Sunday, 9 July 2017

Happy 9th month to Yu!

Now Yu has spent about as much time outside and inside of his mama! And how he has grown!

At one week past eight months, I discovered that Yu could clap on demand! He started out trying to get from a crawl position to a sitting position. When he succeeded, he gave himself a few claps! So the next time when he did something, I asked him to clap and he did! It depends on his mood though...

Kai doing a demo on clapping after Yu applauded himself for sitting up


Playing with blocks - he loved knocking them together


Oops, distracted by KaKa


He can reach for the tissue box now!


I tried to stop him but this boy really can demonstrate 不屈不挠的精神!The past weekend, we did the same dance over and over again - he stood, I pulled him down, he stood again, I pulled him down again. And of course he won. I ended up with sore arms and tissue bits all over.

He likes to kneel to do things


Sometimes he tries to hide...


I think Yu's motor skills are very good. Like Yang, he was able to move his training toothbrush from one hand to the other at changing time - need him to use other hand while I take one hand out of his shirt! But of the three, he must be the one who went from sitting to crawling in no time! The other evening when I tried to settle all three in the kids room (unsuccessfully but that's not the point), Yu crawled from one end to the other while I was busy reading to his brothers.

As the third kid, well, he didn't get many videos taken - I think he was crawling for two weeks before I got a video. He's still crawling with his belly on the floor mostly. Can't wait to see him crawl on his knees :) That was written one week too early - by 1 July, he could crawl on his knees!

Not the best shot but it's the first!


And this boy is already raring to stand and walk! I was surprised to see him pull himself up from sitting to standing at Mum's place but Sito said he saw that back home. Gosh. Really can't take my eyes off him for a minute!

My standing baby


One more week and he became more steady!


Taking a few assisted steps towards Papa


He gets better all the time!


But his other skills aren't too good. He still wakes for milk very often. Or he just wakes and scares everyone by threatening to roll off the bed. So I nicknamed him Silent Crawler - self-explanatory. And most mornings, he'll crawl all over me from 5 plus until it's finally time to get up. Very tiring.

And two mornings before he turned nine months, he crawled off the bed while I was sleeping - I woke to his cries :( So poor thing... That very night, I put him on his mattress next to me. I tried that the previous Saturday but he kept waking. Now I have to preserver and get him used to it!

Finally succeeded in putting him down for a nap at Mum's place, gosh!


He's also not eating consistently. Made vegetable stock for the first time for him - so sweet with just a piece of white fish and he took all of two spoons. Sometimes I even leaked milk coz he wasn't drinking enough! But somehow, he's still chubby, phew!

Chubbs crying


That was taken at a school check-in. Yu has more unhappy shots compared to his brothers. I also received complaints about him on a almost daily basis - fussy, rejects milk, rejects porridge, rejects sleep, impatient for cereals, needs constant carrying, needs to go out. His other nickname is Mr Eh Eh - from the sounds he makes hoho!

He also makes sounds we understand ok.. It's getting quite clear he's calling me when he says "mama". Oh my sweetie pie! :)

Yu knows when he's being scolded. When he refused to stay still enough for his diaper, I called his name loudly, he pouted and cried. When he stopped and turned somemore, I did it again and he turned to me, almost going to cry. I quickly got it done and took him in my arms. Thing is, after a few times, he was no longer scared and/or sad when I scolded him, so the flipping went on!

Today, we recalled what his brothers grabbed on their first birthday and wondered what he would grab. Can't wait to fast forward to his first birthday already :)

Friday, 7 July 2017

Potty stuff

I remember Kai had super explosive poop. For quite a while, he pooped up his back at nursing time every morning. He also had a couple of funny projectile poop and pee episodes - stories he love to hear!

Yang didn't have as many explosive poops, but gosh, his poop was really smelly even when he was drinking only breastmilk! And his poop story was when he was two, I think - he refused to go to the toilet and pooped in the shower floor *.*

Today, both kids want to fart into my face *.*

And now this baby Yu is just like Kai, daily explosive poop when he was younger. I still get that once in a while but thankfully, it's a long while in between. He has also given me a few projectile episodes. Just on Monday, Yu gave me a projectile poop during a diaper change. I just wiped poop off and it happened! I congratulate myself on my reflexes as I managed to siam to the side in time so I didn't get any on me, phew!

On retrospect, that was a prelude to his diarrhoea episodes. On Wednesday morning, N found him sitting in a pool of pee and poop - the diaper leaked! I carried him by the armpits so she could strip him, and washed him down in the shower - that was the first time he stood in the shower!

Later that afternoon, he had diarrhoea in school. I was having lunch downstairs - was working from home - when the school called so I had to skip a forum to bring him home. But he didn't poop until after his evening nursing. The diaper leaked just after I pulled up his pyjamas. Gosh, it was really watery and it was so much! N verified that his poop in the morning looked like that. Yikes.

Found him asleep when I got to the centr so I waited a little for him to clock at least 30 min; but I never had to wake him coz he must have smelled me - he woke.


