I am going to start pumping and building up my milk bank again. Once things are more settled, I'll start networking for assignments again. I'm excited at the thought! Just exploring with Shirl her Halloween look on Sun was enough to get me all warmed up.

Dunno where to start from this time but... I'm sure things will work out :)

Easy or plain greedy?

I'm used to stuffing pills down Baileys' and Maen's throats should they need to be medicated. I've also shared that Baileys is so gentle. He could have crushed my index finger into pieces each time I stick it down his throat with a pill but each time he felt me finger under his molars, he'd stop munching and lose the battle against the Pill.

Maen had been the healthier among the 2. Can't remember the last time I had to shove a pill down her throat.

Both enjoy their heartworm meds so there was never a need for 'violence'.

This is day 2 of Celexin (1/2 tabs twice a day.) Baileys swallowed his pill after the usual 'shove, shut, rub, done' procedure. It's harder to do the same with Maen though. She'd fidget and squirm and the pill will fall out.

BUT...

Maen will either lick it back up out of initiative, or lick till the pill melts in her mouth.

Hmm...if I knew it was that simple, I'd have just let her do her own swallowing. She must be wondering why I'm forcing her to eat something that tasty.

3 more days to go. I've not noticed improvements yet but of course. 2 days on medication only. I'm tempted to spray Colloidal Silver on Maen but guess it's better to let the antibiotics do its job first.

ER's weight gain and some updatesrathe

rTook the boy's weight a while ago (mine - his) and saw that he's 4.7kg now. That's 2kg gain in a month.

He's been rather fussy lately. His usual crying can be pacified by feeding or burping him, or a diaper change. Since few days ago, he'd stop only if someone carried him. Or if I latched him on but he didn't seem to need to suckle much coz he'd unlatch himself if it wasn't milk he wanted, and then he'd continue to fuss.

I put him beside me most of last night coz he was rather whiny at night too. When he cries, I'll nurse and doze off. I don't think there's gg to be help today (with Mr Liow away at work and not knowing if mum's coming). I need to replenish some energy to handle the month old and 3 yrs old.

Mr Liow found a few ticks on the furkids that were dead. One or 2 were live ones, but none that looked like raisins. Guess those ticks died before they get to draw blood from BM. Praying against infestation. This tick issue this time isn't as bad as the last time (during 1st confinement).

I'm so tired now. Its morning alry but I'm feeling sleepy s if it's 4am. Wasn't like this weeks before. I had all the energy I needed. I think I'm draining off..

But I'll survive. I have to.

End of Discussion

Feels like mini doggiesite here all of a sudden, when there are silent readers who pop out of nowhere, not introducing themselves, and start making comments that will not improve the situation we are in now.

This is my personal space where I share my thoughts. My life is not just all about my hubby, kids, house or dogs. Its made up of minor and major events as well. Fine if you think I fail badly as a human. I am not perfect, and if it makes you feel better, I apologise for being less noble than some of you here.

I only need to clarify that BM are in no hurry to leave us. I am learning to adjust, am I not? You do not know, and I don't blame you (not including those friends who have been advising me, and helping me in ways that WILL help). I didn't specifically share that they are still with me (maybe it's not obvious enough) or that we will be together forever until someone better comes along (if they do not live beyond their 11 yrs of lifespan, I think I must have been subconsiously feeding them poison).

Am just feeling rather spiteful now. Pardon me (you don't have to if you don't feel like it)

Just wondering, have I been putting up ads up everywhere informing the whole world that BM needs to go asap behind my own back? I might have, so I went on some of the doggie forums to check. Haven't found any posts by myself or my clone.

Ok, enough of the sacarsm. Here's the serious thing:

I just want to keep the option open. I dont have to please everyone who reads my blog (i'm telling myself this because I actually wanted to present a fake me to my online circle of readers coz you do not know me enough. Friends know me so I don't have to explain so much).

If I wants them out now, we wont bother bringing them to vet.

If I want them out now, I wont need to feed them antibiotics (why get meds frm vet anyway? I must be mad right?)

If I want them out now, maybe find an auspicious day first, meanwhile, trap them in the airline crates they came bAck in. Find a good date and bring them to the dog run and then secretly go home..or even more convenient thing to do, bring them to the big field across our home and let them go. They don't know their way home.

If I want them out now, I will put them up for fostering and let someone else do the screening process. Or don't need to screen also nevermind.

If I want them out now, a slower but more effective way is to post them online (in ads or online forums). Who cares if Amanda or Marina Tan comes looking for me with a new identity? I haven't had time to update myself on new wierd entities lately but no I won't care. Someone just has to come and take them away ok?

No. I don't want to post on webs coz I won't know who these people are. I want friends to help me keep a heads up for genuine adopters who they personally know. I am looking for good homes, and I repeat, not just a new roof over their head. This I can give! I have a roof over the whole family's head! 

No. I don't want them to go to foster homes. Like I said, I'm not very noble. If their skin condition is contagious, I have to put them somewhere first because I don't want my newborn and 3 yr old to catch anything. As it is, I barely finish a days' worth of work in 24 hours and only this much ability. If kids fall sick, it's bad. Any mother can tell you the same thing. Anyone who has kids in the family (nieces or nephews) can tell you that. Or if you have furkids who fall sick, you will understand too, IF YOU TRY TO.

