Olla! I'm Still Alive!

Despite the rather ominous tone of my last post, I'm still here! Thanks for hanging on and coming back to this post after so many months!!!

Quick updates....

1. My baby has finally outgrown the 'baby' stage and is now fast on his way to becoming a full blown 'toddler' which keeps me on my toes, and very often; at my wits!
2. Good news, I've lost all my baby weight and then some *hiphiphooray*
3. I'm busy with another blog... yeah, crazy ex-workaholic marketeer and busy new-mother has suddenly fallen heads over heels in love with the world of paper crafting, scrapbooking and card-making. I know this is not every ones cup of tea so I shall not elaborate here, but if your curiosity gets the better of your rationality, like it did mine, do hop on over to MyScrapspiration :)
4. Also, I've started a brand new venture, a little online card shoppe to liquidate some excess cards, check out my creations here; Manjarina Art. I need this so that I can clear some storage as I accumulate more scrapping stuff. Sometimes when the mojo hits me I make cards in a frenzy; making more than I can give out!
5. Yeah I know by linking these sites through Shortcake Tales, I'm giving up my anonymity hahahaha, but I guess that's ok since (a) I'm not in the corporate world anymore and (b) I wonder who reads this anyway and (c) seriously who gives a s*** LOL!

Here are some recent pics of my dear boy ....

Angel asleep in mummy's arms

Mini boss in his big boss high chair at a restaurant

Taken during his FIRST birthday party in September

That's it for now, thanks for dropping by! XOXO :)

Mortality Check

Warning: you may find this quite morbid but I hope it's helpful in some ways.

I'm saddened and shocked to learn about the sudden demise of an old friend's husband over the weekend. He died of a sudden heart attack leaving a wife and three young children. I cannot even begin to imagine what is going through the minds and hearts of these poor souls. On a separate incident, just last year we lost a very dear friend too, she died in her sleep with no obvious causes. She was only thirty one and recently engaged.

Death is inevitable and it's something we do not like to think about. Nobody likes to talk about death, especially in our Asian culture it's very 'pantang' (superstitious, bad omen) to talk about such things. Hence we have a tendency to be ill prepared when it happens. Anyway the recent occurrences, coupled with the multiple catastrophes happening worldwide (earthquakes, floods, fires) raised some crucial yet uncomfortable questions in my mind which I need to look into as well.

Here's what I'd like to call the mortality checklist, things to have ready and assured because really, death is inevitable. You may be young and have the best medical report in town and yet all it takes is a drunk bus driver or an aircraft engine malfunction to land you in front of the pearly gates.

1. No, the first thing on my list is not an insurance-plan, but an afterlife-plan. I'm not here to propagate any particular religious faith but if you're unsure or you're wavering on the fence, choose a side and stick by it. If you really believe there is no after-life, fine but it won't hurt to think harder, I've heard so many stories of people at the brink of death calling out to a God but then they are not sure which one. It's kinda like knowing you need to call the helpline but you're not sure what's the number. And once you have a faith and are serious about it, let your family know who to contact to conduct the funeral in the manner you desire e.g. the number of your church elders or temple officials whatever.
2. Here's where the insurance plan comes in. This is crucial especially if you have dependants on you, e.g. your family or your elderly parents etc. Ensure your next of kin knows who's your insurance agent and where your policies are kept.
3. Ensure your EPF (retirement fund) nominations are up to date. The last you need are for the government to hang unto your money unnecessarily when there is great need for it.
4. Audit and settle your debts while you can. Again, especially if you have dependants on you e.g. children etc so they will not be burden. Consider to insure your debts or any outstanding loans (car loans, house loans etc). Let your next of kin know where your documents are kept so they can make the necessary arrangements or liquidate your assets.
5. Make a list of all your banking account passwords and pin numbers for your next of kin so in the event shit happens and they need money urgently or they need to manage standing orders, they are not left helpless and encumbered by troublesome paperwork. It's bad enough to deal with grief alone so why add on irksome formalities of official paperwork etc.
6. Have a will done up, especially if you have alot of properties etc. Well, even if you don't have very much to bequeath and see no point to engage a will-writer (I'm not an expert in this subject, it's something I need to explore too), I guess it won't hurt to have a written instruction on how you want your affairs to be managed.
7. Leave a legacy of good memories with your loved ones. It has been said many times that no one remembers all your career and worldly achievements but let those who matter remember you for the loving mother, father, son or daughter that you are. Spend quality time, take photos, send cards and write notes and letters on and off. When you are no longer around physically these are all that's left to be treasured by your loved ones. I'm considering investing in nice photo albums and scrapbooks.
8. Decide to be an organ donor (or not, it's up to you). Have a written consent or give permission to your next of kin of your intention to donate your organs. You're not gonna need them anymore so why not give someone else a second chance.
9. Audit your worldly possessions and junk periodically and donate away old clothes, books, toys, etc regularly. This way when shit happens your family won't have the arduous tasks of going through a mountain of junk and it allows you to be charitable yet prevent you from accumulating and hoarding nonsense. Also, please discard old hole-y and yucky undergarments; that's not how you want your spouse to remember you by (hahaha). You may also want to get rid of embarrassing diaries or mementos from your school years (double hahaha)
10. Do your virtual presence audit. Let your spouse or next of kin know how you wish them to manage your Facebook, blogs, twitter etc. To close and terminate or otherwise. Let them have a copy of the passwords. Meanwhile close and delete any unnecessary online accounts (which reminds I need to delete my archaic and obsolete Friendster account).
11. Consider a bereavement brief; our dear friend who passed on last year did something very impressive, she wrote a detailed instruction for her friends and family on how to manage her funeral if she passes on before them, right down to the funeral song, minister to preach and type of flowers and even where she wants her ashes to go. It may sound pretty morbid, but it's not a bad idea at all. So when the time comes, families don't have to fight and dispute on the nitty gritty decisions at such a crucial moment. I'm seriously considering this, there's something very poignant, poetic yet eerily beautiful about this. After all, it makes people around you feel good that they are able to fulfill and contribute to your last wishes to the letter. It's more for their sake that for the deceased.
12. Meanwhile, do not wait for that special occasion to wear that gorgeous dress, precious necklace, expensive perfume etc ... that day may never come.
13. And lastly, never forget to say I LOVE YOU always to people you care about. Say it always and throw in hugs and kisses with it.

