Holiday Mood

Yippie, holiday is coming, today is my last day at work, then I am off for the rest of the year. The girls are waiting excitedly to visit their grandparents at Sitiawan and Penang. So tomorrow morning, we are setting off to Sitiawan for a few days, then to Penang. will be back to KL for Christamas and then heaqd back to Sitiawan again for a family get together. My sis from Tawau will be back also. We will be celebrating my parents 70th birthday and take family photo!
Oh i so look forward for the break!

Something about me

In another five days time, my status will change from full time working mum to full time mum for a while then to part time working mum(2 days a week) from 2009 onward. I am excited about the changes but at the same time feeling pressured as I want myself to be more involved in my girls life yet not sure how will i manage. I guess it is the uncertainty that's stressing me.
I intend to home school Qi Ning and Qi Yu since it is only pre-school. I am learning up the phonics myself and am having a hard time remembering all the sounds hence the stress! hahaha getting old, memory is failing.
One thing i am very please with myself is that I manage to get a scholarship for my PhD study even though is only for a year but is renewable yearly. At least is some kind of affirmation for me and also will serve as a motivating factor to complete my study in the duration the scholarship allowed for if I want to renew it next year. Thankful to God for His provision of the scholarship!

My girls

The two girls are growing up real quick. They are now at the stage where they can play very well with each other and also fight and argue with each other. I love them so dearly and Qi Ning would say :"I love you much more Mummy!"

Recent Happenings

I have been so busy till no time to blog and blog hop for so long! Now, finally everything is slowing down. Exam is over and all the seminar is over, I can "kiew kar" liao.
So many events have taken place within the last one month. Celebrated Qi Yu 2 year old birthday, celebrated our 5th year wedding anniversary as well. Sat for my first semester exam, received the news of getting my scholarship. Finished marking exam paper and submit the grading to UM. Signed the scholarship contracr, did the stamping etc. Went to Melacca to give a seminar. It was really a hectic month. Glad that things are slowing down.
From next year on ward, i shall be fulfilling Qi Ning's request to work part time only. My boss offer me part time, two days a week. Is quite a good deal. Really thankful to God for His ever faithful provision.
I perceive thing will be different next year but will be for the better with more time with the little one. Do pray that I will make good use of my time.

Art Class

Today is the first time Qi Ning attending an official art class. She seem to be excited about it. The teacher is a lady from china and she is teaching from her home nearby my house. There will be Qi ning and another girl who is 8 year old.
I am keen to find out how she fares being in class by herself for the first time. We have never leave her alone in any place prior to this. The teacher initially say it will be one and half hour but we felt might be too long, so we are starting her with one hour first.

one more month

In another month time, Qi Yu will be two years old. This little girl of mine is growing up so fast. She has definitely grown taller but I did not get her meausrement. During the Raya holidays, everyone commented that she is so much taller now.
At 23mths, this little girl of mine impressed a lot people with her singing. she could sing many many songs now till mummy also lost count. All the sunday school songs and also the song from the 四千金CD that was passed down by my sis-in-law. It is very enjoyable to sit down and listen to her singing. Now she will sing for others as well when she is in the mood. I think she getting a bit more sociable.
She has also begins to develop her reasoning and has been using the word because for quite sometime liao. Recently, we were talking about the big bird who cooked breakfast for the grandma and brought the breakfast to the bed for grandma bird who broke her leg. We had the following conversation.
Me: "Can Qi Yu cook breakfast for mummy and bring it to bed for mummy ?"
Qi Yu: "No, because Qi Yu is too small to cook!"
See she is good in answering back now!
She still have not learn to sleep through the night and still need mummy to nurse her to sleep. I try to wean her off the breast but failed! She is quite a light sleeper and wake up easily. So mummy is still having panda eyes!
She is a delightful little girl, i just loves her soft voice! Happy 23 mth old my dear Qi Yu.

Sian

I have been so slack in updating lately. Was so busy caught out by work, study and what's next after i quit! There is just so much on my mind.
Last friday, I bang my car in um carpark. I don't know why I was so careless, my mind was just so blank when it happen. ANd that cost me RM500, all the left front light is all gone and the car is still in the workshoptill today. So "sian" I am!

Changes

They say the only constant in life is change. Even though i know it but when is time to change, it can be so tough at time!
I am making a major change today by putting in my resignation letter. I have been working in the college as a counsellor for the past eight years and making the decision to move on is not an easy one. I don't know what I will be doing next after quiting here. Hubby say to concentrate on my PhD and maybe do a bit of part time.
Letter has been typed and signed, waiting to be sent in to the relevant people and I am moving on. What comes next I really don't know but I know the God who hold my tomorrow. So I guess with that knowledge, I can step out in faith!