No. I will not abandon them or put them to sleep. No. I will not trap them in the crate or the kitchen, or a small corner of the house. The house is as much theirs as it is ours. This is their home for as long as possible (not as long as they live. I can't guarantee that anymore. How many of you can guarantee the same thing? One day you'll realise someone has to stab you for some decisions you make, no matter how much thought or effort you put in before making the final call.).

Yes I love them. (yes, I know, crap talk, right? Love them and still want to give them away. Nevermind what you think if you still do not know what I'm trying to put across after reading so many words.) We came back with loads of goodies for them. But they are basically latchkey dogs. They have a new leather bed, have been on supposed high end kibbles (yeah...kibbles only what...not BARF. I will if no kids. They had been on BARF before AN started crawling..and 15 years ago, I never knew BARF.), have yummy dental chews (because I have no time to brush their teeth anymore.). And they also have new and expensive EPO shampoos in gallons that we will never run out of till the day they die. Check out BM's loots in past posts, or not if you have been following us instead of popping in only at this point to add salt to the cut in my heart..

THIS IS REALITY. WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS OF QUALITY TIME AND PROPER LOVE BY SUBSTITUTING WITH MATERIAL STUFF!

Are you wow-ing at what BM have? They should really stay and enjoy life with us because we bought them lots of good stuff you know? You think they will enjoy all these things we got them? I missed giving them cuddles so much...I miss having both of them squeeze onto my laps and falling asleep. I missed grooming them myself. I missed speaking to them, whether or not they understand what I say. I miss our relationship and it's bold of me to assume they too miss those days. 

I dare say they miss love more than they will enjoy all those good things we bought them. 

Do you not think it hurts to make this decision? I've not had anyone contact me yet (but of course, I'M NOT IN A HURRY TO SHOO THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE!) and frankly, you (who also love your dog/s) will be able to imagine what it's going to feel like if you had to send your dog away (no, you won't send your dog/s away but you can at least try to put yourself in the situation and FEEL the pain. Pain right?).

Sigh...discussion is over. I'm tired from all these physical activities by day and trying to explain myself by night when the kids are sleeping. 

If you care enough, please let me know who to watch out for so that BM will not fall into the wrong hands. Singapore is only this small...I don't want to find out that I have an "Amanda" or "Marina Tan" or some wierd people as my friends, the hard way.. Or if you can update me on the latest scams or new adopters to beware of.

Thank you. Life resumes from here. You will  still read of my complaints about the kids, the dogs, Mr Liow and things in my life, the way it's always been on my blog.

This littleflower in me is trying not to be weary when the wind starts to blow at me day in and out. I don't need people who enjoy stomping on plants..

Growth Spurt again?

ER had been fussing for hours before bedtime. Thank God Mr Liow was home to help coz I had to do the dishes and put the laundry out to dry. Even with Mr Liow at home, AN had to keep going: "Mummy mummy (something)".

AN looked tired by 10plus, so we thought we should tuck in earlier tonight. Thought we can at least watch one of the many shows Mr Liow downloaded, with him after so long. I miss having Mr Liow beside me instead of the kids, miss those days when I'd watch a show with Mr Liow and doze off, leaving only him watching by himself. Hee. Mr Liow is hopeful this day will come again and kept on downloading more shows so we do not run out.

I thought it's going to be today, since for once AN started looking sleepy this early. Since we came back, she's been falling asleep only past midnight.

I nursed ER while Mr Liow played with AN who was waiting for me to be done and lie down with her. ER decided today that he wasn't about to let go soon enough for mummy to settle jie jie earlier. Mr Liow got tired before ER let go of me, and before AN got any sleepier.

No chance of watching anything now, so I asked him to go rest and leave the kids to me.

By midnight, AN was still waiting for me. ER was still happily sucking like he missed every single feed for today. I was sleepy by then as well and dozed off while nursing him. AN found my dozing off amusing and asked me why I feel so sleepy. She will understand when she has her own kids in future.

I asked AN to lie down and sleep first. ER didn't look like he was ready to sleep soon. He was still wide awake even after the more than an hour of drinking! He wasn't just suckling for comfort. He was really hungry!

The jie jie laid down but continued talking to me for the next...i lost track of how long, coz I was tired too by then, and dreamy already. Finally she talked herself into dreamland and I couldn't take it anymore too. I laid ER down beside me to drink as much as he wanted while I rest for a while. I saw it was 1:xxam by then..

This marks my first successful attempt at nursing ER lying down! He spit up everything when I tried tt during his first month so I stopped doing that with him. Milk stays in him longer when I hold him at an angle.

I fell asleep and woke up at 2plus. My boy is finally asleep! Yeah! He doesn't appear to need to suckle for comfort like AN used to. He latches on and drinks, then lets go (and he drank for a,total of almost 3hrs tonight! Unbelievable! He drank through countless letdowns!)

