10 reasons to Practise to a Meaningful Life

It's that time of the year again, Lunar New Year celebration on Feb 3, 2011. This year we invited our Guru to our Reunion Dinner. I watched a DVD during the weekend on the Oracle of Dalai Lama. Somehow it gave me inspiration to want to practise more.

1. Anger and Egoism - I have witnessed how these are mischievous troublemakers.

2. If we can develop a warm heart ourselves, we can also transform others.

3. You may be rich, powerful, and well-educated, but without these healthy feelings of kindness and compassion there may be no peace within yourself, no peace within your family - even your children suffer (How to Practise, Dalai Lama) - this is so true!!

4. To achieve a friendly attitude, a warm heart, respect for the rights of others, and concern for their welfare you must train the mind.

5. Be constantly aware of what you are doing with your body and speech! I wish I didn't raise my voice...

6. Refrain from physical and verbal actions that cause harm.

7. Restrain the mind from falling into selfishness, i.e. refrain from self-cherishing.

8. Refrain from physical nonvirtues - killing, stealing and sexual misconduct.

9. Refrain from verbal nonvirtues - lying, divisive talk, harsh speech, and senseless chatter. Guilty.

10. Refrain from mental nonvirtues - covetousness, harmful intent and wrong views.

Trying to get Irwin and myself back into the chanting routine. It does require discipline. We hope do bring Theodore into our prayer session when he is a bit older since burning candles and joss are not good for a baby's lungs and respiratory system. We hope TD will also have the opportunity to embrace Buddhism!

Fancy Being a Mother?

On Saturday, Theodore attended Kaelyn's three year old birthday party (oops but thats not Kaelyn in the photo). After being a parent, Theodore and us have been invited to four birthday parties so far.

Kids parties these days are awesome. It consists of play activities, organised games, gifts, goodie-bags, decorations, banners, balloons, and fanciful cakes. In 2.5 months time Theodore will be having his one year old party.

But this isn't about his party...its about life as a mother! I guess every mother will know how having a kid really transforms one's life (to the point I no longer recognise myself and my style).

It is not in a negative sense. There is joy - the joy of being invited to kids' parties....lol. The joy of compiling my kid's photo album as I watch him grow so fast. Now, Teddy has reached a stage where he starts to laugh and giggle and he will come towards me and hug me every five minutes while playing.

Now that I am back at work - I heard that he is very well behaved during the day, but starts to be 'manja' whenever I am home. He will whine a little for my attention, and wants me to carry him.

I try to spend as much time as possible with TD out of work. Never mind that my Nine West high heels are collecting spider web in my shoe cabinet - never mind that I don't have time to cut my hair - never mind that I no longer do a weekly face or body scrub - never mind that I no longer do a weekly foot massage - TD slept on top of me after milk just now for 45 minutes before I brought him back to his cot - its moments like this that makes the crazy motherhood all worth it!

My 2011

Happy New Year. It comes every year doesn't it? Hah, this year we had Sukiyaki at Wai Gong and Wai Po's house.

Irwin brought some sake over, while Mummy bought some really nice beef and kurobuta. I brought Teddy over...haha, this in itself is quite an effort. I get quite tired when I bring Teddy out, but a lot of satisfaction.

Teddy is really adorable. Quite frankly, he is the centre of attraction for family gatherings. I can't quite imagine time without Teddy (but maybe more quality time to myself haha).

2011. Today Irwin and I went to Great World to do our (or rather Teddy's) groceries. I was rather amazed at the egg range. There is organic, there's kampung free range, and there's Omega plus or Vitamin E plus... After contemplation, we decided to go for organic eggs so that we can limit pesticides residues at this age. Thereafter, I grabbed the same weekly groceries, fish, pork, broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato. Looking at our trolley versus the others, I felt we had a really healthy selection haha... but thats because its baby food.