Walk by Faith

Last nite, the people from 生命之路came from Sibu to share on how they started their evangelistic trust and how God told him that to do God's work, one must not based on man own understanding but must be based on what need to be done for the kingdom of GOd. don't let the financial resource constraint what one need to do. he was sharing how when there is only RM3,000 in his account when the need for that moment is to produce CD worth RM16,000. He obeyed God's prompting and went ahead to get the CD and started distribution. when they finished distributing, the money also came in for them to oay off the debt. He challenge us to step out to experience God.
For the last two months, hubby and I have been talking about me quitting my full time job as Counsellor and maybe to concentrate on my studies and maybe just do some part time teaching. I have been struggling with it for the longest time, wondering how we can manage with all the rising cost. Hubby assured me that we will be ok but still I am kind of worried.
But since Wednesday, I have been seriously thinking about leaving. Originally I was thinking of leaving only after i am sure I can get the scholarship but now, it seem like is time to leave. I felt i really should move on and allow God to lead my next step.
As I look back, when I resigned from church in 2004, I also had no where to go but God provided the job at just the right time. So I think I should just step out by faith again as HE knows what's best for me.

Working's Mum Dream

Qi Ning have been requesting that I work on alternate day. Last night I was asking her why she want mummy to be home all day. Guess what is her answer? Her answer was "i loves you" heart also melted after hearing her answer!
So i am working hard to get a scholarship from the University. Just saw the advertisement on Monday where UM is giving out scholarship for full time post graduate study. If I can get the scholarship then I will quit my job and be a full time student. Then I think I can be home at alternate day as requested by Qi Ning if not more.
I told her about the scholarship application and she has been asking me if I have got the scholarship almost everyday. How i wish is so simple, apply and know the result immediately. I am so tempted to quit my job but can't if i don't get the scholarship. The closing date for the scholarship application is next friday. They told me they will atke about 1-2 mths to process the application and if i don't hear form them within 6 mths that means no hope liao. So is still a long process of waiting and dreaming about getting the scholarship!
How' nice it would be if I do get it then I can have more time for my girls.

Snap shot of my girls

Long time didn't post any photos of my girl, here are another two recent photos of my precious darlings. Qi Yu is now 21 mths old and she is chatter box at home but as quiet as a mouse when there is any unfamiliar faces around her. She can sings many many songs and attempting to do self care task such as dressing and wearing shoes and sock by herself now.
Still not much hair but is growing. after the milkstrike, I thought I could wean her off totally from my breast but she is fighting for her right. So she is now back to nursing on demand!
Qi Ning is growing up fast as well. Even though she is not attending kiddie yet but she can write her own name now. She was proudly showing it to us this morning. She always tell us she don't want to go to school as she want home schooling!
Qi ning is quite independent now as she can do most of the self care task by herself, like changing her dress, tying her hair(of course not as tidy), putting on sock and shoes for herself. She liks to help up with the house hold chores whenever she is in the mood. Nowadays she will make her request known to us as to what she want for her birthday etc. She is a sociable girl who is always inviting friends to come over to her house!
Life is fun with two girls!

Bikers

It seems like this is a seoson for cycling. The children in my neighborhood are cycling and my Qi Ning caught on the fever and my baby girl also want to cycle. Luckily, we have two bicycle at home so each girl can have one to themselve.

These photos were taken on Saturday at a playground near my house. The first photo is that of my two girls and their favourite play mates from the neighbourhoodSuanne and Julian. Qi Ning can manage the bicycle by herself as the training wheel is attached while Qi Yu still don't really know how to peddle yet. She just put her feet on the peddle for show. But she enjoys sitting on the bike and having me pushing her from the back as if she is carrying me on her bicycle. She seems to like the idea that she is big enough to be carrying mummy around on her bicycle!

On strike

For the past two days, Qi Yu goes on milk strike. She refuse to drink powder milk as well as breast milk. Her usual quest to be nurse at night also stop! Even though I have stopped expressing milk at work, each day when i reach home after work, her first request is "Mummy, I want nen nen." But this request stopped two days ago. And ecah night before she sleep she will request for her fix as well and in the middle of night, she sometime will request for comfort nursing. But all these stops in the last two days!
She had fever on Monday and then go on strike Tuesday. She is drooling a lots, maybe she is teething again. Also because we had too much of a durian feast lately, so everyone is down. Qi Ning was also not well and mummy too.
From the strike, I think I am going to wean her off the breast permanently now. At first I thought it would be difficult to wean her off the breast because before the stike, any mention of weaning her off the breast will bring about a big fight from her. Now with the strike on, even when I offer her she would say "NO". Looks like mummy is going to have a breeze again in weaning my girl off the breast! :) But I do hope she won't goes on the milk strike for too long. Will need to ask her jiejie to persuade her to drink cow milk as she likes to follows her jiejie!

