12 months

Dear Gloria,

You turned 1 a few days back. Daddy and I still can't believe that it's been a year already. We remember meeting you for the first time... like it was just yesterday.

You are such a little lady now. You've begun experimenting standing on your own and trying out walking (with some aid). You've also created your own baby language... Tolkien you may not be.. and we're still deciphering what 'balabalabala' or 'pstpstpst' means. Some words we recognize though... your favorites... 'CAT' and 'MEOW'. You call Daddy 'dada' or 'dede' depending on your mood.. and you call me 'meh' and when you want to breastfeed, it's 'mem mem'. 'Mem mem' is not to be confused with 'maam maam', which means you want solid food... and oh yes.. 'Em' when you want milk.

Honestly darling, I have no idea where you got the love of cats from. We have a dog, Ginger. Though you're more interested in wagging your finger at her when she barks. However, when you see any cat you just light up like a Christmas tree!

Inspired by your intense love of cats, Daddy got you a cat soft toy; and I decided to adorn your birthday cake with cats. But I'm telling you now... that's as far as I will go. If in the future you come to me and say 'Mummy, can I have a pet cat for my Birthday?'.. my answer will almost certainly be 'Ask your dad!'

My dear bee, I'm afraid you are turning into a little TV addict. Though. you are very very selective of what you watch. You ONLY want to watch Disney's Magic English. Your Ah Ma got you a set from her previous company... and you LOVE IT! You watch it every morning before your bath, after your bath, after your morning nap and once more in the evening. On some days, Daddy even turns it on at night before your bed time.

On days when you are at Gradma's and don't get to watch Magic English.. you have some withdrawal syndromes. You'll be so edgy when you get home... and you'll keep insisting on being in the hall and in front of the TV. The moment we turn on Magic English, you will squeal and clap your hands. Then you'll just be zen-ed out. It's amazing! Though with the amount of TV time you're choking up... you better be saying the words soon. I'm not sure how much more of Magic English Daddy and I can take. (I hope you'll appreciate the sacrifice of Mummy and Daddy when you're older... we don't get to watch Astro much)

Darling Bee, in this past year, you've also perfected the art of 'adorability'. You've managed to wrap your little fingers around your grandparents (yes both sets of them), and also Mummy and Daddy. You smile cheekily when you know you'll be getting your way. And there's nothing we can do about it. I'll have to caution you though. You can't always get it your way. And throwing a tantrum will NOT solve anything... unless of course the adults around you gets nerve wrecked and give in so that you'll stop sobbing.

Sweetie Pie, it's so wonderful to see you explore new things and growing up. Sometimes I wish this time would last longer. My only hope is that when you grow older and look back, your memory of this time would be of how loved you were by everyone around you.

Love,
Mummy

Someone told me...

That 'Reflexology' is when you hit someone, that someone hits you back...

Baking quickie...

Was home alone today... Gloria is spending some quality time with her grandparents (coz since I'm a temp SAHM now, they see her less than before). I initially wanted to try and bake Walnut Bread. Inspired by the ones Jaya Jusco sells... my parents lurve it. They buy one nearly every time they go to Jaya Jusco.

Let me digress a little here. Did you realise that if you get the Walnut bread at smaller Juscos it's cheaper? It's like 1.69 or 1.99 (I need to ask mum the actual price).. But if you get it like in Midvalley, it's over 2 ringgit. Location, location, location I tell ya! Though... I do feel that there's more walnut in the MidValley version.

OK back to my story.

Anyways, I went to the baking supply shop and saw a 'New Year Cookies' recipe book. Flipping through it ... I fell in love. The recipes look simple and the pictures of the cookies looks absolutely fab. It didn't cost an arm and a leg... and it's by a Malaysian chef (don't think he's well known.. but I guess being a Malaysian the taste would suit our palate.. different from the angmoh kind) There was this ONE cookie that I thought I could whip up

Mock Watermelon Crisps...

I just love how they look ...

