Curiosity Kills

baking weekend

2012-01-15T08:27:00.007Z

butter cookies

one of the best that i have tried so far.

this won't melt in your mouth, this is the crunchy, very basic type.

I'm still looking for that taste way back in primary school, when i baked with mom.

gonna ask mom to pass over her recipe book to me ;)

recipe taken from thesweetspot

Butter Cookie Recipe

180g butter
120g caster sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla essence
250g All purpose flour
pinch of salt

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with a beater till light in colour. It doesn’t need to bee too fluffy otherwise the cookie will be a little crumbly.
2. Add in the egg and vanilla essence and mix till well incorporated
3. Gradually add in flour and salt and mix with a slow speed (speed 1 or 2) with a beater. Scrap sides of bowl.
4. Fill in the batter into a piping bag with a star nozzle. In the pic, I’m using the Wilton tip 2D. Basically the pattern is up to you. Press batter onto pan lined with baking sheet. Add cut cherry bits or chocolate chips or sprinkles on top of the cookie before baking
5. Bake at 180 C for 15 minutes or until cookie becomes slightly golden brown.
6. Cool down for 15 minutes and keep them in an airtight container.

I'm using Amway Noxxa's Oven.

temperature for cookies should be 190-200 C for 12-14 mins.

Makes about 4.5 tray

too lazy to mould them

unlike this : they were made last year- 2011

baked this today

love the mini bite size

im reserving this for kayjay ;)

hb was lazy to shape them as well

i know i ought to put my cookie moulds into use.

when I'm in the mood,

whenever i start baking something,

be it a cake,

or cookies,

or muffins,

i would want to do them over and over again,

on the SAME day.

yes, that is my problem.

like this Saturday,

i baked 2 batches of cookies.

started off with butter, then decided to do nestum cookies.

wanted to proceed with oats cookies,

luckily i manage to come back to earth for a while,

so i have to put it on halt.

reason was who will be eating them?

we will be going back this Wednesday!

*dances around*

looks pretty okay right?

but a bit too sweet for my liking.

and lack of something...

anyway, not gonna share the recipe.

nevertheless,

I'm not giving up on nestum cookies yet.

will continue trying ;)

this is totally unrelated,

i think the eye lashes are satisfyingly long

no regrets for not trimming when he was a baby

we are intruders!

2011-12-26T04:39:00.004Z

second visit to the site

half-excited over the house, half not

(dread to think of all the money needed to renovate)

we were unlucky this time,

didn't manage to get into the house to snap photos.

there were guards and contractors.

approaching the guard was easy, we succeeded in coaxing him

however, we failed at persuading the contractors.

one of the contractor warned us not to do funny things inside (the house).

hello? can u define "funny things"?

during our first visit early this month,

we could march in simply and take photos but unfortunately,

we lost the photos.

crap.

what is with the hand-on-the-waist posture?

gleefully drinking in the sights of our future home

explaining to me that i can hang our clothes there!

kitchen is a very crucial section of a house

hence it must be planned to a T.

hb loves their design

im glad that we both agreed on this notion.

phew =D

how to be a smart shopper

2011-12-26T03:36:00.004Z

with two beauties!

love!

December 2011 @ Delicious

fh said i look pregnant! wth wth wth!

Aldo Boat Shoe

i loveeee this!

it is very very soft!

sigh

shopping list : work-shoes, sandals and work-skirts

sometimes u'll think 'Fine! with all this festive season, the malls would definitely be jammed pack, hence i'll shop some other time'

but when That some other time comes, when u're in the mall, u'll wonder how come no discount.

double sigh

i need to be a smart shopper!

buy ONLY when NEEDED, that is rule number ONE

hence the TO-BUY-LIST

rule number TWO:

buy during SALE

of course, u can't get the best of both worlds,

during sales, it would be out-of-season clothes but that doesn't really bother me because i am not a very fashionable person.

i buy what suits me.

and maybe buy what looks beautiful but doesn't quite suit me,

and buy what looks gorgeous in the fitting room but looks ugly when u wear it again at home :S

oh wait, did i mention the boat shoe above is about rm400?

it is absurdity!

but it is ULTRASOFT!

don't believe me? go try it!

best pearl drinks in malaysia

2011-12-26T02:14:00.005Z

much talked about pearl-milk-tea

CHATIME!

bought this in Sunway Pyramid,

perhaps it has been a while since it first started in KL,

hence there weren't a queue.

Chatime is double the price of Yoyo, a very popular pearl-drinks-shop in Kota Kinabalu

verdict: i still prefer YoYo!

cmon KLites!

chatime is horrible!

gongcha? haven't tried it yet

met up with loved ones

at din tai fung dec 2011

gotta select restaurants which are child-friendly,

most importantly they must serve food that are edible by kayjay

what I've learned from out recent trip home is that

we must feed him with lots of food,

because he'll usually lose weight whenever we are back in peninsular.

we must not lost out to Aunty (babysitter)!

(till today i still think aunty overfeeds him)

when are my 2 princes gonna get up?

2011-11-28T02:35:00.007Z

love this photo :)

there is never equality at home, no matter how hard we try to equalize it :p

like for now, 10.25am, dearest kayjay is taking his morning nap, while dearest hubby is still sleeping! from last night. duh (him)

I've had my breakfast too!

why do i need to sacrifice? why do i need to get up early, play with kayjay, drive to the market and buy some vege, come home and cook soup, feed kayjay his breakfast, line dry the clothes and put in another load of dirty laundry into the washing machine. I've done all these, and he still hasn't wake up.

well, we have talked about these before.

u see, i have to race to sleep at night when kj is asleep, if not i wouldn't be able to get up in the morning. that means no staying up at night for me. this is not my choice. as in, dear hub would say 'Oh u sleep early! so u wake up early and accompany kj lah'. he doesn't get it, does he? it is not that i want to sleep early, sometimes when i am engrossed in something online, i would stay up past the ghostly hours and YET, i still have to wake up together with kj. u see my point here? oh, kj usually wakes up at 6 -7am.

this is just one teeny example of what happens in our household ;)

right, next up,

im blogging using an iMac! wheeee...

chewww, big deal. well, when we received the package from DHL, we were darn excited! the pleasure wears off quite quickly after that. :S

the simplicity of the machine,

all in a box

jeng jeng,

gave him the honour to fix it

it is his Early Birthday Gift after all

*wink*

kiss kiss kj, kiss kiss

perineal massage

2011-10-27T10:42:00.003+01:00

who dares to try this

ewww...massaging the vagina canal?

QUESTION: I have heard that I should be doing perineal massage each day in the weeks before giving birth to help avoid an episiotomy. Please tell me if this is helpful and if so, how it is done.

urghhh...would i do it? feels a bit gross to me. a bit like self-masturbation?

housewife's joy and woe

2011-10-09T15:18:00.006+01:00

wooohooo!

a grill pan,
import all the way from scotland.
donated by a dear friend.

have been keeping this pan for a year,
and we've only used it twice i think?
underutilized, i know :p

tefal jamie oliver hard anodised grill pan

Prometal Pro premium non-stick coating interior
Hard anodized technology
Riveted stainless steel handles with silicone insert, oven safe up to 260C
Tefal Thermo-Spot
Curved shape with pouring lip

Hard Anodized technology enables the pans to distribute heat quickly and evenly giving you precision control when cooking
they are also extremely tough and ultra resistant to abrasion and corrosion
This strengh, combined with the naturally smooth surface, makes it easy to keep the pans looking their best

The range features Tefal's new generation of non-stick coating, Prometal Pro, which greatly increases both the performance and the durability of the non-stick coating
This coating is so durable that it can withstand the use of metal utensils

Tefal's unique heat indicator lets you know when your pan is pre-heated to the right temperature to seal in the flavour of your food.

this grill pan is HEAVY!

i ought to bring out this pan and reviving it once again =)

im crazy over kitchen accessories.

u know i tend to get muddled up pretty easily.
one minute i dont mind being a housewife.
another minute i couldnt stand the thought of staying at home the entire day, with a messed up hair, sweaty home clothes, oily face - covering household chores and cooking for the family and taking care of the a toddler/children.
might sound easy but u bet my aSs they are not!
unless, if u have a maid.
a live in maid.
*hint hint*

sigh

we're anticipating the completion of our new house.
a huge project for us i would say.
sad part is that i need my kitchen to be properly furnished!
adequately equipped.
ha! *sinister*
of course, it differs, this is person base. ?
u might think this is necessary and i might not?
:(
i said sad, because,
one island can cost rm10 000?
so u tell me, how the hell do i renovate my kitchen?

what about my sink?
no teka for me?

oven?
remember this?
maybe not a kenwood mixer anymore,
but a KitchenAid this time :p

one fridge is not enough.
i need one fridge (minimum) and one deep freezer :p

my pyrex,
corning ware.

oh speaking of that!
damn.
ive broken 2 ramekins bought and brought back from UK
SADNESS!

ok. time to go to bed.

i wanna win a lottery.

fried tang hoon

2011-10-09T14:46:00.002+01:00

random post

fried tang hoon,
inspired by trisha wong
ahahahha

midnight shift in Hosp Queen E

2011-09-26T14:56:00.004+01:00

worked 24 hours/midnight shift last night. 24th sept 2011 10pm to 25th sept 2011 7am.

second time doing it. the supposedly second time was done by hb. i decided to do it this time (third time being scheduled in timetable).

first time was when my parents were here in KK. i thought my mom could help me to look after kj at night while i was away in the hospital.

ended up, father and son camped out in the hospital that night. even the KPF (ketua pegawai farmasi) knew because she saw me pushing kj out in the stroller at 7.15am. -_-''

she only gives exception to mothers after delivery for up to a year. means if your baby is more than 1 year old, u have to do the midnight shift.

i told her i am still breastfeeding but she wouldnt change her mind.

i dont mind doing midnight shift, because i can get the next day off but my only worry is kayjay.

hence, i decided to give it another this time around. hb said he would care for kj at night but pulled out at eleventh hour. of course, back up would be babysitter.

before i sent him over to aunty's house at 9.15pm, i was holding him, nursing him and i said " kj, mommy's going to work tonight. u sleep with aunty for a night ok?"

he nod! i was a little fascinated by the NOD! he understood?

after few seconds, i decided to try again. repeating the same statement-question.

he nodded!

wow!

usually when he gets sleepy, he would only want me and not anyone else (not father or ah ma). but last night when i brought him over to babysis house, he went over to aunty. :( sob. felt a a little tug in my heart. but no choice.

we gave both our cellphone numbers to the aunty, for emergency if she couldnt handle kj midnight.

was a little sad that my phone didnt ring at all. :)

anyway, it was over! head felt dizzy in the morning and nauseous. came home at 7.15am, kj was still sleeping, so i quickly jump under the cover and sleep.

alright! just to document this =P ciao!

photo captured 20-sept-2011

HaPPY second anniversary

2011-09-19T15:24:00.007+01:00

thank you so much for:

your love,

your cheekiness,

goofiness,

cheering me up,

standing me up,

cursing together with me,

bitching together with me,

enduring my nags,

enraging me,

then admitting *defeats,

giving me Kayjay,
and hopefully more beautiful children :p,

withstanding my poor cooking skill,
stomach my unsuccessful muffins/cookies,

scrubbed my burnt pot,

telling me that im beautiful (not everyday) occasionally,

live through my laziness,

sharing food with me,
donating food that u dislike to me,

ignoring me when you are watching football, :p

bringing me all the way to Hummingbird bakery just for red velvet,

thank you does not do justice

we have come a long way,
through thick and thin,

we are still learning about one another,
i still think i can drive better than you,
my heart aches when you asked for my permission to provoke kayjay,

above all that,

my love for you is no less

it is only the second year of our marriage.

i'm not greedy.
not asking for more.
but just another year.
and another year,
and another year,
and another...
and another.......

promises made on such events are not to be taken lightly,
hence,
i'll be waiting! HAHA!

