Sneezes and snoozes....

Nothing better than a good laugh.

2009-09-18T23:53:00.008+08:00

If anyone sees me right now, he might think I'm going nuts coz I'm laughing like nobody's business though the two little kiddos are sleeping soundly in the room.

Found a site that contains funny stories and ad excerpts. I felt better and merrier after going through the site. It has been rather a bland day for me. Here are some of the funny ones.

=============================================
Cup Holder

Tech Rep: "Yes, it is. How may I help you?

Caller: "The cup holder on my PC is broken and I am within my warranty period. How do I go about getting that fixed?"

Tech Rep: "I'm sorry, but did you say a cup holder?"

Caller: "Yes, it's attached to the front of my computer."

Tech Rep: "Please excuse me if I seem a bit sutmped, it's because I am. Did you receive this as part of a promotion. at a trade show? How did you get this cup holder? Does it have any trademark on it?"

Caller: "It came with my computer, I don't know anything about a promotion. It just has '4X' on it."

At this point the Tech Rep had to mute the caller, becuase he couldn't stand it.
The caller had been using the load drawer of the CD-ROM drive as a cup holder, and snapped it off the drive.

=============================================

" A woman and her sister were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of nuts. As they were looking at the display case, the boy behind the counter asked if they needed any help. The woman replied, "No, I'm just looking at your nuts." The sister started to laugh hysterically, the boy grinned, and she turned beet red and walked away."

============================================

(This one is my fav.)
"A lady picked up several items at a discount store. When she finally got up to the checker, she learned that one of her items had no price tag. Imagine her embarrassment when the checker got on the intercom and boomed out for the entire store to hear, 'PRICE CHECK ON LANE THIRTEEN, TAMPAX, SUPERSIZE.' That was bad enough, but somebody at the rear of the store apparently misunderstood the word 'Tampax' for 'Thumbtacks'. In a businesslike tone, a voice boomed back over the intercom: 'DO YOU WANT THE KIND YOU PUSH IN WITH YOUR THUMB OR THE KIND YOU POUND IN WITH A HAMMER?'

=============================================

FOR SALE BY OWNER: Complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000.00 or best offer. No longer needed. Got married last weekend. Wife knows everything.

Free puppies: 1/2 Cocker spaniel, 1/2 sneaky neighbor's dog.

Lost: small brown poodle. Reward. Neutered. Like one of the family.

Nice Parachute - Never opened. Used once.

=============================================

Have a visit and hope you'll have good and healthy chuckles along the way.
http://www.onlyfunnystories.com/

Persistent Fredie

2009-07-18T23:31:00.012+08:00

This is a story of a hunky frog,

that croaked so loud so much like a hog,

He landed in the lotus pond,

we wished everyday that he'll be gone.

The evenings are our TV time,

but tranquility was shaken by a crime,

To our horror, the croakings came along,

So Fredie was thrown to a nearby billabong.

An hour passed and we were at peace,

but Fredie came back and we were in a twist.

The croakings came daunting and haunting.

We laughed admist temper amounting.

For three days in a row, Fredie kept croaking.

Arghh...When will his mate answer the callings?

No matter how far the banishments were,

Fredie will come back with more fervor.

Fredie found his mate the day after,

and two sets of croaking worsened the matter,

They got their chance of a romantic night,

and gone the next day, what a delight!

Few days later, the pond were infested,

Tadpoles were everywhere, someone help us!

Into the drain, off they go!

But some did stay by laying low.

This crazy mommy caught a few,

so the kids may have a full view,

into the jar tadpoles went a swimming.

Alden and Edric really went a beaming.

Two legs, four legs and shortening tails,

The little froggies jumped out of the pail.

Back to the pond to where they belong,

Mommy and the kids bade them 'So long!'.

Funny how we never heard them,

It's crazy, but we do miss them,

Guess they decide to leave their nest.

At least for now we get our rest.

(Am apologizing for the pics are not so good here.)

Tadpoles in the pond.

The beady eyes make them look cute. Their shapes remind me of stingrays though.

Side view.

Two legs.

The one on the right looks like godzillalah. he,he

Four legs.

Shortening tail.

Looks like little gold specks on the body.

Ready for the big world out there.

Dang those worms..

2009-07-01T23:06:00.007+08:00

All these while I'm a big supporter of 'grow your own food; well, thanks to my mom. We grew a lot of vegetables and fruits on our backyard when we were staying in Keningau. The land around our little house was quite large. That was why we can plant so much. The cool, black soil feels good to the touch and I really don't mind working with my bare hands.
I could still see the green lush patches and the fruit trees in my head. Hmm..:) Really miss the sight, the smell, the morning mist and the coolness of the weather, especially in the morning. It will be awesome if I could climb the cherry trees again.

Mom called me up a few days ago telling me that something bit her hand though she couldn't recall seeing any insects on her hand. The skin around her hand was inflamed and errupted into rashes. Initially thought to be an insect bite, she went to a private clinic to seek treatment. However, her condition worsened as the days go by. She started to see trails in the skin and the itch from the affected area was immensed especially at night.
The moment she mentioned about trails, the word parasite popped up in my head. My poor mom actually went back to see the dr when she felt the medication was not working. However, she got a rather cold shoulder and the dr sent her off saying that she has to finish her medication and it will be alright.

I told her the possibility of parasite infestation is very high since she mentioned the symptoms of intense itch and snakelike trails developing on her skin. She made a trip to a skin specialist and the dr immediately told her that she has hookworms in her hand.

What my mom had is called creeping eruption. It is an infection from dog or cat hookworm larvae. Well, from time to time, we see stray cats running about in the garden. The carrier must have defecated there and as the parasite's eggs hatched, the soil around would have been infested with the larvae. Since mom gardens with her bare hands, it was easy for the little sucker to dig into her skin and thus causing intense inflammation, rashes and severe itching.

All these while, we weren't really concerned with what minute creatures are there in the soil. As long as there are no feces around, then it will be a go for us to work with our hands. As for me, minus the earthworms too. Sorry...I'm really not a fan of them..wouldn't even touch them if someone pays me to. But, my phobia doesn't include me screaming around and go on a killing spree by stomping the slimmy creatures to death. I'll be happy if they'll just creep away and let me do my gardening in 'peace'. Those bull-headed ones will have free mild flying lessons.

Anyhow, I'll be wearing gloves and covered shoes from now on if I'm going to the vege patch. Wouldn't want to give a chance to those tunnelling creepers.

More info on creeping eruption can be found here:-

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001454.htm

When love is in the air one morning....

2009-06-17T00:57:00.006+08:00

One early morning, as I stood outside just to marvel at the clear blue sky and I saw something that made me smile. It brightened up my mood and I had a real good day through and through.

(I was dashing like mad to get my camera...)

The glass is broken and my chicken is dead...

2009-06-16T23:35:00.005+08:00

Spec needs a new coat of paint and he needs serious makeover too but both hubby and I always tell ourselves that Spec still looks okay despite a few bumps and bruises.

"No one's gonna steal/mug the driver since the car is err..not so goodlooking." I wonder whether he's trying to console me or degrade my poor baby..
A couple of months later, the opposite thing happened...hmm..I think hubby should disinfect his mouth!

My poor chicky...

