Going greeeeeeeeeen!

I hardly think of myself of being particularly environmentally conscious.

Not really nearly so.

So this green initiative of mine is purely sprouted from very monetary motivations.

We have decided to take the plunge to cloth-diaper Baby X! I’ve started this cloth-diaper “journey” a few months back, fuelled by the rather depressing thought of having a huge drainage on my expenditure. With Jay, this wasn’t really a consideration, because… well, I hardly thought about this at that time! Haha! So many OTHER things to think about!

And I am proud to say I really did do my homework. Read up numerous blogs and websites on cloth-diapering. The how, the why, the tedium and what-not.

Well, after reading up online, I’ve decided to go with Bumwear, wlhich has an online presence as well as a physical store in United Square.

Since Baby X (and since I’m talking about him, might as well slip the latest 3D shot I got of him, courtesy of Dr. Fong)…

… will be coming in just 4 weeks’ time, we bought the 2 dozen prefolds (infant size) and 2 diaper covers for him, at a cost of just above S$100. While the initial outlay’s not cheap, I figured, the costs should be fast recovered, seeing how newborns zip through their diapers! Once X turns 3 months, I plan to get the one-size pocket diapers and inserts, which should last him all the way till he gets toilet-trained! There are loads of considerations and expected inconveniences (as opposed to disposable diapers), but I think cost-wise, it really makes more sense! (Of course, I am only considering the cloth diapering option as I have a domestic helper that would help me with this, I honestly doubt I can get enough motivation to do this sans the maid!)

It is pretty exciting, as I am a mere five weeks from being able to see my handsome prince, instead of trying to decipher black and white fuzzy shapes on the monitor. Looking forward to it!

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Maclaren Strollers Recalled!

How scary! My colleague just informed me that in the US, Maclaren is recalling all its strollers as there were reports of 12 (!) babies having their fingertips cut off by the strollers’ hinge!

However, the report stated that the Maclaren strollers in Singapore would not be recalled, reason being “its strollers meet safety standards here.” They will however be issuing safety covers for free, which will cover that hinge.

My immediate thought: Does it mean Singapore’s safety standards are lower?

Hmmmm…

Having multiple strollers have paid off. LOL! It also helps that Jayvon is now older and therefore I feel that his Maclaren stroller, with its thin cover isn’t very comfortable for him, and so in recent days, I’ve been using the Peg Perego, which is broader and more cushioned, to bring him out on long walks.

If you do own a Maclaren stroller, please keep an eye out for reports when the safety covers for the strollers will be available.

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Disciplining My Boy

I was mulling over this word for the past few weeks.

Discipline

This morning, I even received an email article on  discipline keys that work on toddlers. Then a good friend and colleague also blogged about this same topic!

My growing up years are starkly different from Nic’s. My dad was the strict, no-nonsense disciplinarian, but due to his work, he was hardly around. My mom, the ever-present one, was not a believer of the rod. Nic, on the other hand, experienced the rod many a times during his growing up years.

Jay is entering toddlerhood, and it is getting rather challenging!

Just a few night’s ago, as we were preparing to tuck him in, Jay suddenly started whining and ‘fake-crying’. I know he wanted to feed, but I asked him, “What do you want? Tell me.” His response? Crying and whining EVEN louder! And this continued for one hour. Yes. One hour. No voice was raised, no buttocks slapped. We were just asking him… “What do you want?”

The lesson we wanted to teach him? Crying is no use. And once we ‘started’ this lesson, it was hard to rescind on it, else we will teach him that crying will get him his way.  It was quite heart-wrenching to hear his cries and see the tears liberally streaming down his face.

Nic says that after a while, Jay did realise he was wrong, and was embarrassed at his initial response (or crying) but saw no way of escape and so continued in his path of crying and whining.

The next day? He started his whining fake-cry when he wanted to turn in for the night… but this time, it stopped after a mere 10 minutes. Perchance it worked? We can only hope!