But he wasn't having a fever, nor did he have any other symptom. And Mama needed to work. So off to the child care centre he went on Thursday. But I got a call again at lunch. I said he had no other symptoms so the school said they would monitor. An hour later, I got a call saying that he also puked after a feed, and up came a lot of phlegm. He also puked up milk and phlegm on Monday. But I had a meeting so I told the school I would be there 90 minutes later, about 3.30 pm. The meeting turned into a long three-part story so I left office after 4 pm! My poor baby...

Today, I sent Yu in again. This time, he's fine. Just now, he was standing around when he turned still and a smell came out of his diaper... The poop was all soft but less watery than before... He has tuina tomrrow morning ; shall see how....

Wednesday, 5 July 2017

Yu cuts his first tooth!

Yes, my baby who drinks way less milk and eats less well than his brothers at this age has cut his first tooth - bottom left incisor - way ahead of his brothers!

I wonder if it was the calcium pills I took during pregnancy coz I never took those with Kai and Yang under another doctor...

Or perhaps it is nature's way to help Yu eat more??

I had thought Yu would start teething at one, just like Kai and Yang. Never imagined he might be so early, before nine months! No wonder he was biting me again suddenly the past few days, and the bite felt a little different - less strength but sharp, probably accidental.

Anyway, I was so sure he would get his teeth late that it didn't occur to me to check when Ah Yee mentioned white bits on Sunday. In fact, I wouldn't have known today if Mum didn't see it. I made him laugh and confirmed the diagnosis - a jagged little tooth!

You can't see my little tooth yet, but you will!


Yang's last four molars made it just in time before he turned three, appearing only in the past couple of months, I think. Similarly for Kai, I think. Now we shall see when Yu will get his full 20! Eat on, baby!

Monday, 3 July 2017

Passport photos galore

I still remember the days when I had to go to a nearby studio, sit on a stool in front of daunting but strangely exciting equipment, stare at the photographer, wait for a click, pay $6-$12 (?), and wait three more days to go back to collect passport photos.

Some people may find the following images disturbing - they show me either ageing or photoshopped :p

Use this for an Oxford ID - not the matriculation one coz my 1999 hair was not rebonded like this! 


Took this at ICA for emergency passport renewal in 2008 


Took this in office for my PS card in 2009; somehow they used back this photo when I made a new one lately


I much prefer the PS card I lost, with this super touched-up photo taken in 2010 :p


Took this at a photo printing shop in 2013 for India visa


Took this for an official passport in 2014 that has not been used and probably never will


There are more - my horrid first IC photo with short hair, my horrid photo with short hair (is there a theme here?) for my first passport, a nice photo for Oxford with relaxed hair (pre-rebonding!) and a pink polo dress, my first PS card photo. I have some in hardcopy. Perhaps one day, I'll scan them and... not post them; too scary hoho!

The next time I need to update my passport, I'll be sure to take a super nice one!

Theoretically, it's not too difficult to take good passport photos these days. (1) Find a white background. (2) Doll up on a bright day. (3) Stand where sunlight comes through the window - really! - against the background. (4) Smile a little and take the photo, which can even be a selfie.

Unless, of course, the subject is a kid.

Kai's passport is expiring. Yang no longer looks like his passport photo. Yu needs a passport. So I decided to apply for all three together - sync them for ease of collection!

Last Saturday, I put Yu down on the bed and distracted/attracted him with a spare phone to take his photo.

Take #9 of 9


The challenge turned out to be with his brothers. Kai couldn't keep still. His look went from grouchy to unnatural smile. Nothing in between. Yang had to be coerced into the room where the light and background were. And he was too cute when he gave a smiling-not-coz-I'm-happy smile.

Take #3 of 16


Take #9 of 12


Now, something fun - can you guess which is Kai and which is Yang?? :p


Not too difficult, right? :)

Sunday, 2 July 2017

What do we do without economical beehoon and rice??

I was having economic beehoon 经济米粉 for breakfast on Saturday morning and this question came to me.

As a kid, it was only 米粉 to me. Mother would buy beehoon kosong for breakfast some days, and I picked away at the beansprouts sometimes coz I was so used to eating beansprouts without the long roots. It was much later, in adulthood that I realised I could add stuff to the beehoon! The dish is generally affordable - hence the name - though it can go to $5 if I greedily add too much stuff...

For some reason, economical beehoon was all I wanted when I was pregnant with Yang and Yu in the first few months. (I wanted all sorts of Singaporean food when I was pregnant with Kai in the first few months but remember where I was?) Once, when I was having morning sickness with Yu, I braved a 15-min walk to Ananas at Redhill MRT station to get lunch, and had to take a $4 cab back to office!

Now, there are still days when I want nothing more than economical beehoon with an egg and that addictive fish fillet, which is apparently squid, not fish *.*

Seriously, what do we do without economical beehoon?!

Or, for that matter, economical rice??! $3-$3.50 for rice, one meat and two vegetables - where to find?!

Random thought - I realised I know economical rice as 菜饭 rather than 经济饭 :p

Tuesday, 27 June 2017

Yang's birthday weekend

Our baby Yang turns three today!