Chicky was removed from the scene..too sad to see him lying facedown like that...(*_*)

Hubby used Spec that day. He and his friend decided to take some quick bite in Ipoh Garden before going home. Since it was only a half an hour stop, his friend left a laptop on the backseat.

That's the last time he's going to see it. The robber smashed the side window to make a little opening. I wonder how did he pulled it off without anyone seeing coz the area is always busy. Probably everybody is too busy to notice anything else.

Well, lesson learned. Robbers do care for only one thing and that is opportunity; anything else is trivial.

New Bottles for kids

2009-06-14T17:40:00.003+08:00

I finally got BPA-free bottles for Edric and Alden. When the first cautionary articles were published about the danger in the normal milk bottles, they caused a stir in my mind. I stopped boiling the milk bottles and merely emersing them in hot water for a while. I still got tonnes of the normal milk bottles and I don't want to waste them. So I changed the bottles every three months.
However, a documentary I saw in TV really shocked me. Those new, unboiled bottles do leaches out the endocrine-interrupting chemicals. A researcher has tested that the amount of BPA increases a lot more after the bottles where sterilized through boiling water 10 times.
Our drinking water may not be that safe too coz most of the plastic rubbish do tend to end up in the waters. Mayhap water-filtering and treatment could lessen the effect but mind you, we drink from plastic bottles too.
We are surrounded by plastic products. They are everywhere and I wonder what can I do to minimize the exposure to these chemicals. Go back to the basics, all things glass and stainless steel? That's gonna be difficult.
What do you think?

Boo Hoo

2009-04-28T09:42:00.002+08:00

I'm so easily depressed nowadays. My mind keeps on straying to the weird sensation at the back of my neck. Guess it will always be there and I have to get used to it. Macam ada belangkas melekat di belakang.
I went to a well-known Chinese Dr last Sunday. He took a look at my x-rays and gave a sigh. Saya pun ikutlah...sigh....my heart just went down further into the sinkhole.
He asked me 1 question ' How old are you? ' and I told him. 'If you are having pain at this age, how will it be when you are 50?' I just smiled. He is actually a nice old gentleman but at that time I just felt like I was slapped right across the face. Sedih bah..
I have to keep on having therapy every week and I should refrain from bending my head down too much. Macam robotlah jadinya....

For months I kept on looking over the web trying to find the answer to my condition. I got the answer this time. Klippel-Feil Syndrome. It is an uncommon congenital fusion of the Cervical vertabrae, whether it involves 2 segments (like mine, which is C4 and C5), or the entire cervical spine (which is most severe). Congenital cervical fusion is the result of failure of normal segmentation of the cervical bone precursors (called somites) during the third and eighth weeks of life. Majority of patients are female with a prevalence of 1 in 42,ooo births.
Hmmm...talking about luck.

Patients of this syndrome can be identified at any age. Cosmetic deformity that is associated with massive fusions is usually noted in infancy or early childhood. However, cervical fusions at the lower level (like mine), considering as non-massive, often do not present until later in life (30's +), when degenerative changes or instability of adjacent segments develops.

The website post this warning. Apalagi tambah sejuklah si kawan ni.

All patients with congenital cervical fusion should avoid body contact sports as well as any recreational activities that may put them at risk for head trauma.
The potential of catastrophic outcomes with this structural abnormalities is very real and must be kept it mind throughout the life of the affected individual.
Long term follow up is highly recommended. Patients and his/her family must be carefully and fully counselled.

I kept on thinking of all the activities I did during childhood and teens. All of them actually was risky to me but I'm glad I did them. No regrets at all.
Still, I am sad, but for today only.
Lantaklah! Life is short, I better stay happy.

Special visitor

2009-04-22T22:29:00.005+08:00

I'm a lagger, I know. I have no idea what strucked me a couple of weeks ago. I stopped surfing the net, I stopped FBooking, and I hit the sack early everyday. Must be a stay-at-home mom symptom. I'm totally unmotivated. Hmm...but a day trip to Penang last Monday was a refresher.

Started the day early with breakfast and off we went. Stopped by Bukit Tambun for a rest so Edric can have his porridge. We reached the island in the afternoon and had seafood for lunch. We basically drove around make a few stops here and there.. nothing bombastic.
Alden was the one who had the most fun coz he get to ride on the ferry across.
We reached home at around 10 p.m. When I opened the main door, I felt something amiss.
The dustbin was ransacked and there was a certain smell in the house.

Told hubby of what I saw and walked slowly towards the back of the house. All the detergents in the bathroom were toppled down. Haiiii...biawak lagi...

Of all days the fella chose this day to enter the house from the bathroom drain. We were all so tired already and Edric was wailing coz it was his bedtime. I just dumped him in the playpen and asked Alden to keep him company while we searched for the annoying reptile.

The next thing I heard was hubby scolding me. 'You didn't close the door when you left the room!' 'Haiyah...I don't rememberlah...I was in the rush this morning' (The usual me...I started to get defensive each time there's a conflict..and yeah..I sound a bit like Makcik already...I know..)

'Let's hope it didn't end up in your room!' Get me the torchlight! (Bark bark bark...yalah yalah)
True enough, the 2 and a half feet lizard was hiding under my bed...isssshhhh..of all places...

Hubby and I had to clear everything from the floor so it would be easier to catch it. This time hubby macam crocodile hunter oh...ha,ha,ha...he attached a noose to the broom pole and caught it.

It didn't even crossed my mind to take pictures because of all the commotion. We let the lizard off the hook again this time. Lain kali dia masuk lagi, sia masak sup herbalah dia ni.
I had to air the room for 2 days before we got rid of the smell. Yuck!

Eja?

2009-03-26T06:37:00.002+08:00

Saya sakit belakang lagi ni. Went to acupuncture 2 days ago. Just feel a little relief on my shoulder. Pinggang pun kena ni kali. Sakitnya....

For the past two weeks, I've been trying to get Alden to memorize the spellings of 5 Malay words. The kid's head must be made of stone coz he won't cooperate to learn.
I've tried so many ways to get his attention; from the conventional write and read out loud to game cards.
The words required by the teacher for him to spell : Api, Ayam, Bapa, Buku and Cili.

Api took a week. Ayam... jadi aym..selalu hilang tu 'a'. I asked him where it is, he said sudah telan masuk perut...haiiiiii....
He always got confused between bapa and buku....bila suruh eja bapa...he said b a ...'ba'...a u 'ku'.....bikin pening kepala saya ja dia ni...
I asked him what he remembers, he said 'dunno'. 'Your head must be full of stars!' and he just laughed away...
The funny thing is the fella can remember poems as fast as trains. Maybe the poems are more fun to learn than the boring spellings.

His dictation is today. So fingers-crossed. I won't have a high expectation. Just hoped that the days that I put in to hammer the words in his head are worth it. Kesian juga sia tengok, selalu ja kena marah. Hope I can build up more patience when teaching him.
It's really scary how a five year old's syllabus can be quite extensive nowadays. Really can't imagine how is it going to be like when he's in primary school. Now I know why the children are so stressed with their school works.
Oh..well, better not worry too much. I prefer to let him enjoy his childhood.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

2009-03-21T23:46:00.004+08:00

When I went back to KK last year, I dug up some of my childhood favorite books and started to scan the pages. I was bored while recuperating from my surgery and trying to find something to do without my mom shouting at me 'don't do this, don't do that. You're going to hurt your neck again'.
She finally consented to let me do some light reading provided I don't look down. hmmmm...with the neck brace on, it was impossible for me to look down eh mom..