With overly-doting and ultra-accommodating grandparents, aunties, uncles and a domestic helper at his literal beck and call, it is little wonder my boy is one impatient, I-want-it-and-I-want-it-NOW little tyrant toddler.

We believe the time and effort spent NOW teaching him how to verbalise what he wants rather than just crying and whining incessantly will bide us well in FUTURE. We want Jay to grow up to be a well-liked and well-loved boy, whose presence at every event and function is warmly welcomed by all, rather than merely tolerated. Discipline is really the key aspect. And bringing up boys? To me, growing up with 3 other sisters, this is a whole new ballgame. There are new OB markers that I’ve never known! Haha!

Of course there are certain boundaries in our disciplining.

We don’t scream or shout at Jay (little use that will be… and will only add to the overall tension and emotions my little boy is feeling). We don’t lose our temper at him, no matter how irritating or infuriating or uninterested he may seem (We try. Okay, I am usually the one who needs trying. Nic, with his social work background, is often less ruffled than I sometimes. Okay, most of the time.) We don’t leave him alone while he is the midst of a tantrum (though it sure is tempting… to give our ears a break!) so that he wouldn’t feel like we’ve abandoned him or are angry at him. And we also don’t give up the ‘fight’ once we’ve started – we won’t give in to his plaintive cries and we (Okay, mainly me) resist the temptation to take the easy way out by saying things like, “Later I give you a cookie okay?” lest he associates being naughty to being able to get a treat. This is harder for me than it is for Nic! It seems so much easier to just do anything to keep him quiet at times, but sometimes, anything just ain’t good!

Lots of patience needed…

Coupled with the wisdom of God…

Loads of grace…

Sprinkling of smiles…

Oodles of love…

But above all, the ability to resist doe-eyed toddlers, with quivering lips and heart-wrenching cries!

 

Just when I thought I’d seen it all in parenting… then the baby grows up! Every new season… there are new challenges and new things to learn. Lord help us! ;)

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Living Through His Eyes

Having a kid really makes me see things in a new perspective each time. Jay is an adorable boy, super inquisitive and super cheeky! Of course, he needs to “warm up" when in strange company, but once he does, smiles and giggles soon abound. He is open and affectionate and I thank God continually for such a wonderful boy! Seeing the wonder of the world through his eyes, in small things like chirping birds and stray strings on the floor and even his own feet, is refreshing and makes ME see them in a different light too!

I bought Jayvon out for a walk after work on Wednesday evening. And it was just the two of us, so I decided to bring him over to Parkway Shopping Centre.

First stop, the toy section, of course! And he zeroed in on some toys that caught his eye.

First off, it was the keyboard! He stood there for about 10 minutes, and check out his fingering! Haha! He looked so pro! Unfortunately, we were alone and there was no way I could lug the big box this piano came in AND carry Jayvon at the same time. Thankfully, he found fun in the smaller version too!

This was an easier toy, and a quarter of the price – so yeah! I got this toy for him!

After the toy section, I decided to bring him to one of my favourite childhood hangouts – Sam’s Pet & Aquarium, located at Marine Parade Central! It was Jay’s first time in a pet store, and he actually wrinkled his nose at the funky smell at first.

Then he saw the rabbits.

 

And he was absolutely captivated by them.

Absolutely captivated.

He could hardly bear to take his eyes off them! And when one rabbit came up near the glass and started wriggling its nose at Jay, guess what? Jay started wrinkling up his nose at the rabbit in return! I was so amused!!!

This was my two quality hours spent with Jay, and it was so fun! It is amazing how a toy piano and some rabbits made Jay’s day so exciting and joy-filled!Daddy was stuck in his Easter rehearsal (and will be till next Sunday!), and was suitably jealous of our little adventure – wait till Easter’s over, and I am sure Daddy will have his turn with Jay too!