AN used to nibble & fall asleep soon after. I'd unlatch her, she'd cry and then i'd hold her close again to suckle. She was constantly stuck to me. That prob explains why I cannot be out of her sight for too long, even till now?

I'm happY to realise ER is nw able to nurse lying down. This means I can get more rest from now on! I thought 3 hrs of mem mem buffet shld be enough to last that boy hours...but he woke up slightly after 3am again, wanting milk again. He drank for less than 10mins and let go. It's been over an hr since he drank and I'm nw sleepless -______-"

So many things on my mind now that's keeping me awake: we hv to get more bulbs. Our lights are going out one after another. We're running out of toilet papers. I promised to get more Yakult for AN, better not forget. I must remember to feed BM antibiotics. Does anyone know if I can continue to give missing link? Maybe I shld not give till they r done with antibiotics. I've not found my white base! Meeting Mummy Leong tmr to try out the black swan look for her halloween party and I've nt even dug my white base out from my MU kit. Die...still in the carton I think! Have I paid out all our bills yet? Oh, I think I can use colloidal silver on BM right? Aiya! Forgot to get Mr Liow to ask vet!! Go online to check after this. Hmm....what's for lunch on Monday? Dun think it's possible to cook..must check out tingkat meals. Maybe get some ingredients to make soupy food for some of the wkdays' lunch following this...

Did I miss something out? I shld go do up a shopping list nw so we dun forget to get anything tmr. Oh! No more rice le! Must buy.

Baileys and Maen's Skin Updates

It's nothing we've ever seen (we've seen bumps from food allergies and that was all they've ever had). This time round, it was crusty patches and Maen even has dried-blood-looking scars that span over the right side of her neck. The crusty patch over her neck was so large it looked like Maen got bitten by a big dog (I'm just saying it looks like but upon a closer look, it's not teeth marks).

She has more crusty patches on her ears. Those patches cover both her WHOLE ears!

Baileys on the other hand, look better than Maen but he has this patch on his neck that looks like burnt and recovering skin.

They probably appear worse to me than they actually are but seriously I've never seen them like this.

We called up Allpets and thank God they had a 12.15pm time (not for BM's usual Dr Chua but better than nothing). Mr Liow brought them there while I settled the human kids.

He called back to assure me that they both are fine according to the vet. In the words of the vet as conveyed by Mr Liow, they were probably itching from the use of some chemicals used for tick prevention and those chemicals are probably too strong for them. Both their skin conditions do not look the same as each other's to me but according to the vet, both are suffering from the same thing. So, both will be on antibiotics (Celexin) for 5 days, 2 times a day with or after meals.

Feeding antibiotics will not be a problem.

Will we still be giving them up? We decided yes. BUT nobody gives away someone they love without a thought. Nobody gives away a relationship built over 6 years without a thought. Nobody gives away who they love and constantly worry about without a thought.

We are in no hurry. If someone comes along and proves to be able to give them or either one, a life better than they are having now, we will let them go. Why hold on to them and deprive them of something better than what we can provide? Which is better defined as love? Allow them a better home or press on? Just like there never will be a universal answer to rescuers who do mongrel rehoming, isn't it? Just like there will never be a right or wrong answer to euthanasia when face to face with suffering.

At this point, what's most impt is to make sure they recover. The other matters, we deal with them as they come.



The thing that came to mind was not to drag anymore. If they recover after this, good. What if something else happens to them? What is going to happen if something happens to them when Mr Liow happens to be overseas? I dunno what I can do with 2 kids and 2 canines (not only the furkids fall sick, kids fall sick too!) Now at his new work environment, Mr Liow needs to travel quite a lot. What's going to happen?

I am not as super as I thought I can be. Not a single bit. They are 6 years old now. What happens if 2 years later, Mr Liow gets posted overseas again and both are 8 years old? UA domestic is not likely to change their policy and allow more than 2 dogs on the plane in the next 2 years. By then, will I have to bring a 2 yr ER, 5 yr AN and a crate containing either one with me while Mr Liow takes the next flight with the other furkid? How to do it? I really don't know. Will anyone want to provide for 8 yrs old senior canines if we decide we really cannot do it by then?

These are not unfounded worries. These are possible things that may happen in the near future.

We're not in a hurry to send them away of course. If we are not able to find a better home than we can provide, life remains status quo.I

Bad New to announce

We have decided to put Baileys and Maen up for adoption.

They have just returned home from boarding but have these odd looking bumps (more so on Maen. Baileys still ok). We will bring them to the vet for a review tomorrow and will update when I get to.

At this point, I can no longer say they can easily settle down for themselves because they cannot control the urge to scratch, and they cannot apply medications on their own.

Mr Liow and I discussed and when I suggested we find them a good home, he was hesitant. He couldn't bear to not have them with us anymore.

But then we both agreed that even with them not around and after my confinement (without mum around), I'm already up to my neck with ER (the non-stop diaper change, feeding, diaper change and feeding again) and the constant calling out from AN to play with her. I have not more time to make sure they recover well anymore.

They need someone who has time, and most of all the attention they need and crave, with or without skin problems.

