When trying to get baby to sleep...

Inilah perangai budak kecik ni kalau nak tidur sekarang.

For a boy, Ayden kuat melalak. Why? I don't know. namanya pun "little fire" kan? Semua benda nak nangis. Lapar, nangis. Nak kentut, nangis. In the middle of his sleep pun dia boleh nangis tiba-tiba pasal nak lepaskan kentut. dah lepas, dia boleh sambung tido balik like it was just a bad dream. Nak tido pun, kena nangis dulu. Ada one time tu, dia bangun tido, nangis untuk nak tido balik. apa punya perangai ntah.

Sometimes both of us pun tak boleh nak pacify dia so my mom will take him and tidokan dia. 9.5 out of 10 times, she succeeds. sometimes my brother will take him and serenade him to sleep. because Ayden is colicky, he prefers to be bounced / rocked / swayed / lullabied / sometimes all at once to sleep like how it's demonstrated above by my beautiful mother. like a little superman. and it'll work even better when there's music in the background. dia gayat but maybe sedap perut kot bila ada pressure kat perut camtu. sekarang 4.7 kg boleh lah dukung that way. cuba lagi sebulan dua ...

lepas dah jadi little superman, he has to sleep on the chest for a while until at least he's snoring. like a little koala pulak. Arwen was this way too. i kinda love it because i'm not breastfeeding (much) anymore so this is a way to bond with my baby. some people are against me doing this lest the baby gets too attached. isn't that the point? some people really don't think before they speak. they're too engrossed with butting into people's business that they fail to realize they contradict themselves. so they condemn me for not breastfeeding because i'm not doing my best to strengthen my bond with the baby, but when i koala him, they say the baby will get too attached?

some people just need to shut up and go away far far.

my daily routine with the new baby, or at least until a couple of weeks more till i start work

i know, i know. i'm done with my 44-day confinement and my maternity leave is almost ending (sob sob) and it's a little too late to be talking about my new daily routine now that the baby's here since it's gonna change again in a few days time. i'll be starting back work on the 19th so i'm just gonna take this time to enjoy being with my kids all the time for the rest of my leave because i don't have anymore leave days left and will be working till my birthday.

i have been meaning to write about the delivery, which is already halfway done and saved as draft for more than a month now. fact is, it's not that i don't have the time to update but the net has been wonky for the past few weeks and now that Fadz has rectify it, i'm busy downloading tv series and when Ayden's asleep, i rather be watching them or catch up on my sleep. face it, sleep and tv is more important and i can blog in the office when i'm not busy so i may look like i am actually doing something. perks of being a writer at work. people don't question when you're busy typing and looking dead focused.

anyway, before my routine changes, i decided to diary it up. honestly, i can't remember what my early days with Arwen was like so it helps to have this documented for i might use it against the kids when they grow up.

wait, i don't even know where to start. i mean at what time does my day actually start? after a long sleep? because i no longer have long sleeps. the most sleep i have so far is 3 hours and they're not easy to come by. Ayden's on a growth spurt right now and he's cluster feeding. it could be every 2-3 hours, sometimes it's every hour or so. sometimes, an hour of much needed sleep feels like i've slept for 7 hours.

6.00 AM

Arwen will be up. because her Oma is up for Subuh prayers and since she now sleeps with her Oma, she's aware that she's alone and that bothers her so she will wake up and come into our room for her milk and some cartoon network. sometimes, she'll wake up as early as 5.30 am. yup, she's much like her dad, an early riser. even during weekends and public holidays when they are supposed to be an OH GOD PLEASE LET ME SLEEP IN days. usually, on weekdays, Ayis will be up too, getting ready for work. and usually, he'll make Arwen her milk and wash and sterilize the bottles used the hours before. ayden, on the other hand, may or may not still be sleeping around this time, and that goes the same, in my case.

7.30 AM
my mom will get Arwen ready for school. if i'm still sleeping, her noise and ruckus will stir my sleep but i will not wake up until ayden's awake. if ayden's awake, i'd either be feeding him, or changing him, or cuddling him to sleep.

8.30 AM

My mom will send Arwen to school via the school bus. i know, school's almost ending and Arwen still wants my mom to follow her on the school bus. after that, my mom will walk back home. on her way back, she'll stop by the sidewalk gerai-gerai to get us breakfast, and maybe lunch. if not, she'll come home to make and bring me some toasts, hot chocolate, yogurt and fruits. sebab masa pantang kan, tak boleh main turun naik tangga so my mom will bring me the food into my room. bangun-bangun je ada food on the table. manja gila, ek? dah habis pantang baru I turun bawah and make myself some coffee or cereal. tapi kadang, my mom will still bring up breakfast for me. dah tua-tua ni kena dimanjakan mak best kan? thank you for taking care of me, mama.