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Baby School For Jay

I was toying with the idea of sending Jay for some enrichment classes, and I made enquiries at a few centres.

It started with Thomas G’s birthday party at Gymboree. Jay had soooooooooo much fun, we thought he would enjoy going for a regular enrichment class. I made enquiries with JWT Gym and My Gym, both conveniently located a mere 5-minute walk from my house. But I’ve just not felt “motivated” enough to actually plonk down money for a full term. Erm. Make that not motivated to even go for a trial lesson. I guess at the end, my sense of practicality (I know! Will wonders never cease! Turns out I AM practical, ya know!?! Ho-ho-ho!) ruled out, and I could hardly bear to literally PAY for PLAY.

After reading Ed’s post, I felt so inspired and decided to go ahead to register Jayvon with Julia Gabriel! And so, I am glad to say that Jayvon will be joining the Bilingual PlayClub come June, when he turns 18 months! I am looking forward to some quality time with him! The PlayClub is a once-a-week two-hours-each-time affair, and I’ve made a booking for every Sunday 2 p.m.

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Attachment Theory

I had a most interesting discussion with a colleague this week. And as we were both mothers, it inevitably led to our “pet” topic – raising children.

Now, she is a very different person from me. She is as meticulous as I am forgetful, and so her parenting style is based upon  her own research and convictions about what the so-called early childhood experts may say or assert, but she comes to a conclusion and adheres by it. My parenting style? I basically let Nic decide. He has a degree in Social Work, and in the University did a course on child psychology, and has first-hand experience with “undiscipled and undisciplined” (my words, not his) adults in his work.

Both my colleague and I agreed that we did not subscribe to the “Cry It Out” method, but rather our parenting styles (and by “our” I really mean her style and Nic’s style, which I follow) is generally based on the Attachment Theory.

(Disclaimer: I may not 100% accurate, but this is my understanding and interpretation, as a lay non-social work background person :) )

The Attachment Theory basically states that an infant becomes securely attached to adults who respond appropriately, promptly and consistently to their needs. This adult (primary caregiver) becomes a “secure base,” a base from which the child can explore the surrounding environment. A baby will show some signs of distress when separated from their primary caregiver, but will be happy and comforted upon the caregiver’s return. They will not be overly distressed at a parent’s absence, but clearly prefer parents to strangers.

This is generally the best sort of attachment, as a securely attached child becomes a securely attached adult. These adults will have a good self-esteem and be able to have trusting and lasting relationships.

Other attachments that can develop through are avoidant attachment (where the caregiver offers little or no response to a distressed child, and generally discourages crying), ambivalent attachment (where the caregiver is inconsistent in his/her response to the child, sometimes appropriate and sometimes neglectful) and disorganized attachment (caused by mistreatment). Insecurely attached children grow up to be insecurely attached adults, and face different issues with their life and relationships.

Interestingly, securely attached children are the least isolated and most popular and least likely to be bullied in school! And most remarkably, school bullies are often insecurely attached.

So these are not mere theories and attachment “principles”, our parenting styles do influence our kids, not just for a few months or even a few years, but it impacts the child’s entire life!

God, please grant us the wisdom to be great parents!

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Day Of Rest

Aren’t there days where you’re just dying to lounge around…

 

 

And there’s nothing more you’d want but to lounge by the big blue sky…

 

And you don’t mind being marooned on an island…

 

No longer wanting to be one in the crowd…

 

 

“Get me out of here, Mommy!!!”

 

Alright, I hear you.

It’s off to Sentosa for a family outing tomorrow!

 

 

How do islanders relax? Well in Singapore, we go to ANOTHER smaller island! Hahaha! We plan to bring Jay to the Underwater World – he will enjoy that!

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Temper Tantrums ‘R’ NOT Us

Jayvon is now 2 days shy of being a 14 month old.