Let me know if I left out anything. And live and let live! God bless.

Makan Time!

I've started experimenting solid food with Lucas when he was four-months plus, that's almost a month back. I started out with the basic rice cereal just to test if he's got the ability to take in a tiny spoonful and swallow and if his digestive system is mature enough for this.

After several weeks of experimenting, we conclude that Lucas tolerates rice cereal and he seems to prefer Ninolac over Nestle Cerelac brand. I personally think Ninolac taste and smell better (yeah I tried it myself!) and it's also smoother, but unfortunately it comes in a box and not a convenient can like Cerelac. On the flip side, Cerelac requires you to add in a bit of milk (formula) so it's one extra step and somehow I find it harder to mix and blend .

Ninolac taste better (sweeter) versus Cerelac (weird smell, no taste).

We've tried feeding him some apple and banana puree (organic, store bought) but he makes a yuckky face like it's way too sour or something. So I ended up downing the whole thing myself. Tastes abit like the applesauce that accompanies the roasted suckling pig at Leonardo's .. yummms.

To our surprise he likes VEGETABLES, given that most children don't. He finished the first jar of garden vegetables puree and now we're onto a second jar of veg; peas (yucks) and zucchini (yums). Guess what? He loves it! I really hope this means I won't eventually need to coerce and bribe him to finish his veg when he's much older.

Lucas likes the BabyNat Organic veg (left, available at Village Grocer's organic section) but caution; somehow the puree causes some stains so I will think twice before I get it again. I think he likes the Heinz Peas and Zucchini (right) more anyway. Anyway I plan to try and test a few more brands, I'm just so darn curious!

It's so tempting to just feed him the veg as he laps it up more willingly than the rice cereal, plus it's much easier to clean the vegetables versus sticky rice cereal, but it doesn't sound like a balanced diet, which is a lofty thought anyway since theoretically, he's getting enough nutrition from the breastmilk. Anyway today I experimented with a rice + veg combo. He finished them all! I'll monitor how his digestive system takes it.  

Rice and veg combo today!

Once he starts consuming a substantial amount of puree seriously, I will consider making the puree myself or if I turn out to be too lazy, I guess I'll be ordering homemade puree from Baby Ambrosia, they seem to know what they are doing but their prices looks a bit on the high side.

Here is a snapshot of a very reluctant diner during the earlier days his solid food ordeal. He's more receptive now but still can behave unpredictably; sometimes he just refuse food point blank and just wants to nurse.