I stumbled on a book of poems, mainly from Mother Goose. As I look at them, I found Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I never knew that there are 5 verses in this poem.
Most of the children's books nowadays only showed the first and most famous verse and that is what being sung by the kids today.

Here are the 5 verses and the title is different.

THE STAR
by Jane Taylor

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky!

When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.

Then the traveler in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye,
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveler in the dark,—
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Objects of my camerafection..

2009-03-18T01:26:00.006+08:00

Poor Edric had a viral fever last week. The fever lasted for a couple of days and right after that, he started developing rashes all over his body. Apart from loss of appetite, the little guy was still upbeat and cheerful going about his business of exploring cum wrecking of the house.

Both of us are confined at home up till today. Mom in-law said that he shouldn't be exposed to wind. With the haywired weather we are suffering nowadays, I really don't mind staying home at all..kejap panas kejap ribut..Almost everyday, we get heavy doses of rains and strong winds in the late afternoon.

Edric's red dots are all gone since yesterday and he has gained his fondness for food. So I'm relieved. But both of us are still stuck at home coz our garden is still in repair. For the past couple of days, while the workers went out for lunch and Edric napping soundly in his cot, I went around the house having a little exploration of my own. Betul-betul keboringan sudah sia ni....kesian kan? LOL Never thought I was in such dire need to entertain myself.

But still, I'm delighted with what I found...

Found this little guy resting. Guess he's having a little afternoon nap too...

More of Objects of my camerafection.

Pokey needles...

2009-03-08T23:59:00.005+08:00

I went for acupuncture for the first time of my life last Monday. Geezzz...got about 25 needles stuck on my right shoulder and back. It didn't hurt much. I actually enjoyed that session especially when heat was applied on my back and a mild electrical current was passed through the needles to relax my muscles. But the most excrutiating pain I felt was when the acupuncturist poke and twist a 21G needle ( equivalent of a toothprick) on 4 of my sore points, the neck, in between my vertebraes and my shoulder. 'Tiao Ching', that was what he told me and I can't find a word in English to explain it. My version of explanation - The needles was administered to sensitize my problematic nerves and ligaments so the pain can be alleviated once they are healed. Uhhhh...hope you can understand.
Almost couldn't turn my head to the right after the first session. Had a hard time for the first 2 days.

Second session on Thursday was just almost like the first. But this time I got more 'Tiao Ching' than I expected. Ended up having 6 plasters on my back. Sigh...Hope the pain is worth it.

Alden's Sports Day

2009-03-08T23:04:00.008+08:00

Sunday, 1st of March, was Alden's first ever sports day. He's attending a chinese kindergarten, Tadika Chung Shan at Ipoh town area.

The whole family was there to see him in his group race. It was a fun day, albeit missing his father who was stuck in a wintery China for a week. Talking about temperature, it was a sunny sunny day, if you know what I mean. Orang pun boleh masak. Thank God Edric didn't throw any tantrum except giving lots of verbal complaints to his grandpapa, probably complaining about the weather.
Alden's group was leading in their race but at the final end, the other team manage to grab the lead. Thus, the kids have to settle for the silver cup. Each of them got one. By the way, the merry Alden got a gold cup instead. When we asked him how did he end up with it, he said he exchanged it with another kid.

Ehhh??? Like that oso can ah? Ya loh...teacher said the bag with the gold cup has my name on it. Sure or not? Really. You didn't force the other kid to hand over the gold cup to you. No no no...the bag has my name on it...really...'blink blink'...the eyes said I'm innocent...I'm innocent!!!

Both mom in-law and me just accepted his explanation, after we have questioned him for 2 days in a row. We were just worried that the other kid's parents will complain that the teacher gave the wrong cup to their kid. What do you know, we didn't get any complain up to this day so the cup stood in our showcase permanently. He,he....

Alden, sitting in his class row, watching performances and other races, while waiting for his turn.

The opening ceremony. Up went the balloons.....

Performances and races...

Now, who was that making faces...

We got loads of balloons to take home and Edric was as eager as a beaver to play.

Kerja kerja kerja...

2009-02-27T16:32:00.003+08:00

Hubby left for China yesterday early morning. He's going to be there for the whole week.
It's more rush for me with the kids then.
I've started to go to the office every afternoon. Sigh...still lots for me to learn. Hubby's business is totally way off my brain frequency. It's a totally new world for me. Hope I can catch up quite good.
:) Cheerio...

Naughty Alden

2009-02-21T00:57:00.002+08:00

3 days ago, Alden unintentionally drove the forklift and almost hit the side gate of the office.
Without his grandparents knowing, he took the key, turned on the ignition and shifted the gear and off he went.
It was a relief the gate isn't wrecked and he is not hurt. I guess the whole family knows the capacity of his mischievious streak and we were only slightly surprised. The incident actually became a marvel, partially a humor and a reminder for us to be more careful with him.
His dad could only grin when I told him. A 4 year old, shifting a gear! I really wonder how in the world did he step on the clutch to shift the gear. Sudahlah ketot. Sigh...

L is for the way you look at me.

2009-02-14T04:01:00.005+08:00

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

This is the poem I gave my husband 8 years ago before we got separated for a while.
The next thing we know, the knot was tied and we've been married for 5 years now.
A lot of our journeys were rough and stormy but somehow we got through miraculously.
Since I didn't get anything for him this Valentine's day, think I'll just write this poem on a piece of paper and slip it in his wallet. A renewed pledge or just a quiet reminder, however it's perceived, I'm glad I got the chance to give it to him again.

Another day to the clinic

2009-02-14T03:29:00.003+08:00

I've always been scared of Alden getting asthma attacks. That's one of the worst thing that can happen to a child. When he started coughing again 2 weeks before CNY, I had goosebums. Brought him to the clinic after his condition got worse. Had an X-ray done and it confirmed my fear that he got lung infection again.
After a course of antibiotics and bronchitis medication, his coughs settled just in time for CNY.
It was a relief and I got my fingers crossed that I won't be hearing any coughs anytime soon.

But 2 days ago the coughs started and it's off to the Dr again...sigh...poor baby...
Alden is already small in stature...his weight has not gone up for awhile now.. think the illness is getting to him in a way.
The Dr decided to put him on an inhaler for next 6 months since his airways are congested (and quite frequent at that). It's developing into a mild asthma. While his mother's heart just sank deeper, Alden was exceptionally happy that he got a new thinger-majigger to play with.

Hope this will work and he'll get better soon. That's all I ask for.
As an addition to my agony, Edric caught the flu. The little guy has trouble sleeping for 2 days now. I do pray I won't be hearing any coughs coming out from his mouth.

Another day for jalan-jalan

2009-02-06T00:35:00.008+08:00

Hmm...3 Feb..
It was a holiday for Perak. We had dim sum breakfast as usual. AND as usual grandpa asked the little king where he wanted to go since we have some free time.