9.00-11.00 AM

Ayden will be awake and i'll get up to feed or change him. sometimes i have to fully change him into another set of clothes coz he'll leak. and when i change him, it means that the socks will have to match whatever onesie he's wearing, even if we only staying at home and nobody cares. 'change' would entitle the whole attire from top to toe. i'm OCD that way. but Ayden hates to be changed and he'll make it known. LOUDLY. it doesn't even matter if it's at 3 AM or 3 PM. he'll scream. i don't blame the little guy, really. we gave him a name that means "little fire" and that's exactly what we got. i'll be fully awake around this time. like, actually up and about. like brushing my teeth and washing my face and making the bed and cleaning the room and washing bottles and such. if Ayden's up, my mom will bathe him and while she feeds him, i'll take my shower. if my mom's busy, i'll take him out of the room and bring him downstairs for some change of scenery. if not, i'll watch some TV while i wait for him to wake up.

ayden bathes only once a day. for some reasons, my mom says that boys can't be sejuk-sejuk too much so once a day is enough. if he's not fully awake, like more than half an hour, he'll bathe in the morning. if not it'll be in the evening. he hates to be naked anyway, so it works.


12.30-2.00 PM

Arwen arrives home from school and after a quick shower, we'll have lunch. and then she'll watch more cartoon network while i or mom attend to Ayden's fussy needs. he wants to stay up but he doesnt know what else to do so he'll cry and we'll feed him and he'll cry some more and we'll burp him and he'll puke and that's how the story goes. he doesn't really have a set routine so we have to play it by ear (or smell). if he sleeps, we do our own thing. sometimes i'll take this time to pay a little bit more to my now attention-deprived daughter and draw or write or spell or do maths or read with her. if not, she'll watch some TV, play with my phone or iPad, draw and colour stuff or get her toys and play by herself.

2.00-6.00 PM

i have no idea what goes on around this time. once every two days i'll do a bit of Ayden's laundry. yeah, he's small but he goes through a lot more towels and onesies than his sis. i do Arwen's laundry every 2 weeks because she has a lot of clothes. if i do it once a week, i'll have no place in her cupboards to put her clothes away. so my logic is, half in the cupboards, half in the laundry basket, at all times. well, except for her school uniforms that i hand wash every weekend. other than laundry, i'll either attempt to entertain the baby, who now prefers to stay up for 2-3 hours. he'll 'watch' some cartoons with his sister, or watch me watch him, or he'll cry inconsolably until he's too tired to go on and get some sleep. i sometimes, if i'm too tired, will sleep with him. ever since i've been at home, Arwen no longer takes her afternoon nap so we'll watch some cartoons together.

6.00 PM-9.00 PM

the husband gets home from work, bringing home some dinner for the family. Ayden's usually sleeping around this time so i'll either be doing some cleaning up like washing more bottles or eat dinner while the baby's still asleep. or i'll watch some TV. i mean after half day of cartoons, i need to watch some actual TV. if there's nothing to watch on Astro, i'll catch up on the stuff i've downloaded. Ayis would rather watch his fishes so for now, he's not really bothered with the TV unless Chelsea has a game on. oh yeah, Ayis has a new hobby now, salt water aquarium. it's annoying when he pays more attention to the tank than to his one crying and the other whining kid but i honestly, i rather have him do this than his previous past time when we just had Arwen dulu. it's like he takes up a new thing every time i give birth. during Arwen's time, he was into paintball which is more annoying than anything else he's taken up since i've known him. i dont really mind the hot toys collection which are now collecting dusts. those are all ok compared to paintball which had him away for an entire day and when he came back, he'll be too tired to help me out with the baby. that phase, almost made me meroyan. sometimes, after dinner, i'll watch my TV series, take a short nap to anticipate his scheduled 11PM fuss.

Arwen will already be sleeping around 8 PM and she'll stay asleep until 6 AM so i get a little relieve from one noise and just attend to the baby. all is good.


10.00 PM - 1.30 AM

for someone who doesnt follow a routine, Ayden gets up within this time to fuss and fume and fret like nobody's business. every single night, like clockwork. he'll feed and leak and cry and i'll pass him around between mom and me. ayis will already pass out by 9-ish and he doesnt get up even with the incessant wailing. but if i'm at the brink of temporary insanity, i'll wake him up to help put Ayden to sleep. usually he'll rock him to sleep better than the exhausted mom and grandma. in the mean time, i'll prepare his stuff such as diapers, change of clothes, towels, diaper cream and minyak yuyi, wet tissue and water with cotton balls next to the bed so i don't have to get out of bed and get those stuff. i'd also prepare his bottles with water and replace each one into to bottle warmer after each feeding and fill his milk dispenser to minimize and strategize my time to avoid unnecessary wailing.