*oh sharks! what happened to my that gladiator sandal? brown? since when did i own it? man!*
sad!

kitchen business

2011-09-01T06:00:00.003+01:00

SNOW JELLY

i didnt know about this snow jelly until i married into the Leong's family.

cant remember what happened, hb said he loves drinking this dessert.

ah, i think it could be that i mentioned something about bird's nest.
this is pretty close to it, with a lower cost.
hb claimed that this is a cheaper " bird's nest".
haha.

one box costs RM45. not very cheap i would say.

it is vacuumed pack in two.

how to prepare?

soak them for a few hours. i did it overnight, or atleast 6 hours. they would fluff up and u have to clean them. get rid of dirt and i thought i saw some hair? ewww. could i be imagining things? this is not bird's nest!
er, okay, maybe not hair, but some kind of rubbish, stuck in between the gooey flakes. i dont like the cleaning process, because most of the time i would throw away the entire slab of snow jelly and i would end up getting teeny bit of jelly left to be cooked. :(

premium grade snow jelly

after cleansing,
i put them in a slow cooker.
throw in a few red dates,
(pitted or non, heard many rituals and im still confused whether or not to use pitted or non)
few rock sugar,
that is all.

***********************************

HOME COOKED FARE

tomyam soup on the left,
served in a big pot -_-'''
this shows how lazy we are. double -_-'''
on the right is Kam Heong squid!

i didnt know kamheong is so simple to prepare!

*edited: hb cooked the entire meal above*

3 dishes: blanched sawi, tomyam soup with fishballs, kamheong squid.
served with rice

this is ONE MEAL.

minimum is 2 dishes, one meat/fish with one vege.

we always try to have a balanced meal.
not we, but I!
dislike hb's habit of eating unhealthy food.

im not saying im very healthy,
but atleast i try to stay away from them and minimize the frequency.

what are the chances of you not touching the junks when they are available at every corner of your house?
grh

closer view of the kamheong squid
honestly, they taste good!

fried tenggiri fish and nuggets.

i, for one, dislike frying.
i will try to AVOID this method of cooking.
no1, very oily. makes your kitchen floor oily.
everywhere! your stove,
cooking utensils etc etc.

nuggets?
processed food!
ahahhaha
dont get me wrong, im not a health freak!
but like ive said,
i hate deep oil frying!
and the nuggets lack in nutritional value!

having said these,
i suppose u could guess im not the one who bought this packet of RAMLEE nuggets.
but i have to admit,
they taste good!
i have been yearning for nuggets actually,
but i couldnt bear to buy it in McD.
because i think it is not worthy :p
i would end up picking a burger instead.
so, it was good that hb is willing to fry the nuggets at home.
saves money ;P

this is a meal prepared by me, the si-lai.
white radish soup,
stir-fry long beans and chicken.
gaodim. one meal.

it is not easy stirring up dishes for a meal.

i am running out of idea :(
hb lamented that i always cook the same dishes.
the rotation period is too close,
so the repetition of a dish is too quick.
:( i dont know what other food to cook.
sigh.
some other vege are no-nos for hb.
sigh

fresh bloody mary

2011-07-31T16:11:00.003+01:00

still breastfeeding kj at 18th months

did not know the wound would prolong for this long, no pun intended

this was the last week

unfortunately, they spread.. ? spread? yeah

there are more cuts, from one to about three this week

stings yesterday!

ugh!

what is happening!!!

ive discontinued nursing him directly on the right boobs

only offering him the left boobie

but occasionally give in and give him the right boobie, countable times

otherwise i pump out

sometimes the pump would brush against the nipple

yikes! hurts!

i've applied Earth Mama Baby Bottom Balm, didnt work

next, Lucas Paw Paw

there are also some stuff, growing at the bottom of the nipple

no idea what the hell they are

have been there for few months

can be very itchy at times

i'd scratch. haha

seems to worsen now

i need to see a dermatologist,

Dr.Sandhya

tomorrow.

shall ask about the two issues.

gah

am i a tiger mother?

2011-07-29T12:20:00.007+01:00

im reading this at the moment!

haha

this book scored many remarks from the world

anger, criticism, worship..etc

from intrigued to fascination,
i am only at 1/3 of the book
very slow progress

no longer could i sit and bask under the florescent light and read in tranquility
i hate to return to the book merely after reading 1 paragraph and i gotta jump up and do something
i prefer to immerse myself completely without any disturbance

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

by AMY CHUA

bought all the way from UK through bookdepository

paid in USD 19.17

~ RM 60

home food

2011-07-27T15:41:00.003+01:00

beef for kayjay

quick stir-fry in olive oil and australia capsicum

minced beef marinated with garlic and lea and perrins sauce

gave him vermicelli (meesuah) last sunday with soup

we cooked 'xi yang chai' (mandarin) soup with peanuts and pork bones

it was so flavourful and fragrant even without salt

hence i scooped up a bowl for KJ before adding a little salt for the adults

i just realized he has molar teeth growing behind his buccal cavity

one prominent one on the lower left and one is emerging on the lower right

[at 18th months old] for my own record ;)

i always cheat in cooking

haha

i cant peel and chop and blend all the onions and garlic needed for curry

bleh

cant make my own curry paste

they are just too tedious :p

for a lazy cook like me,

this is what i usually do!

buy the pre-packed curry paste!

yeeehaa!

ive cooked the ayam brand rendang

dont fancy the taste

havent tried A1 curry paste

mak nyonya is one of the few trustable ones ;)

familiar?

it is not easy getting your hands on FLYING FISH BISCUITS and this TEDDY BISCUITS these days

sometimes when i crave for this flying fish, i couldnt get it

so what do i do?

i stock them whenever i see them on the shelves :p

it is like back to childhood...

i thought i have outgrown this eons ago but nope, how wrong was i

if u zoom in and look closely at the teddy biscuits, it says cheddar flavour

aiks, was cheated

it wasnt cheesy nor salty

it was...like normal butter cookies

they come in two flavours, the other more common one is the chocolate teddy, aye?

downgraded,

gotta eat these biscuits these days

*snorts*

when i feel energetic,

this is what i prepare for breakfast on weekends

i actually fried mihun on weekdays before. got up early at 6am and this will be packed for hb to bring to work

havent been doing that for a while

reminisce

2011-07-22T17:06:00.003+01:00

i miss having this view the moment i open the fridge!

advertisement: melon kitkat from japan!

Clarins - stretch mark control cream

costing an arm and a leg!

RM180 per tube

could last for a month or so!

ive used more than 10 bottles of BIO-OIL

big bottle, could get it for about RM45

they say stretch marks is hereditary and i believe

there wasnt any marks on my tummy until when 5-6 mths of pregnancy,

suddenly they just explode

real creepy

looks exactly like a watermelon

i took photos ;)

hb is being a nuisance when he didnt want to help me to snap pics

the stretch marks grows at the bottom of the belly. i cant quite see the marks unless i stand in front of the mirror, to see them clearly

so i told him to snap pics for me to see

he refused and reasoned that u cannot take pics of pregnant lady at night

pfffft

i had to force him in the end

i always get my way with hb ;)

feels nostalgic screening through the photo album

see the little one yawns

just 18 months and im missing the moment already

how lahhh

ah phang mocked,

am i addicted to giving birth?

*chuckle*

nonspecific post

2011-07-22T16:07:00.003+01:00

kj at 16 months old. jamming on the keys on the piano. hopefully he wouldnt repel this musical box in future :D

also at 16 months old. he loves balls. anything spherical, he would point out and utter BALL :)

4 boxes of ferrero rocher and chocolates all the way from Langkawi, free trade zone. i know, labuan is incredible near as compared to langkawi but well, free stuff! who wouldnt want? :p
brought to us from Your Highness =)
hb loves to junk! i was thinking if being a parent inhibits one from junking? what do u think?
my parents rarely junk, no titbits, except on food like kacang putih, muruku and prawn crackers, those sorts. they dont take chocolate, twisties, ice cream, pringles and etc.
whereas hb keeps on buying them each time we go for grocery shopping!
worse is when he eats in front of KJ. it gets on my nerves when KJ wants a taste of what his father is having. hence i have banned him from JUNKING in front of my son! u wanna eat? can, get out of the room, out of our view. hee hee
i can restrain myself the 'rubbish'. i thought im bad enough (thinking of all the junks during younger days) but hb is ugh! despicable. he MUST buy pringles whenever he sees them. and there could be times when he would neeeed to munch while watching TV. terrible. :)

i hope this wont deter u from wanting to be a parent? :D this could be one issue to think of when you are one. u need to set up rules in the house when bringing up a kid. for example, if your hb thinks it is OKAY bringing your kid to KFC? it is NOT okay for me. i do know a paediatrician who feeds her children fastfood at the age of 2 ;)

bringing up a child is not easy. be sure to have your husband's support, if not, compromise and stick to the agreement.

this was me, carrying kayjay. regretted not taking more photos. it was about 5-6 months of the pregnancy then :) not really huge i would say ;)

the day of the month

2011-07-13T12:21:00.006+01:00

today is the day,
that the water dam broke.
i cried.
not cry, like really CRY OUT LOUD. no sobbings involved.
just spillage.
-_-''''

i just dont feel comfortable.
i feel very very VERY lethargic.
at 4pm, my eyes were already spinning.
the moment it rang 5pm, i was one of the first few to queue in front of the punch card machine.

i always carry down my workbag from the car but today is one exceptional day.
never did i leave it in the car. very RARE.
dear hb didnt help me to bring down. this is not the first time we argued about this.
he would just speed away,
meeting his love and other lovers in the field.

a thought played in my mind.
what happens if he cannot part with this lifestyle for the rest of his life?
what would become of me? and my son? and my future children?
what lies ahead?
frightening, isnt it?
is he childish?
or am i the childish one having this thought?

i cant sleep.
what should i do?
it is 6pm.
worked up some muscles and went out to watch kayjay for a wee while.
came back into the house,
remembered that ive marinated chicken yesterday or was it day before yesterday?
on days like this, i could potentially cause a burnt.
but i told myself, to beware!
so i place the pot of marinated chickens on the stove , put it on medium lowish fire.
came back in to the room and surf the net.

my eyes kept on diverting to the clock, checking the time.
it was almost 7pm, dear hb is coming home.
i should bath before he comes home.
dragged a while more before i stand up,
i changed my mind.
i should cook the rice first.
the moment i fling open the door,
i KNEW it!
the entire house was smoggy!

i turned off the gas.
came back to the room.
that was it surged and leaked.

it is 7.41pm now.
before he went out this evening,
he said he would come home at 7pm and prepare the dinner by 7.30pm.
now 7.42pm.
i havent eaten.
and i couldnt bring the little one home yet.
would i be happy?

i would usually cook and when he comes back,
we would quickly eat.
or if im hungry, i would eat first.
and by 7.30pm,
i would want to bring kayjay home already.

7.43pm

im still here.
u should know what is happening outside.
dinner is still not ready.

i dont feel bad anymore for not preparing meals. be it breakfast, lunch or dinner.

we should all help out.

i wont pile all the responsibility on my back anymore.

guys should help out.

k,not checking what ive typed.
this is to give an insight on married life.

for instance, this is what i usually serve for dinner. simple meal - with 2 dishes. at most, 3 dishes and i would call that a luxury :)

facebook

2011-07-02T16:31:00.004+01:00

i cant stand people who 'mis-use' facebook!

do u have to fb every single events?

do u have to tell the whole world that u want your dear boyfriend to buy u food?

do u have to create a shout out to ask your friend to get ready so that u can pick him up? shouldnt this be something personal? should u not call him up instead? or sms? instead of fb-ing?

do u have to tag your dear bf and ask him to take you out for dinner when he is just next door? correction, i was told that you are sharing a room with your bf, so why the hell do u want to fb your bf such request when he is just an arm's reach from u?

i cannot understand! it frustrates me sometimes. i know it is none of my business.

it makes me think ure an attention seeker! are u not?

to me, fb is a place for people to :

keep in touch with one another

update friends or family members or relatives on their well-beings

vent anger

get opinions

share stories/news

i also cannot tolerate people who uses fb to SHOW OFF!!! jerks

ahahahhaha i know they are none of my business :p

ferarri breastpump

2011-06-12T15:32:00.004+01:00

anyone has any friends/relatives coming back from the STATES?

i want this breastpump! as seen above!

it is Medela Freestyle Breast Pump

over here in malaysia u can get it for ~RM2000

*jaw dropped*

but in US u can get it for less than RM1000!!

u dont have to be einstein to be able to do the math!

if im well to do,

i would not want to trouble people but unfortunately, i cant afford a 2k pump!

cries

my current workhorse - Ameda lactaline, RM700-800,

is still working.

but im afraid it might die off anytime.

im not lying, just anytime!

ive repaired it twice,

and the other day was sort of the climax.

i was working on a saturday,

so as usual,

hb brought kayjay to work during lunchtime so that i can empty my breasts.

the pump had to fall once, and again another time!