Alden : I want to go to the jungle YeYe.
Grandpa : OK
Alden : Where to? (Haiyah..you said jungle. Why did you ask YeYe again?)
Grandma : There's no jungle here. Don't go. My sandals are not suitable for long walks.
Alden : 'Mei kuan si lah' (Nevermindlah) (Ish..ni budak ni) . Let's go YeYe. (As insistent as he
could be.) YeYe, go jungle!! (Sigh..I was wondering where we are off to this time.)

We finally end up in Kek Lok Tong Temple in Gunung Rapat.
I haven't been there for ages. Have totally forgotten about this spot. It's actually a nice place for walks. The garden view is great.
Frankly, from the outside, it looked like most other cave temples. However, the best of it is that the cave actually opens up to a large garden at the back.

The entrance to the temple.

At the koi pond beside the cave entrance.

The 'secret' garden.

Edric with YeYe, looking down at the garden.

We can really sit there all day long amidst the

cooling breeze and beautiful view.

Alden found a girlfriend.....matching kan?

Playing in the garden.

Alden jadi patung singa...

Edric busy looking around.

Another thing that I loved about this place is the miniature figurines.
More pictures here.......

Kek Lok Tong visit

4 generations gathering....

2009-01-28T00:00:00.007+08:00

It was the birthday celebration of hubby's grandmother. We'll celebrate it with her every year and this year was a special one for her coz she gets to spend it with two of her great-grandchildren.

Alden and Edric with grandmama and great-grandma, the star of the day.

A family picture....

Punyalah posing dia tu... with 2 of my cuz-in-law.

Alden refusing to look at the camera. Edric with grandpapa.

Alden refusing to sing Happy B'day song..

Thank God he didn't refused the food...

It was good to see you again...

2009-01-14T10:34:00.006+08:00

I get to see my most beloved people in the world in the second weekend of New Year.

Me, hubby and the kids went to KL on Saturday late afternoon to meet up with Chris and her family. It was Melissa's family dinner before the day of her wedding reception. I sort of invited myself for the dinner coz I can't make it to her reception on Sunday. (Thick skin a bit when I called her mom to ask whether I can go for the family dinner instead.) Alden's school day starts on Monday and I don't want to rush back.

Chris and Evelyn were my housemates when we stayed in Michigan. Both of them are still residing in US. The get-together was fun. Wished we could chat the whole night through but I had to leave early coz it was way pass the kids bedtime. I wonder when will we be able to see each other again.

With Chris and Evelyn....little Edric joined in later...

Edric with Andy, Melissa's husband.

Alden taking the other kids hostage while Edric looks on.

The next day, we had lunch with my brother, foster brother and sister before traveling back to Ipoh. There is always not enough time when we want to be with the people we love eh. Sigh....

Hubby with Melvin (my Tai lou) and Joanne (my beloved 'Ah Sou'). Si Alden pula curi minum mommy punya iced mocha while mommy sibuk ambil gambar...

A little New Year Excursion

2009-01-05T23:17:00.009+08:00

Hope the New Year will bring better news to everyone. 3 more weeks to go before Chinese New Year. More angpows to give away....:P
Gone were the years when I was the one expecting to get big red packets. Anyhow, I enjoy giving them to the little ones coz I can see the light of excitement shine in their eyes, just like how I used to be.

The first day of New Year was, well, normal. The whole family went for breakfast. Once everybody popped in the car after breakfast, Alden started making commands to his grandpa, as usual. ' Ye ye, I want to cross the bridge.' I think apart from his obsession with trains, his second favorite thing in the world is to go across bridges. It can be a flyover or the colorful bridge at the playground. The king has made his demand and the rest has to follow. He went across three that day. We were flat out by the time we got home.

Only manage to take the scene at the first bridge....this one overlooks Sg Kinta in Ipoh town.

'No, no, no...I still want to stay on the bridge!'

The view from the top of the bridge....

At D.R Park. Edric lookin wishfully at Alden, who was buzy crossing the playground's bridge (2nd one).

Grandparents and the grandkids....

At Gunung Lang Recreation Park...The lake was used for some scenes in Anna and the King.
We have to travel for a short disctance by boat to go across the park.

Another scene from an unwilling-to-leave-a-bridge visitor (3rd bridge).

The giant size catfishes in the Lake...what a sight!

Mom's little garden

2008-12-27T01:31:00.008+08:00

When I went back home and saw mom's garden patches, I couldn't be happier. Seeing the growing plants always make my day. It was a refreshing sight.
Every morning when I wake up, I'll just walk around the garden and look for the ones that can be harvested. The rewarding feeling was awesome.

So people, try planting vegetables instead of flowers. (That's my mom's current philosophy. Flowers feed the eyes but vegetables feed your soul and tummy. It's convenient and we can minus the threat of ingesting pesticide too. Whatever we need, we pick them fresh from the farm.)

You don't have to have a large piece of land. You can always start planting in pots. Spring onion, brinjals, chillis and parsley are great potted plants. Tomatoes, bittergourd, okra and peas are a lot more trickier though.
But anyhow, just give it a try. I'm starting on mine soon.

Mom's parsley..She has 10 pots of them!
She often sell the extra harvest at the market.

Crazy tomatoes....extra sour too..

Sayur apa ni ah? I have no idea what's the name of this bean.

Harvest of the day....

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T02:28:00.008+08:00

My Christmas Wish : Peace in my heart.

Somehow, unknowingly, I found peace. All the prayers sent up, I think I've received the answer.

Each time when I'm nearly in the brink of losing control, I'll tell myself 7 times 77 times. It's just something that caught my attention from an article in Daily Bread. It taught me patience.

I just want to wish all of my beloved friends and relatives that have supported me in the past few difficult months, a very Merry Christmas. Thank you very much for the care and love. May the faith, hope and peace of Christmas be with you always.

Crossroad

2008-11-06T22:10:00.003+08:00

As depressed as I sound, I am really at the crossroads. Telan mati bapa, luah mati emak. Only a few of my clossest comrades will know the why I am like this.
Kindness in this world is difficult to find but I found it in the hands of strangers.
Human psychology is the least of my understanding. The harshness and softness of words can change the course of human lives. Some words are full of meaning but some uttered aimless and empty.
The motto that my husband opted : Respect and thou shall be respected; is this true?

I need to some convincing.

Well, I had my neucloplasty in the early September. Recuperated quite good and started yoga class in October. Thought I'm well into recovery. Somehow my nightmare is recurring.
Starting to have numbness in my right side of my jaw and neck. Right hand is hurting. Left foot doesn't work as efficient. I'm off for another MRI in 3 weeks time.
I have no idea what to feel right now. Better not think about it.

Remember to learn to use your body right. Posture is everything.

One step at a time...I guess...

2008-08-19T22:47:00.003+08:00

Just had a review today. I went to SMC for a full body MRI and finally found the culprit.
I have a disc prolapse in between C6 and C7, which is compressing my spinal cord. Since my C4 and C5 are fused into a block, the orthopaedic is against the procedure of replacing the prolapse disc with titanium plate or bone block coz all my other cervical discs will be placed under further stress. He suggested to do a new procedure called nucleoplasty.

Neucloplasty is a procedure where with the help of an x-ray machine, a laser probe is inserted into the disc through a needle. The probe is used to evaporate part of the disc with the hope to retract the herniation that's indenting my cord. This is the least invasive procedure. I can only hope that the disc lifespan can last me for a few years to come. There is a high chance that I would be needing another surgery in the future to replace it coz it is already weakened. The MRI also showed that all my other cervical (neck) discs are degenerating. I wonder what else can go wrong.