1.30 AM - 6.00 AM

even if he finally sleeps, i can't because i have to let him sleep on me for at least an hour before i put him on his mat, turn him over on his tummy. he sleeps next to me in bed for the time being because he'll be awake every 2-3 hours. well, now it's 3-4 hours. so it's easier for us to be in bed together so i don't really have to get up and get stuff to change him in case he's wet or dirty. the husband sacrifices his back to sleep on the floor for the time being until Ayden sleeps the entire night. he'll usually wake up at least once within this time for a feed. and he'll go back to sleep right after or mid-feed. since i'm already doing formula feeding with him, it only takes half and hour or so. when i was breastfeeding,  i'll burp him and put him back on his tummy. initially i had to wake up every hour coz he was leaking and soaked his clothes right down to his sleeping mat. but i learnt to 'park' his thingy downwards and hence, less leaks and less time and stress of changing him.



so there. that's my routine like for the past 50 days. it's been quite manageable with Ayden, maybe because i already know what to expect and i know how to handle a new baby (sorta) now. maybe i have much more help with my mom, ayis and my brother and even Arwen has shown how helpful and dependable she can be in helping around with the baby. i mean, if Ayden's need changing, she'll ask if he's pooped or peed and she'll help take whatever's needed to change her baby brother, without being asked to. she'll even help wipe Ayden's puke or drool and watch adik if i need to go to the toilet or get a drink or something.

i'll update on Ayden's delivery story once i get back to work. maybe i'll throw in a new newsletter while i'm at it. who knows. till then ...


 

if i have one last message to say before delivery, this would be it.

ok fine, what i am about to say is not as dramatic as if i'm explaining my last will and testament of who's gonna be taking care of my babies and who's gonna handle my debts. on second thought, maybe i should write a will before i schedule a delivery date, right? ok, will get to that soon. ish.

this is actually more of a warning. a warning i'd appreciate greatly if people heed. if they don't, they probably have never known about this blog but i will still hold it against them. this is for friends and family (direct and distant) and yes, even neighbours and mom's friends (probably).

my wish for this delivery is to not have visitors (except for my immediate family) at the clinic post-delivery. if we're scheduled for c-sect then i might have to stay for a couple of days and even then, i do not want any visitors, other than my immediate family members (i.e husband, arwen, mom & brothers). it's because i'll probably be at my worst and most uncomfortable to entertain any guests with all the questions. it was really awkward for me when i just had Arwen and my uncle was there when i was about to try to breastfeed. i mean I was already really uncomfortable and in a lot of pain and bleeding and very tired to begin with, i was in a diaper for god's sake. and had to manouver into weird positions to try to breastfeed without exposing my knick-knacks to the world. it's because i've gone through that and know what it feels like that I never visit any of my friends who've just given birth. i have visited a few when i was single but that's because i don't know any better. and i am truly sorry for that.

also, i will forbid (if i can help it) for anyone to come and visit me at home at night during the early weeks post-partum. i have gone through it with Arwen and almost had a meroyan breakdown because she was colic and cranky. i've had friends who came to visit after work which in agency slang, after 9pm, and they hung around until it was really late. Arwen decided not to sleep at all but cry the whole night after their visit and i was just this close to throwing her out the window of a moving car if i was in a moving car, which i was not, thank god.

and then, after sending my brother out to warn some neighbouring kids to stop playing with their fire crackers  so close to my window (because it was during Ramadhan that i was pantang with Arwen), an Aunt decided to come visit at 11PM and stuck around chit-chatting with my parents and waited until 1:00 FUCKING AM to come upstairs into my room while the baby was finally asleep to poke her and lift her and tried to wake her up because she's an evil witch and hearing a newborn cry will somehow magically make her thin and beautiful. some people just wanna watch your world burn.

so yeah, seriously, i will try to do things differently this time around. it's at least one thing that i will have some semblance of control over. i will lock the door to my room if i know that Aunt is around at godforsaken hours again, and tell my mom not to send anyone upstairs past maghrib.

i'm not being a snob, i'm just preserving my sanity. thankyouverymuch.      

yet another scare

we went for our checkup last friday, now that it's every fortnightly, and found out that baby is still in a breeched position, which is not good considering that i am already at my 34th week of pregnancy. to make it even more alarming, the doctor found out that the placenta is now worryingly low-lying. she didn't exactly say it was placenta preavia but i know what 'uri turun' means. she didn't really say what type of placenta preavia i'm having, whether it's partial or total, but she did tell me that there's a slim chance for the baby to turn around and big possibility for us to have to go for a caesarian section - my biggest fear. hearing that has made me lose sleep over the past few days. not that i was sleeping that well anyway.