After 30 months....

Yes, is about 30months liao, my good friend didn't visit me and yesterday she came by. It has been 30months that I have enjoyed without the monthly period pain or discomfort that goes with it. but now it has return with a vergence. Yesterday was the first day and I had bad headache, today is the second day and I am having period pain.
After so long, i sort of forget what it is to have menses, now I am feeling it all over, don't know whether should celebrate or what. Hubby said is good isn't it, is normal to have mense!

Two months more...

In another two months time, Qi Ning will be turning four, how time flies. My girl is a big girl now. She can do most of the self care tasks by herself now. She can change her own clothing, tie her own hair, wear her own shoe with sock, brush her own teeth and feed herself. There will be time when she would want to "manja" mummy and want mummy to feed her. I try as much as I can to encourage her to be independent. Overall, she managed all the self care task quite well.
Qi Ning is a sociable girl and she loves to invite people to come to her house for visit. She loves to play with other children who are slightly older then her. She can play badminton quite well and the other day, she was teaching a girl who is 7 year old how to serve a ball! I was having a good laugh observing how she was showing her new found friend at the play ground how to play badminton! she seems to like to be a teacher, I guess that give her a sense of control.
She loves durian, this durian season, she really get to eat lots of durian especailly this few days. I think she is like mummy, loves to eat and can really eat. So I have to always remind her not to overeat.
Two more months to her 4 year old birthday and she has been reminding mummy to buy her birthday present. Mummy has to really look around for a present for her, if not she would be disappointed. But with kids, I think whatever present given with love, would be apprecaited, so i don't have to worry about the price tag yet! :)





She is

New journey

Last week the semester at UM started and that mark the beginning of my PhD journey. I finally decided to plunge in to take the challenge. It was a stressful week to begins with as there were so many thought going thru my mind. To study or not, to teach or not, how many classes to take, what subject to take, to resign or continue working . etc , it was so stressful.
My Prof. told me to apply for tutotship in UM and offer me to teach one subject in UM. I applied for the tutorship, no news yet but I am tecahing one class. He asked me if I wnat to tecah another class, after consideration and making all the necessary arrangement I say yes. Then was told that due to some techinical limitation on the amount a part time lecturer can claim, only claim a maximum of RM9000 per semester, I am not able to take two class. Now I have to reschudule my class and everything. So upset with them for messing around with my schedule! And even though I have registered as student, I can only starts to borrow libary book one month later, how inefficient! Only consolation I have is that I get a staff parking after paying a RM20 deposit so I don't need to fight for parking space as I can park at the designated area for staffs.
There are no answer to all the questions I have but at least I am more settled now, knowing that I can only teach one class, take two subjects. Still need to change the class time with my students. They probably think that I am frickle minded but I have no choice. So wish my all the best as i goes on this new journey!

Twenty Months

Qi Yu is twenty months old today. Gosh the time just flies. She is one sweet darling to behold. At twenty months, she can sing and talk very well. But she will only sing to her family members i.e mummy, papa n jie jie. She won't sing to other poeple. still very shy and cling to mummy a lot.
Now she want to dress herself and will want to choose her own outfit. She would be very happy if she can successfully pull down her panty and sit at the potty by herself. She is toilet trained for the day time.
The growing sense of independence is getting stronger nowadays, she will exert her right by saying "this is Qi Yu" and push you away if you try to impose on her. When you ask her something and she don't want to answer, she would say "I don't know." And she know how to use the word because. She has got quite a good sense of comprehension. When ask her the who, what and why questions from the story books, she could answer quite well.
Still want to nurse to sleep and throughtout the night. This is one habit that mummy is trying to break but find it a battle.
Such joy to have her!

Milk Powder

With the recent increases in all sort of things, milk powder has also increases. Good for those of us who are breastfeeding, we saved quite a lot on milk powder. But there will be a time when breastfeding stop and we need to buy milk powder.
I breastfed Qi Ning till she was about 20months then I swiatch her to formula as I was few month into pregnancy. I am still breastfeeding Qi Yu who's gonna be 20mths soon and I am thinking of weaning her off my breast. I am tired of expressing milk when at work, mummy is getting lazy. So I was browsing through the prices of different brands of milk powder and talking to different mummy about the type of milk powder they give to their kids. Many try to give the best as claim by the advertiser. Those with all the DHA, AHA lah whatever knot being added to the formula so that the child will be cleverer by taking that formula. When I looked at the prices different between those which supposed to make the child cleverer, it is almost 3x more expensive.
For Qi Ning, when I wean her off my breast, I was fortunate to have the formula supplied to me via my SIL. So I didn't mind whatever brand as it was one of those that claim to have all the important ingredients to make the child cleverer. Later when the supply discontinue I just buy for her whatever that is cheapest on the supermarket shell. Sometime is Dumex, sometime is DutchLady.
Now that I am thinking of weaning Qi Yu, I am thinking of giving her the same milk powder that I give to Qi Ning. But then there is this nagging thought of if I have given my children the best in their growing up years in term of the kind of formula milk that I choose? I think the advertisers is feeding on this kind of fear that parents might have.
So shall I just give them the cheaper version of the milk powder or should I go for the branded milk powder which is 3x more expensive? Will they will less developed mentally just because i didn't buy them the 3x more expensive milk powder? Hopefully not! Looking at my girls at the moment they are growing up very well and are achieving their developmental milestones spot on! But being a mum, the nagging fear is still there, what if I miss giving my girls the best nutritions (aka milk powder) that they need to help their brain to develop in the early year! But I can rest a bit because I breastfed both of them for as long as I can!