Our Water Baby

Now that Lucas is almost 6 months  old, it's time to get him accustom to water before we start any serious swimmimng lessons. So we got us a pair of swim nappy (from Mothercare, really ingenious; helps prevent 'spillage' yet keeps baby looking stylo-mylo!). Daddy could not resist the kodak moments ....

I know he looks like he's on his own here but actually my hands are underneath his torso, supporting him!

He's a little grumpy as he's not used to the cold water.  

I love this shot lots. Cute baby toes and a turtle-infested swim-nappy.

Ahhh ... out of the water! Sweet warm comfort of the towel!

Our Bunny Baby

It's been a crazy hectic Chinese New Year for Shortcake and her little family of three! Since it's Lucas first celebration, we had to make many visits to ensure all the relatives get to see Lucas, most for the first time. It's quite challenging trying to remember what Lucas is supposed to address each and every relative in traditional Cantonese titles ... I think I will draw up a family tree chart in PowerPoint for future reference! Here's a snapshot of our 5-month old bunny-fied baby! Hope everyone had a lovely hoppity celebration!

Baby Dedication

Yesterday we had a dedication session at church where parents of newborns come together to pledge our commitment before God and other witnesses that we will dedicate our child to God and bring them up in the fear of the Lord. The most solemn pledge is that we as parents will live in such a way that is a good and godly example for our future generation (eeek ... it's not gonna be easy but  by the grace of God we shall, we shall!)

Parents and newborns all in a row!

Memento from church; first official bible verse for Lucas. AMEN!!!

A New Beginning!

Today is the official first day of my new "job" of being an SAHM (stay-at-home-mum)! Well, I managed to accomplish a fair bit today; took down the Christmas tree and decorations, swept and mopped the floor, did two batches of laundry, cleared a whole bunch of trash, cooked lunch and dinner while juggling the little one the whole time! Phewww... I'm so beat right now. He's finally asleep (after several 'fake' doze-offs) so I can take a few minutes to write this post. His schedule is still rather unpredictable now and I don't really know what to expect from him and myself so we'll take it a day at a time. Anyway, it has been a good day and I'm going to bed early. You know what they say; sleep when baby sleeps ... zzzzzzzzzz nite nite!

Cheers to 2011!

Thank you folks for staying with Shortcake for yet another year! 2010 was amazing as it's the year we were blessed with our precious prince Lucas. We are now looking forward to 2011 as it's gonna be better than ever. Why, well in the words of Oprah Winfrey; a new year is another chance for us to get it right. And God knows there are many things I would love to do all over again differently on a clean slate ... so out with the the old and bring on the new!

Have a BLESSED NEW YEAR ahead!

Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold. - Author unknown

Feliz Navidad!

Feliz Navidad!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (King James Version)

Here's wishing all my dear blogger friends, secret followers and precious readers a very Merry Christmas! Thank you for your visits, your comments and your support *muax* May the blessed miracle of the season bring warmth, joy and love to your heart, your life and your home ... and have a beautiful brand new start in 2011!

Oh and since it's Lucas' first Christmas, I guess I'll let him take the lead with this year's greeting, we'll feature the Krazy Koala next round :)

Virtual Scrapbook page created via Smilebox

Tom Yum Style Fried Vermicelli with Thai Omelette

Learnt another new recipe from mum; tomyum fried meehoon! Looks like having her around to help with baby has some unexpected culinary benefits too! Mum got this recipe from another relative and she’s made her modifications along the way, and here’s my version. It’s a fair bit of work and preparation but the ingredients are easy to get and it’s really worth the effort!

Tom Yum Style Fried Vermicelli with Thai Omelette

This recipe is good for 2 pax. Just multiply accordingly if you have a bigger party. I’m using ballpark measurement here as it’s a pass-down recipe.

What you will need:
1. Meehoon (Asian rice vermicelli) - soak and drain half a pack, around 200gms max
2. Garlic - a few cloves, chopped or crushed
3. Red onion - one large palm sized onion, or 2 small ones, sliced
4. Kaffir lime leaves - a handful, around 6 to 8 leaves, julienned
5. Red chilli padi - aka bird’s eye chillies, julienned, around 2 to 4pcs depends on how much heat you prefer! (do not use green chilli padi, they taste different and the color is all wrong!)
6. Dried chillies - 5 to 6 chillies, soaked and roughly chopped, this also depends on how much heat you prefer!
7. Fish cakes - 1 small bowl, sliced (can be replaced with meat/seafood or tofu for vegans)
8. Carrot - 1 medium carrot (6 t 8 inches lengthwise), finely grated
9. Cabbage - half a small cabbage, shredded
10. Lime juice - squeeze approx 6 to get half a bowl of juice, set aside 1 or 2 for garnishing
11. Thai fish sauce - approx 2 tablespoons or more depending on your taste buds
12. Pinch for taste - ketchup, spicy chilli sauce, salt, pepper
13. Cooking oil - duh
14. Coriander and slices of red chillies - optional, for garnishing (I like my food pretty!)