When I came home from the supermarket, I pumped milk, and then went on to puree parsnips + Sweet Potato. Frankly, parsnips has a rather interesting/ weird smell to me. I hope Teddy likes it, but I would rather he be exposed to as many different flavours than to overprotect his tastebuds. So far, he has been an easy and sensible eater. I gave him blended broccoli + cauliflower, and he ate them quite quickly... of course if there was a sweet touch, for example if I blended in apple, he would take half the time, for example 15 mins to finish the meal.

So there you go, this post is supposed to be about 2011, and I think the above says it all. My thoughts are all about Teddy...and I guess it will stay this way... ;)

The psychology of finance

Yes its Christmas. It really shouldn't be about money. It is the season of loving, giving and supporting - be it with the humans or the animals.

Why this cold-hearted post post-Christmas? Bobby is currently being housed at $900 a month. MIL feels that that this is too expensive and Bobby should be put up for adoption instead. It is no small sum but Bobby is really aged now and we wonder whether there is any logic behind re-housing him again at his age.

Money money... there's monthly insurance, helper's pay, TD's expenses, meals, saving up for a house. $900 a month vs relocating a heart-broken old dog from home to home to home to home?

To me, it is really quite expensive to have a child. From the delivery, to the pd, to the baby equipment to the insurance...

Luckily, looking at TD always puts a smile to my face. Fantastic. Still, I have to re-emphasize on the importance of saving. I remember meeting Uncle Lionel who reminded Irwin and myself to save up to $1million first before splurging in life..working towards it!

In a Bean Bag

We went to Dhiren's house to celebrate his birthday, and his going-away trip to Germany. So Dhiren told us to bring Theodore - and TD had a splashing good time interacting with two other toddlers.

I have been thinking about moving out from my in-laws place for a while. Irwin sometimes feel so, and at times didn't feel so. At times, Irwin told me to start looking for a place. At times, he stated he preferred to stay with his parents.

Anyhow, it was somehow decided. We conveyed our thoughts on Saturday morning. They seem agreeable...

Theodore is eight months old, and I am getting ooh so busy

Theodore is eight months old. Weekdays - its work. Weekday evenings - its Theodore. Weekends - its Theodore.

Theodore is very vocal and curious now. He is 'talking' most of the time and yesterday he said 'bah bah bah bah'.

He even makes funny faces now. Apparently he started doing so after attending a kids birthday party.

I am sure he is a happy child. From my perspective, so am I happy to see him grow and grin when he sees me.

But ehhh I am so tired. We have to buy fresh ingredients for him weekly, and I puree them in advance on the weekend. I love him, but you know sometimes, you never get a break. Even if I go for a monthly facial now, I think of him while lying on the bed.

There is really a lot of work involved when having a child. Especially when you dont want to leave him in the total hands of a outsider.

Ooh haha, but I must admit we did mess up his solids a little. We decided to puree lamb and sweet potato for him. It was too heaty for him. Currently we are trying peas - I hope it is ok at eight months. Our pd recommended that each new food should be introduced for a period of seven days to test for allergy. We have decided to go for the four day rule instead... its really quite troublesome and it must be boring aint it to eat the same for seven days? But luckily we observed the four day rule, as TD showed signs of allergy to the lamb after the second day (though he really enjoyed it). We took it off his diet and he was then fine. During our parents time, they didnt go by four or seven days rule, and we survived...why are things more complex these days?

From celebration..to a hectic work week.. to an angry weekend..to realisation...

We celebrated Elton's one year old birthday at Four Seasons. Theodore had great fun and completely forgot about milk until about an hour later. He played and played, and then finally called for milk, and then knocked out.

I went back to the office to help my father this week. So much has changed in the firm. I started a schedule of feeding Teddy at 6am, pumping milk at 6:30am, again during lunch time and rushing off at 4pm to come home (pump again), or feed him if I come back in time. Then I will prepare his solids and feed him. It does sound like a crazy schedule, but wouldnt be possible without the support of my family. I have to sleep at 10pm daily in order to keep up with this..but hah so far I have not found the discipline, especially when Irwin comes home late from work.