Saturday Excursion

When we were young, we go places via public transport aka bus. But nowaday, almost every household have cars so travelling on bus become a novelty. Qi ning has requested to go on bus for a couple of time since last year. So on Saturday, we took a bus ride down to cnetral market. The two girls enjoyed the ride very much and Qi ning wanted to requested to go on another bus ride on Sunday!
I haven't gone on the bus ride for soooo long myself. If given a choice I prefer the comfort of private car. It took more than an hour from Puchong to Cnetral market and the stop and move cause me headache. But it is all worth all since the gilrs enjoyed it. Is an experience for them. MAybe when Qi Yu is bit older we will have another go at taking bus down town.

Hospitality

Qi Ning loves loves to have visitors. Very often she would ask why isn't so and so visiting us and ask if we could get her cousins to come to her house.
Last night, one of the church friend came for a visit. She was very happy. After greeting the guest, she went to the kitchen. I was wondering what she wants to do. I saw her pulling a chair and climb up to take a cup and starts pouring water. At first I thought she wanted to have a drink of water. Only later I found out that she wanna served the guest!
My maid was telling me that if there were visitors, Qi Ning would tell her to serve drinks, I guess now instead of asking the maid, she decides that she is big enough to do the serving herself! My girl is growing up.

Catching up

Yesterday was an extra ordinary day for me. A very good friend of mine whom I have not seen for almost two years now came to meet me for lunch at my office. Then another two very good friends of mine who was my ex-colleague & exstudent came to my office and suprise me with an early birthday celebration with cake from Secret recipe! She stays in Melaka and since she was coming this way, she wanna surprise me. Indeed I was very touch by their visits.
Today, another of my old friend called and we had a good chat as well.
Sometime life gets so busy till we forget to be in touch. I do hope to touch base with all my friends from time to time. I thank God for all the good friends that He has blessed me with. ANd now, with the blog, I am also blessed with all the kind bloggers who leaves encouraging comment on my blogs, I am so apprecaitive of you as well all my blogger friends! I am catching up on reading all your blogs as well. So this seem to be a season of catching up for me. hehehe

Changes

Someone say the only thing that is constant is "change". I think with the increase in fuel prices, many changes will have to take place for income earners! For a start, I have slow down my speed since I was told that driving at 80-90km/h is most fuel economical. Heehehe, i feel like an old lady driving when I am driving at such speed where I used to go at 100-120km/hr. We also try not to swich on the air-con at home so often. Use to have it on for the whole night.
Have been feeling so comfortable at my currently work place even though it is far from my home, I still hardly consider looking for a job nearer to home . I stay in Puchong but work in Nilai. With the increase in petrol price, I got to start thinking about work place again, is it worth paying RM500-600 per month on the fuel?
I have been offered a place to study PhD in university of Malaya for the July intake, so hubby is saying to pursue my PhD, try to get a job with the university. Changes again. So many thought is going through my mind, to study or not to study? The thought of continuing the study is both exciting and scary. Exciting as it is always my dream to do a PhD, scary because I don't know if I have what it take to complete it!
I don't know how it is going to be if I have to work and study and having to have time for my two girls. As it is I already feel guilty of not being able to spent enuf time with my girls as a working mum. As a counselor, I heard lots of sad story about poor/bad family relationship, parents & children, husbands & wives..etc. Enough for me to alway keep a look up for my own relationship with my girls and husband. and that make me feel guilty sometime. Thoeritically, I know what should be done but sometime I just don't practice what I know 感觉有心无力. That's bad I know that's why I feel sorry for my girls sometime that I don't spend enough time with them and leave the maid to do thing for them.
Looks like I have to face more changes ahead of me!