Maybe the lack of sleep has addled my brains a tad, but I could have sworn there was still a good 10 months more before he turned two. You know, the dreaded Terrible Two? I genuinely thought he would be an angel till he turned 2. I mean, even my sister’s son Gabriel who is hardly an angel now was docile till after he turned two.

It can’t be.

Not yet.

When did it happen?

It started rather innocently about a month back. When Jay wanted to get his way, he would USUALLY just stare at you, point vigorously in the general direction where he wanted he to go and make a few indiscernable sounds and grunts.

But he would also understand the word “No,” and he would usually allow himself to be distracted by other things.

But not any more. SIGH.

The past week, he has developed a temper, and when he wants something he would progress immediately to tears and screaming and bawling his eyes and heart out. And he would be inconsolable. Even though the night. He would wake up. Every. Single. Hour. Just. To. Cry. And. Get. Attention.

So today, Nic & I really could not take the sleep deprivation anymore. He threw a mini-tantrum again, just before bedtime, and we brought him to the room to discipline him.

Nope, we didn’t cane or beat or scold. We tried what Nic terms “Ignore Therapy”. We basically let him bawl his eyes out, and only comforted him when he stopped bawling. We refused to acknowledge him when he was crying, as we didn’t want to reinforce or encourage bad behaviour. It took us a good one hour to calm him down. And through it all, it was really quite heart-wrenching to see him cry so much. But like what the Bible says, “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” It would hurt me more to raise a child who has no fear of God and not properly disciplined. Why did we wait till bedtime for such discipline? That’s the problem with staying with OTHER people. If we hadn’t locked the bedroom door, grandpa or grandpa or auntie Jaclyn would have likely swooped in to “rescue” Jay from his mean parents.

All the more, I am more acutely aware of the need for the grace of God, to be wiser parents and to know what to do with temper-throwing, tear-dropping, chin-quivering toddler who threatens to reign supreme in my house.

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Three Prams And A Baby

I have one baby.

And errr… Three prams for him.

I know that sounds horrendously extravagant (my sisters would roll their eyes and agree) but *coughcough* I have a perfectly good excuse reason explanation.

See, my first pram was a Combi. One that I thoroughly disliked and regretted buying soon after! The pram was toooooo “plasticky” in its feel, and I always felt insecure leaving my chubby fat adorable baby inside. And so, when Jay was about 3 months, we snagged a good deal and bought our fabulously green Peg Perego Pliko Pramette at S$400! That is almost half the regular retail price! And for a second hand pram that was as good as new, this was a well-worthy investment. In fact, I loved it so much, my diaper bag is in the same shade of gorgeous green! And no, green isn’t really my favourite colour. But still!!! Colour coordination is still important!

So if you don’t count the Combi (I sure don’t!), then he basically only has one usable, functional, ultra-comfy pram.

Last Sunday we met up with Nic’s parents and sis to have a family dinner at Shaw House, and after that we decided to take a long walk to Takashimaya Shopping Centre to see the Baby Fair that was going on there.

And ta-da! Courtesy of Grandma, here’s Jayvon’s third second third pram! The Maclaren Daytripper.

It is lightweight, lightweight, lightweight!

And the best thing was that it was going for a song! The original retail price is S$238, but because of the Baby Fair, we snagged this at a mere S$98! What a deal!

On Wednesday, I ‘test-drove’ the new pram, by bringing Jay out for a stroll by myself, over a variety of different terrains and grounds.

 

Overall, the Daytripper is a breeze to use, but over bumpier and rockier surfaces, I can feel my palms “numbed” from the constant vibrating motion! But Jay didn’t seem to mind much, and he was quite happy all the way! Of course, he is now 14 months. I don’t think I’d really like this pram if he was just 6 months (the minimum age of babies to use such strollers).

And so, I would definitely still use the Peg Perego because it wins hands-down in terms of comfort and stability (even over rocky gravel or uneven grounds, the pram is so sturdy Jay hardly feels any jolt!). But for “normal” light and day-to-day usage, the Maclaren Daytripper is definitely a good buy! And at half the weight of the Peg Perego, the Daytripper is easier on my shoulders. Erm. I mean Nic’s shoulders.