it's not that i'm worried about a c-sect because i know there's probably a plus side to an operation such as totally not having to go through the hours of labour. but it's more disappointment than anything really. yeah, it's because i have gone through a normal birth with Arwen, without epidural and i felt EVERYTHING. i was, i mean am, proud of that. it's one of my hugest achievements in life. so for me, having to go for a c-sect is like a step back. kinda makes me feel like a wuss. (no offence, people who went for c-sect. i know some of you might not have a choice but i know some women who choose to have a c-sect because they do not want to go through labour pains and stretch their vagina). i know it's not like i have that much of a choice, considering my circumstances. even if the baby miraculously turn around and engage normally just in time for delivery, if the placenta is obstructing his birth canal, i still have to have an operation.

i'm also rather disappointed because now we have to fork out more money for the delivery than expected. i was kinda hanging on to a normal childbirth because it's much more economical. with Arwen, we only paid RM1500 for the delivery, including a single room, believe it or not. now, it's triple that amount if there's no other surprises arise within now and the impending delivery.

i'm also feeling rather helpless because there's nothing much i can do to change or control the situation other than praying and hoping for the best. but yeah, i'm slowly coming to terms with the decision i have no choice over. if a c-sect is needed, then c-sect we will have. as long as the baby comes out safe and sound, Insya'Allah. we'll have another appointment on the 7th. if there's still no changes, we'll schedule a date for the delivery, maybe sometime end of September after i've reached the safe point of 37 weeks.

in the mean time, i just have to remind myself (and other people around me) to take it easy and have plenty of rest and not to strain myself in any way for fear i'd bleed and have to be on bedrest for the rest of the month. i know it's not the end of the world, and other moms have gone through worse than me .. but pray with me, okay?  

quite a scare

we went for our scheduled checkup last saturday, unassuming and thinking everything is ok. checked my urine, seems ok, checked my weight, tak naik satu kilo pun from 3 weeks ago. puasa, maybe. padahal selalu na ponteng puasa. then during the ultrasound, doctor found out the baby's breeched. his head is just under my right ribcage and legs have been doing the jig on my bladder and his arms have been suckerpunching my left side. his weight has gone up to 2.1kg (estimate) and his according to calculation, he's 32 weeks. which is a week ahead so i'm still anticipating the delivery will be around end of September, or very early october.

i asked the doctor if there's any way to help the baby turn back into his expected position but the doctor assured me to just wait and let him turn himself back around. there's still plenty of space and time for him to turn. i never had this scare with Arwen before so it obviously sent me into a panic. i do not want a ceasarean so i'm praying hard the baby will turn in time. we have another checkup after raya so we'll see what happens then.

then yesterday, i was lying down after folding 4 loads of laundry to ease my backpain and arwen was playing around me and doing what she does, which is definitely NOT SITTING QUIETLY PLAYING WITH TOYS OR WATCHING CARTOONS. instead of walking around me, she decided to just walk over my tummy to cross. for some reason, she suddenly stopped and accidently sat on my tummy. it was probably just an accident, and that she didn't mean to, that she was bracing herself for a fall and just so happen my tummy is there to cushion her butt. but yeah, she sat hard on her baby brother. of course, i had another bout of panic because HELLO? a 17kg person suddenly just plonking her butt on a 30+ week pregnant tummy? of course it's painful and scary.

so i was fuming with rage, winching in pain and crying of fear and i just left her dad to deal with her. because if it's left to me, she won't be taking to me for days. so i rubbed my belly, talked to the baby and asked him to move just to know that he's ok in there. he moved, a lot, thank god. but not entirely satisfied, i put on the doppler to check and listen to his heartbeat. it took a while to find it which further fed my panic but i finally found it and it sounded strong and looks good. so yeah, we're ok. not even a sore.

Arwen of course, after the storm of rage subsided and she had her nap, felt the ultimate guilt. too much guilt for an almost 4 year old to contain, i think. without even being asked to, she rubbed my tummy, told me she's sorry and told her unborn baby brother how sorry she is for sitting on him and that she didn't mean to and she will never ever do it again. then she kissed it.

i mean, people, i cried. of course i cried. what she did then was so humbling and heart-warming. i mean, she hasn't really fully grasp that what i have in my tummy, something she cannot see or comprehend how it got there, is another person. yet she's already treating him like another human being, like family, like a brother. i cannot wait to deliver this baby so i can see how big-sisterly Arwen will be.

       

Arwen, the storyteller

Deidi: Arwen, kalau tak kemas ni later, Deidi cubit Arwen.

Arwen: Kalau Deidi tak tolong Arwen kemas nanti Arwen tak nak kawan Deidi lepas tu Arwen tinggalkan Deidi kat rumah sebab nanti Arwen dah besar, Arwen nak drive car bawak Mamma, dengan Oma, dengan Mo, dengan Baiz, dengan Aunty Ili pergi shopping bank, and then Arwen panggil the Atuk Police kat school Arwen tu tangkap Deidi, pakaikan Deidi gelang yang ada rantai tu (handcuffs, she means) and then masukkan Deidi dekat cage, and then Jombies datang dekat cage Deidi, eat Deidi punya brains and then Vampire also come eat Deidi punya blood, and then alien monster datang ambik Deidi bawak pergi planet dia naik rocket....