Raw ingredients at a glance.

Prepare everything before you start!

Ketchup and chilli padi sauce optional but the Thai fish sauce is an absolute must!

For Thai Omelette:
1. 2 eggs – beaten along with items 2 and 3
2. Thai fish sauce
3. Sugar, salt, pepper


Method:
1. Firstly make the Thai omelette, set aside to cool, pat of excess oil and slice thinly.
2. Then sauté items 2 to 6 together in hot oil till fragrant.
3. Add the fish cakes or whatever other meat you want, stir-fry till ‘browned’
4. Add carrots and cabbage and stir-fry till softened and cooked.
5. Add in softened vermicelli and stir-fry in low heat
6. Combine items 10 to 12 and pour over the vermicelli as it will get dry and soak up moisture readily.
7. Add water gradually if the vermicelli looks too dried-out (hint: it should not stick to the wok!)
8. Continue to stir-fry in low heat till vermicelli is evenly coated and tastes and feels right.
9. Serve with coriander and sliced chilli with the shredded omelette at the side.

Step-by-step stir-fry illustrated. 

Hint; a sturdy non-stick wok and extra long chopsticks will be great help here!

What makes this so different from the usual fried meehoon are the kaffir lime leaves, the lime juice and the fish sauce which gives it that citrusy Thai-inspired, sour, tangy flavour. I find this a really spicy and appetizing meal for any time of the day. A word of caution though, this is seriously not for those with very mild taste buds!

Kaffir lime leaves (aka daun limau purut) gives Thai food that distinctly citrusy heavenly scent!

You seriously can't do without this!

Dongzhi: Winter Solstice Festival

The Dongzhi is one festival I embrace wholeheartedly simply because I love the delicacy "tangyuen" which are glutinous rice balls stuffed with sweet brown sugar. Our dear mum has been making these balls every year since we were kids. So this year, now that I've been promoted to a mummy, I've decided to create some from scratch while my mum narrated the instructions. Turns out they are really super easy to make! It's definitely a tradition I can upkeep as it's simple and yummy! In the spirit of tradition, I'm happy to share what my mum taught me today.

Here are what you will need, they are ballpark measurement as mum doesn't go with the metric system, it's all in her head!


For the balls:

1. 1.5 bowls of glutinous rice floor (standard Chinese rice/soup bowl)
2. 0.5 bowl of rice floor
3. 1 cup of warm water (not cold!)
4. Brown sugar blocks
5. Food coloring
6. A few drinking straws or chopsticks to dip food coloring

For the ginger soup:

1. Pandan leaves (aka Screwpine leaves)
2. Ginger (roughly chop and crush 4 to 6 inches depending on your desired 'heat')
3. Sweet potatoes/yam (optional, qty depends on your preference)
4. Rock sugar

This recipe is good for about 4 pax depending on your appetites!

Easy-breezy Steps:

1. Get two pots ready; one for boiling plain hot water and one more for the ginger based soup.
2. Boil the pandan leaves, rock sugar, potatoes and ginger together till fragrant.
3. The other pot is for cooking the balls in plain boiling water.
4. Sieve the 2 types of floor together, then gradually add warm water while kneading it with your hand till you get a bouncy dough consistency kinda like Play-Doh, it should not be too watery but hold up well on it's own. To test if it's right, make little balls with it and see if it holds up. If the dough feels too watery, add more floor to balance it out.
5. Separate the dough into batches based on the number of colors you want to have. I have five batches here; white, pink, blue, purple and green. Then use the tip of a straw to dip color unto each dough batch and knead till color is even. Be careful to rinse your hand between each batch otherwise your colors will run everywhere!
6. Cut the brown sugar to little cubes to be used as fillings for the balls. You can also make them plain, or use different fillings like peanuts or black sesame paste which I have no idea how to! But anyway I prefer good old simple brown sugar; sweet and fragrant!
7. Pinch dough into mini balls, insert a piece of sugar and roll between palms to get a nice round shape.
8. Cook the ready balls in plain boiling water, they are ready when they float to the surface.
9. Transfer the cooked balls to individual serving bowls. Scoop ready ginger based soup over the balls and we're good to go!

