i think perhaps arwen's ready to pee or poop in the jamban. lately, she's been signaling that she wants her diaper off by trying to pull it down herself and patting her, you know what. maybe she can already tell that she feels that she wants to pee. apparently according to our babysitter Su, arwen wants her diaper off and once it's off, Su will take her to the toilet and she'll continue peeing. she can actually control and hold her pee alrealy. good huh? but this new-found habit is slowly breaking our bank. we're changing fresh diapers everytime she pees. and we're using the expensive pull-up pants kind. tsk.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
milestone moment : knowing what is trash and throwing them in the bin
arwen already knows what trash cans are and whenever she sees one directly or in books, or a bag of garbage, she'll immediately recognize them and will pinch her nose to signify 'busuk'. (she also pinches her nose upon seeing dirty shoes).
this morning though, she did something that made me all gleaming with pride. she peeled off a gift card from one of my mom's birthday presents and played with it. and then i told her to put it back where she found it. so she did accordingly, trying to paste the card back onto the gift. but the adhesive had worn off so the thing kept dropping off no matter how many times she tried. i just sat back and observed, waiting and watching what she'll do next. perhaps out of frustration, or maybe she'd figured that the card is now useless, she crumpled it and walked towards the trash bin, opened the lid and threw it in.
i've never taught her how to do that. i mean, yeah there are open dustbins around the house and we have taught her to throw stuff into them, random stuff she picks from off the floor, but fact that she knows what to do when things no longer serve their purpose is amazing.
oh by the way, my joy these days is whenever i say 'hi, sayang' to her when she wakes up, she'll reply me with 'mama!' like as if she's really glad that i'm the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes. with her, love is redefined, everyday.
this morning though, she did something that made me all gleaming with pride. she peeled off a gift card from one of my mom's birthday presents and played with it. and then i told her to put it back where she found it. so she did accordingly, trying to paste the card back onto the gift. but the adhesive had worn off so the thing kept dropping off no matter how many times she tried. i just sat back and observed, waiting and watching what she'll do next. perhaps out of frustration, or maybe she'd figured that the card is now useless, she crumpled it and walked towards the trash bin, opened the lid and threw it in.
i've never taught her how to do that. i mean, yeah there are open dustbins around the house and we have taught her to throw stuff into them, random stuff she picks from off the floor, but fact that she knows what to do when things no longer serve their purpose is amazing.
oh by the way, my joy these days is whenever i say 'hi, sayang' to her when she wakes up, she'll reply me with 'mama!' like as if she's really glad that i'm the first thing she sees when she opens her eyes. with her, love is redefined, everyday.
Monday, November 2, 2009
this is it
so i had a date with the husband last night. with a couple of his cousins. we went and watched Michael Jackson's This Is It vidocumentary at KLCC and oh my god,it was so worth leaving my daughter crying at home.
all the near 2 hours of show, i was tapping my feet and bobbing my head and moving my shoulders listening to his songs and watching him (and the awesome dancers) danced. ayis' cousin Kak Ah was doing it too. it felt like we were watching a real concert. and i think we were the only ones doing that. seriously, it would've been one awesome concert if he hadn't passed on so soon.
the production, the musical direction, the choreographs - all had his own personal touch. he was hands-on from the very beginning, from selection of dancers to every single beat and light and move .. he knew what he wanted. he didn't even look sick - physically nor mentally. even when he said he's 'conserving his voice', he was totally powerful and inspiring.
watching This Is It made me realize that his death was a terrible loss. i'm not a huge fan of his but i can recognize and appreciate artistry. and even if i'm not totally a hardcore fan, i do know some words to his song and some of his moves especially for Thriller. never mind all the debacle and circus acts he was in in recent years, he was a true artist.
i think astronomers should name a star after him. with that kind of irreplaceable talent, he's immortal.
all the near 2 hours of show, i was tapping my feet and bobbing my head and moving my shoulders listening to his songs and watching him (and the awesome dancers) danced. ayis' cousin Kak Ah was doing it too. it felt like we were watching a real concert. and i think we were the only ones doing that. seriously, it would've been one awesome concert if he hadn't passed on so soon.
the production, the musical direction, the choreographs - all had his own personal touch. he was hands-on from the very beginning, from selection of dancers to every single beat and light and move .. he knew what he wanted. he didn't even look sick - physically nor mentally. even when he said he's 'conserving his voice', he was totally powerful and inspiring.
watching This Is It made me realize that his death was a terrible loss. i'm not a huge fan of his but i can recognize and appreciate artistry. and even if i'm not totally a hardcore fan, i do know some words to his song and some of his moves especially for Thriller. never mind all the debacle and circus acts he was in in recent years, he was a true artist.
i think astronomers should name a star after him. with that kind of irreplaceable talent, he's immortal.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
monthly letter : month fourteen
Dear Arwen,
you are growing up so fast it's scaring the shit out of me. please slow down. a bit. you're now even taller than most kids your age. you're almost as tall as your 2 year old cousin, abang irfan. despite that, you're not talking yet, but you sure know how to order people around and tell people that you want or do not want stuff. like the other morning, oma was trying to dress you up after shower and you cried because you didn't want to wear what oma picked earlier.
same thing with food. when you don't want it, you don't want it. there's no ifs ands or buts about it. i think the picky eating habit? you got that from me. i'm happy though, because you can eat most adult food now. easier for me when we go out. i only have to order stuff that you can and hopefully will eat and we'll share that portion together. good for my diet too, in fact. but even so, thinking about what to feed you boggles our minds everyday. and you're growing both your bottom molars now, maybe it's due to all that eating adult food. it's like you're getting ready to chew on a t-bone steak already. so, to this date, you have almost 10 teeth. 10 more to go. yay!
you LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! to run. it's impossible to put you in the stroller, car seat or the shopping cart now because you prefer to be free and roam about, testing your limits with this new-found mobility. i get motion sickness from all your moving around, especially when i'm in the backseat with you when we travel. we even bought you a leash (yes, like a dog) but even that's impossible because you tend to get all tangled up in the harness from all that robustness. you like to do this little jog (more like a jig, really) on one spot and anticipate someone to come chasing after you. and when someone wants to play with you, you'll dash like there's no speed limit.
you love dancing too. you especially love to dance to this one particular song, single ladies by beyonce. it'd be a classic by the time you read this. oh my god, whenever we break into singing the intro of the song, you immediately recognize it and will start to move. you'll watch the video clip attentively and silently learn the moves. i still can't get a proper video of you doing that because you? you, my dear vain daughter, whenever you see anybody hold the camera, recorder or phone, you get all 'oh heyy!'.