(P.S. If you notice the picture montage of Jay in his pram over the various terrains, I experimented with Photoscape’s cute cliparts to make this out! Very fun!)

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Not Me! Monday

See, the first thing we must establish, is my great sense of responsibility, endless source of energy and deep love for my prince.

*ahem!*

And now that that is out of the way, you should also probably know…

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That I did not feed my prince yummy char-grilled chicken (from Aston’s Specialty’s) for dinner because it was after service and I wanted to eat something nice for dinner. Nope, not me! I love organic and always insist on home-cooked meals for my son. No way am I feeding him some oily chicken for dinner! That is not chicken in Jayvon’s mouth!

Oh, and speaking of feeding, I did not feed him Nestle’s Honey Stars for breakfast and post-dinner two days in a row. Hey! That’s 4 meals. I am a firm believer of balanced meals, you know?

And speaking of meals, I strictly adhere to the 3-main-meals and 2 snacks a day routine. No ifs, ands, buts or maybes. And I most certainly do not allow my son to snack all the times. Much less at 10 p.m. just before his bedtime. Of course, if I did do such a thing, the benefit of having him sleep for a longer stretch is no excuse for such a blatant lazy act to happen. No sir-ree, not me!

I did not simply plonk Jayvon back on the bed during his FOURTH night feed last night. Without bothering to make sure he was well tucked in or even asleep. Nope, not me. Fatigue is never an excuse. I am too responsible a mother for such a thing to take place.

And on his fifth night feed that same night, I did not fall asleep while nursing him. I mean, what kind of a mother would I be? I would not be doing such a thing!

[Why oh why would an almost 14-month old wake up FIVE times for a feed? Sigh… It’s time to stock up on more snacks! Heh!]

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Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

My very FIRST Not Me! Monday post… Haha! I was just talking to Ed yesterday, on how such fun blog carnivals are “the norm” in US, whereas in Singapore there are barely a handful of entries when a Singapore blogger hosts such a fun thing! :P

Methinks we should brainstorm on a blog carnival to get people involved as well.

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Feeding my Baby Part 2

If you are following Edmund on Twitter, you would probably have read his tweet yesterday on how he “saw me, but not at my house”…

And while a lot of my colleagues were tweeting back to ask him how such an other-worldly occurence could happen, and he didn’t really give a full answer… Let me confess. I *ahem* snuck out of the house. And bumped into Jiahui and him at the Cold’s Storage at Katong Mall, after their post-Valentine’s Day buffet dinner at the Hanabi Japanese Restaurant.

BUT in my defence… I had no choice. Honestly. My hands were tied. (See? This is my blog, so you can’t really interject your objections here!) *ahem!* Like I was saying, I was bored. I had no choice. There was absolutely nothing to do in the fridge for Jayvon. I totally had to sneak go out to top up groceries for him. And I chose the ulu-est (colloquailism for the remotest of all remote areas!) places to do this quick 30-minute trip. Can you imagine? 30 minutes only, and I can STILL bump in some people we knew was all we took to spend $100 at Cold’s Storage.

I was never a big fan of reading the labels of the food I consume, but with Jayvon I am a bit obsessed. I am in a “organic” phase for him, where I will stock up on various organic biscuits, pasta, and even rolled oats. Read about my previous major shopping trip here.

After buying Annabel Karmel’s Feeding Your Baby & Toddler book, I was so inspired to cook more yummy things for him! So I bought the following items:

• Edam cheese (a kind of mild cheese, to make cheese sauce!)
• Cheddar cheese (for his pasta! He loves pasta!)
• Organic macaronis
• Heinz cheese sticks for toddlers
• Kiri cream cheese (as a bread spread. I toasted a slice of bread for him this afternoon, spread a layer of cream cheese over to feed him – and he loved it!)
• Pura Milk (There was only the 2litre bottle. Sigh. So I had to get that)
• Minced beef and tomatoes (to make spag bolognese sauce)

Of course, there were a few other items (like Orange Juice for Mummy and Diet Coke for Daddy) that made up the $100, but the bulk was spent on Jayvon.