Have fun trying this out and enjoy yummy "tangyuen"! You know what, you don't even have to reserve this delicacy for the festival, it's easy enough to prepare for any family dinner or just a lazy weekend at home for tea!

Prepare the ginger-based soup, boil till fragrant.

 Separate dough into batches based on the number of colors you want to have. I have five batches here; white, pink, blue, purple and green. Then use the tip of a straw to dip color unto each dough batch and knead till color is even.

  

 Cut the brown sugar to little cubes to be used as fillings for the balls.

 Pinch dough into mini balls, insert a piece of sugar and roll between palms to get a nice round shape.

 Cook the ready balls in plain boiling water, they are ready when they float to the surface.

 The balls will get a little bigger and look really shiny when cooked, color also become stronger and darker. Transfer the cooked balls to individual serving bowls.

Scoop ready ginger based soup over the balls and we're good to go! As you can see in this pic here we had it with some nice keropok lekor!

  Love the way the brown sugar is half-melted inside the ball, it oozes out so sweet and hot!

Happy Dongzhi everyone!

Legoland at Bangsar Village

Toys R Us is set to fulfill any kid's Lego-dream this Christmas. I'm sure most of us had some kinda Lego fantasy or other when we were kids. Hop into Bangsar Village to be transported into magical Lego-land. Hubby is a big Lego fan (aren't all boys???) so he had alot of fun just gazing and lusting at the various Lego collections on display.  I was pretty impressed with the ginormous 22-feet Christmas tree and the many fabulous Star Wars collections! Here's a sneak preview, I'm thinking it's really worthwhile to take your kids here. It's definitely not your run-of-the-mill Christmas mall decor.

 22' Lego Christmas tree!

 Lego on discount; perfect for Christmas pressies! Good thing Lucas is still so tiny, otherwise he will be bugging us for these stuff!

 It's like a Lego museum here; I think these belongs to hard-core avid collectors. The adults and older teens are more taken with these than the children.

  My favorite; an assembly of the entire Galactic Empire!

Clone troopers!

Seaside medieval castle.

Ancient Egyptian pyramid.

Play area for children.

 

Catch them before they are gone, from now till 2 January 2011.

Best Friends in the Making!

Introducing 

Baby Lucas (born on 4 Sept 2010) and 

Baby Basel (born on 19 Oct 2010)

It's a momentous occasion when your childhood friend whom you've known since kindergarten gives birth almost the same as you do! We finally managed to catch up after my dear girl's confinement period is over. Here's a short clip of our little baby boys together; getting acquainted for the very first time. They will be seeing alot of each other and I hope they will find good friends in each other in the years to come. Just as their mothers did!

The End: Closing Another Chapter

I’ve been quiet awhile as it’s been quite challenging trying to juggle a new baby and going back to work in November.Anyway when I came back in November, I tendered my resignation immediately. Understandably, people get the impression that I’m leaving my job for the sake of my baby. That’s only part of the truth. I’m leaving this job because it’s like the biggest career mistake I’ve ever made. 

Why is it a mistake? Well, to begin with, there was a serious mismatched expectation vs deliverables. I believe I excelled as a marketer in many ways but I think I suck at this current role (client servicing in advertising). In my past 10 years, I’ve done and achieved things most marketers can only dream of. I’ve done the whole nine yards, one-leg-kick thing, late hours and weekends included. All that plus blood, sweat and tears, all in the name of passion for my job. Some of you who know me will know that when I’m completely on board when I believe in something, there will be no stopping me come hell or high waters! However, my dissatisfaction here has nothing to do with my clients, in fact I've met some pretty wonderful clients who are very appreciative.

Somehow I’m not able to replicate the same fabulous me here. Just to organize my thoughts, here are some of the more concrete reasons why things are not happening here:

1. It’s not what I expected it to be; should never have left marketing to join the dark side!
2. I don’t enjoy what I do; it’s all lacking a sense of purpose.
3. I’m not good at this because I don’t enjoy it.
4. Lack of direction, guidance and support; which means I’m groping in the dark half the time.
5. Incongruent expectations on both sides.
6.  Conflicting work styles within the department creating a lot of contention.
7.  Poor top-down planning and conflicting directions leads to a lot of confusion on who is supposed to do what , how and when, resulting in a lot of unnecessary last-minute scrambling. I don’t understand why we have to pay dearly for someone else’s mistakes and poor time management.
8.  I hate not being in control of my work.
9. The department itself is fragmented.
10. I’m not contributing in a way that changes the world (unlike in my previous place), when I don’t see myself making a difference, I feel very demotivated.
11. I’m not growing professionally as I’m not learning what I need to.
12. Socially it’s not happening for me either; I’ve always had wonderful workmates from my previous jobs which became lasting friends till today. God knows I’ve tried. People keep leaving anyway. Hence everyday is a lonely battle.

