p.s. i love you

I saw this lovely picture in the same preemies music blog i mentioned in the post below. A 'Rescuing Hug' google came up in so many sites! Here's one of them with the full TRUE story (in 1995).

WOW! 'The Miracle of a Brother's Song' written in the same blog was also super duper touching. OMG! Tear-jerker blog mann... :_(

my little joey

My sis' friend gave birth to a baby girl 3 months premature. I still remember how touched both Elvis & i felt when we laid eyes on Joel for the FIRST TIME. It was like a magical moment. So i cannot imagine how sad they will feel when they look at their little baby who is still placed in an incubator (probably with tubes attached to her too). She can only go home when she reaches the desired weight of 2kg. But her birth weight has dropped 0.1kg. Joel's birth weight also dropped 0.1kg within the first few days, but the PD said it was normal.

I remembered those weekly baby updates/emails i got a few days ago that wrote about how 'Music Therapy' can help preemies gain weight and go home sooner. So i googled it and emailed to my sis. I also found this music blog/forum dedicated to mommies and preemies which is rather touching and heart-wrenching to see. Very informative nonetheless.

There is also a method called 'Kangaroo Care' which i think is really amazing and empowering.
QUOTE:
"It gets its name from the experience of a kangaroo baby, known as a joey. A joey is born before it is fully developed and for its first six months lives in its mother's pouch. It then leaves the warmth and safety of the pouch to venture outside."

Maybe it's similar to the way i always like to carry Joel in the baby pouch - kangaroo-styled when he was 1 month old & tummy to tummy now. Look, it has made him a chubby little joey!

Joel - 1 month and 5 days

play

The highlight of Joel's day is when Daddy comes home from work. The 2 of them will "talk" non-stop. Joel will laugh and screammm, shake his head, arms and legs. I'm so jealous! ;p

ants on the apple

Click here for a catchy phonics song for your little one.

don'ts

DON'Ts
1. Dont take photo when baby is sleeping.
2. Dont buy clothes that fits. Best above 1 year.
3. Dont "sayang" his forehead forward. Can only sweep backwards.
4. Dont bring the baby out esp at night.
5. Dont use any baby carrier.
6. Dont stand still when baby is inside the stroller. Keep moving backwards and forwards.
7. Dont buy any shoes until baby is above 2 years.
8. Dont buy any toys until baby is at least 4 years, and only a few.
9. Dont sit down when carrying the baby. Also, keep talking non-stop even when he's going to fall asleep.
10. Dont wear short-sleeve oneies even at home in (hot) Spore. Wear long-sleeves and pants that covers all the way to the feet, and wrap a blanket around the baby (note: with NO fan/aircon).
...
...

DISCLAIMER: Follow the above closely if you are an old grand ahma 80 years and above.

take16

Joel is 7.7kg & 64cm at 4 months.
Mommy Jo is back to pre-pregnancy weight but still got big tummy. ;p

smurfs goodnight song

Baby Joel has been listening to an instrumental lullabies CD from Day 1 at the hospital (a "timely gift" from Aunty Catherine & Uncle Ricky who went to see him). Even the confinement nanny said that Joel likes it. It makes him calm and sleep easier. His 2nd CD was Praise Babies from Aunty Sandra to teach him of God's love & grace. Joel prefers CD1 so i play it for him from evenings, and CD2 for day - to help him differenciate day & night. Since we came to Shanghai, the only thing that plays music is on our Mac, so i've been resorting to my terrible "alto" singing. HAHA!

I like this song from a cassette tape we had in the 80s. I only remember the last stanza...and even forgot the lyrics to 1 line. Finally googled it today! Yippie! Anyone got the MP3??? Please email it to me.


SMURF Goodnight Song
Try to sleep now, close your eyes
Soon the birds would stop singing
Twinkling stars, are shining bright
They'll be watching you all night

All the things, you enjoy
On this beautiful day
All your friends, all your toys
Will be waiting for you to play

"Mr Moonlight will come bring you dreams
As soon as the lights are out
And tomorrow you must tell me
What those dreams were all about"

Try to sleep now, close your eyes
Try to think of tomorrow
All of us wish you good night
So I'm switching off the lights

One more hug, one more smile
Kiss you once, kiss you twice
I'll be here for a while
Try to sleep now and close your eyes

GOOD NIGHT!

the sad weekends

SAT:
HuaiHai Road 淮海中路, 香港广场 and XuJiaHui 徐家汇, 港汇广场
We brought baby Joel to the Sun-Tec Medical Center for the first time. The paediatrician had a chinese name on her namecard, so we were surprised she was an angmoh or probably an Eurasian with 15 years of experience in America and 20 years in Shanghai as a GP with a private company (coz GPs are not allowed to open private clinics in china). Usually, visits to the hospitals are rather scary. Fortunately, it was a very pleasant experience at this hospital. The only "problem" is that the vaccinations (Pneumococcal & 5-in-1) were from her "own source" and she cant guarantee that there'll be stocks in the future. If that's the case, we might have to go to another paediatrican (need to pre-order the stocks and it's more costly). Hmm...

