I always thought I've been born to write. And when I was younger, it sounded boring. Now, I'm just glad to write about life, marriage and family. I also like to be creative and I hope I can continue doing so even with a little one that disrupts my without-child routine. After all that has been said and done, I'm a blessed mother.
I started this blog to journal everything that happened after we got married on January 1, 2006. And now, we have a little one to blog about and hopefully this will serve as a memory lane for him.


online shopping

for the longest time now, i’ve dreaded receiving e-mails from citibank because they’re either my credit card statements or promotional news that do not apply to me. but when i checked my e-mail today, i received a promotional news regarding jcpenney. yes, jcpenney is in town. i used to shop at jcpenney (besides the other departmental stores) when i was studying in Chicago. and now, jcpenney is in town in an online format. but, that’s wonderful for me because i love online shopping. i don’t like walking around shopping. i prefer to surf around shopping. and at jcpenney.com.my, you can get everything (well, almost) and the best thing is their range in maternity as the maternity wear in malaysia are mostly not elegant. however, the only problem with purchasing from jcpenney malaysia is the shipping that will cost you RM48 for only 1 pound! so, i guess i’ve to continue walking around shopping. sigh….


misbehaviour

i’ve been very busy these two days trying to arrange the trip for my mil and her siblings to visit aunt anna in new york. joanne is handling the visa application procedures for them whilst i handle the ticketing. because they needed to leave asap, there are not many choices out there for cheaper airfares. so, i’ve been busy trying to find the best deals for them.

besides arranging the flights for them, lyan fung hasn’t been behaving himself at night. two nights ago, he woke up about 5 times for feedings. this was because he was very tired from lack of sleep during the day. yet, he wanted to be nursed. so, each time he nursed, he will go back into his sleep and then, he’ll wake up again because he was feeling hungry. and last night, he woke up about 3 times to be nursed and the last time he nursed, he had difficulty going back to sleep that i had to cradle him to sleep before i could knock myself into bed again. sigh…. i hope these night episodes will end soon because i’m drained now plus an aching back doesn’t help.


turn in weekend events

the weekend was busy as usual. on saturday morning, gary decided to bring the family out. he asked me to choose between aeon at bukit tinggi, the curve or subang parade. and i decided on the curve because it’s a baby friendly place. after we had lunch, we walked around a bit until lyan fung decided that he’s hungry. so, i brought him to the baby care room. after nursing him for a while, another mother brought her baby into the cubicle next to mine and the baby was crying hysterically. and lyan fung, being the busy body, couldn’t concentrated on his feeding anymore and kept looking where did the sound come from. he must’ve been wondering how come it sounded like him crying. hehehe! he’s cute at times like this. after we’re done with our shopping spree, we went home and chilled for the day at home.

on sunday, we went back to in-laws’ for lunch because gary’s youngest brother was back for a break from work at singapore. whilst having lunch, mil informed us that aunt anna in new york is critically ill and wish to see her family members before the Lord calls her to be with Him. mil also told us that she is at peace and has left fate to God. after that, we were just planning for everyone to acquire the relevant documents and air tickets so that they could fly to see her soonest possible. (and i’m still working on acquiring the cheapest airline tickets)

yesterday, i was on my way to send lyan fung to my parents’ place when there was a massive jam on the federal highway. what usually takes me 15 minutes took me an hour plus. so, i called in and requested for emergency leave. i went home after dropping lyan fung off and cleaned the store room at home. i’ve wanted to do that for a while but finally had the time to do so. at about 3 pm, i went back to see lyan fung and left only after dinner.


managing cloth nappies

this post is in response to kristie’s comments: oh so u are using cloth nappies ya… who is looking after lyan fung now? cloth nappies=lots of laundry! under the post, “potty training”.

yes, cloth nappies do require lots of laundry and energy (to keep changing) unless you’re able to potty train your baby. however, wearing cloth nappies eliminate nappy rash (which if happens, you could apply drapolene or bepanthen) and help save the environment. for me, the reason i use cloth nappies is more for the environment. whenever i think of the generations after me, i worry for them for the inconsiderate actions we take today. and if my baby have nappy rash, i’m not sure how much the creams will affect my baby negatively.

if you’re worried about laundry, what i do when i take care of him myself is this: i buy more cloth nappies… about 2 dozens should suffice. also, i buy nappy liners. after he has soaked each nappy, i will soak them with the anti-bacteria detergent in a pail. if he has poop on the nappy, i will throw the liner away and scrub the nappy before soaking it. please know that the nappy liners can be reused. so, you can wash these too. at the end of the day, i stuff all these nappies, liners and his clothes into the washing machine and let the machine do the job for me. yes, hanging them is a hassle and folding the nappies are worst. but, i’ve gotten them into my system now and i think it’s the best for my baby and the environment.

my parents are taking care of lyan fung and they have a maid. my parents are an advocate of cloth nappies too. and my maid also doesn’t allow him to wear diapers. she always complains to me if his butt during the occasional times gets the nappy rash. so, she’s more than willing to hand wash the nappies. i’m just lucky to have parents and a maid who loves lyan fung enough to do all that hard work.


postnatal workouts

i admit it! i’ve been so tired and lazy to exercise that i still have those postnatal fats and weight to lose. i’m so tired of wearing the same clothes all the time because i couldn’t fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes. so, i’m trying to find some exercises which i could do at home and that would be interesting to motivate me to workout. i found these workouts which seemed really interested and thought i would share with new mothers out there….