TWICE!

brhhhh

they fell into pieces,

and i quickly assembled them.

sometimes it could go out of rhythm.

so my heart would beat wildly each time this happens.

to prevent myself from getting any heart attack and also to plan before hand,

i know i should start looking for a new one.

got to live by the motto "be prepared"

here i am, trying to be thrifty,

and this got to happen.

im not sure if this current machine will last me till my next bub.

it is really a headache deciding to buy or not to buy

i have to also calculate if they are worth the value,

and if i can get back the value

is that how u say it?

lack of money vexed many,

im not excluded

i love my Lactaline

please dont die on me

my son and i are banking on you for food and comfort

ming blogging - not bogging

2011-05-31T08:13:00.002+01:00

many people have mentioned this in blogs and i think have as well, but this is what is happening, so i'd like to reiterate that, i have so many things to tell that i dont know where to start!

u know, i have accustomed to blogging in my head hence once ive satiate that need (blogging desire), i feel free! this explains my disappearance :)

another issue that frustrates me is that my english seems to deteriorate.

fine,

either my english hasnt been that good,

not up to par,

or it has been going down hill

something has to be done

kids meal > 12 months

2011-04-09T07:43:00.009+01:00

chicken stew

blend and freeze!

menu:

1st april weekend

cauliflower + garlic + chicken + onion +leek with porridge and cheese

(annabel karmel sweet potato + cauliflower)

cauliflower mix + sweet potato with lentil and rice and cheese

2nd april weekend

beef marinade with l&p, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, sesame oil = blend

breakfast: steamed sweet potato + cheese + applesauce

lunch: porridge with beef and brocolli

BOLOGNESE SAUCE RECIPE

onion, garlic,tomato, pepper, salt, canned tomato, balsamic vinegar

ops, forgot capsicum

yellow/red is sweeter than green ones

few dollops of ketchup

done!

sometimes when i didnt prepare kj's meal before hand, say if i fell asleep on friday night, what do i do on saturday morning?

i'll quickly soak few big spoonsful of oats and boil it and stir in a de-frost cube of chicken. thats all!

hence i neeed to have frozen cubes in stock!

to date, im using kampung chicken brought all the way from the west ;)

hb observed that more japanese are well built as compared to yesteryears due to their nutritional intake. they are eating well so he encouraged me to feed kayjay 'well'.

im thrilled to hear that! it gives me more confidence to try different food and give kj beef!

chinese believe that beef or rather red meat is heaty so i was a bit hesitant but not anymore now. yay!

indolent

2011-04-05T15:44:00.003+01:00

missed the times when hb would get up early on saturday to do housework! ;)

i know, im a lucky lady arent i?

funniest was when he put the ipad into my pink puma mini bagpack so that he can listen to songs while executing the chores

kj's diapers

would love to get more but luckily ive stopped purchasing since last christmas (2010)

these arent the entire lot

im cloth diapering him full time

but on this coming trip to singapore, i feel like giving in and resort to using spossies (term they use on disposable diapers)

i still have some leftovers of huggies pants size M

oh, did i tell u that my MIL bought a washing machine to be put at her home (ipoh) for me?

or rather, for kayjay?

cause each time we were at ipoh,

we had to run between houses (2nd aunt and 3rd aunt) to borrow their w/m

this CNY (2011) before we got home,

MIL announced the good news! wheee!

dad and mom is at hospital putrajaya at this moment

dad has successfully undergone x-lif surgery, a spinalcord surgery

he had degenerative spondylitis

alright. very random.

it is almost 11pm, kayjay is asleep,

hb is at futsal,

i am goddamn tempted to bake,

but the inner lazy me is holding me back.

i think....

i'll just go to bed

toodles

first taste of cheese

2011-03-26T15:55:00.001Z

organic vegetables alphabet pasta with butternut squash and cheese

king island cheese surprise bay cheddar

what u should look out for is the SODIUM CONTENT!

please get those below 680mg/100g!

never get the processed sliced cheese!

or even the block KRAFT cheddar cheese (blue box), the sodium content is outrageously more than 1000mg!

go check it out if u dont believe me!

i was expecting the dish above to be delicious, as i assumed the cheese could bring out the flavour of the food due to the saltiness of the cheese

but how wrong i was!

it was a bit bland so i had to remind myself that i should not compare this cheese with the processed slice cheese that we usually consume

growing appetite

2011-03-06T15:08:00.006Z

ever seen this?
yellow dragon fuit
2 biji for RM14.17 in Pick and Pay
very expensive!
but for the sake of trying, hb bought it

the seeds are comparatively larger than the normal ones
but oh man! the flesh are exceptionally sweet!!!

*grins*
the little one enjoys it!

quinoa + millet + carrot + chicken

quinoa +millet+rice + chicken

cracked one kampung egg into the porridge when it is cooked

the hot porridge will cook the egg yolk

why did i add in the egg? it is tasteless

i did that because i want to give protein

give egg yolk first before giving whites

egg is one of the top 8 allergen and the whites is believed to be allergenic

what he eats

2011-03-06T15:06:00.000Z

Heinz Organic biscotti

got this from jusco

there were only a few packets left and i knew they (the biscuits) werent in good condition anymore but i just grabbed one

as predicted, the biscuits were all broken and crumbled

i did give them to KJ, for him to get a taste of the biscuit

baby bites - carrot taste

good stuff!

i started off with the teething rusks when kj was 10-11 mths old
i refused to give all these but relented when hb insisted on our trip back to ipoh in dec 2010.
after inspecting the big and small wordings on the box, i began to appreciate it!
kj is on the second box now, the one on the left, bread sticks with cheese.
it is not salty at all
these products are just fantastic!

at the beginning, dear son would hold on to the stick and grind it.

now, he can bite off the stick! and choke on it if it breaks to smaller pieces.
dangerous aye?
therefore, never leave your kids alone when they are eating these

maybe kayjay is also greedy, he would stuff the entire stick into the mouth
-_-'''
he is the type where before he finishes his food, he would open his mouth for more
:)

his stock of frozen food
ebm (expressed breast milk) at the top

dont remember what this was
looks like oats
he can take plain oats
super convenient for me, especially when we are travelling

i prefer to give rolled oats that needs to be cooked rather than instant ones
whatever that is instant is just evil, no?
but now that he is already 1 yrs old, i would cover one eyes
back in peninsular, i would use instant oats at whoever's house that we are staying at
namely 5th ee's house, popo's house in ipoh

sometimes i stew apples to be added into the oats

this is a really quick and simple meal when we are on the run

i would stew apples and mash them and freeze
whenever kj is home with me during the weekends,
i can add the apples into yogurt

like just now when we went out breakfast,
i packed 2tsp of stewed apples with 1 cube of apricot into 2 tsp of yogurt for him

the green one is broccoli
white one is chicken

chicken recipe:
olive oil + onions + leek + small pieces of chicken breast
saute them
i did not add any seasoning at all but they taste good, with the sweetness from onion and leek
lastly, blend

i would defrost one cube at a time and add into plain porridge
i did not exactly give JUST porridge, as in rice
alternately i would give barley, rice + quinoa + millet

How to make yogurt

2011-03-06T01:05:00.005Z

finally, after a long hiatus, im back!

alright, all these are saved in the draft for eons.

today, i'll show everyone how to make yogurt in the simplest way possible! im a lazy person and this method works brilliantly

i use Easiyo yogurt maker, courtesy of besties Poh and Wong. haha! shipped all the way home from Glasgow.

the debut of this yogurt maker was using the Easiyo powder yogurt. very delicious indeed but too expensive. RM16.80 for one packet.
disadvantage no 1: kayjay cant eat
disadvantage no2: expensive
hb loves this but nope, due to the disadvantages, i am not buying this again.
many flavours are available and i chose Boysenberry

the yogurt maker has 4 compartments. the far end on the right is the cover, followed by the yogurt container, the red stand and the body of the maker, i would call it the insulator. it is to insulate, keep the yogurt batch warm for fermentation.
the red stand is to be put into the insulator and all u have to do is pour hot boiling water into the insulator until the top of the red stand. means the water level has to be just nicely flooding the red stand. after u've prepared the yogurt batch/mix, just place the yogurt container gently into the insulator as the yogurt container will sit on the red stand. cover the yogurt maker/insulator and put it at one corner undisturbed. come back again after 8 hours and u'll get home made yogurt!
ok, here goes on how to make the yogurt batch.

using this Easiyo packet is ultra simple! dont need any brains to do it. empty the packet into the container and add water. thats it! dont need yogurt starter or what not.

i did not give this batch of yogurt to kayjay though. it is sweet! so its a no no :)

now how do we make yogurt from milk and starter from scratch?

im thinking of showing photos but on second thoughts, i must not wait anymore. if i do not do it now, god knows how long it'll stay in the draft again.

i hate those recipes where they call for boiling milk! ugh. i wouldnt know the temperature and u would have to wait till the temperature dropped to a certain degree before putting in the starter.

so i found this method which is a keeper!

Milk - i use fresh milk. Room temperature milk. i place the chilled carton on the table until the coolness is gone. u will see puddles of water on the table, from the condensation of the milk.
Milk powder - use this if u want to have a thicker texture. i go by approximation, about 3 tbs of milk powder made up to 1/3 of a glass and pour it into the yogurt container.
Yogurt starter - Natural flavour commercial yogurt. i've tried Marigold and Danone. i prefer Marigold! danone is too runny as we prefer thicker type, they call it Greek yogurt. this is the last step, stir in ~ 3tbs into the yogurt mixture and cover it.

you are done!

the steps above are in order. add milk into the container until about 3/4, then pour in dissolved milk powder and lastly stir in the yogurt starter.

i always wait until atleast 8 hours before i bring out the yogurt batch from the maker and chilled it. never tried shorter than 8. it seems i read, the longer it sits in the maker, the thicker the yogurt becomes. u can experiment.

additional info which ive extracted :

It is important to sterilize equipments used as the live cultures are delicate little germs that will perish in wrong temperature or unsterilized environment. Give all equipments (jars, spoons, measuring cups) a hot water bath and let them dry on their own. Do not wipe.

Each time you make yogurt you will need some starter. You can use your own starter, but over time it looses its potency and your yogurt will not turn out. So I always begin with store bought yogurt. You can freeze your starter yogurt in ice cube trays so that it is convenient to have on hand.

baking infatuation

2011-01-25T23:39:00.004Z

i want a built-in oven and a kenwood mixer in my new home!

and a plasma / led for kayjay! according to the dad, either one (i forgot which one) would not harm his eyes. projecter is the best of course he raved.

something like this perhaps?

Fisher & Paykel 0B90S9MEPX Single Oven, Stainless Steel £2,599

no idea why this is so dear as compared to Fisher & Paykel OB60B77DEX1 Double Oven, Stainless Steel £879

The Fisher & Paykel OB77DDEX3 in brushed steel adds a defining, modern touch to your kitchen. It features attractive straight bar handles, and a control panel with fixed control dials and a digital display.

It comes complete with a fat filter, grill pan and grill rack, plus 3 sets of telescopic slide runners (2x for the main, 1x for the top oven).