Doc said Joel is a little chubby, but luckily not as chubby as china babies. She confirmed what i thought of his fat thighs though. HAHA! The china babies are too well-fed coz fats are supposed to look good on a baby. Plus adults like to feed the babies whenever they cry (i.e. nurse to sleep).

After that, we went home to pick up Elvis' parents and went to XuJiaHui. And so, i continued my 4D3N of frustration... LOL!

SUN:
Super Brand Mall 正大广场 at Pudong


The weather turned from cold to "cool" (real feel of 24˚c) from Friday. Basically tshirts are fine for day...a light jacket when it's windy and for nights. But my in-laws kept nagging us to pile on all the layers for Joel. Indoors in malls/restaurants/taxis are super hot (i can even perspire) coz they dont turn on the aircon, so you'll probably want to remove your jackets. BUT they still insisted of him zipping up Joel's jacket completely and wearing his beanie + hood...and preferably add a blanket. Every other minute, they're worried he's cold and kept saying and saying...NON-STOP!!!

When i wanted to use the lift from L4 to B1 (which is also better for kids in strollers), my MIL said, 'Take the escalator lor' and gave me "a look" when the lift came and it was full. (My fault???!!!) Then...she finally got a taste of how "stupid" escalators in china are...not ALL up/ALL down...need to walk a distance to the next escalator and "part the Red Sea" coz of the multitudes at L1!!! When i saw how she bend down behind the stroller when coming down from the escalator, i also worry that someone from behind will push her from the back (which is very common with china people). What if it stops suddenly with a jerk??? What if there's an accident and they roll down the steps??? Besides, her butt was sticking out at least 1.5 steps on the escalator. Damn it, i cant bear to look at them after 1 escalator. Yes, i know you have the strength of an ox, but can i blame you if my baby is injured??? =/

When we're walking around, they kept insisting of carrying Joel or pushing the stroller. Most of the time, MIL will carry, FIL will push. I could never get my hands on him at all!!! I'll have to SNATCH him away (a trick i learnt from my MIL) if i ever wanna carry him...but i could only hold out for maximum 10 mins and they'll find a way to SNATCH him back. Elvis told me to enjoy it coz we'll enjoy our shopping more that way anyway.

The few times (when they go to the toilet), i'll get my hands on the stroller and push him when we continue walking/shopping. BUT when i stop to touch something (hands away from handle bar, but stroller still in front of me) for just 5 SECONDS, my baby/stroller will be GONE!!! Why didnt i anticipate that trick???!!! I really felt like telling them off. If someone else does that to abduct my baby, i would still think it's them pushing him away!!! How terrible!!! And what a dirty trick!!! =/

Only during meal times, i get to have Joel next to me. But immediately after eating, they will insist on carrying him again. I know most of their tricks by now, and i will say NEVERMIND, show a "straight face" and walk away immediately...and quickly. Within less than 5 mins, i'll hear the old gramophone again.

When i use the baby pouch to carry Joel, she always say "Put him down lor". Excuse me, what do you mean by that??? Can he walk??? Of course, they're also one of those 老古董 "old antiques" who doubt the use of any baby carrier and ask "Is he uncomfortable, is it safe, will he drop down..." blah blah blah.

We wanted to buy some clothes for baby Joel from H&M (tagged 4-6mths)...but with them around, it's impossible to get anything for him. EVERYTHING we took off the racks they also said "Dont buy too small". Wah biang!!! Then Joel dont need to wear any clothes before he's 1 year old, izit??? Elvis said we can buy 'next time' (my guess is he meant w/o them around). Heehee... ;p

Sunday after lunch, Joel was sleeping in my arms and we decided to walk to the nearby HuangPu River for some drinks. My MIL kept saying she carry, she carry...I had to tell her off "Nevermind, he's already sound asleep!!! Why need to change so many hands???". When we reached the riverside about 10 mins later, she insisted of carrying him again. She said "Let me carry. You already carried SOOO long already." It's only a 10 mins walk!!! Fortunately, Joel woke up but sat quietly in his stroller while we had drinks and dessert. You probably guessed it, when we got up and walked back to the mall to take a taxi home, she repeated "Let me carry. You already carried SOOO long already."...and used her snatching trick. So when we reached the mall, does it meant i can have him back??? After all, it's exactly the same time (vs the SOOO long that i carried him there)!!! Elvis knew i was unhappy and sad...so he carried Joel on the taxi. Very fair indeed and it sure kept her mouth shut - until we reached home. Heehee... ;p

Whenever she's carrying Joel, she needs to hum and repeat all those weird sounds. For me, it's noise and it gives me a headache! Whenever he makes the slightest sound/cry, she will RUSH (run if she have to) to pick him up. I want to tell her he's trained to "self-sooth" sometimes. And he's also trained to sleep with just patting...NO NEED TO ROCK and/or add all those sound effects.