Definitely making these as gifts :)

Cake experiment

It all started when I decided that I'll bake Gloria's FIRST birthday cake. How difficult could it be right? I'm sure Gloria'll be thrilled with ANYTHING that is produced. Ah but then there'll be photos snapping the soon coming event... And I wouldn't want my daughter looking back at the old photos and asking me... 'Mummy, what's that pile of thing that I'm posing behind of?'.

I shared my idea with hubby... who then said
'Make it in the shape of number ONE'

'Shape like number ONE?' a little shocked that hubby actually pitched an idea and not grunt in acknowledgement.

'Yeah.. so that when we look back at the pictures we'll know that it's her first birthday'

Yeah makes sense.. though the number of candles on the cake would've be indicative..

However, it's a challenge I cannot shy away from.

Now how would I decorate the cake?

First thought.. Fondant (Sugar Paste)... very pretty ... but well... it's just sugary. Anyhow, I managed to find some ready to roll sugar paste *go self!*

So a few Friday's ago, my sis and I whipped up a simple sponge cake and decorated it with fondant (well, I did set my sis up for the task by introducing her to this blog)

Anyhow, to cut long story short... this was what we came up with

OK... handling fondant was not as tricky as I thought it would be... and we definitely need to experiment more hehehe... when we were done... we didn't have the heart to cut the cake... so we had to let my dad do the honors :P

A week later, we baked a chocolate cake with cream cheese and peach filling (YUMZ!) and decorated with butter cream. This time, I experimented on assembling the cake into the number ONE shape. Cake was yummy...decoration was well... amateur hehehe..

I have 1 more month to go before the REAL event. I think there'll be a few more experiments to do hehhee....

Next mission... mousse cake? Or maybe layered sponge cake with sweetened whipped cream. Wish me luck

To do list

Before I embarked on this sabbatical, I though I would do MILLIONS of posts into this blog.. hahaha.. how wrong I was.

In fact I've been online LESS than before! The first week was a little difficult. I think I had Internet Withdrawal Syndrome. Thank goodness Gloria kept me occupied enough to keep my mind off it. Now that I am computer-enabled (temporarily)... I still haven't found the time to blog..

oh the eternal procrastinator in me! :P

Dejavu

Did you feel it?

It's my turn to ask now.. This morning at approximately 8 a.m., I was in the hall with my lil bee, waiting to say 'bye-bye' to hubby. Then I felt it.

At first I thought I was still sleepy and feeling dizzy.

Hold it!

The water in the air purifying machine was moving. And the machine WAS NOT TURNED ON!

Then I felt it again... the room felt like it moved centimeters to the left and then to the right. And the water sloshed gently in the machine.

Whoah!..

Malaysia... earthquake?!

9 months

Dear Gloria,

You've learnt a couple of new tricks this month.

First, is the 'Funny Face'.

And you always do it with so much flair!.. You'll look for the perfect spot on your bottle cover, bite on... and then lift both your hands as if to say 'Tada!'.

Then, it's clapping.

Also, you managed to stand on your own for a brief moment!

You also seem to understand humor now too. You laugh at silly faces that we make.. and you also know that we enjoy watching you do the 'Funny Face'. Oh you show that off to so many people. One humor which I don't share with you however is your biting. Darling girl, mummy knows how many teeth there are in your mouth... you don't have to leave an imprint on my arm or shoulder as evidence!

Mummy's now at home with you the whole day. Mummy's in between jobs (well, more like Mummy's still looking for a new job), and meanwhile moonlighting as an SAHM (Stay At Home Mum). Mummy's loving every moment of it.. and can only hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

Love,
Mummy

I thought I was a light sleeper...

I mean, I usually wake relatively easy (or comparatively to my hubby at least). Phone rings, I'm awake. Gloria stirs, I'm awake. Dog barks, I'm awake. My hubby snores louder, I'm awake.

However, there has been times when I just slept like a log. Like when the time I was young and the house caught on fire, and the fireengine was here.... I slept through (much to my parent's amazement). And then there was the time when my house alarm went off, and both hubby and I slept through (much to the amazement of my neighbours).