the other day, oma told me that you went up on a platform/stage at the hypermarket and you danced. like, in public. you love the attention. maybe you'll grow up to be in the show business? i don't know. whatever you choose to be when you grow up, i'll support you no matter what. well, except if you choose to be unemployed and freeloading off of us - that, i'll be sure to kick your ass and get you a job if i have so send out your resumes myself. (oma did the same thing for me, by the way)
it's really wonderful watching you grow, little girl. every day you amaze us with your little antics. sometimes clever, sometimes silly, sometimes naughty, sometimes tugging every heartstrings there is around you. this month, amongst many other new developments, you've learned to hug. you'd come over and give hugs whenever we ask you for it. you'll hang on to our necks real tight, resting your little chin on the nook of our shoulders and sometimes, you'd also softly pat our backs. it's by far one of the sweetest things ever getting those from you.
you're really smart and silly at the same time. watching you is no different than watching a few movies in fast forward. one minute you show us that you're a born genius, making animal sounds - translating what you heard on the tv, or thinking of many more ways to try to pry me off the bed (yesterday morning, after smacking my face, peeling my eyelids, sitting with your poop-filled diaper butt near my nose, biting my fingers, probing your finger into my mouth and nose, pulling my hair no longer work, you've resulted to pulling me by my pajamas to get me to get up), using my ipod as your personal mobile phone and actually talking to it like you've seen it done many times, dancing to just about any song, putting things over your head and so many other things, you'd turn around and do silly things that make us laugh like hyenas. like for example, you have go hide beside a chair, sofa or bed and squat to poop.
you are very tenacious, or adamant, or in less positive word, stubborn. you know what you want and when you want and how you want and you want them now. it's tiring, and challenging, but i try not to follow your whims. you have to learn the art of give and take and that not everything and everyone in the world revolves around you.
but sometimes, i can't help it, you have this smile that melts even the hardest of hearts. i scolded you once because you refused to take me seriously, and when you saw it in my eyes that i meant business, you flashed the cheekiest smile at me and immediately i gave in. the only person who can be firm with you and mean it, is your dad. it's really ironic, because when we were dating a long time ago, we talked about you. and daddy mentioned that he thinks he'll be the good cop when it comes to disciplining our kids. turns out, it's the opposite. funny how the world works.
i think this month, you had one of the biggest dramas in your life yet. you were attacked by some random monster child while we were hanging around the shopping complex. she came over and bit you on your cheek. you were in so much pain, you cried and i also cried because i felt so helpless and hopeless and i felt your pain too. i'm really sorry that you had to go through such trauma so early on in your life. there are a lot of bullies out there sayang, just giving you a head's up. in every stage of your life, you'll come across pathetic people whose only idea of happiness and satisfaction is to see others go through pain and a whole lot of shit. people will try to pull you down when you're up and will hold you back when you're down. hopefully, we are strong enough people who can set a positive example for you, to show you how to stand up and stand strong. but judging by the way you pushed yourself out of me when you came into this world, i'm not worried about you, baby girl.
nope, not at all.
love,
mama.
you are growing up so fast it's scaring the shit out of me. please slow down. a bit. you're now even taller than most kids your age. you're almost as tall as your 2 year old cousin, abang irfan. despite that, you're not talking yet, but you sure know how to order people around and tell people that you want or do not want stuff. like the other morning, oma was trying to dress you up after shower and you cried because you didn't want to wear what oma picked earlier.
same thing with food. when you don't want it, you don't want it. there's no ifs ands or buts about it. i think the picky eating habit? you got that from me. i'm happy though, because you can eat most adult food now. easier for me when we go out. i only have to order stuff that you can and hopefully will eat and we'll share that portion together. good for my diet too, in fact. but even so, thinking about what to feed you boggles our minds everyday. and you're growing both your bottom molars now, maybe it's due to all that eating adult food. it's like you're getting ready to chew on a t-bone steak already. so, to this date, you have almost 10 teeth. 10 more to go. yay!
you LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! to run. it's impossible to put you in the stroller, car seat or the shopping cart now because you prefer to be free and roam about, testing your limits with this new-found mobility. i get motion sickness from all your moving around, especially when i'm in the backseat with you when we travel. we even bought you a leash (yes, like a dog) but even that's impossible because you tend to get all tangled up in the harness from all that robustness. you like to do this little jog (more like a jig, really) on one spot and anticipate someone to come chasing after you. and when someone wants to play with you, you'll dash like there's no speed limit.
you love dancing too. you especially love to dance to this one particular song, single ladies by beyonce. it'd be a classic by the time you read this. oh my god, whenever we break into singing the intro of the song, you immediately recognize it and will start to move. you'll watch the video clip attentively and silently learn the moves. i still can't get a proper video of you doing that because you? you, my dear vain daughter, whenever you see anybody hold the camera, recorder or phone, you get all 'oh heyy!'.
the other day, oma told me that you went up on a platform/stage at the hypermarket and you danced. like, in public. you love the attention. maybe you'll grow up to be in the show business? i don't know. whatever you choose to be when you grow up, i'll support you no matter what. well, except if you choose to be unemployed and freeloading off of us - that, i'll be sure to kick your ass and get you a job if i have so send out your resumes myself. (oma did the same thing for me, by the way)
it's really wonderful watching you grow, little girl. every day you amaze us with your little antics. sometimes clever, sometimes silly, sometimes naughty, sometimes tugging every heartstrings there is around you. this month, amongst many other new developments, you've learned to hug. you'd come over and give hugs whenever we ask you for it. you'll hang on to our necks real tight, resting your little chin on the nook of our shoulders and sometimes, you'd also softly pat our backs. it's by far one of the sweetest things ever getting those from you.
you're really smart and silly at the same time. watching you is no different than watching a few movies in fast forward. one minute you show us that you're a born genius, making animal sounds - translating what you heard on the tv, or thinking of many more ways to try to pry me off the bed (yesterday morning, after smacking my face, peeling my eyelids, sitting with your poop-filled diaper butt near my nose, biting my fingers, probing your finger into my mouth and nose, pulling my hair no longer work, you've resulted to pulling me by my pajamas to get me to get up), using my ipod as your personal mobile phone and actually talking to it like you've seen it done many times, dancing to just about any song, putting things over your head and so many other things, you'd turn around and do silly things that make us laugh like hyenas. like for example, you have go hide beside a chair, sofa or bed and squat to poop.
you are very tenacious, or adamant, or in less positive word, stubborn. you know what you want and when you want and how you want and you want them now. it's tiring, and challenging, but i try not to follow your whims. you have to learn the art of give and take and that not everything and everyone in the world revolves around you.