When she's carrying Joel and he cries (as if he shouldnt be crying when in her arms), she will ask me if he's hungry. When i told her it's NOT time yet - got to wait another hour - she will chant non-stop to Joel "It's not time yet, cannot eat. It's not time yet, cannot eat..." in a half joking-half complaining tone (不到点, 不能吃. 不到点, 不能吃. 不到点, 不能吃). Once, i got so fedup that i went to make the milk to shut her up. Joel proved me right. He only drank a little, maybe 50ml (usually he will finish up all the 150ml). I hate it coz it will "disrupt" our 4-hourly feeding schedule. She also always have the "privilege" of feeding. I only need to make the milk. =/

Also, when Joel cries at night (and the both of them cannot manage him), MIL & FIL will also ask me to feed him so that he will go to sleep! What stupid theory is that???

What i cannot stand the most is even when Joel is sleeping, my MIL will still continue to carry him in her arms & stand/rock/shake him instead of putting him down - even when at home. If Elvis noticed her carrying a sleeping Joel, he'll also tell her off (which pleases me to bits). Haha! Thanks, Elvis...MUACK MUACK! ;D

We're so proud of baby Joel's performance these few days coz he really showed his grandparents that he's such a good baby (Daddy Elvis says Joel is a GREAT baby) - quite "easy" to look after both at home and outside. They could also tell he's so different from their other grandchildren. When i tried to tell my MIL that she doesnt have to "shake" him etc, Daddy Elvis kicked my leg under the table! Haha! ;p

I'm so happy today is the LAST DAY of survival weekend.

Despite everything, Elvis said that MIL meant well to help me carry Joel coz i look so small and frail. Bullshit!!! He knows that i can carry Joel when we go out for 4-5 hours...and continue to carry him at home too if he's grouchy. I'll be grateful if help comes when i need it. But she always and really like to snatch my baby away from me (it's true)...and i feel so sad and miserable. One time when they went for their toilet break, i actually shed some tears. :_(

For the 10 mins that i'm carrying my baby, she can repeat many times "Let me carry, let me carry". If she's not sick of repeating, i'm actually sick of listening.

Sad Mommy.

freedom

Elvis' parents arrived yesterday. We brought him for his 4th-month vaccinations in the morning (OUCH x2), followed by dimsum & shopping at XuJiaHui. Hmm... I only need to do all the prep work - wash milk bottles, boil water, make the milk, pack the diaper bag, change his diapers... Yes, all the shitty work. I dont need to carry baby Joel and/or push the stroller - not that i'm celebrating my "freedom". I'm afraid that he doesnt recognise me anymore after these few days. So sad...i miss my baby already. Please give my baby back to me. :_(

And stop all that MMMMMMMMMM-ing with him!!! Pleeeaaassseee...

big 70

WAH! So powderful! 70 years old still can get pregnant!

earth day

In view of Earth Day on 22 April, check out this eco-minded website TreeHugger. Some interesting reads...but most of all, we gotta take some form of eco-friendly measures. ;p

Start by sorting your rubbish. It's easy.

more prints

The current range at H&M collaboration with Marimekko is so beautiful & stylish! Kids also get a line of lovely dresses - for the girls only.

ahyi ♥ joel

This is Ahyi (aunty). She loves to carry baby Joel and he loves to smile and talk to her too. She comes over for about 2 hours everyday...and she insists on mopping the floor EVERY TIME. She wipes every surface too - although i told her dont need to. She says it's better coz there'll be no dust. (So unlike our previous Ahyi mann...)

I dont mean to be mean...but once, i swiped my finger on one of the surface in the kitchen. Haha...like Cinderella's evil stepmother! True enough...REALLY NO DUST!!! WOW!!! No wonder she says that everyone she works for likes her a lot.