... She went on and on and on, mixing up all the movie genres from family drama to action to thriller to sci-fi to Tamil to Hindi all in one breath. I just sat there, looking at my husband looking at me and we went (psychicly as how it goes between husbands and wives)  "where the heck did this kid come from, seriously?"

No, seriously.

Arwen on boyfriends

*overheard as i walked up the stairs yesterday*
Arwen: Oma, let me show you. Ni Mamma Arwen, ni Deidi Arwen, ni Arwen, ni baby, ni boyfriend Arwen....
Me: Excuse me??? Boyfriend???

*apparently, this happened earlier in the afternoon*
Arwen: Oma, nanti Arwen nak kahwin dengan Deidi. Lepas tu boleh ada baby dalam perut macam Mamma.
Oma: Mana boleh kahwin dengan Deidi.
Arwen: Why?
Oma: Deidi dah kahwin dengan Mamma. Arwen nak kahwin kena ada boyfriend dulu, dah kahwin baru boleh ada baby.
Arwen: Boyfriend?
Oma : Macam Deidi.. dulu Deidi boyfriend Mamma, lepas tu kahwin, dapat Arwen
Arwen: Arwen ada boyfriend. Kat school. Arwen ada two boyfriend.
Oma: Siapa boyfriend Arwen?
Arwen: Danish & Aiman
Oma : Siapa lagi handsome?
Arwen: Danish.


*OMG. EPIC FACEPALM* 

Arwen on living up to her namesake

You know Arwen was named after that elven princess from Lord of The Rings, right? the one played my Liv Tyler? Princess, just the same. so, this morning this transpired :

Arwen : Good morning, Mamma!
Me : Good morning, darling. Had a good sleep?
Arwen : Yes, thanks.
Me : Ok, let's mandi. Mamma nak work, and send you to rumah Oyang.
Arwen : Ok. Arwen nak pakai baju 'Pinchess' boleh?
Me : Ok. *rummaging through her wardrobe looking for a dress* This one, ok?
Arwen : Boleh pusing-pusing tak?
Me : Oh, you want pusing-pusing?
Arwen : Yes. With pretty flowers please.
Me : This one?
Arwen : Yes. 'Bery' nice Mamma.
Me : Ok, jom mandi.

so she just stood there in the shower, like a princess, while i gave her a shower.

Me : Arwen, wait. Brush your teeth first.
Arwen : Bukan Arwen. Pinchess!
Me : Ok fine, Princess ... brush your teeth.
Arwen : Nanti tak brush teeth, gigi macam 'jombie'?
Me : Yes, it's gross.
Arwen : Mamma, nanti daddy jadi 'jombie' and then Arwen buat macam ni *striking a princess pose*
Me : Jadi apa tu Wen?
Arwen : Jadi macam comel.

and then I dressed her in the dress, she immediately twirled.

Arwen : Tak naik pun Mamma?
Me : Kena pusing laju-laju baru kembang.
Arwen : *twirled faster* Takde pun, Mamma.
Me : Ada ... I can even see your panties. Arwen tengah pusing, macam mana nak nampak? Come, let me brush and tie your hair.
Arwen : Pinchess mana ada tie hair?
Me : Siapa cakap? Princess Jasmine tied her hair, Cinderella tied her hair, Tiana tied her hair. Belle tied her hair.
Arwen : Ok. Tapi Arwen nak tie macam ni macam ni *twisting her hair, indicating she wants it braided*
Me : Ok. *so i braided her hair* Wanna put on this hairband as well? Matching, baju Arwen.
Arwen : Pinchess pakai crown lah, Mamma.
Me : Takde crown. Headband je ada.
Arwen : It's ok, pakai headband macam ni *lowered it down to her forehead*
Me : Pandai!
Arwen : 'Cleber' kan Pincess?
Me : Yes.
Arwen : Thank you, thank you. *giving a princessy curtsy*

* a bit while later*

Arwen : Mamma! Pinchess nak kentut!
Me : Princess kentut busuk ke wangi?
Arwen : Pinchess kentut wangi lah!


*another bit while later*

Arwen : Mamma! Nak kencing.
Me : Ok, jom, quick!
Arwen : Pinchess nak berak pulak. Ok, go the way, Mamma! *go the way = go away"
Me : Macam-macam lah princess nih !!