I prepared the cheese sauce this morning, made four portions and froze them all. Will be preparing Creamy Broccoli and Chicken for him tomorrow! The sauce smells divine, so I think the dish will be yummy too!

This is the book – look at the appetising photos inside! So nice!

Apart from introducing him to more food, I also started him on cow’s milk this week. Thus, the reason for buying Pura milk. I must say, I didn’t really give much thought to the brand of cow’s milk, till I went to scour the forums to see what other mothers had to say. Here were some of their comments on some of the cow’s milk (suitable for toddlers above 1 year old) that can be bought off the shelf:

HL Milk: Some comments said it tasted “fake” and like milk powder

Farmhouse Brand: Some forumers pointed out that while the front of this packaging says the milk is “Australian,” yet if you flip to the back of the pack, it says the milk is packed in Malaysia. So I guess that means… the cows were from Australia but reared in Malaysia?!?

Pura and Organic Valley came quite highly recommended, so I decided to try it out. I gave it to Jayvon chilled (i.e. from the fridge without warming it up) cos he generally associates “cold drinks” with “nice drinks”. No thanks to Aunty Teresa. But for his maiden try at cow’s milk, I think he took to it pretty well. Now… to finish up that 2litres! Haha!

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Yakult Time!

Did you just see me feeding my sick & wheezing baby Yakult?

Yeap!

But hold the stoning please.

See, Yakult is part of his thrice-daily "medication."

And if you reckon the colour of the drink is a little off from what you remember it to be, fret not - it is not some bootleg (or you-know-where-made) version.

I drank up the bottle, filled it with water and THEN popped in a sachet of this orangey-flavoured powder, which the doctor says is good to dissolve Jay's flam.

Why Yakult? Cos he was super fussy yesterday and refused to take any liquids from his usual Avent bottle! So I had to trick fool placate him with this!

And as you can see... it works! Heh heh!

Oh, and his other "syringes"?

Filled with Zyrtec (to reduce his nasal congestion) & this herbal cough mixture that looks and smells like honey! Why can't "adult" cough mixtures taste like this? I normally detest cough mixes, cos of its icky  and fake cherry taste, but THIS smells divine! :)

Thanks to all the MSNs and SMSes and comments on Jay... He is feeling quite better now. At least he is not as lembek (colloquialism for weak) as he was for the past two days. Thanks for all your prayers!

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Feeding My Baby

One of my biggest headaches in the past two weeks is... What do I feed Jayvon?!? At 10-months, he has passed yet another milestone of his life, and I want him to fully enjoy LIFE! In all its tastes & textures!

So I've scoured numerous online websites, trying to find recipes & the type of foods that he is able to eat. Well, most have been quite helpful, though a lot of conflicting information out there still exists! Some websites say you can feed soft-boiled egg yolk (just 1 or 2 small teaspoons) to a baby as young as 6 months. Others say you have to fully cook (i.e. hard boiled) the egg yolk. Yet others say keep baby away from eggs till he/she turns one year old. Me? I gave my baby some soft-boiled egg yolk to sample when he was about 7 months!

So in the recent days, I have went on a mini shopping spree! And the items I've purchased?

• Alphabet-shaped macaronis
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• ORGANIC pasta
• ORGANIC oats
• ORGANIC biscuits (he loves this!)
• A brand new plate
• New spoons (for self-feeding... Not successful so far, but hey, I've got to at least start training him...)
• A water tumbler for him to drink from a straw (he loves this too!)