but sometimes, i can't help it, you have this smile that melts even the hardest of hearts. i scolded you once because you refused to take me seriously, and when you saw it in my eyes that i meant business, you flashed the cheekiest smile at me and immediately i gave in. the only person who can be firm with you and mean it, is your dad. it's really ironic, because when we were dating a long time ago, we talked about you. and daddy mentioned that he thinks he'll be the good cop when it comes to disciplining our kids. turns out, it's the opposite. funny how the world works.
i think this month, you had one of the biggest dramas in your life yet. you were attacked by some random monster child while we were hanging around the shopping complex. she came over and bit you on your cheek. you were in so much pain, you cried and i also cried because i felt so helpless and hopeless and i felt your pain too. i'm really sorry that you had to go through such trauma so early on in your life. there are a lot of bullies out there sayang, just giving you a head's up. in every stage of your life, you'll come across pathetic people whose only idea of happiness and satisfaction is to see others go through pain and a whole lot of shit. people will try to pull you down when you're up and will hold you back when you're down. hopefully, we are strong enough people who can set a positive example for you, to show you how to stand up and stand strong. but judging by the way you pushed yourself out of me when you came into this world, i'm not worried about you, baby girl.
nope, not at all.
love,
mama.
Monday, October 26, 2009
milestone moment : she likes her meds
not exactly a milestone moment. i just realized that i havent posted this arwen fact yet. it's one of the things that i love most about arwen. i just have to write this, you know, in case i forget to tell her about it later in life. or might never get to.
i always hear (and see) how parents have to manhandle their kids to make them take their meds. i am fortunate that arwen's willing take hers. she's not scared to see the syringes with multicoloured liquids, she doesnt run or shake her head away when i say the word 'ubat', unlike other kids. she parts her lips willingly and swallow the terrible tasting concoctions, only occasionally making faces.
i hope this lasts coz i would hate to chase around the house after her armed with a syringe in my hand, dripping thick bittersweet things all over the floor.
i always hear (and see) how parents have to manhandle their kids to make them take their meds. i am fortunate that arwen's willing take hers. she's not scared to see the syringes with multicoloured liquids, she doesnt run or shake her head away when i say the word 'ubat', unlike other kids. she parts her lips willingly and swallow the terrible tasting concoctions, only occasionally making faces.
i hope this lasts coz i would hate to chase around the house after her armed with a syringe in my hand, dripping thick bittersweet things all over the floor.
earworms : thinking of you & something unexpected from glee
i'm not really a fan of Katy Perry. she's cool, funny and kinda looks like zooey deschanel and all, but i'm not a fan. until i heard this song and earwormed myself with it since last week. (sidenote : it sounds a bit avril-ish, but i dont think i'd like this song as much if avril had sung it) :
Friday, October 23, 2009
sure or not?
my brother faiz won a canon EOS 450D with some other accessories from winning the Harper's Bazaar / Canon Fashion Photography competition thingy, and he's thinking about selling off the brand new camera because he plans to get the awesome 5D MarkII (*drooling*). and then my mom came into the room :
Ma : Whose camera is that?
Me : Faiz won that from that competition. He's gonna sell it.
Ma : Eh. why? Give me lah. I want a camera.
Iz : Iz nak juallah.
Ma : Jual kat mama lah. i'll pay. how much?
it scares me that my mom wants to use a dslr. i mean she can't even lock her own phone.
Ma : Whose camera is that?
Me : Faiz won that from that competition. He's gonna sell it.
Ma : Eh. why? Give me lah. I want a camera.
Iz : Iz nak juallah.
Ma : Jual kat mama lah. i'll pay. how much?
it scares me that my mom wants to use a dslr. i mean she can't even lock her own phone.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
i made food that people can actually eat, yo!
so i made this yesterday for arwen. like, actually chopping up real onions and handling raw beef and all that jazz. on my own mind you. arwen likes it. actually my mom and husband said it's sedap and my mom told me she wants this for breakfast this weekend. that, coming from my mom, is a hella good compliment. i'm like, THE BOMB!
oh by the way, the simple recipe for this dish is a bit of onion, some minced meat, baked beans, salt to taste and top it with mashed vegetable of your choice (this is mashed potato ... sweet potato seems like a good combination too). it's like a simple version of Shepard's Pie. you can make it an adult version by adding pepper or chilli powder and mixed vegetable for colour.
afterthought : ceh, baru buat satu dish dah kecoh siap nak bagi orang recipe.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
commiting adultery
i've started watching Three Rivers because my doctor brother who said he's not into medical/hospital drama because those dramas are a far cry from the actual drama going on in actual hospitals, said that Three Rivers is cool.
yeah, anything with hot doctors is cool.
and i am in love with Daniel Henney.
yeah, anything with hot doctors is cool.
and i am in love with Daniel Henney.
not taking the hint seriously
after countless failed attempts in successful binidom i.e cooking in the kitchen - like actual kitchen with gas and fire and hood and knives and teflon pans and raw stuff and stuff, i'm still not giving up. i'm still trying to cook for arwen. (also because i'm tired of hearing my mom say 'patutlah anak taknak makan bila you masak' whenever i mess up in the kitchen when i'm helping her cook)
so far, she's eating my pasta, and scrambled eggs with bread shapes. so tonight for arwen's dinner i shall attempt making baked beans with minced meat and mashed potato pie or something like that.
wish me luck.
so far, she's eating my pasta, and scrambled eggs with bread shapes. so tonight for arwen's dinner i shall attempt making baked beans with minced meat and mashed potato pie or something like that.
wish me luck.
sometimes, my daughter is so cheeky and witty, she makes me cry
in the car, on the way to and from pavilion last sunday :
me : arwen, when i ask you who's hot, you point to me ok, like this (showing her how to tap me).
me : (pop-quizzing her 5 seconds later) arwen, siapa hot?
arwen : *blowing my face* (because in Arwen Language, hot is panas is the food that needs to be blown to cool)
me : arwen, where's KLCC?
arwen : pointing at the the two tall towers she's learned from one of her Daphne Lee books
me : tinggi tak?
arwen : *on her tippy toes* (i don't how how she associated the word tinggi with being on her toes)
anyone : arwen, where's the sheep rug?
arwen : *pointing at the sheep rug at home* Baa-Baa (she associated the word Baa-Baa for sheep through Ba-Ba Black Sheep)
oh, and (not exactly) new word : Um-Bei-Ba / Um-Ba-Ba. that's Arwen Language for Umbrella.
ok, that's it. i'm making a twitter for arwen's speech development updates.