The 7 oven functions are:

Bake
Defrost
Fan bake
Fan forced
Fan grill
Grill
Warm

Both ovens offer a choice of 4 shelf positions and a useful defrost function, plus cool-touch triple glazed doors.

i would be contented with the latter ;)

my mixer would have to be kMix food mixer or Titanium Chef mixer if we have the budget.

kj in wool

2010-12-31T01:36:00.005Z

high-waisted woolie from carol etsy
i custom order this

it is grey in colour and i picked this type, as u can see ive pulled the pants up to the chest
this is made especially so to keep the baby warm
the roomy wide leg style allow the pants to be used as shorts/ capri when baby is larger
this is made from thin merino wool which suits our malaysian weather perfectly

this is also another woolie customized from carol
purchased together with the grey woolie above
i love the softness of the cashmere and i intentionally requested for RED!
chose a snail to embellish the woolie

that is kayjay in Paddington Pancake Queensbay Penang at 9-10 months old

dancing bear fleece soaker size M
i bought this preloved from Lisa, RM45

fleece is easier to be taken care of than wool
i gave this to babysitter but i think she does not really like it

at home, i dont usually put on a woolie/cotton pants on kj because i would prefer to feel the wetness on his diaper, so that it could indicate that it is time to change
except at night of couse
then i would wear a longie on him

Green samba soaker bought preloved
hand knit by a local mom, Sharine
it is still large for KJ but i jumped at this the moment i see it on sale because im smitten by the print!
aint it pretty? :)

ive bought another beautiful longie to add to the collection last month
SP Metro Striped Longie-Upcycled Italian Merino Wool Sweater Pants - Medium/ Large RM85
bought new from everythingbabything e-store

i try to buy neutral gender stuff *wink*

these two wools below are bought new from joanne.k as well

Funky Bright Striped Longies/ Upcycled Felted Lambswool Sweater Pants from a FREE PEOPLE Sweater RM81

this is KJ's first woolie, which he had outgrown it now
i wanted to sell it
ive put it up on sale in Diaperasia but hb commented that i should sell ANY of those that ive bought
u buy them already? keep then! why wanna sell?
:S

SP Harlequin Argyle Soaker/Upcycled Merino Wool Shorties- RARE RM75

3 SnugglePants and 3 Carolanthes!

purchased one more beauty, light grey toddler capri from carol yesterday! :D about RM90 after conversion. USD 27 to be exact

aiyah. carol took off the photos already!
darn, i really love the photo of her girl demo-ing the shortie :)

well,
what is so special about these woolies/fleece?

wools can prevent the pee from dripping
pee wont usually drip from fitted diaper but in cloth diapering vocabulary, we use the word wick, wicks moisture

wools can be a barrier to the wetness from the diaper
it can absorb 30% of its own weight in moisture before it feels wet
besides, it can also repel wetness
contradicting right?

Wool is made up of microscopic level of tiny overlapping scales,
and lanolin is the grease that sheep's skin secretes that acts as a sort of waterproof barrier

Hence the need to lanolize your wool from time to time

You do not need to wash your woolie everyday. u can wash it once a week? or even twice a week

the woolie wont stinks
u just need to air it after each use and the urine's ammonia smell would be gone

it is natural and breathable
i do not feel comfortable wearing KJ on PUL diaper cover
imagine wearing a plastic or vinyl over your baby's butt!
it would be so warm!
some baby's butt could sweat if u are not aware
u can check by stuffing your hand into their bums

wool is also self cleaning and has antibacterial properties

there are proper ways to care for the woolies
goggle them and u can find plenty of info

the only snag is that u need to hand wash! (i am a truly lazy mom)

the benefits of fleece is that it is cheap! and u can machine wash with other clothings

diagnosis done

2010-12-31T00:49:00.009Z

Diagnosis: Roseola Infantum

kj was infected with the viral on 20th dec 2010. the symptoms were very distinctive. he had high fever 38-39 celcius for 3 days and when fever subsided, he had rashes. there is nothing u can do except by giving paracetamol for fever.

we gave him 3 doses of sy ees then that was it. :( hope there wont be any future problem with this.

he is all well now. not cranky at night. sleep through the night. only waking up at about 5-yish morning for a feed. he would go to bed at about 8.30pm.

however, he has phlegm and runny nose. he hates it when i try to clean his snot! yet i couldnt stand the sight of the booger! ugh! i try to dig with the aid of a cotton bud!
so sometimes when u hear him wails, it could mean digging-time! :)

photo session!

******
****
**
*

daddy's taking temperature, almost every half-hourly

aww

thermometer under the armpit
39.2 is not the highest

he seems to like the taste of the syrup initially
wasnt tolerating after that
hence we diluted it with water
he loves water, phew
we tried to check if he still wants to play
a sick child would not want to
but hey! kayjay chased after the rubber ball!
that was a good sign
that tells us his condition somehow

side track a little, arent the diaper cute?;)

tepid sponging
never soak the cloth with cold water
could cause blood constriction, a friend(pd specialist) warned me

wearing a helmet?
:)

the manifestation were straightfoward
after 3 days of fever,
rashes appeared

ops, that was him being nursed directly
im being open:p
im a health professional cmon!
*laughs*
and i really advocate breastfeeding
naturally, kayjay wants to be nursed and comforted constantly

the rashes when they started to appear
pinkish small raised dots

gets patchy around the neck

anguish red all over the back

this was 12 hours later

it is post-4-5 days now?
there are still little colourless raised rash over here and there, face even,
but evidently, he is less clingy,
do not cry anymore,
laughs when excited

because we thought he became a cry baby after coming back from peninsular
we were wrong, sorry darling for the accusation

also, just for extra knowledge,
babysis diagnose the rash as "chu (keluar) ma(horse)" in mandarin, translated literally
my mom didnt know what it was
then only we found out it is "chut (keluar) piak" in hokkien
campak in malay
chu ma is hakka

forensic and housemates

2010-12-30T06:48:00.002Z

i passed forensic!! so glad! phew! was having palpitation when i heard one colleague shrieked with joy that she passed and my fate was still unknown!

rejoice rejoice!!

there are so many reasons on why i cannot fail!

ive sent in my Surat Penempatan! applied for QE 1, QE 2 and Klinik Kesihatan Luyang.

also, my housemates are moving out! im happy about that as well :p obviously i'll miss them but finally i can have the kitchen to myself!

BUT, chunsiang and yewcheer might be my new housemates. not sure what will happen in the future but if they are moving in to the masterbedroom, then we will not rent out the small room and will turn it into a guestroom or a wardrobe room + ironing room. whee! the living room wouldnt be cluttered with hb clothes/kj's belongings

yewcheer and partner will cook im sure, hence i hope they would always keep the place clean, like really clean, wipe off specks of flour or droplets of water after each use for example.

also we can reach an agreement on the cooking time. i need to cook before we bring kayjay home :(

alright! toodles

time off again this evening so that i can iron clothes! haha

im thinking now how to move in the ironing board so that i can watch astro on demand while ironing ;)

liberation!~

2010-12-27T01:08:00.006Z

mygoodness!

im taking 5 hours time-off this morning to stay home to iron clothes.

WHAT?

are u kidding me?

5 hours to IRON CLOTHES?

urm, 1 piece / hour?

ahahhaha

erm, as well as to blog? :D

since i have the time of the world, without kj, ops, i need to de-clutter my blog!
and i found this MELAKA POST since ive uploaded the blog, i might as well post it up.

hb sneered at me, ooOOO nobody reads your blog anymore. can close down your blog. dont have to blog already -_-''

i feel like punching him

hello? what is the reason i blog?

definitely not to get readers. im not earning from my blog.

it provides a space for me to document certain epics of my life, a column where i can vent my anger and rant and grumble till there is no tomorrow, to let off my steam, and a place where i can update my friends with my activities and status.

i have been reading many mommy blogs this week and it made me long to get my own blog, with my own domain.

what i detest most about blogspot is the uploading of photos system! or whatever u call it. im bad with geeky vocabs :p

photos are important to me. i love seeing blogs with photos so i'd need to post photos in my blog!

lauyee told me it cost RM50 per year to maintain one blog with your own domain? how true is that i wonder.
50 ringgit is affordable

few more days before i hand in my Surat Penempatan and a handful of logbooks! i cant wait to set myself free!!

i can blog more often! im getting motivated to document kayjay's progress and blog more about my family, lest i forget (highly possible), especially the anecdotes.

need to revamp my blog's layout or something... :)

toodles

cooking tips

2010-12-27T00:57:00.000Z

Seven tips for making the most of your slow cooker

1. Always cook with the lid on. You can hardly overcook; these appliances are made for cooks who don't have time to pay attention.

2. For food safety, defrost frozen meats before placing them in the slow cooker.

3. Don't use the slow cooker to reheat leftovers. The microwave's the ticket for that task.

4. Transfer foods to other containers for storage in the refrigerator after cooking.

5. Never immerse heating elements in water.

6. Always unplug these appliances after use. Some models have no ""off"" setting.

7. Avoid sudden temperature changes. Thermal shock can crack a Crock-Pot if you add frozen or really cold food to a preheated ceramic pot.
Cooking is the process of using heat to prepare foods for consumption. Many common cooking methods involve the use of oil. Frying is cooking in hot oil, sautéing is cooking in a small amount of oil, stir-frying is a Chinese technique of frying quickly in small amounts of oil in a wok, deep frying is completely submerging the food in large amounts of fat, etc.

As people have become more health conscious, preparing foods in oil has become less desirable. With the advent of nonstick cookware, sautéing can be done at lower heats using vegetable broth and fruit juices instead of oil. Stewing refers to cooking slowly in a small amount of liquid in a closed container. Slow stewing tenderizes tough cuts of meat and allows flavors to mingle.

Another slow-cooking method is braising, in which meat is first browned, then cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan. Poaching is cooking food in liquid below the boiling point, while steaming is cooking food that has been placed above boiling water. Roasting means baking in hot dry air, generally in an oven. Baking refers to cooking in an oven and differs from roasting mainly in its reference to the type of food cooked-for example; one bakes a cake, but roasts a chicken. Another form called broiling means to cook by direct exposure to heat, while barbecue refers to cooking marinated food by grilling.

Dining with others is one of the most common and frequent social activities. It can involve a family dinner, a meal with friends, or form part of a ceremony or celebration, such as a wedding or holiday. More and more people study cooking in schools, watch how-to programs on television, and read specialty magazines and cookbooks. In fact, cookbooks as a group outsell any other kind of book except for religious works.

Cooking is the act of preparing food for consumption. It encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavor and digestibility of food. It generally requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools and the skill of the person cooking.

The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural and religious considerations that impact upon it.
Cooking frequently, though not always, involves applying heat in order to chemically transform a food, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, or nutritional properties. There is archaeological evidence of cooked foodstuffs (both animal and vegetable) in human settlements dating from the earliest known use of fire.

While cooking if heating is used, this can disinfect and soften the food depending on temperature, cooking time, and technique used. 4 to 60°C (41 to 140°F) is the
""danger zone"" in which many food spoilage bacteria thrive, and which must be avoided for safe handling of meat, poultry and dairy products. Refrigeration and freezing do not kill bacteria, but slow their growth.

kayjay has doule eye lid

2010-12-25T01:27:00.002Z

spot the difference!!

his right-eye is larger!
there is double eyelid!

damn! but it is imbalance! :D

little kayjay had eye infection last weekend
it dragged on for about 3 days
daddy suspected that the mattress from the kuala penyu lodge is the culprit
kayjay likes to rub his face /eyes against mattresses

kayjay came back with discharge on his left-eye
then i think it spread to the right eye

we brought him to Queen to see ophthalmologist Dr Sheena
she said mild infection and prescribed eyedrop CMC

discharge decreased in the left-eye and the entire right-eye was blinded literally

on the third day when i came home during lunch,
this is what i see!
look below

awwww
how pretty!!!
=)

you'd think im hoping for another infection on the left-eye?

sicko!
:D

alright

havent been really blogging about random stuff

thanks to huiyin for recommending this etore
and these are what ive bought!

linziclip!
claimed to use some technology from UK or something
it is even patented!
wow
go goggle it

myth about babies

2010-12-23T22:16:00.003Z

Myth 18: Mothers who hold their babies too much will spoil them.

Fact: Babies who are held often cry fewer hours a day and exhibit more security as they mature.

Anisfeld, E. et al. Does infant carrying promote attachment? An experimental study of the effects of increased physical contact on the development of attachment. Child Dev 1990; 61:1617-27.

Barr, K. and Elias M. Nursing interval and maternal responsivity: effect on early infant crying. Pediatrics 1988 81:529-36.