Don’t get me wrong, the company is an excellent employer overall and there are many satisfied long-standing staff. To be fair, as an organization they have pretty good values and principles. There will always be some weak links within any strong organization and I’m unfortunate enough to be stuck in one such division. As such I know I need to leave because another day of this would surely break me completely.  I don’t want to spend my hours picking up the pieces and fire fighting for someone who is so disorderly. My anally methodical mind cannot handle it, I have to be in control or I will totally lose it so help me God.

Having said that, do I regret leaving my previous job? No I don’t, the time was ripe there and I had to move on sooner or later. I will always cherish the moments I’ve had there. Looking back I appreciate all the trials and tribulations I went through and it made me what I am today. I especially appreciate the people who gave me the autonomy to make decisions, the room to make mistakes and the freedom to take pride in my work.

And so by the end of December I shall close the year by ending this small chapter on a bad career decision and  starting the new year as a SAHM (stay at home mum) for a while, we don’t know how long yet, perhaps until me and my baby are both ready. We need each other very much right now. 

Will I work again? Yes I believe I will, eventually, I’m not sure if I can resist the lure of the corporate madness and I don’t think I’m done with marketing yet. I’d like to have the opportunity to redeem myself as I don’t want my career life to end on such a doleful note.

Playtime @ Week 5

Baby Lucas getting acquainted with Busy Butterfly & Carrie the Caterpillar.

It's not easy trying to shoot pictures and videos of an infant; they either move way to much or not at all! This is one video I particularly like alot; I managed to catch him in a pretty good mood after his bath.

The First Bath!

After several careful self-education on You Tube (Praise God for You Tube! Just search "how to bathe a newborn" - the resources are endless!), I've finally worked up the courage to bath my precious prince Lucas since his umbilical stump fell out somewhere last week. It was a short bath, I just wanted to get him accustomed to water in a tub and I was so worried he will fuss or catch a cold, but he was so lovely and brave in the tub!

Here are some cute pics; I'm quite amazed he actually hang about calmly enough for me to take a few snaps too! Bravo my boy, bravo! You never fail to make mummy SMILE :)*muaxxx*

Mummy, don't shoot! I'm naked!!! 

Making eyes at the camera!

Getting restless!

Stupid Questions & Remarks

Throughout my pregnancy and after, I've encountered alot of ridiculous questions and remarks. In fact I've got one post on some of the weird things people say when they discovered I was pregnant here. 

Well, after you give birth it doesn't get easier, firstly you are bombarded with endless visitors ranging from families, relatives, friends and colleagues who then decided to bring their spouses, cell members, children, golf buddies etc to witness your "just gave birth look like hell no makeup bad hair face" and brand new baby who is probably shocked to be suddenly outside the comfort of the womb and have to deal with many a staring face. Plus your nether regions are on fire with pain that is unspeakable as the epidural and painkillers slowly wear off and you are dying for a shower, bed pan, morphine, whatever, plus your emotions are highly unstable and you are physically and mentally TIRED beyond words, yet you have to smile at an endless stream of visitors and entertain questions to infinity. or all you wish to do is hold your newborn child in your arms and enjoy the moment but NOOoooooooo ..... *sheeessshh*

Well, most people are extremely thoughtful and lovely and they just want to congratulate us, share our joy and see the new baby. But some of these visitors come bearing remarks that can actually be quite unkind, offensive and insensitive, or just plain annoying. I decided to list some that I've personally encountered lately here so that (a) we don't repeat it and risk irritating the sh*t out of others AND (b) don't come and annoy me with these questions and remarks as well.