One Year Seven months

So fast my Qi Yu is gonna be one year seven months old tommorrow. This little girl of mine is such a sweet heart. I just loves her.
Shae has grown taller and her has got more teeth now. She can speak quite well for her age. Many have commented that her words are very clear, even stranger can understand her sentence. She speaks in simple sentences nowadays. She will compete with her jie jie and learning the concept of "be number 1." She can sings lots of songs now. But she will not sing for you if she don't want to. She has a mind of her own.
Her favourite phases at the moment are "I don't want", "No", "Mummy Up". I loves to hear her speak and sing songs. Her voice is so soft and sweet, really will melt your heart especailly when she put her arm around me and say "i love you mummy". That really make my day.
One thing she dislike is ZZZZZZZZz. Each night, when is time to sleep, she would try to delay and fight to stay up as late as she can. She only goes to sleep at 10pm nowadays. Her afternoon nap often is cut down to one, only sometime she would take two naps.
Still quite a shy girl. When there is some people whom she is not very familiar, she would be very quiet and stick to me. Still would not let other people hold her except immediate family members.
Still loves to imitate her jiejie in whatever she does. Weight wise still pretty much the same but definitely grwon taller.
she is a sweet darling.

Best friends

Mummy always remind us to be each other's best friends and indeed we are. Just look at the fun that we have when we are together and the joy of just being sisters!

Bandung & Jakarta

Have been really busy for the past few weeks till I have no time to blog and blog hop. In the midst of the busy schedule, I managed to escape to Bandung & Jakarta for 6 days (30April-6May). It was indeed a welcomed escaped! Good thing I booked the holidays early in the year if not, this escape would not have taken place.
We went as a family and let the maid go back to her kampung. We stayed 1 night in Bandung then my friend send his driver to pick us up to Jakarta. We spent 4 nights with my freind Min and his family. He took us to the Sarafi in Puncak which was really good. Then we travel back to Bandung on our own and spent another night in Bandung before fly back.
Bandung is really a shopping heaven, even a none shopper like me likes shopping there. Wish I had spent 1 more day there to shop!
One not very good thing about this holidays is that we all have food poisoning of some sort. My two girls lost weight from the trip. Qi Ning started to vomit from the second day, hubby down with purging. Me and baby girl caught the germs on the last day and carry it back with us. Thank God we are all well now.
Will post some photos of the trip soon.

My girl is growing up fast!

Qi Yu turns 17 months two days ago. This little girl of mine is growing up so fast and brings so much joy to us. She is speaking so much nowadays and can speak a simple three or four words sentences. She just absorb everything she hears like a sponge and imitate what she hears. She loves to sing and can sing these songs "baa baa black sheep" "haleluya praise the Lord" Happy birthday" “我要依靠神” by herself.
Her favourite book at the moment is the "big bird" book. Everyday she would bring the book and ask me to read to her.
She is jie jie Qi Ning big time follower. Whatever the jie jie is doing she would follow suits and wnat to have what Qi Ning is having or doing. When Qi Ning sit on my laps, she would come around and push Qi Ning away or she would say "ecuse (excuse) me jie jie", fighting for mummy.
She still struggle with sitting on her car seat despite the fact that we put her on car seat since birth. She will try wiggle out of her car seat by requesting to nurse. Last week, when hubby was out of the country, I told her mummy have to drive the car and she has to sit in her car seat. She protest at first then subsquently she comply, murmuring to her self, "mummy drive car". So the few day when hubby was away, she sit in her car seat without a fuss. Now with hubby around, she starts protesting again, wanting to sit with mummy.
She is half way down the road of being toilet train. She goes diaperless during the day time. Sometime she would tell when she wants to pee but sometime she just forgot. She will definitely tells us when she want to poo. Only night time, she is still on diaper.
Not sure why her teeth has holes in some of them. took her to see dentist, dentist say nothing to be of concerm! Mummy reckon she lack cqalcium as she doesn't drink much milk during day time. She nurse through the night though.
Day by day my girl is growing and much joy she brings!

I need a wheel chair

Yesterday was not a good day for Qi Ning. Not sure whether is because she is tired or what, she seems to lose her balance easily and had a few fall within one hour. Her lip was badly bruised. In the evening, we went out for dinner with some church friends. Upon reaching home after dinner , she showed us a cut on her right foot! another mishap for the day. It was quite a bit cut, I don't know how she substain that. She said it happened when we first arrived at the restaurant but she didn't mention anything to us while at the restraurant.
I apply some iodine for her and she requested to be carried to her bed as the cut was on the sole of her foot and is painful. So we obliged. After we changed her, we were lying down on the bed for a chat before we sleep, she was telling me how painful it was. And she told me she need a wheelchair now because it is too painful to walk. I had a good laugh with her request!