Bowlby, J. Attachment and Loss: Attachment, vol 1. New York: Basic Books, 1969; 178, 208, 240.

Heller, S. The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact with Your Baby Leads to Happier, Healthier Development. New York: Henry Holt, 1997;41-53, 204-21.

Hunziker U. and Barr R. Increased carrying reduces infant crying: a randomized controlled trial Pediatrics 1986; 77:641.

Matas, L., Arend, R., Sroufe, L. Continuity of adaptation in the second year: the relationship between quality of attachment and later competence. Child Dev 1978; 49:547-56.

Myth 19: It is important that other family members get to feed baby so that they can bond, too.

Fact: Feeding is not the only method by which other family members can bond with the baby; holding, cuddling, bathing and playing with the infant are all important to his growth, development and attachment to others.

Heller, S. The Vital Touch: How Intimate Contact with Your Baby Leads to Happier, Healthier Development. New York: Henry Holt, 1997;54-55, 60-61.

Myth 20: Child-directed feeding (nursing on demand) has a negative impact on the husband/wife relationship.

Fact: Mature parents realize that a newborn's needs are very intense but also diminish over time. In fact, the teamwork of nurturing a newborn can actually bring a couple closer as they develop parenting skills together.

Bocar, D., Moore, K. Acquiring the parental role: a theoretical perspective. LLLI Lactation Consultant Series. Unit 16. Garden City Park, New York: Avery, 1987.

Sears, W. BECOMING A FATHER. Schaumburg, Illinois: LLLI 1986; 29-50,119-29.

Myth 24: Nursing a baby after 12 months is of little value because the quality of breast milk begins to decline after six months.

Fact: The composition of human milk changes to meet the changing needs of baby as he matures. Even when baby is able to take solids, human milk is the primary source of nutrition during the first year. It becomes a supplement to solids during the second year. In addition, it takes between two and six years for a child's immune system to fully mature. Human milk continues to complement and boost the immune system for as long as it is offered.

American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics 1997; 100(6):1035-39.

Goldman, A. Immunologic components in human milk during the second year of lactation. Acta Paediatr Scand 1983; 72:461-62.

Gulick, E. The effects of breastfeeding on toddler health. Ped Nursing1986; 12:51-54.

Innocenti Declaration on the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 1991; 26:271-73.

Mohrbacher, N., Stock, J. BREASTFEEDING ANSWER BOOK. Schaumburg, Illinois: LLLI, 1997; 164-68.

Saarinen, U. Prolonged breastfeeding as prophylaxis for recurrent Otitis media. Acta Paediatr Scand 1982; 71:567-71.

we need have evidence! hence i found one website where they actually back-up the myths with journals! how great is that! =)

ive elected a few myths which are very common and they were proposed to me before

fresh milk or formula milk?

2010-12-23T22:15:00.006Z

The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that "Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child.." * The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend that babies be breastfed for at least two years.

******************

Considerations

Sometimes exclusive breastfeeding is not possible. Infant formula can provide a practical and safe alternative to breast milk for an infant in the first year. Whole cow's milk can be introduced after the first year. Whole milk is appropriate for toddlers from age 1 to 2 because they need fat for the development of the brain at this stage. Offer low fat milk after age 2.

i did some reading and ive now learned that the westerners feed formula milk to babies BELOW ONE YEAR OLD. after 1 yr old, they give FRESH MILK. fresh milk means the cold fresh milk that we get from the supermarket, or the UHT milk, is considered fresh too. these are better than formula, according to a lecturer doctor from PMC, who is also a lactation consultant.

she said never ever give formula to our children. imagine how bad could it be?

the debate is usually FRESH MILK vs FORMULA MILK

to give fresh milk to your kid or formula milk? google this and u can find quite a lot of information.

i never knew formula is preferred for babies under 1 yrs old. u either feed breastmilk or give formula at that stage. after that, u can supplement with fresh milk if u are still breastfeeding.

they said that children who takes fresh milk are healthier, less sick as compared to formula. fresh milk goes through less processing phase so it retains more nutrients? wherereas formula goes through many processes and the DHA and what nots which are added in are not natural. what is the bioavailability? our children should get the DHA for example from fresh food, from their meals, such as from fish?

u can find more variety of fresh milk in the supermarket in the west but it is the total opposite here. u see more variants of formula milk here. there are not that many types of formula milk in the west.

think about this - the angmohs are healthier, bigger in size?

this is new to us i believe. imagine your MIL or the nannies in bewilderment when u pass them cartons of fresh milk instead or giving them TINS of formula milk?

everyone is saying how great and mighty formula milk is! this is a pretty hot topic! dont believe me? u can test the water by bringing this issue up to the older generation! they claimed that kids now are so smart and it is due to the milk, loaded with lots of nutrients and DHA, EPA etc.

they are not even very keen with breastfeeding hence i would like to promote breastfeeding as well as giving fresh milk instead of formula! the latter could be quite difficult!

milk companies are penetrating the asian market and like the china case? where they added melamine powder into formula milk? that is so scary, no?

my doubts are settled. hubby said i need to sell my points to him on why do i want to supplement kayjay with fresh milk instead of formula milk.

hb is now convinced.

if i do not have enough breast milk after kayjay hits his first birthday, we would supplement him with fresh milk.

i'd go for DESA FULL CREAM MILK! :)

oh, another point that i should share is that, please give full cream milk to your little ones as they need the fats for growth.

you can only give low fat milk to children over 2 years of age.

guidelines recommend feeding formula/breastmilk to babies from birth to 1 years old, then u can switch to fresh milk after that.

few links for extra reading

When can i switch my baby from formula to milk?

When can i start feeding my baby wholemilk?

breastfeeding journal

immunity breakdown

2010-12-23T15:07:00.004Z

kayjay's first high fever, at 10+ months old.

tues night (21 dec 2010)

38.3 - 39.6 --- 39.3 29.1

wed

38.8 - 39.1 - 38.5 - 39.1

thu

38.6 )am) noon 37.3 night 37.9 after pcm 4mls qid and one dose of sy.ees 5mls

sy pcm: 15mg/kg. 5mls =120mg of pcm

hb gave 100mg/kg, means 4 mls of sy pcm

it is the third night now and we decided to give him antibiotic, Sy EES.

have been giving him sy pcm from tues till now

there are a few reasons if a baby has high fever.

1. teething. temperature wouldnt be more than 39 celcius

2. viral fever. fever for 2-3 days

3. bacterial fever. fever more than 3 days

so since it is third night tonight and he still had fever in the evening when we brought him home, daddy decided to give the EES, gambling that it could be bacterial fever.

all is well now i hope

will post photos of kayjay taking med.

initially he loved the pcm! but starting last night, he began to reject it so we had to dilute it in some water and tricked him. he loves it. he loves drinking water.

daddy also bought suppository pcm for emergency purposes.

MO in KKIA (klinik kesihatan ibu dan anak) suggested to give supp if temp > 39. supp from hosp is 250mg hence hb bought from private pharmacy because we want 125mg supp. 5 biji for rm3 and he is complaining that it is expensive! :D i think we are used to getting free medicines!

will be back for more

selfconflict

2010-12-07T04:20:00.003Z

caught in between. dilemma

this happens to everyone.

like now, hb is out with friends while im home, spreading both my feets, each touching one corner of the bed, with a roll of tissue beside and astro-on-demand playing in the background. KJ is with babysis despite today being a public holiday.

part of me wants to go shopping, another part of me needs the rest.

it is ME-time!! a long awaited luxury! i kid u not!

im down with flu.

ive just realized that i havent gotten a long-uninterrupted peaceful sleep, for a very very long time.

i almost thought of giving up breastfeeding last night.

it was difficult, with blocked nose and throbbing head. i wanted to stay home after sending kayjay over to babysis's house so that i could replace irreplaceable-sleep. but it is hub's birthday! i couldnt be a spoiler as we have dated to have breakie with ah kong and william at Gunters. the buffet breakfast was BAD. yuck! rm8 per person, what do i expect? ehee. the staff- ah gua- was smitten by hub. which was really funny! he threw many lines at hub and when hub waved goodbye at the end, he even mouthed LOVE U! lols!

anyway,
i need to talk about breastfeeding.
bf-ing is really not easy.
u need to give up on many things.

on social life
cant take part in medical camp
cant do sports
say bye bye to vanity?
wear breastfeeding-friendly attire

hence i always dont understand how the working moms do it. they can be so well-groomed while managing their house well, together with having well behaved, cleanly groomed kids [sometimes u see well-worn parents lugging around dirty children. what an eye-sore]

well, these parents have my utmost respect

if i stop bf-ing, i could do sports -> better body? haha
i could read novels, read magazines, i could study and score better (prp), less stress. go for facials. wear dresses. u cant wear dress when breastfeeding. how to? pull up the dress, all the way up to the chest? lols! unless if u can pull down the shoulder strap.
i would also have more time to do household chores, wouldnt i? i should stop feeling guilty, giving directions to hub to clean the house. i hope he wont hangat hangat tahi ayam and would continuously have the omph to do the cleaning EVERY WEEK! =)

but kayjay would have less antibodies, weaker health *touch wood* less bonding. perhaps dont want to come to me as often as compared to babysitter? he would lunged towards babysis each time she extends her palms or calls out to KJ

anyway, happy birthday hub. ive surprised u with ipad, so wont be doing anything today. furthermore, im sick! u should serve me :p

KAYJAY's NEW HAIR CUT
******
****
***
**
*

popo cut

mohawk -ah beng wannabe!

conflict
he is so cute
irresistible
but yet becoming cranky
repels me a little
bad mommy!!

kayjay has changed

2010-12-05T06:02:00.003Z

just got back from peninsular. balik kampung for about 10 days. it was tiring, travelling from KL up north to ipoh and penang and kedah. we flew from a/star back to KK.

now that we are back in KK, kj seems different. crying/whimpering every now and then.

im maidless and im so so thankful that hub did the entire house yesterday [saturday]. i wanted to help out. it was the other way round. hub is suppose to help me out but instead he did everything. from bedroom to the kitchen, to the living room and the laundry area, as well as the bathroom. my. i did not expect kayjay to be this difficult. i wanted to put him to sleep so that i can quickly get the housework done BUT he was actually nursing for comfort! good lord! so the moment i un-latched, he whimpered. sigh.

it made me think, if it is time for me to give up? to stop nursing? there are many reasons that i can give.

i'll write again.

makan makan

2010-11-26T05:59:00.008Z

i feel sooooo lucky to be able to eat the very-sought-after-famous-food this morning, without having to QUEUE at all!!! mygawd!!!

first, we went to xin quan fang for curry mee! curry mee was so so. i didnt like the smell. i could smell santan, although the curry wasnt very santan-y

then we drove to curry puff/kaya kok shop. dont know the name of the shop cause i didnt see any nameboard!

kaya kok
DELICIOUS!!
not too sweet and kaya tasted very original!

i saw THEAN CHUN , which was opposite the pastry shop. so after hb got up to the car, i asked him to try to go over and check if they still have the caramel custard ("tan-tan")

if u dont know or havent heard of this caramel custard, it is a very 'ba bai' food! U have to queue for it very early in the morning. so imagine the many times ive been to ipoh, we didnt get try this. hb didnt know that thean chun has this custard so he hasnt tried before as well.

so of all the many times that i was in ipoh, nope, we didnt MAKE it to sample the custard. hb is not an early person. so im no doubt unhappy about this.

anyway! i was elated when i see him carrying a bag when he walked out of thean chun! hooray!!
finally!
everything was a breeze!
hb said that was because today is a friday.
but KL was packed everywhere we went before we came back to ipoh. it is the school holiday period so i think many are making a trip to KL.