Anger. Why. So, the carpets came back after a second wash. The plan was no carpets are allowed to be opened till TD recovers 100% fully. In-laws decided that they would like to open one as they are hosting guests. We had to convince them again not to..why take the risk when we have already put in so much effort to get rid of the allergens. The carpets were not rolled out, but TD's eczema came back just because the carpets were in the house. TD's skin is fine when exposed to carpets in my mum's house, at Four Seasons, and another friend's house..so we concluded that the home carpets can never be rid of Bobby's dander.

In laws were not entirely convinced its the carpets, and asked me to try Oil of Ulan on the baby.. I said 'No'. Then they decided that sometimes allergens will simply disappear and asked us to wait out a few days. That night, I cracked down.. I sobbed. There is no way I can sit back and watch my kid's skin deteriorate. Anyhow, we convinced them to shift those carpets out to a storage place. They agreed, and I couldn't be more relieved.

So, TD's skin had a flare up on Wednesday. Today, MIL used a lot of perfume. The perfume filled the entire house. I wonder why she decided to use so much today? She went to TD's door and said 'Sorry I cannot come in since I just used a lot of perfume'. Shortly after she closed the door, TD was scratching and crying. We quickly bath him but he was still scratching. As I watched my baby's skin getter redder and redder, and a bigger surface area than before - and more steroid all over the body...it really made me fumed. From anger, again I sobbed.

I called my Dad, brother and sms my Mum who is overseas..and told them I would like to move home till TD recovers. Obviously this is not the right environment for TD since TD never had a single flare up for the month we were there. There were a few call exchanges between Dad, Irwin and myself. The gist was, we should try to solve it as a family instead of shifting back.

Desi Lama, currently my FB friend wrote, "please don't attach too much in this world as pit of fire. we can't librate without renunciate this world. great indian and tibtan master told us very importand is renunciation." I wonder if he just read my FB status. Renunciation. I felt calmer.

I then went into the baby's room. Irwin, Sumini and I played with him for a good 20mins and laughed a lot just by looking at his kicking and jumping actions..that took all the pain & sadness away...

The Happy Baby

Its going to be a busy week. Tomorrow, Theodore will have his first try at swimming in a real pool. Baby Joshua will be there too. Fingers crossed that the eczema will stay in check since swimming can further dry the skin. He needs to be showered quickly after the swim as chlorine is drying for the skin.

After that Theodore has to attend Elton's first year old party at Four Seasons Hotel. On Sunday, he will attend Charlotte's four years old birthday party.

Oh yea, so he is very happy, and we are very busy. Irwin and I always joke about how we are 'confirmed parents' as our schedule now revolves around him, only. On Sunday I will buy some fresh peas to cook for him - oh yes, and to grab some diapers too...

I like to do Push Ups!

Theodores likes to get into this position. In the evening, when TD plays on Wai Po's bed, he likes to crawl, or attempt to crawl. He frequently gets into a push up positon! Not sure whether it is because he is very strong, or he is just confused...haha

Lets see - since returning home, his eczema is improving, but so sloowly... am tempted to move back to Wai Po's house where he gains quick recovery, but realised this can't be a long term solution! So we used Dettol to mop and clean the house again. Hmm didnt work as well. We then tried a Dettol air spray which apparently kills even the H1N1 virus! Ok, he is now on the road to recovery, but so sloowly.... he needs Wai Po's love..hahaha

More food for the chomper:

Puree Pumpkin... and currently

Blended Pear! Pears turn brown so quickly. I sliced up 2.5 pears this morning (very quickly) and then used the blender. By the time I freeze them, they were all brown (hopefully still very nutritious). Hah, many new things to learn..including the pears..

Teddy at Wai Po's House

Oo, more pictures of Teddy at Wai Po's House. This time we see Teddy enjoying an Indonesia nursery rhyme as he was being rocked. Daily, he enjoyed staring out of the window and looking at the poolside trees.

In the last picture, TD was looking busy as Wai Po and I tried to keep him very occupied while we tuck in dinner quickly..hahahaha

TD just had an eczema flare up. Thanks to the carpets that were reintroduced into the house after professional cleaning. I thought the carpets still had Bobby's smell when they came back. After the flare up, the carpets were sent back for further cleaning. This time they are doing it FOC. Obviously, they didnt do a fantastic job...since it is FOC, no one can complain!