Here are some I encountered (for real, not making it up):

1. Are you in alot of pain? What do you think??? This came from a young girl who has yet to birth a  child so I will forgive this remark LOL!
2. You look tired. *duh*
3. Why is your labor so long? Followed by a detailed victorious story of how their labor was so wonderfully short, painless and effortless. OMG what is there to compare? It this really necessary?
4. How come your baby is so SMALL??? Followed by serious bragging of how their baby was 4 freaking kg and their success story at bringing forth a gigantic fetus through an almost instant vaginal birth. Oh God seriously? Are we bragging about the weight of the baby???
5. How come you need to use a vacuum when your baby is only 2.83kg? I just wish I can say "get lost lady, get outta my face" and I wonder why I'm even having this conversation with you.
6. During my pregnancy I didn't put on THAT much weight as my baby was good at absorbing the nutrients. At this point I'm just wondering what she's implying; that I'm too fat yet my baby is small and somehow my baby did not absorb the nutrients? Meaning what? I'm a bad mother stealing all the good stuff from my own fetus? Gosh lady, you need some serious lessons in tact, and this coming from a so-called matured woman in her forties.
7. Epidural is not good, you will get backache in years to come. Seriously, think about it, we all know that, don't you think anyone in their right sound mind won't want to avoid this if possible, obviously it was not like an easy choice to make. And unless you can say you knew the pain I went through, you have no right to judge the labor decisions I made.
8. Why didn't you just opt for Cesarean? This came from some clueless guy who probably think all women should go c-section so that the vaginal regions are unmarked and unscathed by childbirth. This is due to pure ignorance, a sad lack of education. Think about it, nature and God intended for a vaginal birth. A c-section, in most cases, is necessary due to medical complications and emergencies. Of course lately alot of women are opting for elective c-sections for vanity / convenience sake (and I say this without any judgement whatsoever, each to her own), so I guess we can't blame these guys for thinking it's the norm.

Well, maybe a new mother is super emo, sensitive and highly defensive during the first few days and weeks, and I think she has every right to be, given that her body, mind and soul is going through quite a lot after bringing forth a new baby into the world, and everyone is different in every way. I don't see what's there to loose by exercising some consideration, kindness and tact. I mean, after all you came to visit me and my baby, so why is it suddenly all about YOU and YOUR big fat baby and YOUR very smooth easy labor and birth? I'm not interested. I'm tired, in pain, and drugged out, the last thing I need is to hear your bragging-baby-stories. And please stop making comments about my baby being small or whatever negative nonsense. My ob-gyn confirms the baby is a good size for me and he is healthy, whole and just perfect in every way.

Ultimately the main objective is that the baby came safe and sound and perfectly formed, and that the mother is also well and alive. I know my true friends are happy for us and really, that's all that matters. At moments like this what we need are people who are kind and supportive and respect our decisions. We have no room in our lives for those who are here to pass judgement and unkind nonconstructive remarks.

Precious Prince Lucas @ Week 2

At the risk of being one of those annoying new parents whose lives revolves around their new babies, here I am again with more pictures of our dear Baby Lucas to commensurate his second week of life! :)

Afternoon nap on his favorite 'whale' pillow; I can't resist the adorable way he moves his arms in all kinds of directions during his sleep.

Fast asleep on Mummy Shortcake after a satisfying feed.

Sound asleep in Daddy's arms :)

In Popo's (i.e. maternal grandmother) arms; this is the pitiful look; about to burst into tears due to soiled diaper!

The contented post-crying face after a fresh diaper change.

My Labour Story

Everyone, well not everyone, mainly fellow mothers and mothers-to-be have been asking alot of questions about the labour and how it went and all kinds of detailed questions to the point that it's really quite tiring, hence I will detail it down here so that I need not repeat it again and again like a broken record on rerun. Furthermore I noticed my tolerance level and hormonal impatience which I developed during pregnancy has not diminished whatsoever. So here forth I will direct all Q&A on my labor to this blog post haha I'm so mean I know. To be honest at this point, I hate talking about the labor, maybe because it was quite horrific an experience plus not enough time has passed for me to look back and laugh at it yet.


But for everyone's benefit, I will make it short and succinct in point form here ...

2nd Sept 2010, Thursday

• Arrived at the hospital in the afternoon for a check up as I was leaking for 2 days and my discomfort was mounting to the point I can barely walk.
• They did an internal and strapped me up on the EFM (electronic fetal monitoring) and decided that I need to be admitted as the leaking cause me to be at risk for an infection and apparently the EFM shows slight contractions at 4 minutes apart.
• My ob-gyn was out of the country for conference so I was being attended by another doctor who was great as well, very understanding and gentle.
• I explained to the labour team I did not want to be induced (Pitocin via IV) nor do I want an epidural, they respected my wishes and worked around that.
• Throughout the day and night, there was still no progress in terms of cervix dilation despite continuous leaking and stronger contractions by evening.
• Towards the end we agreed to go with a milder form of induction i.e. Prostaglandin, inserted into the cervix to see if we can speed things up.
• Needless to say I was very tired and achy from being poked and prodded the whole day and night.