And I'm still not done! I want to get some more unsalted butter (to make mashed potatoes for him), grated cheddar cheese, dried apricots and avocado!

Well, Teresa's been griping about how ORGANIC stuff are good for baby. So I went to the organic corner at Carrefour to pick up some items. They have quite a number of organic food stuffs especially for babies! The salesman also told me that a bigger baby food range will be coming next week, so I'll pop by after work soon again!

So I'm slowly introducing him different foods, once every few days.

I like this particular website: AnnabelKarmel.com

They offer good tips and healthy recipes for babies all the way to children aged 12!

But my baby's a fussy baby, and he doesn't take to new foods. Even to now, his food intake's really low. I know looking at his size, you'd be hard-pressed to believe me - but it is TRUE! Hahaha! He hardly finishes his milk and his porridge...

But the one thing he loves, absolutely adores... is fruits! Mashed bananas, apples, pears, grapes... He slurps them up!

Here're some pictures of how he enjoy his twice-weekly dosage of fruits. This "fruit-eater" contraption I bought when he was just 6 months old is a very very worthy investment!

But nothing says he loves apples like this video!

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A Packed Saturday

(LIfe from Jayvon's eyes...)

Saturday was a very packed day! I was so excited that I woke Daddy & Mommy up at 5AM to prepare! Daddy & Mommy brought me to many places today.

After Mommy bathed me & changed me into some cool togs, we went to Singapore Art Museum. Auntie Jer Blinn was getting married to Uncle Jared today. I was a bit sleepy already, even before the ceremony started, so Mommy took me outside to the Courtyard to make me sleep. But Mommy, I am so happy for Auntie Jer Blinn that I couldn't possibly fall asleep! Mommy brought me around the Art Museum, and told me it was one of the venues for Daddy & Mommy's wedding photo shoot too... Nice!

This is my very first wedding. So fun! Mommy says I can be a Page Boy when I grow up a bit. Guess walking is an important prerequisite... Uncle Wii, maybe I can be your Page Boy? :)

It was kinda hot in the Courtyard, so after taking a photo with the beautiful Aunties Jer Blinn & Grace, Daddy, Mommy & me went to Sushi Tei at Raffles City. What a nice place. Daddy & Mommy had a good lunch. Me? I was lying on the couch, glad to finally be able to stretch out a bit. Daddy was so naughty, he wanted to make me sleep. Nah... I prefer to be awake!

Mommy wanted to look at her desired Kate Spade bag, so we all went to the Kate Spade outlet. What a beautiful green bag Mommy chose! It goes so well with my green Peg Perego as well! Mommy forgot to bring her vouchers, so we couldn't get the bag for Mommy yet...

By the time we reached home, it was nearly 230pm. Yawn... I caught some shut-eye till 445pm, when Mommy hurriedly carried me out of the bed. It was time to go to Expo for service! Oh my, we were running late. No time to even change out of my comfy home clothes either... Mommy brought along my favourite Old Navy jacket and a pair of long pants for me to change into when we reached Nursery 1.

Service was fun as usual. I always like the Praise & Worship. This time, I sat on Mommy's lap, listening to Pastor teach on prayer. What an interesting sermon! I want to learn to pray too!

But I was getting a bit restless. I was so tired already... What a packed day of events. After service, Daddy & Mommy were on the way to the taxi stand, when we met up with Mommy's cell group members... All the familiar faces! he last thing I remember was Auntie Audrey wanting to carry me.

Zzzzzzz...

Even Auntie Jing Ting & Auntie Qinsi took the chance to take a photo with me even though I was sound asleep.

What a day!

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Random Updates...

Firstly, as promised... here's a final farewell to the Combi pram. You will not be sorely missed. :)

 

If you see the position of his hands, you'll know... He's uncomfortable! Cos his normal sleeping posture on the bed's more like this:

Like what Adam said... "Praising the Lord!" Hahaha...