Celebrations started on Saturday. I was out with Yu for Tok's housewarming while Kai and Yang were in school, and came back to find them asleep. Yang woke first - just nice for his present time!

Presented by Papa


Groot!


Papa helped him release the Groot from the box


Yu was also interested


"I am Groot!"


Yang chose it himself. Of course he had never watched the movie; he just likes the dancing. Later, I showed him the YouTube clip of the planted Groot dancing at the end of the movie.

We headed out for dinner at Vivocity to celebrate Yang's birthday. Think he had fun, even at the train station :)

"Fish swimming!"


First stop - bubbles!


Those are $2 bubble sticks from Daiso


And they wetted their pants waddling in the water


When I said, "Oh dear, your pants are wet!", this Kai said, "It's ok. They'll dry." With a shrug, no less. And Sito said that this happened last week and they dried them off in the playground so that was our next stop.

Yang climbed up a slope


And down! 


I stayed with Yang while Sito carried Yu and brought Kai to the toilet with N. Yang made me go down the slope a few times - very scary!!! But he had so much fun!

Dinner was at Earle Swensen's coz we wanted to get Yang an ice cream cake. Kai changed his mind about the kiddy meal while Yang could change his mind so we just ordered our own mains to share with them. Turned out Yang had most of my fish and chips while Kai took only a little of Sito's double cheese burger.

And Yang had quite a bit of watermelon cubes


Yummy!


Papa and Mama were so busy checking out where the draught was coming from...


... that we blocked poor Yu!


Happy little family! :)


Though we had to make Kai wait to dig into his sundae! We both ate part of their ice cream else it was too much for them.

"Oh, so cold!"


Yang was so super cute when eating the ice cream!! It took some three attempts before Sito managed to take a video of him saying cold.

More cute poses nearer home


I was so tired that I dozed off by 9.30 pm, said Sito. And lucky I did, coz Yang came in at 4.30 pm, gave aloud groan and puked all over the duvet! I was so shocked to see it - it was all red! I brought my nose to it and immediately regretted it - what could it have smelled like?! When I turned on the bathroom light to clean him up, I realised it was watermelon.

And that was only the first of many showers. After that, he puked twice on his bed, i.e. no more bedsheets more him. So I set him down on the sofa and he fell asleep at past 6 am. All this while, Sito was taking Yu. Kai woke at 4.30 am too and never went back to sleep *.*

Later at breakfast, Yang puked out all his white milk, all his orange vitamins, all his water. I thought it was indigestion but when he couldn't keep water down, we decided to send him to the doctor. We waited for the clinic to start at 8.30 am. Doc said such is self-limited so just have to make him comfortable and watch his input/output.

We went to get some food and groceries after the doctor and before home. He took some medicine and couldn't wait to eat bread - can't blame him too; he hadn't had a bite the whole morning. But he puked everything up. At least by then, he realised that I was right - he would puke if he ate too much.

Pinching his bread slowly at first


Next up was birthday celebration at Mum's place - what's with that face?!


Always happy to blow candles


New toys! The keyboard got funny by Tuesday *.*


Singing into the mic


Monday being a public holiday, we headed out with Mum they all. Putien gave us two sculpted balloons!

Kai was happy with his balloon hat


Mum had to hold this above him for the photo coz he didn't like to wear it


What's with the spoon and fork, baby??


"Say cheese, Mama!


Then he let me take a nice shot of him


And today, I brought a cake to school to celebrate with his friends! I didn't think of doing this but when I asked Yang what he wanted for his birthday some weeks ago, he said he wanted a chocolate cake... to share with his friends! Well, since I asked... It wasn't until the weekend that I realised that this meant I would do a school celebration with Yang first coz his birthday comes before Kai's. That's a sore point with Kai, who has been asking me at least once a day whether he can open his present *.*

They were having lunch when I arrived so I went behind to prepare the cake - I bought trolls online to use as cake toppings :) There was also a nice candle. But Teacher Z said Yang puked after breakfast in school - so poor thing :(

First a shot of us :)


The kids sang Happy Birthday and a kid blew out the candle! Yang stared at him silently, hoho! We lighted it back up and sang the Chinese version. This time, Yang blew it just before the song ended.

Yummy! But he agreed that he shouldn't finish it in case he puked again


Class photo!


He refused to let me go after the celebration. I didn't want him to be upset on his birthday so I brought him home. It was TV time after his shower and then nap time. But he wasn't feeling well and had to vomit up his cake and milk before he fell asleep in my arms. I transferred him to my bed and went out for a pedicure :p

Playing with trolls after his nap


Took him along for my haircut, hoping he would cut too but...


He was quite good though. He was just sitting there quietly for at least 10-15 min, watching me and listening to us chatting and asking him the occasional question (do you want to cut your hair?) before he asked me whether I was done. I thought ok la, so poor thing, let him watch YouTube :p And so he sat there for another hour!

No puking episodes at this point. Hope he remains clear tomorrow!