Hide and seek

Hide N Seek, this is one game that kids never get tired of. Even my Qi Yu is catching on with it lately. She would tell me to hide and her favourite hide-out is behind the door. Each time when she meant to hide, you will find her behind the door and she would try to find other people behind the door as well.
Another of her favourite hide-out is the big sofa. She just get so much kick out of this simple hide and seek game. Mummy loves to play with her and the jie jie also like to join in the fun.
I guess is the "wow" effect that is contagious!

Qi Yu's development

Qi Yu is picking real quick with words. Lately she has been saying simple rhyme. I was surprise that she could say it on her own, of course missing a line /words here and there. One of her favourite is "rain rain go away, Qi Yu want play!" She could also sing burung kakak tua and say some of the Indonesian rhyme such as "Cicak cicak di dinding"; "pelangi song" courtesy of my Indonesian maid.
She is not a chatter box type. Many people comment that she looks more like a thinker as she often appear to be thinking hard on things that people say to her. I guess she is absorbing all that is happening around her and when she is ready only will she reveal it! Just like when she was learning to walk, she didn't attempt to walk very much till she is fairly confident of herself then she took all the bold step. Now that she can walk quite steadyly, she is attempting to run!

Clever girls

Really, I am often very amaze by my two girls. Below are some incidents that took place two night ago.
It was drizzling outside and Qi Yu was at the door wanting to go out and take umbrella. Then I remembered we had a small umbrella tuck away somewhere. Since I only had one of those, so I told both girl to share. (Had to clear this or else two girls will end up fighting for it). Each is to take turn playing with it. After while Qi Yu refused to share. when she was supposed to pass the little umbrella to her Qi Ning, she went and took the toy train instead and give to her sister! I have a good laugh, so young oledi know how to get her way!

Last sunday, we were having dinner with my brother's family. Qi Ning was dressed in pink and had a pink hair band. My sister in law was teasing her.
SIL: Qi Ning, your hair band is so beautiful, can I borrow it for a while.
QN: Not matching (SIL was wearing blue T Shirt), see I wear pink, pink and pink only matching!
SIL: never mind, I just want to try.
QN: cannot, not matching not nice!
What a clever way of saying no!

Sixteen months old!

My little missy (Qi YU) is turning 16 mths old today. She is one checcky little girl that brings much joy to my life! She is so muc fun now as she can response quite well to our instruction and can hold a simple conversation with her. What I like best is when I ask a question related to her she would answer me with her sweetest voice and sometime couple with a cheecky smile.
Me: Who is a good girl? or Who is mummy's precious girl? Who wanna go playground?
QY: Qi Yu......!
When she wants something from you, she would stretch out her hand towards you and say "may I, may I " till you fulfill her request. She likes to imitate her jiejie.
She went on a milk stike after CNY, fortunately she is slowly going off the strike last two days. Beginning to drink her milk when I am not at home by using her jiejie's bottle. She shows the maid Qi Ning's bottle and in her own way communicated to the maid that she wants her jiejie's bottle. So for the past two days, my maid has been giving her milk in Qi ning's bottle and she finish it! She is getting quite good in communicating her desire and we can understand most of her requests.
When she wanna do big business, she will say "poo poo" since two weeks ago but still don't know how to tell us when she want to pee. Often only tell us after she wet her pants then she would tell us "Qi Yu wet wet"
She can walk quite steadily now and wanna walk everywhere by herself, refused to be hold. Soemtime it seem like she is trying to run then walk. I have to remind her to walk slowly and take one step at a time.
She hasn't put on weight for quite sometime, still remain at 9kg plus, grow slightly taller at 76cm now. She is one active girl.

To stop or not to !

Qi Yu is 15mths plus, going to be 16mths soon. Lately, since the CNY holidays, she has been refusing to drink her milk during the day time. The whole day when I am away she absolute drink no milk. She is also not a good eater hence not gaining weight much. She only want me to nurse her at night especially just before she sleep. Maybe because she is getting very mobile these day and are more keen to move around then to eat.
Since she is not drinking any milk during the day time, I am thinking to stop expressing milk at work and just let her nurse directly after work. Anyway my production is very low nowadays. But on the other hand, I worry she don't take enuf milk as she totally reject milk powder. If I stop expressing at work and she starts to want to drink milk during day time then I have no spare for her. The milk inventory at home is quite low now as I have reduce the pumping session at work to only one time. And now this lazy mummy is thinking of totally no pumping at work!

Breastfed will breastfeed!