edited : i've made a twitter for Arwen's speech development updates. i am officially Pathetic Beyond All Recognition.
me : arwen, when i ask you who's hot, you point to me ok, like this (showing her how to tap me).
me : (pop-quizzing her 5 seconds later) arwen, siapa hot?
arwen : *blowing my face* (because in Arwen Language, hot is panas is the food that needs to be blown to cool)
me : arwen, where's KLCC?
arwen : pointing at the the two tall towers she's learned from one of her Daphne Lee books
me : tinggi tak?
arwen : *on her tippy toes* (i don't how how she associated the word tinggi with being on her toes)
anyone : arwen, where's the sheep rug?
arwen : *pointing at the sheep rug at home* Baa-Baa (she associated the word Baa-Baa for sheep through Ba-Ba Black Sheep)
oh, and (not exactly) new word : Um-Bei-Ba / Um-Ba-Ba. that's Arwen Language for Umbrella.
ok, that's it. i'm making a twitter for arwen's speech development updates.
edited : i've made a twitter for Arwen's speech development updates. i am officially Pathetic Beyond All Recognition.
Monday, October 19, 2009
milestone moment : waking mama up
every morning, arwen would wake up first before me. i love the extra minutes of shut eye before i really wake up for the day and luckily, arwen is already big enough now to know how to occupy her time while i sleep in for that few extra minutes. she'll open and unload the stuff from our drawers, play with her toys, poop, climb on and off the bed, sit on my (or husband's) face with her poop-soiled diaper, hide my glasses or the remote control .. things like that. but when she's had enough of that, she'll scream to get me (or ayis) to wake up.
over the months, i have learned to phase out on her screams and cries and whines, especially in the morning. but, in true evolution fashion, she's learned to come up with more ingenious ways to wake us up when screaming no longer works. before this, she'll tap on our faces - in other word, slap us or shake us till we say something. but we manage to sleep through that. and then, last friday, she's learned to peel open my eyes herself. like, manually pinching my eyelids and prying them open. PAIN.
and today, when manual eye-prying no longer works (because i'll shut my eyes even harder), she pulled my hair and/or neck till my head lifts up.
she's getting so smart i don't think i'm able to keep up with her. next thing you know, she'll correct me when i mess up on facts and simple trivia. next thing you know, she'll be the one schooling me. and i often worry about the future when my daughter would ask me to go through her math homework and i don't understand any of it.
over the months, i have learned to phase out on her screams and cries and whines, especially in the morning. but, in true evolution fashion, she's learned to come up with more ingenious ways to wake us up when screaming no longer works. before this, she'll tap on our faces - in other word, slap us or shake us till we say something. but we manage to sleep through that. and then, last friday, she's learned to peel open my eyes herself. like, manually pinching my eyelids and prying them open. PAIN.
and today, when manual eye-prying no longer works (because i'll shut my eyes even harder), she pulled my hair and/or neck till my head lifts up.
she's getting so smart i don't think i'm able to keep up with her. next thing you know, she'll correct me when i mess up on facts and simple trivia. next thing you know, she'll be the one schooling me. and i often worry about the future when my daughter would ask me to go through her math homework and i don't understand any of it.
just gotta share this part 2
yesterday, after my mom walked out of the washroom after taking her wuduk for magrib prayers, arwen shouted :
JA-DA-DAH!
which, in Arwen Language means, sejadah.
p/s : i think im gonna start a twitter for arwen's vocab development. can i get anymore pathetic than i already am? YES, I CAN!
JA-DA-DAH!
which, in Arwen Language means, sejadah.
p/s : i think im gonna start a twitter for arwen's vocab development. can i get anymore pathetic than i already am? YES, I CAN!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
just gotta share this
arwen's latest word she screamed repeatedly just now :
VAI-TE-TAY!
which, in Arwen Language means, vitagen
VAI-TE-TAY!
which, in Arwen Language means, vitagen
Friday, October 16, 2009
old wives (mom's?) tale
so last night, we had Nasi Dagang for dinner that ayis bought at Melawati's pasar malam. naturally, arwen wants a taste of whatever we're having. so my brother gave her some and she liked it and she asked for more. and then i told my mom (who waited for my dad to come back from the mosque to have dinner with him) that arwen likes nasi dagang. unexpectedly, i got a slap on my thigh and was told "Hey! Budak belum boleh cakap tak boleh kasi pulut! nanti gagap!" (translated for my cousins in perth : "you're not suppose to feed kids who can't talk yet with sticky rice because they'd stutter when they can finally talk.")
i was like, what? where did that come from? i mean i was trying to find a logic behind it. if my mom had said that it was for fear that too much starch will make the baby gassy and bloated, i would probably have accepted it. but how does glutinous rice relate to stuttering?
there are more ludicrous notions that have been thrown at me since i was pregnant with arwen. stuff that i don't even want to jot down here because they're really far-fetched. you cannot believe the stuff i get. have you ever heard such things? like, for example :
modern motherhood (i.e mom who doesn't give a fuck about prehistoric parenting customs) vs listening to your own mom (because she had brought us up her way and we did ok). i want to know, how do you find the middle ground? of course, you don't want to argue or defy your mom because that would reserve you a room in hell, yet you want to be true to yourself and uphold your own principles by rejecting those ludicrous beliefs. how do you keep the peace?
for me, i'll just take whatever's rational and logical. whatever i can brush off my shoulders and say pfffbt, to fuck with it, i'll just roll my eyes and keep quite. i don't believe that immaterial things can be the cause of what's to come. we don't know what's to come. but i believe that how we shape our kids will determine what they'll become.
it is us, as parents, that have to teach them to be polite, kind and respectful - not because we eat their leftovers or because we kissed their hands. it is us who have to teach them how to dress up nicely so they'll grow up knowing how to carry themselves and look pleasant. if you can dress up nicely, for god's sake, dress you baby nicely - don't let him/her go out without socks or shoes (even when your baby can't walk yet), or with milk stains and food stain all over their top. and, your kid is ugly not because you kiss him/her while they're pooing, it's because YOU are ugly. don't go around blaming it on other things.
and, it is we, who have to set a great example. you can go around believing and practicing such things, but if you are not setting a good example, then there's really no point. kids learn through observation. if you go around kicking stray cats because they're bothering you when you're eating, then you children will think that that's acceptable behaviour and will go around kicking and abusing animals. it's not because you didn't breastfeed them when they were babies. if you don't do apologize and make your kid apologize to the person she had just bitten the cheeks off, then it will show her that that's ok and she'll continue biting some other sorry child some other day.
so, what's your take on this issue?