Some people wonder why i need domestic help...but if u knew the cost, i'm sure you would get it too. It's only ¥10/hour (the market rate can be anything from ¥7-15/hour). We pay her ¥500/month for 2 hours each time, Mondays-Fridays. She says she works about 12 hours/day, and earns about ¥3000/month (approx S$600). Sundays are her off-days to spend time with her son.

i ♥ weekends

I'm sure everyone looks forward to the weekends. Now that we have Joel, i'm glad that our weekends are still the same - eating & shopping!!! Haha...

SAT. We went for Singapore food at CrossRoad, then shopping at H&M before going to Elvis' boss' villa for BBQ. (Big houses here are called villas) There was another baby boy who's 3 weeks younger than Joel. Both his parents are HongKongers, he's born in Spore, and came up to Shanghai when he was 2 months+. He's very cute and has lots of spiky hair. We thought Joel was big...but this baby looks bigger! Joel was grouchy when people tried to carry him, he looked at us with a frown AND a pout. It was so funny coz it's the first time i saw him do the pout ("bian zui") with his lower lips. ;p Joel was very tired but he couldnt get to sleep (hence grouchy)...so he was totally knocked-out when we reached home.

SUN. We had dimsum, then Daddy & Mommy spent too much $. We bought more than half a dozen tees from Uniqlo and Adidas jackets. Mommy bought a black windbreaker (which i saw in Spore but costs more - surprisingly), Daddy bought the limited edition Olympics red jacket that read 中国 (CHINA) - very big text across the chest. When he wore it the next day to work, the taxi driver asked him which China team he's from!!! Likely table-tennis. LOL!

too many tshirts...to buy

UNIQLO

milk crisis

We had a bad scare yday coz i went to the supermarket to buy baby's formula milk and it was OUT OF STOCK! So i walked to the next street (a new baby store) and it was also OUT OF STOCK. The sales gave me a number to call, but they only do next-day delivery. I ordered 2 cans anyway, and Elvis said he'll go to Parkson to buy during his lunch hour. Most supermarkets here dont store much on their shelves, so i was so afraid that it's out of stock too. By then, i only had enough for 2 more feedings (i.e. only 6 hours).

When i went home and looked through the free catalogue/magazine from the baby store, i realised that it was SOOO GOOD! You can order practically everything from the hotline or website (click). And they'll deliver the following day! Prices are comparable to supermarkets too (but Parkson supermarket is a bit more expensive).

Elvis came home with 2 cans of milk. He said that he went to another supermarket first and it was also out of stock. So he bought them from Parkson. It was ¥229 (about S$46) for 1 can!!! The hotline that i ordered from also said that their prices have gone up too.

I just did a search online for the brand of milk and am very confused now. It seems the packaging is different and there's a new Stage 2 for 6-12 months (instead of Stage 1 for 1-12 months). This Enfamil website also says that 'Enfalac is now Enfamil'. The china website also shows a different packaging from what i have at home.

Hmm... So did the Spore version change too??? Anyway, i now have 4 cans of milk which can last us for almost 1 month. ;)

And time to shop for more baby things at the hotline/website. (Hotline is better for me coz i cant read chinese) ;p

yo yo

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This nice nice Pumpkin Patch camo jacket is the 1st that Mommy Jo bought for baby Joel before he was born...Joel wore it and puked milk on it, then Ahyi washed it ONCE a few days ago and it looks VERY OLD already (so many parts colour fade & white white "kimor" esp at the edges). Sob Sob... I dont wanna "say her" also lah. Then, i read the washing label and it says 'Turn inside out before washing'...so maybe it's my fault too...or the fabric lousy. Plus i asked her to use the washing machine...coz initially she handwashed Joel's clothes (which i dont like wringing clothes coz it makes them out-of-shape). Sigh... BUT she also used all the big hangers on baby's clothes that his round-neck rompers all became wide boat-neckline!!! Cheap ones still nevermind lah...expensive ones heartache man. =(

baby maths at the supermart

Going out with baby Joel always attract a lot of attention from aunties, uncles and even kids. It's not becoz he's cute. The kids in china look 10 times cuter than Joel - with their rosy cheeks and fine features. I guess china people generally loves children. Many are also curious about the baby pouch i carry him in.

The sun is out today, and i decided to go to the supermarket to grab some stuffs. (Yday was so cold - probably only 10 degrees) Going to the supermarket here is absolutely mind-bogging. For a single product, there's sooo many brands/models available. Eg. looking for a toothbrush or toothpaste also super headache.

I realised that many baby brands can be found here in Shanghai other than the "usual" popular brands like Pigeon. Japanese brands Nepia & Goo.N are also available here. (Nepia wipes are in HELLO KITTY design!!!) I think that having a kid in Spore is not cheap...truth is, having a kid in china is even more expensive!