{1. Baby Dancing }

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Holding your baby in your arms or in a front carrier, sway back and forth or dance the cha-cha. Keep your feet moving to gently raise your heart rate. Continue for 5 minutes, working up to 10.

Strengthens heart, legs, hips, arms, shoulders, back and abdominals.

Total time: 15 to 20 minutes

Tips: Keep your abs drawn in and your shoulders back and down during each move. Be sure to cradle your baby’s head securely, and don’t forget to play and talk with her while you exercise.

{2. Cradle Pliés}

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Holding your baby to your chest, stand with feet wider than hip distance, toes slightly turned out and abs tight. Keeping your pelvis still, bend your knees [shown]. Straighten your legs and squeeze your glutes (butt) as you return to starting position. Repeat 10 times, working up to 30.

Strengthens legs, glutes, hips, arms, shoulders and abdominals.

Total time: 15 to 20 minutes

Tips: Keep your abs drawn in and your shoulders back and down during each move. Be sure to cradle your baby’s head securely, and don’t forget to play and talk with her while you exercise.

{3. Mommy Squats }

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Holding your baby to your chest, stand a few inches in front of a couch with your feet hip-width apart and toes pointing straight ahead. With abs drawn in, bend your knees and lower into a semi-squat until your butt is just above the seat cushion [shown]. Return to starting position. Repeat 5 times, building up to 10.

Strengthens legs, hips, glutes, arms and core (abdominal and back muscles).

Total time: 15 to 20 minutes

Tips: Keep your abs drawn in and your shoulders back and down during each move. Be sure to cradle your baby’s head securely, and don’t forget to play and talk with her while you exercise.

{4. Baby Bridges }

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Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, toes pointing straight ahead. Place your baby belly-down on your thighs and hold onto her hips or ankles. Keeping your abs tight, slowly lift your hips off the floor while squeezing your glutes [shown]. Lower your hips to the floor. Repeat 5 times, working up to 10.

Strengthens hips, glutes, lower back and core.

Total time: 15 to 20 minutes

Tips: Keep your abs drawn in and your shoulders back and down during each move. Be sure to cradle your baby’s head securely, and don’t forget to play and talk with her while you exercise.

{5. Kiss the Baby Push-Ups }

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On your hands and knees, place your baby on her back, underneath your chest. With your wrists under your shoulders and your head in line with your spine, pull your abs in–your body should form a straight line from head to hips [shown]. Bend your elbows to lower your torso and give your baby a kiss. Push back up to starting position. Repeat 5 times, working up to 15.

Strengthens chest, arms, back and abdominals.

Total time: 15 to 20 minutes

Tips: Keep your abs drawn in and your shoulders back and down during each move. Be sure to cradle your baby’s head securely, and don’t forget to play and talk with her while you exercise.

{6a. Baby Elevators }

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Sit with your knees bent and ankles crossed. Place your baby on your ankles facing you. Maintaining a straight back, gently lift her toward the ceiling, keeping your elbows slightly bent [A](shown). Slowly lower your baby toward your chest and give her a kiss [B] (next slide). Push her back up into the air. Repeat 5 times, working up to 15.

Strengthens chest, back, arms and shoulders.

Total time: 15 to 20 minutes

Tips: Keep your abs drawn in and your shoulders back and down during each move. Be sure to cradle your baby’s head securely, and don’t forget to play and talk with her while you exercise.

{6b. Baby Elevators }

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Sit with your knees bent and ankles crossed. Place your baby on your ankles facing you. Maintaining a straight back, gently lift her toward the ceiling, keeping your elbows slightly bent [A](shown). Slowly lower your baby toward your chest and give her a kiss [B] (next slide). Push her back up into the air. Repeat 5 times, working up to 15.

Strengthens chest, back, arms and shoulders.

Total time: 15 to 20 minutes

Tips: Keep your abs drawn in and your shoulders back and down during each move. Be sure to cradle your baby’s head securely, and don’t forget to play and talk with her while you exercise.

{Part 1: Blast The Fat With Cardio}

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Total time: 20 minutes

Tips: Keep your abdominal muscles drawn in, chin level and wrists straight when pushing the stroller (don’t forget to watch for obstacles). Take long strides, leading with your heel and rolling through your foot. Drink plenty of water before, during and after your workouts, and wear supportive walking shoes and a sports bra. Also, make sure your baby is well fed before you start, and don’t forget the sunscreen and water.

1. Warm Up: Loosen up your muscles with a relaxed walk. Do several shoulder rolls and take some deep breaths. Total time: 5 minutes.

2. Pick Up the Pace: Increase the intensity by taking larger strides or skiping. This will get your heart pumping. Total time: 5 minutes.

3. Go Full Force: Alternate 1 minute of brisk walking with 1 minute of light jogging or speed-walking. Feel the burn! Total time: 5 minutes.

4. Cool Down: Bring the pace down to a slow walk, giving yourself time to catch your breath.

Total time: 5 minutes.