__________________________________________________________

and this one, happened last night

Mo : Arwen quick, Mo take your picture. Stand there.
Arwen : No! *acting all shy*
Mo : Cepat laaa... Mo nak hantar MMS kat prince.
Arwen : Ok!

and she gave these for the Prince :

maybe it's just me being paranoid

some of you might know that a two weeks before puasa, i had fallen sick, which then got arwen and the husband sick too. and then we got better and all was well, or so it seems.

on saturday, we had gone to my uncle's nephew's engagement (not technically my cousin by blood but he is as close as any of my cousins could possible me, maybe even more) somewhere in Ampang. got back from the engagement, Arwen got sick again. This time it was worse. she was burning up and having diarrhea all day Sunday.

My uncle's other nephew said it was possibly coz of 'something' arwen might have seen that night at the house where the engagement was held. apparently, he saw 3 supernatural presence there and arwen might have seen one of them and she was in shock - hence the fever. although that did not explain the purging.

we didn't buy it one bit. our rationale was, ayis was still sick and arwen re-caught the virus and with whatever she had or put in her mouth without us knowing, had got her tummy upset and with that had made her dehydrated and made her temperature even higher. but then again, we were not doctors.

seeing monday she was still sick, we took her to the clinic and the doctor changed her antibiotic thinking perhaps her earlier one, which she was still on, was not really working for her. she didnt want to take her meds at all that time, and she was still having diarrhea, soiling her pants every time she had to poop.

tuesday morning, we took her to Ampang Puteri, prepared to get her admitted and re-hydrated. this would be her first hospital visit. ever. she wasn't even born in a hospital. so this was scary for both of us. i didnt know what to do or expect, so i brought my mom along. but Arwen's temperature came down just before we got her checked, hence it was not really an alarm to have her admitted. so they told us to visit the paed, Dr. Chris Lim first for a check up.

after about 2 of hours wait, and countless of crying babies and kids later, it was our turn. we tag-teamed telling the doctor what was wrong with Arwen. he then asked arwen which part of her tummy that was in pain and arwen showed her belly button. considering she's not puking, the doctor thinks that it was may be due to virus infection in her intestines. we told him that she refuses to take her meds orally, so he decided it was best to inject her with antibiotics.

Dr. Lim, as we found out, was the tough-love kind of paed. which was why almost all the kids that go through his room, comes out traumatic. he was a bit rough with arwen, i must admit. he sat on his examination table, held arwen's legs under his thighs, told ayis to hold her shoulders while i pulled down her pants. all the while, my otherwise adorable little girl was struggling and screaming will all her might. seeing an elephant giving birth is way more subdued that what happened in that clinic that minute.

alhamdulillah, she was all well after that and mom found a new way for giving her meds. instead of trying to give her directly, which at times take 2 hours and a lot of crying and hair-pulling and screaming and tempers flaring and black-mailing and manja coaxing - basically everybody turns bipolar just trying to get her to take her meds - my mom just stealthily mixed the meds in her drinks and tasty vitamins. GENIUS!!

this past week, we found some lumps on the right side of her neck. actually, we had noticed the lumps for more that 3 months already. when we first found them, we consulted my brother who told us it was swollen lymp nodes - that she can get when she's fighting a tonsillitis at that time. so we just waited. after the 2nd round of fever and flu later, it was still there and when i told our GP about it, he says that it was normal and that i should use her air liur basi and massage on the lymph node every morning. now, after the 3rd round of fever, we found that the lumps hadn't gone away. so naturally paranoid that it might turn out to be something else and fueling that with google search, i set a date last saturday to meet Dr Chris 'Tough-Love' Lim again.

The moment Arwen got into the clinic she started crying. everybody had to promise her that the doctor wasnt going to give her an injection and that he only wanted to check her neck. after checking if she has any swollen glands anywhere else or if there are any mysterious bruises on her body. at one point, the doctor had to check her armpits and that was when she threw into a giggle fit. that was perhaps the only time the walls of the clinic heard a laughter from a patient.

so, the diagnosis was it wasn't big enough to warrant a panic from the doctor and because arwen is active and her appetite is okay, it's nothing we should be worried about. if it's growing, they it may possibly be lymphoma or leukemia. he even stopped my heart a bit when he said the word 'cancer'. but otherwise .... it will subside years, if not months.

so we just have to wait and see if there's any changes on the lumps. right now i'm just praying hard that it will go away soon. i am also praying for my friend and his daughter, Ariana, who is going through her own battle with lymphoma.

i am NOT smarter than my 2 year old

sometime before heading to work this morning :

Me : Arwen... give me your lion can? i wanna bring to work.
Arwen : No! Cannot share die-yen!
Me : Why not? I want to bring to work. Lion is dirty ... I want to throw in the river.
Arwen : No! River tu dirty!
Me : Pasal dirty lah mama nak campak lion arwen yang dirty tu.
Arwen : No cannot!
Me : Boleh lah...
Arwen : Nanti ye. Arwen share baby cat, boleh. Oma, wait downstairs. Arwen naik ambik baby cat untuk mama.
*sometime later*
Arwen : Nah mama. Tak jadi baby cat. Arwen ambik Moo untuk mama bring to work. Nah mama bring to work ok?
Me : Taknaklah. Cow ni besar cannot put in my bag. i want lion, small, can put in my bag.
Arwen : No. Mama bawak this cow pergi work ok? Ok bye Mama, happy working!