THEAN CHUN

cold caramel custard

he has 26 seconds to eat this, while waiting for the green light

we have about 3 full days in ipoh and i told hb, please sell me ipoh. he always try to promote how good it is to live in ipoh , assuming i wont take up the offer.
anyway, so i told him, this is the time to promote ipoh to me. make me miss ipoh. make me wanna come back to ipoh. come! show me what ipoh has! bring me makan!
:)

but u know, when u are away, u would miss what u dont have. what u cant have. but when u are back here, u wouldnt know where to go makan.
this happens when we were in KL.

but atleast ive managed satisfy my mouth with TGI, godiva, o' briens' , carls junior, madam kwan, yut kee, ikea's meatball.

o brien's triple deck

yut kee's butter cake + kaya swiss roll
hainan chicken chop
roti babi

we didnt plan to go to yut kee but the thought sprang to mind when jarrod & rawlins wasnt opened yet

didnt get to eat jap food and italliannies. SIEN!

was also very pissed that i didnt get to try the peppersoup and black mee which hb raved about in tg malim! brh!

as we progress

2010-11-16T08:35:00.005Z

kayjay has his milestone. so do we, the two of us :)

1 year has passed.

i know this will be interesting, cause it is more relevant to most of my dear friends who are not married yet. too much of kayjay bores them.

okay okay

1. im pleased that he helps to do the dishes now.

before : i'd walked into the kitchen with used utensils lying around the sink

after: CLEAR! no un-used utensils! never underestimate these little gestures. u could cook cheerfully when u walk into the kitchen and u can jump straight to the preparation of food. rather than needing to wash and clean up the work area first!

im no doubt SATISFIED! after ngam ngam ngam for so long! the day has arrived! :)

when i was anticipating to wash the dishes when i come home from work, that was when i started to notice that the dishes were all washed.

i told him that he should wash the dishes after using. dont wait for me to do it. if i am already there at the sink washing, then if he has finished eaten, i could wash.

irks me when he came home for lunch alone, eat and just leave the utensils beside the sink. why want to wait for me?

firstly, i would appreciate if u could help me to soak the utensils.

secondly, i am also working, as hard as u (him). same time, same job.

thirdly, we dont have a maid.

you love me? do it. please help out.

wife = maid
?

dont overlooked all these chores, never underestimate what they can DO to a relationship :p *laughs*

all of us are spoilt. most of us are i believe, so all these menial jobs are done by our dearest mother or honoured maid. but now your wife is the one doing it. so please help out if can, everyone is capable. we are living in a new generation.

next!

wanna piss me off? darn easy

WAKE UP LATE and there you go!

getting up at 7.15am will put me in distress!

try getting up at 7.20am, please expect a volcano!

7.10am is the latest that i can take!

work starts at 8am, for god's sake!

i need him to wake up early is because it would affect me. ive already tried to get up EARLIER so that i can manage everything on my own, but, well, it works sometimes, but sometimes cant. BECAUSE? it depends on kayjay. he needs to be nursed once he gets up.

there was one period where i wake up at 5.30am. then now i dont have much to do, so i get up at 6am or latest 6.30am.

i would sometimes cook in the morning. most of the time fried rice.

dont know how to say. there are just many things to be taken care of.

so like today, we were late and he didnt bring up my workbag into the car. punchcard is in my bag. grh!
and i forgot to put on my sunblock! add on to the anger! bah!

also! i cant stand it when he doesnt COVER the dishes /marinades when he puts them in the fridge! ewwww!!

do u need to TEACH such things?

only guys do that!

it is EWW because u do not know what is brewing in air of the fridge!

k, that should be all.

it is just great that ive taken time off, 3 hours today to come home to blog!

cool?

haha!

went to the market for 1 hour and prepare food for 1 and the remaining 1 here. 'i have nothing to say'

:D

cheers!

cooking for big leong and small leong

2010-11-16T07:46:00.009Z

its difficult to catch up with penning down kayjay's development, work and household chores simultaneously!

first of all,

kayjay is 9 months now!

these are what he has achieved!

1. he can prop up himself. meaning to say, he can sit up on his own. previously, u have to sit him up! :)

2. his pincher grasp is improving. the thumb is more agile! :D

3. he can move while standing up. eg, he can move in his babycot from one corner to another corner when standing

4. he is more demanding. he cant lie down without whimpering. he wants to sit up or stand. he will crawl towards u, jump on you. cant even sit still in his car seat! if you dont strap him, dont be surprised to find him OFF the car seat. this happened once! :S he was in the legroom

5. he can clap hands! pai pai shou!

6. im starting sign language! they said only SAHM (stay at home mom) can succeed because they spend more time with the child as compared to WFTM (working full time mom). they suggest to involve the caretaker as well in baby signing but im a tad lazy, to explain to aunty the reason i want to practise signing. oh well, i'll just do my part and pray for the best! :)

6. his menu has expanded evidently. im trying to give him a variety. it is not easy doing this especially when you son is being under the care of a BABYSITTER!

anyway, i AM THRILLED ! that i can blend food for him now because i borrowed a proper blender last night! what i have is a chopper. pftt

so i tried blending steamed broccoli and they came out perfect, just the way i wished they would be! YAHOOOO!!

FINALLY! my cube containers, brought all the way here from Exeter, are put in great use! they are gifts from kayjay's godmom. i have about 20 of them!

they are not cheap in msia mind you.

BABY CUBES RM41 for 8 small pieces!
i WISH to see this in my fridge! so i need to work hard

i could sit down and 'mengkaji' recipe. think of what i have, plan what to buy and what to cook and what i can cook. many of the recipes require blending so i was limited by that.

im really excited over APPLE CHICKEN!

guys! u can google this recipe! although it is for babies, adults would love it too i think?

i bought 2books from Times in Suria, one is about baby's development, the other one is the very popular ANNABEL KARMEL cook book for babies-toddler!

last night ive bookmarked the recipes that i could prepare for kayjay and i thought why not prepare this for tomorrow's lunch? for the adults i mean.

hb loves it! u can say it is simple, but also not that simple. im just plain lazy i suppose. simple when u have all the ingredients ready, but the process of preparing such as boil the tuna and crumble them. sounds easy, it actually is, but its just that i need to boil the tuna, so while boiling? i cant do many things. someone has to look after kayjay and i cant sit down and online or study. if i do that, confirm the tuna will be on fire. happened many times *sheepish*
anyway, i prepared cold tuna pasta. (didnt take pic of the end product)

u need : flaky tuna, elbow pasta, chopped celery, chopped onion, apple cider vinegar (or any other vinegar), few blobs of ketchup, black pepper, salt

i didnt want to mix in mayonnaise. was thinking of something light.

if you are wondering how come i boil my own tuna, yeap, u hear me right. we've never bought canned tuna. the tuna here is SO CHEAP! one big fat tuna, bigger than my foot! twice its size! for about rm12? that is huge okay! remember how big my foot is?

hb claimed the tuna here are yellow-finned.

kayjay has tried dragon fruit! the white one though. the seeds were visible in his poo! :)

ive also bought ORGANIC TOFU in an organic shop last friday. :p

cheese is one that is still pending. sigh. cant get a suitable cottage cheese.

he still cant take coarse food. will UEEK but i'll keep trying.

bought QUINOA, they are not cheap. organic ones of course *shy* one small packet for rm16! about 500g i think.

1kg of bario white rice for RM12.organic.

im running out of ideas on what to cook for US! sigh. stress. anyone has any easy and quick recipes to share?

running short of money as well, so gotta try to eat in as much as we can.

9 months

babywearing and baby's meal

2010-10-31T04:18:00.005Z

i love this photo

baby-wearing dad

glad hb loves the angelpack (brand name)

this is called babywearing by the way

they dont come cheap

u can google the many benefits of babywearing your child

dont simply buy one off the shelf from your neighbourhood supermarket, some of them are bad for the spine

do some homework before purchasing

sigh, as usual, the good ones come with "a" price tag

it gets on my nerves if kj goes out un-shed

umbrella is mandatory

~KAYJAY"S MENU this weekend~

sat breakfast

white potato + carrot + garlic

this is the first time im adding spices to his meal

he ate them! phew!

oatmeal. organic.

sat dinner

oat + eggyolk

sorry darling, mommy cant afford to buy u peaches

tonghing sells 3 for RM20?

too dear my dear

i lamented on why the avocados were out of stock last week?

so i jumped on them the moment i saw them on saturday

my eyeballs bulged after weighing them

2 biji for RM15?

gracious me!

sunday breakfast

purple/japanese sweet potato + avocado

i didnt sieve them

trying to feed coarser food

i began with thicker food last week and also on saturday

then i decided not to sieve today

he seems to be doing 'okay'

gave him honeydew when we went out for teatime today

he loves it

but aunty said he didnt like honeydew

i still havent gotten around to make yogurt so havent let him try that

mango is too ex. 2 biji for dont-know-how-much-already. was it rm8? so i decided not to go for it

the man said there are no local mangoes hence the mangoes are imported

tofu is also on the waiting list

bought ANNABEL KARMEL cooking book for babies to toddler yday!

not cheap! but hope they'll be in good use

nites!

facts about baby teeth

2010-10-27T14:27:00.003+01:00

Notes on Baby Teeth & Teething:

• It is not uncommon for a baby to have a delay in the appearance of teeth

until 12 months of age.

• The first dental appointment should be scheduled when baby is between

2-3 years of age.

• Wash your baby’s gums after each meal with a damp cloth or “baby”

toothbrush.

• Remember; never let your baby sleep with a bottle of formula, breast milk

or juice! This can cause serious harm to baby’s forming teeth and

permanent teeth too!

KJ has his upper tooth this week! means the upper and lower central insicor is out!

not bad, the emergence of his teeth tallies with the suggested age.

k, this photo above is merely for my future reference :) and also perhaps for other mommies

kayjay's meal

2010-10-23T11:02:00.007+01:00

A few signs that your baby may be ready for table food:

Doesn't want to be spoon fed

Turns his head or even spits out those thin purees at mealtimes

Grabs at the spoon and tries to feed himself

Mashes lumps and texture without incidence

Pincher grasp is well utilized

8 months of age or older

a little sad that i still cant do all these to KJ.

other babies at his age now can feed himself and mommies could begin cooking all the yummy food for their babies. they could be adventurous and even bake cakes, muffins, feed pancakes, omelette, pasta and etc. the recommended age is 8 mths and above but KJ is going to be 9 mths soon but i dont think he is ready.

oh well, i shouldnt be that impatient. his time will come.

oh yeah, sadness, finally, the day has arrived. no more avocados! they dont sell avocado anymore! argh! no more aussie ones!

the only hope is that the flipino market has them? remind me to ask hb to fetch me to the market tonight! shall try the local acovado, which is also known as buah susu.

those who hasnt been to kota kinabalu, please try their avocado juice! avocado + condense milk and blend them. they taste great! me love!

local avocado/ buah susu

can eat it just like that

this taste different as compared to the greenish imported avos

this is sweet and creamy

some called it buah mentega

due to its buttery flavour i suppose

i tried giving BRINJAL/EGGPLANT to kayjay today! yay! i mixed it into oats and tried to give it to him without sieving but unfortunately, he wasnt ready. he still needs pureed food. hence i quickly sieved the lot but didnt add any water, wanna make it into a thick paste.

that is how u should do it. gradually move on from thin puree to thicker puree and then into chunky food.

this week is my first time giving him egg yolk as well.

u should introduce egg yolk first, without egg white as egg yolk is less allergenic.

i gave him broccoli last week but because i do not have a proper blender :( i couldnt blend the vege hence i cant give him that frequent. i can only give it to him if i boil the broccoli long enough till they are soften and then i have to mash it against the siever. that is a lot of work. so i will keep all these vege, peas and broccoli when i go back to peninsular.

i am also looking forward to give him peaches and nectarines when we are back home!

kayjay is 8.5 months now, hence i am excited and am preparing, reading up all the new foods that i can expose him too!

he has now stepped into a new category : 8-10 mths.

there is honeydew in my fridge as well! they are taking turns to be savour by him!

next on the list would be yogurt! ive been meaning to give him yogurt but i was plain lazy to prepare it. u heard me right, i am making my own yogurt, by using the yogurt maker given to me by my chummies.

and also red dragon fruit

last week i gave aunty the food feeder and hand over pear, papaya and apple to her so that she can give it to kayjay as snacks.

apparently, kayjay doesnt like pears.

another issue that i need to tackle is high chair.

during meal times, u need to train them (kids) to sit on the dining table instead of running around or eat while watching TV or whatnot. besides, u also need to inculcate good eating habits, and table manners which is of great importance to me. :p

i havent gotten a highchair yet. sigh. we (the parents) dont eat in the dining room here in KK. it is too stuffy and lack of lighting so we usually dined in the living room (on a coffee table) or in the bedroom. bad, i know

*for my own reference, the words in purple are those that ive given him*

is he special to me?