I just talking to myself now. Guess this is the only place I can cry out for now coz I don't want to get all teary in front of people. Right now I think laughter will be my best medicine. I really miss my husband and Alden.
Gosh...I'm really blabbering to myself...

Tick Tock..the pain is ticking..

2008-07-30T22:56:00.004+08:00

What is supposed to be a time of refuge and peace turns out to be one of the worst episode of my life. But I'm glad to be home.

My right shoulder started hurting after confinement. Thought it was due to what's normally known as 'masuk angin' or 'novingkat (for Kadazanlah)'. When I came back home for Chinese New Year earlier, I went for a couple of traditional massage sessions and it gave relief.

However, my right fingers became stiff every morning when I woke up a few weeks afterwards. At times I woke up in the middle of the night coz the fingers became painful. When I got back home early this month, the first thing I did was to go for the traditional massages. It gave only a bit of relief. I decided to give the orthopaedic a visit. Was told that a nerve in my neck was swollen thus affecting the function of my right hand. Gave me a few medication and a session of physiotherapy. The next morning, I wasn't able to grip both of my hands. So, off to the doc again. The bomb dropped on me that morning. The x-ray I took of my neck showed clearly of the C4 and C5 fusion. I didn't feel anything when he told me of my condition. Then I asked him what is there to be done and he repeated the same question to himself. Tears unknowingly started trickling down my face when he told me it is impossible to surgically separate the 2 bones. 'Lifelong medication and therapies'.....the words just went sailing through my mind and boy, was I sad at that moment. 'You better not carry your son.' I became depressed when I heard those sentence.

What am I supposed to do? Kept on asking myself that. I cried a river when I called hubby that day. Mommy was braver than I anticipated. She didn't shed a tear though her eyes became red when I broke the news to her. She's trying to be strong for me. I'm forever grateful for that coz I was determine not to cry in front of her, ever.

I started daily therapies from that day on. My condition worsened last Tuesday. Both of my legs and hand were terribly painful in the evening. Got myself warded into QEH that night. However, the orthopaedics and neurologist could not figure out why my limbs are hurting as the symptoms are not associated to my fused vertabraes (according to themlah). They only know there's problem with my nerves. I have to depend on painkiller each time I have a bout of the near-cramps experience. I couldn't walk properly at times.
The neurologist wanted to do a Nerve Conduction Study but my appointment is on 18 Sept coz the queuing line is a mile long. I got discharged as there is nothing to be done or can be done. I only have gabapentin - a neuropathic pain reliever, to help me at the moment.

Guess I got to check myself in the private hospital eh....hope I'll find the answer and correct treatment soon or else I might end up being a drug junkie..he,he,eh..fancy that..

Red and delicious.

2008-06-27T10:58:00.008+08:00

I just made apple puree to add into Edric's cereal this morning. When I look at the ripe, red fruit, I told myself that I did not give this fruit the appreciation it deserved. Other than being used as the name for one of the largest American multinational corporation, I didn't really know the benefits and the nutritions of it.

Why does the proverb say an apple a day keeps the doctor away? Research suggested that apples may reduce the risk of colon, prostate and lung cancers. It contains antioxidant and helps regulate bowel movement, though it relatively contains less vitamin C than the other fruits.

All that I know is this fruit is 'safe' for pregnant ladies and a sick child with flu and cough. Safe means it's not 'cold or too cooling' (for the chineselah).
It's great as a titbit when you are in a rush, a ready-to-go kinda fruit. It's yummy for a soup, tastes great in salads (green ones), scrumptious in pies and cakes, good for a baby, refreshing when juiced and makes a fine vinegar.

The apple tree comes from the same family as the rose. Do you know that the apple seeds are poisonous? Found out about it in Wikipedia. The seeds are only mildly toxic and not enough to be dangerous to human but the birds do stay away from them.

In Christianity, the apple tree has been labelled as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The whole of my life, that's what I thought. When I read further into the article, found out that, apple is the generic term for all foreign fruit in Greek and also means ' fruit ' in Old English.

The forbidden fruit in the Book of Genesis is not identified, yet the word apple has been used several times in it. The Renaissance painters also helped etched this fruit as the forbidden one in our minds as they added the elements of Greek mythology into the biblical scenes.

I love apple-picking season. Used to go to the apple farms with my housemates to pick the nice, juicy ones. Miss the sight, miss the smell, miss the feeling of total bliss when I saw the fruit-laden trees. Most of all I miss the friends I had fun with. :)

Don't really eat fruits everyday, which is bad. I don't really drink lots of water as recommended, which is even worse. I drink caffeine everyday, which is the worst. Sigh..I think I have to make a food resolution soon or my skin gonna go from bad to worst.

Anyhow, I just found a nice site out of sheer curiosity. Been searching for games that feature apples and I bumped into The Apple Season game by Orisinal. It's a straightforward game but addictive coz I just can't stop catching the falling apples!!!

http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g2/applegame.htm

Orisinal has a lot more online games to play. The toons are cute too; lovable creatures (ha!)... Have a go at it if you want to kill time once in a while... (By the way, I love the Bugs game. I'm just like the kid popping bubbles so I can see the ladybirds fly. Weeeee....feel like I'm 10 years old again playing this game.)
http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/

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

Are girls really like apples? Hmm..some of them should not wait when the right guy passes by. She just have to fall from the tree and give the guy a knock on the head as the first hello...

Mensa Fun Test

2008-06-21T22:42:00.002+08:00

Hubby asked me to take an intelligence test last night. I was relunctant to do it especially when he was sitting next to me and grinning like a buffoon. I really felt dumb at that time. Took me quite a while before the questions I read began to sink in. Nevertheless, it was fun and I scored rather fairly. Just sort of relieved that my brain cells are not dead yet.
The quiz was made by Mensa International, a high IQ society with the aim to identify and foster human intelligence. Mensa accepts individuals who score at or above the 98th percentile on certain standardized IQ tests. (Ha! I definitely would not qualify...)

Try it. It's interesting. This is not an IQ test but rather for entertainment only.
http://www.mensa.org/workout2.php

There was another great brain teaser he asked me to do. It is also taken out from the Mensa workout.
http://intelligence-test.net/part1/

Have fun!

Milk price controlled?

2008-06-21T15:29:00.002+08:00

The Star reported in yesterday's paper that the government is considering whether to include powdered milk for children (above 2 years old) into the list of price controlled items. The fast increasing price trend for milk formula has been going on for more than a couple of years now. I am not so sure what is there to consider.

True enough that all mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies but there are many factors that affect decisions on breastfeeding. Working mothers may find it hard to put their babies on total breastfeeding and may resort to mix-feed. Fair enough if the government doesn't subsidize infant formula but I do hope that the milk formula for children above 1 years old will be price-controlled soon. Each family with young children will definitely need to fork out a few hundred ringgit just for milk. Unless we too, start to give them diluted condensed milk.

Milk Loves You

2008-06-19T07:38:00.005+08:00

Didn't know that there is a World Milk Day. It started in 1 June 2001. Malaysia started celebrating this since 2005. I read the paper yesterday and discovered that they have Feed-A-Child programme. Each time you click on a feed-a-child icon, 1 pack of UHT milk will go to a needy child.