3rd Sept 2010, Friday

• No progress, Doc was getting abit worried, we decided to burst the main water bag because the leakage was from the 'hind waters' apparently.
• After the main waters were broken, the contractions became super duper unbearable.
• Yet I tried to resist further medical intervention, hubby and I have very strong misgivings about getting an epidural due to all the horror stories and potential side effects, but at this point, it's not the time for me to be a hero anymore as the baby may risk distress due to prolonged labour and contractions. 
• After four tearful and unspeakably unbearable hours of pain, we gave into the epidural as the cervix still refuse to dilate despite the incredibly strong contractions. I decided here that whatever I've read in theory on labor and birth is bullshit crap and I've overestimated my own threshold of pain; tattoo and belly piercing is no indicator of one's pain threshold *duh*
• Also, Doc says at the rate the cervix is behaving, it's gonna be many many hours of pain with very little dilation, he doesn't think I can make it, I concur totally.
• By evening, around 6pm or so, we relented and started the epidural. It was like heaven, seriously. I felt like I could suddenly breathe again and actually lie down still and rest for abit.
• I was still being poked and prodded, they are forever checking my cervix dilation *ouch* but thankfully, the epidural lets me feel nothing. That night, I could sleep properly.

4th Sept Friday.

• Just past midnight or so, the contractions somehow stopped, dilation was about 3cm, they decided to go with Pitocin via IV.
• Even that took longer than normal, it was almost 11 hours before we got to 8 or 9cm I think.
• By 6:45am, the midwives and nurses decided I'm ready, they got the Doc in and we got ready for the baby.
• By 7:44am; Praise God, finally Baby Lucas was born (whole and healthy at 2.83kg) after almost 45 mins of assisted pushing and vacuum towards the end (the epidural affects the ability to push plus the momma was super duper tired, seriously)
• When Lucas was placed on my chest, all bloody and cord intact, it was such a precious moment that cannot be described, all I think of was "OMG we did it!" and I was in such awe and disbelief at this cute tiny human being that came out from me under there! No amount of reading and preparation can prepare you for that sensation at seeing your child emerge from inside you. And he looked so very perfect, he is everything I hoped and prayed he would be.

So there you go; my first ever labor and birth experience. If you've seen my birth plan in an earlier post, you would realize that it just went out the window like ashes to the wind! Oh well, some plans are made to be broken, but ultimately we are grateful we managed to have the ultimate objective; to have a safe vaginal birth; despite all the medical interventions which we tried so hard to avoid. Yup, I was also subject to an episiotomy *sob*sniff*sob* and it's still smarting like hell right now.


However, I must say the Doc and staff nurses were very supportive of my Birth Plan and they even allowed me to try to deal with the process and the pain which is why it took so long. They did not compel, force nor coerce me to do anything I was not ready to do and I was well consulted on all procedures. I was impressed and thankful of the experienced and professional labor team at Pantai KL, these ladies knows their stuff, I was really well taken care of.


My dear hubby was amazing, I was impressed he was able to face the entire birthing process and cheering on with the nurses for me to "PUSH"! He was even steady enough to catch some really good photos. Cheers to the new Daddy!


Two hours after that, we were admiring the brand new baby all cleaned up and swaddled in the cot. Hubby and I were in absolute awe and wonder that we "produced" such a beautiful creature; it's truly a miracle, by the grace of God. Then we looked each in the eye, exhausted, relieved and ecstatic and we both had an instant mutual understanding ... next it'll be a dog or cat to accompany our precious sweet Baby Lucas :)


Well, in retrospect, I would say I should not have gone into the hospital so soon despite the leakage and discomfort and I should have waited abit more; like 2 more days. But then again, truth be told, I was so eager to have the baby, I was getting quite impatient, plus I was subconsciously pressured by everyone bugging me about why is the baby so late. Looking back, I would not give a rats ass about what anyone says anymore; it's not their body, it's not their baby, and I would advise the same to any mums-to-be; trust your own body, trust your ob-gyn and don't be pressured unnecessarily by well-meaning people around you.

Anyway, what's done is done, we believe in God's perfect timing and everything works for good for those who love Him. Besides, who would know how long should I wait and what further signs should be sufficient before it's time. I guess ultimately, God was in control of the situation and it was how it was intended to be. So all praises to Jesus for bringing forth sweet baby Lucas into our lives.