i was like, what? where did that come from? i mean i was trying to find a logic behind it. if my mom had said that it was for fear that too much starch will make the baby gassy and bloated, i would probably have accepted it. but how does glutinous rice relate to stuttering?
there are more ludicrous notions that have been thrown at me since i was pregnant with arwen. stuff that i don't even want to jot down here because they're really far-fetched. you cannot believe the stuff i get. have you ever heard such things? like, for example :
- don't wash your child's clothes in the washing machine, or twist it hard to drain the water (if you're washing by hand) because that will make your child very robust and hyper or kuat mengeliat when she/he's sleeping
- don't kiss baby's hands, or they'll be very demanding and will always ask you for stuff
- don't kiss baby's feet (one of the most irresistibly delicious parts to kiss in my book), or he/she'll be very hyper, running around like crazy candy-fueled kid
- don't kiss the baby while she/he is pooping, because he/she'll grow up with an ugly face
- don't finish (eat or drink) leftovers of your kid's, or he/she'll be defiant. (kids don't listen no matter what you do. that's a fact, come on! and beside, aren't one of the unsung duties of being a mom is to become the blackhole of leftovers? mana tak gemuk, you tell me?)
- don't let babies who can't talk yet kiss one another, nanti lambat cakap.
modern motherhood (i.e mom who doesn't give a fuck about prehistoric parenting customs) vs listening to your own mom (because she had brought us up her way and we did ok). i want to know, how do you find the middle ground? of course, you don't want to argue or defy your mom because that would reserve you a room in hell, yet you want to be true to yourself and uphold your own principles by rejecting those ludicrous beliefs. how do you keep the peace?
for me, i'll just take whatever's rational and logical. whatever i can brush off my shoulders and say pfffbt, to fuck with it, i'll just roll my eyes and keep quite. i don't believe that immaterial things can be the cause of what's to come. we don't know what's to come. but i believe that how we shape our kids will determine what they'll become.
it is us, as parents, that have to teach them to be polite, kind and respectful - not because we eat their leftovers or because we kissed their hands. it is us who have to teach them how to dress up nicely so they'll grow up knowing how to carry themselves and look pleasant. if you can dress up nicely, for god's sake, dress you baby nicely - don't let him/her go out without socks or shoes (even when your baby can't walk yet), or with milk stains and food stain all over their top. and, your kid is ugly not because you kiss him/her while they're pooing, it's because YOU are ugly. don't go around blaming it on other things.
and, it is we, who have to set a great example. you can go around believing and practicing such things, but if you are not setting a good example, then there's really no point. kids learn through observation. if you go around kicking stray cats because they're bothering you when you're eating, then you children will think that that's acceptable behaviour and will go around kicking and abusing animals. it's not because you didn't breastfeed them when they were babies. if you don't do apologize and make your kid apologize to the person she had just bitten the cheeks off, then it will show her that that's ok and she'll continue biting some other sorry child some other day.
so, what's your take on this issue?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
milestone moments : a collective of
ok, enough drama and trauma. on a lighter, Yay! note, here's a collection of arwen's latest milestones. i know that all kids develop differently, at their own rate but i can't help but be proud that some of arwen's milestones are advance for her age. that's how all moms are i guess. i think there's a new label for such moms - 'brag hags'. i don't mind labels. i won't even budge if you call me a bitch.
where was i? oh yeah. arwen.
where was i? oh yeah. arwen.
- arwen likes to walk backwards. something that 15 months old will start doing (according to babycenter).
- she can drink from a cup. and hold her own vitagen and juice boxes.
- she knows where and how to look for her vitagen and yogurt in the fridge.
- she's practicing using utensils and prefers feeding herself. i hate it because she makes a lot of mess.
- she likes to 'help' around with chores. last weekend, she tried to take the mop from me while i was mopping the floor.
- she's a cupboard and drawers specialist now. there's no drawers or cupboards in the house she hasn't opened. i'm pretty sure she'll try to open a safe if we put one in front of her. and we haven't started that phase of childproofing the house. trying to train her that such things are prohibited.
- she has started scribbling. we bought her one of those magnetic drawing board thingamajig so she can scribble away. her Omanyang (the babysitter) is teaching her Alib-Ba-Ta with that.
- we're (more like mom, really coz i don't have the patience) trying to toilet-train her without the plastic potty. straight to the toilet, just like mom did to us by the time we turned one. apparently, all 3 of us were out of diapers by the time we were 2. hopefully arwen's following that legacy.
- she's still not talking, but she is quite a storyteller - kinda like a pre-historic human trying to tell a story using sign language and gestures and grunting noises kind of way. yes, i just called my daughter a neanderthal. i guess it's just basic human communication. she's able to tell a whole story in mime. she'd tap on the floor, and then her head to say that she'd hurt her head if it hits the floor. or point at a pair of shoes or garbage bags and then pinch her nose to say that those things are smelly.
- she's starting to play pretend. she'd take an empty bottle and pretend it's bottle of lotion, where she'd 'pour' the contents out onto her hands and lather on herself, or me. or she'd play with plate / container and spoon and pretend to feed herself, or me. or she'd take any piece of clothing in the clean laundry pile, and put it over her head and pretend that she's wearing something pretty - underwear included.
- if she farts, she'll laugh at herself. even some grownups dont have the ability to laugh at themselves.
- she can sortta 'jump'.
- she will, up to her mood, pick her own choice of attire for the day.
- she likes bags. any type of bags, she'd carry them on her shoulders and be very mak datin.
- her nap time is only once a day now. but at least, she sleeps for a long time at night. she'll sleep from between 9-11pm to 6 am (she only wakes up for milk) and then goes back to sleep till 8-9 am.
- she's quite fussy about food - she doesnt like fish or beef with rice and likes chicken soup or chicken anything (very much like her mom)
- also like her mom, according to my brother, when she chooses not to listen, she will phase out and not listen.
- she can't stop climbing.
- she loves to dance to beyonce's single ladies. (i'll try to get a video of her dancing)
- she knows her nursery rhymes. she has this book and whenever she turns to the specific page she knows what they are - like she'd shout Baa Baa when it's Ba Ba Black Sheep. she'd 'twinkle' her fingers when it's Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. she'd do the 'jazz hands' when i sing Itsy Bitsy Spider.
- she knows the difference between pictures and letters.
- she knows how to change the channels on the Astro remote.
- she knows how to switch off the tv.