I have fun surfing the site coz there are a lot of information to be gathered. There are contests to be won, printables for fun and lots more.

The companies that are involved in the free milk and awareness programs include Dutch Lady, F@N, Fonterra (the Anmum brand and lots more), Nestle, Cotra Ent., and Tetra Pak. These companies are giving away 100,000 packs of milk. (In my opinion, give more!!!)

Please lend a hand if you could, by visiting http://www.milklovesyou.com/

The milk pledge meter is still very low.

What irked me is that I don't see other milk product conglomerates are involved.

With the rising milk prices especially in infant and toddlers formula, all of us, parents, feel the pinch. I'm thankful that I'm still able to give my kids milk to drink.

Last month, when I brought Edric for his vaccination at the klinik desa, I saw a lady with 2 kids and a baby. After she left, I couldn't help but overheard the nurses conversation about her. She couldn't afford to give milk to her baby. The little girl is only about 7 or 8 months old. The mom is actually out of work and she has to put her 2 older kids in school too. I cried silently for the baby.

In another story, a friend of mine once told me that there is a young couple who gave tea for their baby coz they couldn't afford the milk formula. Just imagine, pure tea and sugar.

I wish more could be done to help the poor. The government and the milk product companies should be able to help out by distributing free milk formula at the klinik desa. The free milk formula doesn't have to have the high DHA or the fancy stuff that they claimed to put into the milk nowadays. Just the basic formula to ensure good growth of babies and toddlers.

I saw that the klinik desa is giving away formula but it seems limited in source.

How can our younger generations aspire to be angkasawan when some of them don't even have milk to drink? The irony of it.

Well, talking about the school milk programme, some of it has been put on hold due to food-poisoning cases. Are the distributed milk stale or somehow during transportation, the milk was not kept in cool condition?

I remember in my kindi and school days, the milk trucks will come bearing metal cases of packet milk which were kept cold in ice. I always loved the milk coz they were fresh. Never had stomach ache or diarrhoea. Those were the days. I wondered what ever happened nowadays...

Like Father, Like Son

2008-06-18T07:10:00.006+08:00

Alden and his dad need their haircuts badly. So the father and son went to the barber last Saturday. Both of them came home sporting crew cut. Well, Alden usually gets his head shaved coz it looks much better on him. This time his hairstyle looks like grass growing on uneven earthbed.
I couldn't help but laughed (quietly this time coz Alden might take it by heart if I say his hairstyle doesn't look nice. Mau cantik ja ni budak ni.). When I look at both father and son, I'm seeing double. Since a baby, everybody tells me that Alden looks like his dad. It's not something new but their looks that day amazed me. An exact mould. When Hoe scolded Alden in one occasion that night, I just told him that he looked silly coz it was like he was scolding himself.

Posing maut...

The cheeky one...

Like father, like son....

Just another day...

2008-06-15T08:47:00.006+08:00

Goodbye 20s hello 30s. Yeah..another year older and stepping into this age is not something I'm eager to celebrate. Didn't want a party, didn't have a cake but the calls and wishes I get this year were enough to satiate me to year end.

I'm not celebrating my years of being on earth but rather celebrating the friendships that stood the test of time. All of us are busy building and rebuilding our lives. Eventhough we lost touch for a while, I'm thankful I'm able to be in contact with some of them. Am glad that I have some golden ones for keeps especially my childhood friends. (I think we should call ourselves the nerdy 4. Ha,ha..we did not stand out to be glamorous type of students but I guess we did good eh.)

The artist : One of them is a very soft-spoken type of gal but very talented in art. She managed
to learn to write Chinese on her own; of course with minimal guidance from her
mom. I salute her for that. Nowadays, she drives like an F1 driver. When she just started driving and we became her beloved passengers, our knees went weak, our hearts dropped off in the middle of the road and we couldn't speak. So, you can imagine how it was like..

The cutesy : She loves to buy stuff; just about anything that fascinates her. She really surprised
me when she became a nurse. Though small in stature, she's the toughest of us 4.
(I mean not physically onlylah...ha,ha,ha..don't kill me for this.)

The sporty : She's the athletic one. Very lanky kinda girl. Her competitive streak and out-going
character are the things that make her attractive.

Well, childhood friends or not, to all my friends out there, you are brighter than the sunshine.

Slow Dance

2008-06-12T23:34:00.007+08:00

Just a little something I found written on my fading bookmark.

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round, or listened to rain slapping the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight, or gazed at the sun fading into the night?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly, when you ask "How are you?", do hear the reply?
When the day is done, do you lie in your bed, with the next hundred chores running through your head?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.
Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow, and in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die, 'cause you never had time to call and say "hi"?
You better slow down, don't dance so fast, time is short, the music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day, it's like an unopened gift thrown away.
Life is not a race, so take it slower, hear the music before your song is over.

Sigh of relief

2008-06-12T22:53:00.004+08:00

I can sigh for relief now. The review checkup brought good news. Both Alden and Edric's lungs are clear. No more chesty cough, no more phlegm and the boys can sleep soundly at night too.

I know there will be more episodes to deal with in the future; virus or bacterial infections, fever and chills, cuts and bruises, all that is included in the growing up package. Guess I just have to brace myself and to take the extra precautions. I remember last time, us kids, can play with reckless abandonment; come rain or shine, in mud or sand. Now, each time I see Alden plays with the soil and grass around our home or even petting the dog, I just coiled up and ready to hiss orders to ask him not to dirty his hands. Am I over-reacting? I'm just phobic. He seems to be allergic to environmental allergens coz he gets stuffy nose and blow-up eyes a little too frequently.

As any mother will wish, I hope both of my boys will grow up healthily.

Off to the clinic....

2008-06-12T15:52:00.001+08:00

Had a good chat with a few of my old chums on FB. Though short in time, I'm still happy I got to talk to them. Just like old times... I missed highschool and college years the most. Bittersweet memories still stuck to my head and all of them feel just like yesterday. Hmmm....I'm just being mushy.

Have to bring both of my pups back to the paeds for review today. Fingers crossed. Hope everything will be okay and new x-ray pics will bring good news.

Oh, by the way, Edric made the attempt of doing 'bye-bye' action with his hands two days ago. Babies start with imitation huh.

Old friends that I miss...

2008-06-11T04:50:00.000+08:00

It's 4:40 a.m and I'm wide awake. Thanks a lot to a certain Mr Mosquito that managed to give me a few bites before hubby ended his feeding spree. When I woke up, I was quite surprised to see him sleeping on the floor. Well, hubby caught a flu and was asking me where should he sleep coz he doesn't want to be near the kids. I just told him "sleep with the seahorselah". He really did and I almost want to laugh out loud in the middle of the bloody night.

Rupa-rupanya dia pun kena gigit nyamuk and set himself on a revenge hunt for the bothersome insect. After the fruitful hunt he went back to sleep on the bed. (aikkk...hmmm..thought he'll stick to the crib on the floor for awhile..penipu dia ni.)

The leftover crib..kesian tu seahorse kan?

Anyway, talking about old friends. I was doing my things in the noontime and the thought of Sharon and Grace just came to my mind. They were the ones I looked up as big sisters when I was still studying in college. Decided to give them a tinker. I called Sharon first and had a pleasant chat with her. I always love her voice and laughter. Soothing to my ears. (Chewah...kembanglah telinga dia ni.)