Here's the maths:
- Diapers (eg. Huggies): Spore S$0.20-30 VS China S$0.40 a piece
- Pigeon wipes: Spore S$3.30 each ($10 for triple-packs) VS China S$4 each (no bundle packs)
- Formula milk: Enfalac A+ S$33.80 in Spore VS China Enfamil A+ (which is the same but no Salic Acid in it) S$38-$46

Imported baby brands like Avent also costs 20-40% more. =(

home improvement

Since we've dropped the idea of renting a bigger place (coz rentals have gone up sooo much), we wanted to make our current apartment feel more like a 'HOME'...and preferably with more storage space. We went to Ikea on Sat (with nothing really in mind) and ended up with a customised PAX wardrobe system. We didnt know what/how we should fit the interiors (and it was quite a headache to give it some thought), so we merely pointed to 1 of the sample wardrobe shown at the corner. LOL! The Ikea guy also didnt tell us that the wardrobes came in different heights. We got 3 combinations of wardrobes in 1m + 0.5m + 0.5m (totally 2m long) and height of 2.3m. Also got a huge bookcase to replace the existing one in the study. We went home happily.

BUT when it was delivered the next day, the wardrobe was 2CM TALLER coz there was a beam on the wall in our bedroom!!! One of the 0.5m wardrobe has already been fxed up, and we didnt wanna go through the trouble of exchanging the other 2. In the end, we placed the 0.5m + 1m wardrobe in the study...and moved the bookcase to the living room. The remaining 0.5m wardrobe fitted rather nicely in the hall to solve our bugging problem of the Elvis-Imelda Marcos shoe fantasy. Heehee... ;p (Our old shoe rack has already been stacked to 1.8m)


So now our study looks like a whole room of wardrobes! The sofabed in the study might soon have to go too, to make room for Joel's bed.

The funniest thing about this Ikea trip is the big group of touters in Ikea's pickup area. They offer next-day delivery at almost the same price - 4% installation and ¥80 delivery (Ikea charges 4% & ¥60 for 3-days delivery). We chose to do it "illegally". Well, this is after all f***ing china!

kids stuff

Last Sat we went to check out this "kids place" we've seen before behind Huai Hai Road (Shanghai's Orchard Road). It's an underground shopping area and WAH! lots of shops in there. The place feels very "local" but we saw many angmohs & Japanese who are also there for the good buys. We ended up with all these clothes for Joel (including the vest he's wearing). All are for Japanese export and the price ranges from ¥60-80 (approx S$12-16). The bibs - also from Japan - costs only ¥10/S$2 for 5 pieces!!! (The panda design is S$1 each) Hahahaha...

On Mon, I went to the supermarket opposite our house and bought a Carters long romper for Joel too. It can also be converted into a gown. Price??? Only ¥25/S$5. Hahahahahahahaha... ;D


P.S. Actually, Japan selling similar 5pc bib set at JP¥ 1,090 (approx S$14.50). I've been eyeing the plastic bib set above from Japan online (approx S$20 for 3pcs)...and I soooo wanted to get all 6 designs!!! Now I'm really giving it 2nd thoughts... Hmm... =(

what joel has been up to

smiling so sweetly:

wearing so much even at home:

looking at the playgym, but can only touch the 2 bottom ones:

behind the smiley is a mirror, so he likes to admire himself:

complaining (which i cant upload the video, so here's the still):

sticking out his tongue when he's awake...n zzz:

cute? i think joel likes the cat. this is a gift from aunty michelle (daddy's ex-colleague) when joel was 4mths inside mommy:

looking at silly mommy holding on to the baby mobile (coz no place to install it):
others:
drooling on mommy's tshirt (both shoulders are never dry), blows lots of bubbles and can even spit out his saliva (probably learnt from the chinese), sleeping very late about 11pm-midnight, waking up early about 7-8am, making mommy & daddy super tired...

my baby kangaroo

My friend asked me if i used the stroller or sling when i bring baby Joel out. My answer would be preferably both (lesson learnt from our 1st attempt). But when i'm alone, the sling is a MUST. In fact, i've got 3 slings/pouches. Heehee... Cant stop buying them. ;p

The first one that i bought was online from MomsInMind. It was good and i've become quite apt at using it. My sis complains of muscle aches after carrying Joel for like 30mins (!!!). Haha! So you can imagine how heavy he is. Carrying Joel inside the sling is a BREEZE (pun intended), but i always feel kinda warm with the sling on. Unless we're in airconditioned places like shopping malls, i'll usually be wiping my perspiration.