Sakat anak punya pasal, tak pasal-pasal kena bawa this sad comot thing naik LRT and go to work. lesson learned. tsk.

arwen on ...

been a while since i've updated this. the whole blog i mean, and the "arwen on.." posts. her vocab has grown exponentially and with her mind developing so rapidly, she's able to think for herself and subsequently, school other people. like we always kena.

Arwen on her favourite colour:

Arwen : Mamma! Ipad Mo ni tak boleh dah.
Me : Oh, battery dah habis kot, Wen. Nanti ask Mo to charge ok?
Arwen : Battery abis dah? Ohh. Nanti Mo beli battery ok Mamma? Arwen nak yang colour pink je.

Arwen : *watching spirit, stallion of cimmaron* Mamma! Nanti Arwen dah besar, Arwen nak naik horse boleh?
Me : Boleh sayang.
Arwen : Arwen nak horse yang colour pink je.

Arwen : Bye Mamma *gives me a hug and a kiss*
Me : Where are you going?
Arwen : Arwen nak pergi ofis Arwen lah. Budak-budak tak boleh ikut tau.
Me : Really? Why?
Arwen : Ada polis! Polis colour pink!
Me : Ok, happy working Arwen, bye!

Arwen : Mamma, Arwen nak jumpa Pinchess Jasmine boleh?
Me : Boleh.
Arwen : Pinchess Jasmin yang colour pink tu?

Arwen : Mamma, Arwen dah besar nanti, nak makan 'shwingg gum' boleh?
Me : Boleh. Tunggu Arwen besar, ok?
Arwen : Ok. Arwen nak yang colour pink.
Me : Ok. Pink.

Arwen : Nak minum coffee, nak minum air gas.
Me : Ok. Dah besar nanti ok?
Arwen : Ok. Nak yang colour pink!

Arwen : Mamma, Arwen nak pergi beach!
Me : Ok nanti bawak Arwen pergi beach kat Kuantan.
Arwen : Beach yang colour pink je.
Me : Hah? Kejap Mamma google ada tak. (apparently there's one in Bahamas and one in Komodo Island, Indonesia)

Arwen : Mamma, nanti Arwen dah besar boleh makan cili ok?
Me : Ok.
Arwen : Cili yang colour pink ada? I like colour pink!
Me : You don't say!


Arwen on proper way to answer questions :

Arwen : Daddy, lepas cerita daddy, cerita Arwen pulak ok?
Daddy : Hmm.
Arwen : Daddy?
Daddy : Hmm?
Arwen : Daddy, jangan cakap "hmm. hmm." cakap tutol-tutol (betul-betul)! Yes, or no?

Arwen on Apps :

Me : Arwen, Mamma nak main Plant vs Zombie. Mana ek?
Arwen : Huh?
Me : Yang main tanam-tanam then we shoot the zombies banyak-banyak tu? Yang ada cherry bomb tu?
Arwen : iPad Daddy takde lah Mamma. Tu dalam iPad Mo je. Mo dah bawak pergi gym!

*later*
Mo : Hi Arwen!
Arwen : Mo! iPad Mo mana? Arwen nak main iPad Mo boleh?
Mo : Ni.
Arwen : *fussing with the iPad* Ni Mamma! Main zombies ni!

Arwen : *flinging an Angry Bird across the iPad screen*
Arwen : *feeling guilty* OHMYGOD! Are you ok?


Arwen on vanity :

Oma : Arwen, come let me tie your hair. It's everywhere.
Arwen : Jangan lah usik rambut Arwen. Arwen dah comel dah.


Arwen on playing pretend :

Arwen : MAMMAAAAA! JANGAN!
Me : What?
Arwen : ADA SHAARRRKKKK. NOOOO!


Arwen : Nah Mamma, pegang baby ni.
Me : *playing along* OK.
Arwen : Mamma! Pegang dua-dua tangan, nanti baby jatuh macam mana?


Arwen on biology :

Arwen : Mamma, Arwen ada pepet (female parts)?
Me : Ada.
Arwen : Mamma ada?
Me : Ada.
Arwen : Daddy ada?
Me : Takde.
Me : Siapa ambik Daddy punya pepet?

Me : *teaching her directions* Arwen, this is your right, kanan. Ni left, kiri.
Arwen : Ni bukan kiri!
Me : Then?
Arwen : Niii... nama dia, "sebelah"!

Arwen : Taknak Daddy! Arwen majuk (merajuk) Daddy! Daddy naughty girl!
Daddy : I'm not a girl ... not yet a woman too..