Phoned Grace afterwards but no pick-up. Luckily she called me back eventhough she has no idea who called her. She actually remembers my voice. It took her like 5 seconds to know who I am..indak sioklah macam ni....no suspense....ha,ha...
After the tete-a-tete, I just realized I really miss them both and was sorry for not keeping in touch for so long. Well, better late then never right?

Fowler anyone?

2008-06-10T09:12:00.000+08:00

Alden finally was able to say the word flower correctly yesterday. Ha,ha...I know I know..what's the big deal you say?

Since he started to talk, there were a few words he could not pronounce correctly. When he was 2 years old, he had difficulty saying a couple of words that started with the letter ' S '.

Spider will be pronounced as ' Paisder ' and snake will turn to ' Nakes '. Boy, it made me worried in the first place. However, he was able to say superman, star and other ' S ' words correctly (not including the S**t ah. Never taught him that.) So, I let the worries go. As he grows older, he managed to correct the flaws.

However, the biggest challenge is to get him say 'flower' right. Each time we corrected him, he will still say out loud ' fowler ' !!! (Ayamak...smacked my own forehead.)

Yesterday, his kindi teacher gave him an assignment which is to colour a drawing of hibiscus.

I just asked him "What is this?" As usual, "Fowler". I let it passed and asked him to complete the drawing. Relunctantly, he did. Then, came the pronounciation exercise. Asked him to say 'fla' and 'wer' separately and repeatedly till I became thirsty myself. Told him to combine the two words and miracle did not happened. Sighh....try again....repeat and repeat until he got tired.

I guess the fairy was smilling at him coz he just said "Mommy, Fla! Wer!" Wah...just imaginelah this mommy, I got so happy, I hit the roof. Guess he was just as happy as mommy, minta hi-five pula. Well, it was a small feat but a commendable one coz my boy didn't give up yesterday.

I taught him to say hibiscus and he answered back "biscuit?", "ping kan?"

Sigh...let it flow...let it flow.....

He switched on the TV afterwards to watch his favourite Marsupilami and heard the music.

"Mommy! Where's my tagi?" Odoi...hit another boulder...I've totally forgotten about this one.

(He was actually asking for his guitar.) Shrug...

Under the Weather

2008-06-07T20:25:00.000+08:00

Alden has been sufferring bouts of flu and cough for almost 5 months now. It started before CNY. We thought it was just a normal virus that he caught when he started attending kindergarten.

The sickness will subside after a round of medication but rebound back after only a couple of weeks. The paeds told me that he might have environmental allergies ie to dust or mold spores or fur.

Since we are staying near the railway track and our room windows are facing the tracks, there are bound to be dust flying in even though I made a habit to wipe them off almost everyday. The doc also told me to keep all the stuffed animals away from him, which I did. Packed up his Winnie the Pooh and Santa and baby Jack Jack in a bag and store them aside. Thank God he doesn't seem to miss them. Then comes the dog fur. Our Rottweiler is shedding her fur like crazy. My mom in-law has to wash the outside compound every morning just to get rid of them for she's scared the wind might blow them indoor.

Despite the precaution taken, there is no end for Alden's flu and cough. To add to the frustration, Edric caught them too. Poor baby. So I brought both of the kids to the paeds on Thursday. (Mommy pun rasa macam mau sakit.) The doc was going to put Alden on asthma medication from that day onwards but she decided to have a chest x-ray taken coz just to rule out TB (scare the s*** out of me). She made a right choice for the X-ray. When we got the pic back, saw that there are a lot of white streaks all across his lungs. No wonder he didn't recover. He has lung infection, either from a type of supervirus or worst, mycoplasma pneumonia. Mycoplasma is a type of bacteria with no cell-wall and therefore, considered as a stealth pathogen. A strong antibiotic is given to Alden. Hope this time it will work. As for Edric, I have to observe him for a couple of days and if the cough did not subside, then he has to take the same antibiotic as well.

I think worrying about them also put me under the weather. Caught a throat infection myself. Sigh...wish all will be well soon.

(Alden's chest X-ray almost look like this but his white streaks are lesser and milder. Got this pic from the web and this is the x-ray of a person with a full bout of presumably mycoplasma pneumonia infection.)

My Superhero Turns 4..

2008-06-04T07:40:00.000+08:00

With the cuppies craze catching the baking world nowadays, I thought I might as well give it a try for Alden's birthday. Managed to get in touch with Diba through her blog D'Muffins (have been blog-hopping from Deana's), gave her the details and walah!! Below are her creations.
(Thanks Diba, for the wonderful cuppies...)

I ordered a train theme for Alden and another tray of cuppies to give to our relatives.
I just went 'gaga' all over. They are so so cute....

The train, bearing letters on its carts...clockwise, swirling in....

Tulips and ladybirds..sayang mau makan...

The cunning smile after nagging his mommy for the cuppies..

Alden's been drooling over them the whole evening and kept asking me when can he eat them.
I asked him to wait for everybody to come home from work and we can take the pics after dinner. The boy will not stop bugging me until my ears gonna fall off. Oh..he's wearing his Bob the Builder shirt (another favourite), a present from his elder aunt.

More pictures here :

Alden's 4th Birthday

Souvenirs from abroad

2008-05-31T23:21:00.000+08:00

Alden got a very nice surprise from his aunt who just got back from a tour yesterday. She got him the official England soccer jersey with matching socks.

Guess what? The kid got so excited, he donned the jersey straight away and refused to take them off the whole evening. Finally managed to persuade him to change by dinnertime. Told him that he wouldn't want to soil the nice getup with his food. The boy has a bad habit of using his shirt to wipe his mouth. Thank God the notion pass through his head. Barulah sanggup dia tukar baju.

Then, yet another surprise since his birthday will just be a couple of days away. His aunt threw in a Batman Flik Flak watch plus a mini beamlight that emits the batman logo when switched on. Bukan main lagi tu budak. Satu malam dia pasang tu torchlight until I can see the batman wings in my sleep.

The boy was so smitten with the gifts, he stuck to his aunt the whole night. Reason? Mau minta tambah present lagilah. Kids nowadays are a lot smarter and cheekier. May we blame the DHA, SA or whatever AA that they add in the milk? Hmmm..

Coincidently, the dad also went shopping for his soccer getup yesterday. Si gentua indak mau ketinggalan juga bah. His old soccer shoes went to pieces when he used them last week.

Told me his going to get new shoes and the man got carried away with his shopping. Got himself a new football jersey as well. Anybody can tell me where can I get a jersey for a 5-months old baby? He,he..just kidding.

The old....

and the new...

I watch you as you sleep....

2008-05-30T07:23:00.000+08:00

I watch you as you sleep

a sleep so deep

you gave not more than a peep.

With a face so serene

my heart could only joyfully beam.

God has sent me an angel

to remind me of my being

We are, together, growing;

you with you kiddy antics

and me with my daily practics.

You helped me find my purpose

I could only guide you to yours.

I hope you'll enjoy your journey

pick up the wisdom, keep the memories,

you may need them for life many tourneys.

May God keep you safe and warm,

so you may come back to your mother's home.

(Mommy's little poesy for the two of you)

To burp or not to burp?