And I don't want to sound noble, appearing to only consider Baileys and Maen's benefits.

The human kiddos are also of a concern to me now. With those bumps, I wonder if it's going to be contagious. And the medications we are expecting from the vet tomorrow, I'm worried about contamination (AN may go touch them and next moment get food with unwashed hands from contact with creams and such, or worse, put her finger into ER's mouth to pacify him like she likes to do!! I fear the thought!).

So anyone, if you kindly know of friends who loves dogs, especially CKCS-es and if they are still willing to accept BM into their family with the need to medicate (I'm almost sure it's going to be temporal medication if appropriate care is given), please let me know ya?

I think most of you who reads my blog knows BM personally. No aggression, no bad habits (unless one considers Maen's scratching of her own bed a bad habit) and lots of affections...I hope they will go to a home who will give them the love and attention they so deserve...

Just Us

Some pictures taken randomly. Less and less time to put words into pictures for memories. hee.

Jie jie posing in front of her blankie with popo holding it up. popo's idea!

ER at 3+ weeks old

The jie jie sleeping through the night while I change nappy of the screaming boy (who hates soiled diapers like his jie jie used to)

ER shed hair! Found this on his head. This chunk came loose just like that.

AN learnt to draw eyes, faces (more proper ones now) and the sun. Can you tell which came from her hands?

Jie jie says she wants to be wrapped up like a baby. But the jie jie's too big for the wrap!

Without the new boy on the block, just 3 of us

Stubborn stubborn Adrielle

Everyday seems worse than the day before. She just gets increasingly stubborn.

I've just found my freedom back and wanted to make dinner for AN like I used to, so while ER was asleep, I made something simple: Alfredo pasta. I didn't know the sauce tasted so bland (Alfredo sauces in States taste richer! Not that they are higher in sodium coz I checked the sodium level per serving and its only less than 100mg difference).

Just a simple dish and the whole kitchen felt sticky, so there were more washing and cleaning up to do.

The moment AN had her first scoop, she looked disgusted and.said :"Not nice." And she refused to eat. Full Stop. In the past, no matter, unless it's meat or fish, or something new, she would at most take longer to chew but she would never reject at first sight. No amount of coaxing, threats or punishment WORKED. Mr Liow got her favourite hot wings but she said she didn't want anymore after finishing less than 1. Mr Liow managed to continue feeding her and she finished ALL. Wasn't she stubborn???

Same goes for this morning. I made half the amount of milk that she usually has each morning and she took few sips, stopped and told me she had enough. Again, coaxing didn't work, and seeing how upset it made me did not make her finish her milk either. I put her in her naughty corner before she decided to finish that 100mls of milk...

Before she napped, she wanted lights. Never before have we slept with lights on, let to mention lights for nap when it's so bright outside (blinds are opened!). She fussed and refused to put her training pants on and even when I reminded her that she promised to listen to me, she stubbornly insisted on lights and no training pants. Off to naughty corner she went before would put her training pants on.

In the past, reminding her that she has to listen to me does the job (unless she was cranky coz it was near sleeping time).

These were just some incidents from last evening. There were that happened before, more incidents that even Mr Liow lost his patience...

Is my sweet angel gone? I really do not know this stubborn girl. She's beyond recognition....

I'm really clueless, no idea how I can get my ideas across now. She doesn't care that her disobedience upsets me anymore, and she doesn't care that she's breaking her promises to me. It feels like she doesn't care what will happen as long as she gets it her way...

What am I supposed to do??? I dreamt of the things she's been insisting on doing lately that we specifically said no to and the increased stubborn streak in her. I broke down in my dream and woke up still crying uncontrollably...

I think I lost AN...kinda sad isn't it?

Jaundice Update

AN's jaundice didn't last past her 2nd week because she needed phototherapy early enough (hers was much higher than ER's). But ER's jaundice level, even though low enough, has been around for a month now but needed no phototherapy.

We have read about it, and have been assured by doctors and Kinderclinic staff, that his jaundice is caused by the exclusive breastfeeding and that it's not going to cause him lifelong problems BUT in case he's still yellowish by his 2nd month, we should bring him back for more thorough tests (liver function test being one of those).

So, we are waiting for the yellow-ness to fade away by itself and that by God's grace, he will no longer be looking yellow and need detailed tests when we return for his 2nd month checkup.

Arrival of Isaac

Mummy Lim has been waiting for him to pop for some time already. ER and Isaac's EDD is only 2 weeks apart. Anyone of them could have arrived first and ER did. hehe. And since then, Mummy Lim has been getting harassment messages from us every other day (through phone, chatbox etc) asking if Isaac is showing signs of readiness.

The Lims are excited now, which reminds me of how excited we were that moment I felt contractions exactly a month ago!

Met an ex-nurse at Mt A this morning when we brought ER there, supposedly for another blood test to check for jaundice (he's still yellowish but we've been told it's Breastfeeding Jaundice which is really nothing to be worried about, and we were advised against putting him through another blood test to save him the agony and to re-visit in a month if he's still yellowish since breastfeeding jaundice can take a month or two to go away).