There's also babyslings designed kinda like "pouches" - with no rings to meddle with. Some from the US are really nice with beautiful prints, but expensive. Also, their S-size seem big for me too. I bought my first grey pouch from a local brand Pupsik, then another red one from LittlePods. I've come to love these pouches esp carrying Joel the tummy-to-tummy style or hip carry. Just pop baby in & out. ;)

The only disadvantage is that pouches cannot be shared coz its length cant be adjusted. To get your right size, the measurement is from your shoulder-to-(opposite) hipbone. Daddies cant possibly be the same size as mommies...so cant share the load. Pouches also tend to have less fabric, so the cradle-carry is quite difficult for a "well-fed" baby like Joel. But it also means having a smaller bulk to carry around in the diaper bag when not in use. And (huge) diaper bags are a headache to bring around too. I've just switched to a normal haversack which is easier to manage while carrying the baby.

So far, i can manage (1) carrying Joel in the sling/pouch, (2) carrying the huge diaper bag, (3) pushing/carrying the 5kg stroller, (4 optional) carrying a few shopping bags. But going out alone with the stroller can be quite a challenge! I'll need a bit of strength when closing the stroller, and this is especially difficult when getting on a cab. You cannot expect the driver to carry your son for u OR that they'll know how to close your stroller properly. But at least most Spore cab drivers do offer their help. I wont expect Shanghai drivers to do the same! So getting around in the sling/pouch is still the best alternative.

When Joel gets bigger/heavier (and refuses to walk on his own or sit in the stroller), this is what i hope to get. Heehee... VERY NICE, huh?! But i cant imagine carrying a >10kg toddler around!!! Look, there's even the baby version for dolls! Sooo kawaii!!! ;p

Click here for sling/pouch wearing instructions.

perfect solution

Today, I went for my medical checkup and left baby Joel in the care of the "Ahyi". That's what people here call their cleaning aunties. This is NOT the Ahyi we had previously who was lazy and slipshod in her work. This new Ahyi is very young (only 32 years old and has a 5-yr old son) and worked for us merely about a month. I first met her on Monday...today's only the 4th time. She didnt mind babysitting for me and even took leave for 5 hours. (Coz she's usually here for about 2 hours each time and rushes off to other places)

I was a bit worried that when i come home, my son will be gone. But thankfully, he's in good hands. When I came back (4 hours later), i asked her if she's almost going crazy. She said Joel only cried a little when he's hungry. The rest of the time, he kept talking (or rather cooing) with her. Phew... ;p She also managed to do the housework when he's asleep!

Actually yesterday, we offered her a fulltime job to clean the house, look after the baby and cook for us etc 9am-7pm/Mon-Fri (which we thought would be the "perfect" solution, and it's also good for her coz she dont need to run to so many houses to work 12hours/day). In fact, before i came over, Elvis & our friends said that we should employ a fulltime nanny to look after Joel (plus the cleaning Ahyi to do the housework), but i insisted that i can manage Joel alone...so just the Ahyi will be good enough. But after i saw her, i didnt mind getting her fulltime to do all the work. Heehee...

Anyway, this Ahyi turned us down coz she's been working for some families for almost 2-3 years now, and she said they wont let her leave for sure (coz she's good). She said to wait another 6 months lor. Actually, i need her to mainly clean the house (Shanghai is super dusty) and maybe cook my meals (or else I'll be ordering delivery most of the time which costs about S$5/6 for a meal of rice/noodle). I'll still prefer to look after Joel myself and watch his every progress along the way. Since she turned us down, it'll save us some $ for now...and I'm looking forward to the time when Joel start to learn how to play. This sounds perfect for me too! Either i'll put on weight from all the oily but yummy delivery food or lose weight looking after Joel 24/7. ;)

my two cents worth

Recently, someone googled about the baby swing we bought for Joel and asked me to tell him if it's good. Coz he's thinking of buying the swing OR the sarong cradle with spring for his soon-to-be-born baby girl (to rock her to sleep). He asked me how I make my baby sleep (since i dont use the swing). So we exchanged a couple of emails...and he asked me to post my "valuable experience" in my blog! HAHA! So here's one of it:

...Actually, I think u REALLY need to cultivate the "sleeping mode" from very young. For my baby, I will carry him (cradle style, on my left coz of the heartbeat thingie) & pat his buttocks/back with the pacificer when he looks somewhat sleepy...and within 5-10 mins, he will fall asleep. Then I will slowly remove the pacificer & put him in his bed. If he wakes up, I will continue patting his back/buttocks/thighs (when he's lying down) till he falls into deep sleep. If he cries, then no choice...need to start from square one.