I saw these wording in one of the lactation consultant clinic "breast fed will breast feed". It was with a picture of a little girl imitating her mother who was breastfeeding a baby. I saw this in my two girls. I breastfed Qi Ning till she was about 18mths and is still breastfeeding my Qi Yu who is 15mths old.
When Qi Yu was still a baby, each time when I am breastfeeding Qi Yu, Qi Ning (about 2 year plus) would also take a dolly and sat beside me and breastfeed her baby. Now is my Qi Yu's turn, two days ago, after I nurse her, she stood up and hold up a soft toy saying 'rabbit want nen nen". She then proceed to pull up her shirt and pretend like she is breastfeeding the soft toy! I was having a good laugh seeing the scene. Only 15 mths and she is imitating mummy! I must try to capture one of this moment on camera one day. Is really amazing to see how little one imitate the action of the parents. I hope when they have their own baby, they would breastfeed them too!

Do you love me?

Qi Ning is gonna be 3 years 5 months old tomorrow. She is going thru a very sensitive stage at the moment where she would querry our love for her. Whenever I say to Qi Yu "I love you Qi Yu" she would immediately ask "why you don't love me." I have to assure her that I love her just as much.
During the recent CNY, she was quite a teary case when at my SIL place. She somehow is fearful of my SIL's husband, to the extend that she refused to come out of the guest room and if we make her come out of the room she would cry. Even her favourite treat of "longan/lychee" cannot draw her out of the room. She rather not eat then to have to meet with her "da gu zhan". Each time when I manage to lure her out of the room, when she see him she will be tearing and immediately goes upstair. This is the first time my girl is behaving as such and she rather end her holidays sooner than staying extra day at her "da gu" home. I guess maybe he scared her earlier on when he was in KL. He wanted to hold her and Qi Ning was telling him" I am four year old" . Her way of telling people please don't carry me but he miss the message and proceed to hold her up. Immediately she burst into tears.
Generally she is quite an independent girl except being emotional lately. She can dress and undress herself. Feed herself and do many self care thing by herself but form time to time, she would want mummy to do for her. Sometime she still want me to carry her like baby especially just before bed time.
Heven't sent her to Kindy yet but daddy is teaching her some alphabet. She is doing quite well. Overall I am happy with her development. She is a good girl and I do love her dearly.

Fun Stage

Qi Yu is now at one of the most fun stage to play with. She is rsponsive and would mimic after you. She turns 15mths on the first day of CNY. The other day when I was at my sis-in-law place, I was calling out for hubby asking him if he is ready for dinner and Qi Yu also follow me and shout out her daddy's name. Everybody who heard it was laughing as she speaks so loud and clear her daddy's name!
Qi Yu is on the slimmer side. Everybody comment that she is gonna be slim and tall when she grows up. I don't know how they predict but maybe by looking at her built. Qi Yu is not as good a eater as her jiejie. She only eat a few mouthful then she would shake her head and stop eating liao. Still don't drink much milk, whole day is still 150-180ml. Still fully on breast milk. I am trying to introduce milk powder to her but she don't like it.
Height wise she is 76Cm, weigth wise still at 9kg.
Language wise she is speaking a lot more and it seem like Malay is becoming her predominant language as kakak is spending more time with her than mummy (mummy is feeling guilty about this). Whenever I ask her if she want anything, she ould answer "mau" (meaning yes in Malay). Sometime I would hear her pointing to her body part and name them in Malay. Her favourite body part is kaki (leg). I often see her point to her leg and say "kaki". Her vacabulary has definitely blossom lately and she loves to repeat after us.
Emotionwise, she is showing more variety of emotion such as fear, jealousy, anger, cheecky faces. At such a young age, when she sees someone crying, she would move forward trying to comfort people and tell the person "don't cry". When reading one of her favourite book, she would point to the crying monkey and tell me, "monkey cry". She is still stranger shy.
Dunno whether is just mummy or really she is beginning to knows one and two. Yesterday, on the way back from hometown, I was asking her how many teddy bear she is holding and she answered "two", which is the correct no. The maid was laughing away. I tried testing it agian, took away one of the bear and ask her immediately but she was distracted by other things so I can't confirm.
Oh yes, what mummy loves is nowadays is her massage. When I lie down on my stomach, I ask her to massage for me she would pat my back, really nice to feel her little hand on my back, so gentle and relaxing! She learns the massage from Qi Ning. Mummy now can enjoy free massage at home!

Gong Xi Gong Xi

Two more days to go and is going to be chinese New Year! I am excited, waiting to balik kampung so is Qi Ning. She has been telling people that we going to Ah Ma house. Will be going back to my mum's house tomorrow and then to my in-law on the eve after we had our reunion lunch at my mum.
I just love to be around family members, be it my own family or hubby side of family. I always said if I am any younger I would love to have four kids but due to age constraint, I am contented with two.
This is to wish evryone a very happy and blessed new year!

GONG XI GONG XI

Handbags collection

As I mentioned 2008, hubby is venturing into some business. He had chosen to be a wholesaller of ladies fashion. These are some of the handbags design that he had in his collection. Anyone want one for CNY? :)

I can feed myself!