What A Trip...

Whoa guess what happened for the past one month? Hah, Theodore and I stayed with my parents for a month in a fight against eczema.

So it turns out that Theodore is sensitive to Bobby. We attempted to shift back home after 10 days when TD's skin looked recovered, and Bobby's too.

Within less than 24 hours, TD's eczema flared up. Irwin and I quickly packed our luggages and moved back to my parent's.

Hah, I did the night duty by myself. Nursing him in the night, cleaning his face with a cotton ball, and attempts to slap on moisturisers when he is asleep; diaper changes. There are times where I hold it in myself as I did not want to leave him alone on the bed.

I have to thank my family for hosting me! My brother had to give up his bed and room for us. My mum planned my meals and helped me took care and entertained TD in the evenings. This is the magic of family. Hah at this point, I never thought that I would have the opportunity to stay in the house I grew up in for a month!

TD came back on Sunday with perfect skin. Hmm, however it seems that after a day or two he developed saliva rash. In-laws allowed TD to crawl and rub his face on the sofa. When I went back, there were drools of saliva on the leather sofa....eeeks....

So now he has saliva rash, but I am glad that the eczema is gone. This is at the expense of relocating Bobby who is 12.5 years old. So sad, but it has to be done....

TD has also started solids for about a month now - here's the list in order

Puree Organic Sweet Potato

Mashed Banana with ebm

Organic Carrot puree - steam, blended and mixed with ebm

Happy Bellies Organic Oatmeal cereal

Organic short grain brown rice with sweet potato

Avocado

Pork Porridge

I have to say, for a lady who does not cook, I have enjoyed planning and preparing his solids!

Mummy's Fight with Eczema

Oh yeah, I turned 31. This year I blew the candle with a baby in my hands.

Did I feel priviledged? In a way yes. Although this was the first time where I had to celebrate my birthday, and at the same time had to coax Theodore. Hmm, I was so busy and tired that day I didn't feed him before heading out. I was so hungry when I reached Roberson Quay that I gave up my plan of feeding him in the car before heading down.

I have not been to Bellapizza for a while. Somehow the place is now rather warm, very crowd and noisy, so I say it is not that suitable for a mum who would prefer a more calming ambience for a cranky and active baby.

I fed Theodore at the restaurant twice. Due to the noise he was easily distracted. Due to the heat, he kept rubbing his neck and ears. I don't think I would go back to Bellapizza again with a baby. Bella pasta for sure!

Theodore was diagnosed with eczema since three weeks old. Right now, I am fighting a battle against it as I am not that keen to constantly use the quick fix solution of steroid. Most pds have advised that it is important to identify the allergen otherwise it is steriod. I have tried cetaphil, physiogel as recommended but none of which works. Once I stop putting the steroid, the eczema comes back. I guess it is time to get to the root of the problem.

Right now, high on the suspect list is Bobby. I read through my pd's notes and it says be careful of dog's hair. That was then I realised that Bobby has a skin condition - pink patches with red sores. I asked Irwin to bring Bobby to the vet who confirmed that his skin condition can spread to children and definitely babies due to their low resistance.

Bobby has been on antibiotics, and steroid medication too. We are even changing his food to hypoallergenic in a hope to cure him. This is Bobby's second dose of antibiotics. Once his antibiotic finishes, his skin problem comes back. Coincidentally, Theodore's eczema would flare up.

Big step big decision. I have decided to shift back to my mum's home...tomorrow! I guess this is the only way to find out if the allergen is Bobby. It feels quite sad in a way, since Bobby is also loved in the family. We have bought a dog barrier and segregated the areas where Bobby is allowed. This week my in-laws are in Japan. It is probably the best opportunity to bring Theodore to a no-dog environment to try out too.