The ex-nurse went ga-ga over ER and carried him for as long as I had lunch (she didn't want to return him to me!! hehe.) She too, said that with money, you can buy many many things but among of all things that we have, what truly belongs to us has to come from us, and that's our own children. How true! AN and ER are mine, and Mr Liow can say the same of them. 

We're excited for the Lims! Isaac, we've been waiting for you. See you soon!

ER's bleeding belly

ER's belly button started bleeding last week. Recount of events as linked:

http://littleflower-in-a-land-far-away.blogspot.com/2010/10/ers-bleeding-belly.html

Bad Mummy

I made AN so sad last night she woke up crying in the middle of the night.

AN asked for mem mem last evening and I told her ok but to wait because I had to settle something first. And then ER started crying for milk so I had to give it to him first (I do try to give it to AN first under normal circumstances if she's waited a long time, patiently, and if he's not crying too bad. I dunno what's right to do).

She kept asking and asking to a point I told her that if she asked anymore, I'd have to reject her. She tried to be patient, but then started asking again, and I kept my word, refusing to give her 'mem mem'. She was sad of course, and started crying, but then her cries sounded different. I wondered if I should relent and give it to her, or continue to refuse because I warned her. I do not want her to realise that by crying, she can get me to compromise, but then 'mem mem' is something very personal to both of us. We both enjoy the closeness when she nurses, even up till now. Tough decision to make.

I chose to not give in and that made her cry bitterly. I felt bad inside.

When it was bedtime, I asked her over and told her I will let her suckle because I love her but reminded her that if she will not patiently wait the next time, I will keep my word and refuse to allow her to suckle.

She was more than happy to promise me that she will wait in future, and then things were back to normal.

I thought by making peace, she will be fine and I was wrong :( 

Mr Liow called and told me that AN woke up crying very sadly in the middle of last night (he went over to sleep with her after he was done with some work in the study and by then, I was back in my room with ER). She kept apologising in her sleep and sobbing.

He wondered if she was having nightmares from my rejection hours before that. I thought it might be too, plus the punishments she's been getting lately, and I've been giving her less praises than before. I wondered if she thought I do not love her anymore...Even though she appeared fine during the day, probably her fears return to haunt her at night.

Mum brought AN out for a walk in the afternoon just now and they came back with a nonya kueh which mum jealously told me that AN kept saying she wants to save it for me (mum bought 2, AN shared 1 with mum and said she wants to keep the other one).

My baby loves me...and what do I do? I chose the wrong and worst sort of punishment.

I promise I will not use 'mem mem' as a form of punishment on her. Never again :( 

Bad mummy :(

Don't let the cockroach into the room!

Reminded AN that we have to remember to close the doors when we go in to and out of the rooms so that the cockroach do not follow us in and stay there.

Din think she'd remember but she did coz when I went into her room just now and left the door open (I forgot!), she hurriedly came after me and reminded me: "Mummy!! You forgot to shut my room door!! Don't let the cockroach go into my room!"

Wahahaha!

Coz I told her if the cockroach went into her room, it will go kiss her in the middle of the night.

muaahahaha!

Sighting..

There's a cockroach in our home !

Our part time helper first saw it yesterday but when my mum went over, it was gone. And this morning as we came out of the kids' room, AN told me she saw an 'ostrich'. I thought she was in one of her imagination mode again and went to see.

AND I SAW THE COCKROACH!!

I hope its the same one as yesterday's coz I don't want more than one where we live. I don't even want any...

For 4 yrs we lived here, w've only had 1-2 lizard sightings and ZERO cockroach sightings...why now like that?

Or is it because our pest control experts (Baileys and Maen) are not around?

Can't find the cockroach now. Hope it went out by itself...and not be able to find its way into any if the rooms, especially the kids'!

Before Singapore

3 babies then. Now, 4!

Gymboree day!! I missed driving AN there...

"Are you shooting the vege or me?"

Will I still have time to cook again?

Our kitchen from outside!

Improvement

Today's a better day. I notice AN trying to listen and obey. She does still try her luck but comes back to her senses a few times today before I get upset.

I was about to nap with her when she told me: "mum, I can nap by myself. If you are busy, you can go do your own things."

That was nice to hear, so I changed her into pjs, covered her under her blanket (she loves to sleep in long sleeved pjs with long pants, or fully covered rompers, with blanket drawn up to her neck! In this hot weather!), and kissed her sweet dreams. And I left the room to tell mum what AN told me. Mum laughed and we wondered if she was able to do as she said. Before we finished talking about it, I heard her knocking on the door from inside her room -______-"

She sheepishly whispered that she slept on her own for a while and it's time I come back to sleep with her. We'll try again tomorrow. She DID try (for 2 mins) but wasn't able to fall asleep without me beside her. And she wasn't keen to try tomorrow but agreed after a while. She's now fast asleep, less than 5mins after we hit the pillows.

ER had been a sleepy baby since birth, waking up only to drink and suckled long and hard when he woke up hungry. But from the start if his 3rd week, he's been waking up very often to drink, but suckles for only abt 5 mins. He woke up every 2 hrs to drink and from 7am, he woke up every hour. He's going through his 3rd week growth spurt.