2008-05-28T08:20:00.000+08:00

When we first brought Edric home, my heart was doing the twirlies inside as I was happy as a teacup filled to the brim. I had to leave him at the hospital for the first 4 days of his earth-being due to jaundice. I couldn't really describe the dismay I felt when I was discharged and have to go home alone. The little guy had sunburnt (literally) when he got back home.

The confinement lady fed my breastmilk from the bottle to him. Then came the burping part. He gave quite a loud burp and without anticipation from anyone of us, out came the milk. By the look of it, the volume was almost 1 oz. Hmmm..probably this was just a one-time, off and on kinda thing, but sorry to say, not. So, the nurse actually leftout one tiny itsy bitsy info; Edric is a spitting baby.

According to an article I read, reflux is common in infant and can affect up to 50% of young babies. Most of the babies will grow out of it during the first year. As long as the baby is gaining weight, there should be nothing to worry about except for the nuisance of having ingested milk thrown up everywhere plus the additional washing. I had to purchase 4 dozens of hankies for him. To save myself the confusion of which hanky belongs to who, I have to sew each one of them with Edric's initial. Can't really go for colour-coding coz Alden's hankies consists of a variety of colours. I swore to myself to find a better way if there should be another new member of the family in the future.

As for the burping part, Edric's paeds suggested to observe the occcurances of reflux when burping against non-burping. My mom tried not to burp him. After feeding, she would lay him down with his head raised. The refluxes were lessened but Edric was sometimes uncomfortable due to the trapped tummy gas. Nowadays, I just burped him once and waited for a few seconds for his reverse peristalsis to settle and then lay him down on his crib.
When he was about 3 months old, the paeds also suggested to add in a spoonful of cereal in his milk to thicken the feed, which will be less likely to be brought back but it will also harden the stool. Being more concerned with constipation than the messy regurgitation, I opted to hold from introducing cereal to his diet. When he was about 4 1/2 months old, I added the cereal in.
His regurgitations were lessened as he grows and I think the cereal helped a lot too. Even when he rolled over on his tummy, he would not throw up as much as I anticipated.

The following tips helped Edric's regurgitation more or less :-

1. I have to ensure that he is relaxed during feeding time. If he started to writhe and kick, I'll
stop the feed. Feeding resumes again only if I manage to soothe him.

2. If he is gulping too quickly, I'll pull the bottle off for a few seconds and then reintroduce it.
This action sometimes needs to be repeated several times until he finds his so called sucking
rhythm.

3. After feeding, I'l lay him on his cot immediately but with his head raised up. No upright
position or 'jiggling' for about half an hour or so. Sometimes, he'll just fall asleep after he is full.
So that's another bonus.

4. I have to ensure that his diapers, either disposable or linen, are not secured too tightly around
his tummy. If the diaper is fastened snugly, it might press on the baby's tummy when you put
he/she in a sitting position. My rule-of-thumb is to ensure there is a two-fingers space
between the tummy and the diaper.

By the way, I read that acidic drinks, such as fresh orange juice, may stimulate reflux.

What's in a title?

2008-05-26T07:44:00.000+08:00

I've been ravaging every nooks and crannies in my head for the title of my blog and the answer came as easy as the wind blows. Edric was in his crib napping when he relieved his sinus irritation and still manage to doze off after the bout. It had me thinking on how I should act and treat every life situation I meet along the way.

sneeze : To expel air forcibly from the mouth and nose in an explosive, spasmodic, involuntary
action resulting from irritation, as from dust, in the nose.

( To sneeze is a semi-autonomous way our body react to foreign particles that irritate our breathing pathways. When a problem comes our way, we naturally face and deal with it in our own mode of action, responsibly or irresponsibly. Some say we shouldn't take a problem lightly as it may have a domino effect. Well, I often tell myself to look into the problematic situation and try to react/solve it as calmly as possible. A problem is like a sneeze. The relief I felt after the
'Ah-Choos' is the same kind of relief I felt after a situation is solved. ( Life will always be full of sneezes eh?)

snooze : To take a light nap; doze.

(Hmmm, who wouldn't mind taking a few minutes of snooze after a meal in the middle of the day or after a tiring meeting in the morn. I passed the notion for a little nap so many times in the past even when I was dead-beat. When my body was crying for little rest, I kept pushing it aside as I told myself there was still something to do, problems to settle. The nature of my work had my brain ticking, all the muscles tensed and on the move all the time. So many emails to look into, and the need to offer help and solutions to other people were large in scale. Then one day, I just decided to take the long awaited snooze and I feel great. I resigned from that crazy, 1 leg-kick stupid job. Being a stay-at-home mom wasn't all that bad but I won't be satisfied with where I am now, careerwise. So there'll be another job-hunting process, interviews to go to, heartsickening truth to be known whether you manage to get the job of a lifetime or not. Oh well, guess I'll have to react to them with a sneeze and a snooze...

What a boring, rainy day.....

2008-05-25T19:36:00.001+08:00

I've been planning for a family outing today as I managed to complete my to-do list kinda early. However, my excitement was trampled flat by my lovable bunch. Edric decided to snooze off at noon time. Thought it was only going to be a short nap, which eventually took the whole afternoon away. He'll screech if I even try to move him.
Then, on another level, hubby was complaining of his sore bum courtesy to his newly-found love; futsal. The fella just started playing last week. In the first meet, he actually scraped both of his knees. That injury had him walking like a praying mantis. This week, he walks like a tin-man in need of a walking stick. Had a sweet time taking my revenge for ruining my mood and plan though. His wails were music to my ears when he asked for massage. I couldn't help but laughed evilly when I pushed a little harder at the sore places and he howled for help. (Snorted.)
The sky took the grayish hue when Edric woke up. Then it poured. Ah well, I'll have a raincheck for that outing then. When it was time for his cereal, his refusals were ultimate. First come the cries but still I managed to shove in several spoonfuls. He stopped crying and I thought 'that's a good boy'. The greatest protest came silently; he just stuck his tongue out everytime the spoon went his way. Should I be mad? I couldn't be angry with this 5 months old baby that had me smiling and dumbfounded.
Anyhow, I was searching for a rainy, gloomy pic and found this sweet story for toddlers instead. Just click on the link below and enjoy.

http://lil-fingers.com/sky/10.html

The start of something new.......an amateur attempt..

2008-05-25T08:28:00.000+08:00

I love to read blogs from my friends. Found it quite enriching and enjoying to learn about other people's life, love, travels and antics. These blogs have been and will always be the extra nutrition to supplement my thirst and hunger for interesting reading materials.
I have been tempted and lured so many times to try my hands on blogging but stopped myself once my fingers are on the keypad. Do I dare to bare my thoughts and feelings for others to see? This morning, when I looked at my two sleeping angels (cum devils when they're awake), I wondered whether I'll be able to remember the sweet little moments of their laughters, mischiefs, and out-of-the world growing up surprises. Heck! My brain won't be able to hold that much as proven. Been trying to reel out the memories of my eldest son's first smile, the first crawl, the first clap but failed to get to the timeline. Gone are the days of writing diaries. I was never a fan of writing one. Typing's easier.
So, this is how I end up creating my own blog and hope I'll be able to provide some zinger for thought. (Still trying to reason with my sorry self, that is.)