Today, I packed my steriliser, pump, milk bottles, his bathtub, his oil, diapers, bumbo seat, toys, bottle detergent...etc etc you name it, we got it! haha..to prepare for the big move tomorrow. I feel a bit of fear - as I am not sure if this is the right approach. I will be sleeping alone with Teddy at my mum's place. I hope I will handle well. Fear is a state of the mind as Dalai Lama puts it. I know I have to try this. Good luck mummy!

Sitting for solids

Time flies, from just lying on his back, to flipping, to trying to crawl, he is now seated on his very own high chair, and about to have his first taste of solids. For a six month old, that is a big deal since he has been swallowing liquid only so far... Theodore loves to eat. However much I fed him, he will want more. The pd said only 1/2 teaspoon for a start... it has been a conflict in my mind since TD obviously can stomach more. So slowly day by day, as long as there is no sign of allergy, I give him a teaspoon more.

I have been reading the internet on how much to feed. Some say not more than a teaspoon as the main nutrition is still milk. I found a website that says 4-5 tablespoons, or feed as much as you want. I guess thats the point with baby led weaning? Anyhow, still trying to find the right balance. Will speak with pd end of the month to understand better.

At the dinning table, I am questioned by the in-laws. 1 teaspoon only? 1 teaspoon only? Feed slower, so that he can enjoy each scoop; Put in more water so he doesnt have to tilt his back so much. As I introduce water to TD, I said "Water, water" and I hear him trying to pronounce it. MIL nervously and quickly said "Drink water, drink water"... "Theodore drink water"..(hello the grammer is wrong)... My every move is being corrected. I have put in a lot of effort since TD was born..yet I feel MIL trying to show me that everything I do is wrong. She even questions if there's a hole in the teat of the cup I recently bought...Hello, didnt you see the water streaming out of his mouth yesterday?

Been thinking and pondering... is it time for Irwin and I to move out? It has been on my mind lately. Yet Irwin feels that the in-laws need us at this point. If we cannot get along, are we supposed to pretend that everything is fine, and lead on a daily life like this? Sometimes I dont take it personal. It seems like MIL just likes to talk to her own kids like that too. It seems like she has a ego and likes to put, even her own kids down sometimes. I wasn't brought up like this and I am not used to this style.

Don't get me wrong. I am not being ungrateful here. I know that every comfort here is provided for, and I lead a rather stress free life in terms of home management. But it just seems to be getting ugly. I thought of staying put because I think this is the best outcome for Theodore, as I dont want to leave TD alone with a helper at home only. But there is too much unhappiness... Will I be in luck to be guided to the right path? He is my kid, and I want to bring him up the way I want to.

MIL likes to call Teddy the RTC boy, as we have been going to RTC every weekend with Teddy. We agreed right from the beginning that we want Teddy to grow up to be humble. Irwin and I now have a bet, if MIL calls TD RTC boy again, I win a $100!..jokes aside, what do I need to do just that it is win-win for all? particulary Teddy boy...... ;(

He is five months old...



Yep, whenever I feel down, I take a peek at him and I feel a lot more better. I used to wonder why mummies like to use their kids' photos as the Facebook profile picture or their mobile wallpaper. Now, I know why its their favourites. Theodore now dominates my FB picture and cellphone wallpaper.

Motherhood. Sometimes I like to read my friend's friend's blog. Its titled 'Motherhood is not for wimps'. Indeed it isn't. Especially for a first time mum, where you basically start from zero knowledge. I didn't quite have anyone to rely on. The nanny did not turn out to be as experienced as everyone praised her to me. MIL clearly has no ability to take care of a baby now. So is my mum who is busy with her own work. Thus, there is a lot of last minute reading and learning...and its just non-stop. Soon Theodore would be going onto solids, and it would be a whole new ball game for me to understand and learn. At times, it can feel stressful..hence the need for friends, online resources, books, a nice religion. I realised I have not felt at peace for some time... I wonder if I am feeling burnt out. Even a facial did not seem to rejuvenate me. Yes, my last real travel was two years ago..thats totally not me...yet at this point, I know better that my decisions are no longer based on my wants.