Din get much sleep last night. Am thankful AN's helping by
trying her best.

ER spits out milk quite frequently. I don't really mind him waking up more and drinking less each time. that will be less stressful on his stomach.

And the jie jie is so cute. she says ER smells like my mem mem (maybe coz he has milk all over him) and before nap just now,she thinks she smell him in the room when he was in the rocker outside with my mum.

Hehe.

Not good

No.

Bad behaviour just keeps getting worse. She says sorry, then repeats what I told her she did wrong over and over again, or does something else the next time, or disobeys on purpose even though she obviously hears me.

I need patience. Out of the world type of patience.]

And I badly need a bath. I feel like punching something. I think I'll punch a hole through the wall if I try it now.

Not good. Not at all...

I'm just looking through some pictures and I realised I miss AN when she was some time around 30 months... Back then, there will be good days when she was such an angel and needed no correction or reminders to behave at all. Now, good days means she has problems only with not chewing her food (like, every meal, everyday.). On normal days, she tries her luck with everything.

Lately, I wonder if she's purely attention seeking but she's been doing things that she either will not do (knowing it's not appropriate), or does something for a second time immediately after we told her to stop, or she will argue her way through with all sorts of reasons.

She will apologise after that, and then I hear her say sorry again and again and again, so many times a day now, just because she simply refuses to obey...

They grow up too smart, too fast....She's only 3.5 yrs old now...Is it going to get any worse??

Not Exactly A Bed of Roses

No doubt, AN has been a very loving elder sister and very sharing most times. Even if she didn't feel much like sharing, she will relent with a little more pleading, without much effort on our part.

Still, I have to keep a post of how 'not very perfect' my darling can be. Not that I want to remember bad things, but so that I can remember certain behaviours should we end up expecting a 3rd child. Hehe. That's to be fair to ER so I do not assume him being a boy, will definitely be far worse than AN.

AN's been behaving like a monkey lately. Literally.

She climbs and jumps around a lot lately, especially on the sofa. I do not want her to miss a step and fall off and will remind her countless times not to walk around on it. There will be times too, when she carries on doing exactly what I ask of her not to do, and she does them repeatedly.....up to a point where I start speaking sternly and she'll run to either hide somewhere as if it was our game, or hide behind me so that I can't see her. Either that or she will totally ignore me when I speak to her.

It seems necessary that I raise my voice when I speak before she decides to listen....

She's got more problems with the same old issue: eating. And now, she takes her time to drink her milk in the morning. Every meal time is a struggle. For a while, she seemed to have improved (at my parents place and during that period, even when we dined out). Now we're back to square one.

Just a while ago, while bathing ER, the jie jie tried to be helpful and wanted to pull the shower curtain shut so that "no one can see Ethan bathing", I wasn't paying attention to what she was doing and she must have tugged too hard coz the whole shower rod + curtain fell, onto the top of her head.

She cried coz it hurt. I wanted so much to go check on her immediately but I couldn't coz ER was still soapy...and then the longer I took to bath him while she cried in pain, the more upset I felt. I looked at the mess, and with 2 kids crying at the same time, it's hard to keep myself sane. ER HATES to be bathed -____-" It's getting better in that he cries lesser now and sometimes doesn't but he got frightened by the noise when the rod hit the floor, and I think jie jie's crying frightened him too..

I had to keep quiet for a while, else I'll end up scolding her and I didn't want to coz she was in pain, and she didn't realise the rod will fall. So I took my time with ER, changing him, until the jie jie finished crying.

She said the top of her head hurt when I asked and as I rubbed it, she leaned her head on me..my baby. I felt so bad coz at that point while rubbing the site of pain, I felt this strong urge to scold her. Thank God I didn't. She needed a sympathetic mummy at that point, not a crazy one who is constantly frustrated (it's hard not to be!).

Please pray with me that I will be able to remain sane in situations that may possible make me go crazy. I'll need self control, patience, gentleness and understanding.

Hypocrisy

Can't help it when some people come across strongly as hypocritical...

Incident 2
First time it happened lately, it was over a mirrored cabinet...The domestic helper was around and she was around but she did not mention anything she wanted to mention to the helper. I didn't see anything wrong, obviously. If I did, I would put my request across. If it was something I could clean on my own, I wouldn't ask the helper to do it.

Then one fine day, when I was resting with the kids, I got a call from her reminding me to ask the helper to clean our mirror cabinet coz it was "EXTREMELY DIRTY" (in her words and she was really agitated about it!). I settled the kids and went out to have a look at the cabinet (I see the cabinet everyday and it never occurred to me that it was EXTREMELY DIRTY). And true enough, there were just water stains and not as dirty as she made it out to be. I wondered, this first time, why she wouldn't speak to the helper and had to call me to get me to tell the helper when she could have done so there and then.

I took a damp cloth to wipe the water stains away and the mirror cabinet was shiny as new. Not a very hard thing to do at all...

Incident 2
My mum hangs some cloths on our window grills to dry before putting them back into our wardrobe (some clothes do not dry as well as the others and remain a little damp at the seams). I do not like clothes all over the house too but I agree damp clothes do not belong to wardrobe immediately too.