2010-10-17T18:35:00.006+01:00

wanted to take a pic of his tooth

forcing him to open his mouth when he was going into slumber

today is the third monday, of kayjay having his little tooth.

haih, gotta backdate everything.

i wasnt aware of his tooth. sap pai. :)

aunty was the one who found out and told me. it wasnt visible at that time, u can only feel it. feel it with your finger ;)

after 3 weeks, it is visible now. i even took a pic. will ask hb to edit, crop the pic and i'll attach here for remembrance.

he only has one tooth. aunty said usually the other tooth will sprout out together but in kayjay's case, it is only one. it is okay kayjay, there is no hurry.

uncle has stopped pestering me to get a baby walker. because? he has questioned me on the reason for not getting and i hope i have made myself clear.

ok, what can kayjay do?

his achievements.

he can sit up straight, unsupported. he can crawl on his tummy, like real quick. flipped like a dolphin. on the bed, he can flip unflip flip unflip and rotate 360 all over the bed.

BUT! he doesnt dare to move when he is on the floor.

i put him on the floor, wanna check if he can crawl on the floor but nope, he remained stationary.

he starts to lift up his and inches forward. i dont know how to explain this. but he is learning to crawl on his limbs. with the butt lifting, he would soon be able to do that i am sure.

after so many falls from the bed, he has learned to bring himself to a halt when he reaches the edge of the bed *grin*

he is also very responsive these days =) u could tease him. u act like u want to carry him but then didnt carry him in the end, he would make noise :)

if u play with him and stop abruptly, he would go on a whim.

oh, and he is getting up almost every 2 hours at night. :S

he learns to splash the water in the tub during bath time as well!

as for food, i didnt give up on avocado. he took it on saturday. hb went " u wont give up, will ya?" ;P

ive also given him broccoli. first time trying this week.

also, i finally dig out the munchkin food feeder and gave him banana, papaya and pear :)

nibble on the handle of the feeder when he was done with the banana

im looking forward to next weekend so that i can try brinjal/eggplant!

im waiting for peaches / nectarine to be in season. the perils on being here. if only im in KL, i bet i could give him a lot more variety!

we try to back carry him these days

note, u should front carry younger babies

learning to stand up on his own

this is a little dangerous hence need to be watched at all times

made this yesterday!

steamed banana cake!

sort of a destress thing :p

couldnt give a damn about the unfinished project given by the almighty frp

gnawing his own toes!

haha! :D

can sit up unsupported and play with his toys

ure not the greatest

2010-10-17T18:04:00.003+01:00

ive gone through a month of clinical. yet im still alive. i thought i was going to die. although i did feel like dying.

ha-ha.

what is this? die die post.

anyway, yeah, u wouldnt believe what i am going to tell u next.

i cried in front of my preceptor. one frapping frp. ugh.

we need to complete 3 wards in clinical rotation. 1 ward = 2 weeks.

hence, ive braced 2 wards, which make that 1 month. i cant wait to quickly skim through this remaining 2 weeks.

how did that incident happen? i know, most of u will be interested in that.

it happened just , erm, thursday i think? yeah, cause then the frp took leave on friday, which is such a joy and blessing!

ohkay. we were in ward on that fateful day. early in the morning. one patient passed away and it caused quite a stir in the ward. everyone was running around etc. then few specialist came and wanted to review one patient. obviously, this patient has many complications. he had a uncontrolled fits on top of all the complexity so when they were discussing about the patient, i tried to give some input. i wasnt really giving any ideas or opinions of my own, i was just INFORMING them of what happened yesterday, when the question propped up.

means when the doctors asked something, i offered to answer them. i told them, informed them what medicine was given yesterday.

after they were done with this patient, the frp called me in to his room. we both sat down, and he started bombarding. me.

he explained that i was wrong to do that..etc etc etc..yada yada...

sorry, of course what happened above wasnt the only story, there were slightly more to it but i find it difficult to explain in detail here.

so to sum it up, i got screwed. and embarrassingly, i cried halfway through the fracas. he didnt listen to my explanation. so then i know what type he is hence i kept quiet through out. tears kept streaming down my face and THANK GOD i had on my face mask. the wonders of face mask. u know, with a face mask on, u can yawn without covering your face and can do a lot of nonsense behind without people knowing. so fun :p

anyway, yeah, after he gave me an earful, i went to the bathroom and wash up.

haih. btw intec people, dhina is in queen! in kota kinabalu! ;) she is in my ward and she asked " what happened to u? why is ur eyes red?"

oh, i brushed it off and said i couldnt stand the family (referring to the patient who passed away that morning) sorry dude, gotta use u. please forgive me.

oh, what a tale.

" clinical is very tough right?"

i never said it wasnt. and i never said i wanted to be in! im not those bpharmers!

"u see! dont know where is the info in the book? got book also dont know where to find!" hello? i dont even own this book(lexicom), i dont use it, so how the hell do i know where to flip?

" got book in front of u also dont know the answer"

people, i was looking at the book, reading out the answer but he said wrong. wrong answer.

"use your brain to think! ur brain is to do what?....... is not to study only, is to think!"

"study study also no use wan, need to think! thats why i keep tell u people...........etc etc etc"

"so how? study already? want to discuss? or dont want to discuss already?

" so how? any questions? no questions? then i ask u questions"

got questions ask u also no use. ask like not asking. cause he will ask me to go back and read and find :S

"dont answer back! when i say u are wrong means u are wrong. definitely there are reasons. go back and check!"

"i know u are keen to learn. but really, ur knowledge is way below standard. next time please check with me before u do any intervention! u think ure so smart huh? bla bla bla"

i didnt do any intervention of my own. i didnt suggest anything of my own. i suggested what he had suggested to the HO. furthermore, the HO referred to her specialist before ordering the drug. and i never thought i was smart. i never said or acted like i know a lot. i always said i am dumb. i wasnt confident at all in clinical so how could i go about offering people my views? i kept quiet most of the time. so i felt a lil useless, following the doctors on round. i DONT know how to do intervention. i dont know what dose is right. what is wrong.

i did do a few silly mistakes like telling the doctor Tablet azithromycin is 500mg od and IV is 400mg od. damn! i even said I AM SURE about this! -_-'''

why want to memorize so many guideline? why need to?

i havent even had time to read about baby signing which im suppose to do with kayjay and now i need to memorize guidelines.

btw, we dont do that in our uni duh. so dont expect everyone to be the same.

and not everyone study everyday when they go home NOW. we have a life. unlike you. you shouldnt force people to lead the same lifestyle as u. what about my son? who will play with him when he comes home? i should ditch him and memorize guideline for u? who will plan what meals to prepare for kayjay?

your experience did contribute to your knowledge today, dont deny that!

ok, that is all about this. i want to blog about kayjay next! =)

contemptuous frp

2010-10-08T05:14:00.004+01:00

"u will kill people in ward! im just being honest here!"

"wwahhhhh ur antibiotic is so bad"

"u need to present like the doctors! then only we are up to par with them. then only we can stand up and discuss with them. then only our profession can be looked up to"

"u have to think like the doctors, then u will know what they are up to"

"what is the difference between artemisinin and quinine? i give u tips. look at the pharmacokinetics, the half life, the MOA"

"give me 10 reaons why ceftriaxone is good?"

sienness

i know im dumb. i forgot 90% of what ive learnt in uni.

its good that u scold us and ask us many questions, so that we can go home and ready.

but there are ways to do it. the last thing that u should do MOCKING.

u drive people's self esteem down the hill.

no doubt im under lots of stress under your tutelage,

good and bad

bad that i fall asleep even before my son does,

before 9pm im already in deep slumber

happy when dear son sleeps early

bad when dear son wakes up in the night and i cant stay awake to coo him

good when i come home with a little enthusiasm,

hoping to study my s off after dinner

good that i can forget everything else when i come home to kayjay and finally break into a wide smile

bad that i seems to forget that i should study when i see kayjay

i can just look at kayjay for hours and not do anything else. is this good or bad?

please do not USE my son!!!

backlog

2010-10-03T13:20:00.007+01:00

my mommy can spot me at night!

glow in the dark pants bought by dear dad

darndest

cmon KJ! bite it!

pisses u when u bolt to the room and this greets u?

i dont want to study:(

study is one thing

memorizing is another!

i need to memorize guideline-s

note the s please

right. anyway,

kayjay can crawl!

starting last monday, i was aware

he came home and we realized he inched forward

we got so excited and hence try to lure him forward with remote control, astro's and ps3 joystick.

think kayjay would grow up to be a gadget geek? haha!

he loves the remotes

right, back to his crawling.

he cant commando crawl.

he uses both his arms to pull his body forward.

he inches around the bed from monday till yesterday

however, he began to crawl from bed to the floor this afternoon!

that was a feat i would say

and i have a hunch, the nightmare begins

note to myself, i would need to scrub the bedroom floor every sat and sun

so that he can crawl around the room

no way im letting him out of the territory

way too filthy outside

besides, he loves to put things into his mouth

worse is that he would lick the floor?

i hate to imagine it

next,

i failed to keep count on the number of falls

here are a few that ive managed to capture ;)

i was in the room but wasnt aware of this

he was quiet, played on his own

next,

this time he wailed

awww he had to give u this look

*************************

limited edition photo!

haha!

yummeh kayjay?

what to feed?

2010-09-26T01:20:00.008+01:00

the first anniversary present

its apron:)

one for me and one for him

the pretty beige one is mine and the colourful one is his! just what ive wanted =)

> how true do u believe that oats can reduce cholesterol?

i have naively believe this UNTIL i did my chol test last month! my LDL is slightly high?

how can that be true?

i eat oats almost everyday as my breakfast! and it is not just a small mug of it, it is a huge bowl! u know how appetizing i can get in the morning

oh well..no idea what went wrong

next up

> about kayjay's meal

he didnt fancy pureed pumkin yesterday :(

also, he doesnt like my pureed plum :(

plum is understandable because it is sourish.

pumpkin? haih, i even baked it instead of steam as baking retains more nutrients

so! i will give oats + pumpkin again this morning. ive already prepared them and both father and son is still asleep.

rather rare especially for KJ cause he would usually wake up before 8!

how many falls?

2010-09-26T00:46:00.004+01:00

peaceful night

(+) hb brings kayjay out so im alone at home

(-) sorethroat worsens in just one hour? incredible

also, i should document this, kayjay fell off the bed again last night

this time was...it wasnt a bad fall, like say he fell 1m high or something

again, he fell from my bed and got stuck in between our mattress and his cot

it was in the middle of the night

he sort of grunted, like he always does when hez sleeping (when this happens, i'll nurse him)

i heard it but decided to ignore and continue my slumber

then again, i heard the noise so i think its time to look for my son? :)

so i sat up and searched for him with squinting eyes

scanned the entire bed, dont have!

alarmed!

eyelids flew open to the maximum!

looked down!

oh shit!

he got stuck! horrible sight!

shit shit!

WHAM! woke hb up!

both os us kelam kabut

i tried to carry him but cant! got stuck!

he is crying now, not continuous though. wailing type

after few attempts to save him has failed, he started to cry already , a real cry this time

then finally hb pushed our mattress away and i managed to lift him and cradled him in my arms instantly

haih...

what a night

he got quiet immediately

phew

so yea, that was it, another fall

no bumps no blue black, nothing. =)

are u ready for this?