Monday, October 12, 2009
what i have feared is probably coming true
first of all, thanks to everyone who emo-ed along with me (in here, twitter, facebook, YM, personally) regarding the incident where arwen got attacked and bitten by a little hannibal lecter last week.
it was insane! everyone who saw how bad arwen was scarred shared my homicidal sentiments. if i was attacked i would probably blame it on bad karma. i probably had it coming. but my daughter had done nothing wrong, she didn't deserve that. and everybody tried to subdue me by saying "arwen's too cute, perhaps she (the monster) got so geram she wanted to bite". silently, i say "what the fuck?" but i just smiled and nod and say "yeah. perhaps."
they just don't know what i emotional maelstrom going on inside of me from the moment arwen was attacked till now. i cried because i felt so helpless. like i could've done more to stand up for arwen. i should've seen it coming. i should've protected her better. i should've chased after that woman and followed her to her husband and demanded an apology. i should've made a bigger drama.
it's not about me, i know. arwen was the one who got attacked and yet i always turn it around and make it about me. frankly, arwen is ok. still looking rather comot with her 'love bite' still visible, and perhaps a little freaked out. but she's ok.
although, maybe a bit traumatized because when one of her cousins wanted to play with her, she'd scream and run towards me. and i realized that she prefers playing on her own. she's ok with adult strangers, but with kids, she's a little apprehensive.
this is what i feared. she's lost her trust on other kids. and i don't know what to do. her dad bought her one of those pumped bouncy boxing balloon things - the one that has a weight at the bottom (sand or water) that when you box / kick, it will bounce back? remember the Esso Tiger almost all of us had that one time when we were little? yeah, that one. ayis bought that to sortta teach arwen a little self-defense and told me that he's gonna enroll arwen for taekwondo lessons next year (i really can't tell who's the bigger drama between us). ayis have even taught arwen how to box and kick that thing. but instead of boxing and kicking it, arwen went up to it and gave it a big hug. that's how beautiful my daughter is.
i'll give her a few more weeks to fully recover, especially emotionally. and after that, i think i'll enroll her into one of those toddler physical and social developmental classes and playgroups so that she'll regain her trust and confidence in being around other kids.
it was insane! everyone who saw how bad arwen was scarred shared my homicidal sentiments. if i was attacked i would probably blame it on bad karma. i probably had it coming. but my daughter had done nothing wrong, she didn't deserve that. and everybody tried to subdue me by saying "arwen's too cute, perhaps she (the monster) got so geram she wanted to bite". silently, i say "what the fuck?" but i just smiled and nod and say "yeah. perhaps."
they just don't know what i emotional maelstrom going on inside of me from the moment arwen was attacked till now. i cried because i felt so helpless. like i could've done more to stand up for arwen. i should've seen it coming. i should've protected her better. i should've chased after that woman and followed her to her husband and demanded an apology. i should've made a bigger drama.
it's not about me, i know. arwen was the one who got attacked and yet i always turn it around and make it about me. frankly, arwen is ok. still looking rather comot with her 'love bite' still visible, and perhaps a little freaked out. but she's ok.
although, maybe a bit traumatized because when one of her cousins wanted to play with her, she'd scream and run towards me. and i realized that she prefers playing on her own. she's ok with adult strangers, but with kids, she's a little apprehensive.
this is what i feared. she's lost her trust on other kids. and i don't know what to do. her dad bought her one of those pumped bouncy boxing balloon things - the one that has a weight at the bottom (sand or water) that when you box / kick, it will bounce back? remember the Esso Tiger almost all of us had that one time when we were little? yeah, that one. ayis bought that to sortta teach arwen a little self-defense and told me that he's gonna enroll arwen for taekwondo lessons next year (i really can't tell who's the bigger drama between us). ayis have even taught arwen how to box and kick that thing. but instead of boxing and kicking it, arwen went up to it and gave it a big hug. that's how beautiful my daughter is.
i'll give her a few more weeks to fully recover, especially emotionally. and after that, i think i'll enroll her into one of those toddler physical and social developmental classes and playgroups so that she'll regain her trust and confidence in being around other kids.
Friday, October 9, 2009
hell hath no fury like a mom who just saw her daughter got bullied right in front of her eyes
warning : this is a rage post. may contain swear words (like as if you're not used to me by now) and prejudicial slurs and maybe a little bit dramatic because this is written out of angst, boiled for more than 24 hours. (i would've written this yesterday but i was bed-ridden with cramps and besides, i couldn't find any USB cable or card readers at home to transfer the photo)
ok. so i shall get on with the story. last wednesday, after office, we took arwen along to Jusco AU2 for dinner and to do some grocery shopping. we had sushi and while waiting for the food to arrive, arwen got restless and so i decided to take her outside so she can walk about. she got interested on those mechanical animal rides thingamadoodle so i got her on one of the small ones.
another girl (accompanied by her pregnant mom and a couple of teenagers) was riding the bigger one. and 5 minutes into arwen's ride, the other girl got off hers and came rushing towards arwen. i figured (always giving people the benefit of the doubt) that the girl wants to befriend arwen so i didnt do anything. and then the girl grabbed arwen by the face - i figured, ok so the girl wants to give arwen a kiss. suddenly, her pregnant mom went all berserk and pulled her off arwen. arwen was screaming bloody murder and by the look on that girl's crazy cannibalistic face, that's when i realized that she l was actually biting my baby's face off.
it happened so fast, yet so slow-mo. like a bad dream that would not end. like watching transformers - you get what i mean. i picked arwen up while the girl still has her hands on arwen. and her mom was pulling her monster child away from arwen. she scolded her daughter, smacked her hand slightly, picked her up and dashed towards the escalator so fast it'd make your head spin. i didn't think it was humanly possible for a pregnant lady carrying a 3 year old monster could walk that fast.
that's when i went all crazy mommy mode. i shouted so loud so that people all the way in Moscow could hear me. "WEH PEREMPUAN!" that oughtta get everybody's attention. good. i want to put her to shame. "ANAK KAU DAH GIGIT ANAK AKU SAMPAI BENGKAK BERDARAH SEMUA NI? KAU SIKIT PUN TAK MINTAK MAAF EH? APASAL ANAK KAU KURANG AJAR SANGAT?" (roughly translated : "Hey, bitch! what the fuck? your monster had bit my daughter and lookit here, all swollen and bloody and you didnt even say you're sorry? what the fuck?") there was no blood, it was just for drama. but hell, arwen's face was red and swollen and she pitched her worst cries ever - the terrible voiceless cries - i hate that cry, it's heart-wrenching to see my daughter in so much pain. i was crying along with her.
she said in her thick Jawa accent "NI NAK BAWAK DIA JUMPA BAPAK DIA LAH NI?" (yeah, that's why i'm taking her to her father)." WHAT THE FUCK? "BAPAK DIA BOLEH BUAT APA??" and she continued rushing up the escalator. i hate it when people think that sorry will make all their guilt go away, but this bitch, she's didn't even apologized. pukimak.