I will also try to sit on a chair instead of standing+rocking. The latter is my mother-in-law's style which I REALLY HATE! It makes my baby super cranky for at least the next few days, and I have no way to pacify him. So, it makes me go crazy too. I only stand & rock him when I absolutely need to (i.e. when he's very cranky and crying like mad).

Lately, he doesnt like the cradle-carry anymore, so I pat him when he leans on my shoulders (without the pacificer coz he's not good at sucking it) and he falls asleep rather easily too. Maybe anything from 5-20 mins. And I'm a very happy mommy if it's just under 10mins! Haha!

My mother-in-law has 4 other grandchildren and ALL are made to sleep in the ROCK-LIKE-MAD style or push-forward-n-backwards-nonstop-in-pram (for the latest niece). I guess it's similar to the swing action for the highchair. But theirs is a lot more vigorous. Seems like the niece can only be made to sleep in this manner. She also sleeps in the pram the whole day (except at night). So maybe she's too used to the pram by now. One thing I feel not good about that is she always like to tilt her head (inside the pram), and they said that her scalp has become kinda "slanted". I think maybe u have to flip the baby sideways & switch sides when u make him lie flat lor. My baby slept on his back during the 1st month, and his head is already a bit flat at the back. (My friends say that for this, u'll need to massage his head when he's a bit bigger - to make it round again)

My baby always sleeps on his stomach (which my sister recommended) coz he's easily frightened in his sleep. The confinement nanny gave her approval too. Both my nephews (now 10 & 11yrs old) slept like that when they were babies, so I guess it should be fine. U can try this method if facing up doesnt work for your baby. My husband & I think it's better. But I know some people who oppose it (coz of SIDS). http://www.emedicinehealth.com/sudden_infant_death_syndrome_sids/article_em.htm

I hope sharing my short 3-months experience helps.


AND...this VERY hands-on dad has decided not to buy the baby swing or sarong cradle. He's going to try my method of making his baby fall asleep herself w/o any rocking/swinging. Kekee... (I'm so proud of myself!!! LOL) Also, a handbook he got from KK also changed his mind. Here's his quote from the book:
"It is best to put baby to bed when they are sleepy, but not asleep. This way, they are more likely to fall asleep quickly and will eventually learn to soothe themselves to sleep. Those who have become accustomed to parental assistance at bedtime, eg. rocking or nursing to sleep, will often become 'signalers' and cry whenever they spontaneously wake up at night."

shanghai day 1-4

DAY 1 - SAT
Hi everyone, we've reached Shanghai! Baby Joel was quite good on board. He cried a few times for a while, but not during landing & takeoff. He was sleeping most of the 5-hour flight. But he started acting up when we were collecting our luggages...till the time we reach home. It was a cloudy day and rained in the evening. So the weather was pretty cold.

When Daddy showed Joel around the house and he was very observant - looking around like he knows it's a new place. We ordered our sumptuous home-delivery dinner, and he was cranky again. So both of us had cold dinner.

will update more...baby's crying again... =((

DAY 2 - SUN
The sun's out. The weather's great! We brought baby Joel out for our favourite Crystal Jade dimsum brunch. Haha... Joel looks like a china baby all wrapped up!

Daddy did some shopping after lunch at UNIQLO (very nice range of tshirts now & on sale too. Check them out at the link) and we bought Joel his new bathtub! Wanted to go to Ikea, but better go to the police station earlier to "report our residence in Shanghai". Hmm...so troublesome coz they needed our new lease contract (which had already ended in 2005)...so gotta contact Mrs Zhang for it. So we went home and ordered our 2nd home-delivery dinner! Haha! It was so foggy and cold at night, we're so glad we can order delivery. Very yummy too! ;)

http://ut.uniqlo.com/

p.s. We thought that Joel was "doing his business" and I went to check out the toilet first for any of those "flip out diaper changing stations"...hmm...the janitor was stunned! She didnt know what it was. So, I brought him out to one of those waiting area bench/chairs outside CJ (but luckily it's not at the main entrance - for Joel's modesty)...and a waitress (who was going to the restroom) told me to change the diaper INSIDE the restaurant on the sofa!!! Mmmm... Is that what these people do??? Think we have to find a way to change diapers in public.

DAY 3 - MON

Our landlady Mrs Zhang was sooo nice to bring us to the police station to do all the super "mahfan" procedures. She even bought Joel a dinosaur colour-changing toy to play in the bathtub. As usual, she will say she bought this German TOLO brand coz she's afraid local ones not good. Haha... The price tag from Parkson was still there...WOW, Mommy sure wont buy it! So expensive! It costs ¥208/S$40+ for such a simple rubber toy. When we came back, Mummy let Joel play with the new playgym we fixed up last night. I think he likes it! After that, we just did our usual chores - feedings & wash bottles etc etc - then watched TV till Daddy came home (not too late today about 8/9pm). The weather today was very nice in the afternoon, and very foggy at night again. It looks very scary from our balcony. Cant even see any of the buildings opposite from us.