2010-09-20T16:55:00.003+01:00

shit, dont think i can post it in time in conjunction with the DATE

im late by few minutes (by the time i finish posting the entire entry)

anyway,

if u can make up the puzzles on the cupcakes,

.........

oh, and there were 25 of them

i ate 3 when i was transporting the cakes home cause i was too hungry

i was just brooding over the fact that we couldnt even make it through the 1st on a happier note

dont understand?

it means we didnt go through the day in good spirits

we HAD to argue the night before

sigh

then,

he tried to make it up today after work

drove straight to town,

planned to bring me to Nishiki, a jap restaurant

unfortunately, it wasnt opened till 6.30pm

and we were there before 5.30pm

hence we decided to give LITTLE ITALY a try

if uve been to kota kinabalu,

u'll know how people rave about this restaurant

which i dont fancy!

ugh!

we thought we should give it another chance

but...

bah!

no way im going there again!

italiannies rates better than this over-rated restaurant!

my salmone

salmon was not fresh!

carbonara was soso

we had a rather good time catching up after not talking since last night

his grilled chicken

salmon pizza

salty

ewww

a card which he claimed expressed everything, all his thoughts

i'll reveal the present next time

what i'd like to share now is...

the night had to end bitterly

we came home and i brought the cupcakes into the room

he was elated...

then he brought the cakes out to the living room as i told him to share with the rest

they wanted to go out for dinner first so we left the cakes untouched

did our stuff and my migraine got worse

so after preparing my things,

i stood at the doorway and said " i'll eat the cupcake and im ready for bed"

he said ok and continue surfing the net

hence i sat outside and ate one cake

then another

then i got into the room,

brushed my teeth,

and extorted " how come u didnt go out and eat the cake with me"

he looked a little astonished

"i thought u said u wanted to eat one cake and go to sleep"

"yes, but what is the point of eating it alone?"

do u guys see my point?

do i need further elaboration?

am i too demanding?

yes, it was dump of me to expect or to assume u will go out and sample the cake with me

i thought u should try the cake and give me the feedback?

to tell me if the cake is delicious?

i am speechless

what kind of a celebration?

i mean, how do u celebrate..say a birthday for a friend?

do u buy her/him a cake and then shove it to them and thats it?

u do your own things after that?

u ignore him/her and let her eat it herself?

or was it my mistake that i should actually tell him to go out and try the cakes WITH ME?

i slept right after that and now that im awake to do some chores,

eg washing the diaper, rinse my pump, fill up water into bottles,

i went to check on the cupcakes,

they were untouched

*twist into a knot*

in total, ive eaten 5 and i kept on avoiding eating those with the letters

i didnt want to break the words

Pregnant Me

2010-09-15T05:40:00.003+01:00

nothing to do in TDM

machine breakdown

YAY!

lols

anyway,

ive reserved this photo to be posted here

some photos would be specially reserved for this blog

fb is too public :p

back to this photo,

there were request from friends who wanted to see pregnant photos of me

they are just evil as they wanted to see how bad i could be with a HUGE tummy

this was in the 6th month?

~ 5-6 mth

not sure if ive posted this before

if i did not, here goes

this was taken in KK, either in dec/jan 2009

face a lil bloated

and hair like a lioness

a lion to be exact

lioness does not have hairs like a lion

i hope u understand me

please dont use baby walker

2010-09-15T05:34:00.002+01:00

i AM NOT getting baby walker for KJ

no 1 : bad for spine, prone to injury and many more

no2 : save money ;)

haha

please rmber when its ur turn :)

read them here or goggle them

info 1

better info! please read!

overlooked

2010-09-06T11:19:00.004+01:00

souvenirs from her highness!

4 boxes of ferrero

simply gifts like this bring lotsa joy to us

the ferrero is for hb

cote d'or is for me

she came for 3 days 2 nights (weekend)

she taught me how to make 'loh mai gai'

hb likes to eat and it really annoys me each time he orders it outside EVEN when he knows they suck! thats number 1. number 2, it is overpriced

hence now i can make my own loh mai gai and he has no reason to order outside :p

next,

there are backlog of events for me to report

kj is 7 mths old

firstly, KJ can sit unsupported, well, not exactly upright but it was still ..something to be lauded :p

secondly, he begins to sleep with his chest on the bed, they call it 'meniarap'

if only he sleeps this way few months earlier, then his head would be shaped nicely. the back os his head/skull is flat now :(

anyway, just 2 weeks ago he starts to sleep one sided and then next, he flipped over and sleep

thirdly, it has been A WEEK that he wakes up in the middle of the night. he lifts up his head(cause he sleeps like a tortoise) and make grunt with his eyes closed.

think hez having nightmare :( poor kid

hb wants to put him on the bed with us but i do not encourage co-sleeping cause it is dangerous. why? can read about it online, the danger of SIDS :)

anyway, we got him a bed for a reason, so that he can sleep independently.

next,

he can make more noise these days!

just over the weekend, he can lalalalala... he is asking us to carry him! :) omg! speaking of him now makes me miss him

im blogging away at work, tdm :p

im looking forward to this coming weekend! it is raya hols and it is the first time we are going for a short holiday as a family!

cant express how excited i am!

not to mention a little nevous

cause i need to be well prepared, as we'll be travelling with KJ

the trips home to ipoh/kedah is not counted cause u have families there, hence ure not afraid if u are short of any belongings

hence im already starting to make a list of items to bring

pray that it would be a smooth journey

oh, i forgot to mention that we will be driving all the way to sandakan from kota kinabalu!

that would take an approximate of 4 hours~

---------------------------

another joy that i'd like to share~

a present for us~

yay! makes like so much more exciting! ahhaha

why?

i can buy more food and prepare them ahead of time. marinade and cook them and store them in the fridge so that we can have a fuss-free dinner on weekdays

can make jelly

can buy bags of fruits

hb can make cold drinks~

can store more of kj's ebm (expressed breast milk) in a odour-free space

see? benefits everyone!

another rule to remember:

MUST get BIG FRIDGE! even when u have 3 people in a household, or two

trust me!

another rule that ive learnt before this is,

MUST get GOOD mattress!

obviously we cant afford rm10 000 dunlopillo

but this current local made one seems fine

we've learnt our lessons and hence i'd like to share them!

we bought a fridge, one door fridge, but it is clearly insufficient

as for the mattress, i didnt look far at that juncture. i asked hb to get a cheap one :p haih... ended up wasting more money as we had to buy another mattress rm2k - rm3 cant remember

the first one was made of foam and it was rm400-500. blerhh...my mistake

the fridge was his mistake

so 1-1

haha

cute stuff

2010-08-19T22:45:00.002+01:00

gaya?

so wanna buy for KJ!

ugh!

Booster seat and bag pack rm 329.40

youtube

For ages 4 -12 yrs (15-36 KG or upto 135cm)

this wash bag is also very pretty!

but its too ex!

priced at RM 69!

crazy!

oh this is one cool item!

Head Hugger!

The cushion keeps children in a neutral position whilst travelling as recommended by The British Chiropractic Association

can even watch this in youtube

rm 63.20

for age 1-4

can get all these in thebabyloft.com

money not enough!!!

:(((

applesauce recipe

2010-08-13T06:17:00.003+01:00

kj's second meal

apple sauce they call it!

date : 7-8 aug 2010

googled and it says can use fuji apple!

yay!

cut it and steam it

but there's one controversy

i believe all of u , or most of u would have steamed fod using metal plates/bowls before

but i found websites saying it is not good to steam using metals cause it will interact with vit C or something

something about lost of vit c?

wth

next,

mash the apple against the siever as shown

they would come out really fine and smooth

tada!

done

it is recommended to mash everything against the siever for a very fine and smooth texture

be it Porridge, Oats, Barley, Pears or whatever food that is going into baby's mouth

can someone show this post to my babysitter?

easier than A-B-C

fell from bed

2010-08-12T22:53:00.003+01:00

im blogging at 5.53am!

gasp!

ok, i should wake up at 6am today but since ive been waking up at 5.30am this week, guess my body has adjusted to the new time. bummer.

anyway, i should really blog this!

my dearest KJ fell off the bed yday! it was his second time already!

first was few months back, when he was 'immobile'. we thought he was immobile. he wouldnt budge when u put him in his bed. at that time, we didnt put up one side of the bed papan. no idea what u call it. so one side of the papan is raised and the other side is not. makes it easier for me to carry him on and off from his bed. * i need to bf him at night*

and one night, he just rolled and fell on MY bed! luckily my bed and his bed were just next to one another, with no gap. hb pulled his bed to our bed. so he fell and got stuck in between.

i instinctly woke up and quickly carry him up! awwwww. i whacked hb awake and he fixed the other papan immediately.

yday was his second time rolling off the bed. he was too quick! i put him on my bed and the minute i turned away, PLOP! he wanted to flip and instead he was off the bed, with his head stuck in between the gap. there was a gap this time, so he got stuck and his head hit the bed, his lower body were on the ground!

poor thing

he wanted to yell, on the verge of it and i managed to sooth him. hence he did not get to wail :)

after that, he dozed off and we had our dinner. i told his dad that he would wake up soon, he would usually nap for about 30 mins in the evening during dinner time.

his dad ignored me and true enough, when we were doing the dishes, i heard him wailing.

i dashed into the kitchen and found him in this position....

look at the droplet of tears..

*ouch*

and i think he can sit!!!

partially..

he'll sway after u propped him up for more than 3 mins

low energy

2010-08-07T03:52:00.002+01:00

i hope readers here wont judge him by my grouses as u need to know me, i bla and nag and whine and wail but that doesnt make him bad. many times i'd think twice if i can relate or make a fuss in here but i relented and thought that it would be good to share them here so that u guys can learn from the mistakes that we have made. i HOPE readers here are matured enough and my blog here would not mars his image.

right, back to my complains :p

u know how disgusting it is to find your hubby using your shower scrub to SCRUB his legs after football practice? imagine the sand and dirt and soils trapped between the hairs in the leg??? are u ewwwing?

yikes! why didnt he tell u earlier that he needs one scrub so that u can buy one for him? how can he assume he can just use whatever he sees in the bathroom? EWWWWWWW!!!

ok. now about KJ:)

he is so cute. im not blowing my own trumpet, he is cute to me! and i love him loads.

he hates blanket. why do i know? i covered him with a blanket when he was partially asleep. well, i thought he was asleep but i guess not? cause when i covered him with a blanket (towel), he kicks them away. alright, he doesnt kick it away. what he did was he literally lifts up both his legs then the blanket will dropped on his tummy, revealing his chummy legs. maybe it was by chance that he did so? i tried covering again and he did it again. consecutively 3 times he lifted up his legs and it was enough to make my heart squeeze.

and instances like this?

it made melts away my heart

knowing that he is able to do this helps to relieve a lot of the tension on my shoulder

because when he baths KJ,

i could do a lot of other things

rather than wait for me on every single thing!

thanks honey

it is just the beginning

2010-08-03T13:20:00.003+01:00

kj is 6 mths old today. it also marks my success in breastfeeding him exclusively to date. i'd like to extend my sincerest gratitude to those who have contributed in this accomplishment. your kindness will be paid off one day. thank u so much. you know who you are.

i copied the above text from my fb shoutout.

i was overwhelmed with emotion when i thought of giving up breastfeeding just few days ago. im at TPN and there isnt a decent corner for me to express milk at work. our tpn unit has moved to another hospital so i have to travel a little further everyday. i still make my usual trips back home during lunch albeit the distance.

anyway, when i was thinking about my decreasing milk supply that afternoon, i teared. i dont know if u people would understand, maybe not now but in future, i was really upset. i thought maybe it is time for me to stop bf-ing and get milk powder instead. however, i still have milk. it would be unfair for KJ for me to take bromocriptine and stop the production totally? it feels cruel. i dont know why. so i try to push my thoughts away and try my best. i should not give up.

today is the 3rd. august. 6 months has passed. im happy that i manage to bf for 6 months. one step at a time. 6 months was my target. but human is greedy. i'd like to extend my service further, to 2 years if possible. it is not an easy task, believe me.

ive expressed at many places, namely in a surau in mahkamah tinggi, in balai polis kota kinabalu, under the table in enforcement unit, in the car, by the beach in pulau manukan (covered up with a batik).

see how serious i am?

under the table in enforcement

oh and my ameda lactaline electric pump cost me rm700++

worth investing in one

initially hb bought medela harmony rm300

not a good buy but oh well, i wasnt prepared so i shouldnt complain

i honestly urge all of you to breastfeed your baby

u could just look at them for hours when nursing

all the backache, neckache is NOTHING!

happy birthday lil munchkin

mommy loves u!