i don't blame the kid, monster as she was. kids are kids and they're bound to do crazy stuff because they don't know any better. i blame the parents. i think the little monster has done this before and that's why the mom went and grabbed her daughter the second she took my daughter's face in her hands, and that's why she knows it's better if she didn't hung around for too long.
that's what enraged me the most. i mean, if you know that your child has the potential to harm and bully others, why don't you teach her some manners? why don't you warn other parents? why don't you just keep that monster at home so she won't trouble others? why don't you just let her be with her dad since she's too much for you to handle and he's the disciplinarian? why let her loose?
to continue on with my drama, i went into the sushi place to tell my husband the whole story. but instead of sitting down and talking quietly at our table, i decided that i might as well tell the whole restaurant. because i am a drama queen. arwen was still crying in pain and in shock so she's setting the mood already. i opened the door with the strength of my voice alone, exclaiming to my husband (and all the others who are in earshot including the kitchen helpers) "ANAK YOU KENA GIGIT DENGAN ANAK ORANG INDON, KURANG AJAR GILA!"
ayis immediately took arwen from me and tried to soothe her. he asked for some ice for the swell and told me to eat first and he'll take arwen out for a walk to get her to relax. i hate it when he's that calm and i'm all crazy. i couldn't eat my dinner because i was so raged. and ayis was already outside so i couldn't tell anybody what had happened. luckily a patron was curious enough to ask me, so i purged the whole story to him. the moment i mentioned 'indon' i can hear everyone in the restaurant sneering and raising an eyebrow.
i have no gibes or issues with the indons before this, despite what's happening between our two countries. arwen's babysitter is a maid from indonesia and we love her so i don't generalize all indons as fucktards. but this has gotten personal. my 13 month old daughter was attacked by a crazy indon spawn.
we took arwen home and she slept in the car. i reached home, asked my brother falie to come up with me so i can replay the whole drama one shot to both my mom and him and to show him the swollen bite marks so he can inspect further. my brother is as drama as i am. my whole family is actually. so he told us to get arwen a tetanus shot because there were some scraped skin (kinda like a rug burn). i called the paed clinic and they said they don't do dressings or shots for bite victims and urged me to go to the E&A at the hospital. i wanted to go to ampang puteri but since falie is a doctor at HKL, he said to go to HKL and he came along with us. easy parking, no waiting, we rushed straight to the wards.
upon further inspection and inquiries, the doctor in charge told us that the wound looks superficial and that since arwen's vaccination and immunization are all up to date, there's no need for any shots. so they cleaned the wound with saline and that's it. so we took her home, and she seemed ok. but i know, arwen's a little traumatized by the unfortunate event. she cried for a good hour till she fell asleep and she was also crying in her sleep like as if she was living it again in a bad dream. my poor baby girl. just look at her.
mothers of monsters, please, teach your child some manners. don't let them grow up and become sociopaths. mothers of angels, watch out. don't trust other people's kids so much - don't expect that all kids are parented the way yours are.
ok. so i shall get on with the story. last wednesday, after office, we took arwen along to Jusco AU2 for dinner and to do some grocery shopping. we had sushi and while waiting for the food to arrive, arwen got restless and so i decided to take her outside so she can walk about. she got interested on those mechanical animal rides thingamadoodle so i got her on one of the small ones.
another girl (accompanied by her pregnant mom and a couple of teenagers) was riding the bigger one. and 5 minutes into arwen's ride, the other girl got off hers and came rushing towards arwen. i figured (always giving people the benefit of the doubt) that the girl wants to befriend arwen so i didnt do anything. and then the girl grabbed arwen by the face - i figured, ok so the girl wants to give arwen a kiss. suddenly, her pregnant mom went all berserk and pulled her off arwen. arwen was screaming bloody murder and by the look on that girl's crazy cannibalistic face, that's when i realized that she l was actually biting my baby's face off.
it happened so fast, yet so slow-mo. like a bad dream that would not end. like watching transformers - you get what i mean. i picked arwen up while the girl still has her hands on arwen. and her mom was pulling her monster child away from arwen. she scolded her daughter, smacked her hand slightly, picked her up and dashed towards the escalator so fast it'd make your head spin. i didn't think it was humanly possible for a pregnant lady carrying a 3 year old monster could walk that fast.
that's when i went all crazy mommy mode. i shouted so loud so that people all the way in Moscow could hear me. "WEH PEREMPUAN!" that oughtta get everybody's attention. good. i want to put her to shame. "ANAK KAU DAH GIGIT ANAK AKU SAMPAI BENGKAK BERDARAH SEMUA NI? KAU SIKIT PUN TAK MINTAK MAAF EH? APASAL ANAK KAU KURANG AJAR SANGAT?" (roughly translated : "Hey, bitch! what the fuck? your monster had bit my daughter and lookit here, all swollen and bloody and you didnt even say you're sorry? what the fuck?") there was no blood, it was just for drama. but hell, arwen's face was red and swollen and she pitched her worst cries ever - the terrible voiceless cries - i hate that cry, it's heart-wrenching to see my daughter in so much pain. i was crying along with her.
she said in her thick Jawa accent "NI NAK BAWAK DIA JUMPA BAPAK DIA LAH NI?" (yeah, that's why i'm taking her to her father)." WHAT THE FUCK? "BAPAK DIA BOLEH BUAT APA??" and she continued rushing up the escalator. i hate it when people think that sorry will make all their guilt go away, but this bitch, she's didn't even apologized. pukimak.
i don't blame the kid, monster as she was. kids are kids and they're bound to do crazy stuff because they don't know any better. i blame the parents. i think the little monster has done this before and that's why the mom went and grabbed her daughter the second she took my daughter's face in her hands, and that's why she knows it's better if she didn't hung around for too long.
that's what enraged me the most. i mean, if you know that your child has the potential to harm and bully others, why don't you teach her some manners? why don't you warn other parents? why don't you just keep that monster at home so she won't trouble others? why don't you just let her be with her dad since she's too much for you to handle and he's the disciplinarian? why let her loose?
to continue on with my drama, i went into the sushi place to tell my husband the whole story. but instead of sitting down and talking quietly at our table, i decided that i might as well tell the whole restaurant. because i am a drama queen. arwen was still crying in pain and in shock so she's setting the mood already. i opened the door with the strength of my voice alone, exclaiming to my husband (and all the others who are in earshot including the kitchen helpers) "ANAK YOU KENA GIGIT DENGAN ANAK ORANG INDON, KURANG AJAR GILA!"