DAY 4 - TUE

Joel only slept at 12 midnight, so today he's pretty well-behaved. Maybe he's adjusting and tired. It's been raining and it's very cold today. The temperature indoors dropped to 20/21 degrees (with heater). Yday was 24/25 degrees which we felt was too hot we had to lower the temperature. I went out to run some errands just now, and it still felt like winter...sooo cold, no sun, raining, misty... Glad to stay indoors! Suddenly miss the sun in Singapore. Haha! ;p

Joel's been sleeping since 12.30pm (it's 4.40pm now)...so I could upload some pictures of him for everyone who's missing him back home. Gong Gong, Por Por, Aunty Yen Yen, Uncle Simon, Cousins Xan & Xavier, Aunty Audrey, Aunty Sandra... He looks like china baby, right??? I think Joel is adjusting well to the temperature. The times he went out, it wasnt that cold...so ok lah...dont worry about him. Indoors with heater is fine. He sleeps with us on a fleece blanket and covered with 4 layers (folded) of fleece blanket PLUS the final THICK silk comforter. So, dont worry, ok! Wind proof! ;)

serious business

new stuff

Yesterday, Mommy went out for dinner with good pal Janis, and bought baby Joel his new NUK pacifier (coz its "weird shape" might give a better grip). We tried it this morning...but it still kept poping out like his AVENT. Hmm... Baby, you really need more training.

Got him 2 pairs of new shoes too! ;)

flower?

my dear terry

We're leaving in 3 days. But before i leave, i really wanna write something about my dear Terry. Since Joel's arrival, he's become the new baby of the family. Even as i'm thinking of what to write about him (Terry), tears well up in my eyes. I just took 3 photos of him which i'll upload later.

I still remember how our whole family went berserk when Terry was lost July last year. When he was found 2 days later, it was so touching. Sob sob...

Terry's been sleeping at the back of the kitchen (washing area) for a few months now. Initially, he still roamed around the house as usual, and Joel is not scared of his barking too. What made us isolate Terry to the metal shelf is becoz he has ticks & fleas...and it's VERY BAD. He was "infected" after his visit to the groomer's. In fact, it has infested the whole house! We find them crawling on the floor, walls, beds, tables - even on our clothes! It's quite gross actually. And when my father scolds Terry, he'll hide inside a small corner (eg. underneath Joel's bed, or at the lowest rack of clothes) and wont come out. So, we've got no choice but to leash and confine him.

I'm on my feet literally for 24 hours/day looking after Joel that i dont have time for Terry - not even look at him or pet him. So, bathing him is left to my sis (who calls him BABY). At the most, i'll just call his name when i'm doing the laundry or washing plates (like in the picture). As you can see, he spotted me taking his photo from afar and even ignored me. =(

Actually, I'm more afraid of the ticks than fleas. The ticks are crushed easily and a lot of blood will splatter. They look very gross too. But the good news is that they have kinda disappeared from our house. Maybe the fleas have longer lifespan, and sometimes, we still see them around the house. They are kinda retarded now...crawling more slowly or curled up (their legs)...maybe coz no more blood for them to suck on. Most of the time, they look like a round brown dirt...so it's hard to spot on the wooden floor. But when you pick them up, they will run for their lives!

I guess we'll still continue to cage Terry up for a few more months coz we dont want the surviving ticks and fleas to host on Terry again.

When i went to Shanghai, Terry is the thing i miss most about Singapore. I hope he'll be happier when i see him again in October.

little feet

I bought more cute socks for baby Joel. But the "slippers" are too fair for his tanned skin! Looks like china-man wearing skin-coloured socks with slippers! Haha! ;p

Everyone likes the converse lookalike socks he always wear, but they're getting a little too small. Hmm...weird coz they're meant to be for 0-12months. Also realised that the "slippers" only came in 2pcs/box...hmm...a little overpriced, i think. Can buy real slippers!

celebrity blog

I was searching for some beauty products and came across this blog! Wow! I think it's the Taiwanese host Lan Xing Mei. Too bad i cant read. :/

Before i left Spore, i was so into these Taiwanese programs on health & beauty! Every Saturday morning also have to catch it at 11am, or else have to wait till the replay after midnight. It's actually very interesting. Haha! ;p

pooh diapers

These 3 designs are my favourite (of 6 designs) in the pack of diapers. So cute huh? I like to use the one with the nightcap for night. Have a good sleep, my little one. ;)