Someone came over, saw those clothes, and then commented that it was unsightly. Once upon a time, she did the same things with those clothes at her own daughter's place, except that her daughter lived in a condo, and she hanged UNDERGARMENTS in the BALCONY of her daughter's ground level apartment in full view of everyone who drove or walked past. Then she commented that her daughter wouldn't allow her to hang clothes like my mum did. And she actually had the cheeks to say: "I also think its ugly" when we all remember how upset she was with her daughter when her daughter asked her not to display all those clothes plus undergarments in the balcony.

Hypocrite isn't it? And who's going to notice clothes we hang INSIDE our own home on level 16? Aliens or aeroplanes?

But when she rinses her mouth after meals, she leaves bits and pieces of yucky chewed up food in our sink, and traces of toothpaste foam on the lever of our tap. Is that not sightly? It's also not a least bit hygienic! AN washes her hands there and coz the basin resembles a bowl, sometimes AN plays with the foam in the basin after she washes her hands with hand soap... Imagine her hands emerging with spit out food pieces...

Incident 3
1. As usual, whenever our part time helper comes, it will be around AN's nap time. I do not see what she does or how she does things. Mum will also be cooking and we leave her to do her work. No one has time to sit and stare at her work... As long as she gets things done (mirrors are clean, floors are mopped, clothes are washed etc), we're ok.

2. While I was having dinner yesterday, she came to tell me to tell the helper not to climb onto our sofa when she cleans something high. Asks me to tell her to use a stool. And she asks me to tell her to clean the kitchen cabinets, saying the kitchen cabinets are sticky (you know, when she told me that the first time, my mum had just left our home after wiping our kitchen clean. Mum leaves our place for a day of rest on Friday after making sure the kitchen is grease-free..I know coz I HATE greasy kitchens and is internally sensored to find greasy spots.)

And because I'm very particular about kitchen cleanliness (and toilet, above everywhere else), I couldn't help but run my fingers alone kitchen tops, hood and hob, and even sink to make sure what needed to be clean, were cleaned.

Mum left our kitchen on Fri, squeaky clean. On Saturday night, I found burnt noodles in the stove, and a black stain that I couldn't scrub away.. And she has the decency to talk to me about maintaining cleanliness in the kitchen...???? And she was more concerned about kitchen cabinets, not the kitchen table top?

3. She told me to tell the helper to clean the grills all the way to the top. She said the helper only cleaned as far up as she could reach. But although she saw that, she had to wait for me to tell the helper even though I've not seen it for myself...

Oh, the only few times she spoke to the helper, she asked if she wanted some coffee, no mention of the 'stepping on sofa', 'must clean kitchen cabinets', 'must clean grills all the way to the top' issues. Hypocrite isn't it? She wants me to play bad guy who's particular about everything and she is the good and kind mother-in-law who's gracious and nice? (And she definitely speaks VERY differently to her own domestic helper..)

I asked her why she wouldn't tell the helper since she saw her climbing our sofa to clean the grills and when she didn't clean the grills to the top, and she said Mr Liow wouldn't allow her to speak to the helper about it. And then if he wouldn't allow her to speak to the helper (or if he thought nothing about not being able to clean high enough, about her stepping on our sofa etc), she wants me to go against my hubby then? And then she remains the good mother and me to turn into the 'wife who's overly particular'?

Incident 4
Oh, when she wanted to hire the helper, she suggested we could get the helper to wash our clothes and then we could spin dry them to be hung out, or dryer-dried. We weren't keen because we couldn't find anything much that we needed help with.

Yesterday, she told my mum not to let the helper wash the clothes coz it's too time consuming. Mum then came to tell me not to let the helper wash the clothes. I was like "huh?? What?". Seriously, the most important things to get done for this month, is the cooking (which my mum's solely in charge of, plus cleaning the kitchen, and I mean REAL cleaning.), and cleanliness, and clothes. Baby burps, baby spits out milk, baby stains towels/ wraps coz of diaper leak etc. CLOTHES & wraps! ONLY BABY laundry!

And now she says washing clothes take up too much time.

If that's the case, we do not need the helper to come at all.. I can clean dirty basins by myself (unless whoever dirties the basins clean up after herself..), my mum cooks and cleans the kitchen. Mopping the rest of the house is no big deal for her. Windows, grills and mirrors do not need to be cleaned on a daily basis. Why then did she insist we get domestic help? Why then did she suggest the helper can do laundry in the first place?

It then dawned on me that the helper is recommended by her best friend whom she idolises, who can drive and is rich. Hmm....she has to remain a reputable friend, so she will not do the dirty job of giving instructions to the helper (we do it for her). She is the kind person her friend knows, who will only offer drinks and help.

And even though we insisted we had no need for domestic help initially (who knows she'll change her mind and now thinks doing laundry takes up too much time), she insisted it was help for my mum so mum doesn't need to do too much housework. Now I wonder if she insisted we get the domestic help because her best friend simply did the recommendation?