ayis immediately took arwen from me and tried to soothe her. he asked for some ice for the swell and told me to eat first and he'll take arwen out for a walk to get her to relax. i hate it when he's that calm and i'm all crazy. i couldn't eat my dinner because i was so raged. and ayis was already outside so i couldn't tell anybody what had happened. luckily a patron was curious enough to ask me, so i purged the whole story to him. the moment i mentioned 'indon' i can hear everyone in the restaurant sneering and raising an eyebrow.
i have no gibes or issues with the indons before this, despite what's happening between our two countries. arwen's babysitter is a maid from indonesia and we love her so i don't generalize all indons as fucktards. but this has gotten personal. my 13 month old daughter was attacked by a crazy indon spawn.
we took arwen home and she slept in the car. i reached home, asked my brother falie to come up with me so i can replay the whole drama one shot to both my mom and him and to show him the swollen bite marks so he can inspect further. my brother is as drama as i am. my whole family is actually. so he told us to get arwen a tetanus shot because there were some scraped skin (kinda like a rug burn). i called the paed clinic and they said they don't do dressings or shots for bite victims and urged me to go to the E&A at the hospital. i wanted to go to ampang puteri but since falie is a doctor at HKL, he said to go to HKL and he came along with us. easy parking, no waiting, we rushed straight to the wards.
upon further inspection and inquiries, the doctor in charge told us that the wound looks superficial and that since arwen's vaccination and immunization are all up to date, there's no need for any shots. so they cleaned the wound with saline and that's it. so we took her home, and she seemed ok. but i know, arwen's a little traumatized by the unfortunate event. she cried for a good hour till she fell asleep and she was also crying in her sleep like as if she was living it again in a bad dream. my poor baby girl. just look at her.
mothers of monsters, please, teach your child some manners. don't let them grow up and become sociopaths. mothers of angels, watch out. don't trust other people's kids so much - don't expect that all kids are parented the way yours are.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
MomBloggersPlanet : Cutest Baby in Stroller Contest
(i hereby dub myself with arwen's felt flower, a sell out, whatever)
I've never been one who'd enter contest, any contest. i have a friend though, who is into all sorts of contest he could dig up from every magazine, newspaper, websites. we call him Jomey Mat Con. heh. but since he's not married, and do not have a uterus (hence, is not a mom), i think this is the one contest that he can't enter. too bad. so, thought I'd try Arwen (and mine) luck with this contest - one of the monthly contests organised by Mom Bloggers Planet with some really nice prizes from these sponsors :
these photos are some of my favourites of Arwen in a stroller. i think she was between 4-5 months old here and we had just bought the stroller for her from Jusco AU2. it's a Sweet Cherry SCR1 - local brand, i think. of course, that wasn't the stroller that i had originally wanted. i wanted the zooper zydeco at first, and then possibly a quinny zapp but they were all wishful thinking and very very impractical, especially to our budget. as new parents, we all want only the best things for our baby, but who are we kidding? this is the real world, and in the real world, babies don't really like strollers anyway so why waste so much money on something that will end up a shopping cart?
so, we settled for the real-world deal. a cheap, yet practical option that is the SCR1. i secretly love it. just that i don't want to show my true emotions to my husband because he wanted this one from the get-go and i was apprehensive, but ego gets the best of me so i don't want to admit that he was right all along - that this is a nice stroller. it fits all our requirements, and did i mention cheap?
initially, we did the whole baby-wearing thing when my brother got us the BabyBjorn. it was good, while it lasted, and then i started to get shoulder and backaches, despite what they advertise and told my husband that we really do need a stroller before my back gives. arwen didnt quite like it though, but she's getting used to it. she still prefers walking and running rather than being pushed around in a free ride though but we still push it around whenever we're out shopping. so yeah, i guess we did end up with a portable shopping cart. very convenient, in a way.
being a gung-ho mom that i sometimes am, i like to give unsolicited advice to expecting couples (friends and family and blog readers who happen to stumble upon this whiny blog of mine) - not that i am against the baby-wearing fad (i have done that phase), but if, in the long run, you want to get a stroller, you might as well get it when your baby is still a newborn. don't wait it out till she gets older and heavier and when you think your shoulders and back can't hack it. get your baby used to the idea of being in a stroller from early on, it will save you from a lot of stress later. believe me, i have been there.
I've never been one who'd enter contest, any contest. i have a friend though, who is into all sorts of contest he could dig up from every magazine, newspaper, websites. we call him Jomey Mat Con. heh. but since he's not married, and do not have a uterus (hence, is not a mom), i think this is the one contest that he can't enter. too bad. so, thought I'd try Arwen (and mine) luck with this contest - one of the monthly contests organised by Mom Bloggers Planet with some really nice prizes from these sponsors :
Aryanna Arwen Johanabas binti Azrin Haris
Born on 31st August 2008
Born on 31st August 2008
these photos are some of my favourites of Arwen in a stroller. i think she was between 4-5 months old here and we had just bought the stroller for her from Jusco AU2. it's a Sweet Cherry SCR1 - local brand, i think. of course, that wasn't the stroller that i had originally wanted. i wanted the zooper zydeco at first, and then possibly a quinny zapp but they were all wishful thinking and very very impractical, especially to our budget. as new parents, we all want only the best things for our baby, but who are we kidding? this is the real world, and in the real world, babies don't really like strollers anyway so why waste so much money on something that will end up a shopping cart?
so, we settled for the real-world deal. a cheap, yet practical option that is the SCR1. i secretly love it. just that i don't want to show my true emotions to my husband because he wanted this one from the get-go and i was apprehensive, but ego gets the best of me so i don't want to admit that he was right all along - that this is a nice stroller. it fits all our requirements, and did i mention cheap?
initially, we did the whole baby-wearing thing when my brother got us the BabyBjorn. it was good, while it lasted, and then i started to get shoulder and backaches, despite what they advertise and told my husband that we really do need a stroller before my back gives. arwen didnt quite like it though, but she's getting used to it. she still prefers walking and running rather than being pushed around in a free ride though but we still push it around whenever we're out shopping. so yeah, i guess we did end up with a portable shopping cart. very convenient, in a way.
being a gung-ho mom that i sometimes am, i like to give unsolicited advice to expecting couples (friends and family and blog readers who happen to stumble upon this whiny blog of mine) - not that i am against the baby-wearing fad (i have done that phase), but if, in the long run, you want to get a stroller, you might as well get it when your baby is still a newborn. don't wait it out till she gets older and heavier and when you think your shoulders and back can't hack it. get your baby used to the idea of being in a stroller from early on, it will save you from a lot of stress later. believe me, i have been there.