Then there was last night...

I was sleeping soundly. *Ding Dong* *knock knock knock* *Ding Dong*
Now who in the sane mind would be ringing the doorbell at midnight? And oh... I failed to mention.. I'm in Jakarta... so that really would negate the social-call-by-nightbird-friends theory.

Peeping through the door, I saw my 2 junior colleagues.

"Did you feel that?" One asked

"Feel what?"

"There was a tremor!"

"A what?"

"Tremor! Macam earthquake!"

"Seriously?" Still sleepy and perplexed

"Yalar.... Should we go down or not?"

"Erm... I think it should be over"

I noticed that there was no mad rush of people running down the stairs... and I guess that stopped me from being panicky

"OK. We'll go down and check it out"

"Alright.. you do that..."

Then I closed the door and went back to bed. I sms-ed hubby too.
Just as I was drifting to dreamland...

*Ding Dong* *knock knock knock*

"Cyrene!... There are people downstairs. Everyone felt it! I was on the bed and I felt the shaking!"

"Yeah.. I was walking to the washroom and I felt it!" piped the other colleague

"Oh... I must have slept through it.. I didn't feel anything" smiling sheepishly

Afterwhich, we retired to our room.

This morning, when I woke up, this is what I read at CNN.

7.5 on the scales and I slept through it! Happens only 18 times a year and I was here when it happened!

I wonder if we have travel insurance :S

Slide

Went to a dear friend's blog and saw her pictures in Slides! They looked cool... and I tried it out :)

Hmm.. perhaps I should load more pictures.. hahaha Gloria's pics are being recycled a lot here

Music to my ears...

Earlier tonight, in an attempt to get Gloria's attention, I took her bolster and hit the sofa with it. And this is what happened



BLISS...

Start 'em young

Well....

At least I won't complain that she doesn't eat her greens :)

8 months

Dear Gloria,

You turned 8 months old on the 4th of July. That day also marked the end of your first overseas holiday.

Thanks to a very generous Tony Fernandez, everybody can fly. Yup, even you Little Bee. Back in February, I managed to secure 4 free tickets to Chiang Mai. So Ah Ma, Ah Kong, Daddy, you and I, were set to embark on your FIRST plane ride.

Chiang Mai is a special place for mummy and daddy. Daddy was there for months on end just before and just after our wedding for a project. Mummy even visited Daddy in Chiang Mai 3 years ago.

Our flight was early, and we had to be at the LCCT by 7 a.m. The night before, I dressed you up in the clothes, ready for the trip. You slept all the way to the airport. Though I would've wished you slept through the plane ride....

It was as though you knew it was a special time and you were going somewhere new. You were extra, extra energetic. Ah Ma and mummy had our hands full trying to keep you down in the plane. Of course 30 minutes into the plane you decided to fuss....in the end, mummy had to breastfeed you before you dozed off (and that was like, 20 minutes before we landed...sigh).

When we got to the hotel and placed you on the bed... you beemed!

It was like you had new found freedom. You LOVED the bed! You rolled all around it and was in an EXTREMELY good mood. So much so, daddy contemplated on getting a bigger bed at home for you ... (mind you, we already have a KING sized bed)

We were in Chiang Mai for 4 days and
you shopped

you rolled on the bed

you enjoyed the van

Most importantly, we bonded even more as a family during this trip.

You are such a cheerful baby. And you're very cheeky too... with your new teeth, you bite mummy when I'm breastfeeding you... and then you SMILE!... Oh you cheeky beaver!

You always bring out a smile in mummy and daddy... even on the most hectic days.

Luv,
Mummy

My Little Bee

Blogging

I never managed to keep a diary. Never really know how to log down my thoughts daily / weekly / monthly.

This blog, is my most successful attempt in keeping a diary. Even so, it's hardly updated. At times I miss blogging, at times I get writer's block.

But wait a minute.

Whom am I writing for?

Would this blog still be here 21 years from now? Would my daughter one day stumble upon this site and read all my posts? I don't know.