She's the one paying for the help. I did mention I was grateful for her thoughtfulness. Precisely because she's the 'boss', I wonder why she wants everyone else to give instructions and she doesn't do it?

When i needed the domestic helper to wash the clothes, I asked her to. When I needed her to clean the toilets, I asked her to. Mum did ask her to clean the kitchen window grills when it got a little sticky. Why then wouldn't the 'boss' ask the helper to do what she thinks needs to be done? One just needs to ask politely, you do not need to speak like you speak to your own domestic helper at home, do you?

Incident 5
Mum had been asking around and is getting better with understanding the medicinal properties of food and herbs for confinement. Someone then commented that my mum is more knowledgable when it comes to chinese medicine. In her exact words: "I'm more westernised. Your mum is more lao gu dong (old-fashion)." Yes, she said my mum was lao gu dong (old fashion). Exact words, ok?

This same person was one day telling her daughter not to place stove and sink on the same side, continuing under the same breath : "I'm not superstitious and I don't believe in all these but people don't usually place these together. It's not good."

And this person was the same one insisting I do not be present during drilling sessions in the midst of reno, that I do not look when the guys were helping shift our bed out of Tucson home before we left while maintaining that she doesn't believe even though it's still safer not to look (crap).

You guys go figure..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I need to get big bottles of shower foam because it is more worth it, since I'll be moving over soon."

"I can consider getting the current domestic helper to clean up my house after the maid leaves since I will be staying at your home and there will be no one to clean up the house after that."

I got a shock. I asked relevant parties who had totally no idea when she'll be 'moving over' because she had not discussed it with him either.

It's always like that. She plants a thought, decides and acts upon it. No need for discussions. Just like when we were preparing for our wedding and she told me: "Ask your restaurant colleague to give us utensil holders for EVERY guest. You are their colleague, they will not say no.", just like when she kept changing dates for our food tasting because my groom's dad had to work (which is fine because he's the groom's father) BUT finally, she decided to find a good day when the groom's AUNTIE AND FAMILY can make it (even if my groom's dad needed to work on that day), get me to change again (for the 3rd time to suit the auntie's timing) for OUR FOOD TASTING! What's the auntie got to do with our food tasting, I wonder...?? Just like I found S$1 coins at all 4 corners of our matrimony bed a month after we got married (while changing bed sheets). Back then, she believed the ba-gua in the coin (八卦) in our S$1 coin could do us good and secretly hid it without telling us!! She mentioned it to me once but I never thought she would actually hide it under our bed without telling us!!!

We will be living together. Is it going to be tough? It's going to be more than just tough...

And I realised, our first tenants probably didn't abuse our kitchen on purpose. If a close one uses our kitchen as such (stains the stoves and do not clean up, spits into the basin and leave disgusting stuff right there), can we even expect a stranger to be responsible for keeping our kitchen clean for a whole year? I'm expecting my kitchen to evolve into the same one that I'll hate to have soon...unless I still have the time and energy to scrub and clean every night with 2 kids now. We do not have a maid you know......

Sianz...

Blessed 6 Years Old!

My dear, Baileys,

This is probably the 6th letter I've written you in your life. And I've mentioned countless times "how time flies"!

From the day you came into our lives, every detail remains fresh in my memory. The very first day I held a tiny and fragile you in my arms while papa drove at a slow speed back home, how you warily sniffed around our house, how we thought you were one in a million with the way you behaved (all puppies are destructive but we thought you would be different), how so fragile you looked that we would not expect you to be strong enough to break out from behind 2 large and heavy suitcases we used to area train you and how you were paper-trained in only 2 weeks or less. That day we came home to a wagging you, half of me was so excited to see you, and the other half, trembling in fear that you would have peed and pooed all over the house because just a day ago, you still did not know where to do your business. But that day, even though you found your own freedom, you went back through that tiny gap you made by pushing the luggage apart (and where you sneaked out from), back to the toilet and did all your business there.

And then you started teething...but the damage was minimum. We did not realise how little the damage was that you made, till we had Maen who actually ate up our whole sofa!

You grew out of your teething but developed separation anxiety when you'd find things to play with (and something damage) in our absence. You are tall enough to steal things off tables but you hardly did, till we return to Singapore and stayed at gong gong and popo's place.

I was disappointed that you were the culprit and not Maen because you ARE the more sensible one. But to be able to steal things from that height, it has to be you.

But popo can't stop praising you for being very loyal.

She used to think you look fierce and all ready to attack (I don't know why) but after the 3 months together, she's grown to love you, and grown accustomed to having you around. She is impressed by how you would stay close to her when she climbed up high. It felt as if you were watching to make sure she didn't fall. Instead of feeling irritated by you scratching on her door every morning at 6am for breakfast, she was impressed how you didn't have to learn to read the clock to know it's time you eat, and then start scratching at her door so she woke up to feed you, whether or not she was ready to wake up.

You just have the ability to make people love you.

You are 6 years old now and this year, you have to spend you birthday away from us. We miss you but haven't had time to visit you and Maen yet but you'll be back real soon to join us again!

ER hasn't met you. I'm sure he'll love you both and I know you will watch over him like you did with AN, and even popo.