So it is with great joy in our hearts, though our pockets definitely felt the pinch, that we got the new gorgeously green Peg Perego Pliko Pramette!

And how does he look like in the pram now?

 

Well, it was also my birthday on Monday - so the past week was spent in celebrations of all sorts with different ones!

- Family Dinner @ Seafood International

I didn't have much time to take shots of the yummy food... but here's a shot of a must-have if you ever go for a dinner over there: Curry Crab with Garlic Bread! Oooooo... Fantastic!!!

- Zone Celebration @ C-Nai Hong Kong Cafe

- Ala Carte Buffet Dinner @ Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant

- Yummiest Durian Cake

This is FANTASTIC!!! Two thumbs up! Thanks to Ed for recommending this online bakery! The name of the cake says it all... Durian Decadence. Glorious. :)

 

And finally... Congratulations are in order!

Congrats to two couples for embarking on a whole new chapter (a whole new book, really) of their relationship: MARRIAGE! Congrats to Jimmy & Mingyan, and Randy & Shun Ai! :)

And... Congrats to Ed & Jiahui on having their third baby gal, Nadine. As proof of how serious a blogger he is, Ed updated his blog EVEN WHILE JIAHUI WAS IN THE DELIVERY SUITE.

Man... When I was about to give birth, Nic & I decided to have "radio silence"! Haha... So I am extremely in awe of the BOTH of them! Well, if Nicole and Nathan are any indication, I am sure Nadine will turn up cute as peas as well! :)

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Yay! New Pram!

Yippee! I am glad to announce that Baby Jayvon finally has r-o-o-m!

On Saturday morning, I received three missed calls from Ps Yong & Val - was quite shocked! But when I returned the call, Ps Yong told me... "SALE IN ROBINSONS!" Aah... Sale. What a long-forgotten friend! Hahaha... It's been so long since I've been out shopping!

Anyhow, Ps said that Robinson's was selling the Peg Perego Pliko P3 for $488 - compared to the usual price of almost $700! And Robinson's card holders will get an additional 5% off! So we packed & headed for Centrepoint to check out this deal.

Did I buy it?

Well, I bought a Peg Perego in the end, but not the Robinsons one, though it was really quite a good deal.

Cos of my constant longing to get a new pram, I actually saw an online auction of the Peg Perego Pliko Pramette. The owner wanted to sell it off at $450. So I had contacted her, and learnt that she was even willing to let the pram go at $400! The original price for the pramette is a staggering $800. But I was quite reluctant and double-minded about this, cos I'd have to travel all the way to the owner's place (at Seng Kang!) and not know the actual condition of the pram.

But after viewing the pram at Robinsons, we decided to just take a cab to Seng Kang to see the other one.

And it was really a very pleasant surprise! The pramette was in pristine condition! The owner's baby, now 6 months old (and incidentally only about as big as my chubby baby), preferred to be carried about in a sarong and so rather than leaving the pram to "waste" in her home, she wanted to sell it off.

So at $400... it is a STEAL!

I love my new pram. Jayvon tried it out and he's loving it too! Hahaha...

More pictures will be posted soon! :) Thanks to all who've 'pledged' to his pram fund... Hahaha...

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Give That Baby More Room!

I have a big baby.

There... I've said it.

I won't say he's fat though.

More like chubby.

More like Theodore from the Chipmunks.

And so... being a chubby baby, it is inevitable.

No more room. Squeezy. Squeezed.

See?

Check out his uncomfortable look.

Squeezed.

And so... I have decided. My baby's comfort and well-being is important.

A new fund has been started:

A Give-That-Baby-More-Room Fund.

All proceeds will go towards upgrading his pram. From his current Cherry QQ-sized pram to a gorgeous Mercedes one! One worthy of my baby's err... bulk and chubs!

I present to you... the Peg Perego Pliko Pramette!

So don't hesitate! Call 1800-IWannaGiveJayvonANewPram now!

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