Hey everyone, see I am a big girl now, I can feed myself.

Sickly

The germs are flying round, finding preys to attack. My two girls took turn to fall sick last week. First it was Qi Ning, down with fever and vomit. Fortunately, fever and vomit subside after one day. Is easier with Qi ning as she would take her medication without any fuss and she would co-operate with us when we need to take her temperature or feed her medication.
On Saturday, Qi Yu started to have fever. Oh boy, is hard to feed Qi Yu medication. She fight with us when come to time for medication, we had no choice but to force thru the paracertamol. Obviously, she would cries so pitifully. She even refuse for us to take her temperature. She is very clingy and at time crancky for the whole weekend. Refusing to eat, drink and even sleep! She just want to be carried by mummy! When the medication take effect, the fever subside, she would play for a while. Other time she just want to be held. The fever comes and goes, yesterday evening, she also vomitted, fever subside after that. So far so good, her fever has not return. Hubby theory is that all the germs are out with the vomit so she is on her road to recovery. With the germs all out, may my two girls continue to grow healthily. Kesian to see them fall sick!

She calls me Mummy!

Qi Yu has been calling papa, jiejie, porpor and all other people for the longest time. Occasionally I have hear her saying mum but wasn't sure if she was refering to me. But lately, I have heard her calling me mummy but still not very often. Yesterday, upon reaching home from work, my maid brought her to the gate to meet me and I heard her calling me "mummy"! What a joy, now I know she is calling me for sure. My maid also heard and commented that "QI Yu sudah tahu panggil mummy ya! "
Qi Yu is at the stage of learning to speak and she is picking up more and more words each day and she is very keen to learn. She would repeat words after us. She can even say bubbles now as she loves to play with bubbles during bath time!
Is a real joy to see her grow each day, every little milestone brings much joy to my heart. Oh how I loves to see my little girl develop each day. Such is the joy of parenthood!

Eeeehh

I can't believe it but I saw it with my own eyes! Is not a pleasant sight and I was shocked to see it. I wonder how did she get it. What is it that I saw? Any guess? ......... eeerk, is a big worm that I saw two days ago when I was cleaning up for QI Ning after her poo poo. I quickly call my Pead and she said is quite rare for kids in urban area to have worm morever we don't keep any animals as pet, only gold fish. She ask about my maid's hygiene and sadly I have to say that her hygiene is not something we are not proud of. So the Pead told me to give the de-worm medication to the maid as well. Sigh, I guess I need to monitor her hygiene more closely now. My sis-in-law just told me on the weekend before not to let my maid prepare any meals for my kids as she also notice that my maid hygiene is not up to the mark.
Hopefully after the de worm medication no more worm. I really hope QI yu is not infested by the worm as well.

Qi Yu is 14 months old

My baby is 14 months old today. So how is this precious girl of my doing. Here are some of her vital statistic.
Weight: 9 kg
Height: 76 cm
Mobility: crawl really fast and started to walk, few step at a time since last week. She loves to push a chair and walk around
Dextirity: She can feed herself with a spoon now, of course craeting a mess as well! :) She loves to copy her jiejie when she see Qi Ning drawing or coloring. She would also ask for a pencil and start scibble on paper.
Speechwise, she definitely understand more than she speaks. New words that I am hearing her are porpor (grandma), car, cold cold, cat, gorgor (elder bro), somemore can't remmeber.
Now that she is beginning to walk, she also starts to "dance". she would stand up on her two feet and start swaying her body as if doing a dance. When asked if she is dancing, she will say "uhm, uhm" her way of saying yes.
Foodwise, she is taking three meals a day. When she doesn't like certain food she would not open her mouth and even if she had taken a bite she would still spit it out! Whenever we are eating, she will demand that we feed her too!
She is still fully on breastmilk. I am trying to introduce milk powder to her but she does not like it. In fact she refuse to drink it, so would drink one or two mouth full then pass the bottle to her sister. Sigh, that mean mummy cannot stop expressing mik. Mummy is getting lazy in expressing milk at work and is thinking of weaning her off the breast. With her refusing powder milk, mummy will still have to continue to be a moo. Hopefully she would take on the milk powdersoon!
She is observing everything that Qi Ning is doing. Nowadays, she knows that sweet can be eaten as she had seen Qi Ning unwrapping the sweet and put it in her mouth. So if we give her a sweet nowadays, she would make demand for us to unwrap it for her. Getting harder to trick her oledi, she is getting smarter!
She still loves her bath time and still dislike her carseat. Often will have to find ways to get her sit in her carseat without making a fuss. So far, we have use cornflakes, raisins & biscuit to keep her in her carseat.
Qi Yu is a loving girl, she would give hugs and kisses freely. Is such joy to see her grow each day. I do loves her dearly.