Yesterday mum and bro were kind enough to take Teddy and myself out for dinner. Teddy was shouting and showed excitment as he watched me pack the baby bag lol... He knows. At five months, he has gained better awareness. At home, he likes to shout and play with his vocals...

I need an energy booster. True Yoga has been calling me for free trials which I am so tempted, but yet I don't want to leave the baby alone at home. I need motivation. I need to know that I am doing A-ok as a mum, and that I am giving and providing Teddy with the best that he can possibly have - be it love, care, attention, trust, respect and kindness...

The blessed boy who is making his parents ooh so busy...



I have to admit it is extremely busy being a parent.

The blessed boy is growing, and for a new mum there is really a lot of reading and learning to do.

I put aside one day per week for baby reading.

Luckily a lot of my girlfriends are going through the same phase. Feels better to know that I am not alone and that I am not the only crazy person out there.

During the weekend, we brought Theodore for his third swim, followed by brunch. During the past two weekends we go for Sunday brunch, very much because it usually stretches as a three hour meal. In between the three hours I typically have to feed him and then let him sleep on the pram.

Last Sunday we went to Raffles Town Club. They did not have a nursing room, but were kind enough to extend one of the private dining rooms. They turned on the light and air-conditioning so that I could nurse him in private.

Ooh I am so hungry now. Had porridge for lunch. Did you know you only require 200 extra calories when pregnant (that equates to half a burger); and 500 extra calories if breastfeeding? No wonder I still can't fit into all of my old wardrobe. So what if I can? I still need to wear a nursing top when I go out with Teddy... fashion down the drain...for now...

Theodore's Second Swim

Jul 24, 2010. We brought Theodore for his second swim at baby spa. This time together with Baby Joshua.

What wouldn't change, would be how Theodore would knock out after some milk. On his second attempt, he swam for 30 minutes.




Irwin and I always joke about how we are Really parents now. We have a weekly routine of bringing Theodore to his swimming sessions; and getting him to join us for brunch if the environment is suitable, i.e. not overly crowded and air conditioned... yes this boy breaks out in heat rash easily.

So tired now. Had to follow up with some office's matters, and was reading online furiously about baby's poop patterns. Would I be able to handle both work and family appropriately? I only made a few calls today and already I am having a headache. Am I really going to devote myself to family only? The scary thing is during dinner two days ago my father-in-law said 'Yes you should be taking unpaid leave for the next three months to take care of Jun Rong. Don't forget he is priority.' He further said that 'Don't forget you will probably have a second child and then you need to re-prioritise again.' Gulp, I still can't forget the days when I had to hug the toilet bowl about four times a day; how I had to walk slowly from kitchen to bedroom in order to prevent puking; how toothpaste, perfume and Bobby's food make me either vomit or felt like vomiting... *puke puke* now I feel nausea.

Theodore hits the water

On July 18, 2010 when Theodore was 3 months and 27 days old, we decided to bring him to baby spa to try swimming. We suspected that he would love it since he loves using his legs a lot. While placed on the play mat, he prefers to kick rather than bat the hanging toys with his hands.

It was a fun experience as we watched him warm up, and then put into a neck float that looks like a strangling device. This place is called Baby Spa and he can swim, have a massage, haircut or have his parents shop there for him.


Theodore lasted 20 minutes for his first attempt, but of course it was also thanks to the staff there who massaged him while he became a little tired. He naturally kicked around, and turned round and round without any coaching. I supposed some babies would naturally know how to move around into water, although I saw some wailing while palaced into the water.

Tomorrow we are bringing him for his second swim, and am excited to see what new tricks he can come up with, although I think his actions might be restricted within the tub.

Theodore at three months old

Theodore is now three months old. Mummy's role has basically been to cater to his milk and nutritional needs, read up on baby care and to see to his developmental milestones. I read up frequently from babycentre.com which sends me emails week by week providing useful information on baby's development. I also bought a What to expect in the first year to gain a better understanding of taking care of a baby (for the first time!).

Starting to move around in cot

In the picture below, we placed him parallel to the cot. Within minutes, he has shifted himself, using energy from his legs, butt and stomach so he could have a better view of his musical mobile. That happened on July 2 when he was 3 months and 12 days old. We had a good laugh as we witnessed this new capabilities as he could only lay on his back with no shifting movements previously.