Whom am I writing for? I realise now more than ever, I'm writing for myself. My attempts to do otherwise has been just downright corny.

So there.

Let's see how long I can keep this endeavour up.

In a blink of an eye...

Gloria is now approaching 4 months, and it really feels like it was only yesterday hubby and I were in the labour room anticipating her birth. So many things have happened since that day, and our baby girl has had so many milestones already in this short span of time.

Month 1

This was a month of discovery for all of us. Baby Gloria discovering the world, I discovering how it feels to be a mother, and hubby discovering the medical bill (yikes!). In all honesty, looking back now, Gloria was not really a fussy baby. She mainly cried when she was hungry, and when she felt like a cuddle.

I know newborns sleep a lot during the day, but it certainly didn't feel like it during the first month. They said "Mummy sleeps when baby sleeps" but I somehow couldn't. Even though my mum kept asking me to rest when baby is sleeping and let her take care of Gloria, I just couldn't. I wanted to be there to be able to breast feed Gloria when she gets hungry. Most times this felt like 24 hours... Gloria was latching on to me for what I felt was like every waking hour (my waking hour that is). I was beginning to think if I could last6 months of breastfeding.

I'm so thankful my parents and in laws were there. Especially my mum and sis. I think I would've gone full swing into post partum depression if not for them. I had a few mini breakdowns, all at night, when I just could not get Gloria to sleep!

Month 2

This to me was the most stressful month by far. My mum went back home, and Gloria and I spent our days at my in laws. There was no mummy for me to fall back on...

It was December, and my mother in law was preparing cookies for Christmas and Chinese New Year. So most of the time, I took care of Gloria alone. There was no internet connection, and I felt almost disconnected from the world. I guess this was when I got a real taste of how being a housewife would feel like.

Gloria was beginning to smile more and this really kept me going daily. My sister in law and I would try to coax Gloria to smile for us, and we would try to capture that on camera.

Towards the end of month 2, I was dreading the eventuallity that I have to go back to work.

a. I would miss the time I could spend with Gloria.
b. I was still so fat, I had to wear my maternity pants!
c. I still wasn't good at expressing milk. :(

However, this was also Gloria's first Christmas. We kept our celebration small and only visited 1 friend. Christmas was nice and cozy.

Month 3

Ah.... back to work. We drop Gloria off at my in law's place in the morning and it takes every ounce of determination in me to leave her and go to work. The moment we drive away from the house I would tell my hubby that I miss Gloria already.

We looked forward to going home daily, and it was heartwarming to know that Gloria would refuse her formula milk after 7pm in anticipation for the breast feeding sessions I would have with her throughout the night (this is when I really loved breast feeding, it's like a special bond I have with Gloria every night).

Gloria would now begin to smile at recognition. You would know that when she looked at you, and give you that big gummy grin... it was ONLY for you. That's the best feeling in the world! Towards the end of this month, Gloria begun to coo and gurgle more. She begun to hold baby conversations with all of us.

This was also the month that Gloria got baptised. A friend gave Gloria a BEAUTIFUL white dress, perfect for her baptism. Gloria too was a perfect angel throughout the whole process.... she slept :P

Month 4

We're now 2 weeks into month 4. Gloria has shown so much growth!

She can now hold her head up and control her head movement too.

She can now laugh :D When you have a bad day at work, the best cure is to listen to a baby's laugh.

She expresses preference. She has a mobile at home with bunnies hanging from it. She would only 'speak' to one particular bunny. At her grandma's, she has a mobile with different bugs on it. She would only 'speak' to the ladybug. (and she would grunt angrily at the blue butterfly hahaha)

She can reach out to her mobile.

She can smoothly navigate her hand into her mouth hahahaha.

She can hold your finger, and smoothly navigate it into her mouth.

She can grab hold of her doll and smoothly navigate it into her mouth (hehe catch a pattern here?)

She's in love with the ceiling fan.

She never cease to amaze us all with her antics.

I think I'm gonna enjoy being a mummy :)