It may sound like child's play. To a new mother however, this brings a big smile to see her child acquiring new movements and capabilities.

Another significant activity Theodore loves is to look at Daddy's and Mummy's lips, and he tries to mimick our mouth movements and sound. When Theodore was two months old, I repeatedly say "Hello" to Theodore when I realised him looking at my lips with focus, and a slight frown on his eyebrows. I guess the frown means concentration. At two months, he blurted out his first Hello. Irwin and I stared at each other in shock, a little freaked out, and the hair on my arms stood on ends.

After that we reminded ourselves, no we shouldn't be reacting this way. We should feel happy or clap to show that Theodore is doing the right thing. Otherwise he might misinterpret our shock reactions and not want to continue learning that way.

At 3 months 18 days now, he can blurt out 'Hello, I Love You, Milk'. When Daddy and Mummy was singing to him on July 7, he started to sing or hum along too.

That is one talkative, sociable and vocal baby.

Bye Bye Dahlia

This week has been more busy. Why so? We sacked one helper. I have always found her to be pretenious. She is well behaved and well mannered when my in-laws are around, but a total punk when they are not.

As I have not been having enough sleep and rest, I got fed up one morning when she replied 'Yeah' in a rather rude manner. I told Irwin who came home to question and scold her. She shouted back. Thats it, we decided that since she did not treasure this employment opportunity, she has to go.

We kept her in the kitchen area, kept all the knives away, and took out our tennis racket and put them in some corners (just in case ;). By 4pm, my in-laws came home and we made her pack and sent her back to the agent.

She appeared non-chalent and said she wanted to go home already. Till today I wonder if she meant what she said. To us, it was simply getting another helper. To her, she lost her rice-bowl, her employment and would be sent back to Indonesia. She would be facing her family who has been pressing her to send money home (according to her). At the same time that she told us her family is pressing her for money and she wanted advances from us, we discovered that she has bought a gold necklace, a handbag, and a mobile. Errh, she doesn't even take off-days and only steps out of the house to walk Bobby daily.

Now that she has been sent home, we discovered more. She has 'borrowed' $28 from our housekeeping money, and borrowed a total of $76 from our neighbours' helpers.

Funny enough, with one hand less to help out, we all felt relieved, including my in-laws. It was stressful managing her although we always try to defend her saying that its her background hence her mentality...

We would get a part-time helper instead. To have two live-in helpers in our house felt a little intolerable. Plus only Theodore and I are always home, I always felt out-numbered...haha... It was tough this week, but it just gives me more opportunity to be closer to Teddy..never mind that sleep would never be adequate...

There's No Greater Worry Than When Your Baby Falls Sick


Theodore came down with a fever of 39.3 on June 18 2010. His hands were slightly purplish and cold when we discovered so. I called Irwin immediately. Luckily he was at Great World City at that moment which was relatively nearer to our home as compared to his workplace. He didn't drive then, but took a cab home and picked us up to go to the pediatrician.

As this was the first time Theodore had fallen ill, as parents we were rather helpless but listened attentively to the pd's advice. 1ml of Panadol; hourly temperature taking and recording; if temperature goes beyond 38, one round of cold sponge bath; if temperature goes beyond 39, two rounds of cold sponge bath. Theodore's temperature came down after 1ml of panadol. After six hourly though, the fever came back.

On June 19 8am, Theodore's temperature was back at 38. Without hesitation, Irwin made the call to check him into the hospital.

The hospital's policy was that if the baby was 3 months old, he could be adminstered medication, and need not be hospitalised. As Theodore was 2 months and 28 days old, he had to be hospitalised, and discharged only if he was fever free for 24 hours.

Hence, we began the three days hospital stay, with Irwin and I staying 24 hours with Theodore (apart for three hours where we would go home to shower and take a one hour nap). The blessings in disguise was that this incident has brought Theodore, Daddy and Mummy closer together as a family.