Me : *pointing out to the distant sound of fireworks* Apa tu Wen?
Arwen : Bunyi kentut Daddy!


Arwen on caring too much :

Arwen : Mamma! Apa ni? *pointing at a scratch on my leg*
Me : Mamma luka.
Arwen : Mamma kena tembak polis, ye?



Arwen on the future of space travel :

Arwen : Arwen nak naik rocket dengan Mamma, dengan Daddy, dengan Oma, dengan Baiz and Mo.
Me : Nak pergi mana?
Arwen : Pluto!


Arwen on table manners :

*somebody made slurping noises*
Arwen : Hey! Makan sup jangan bunyi! Dosa tau!


Arwen on good manners :

Arwen : Opps! Excuse me Mamma. Arwen kentut milk.


Arwen on animals :

Oma : Tu tapir.
Arwen : Oma! Dia pakai panties je!


Arwen on having her way :

Arwen : Jangan! Ni Arwen tenye
Me : Arwen, it's "punya"
Arwen : Punya
Me : yes
Arwen : Arwen tenye!
Me : *give up*


Arwen's speech blooping / spoonerism / Freudian slip moments :

"Daddy! Mana lagu sati?" (lagi satu)
"Lalu! Arwen nak tepi!"
"Mamma! Arwen nak tengok milk, nak minum Shrek"

eventful saturday

Last post before we go back to Pekan and be internet-less for one whole week. (unless someone is kind enough to borrow me their USB broadband)

One of the things I hate about shooting in RAW is that I have to go into Lightroom to edit the photos. But the best thing about it though is that my brother has installed way too many presets that I'd go crazy editing them and that's why, most of the time of late, it takes a long time to get my photos done for this blog.

Anyway, last Saturday was Sesame Street Live day. We've been prepping and psyching Arwen for this day for a whole week. Every night she'll literally count the days to Saturday. Lifting her finger one by one she'll go "Day, Mamma work. Day, Daddy work. Atter-day tengok Ammo! Yay!". When Saturday finally rolled in, she woke up at 8am and immediately slapped my face, pulled my hair and shouted in my ear, telling me she wants to watch Elmo. Excited gila.


the song we prepped with on the way

She didnt know what to expect going there. She was a bit confused to see a small stage, and there were a lot of kids there. she was more engrossed watching the other kids than anything else. Finally, the show started and she got all excited to see Big Bird and Elmo on stage. She screamed for Elmo like a little fangirl at a boyband concert. Ok fine, like I did at Jason Mraz's. She was standing and dancing and shaking on her seat and on my lap. The show lasted about one and a half hour, but she was only excited about it the first 15 minutes, and a couple of minutes just as it ended because of the confetti and stringers.

I think the experience has been the highlight of her life thus far because she keeps recollecting the memory of seeing Elmo and all his "acemi-cit" friends in person. Even though we sat quite far from the stage, it's still good for her. She even told me she's 'happiness' to have seen Elmo. That's all that matters to us.













On the way home my brother suggested we go out for buka and we can't think of any place. He suggested Intai-intai but nobody really wanted Malay food. then he asked me bout Solaris. The first thing that came to mind was Tenji. And then Meatworks. I've never been to Solaris and only heard rave reviews about those restaurants. So he reserved us a table at Tenji.

The smorgasbord of japanese pickings were gastronomical. i didnt know where to start so i took whatever i think Arwen would eat and serve and entertain her first before i gorge. But in the end, i only went around 2-3 times and ate most of what the husband took. Ayis and Falie enjoyed it. They know what and how to eat Japanese buffet. Mom and I didn't eat much that night - so not worth the RM100 per head Falie had paid for. But still, thank you Falie. I don't know what i thought about the food but overall, the spread was too overwhelming to enjoy in just 2 hours and by 9pm on every 5 damn they announce that their supper session will start soon so they'll be busy cleaning up around you. That was uncomfortable. I wouldnt go there again. Next time we're at Solaris, we're trying Meatworks!

countdown to elmo

Mom : Eh, you guys buka luar right, saturday?
Me : Buka kat luar? i don't know (looking at ayis) what are we doing on saturday, yang?
Arwen : Attehday tengok Elmo!

thing is, after tomorrow, we lose all leverage as i've been using Elmo to bargain with Arwen's misbehaviour.

monthly letter : month twenty four

Dear Arwen,

Happy you-you day, my sweet little monster.



I can't believe you're already two! oh my god my beautiful, stubborn little girl. TWO! THE TERRIBLE TWO! you're so big now. and so much more a person than a baby. you know what you want, what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, what to watch, what to do. you can already independently feed yourself, dress yourself, undress yourself, shower yourself, brush your own teeth, put on your own shoes, zip and unzip stuff. Although you still don't know how to keep your toys and crayons back after you're done with them. You know ALL the letters from A to Z, and the numbers 1-10.



you can sing the nursery rhymes yourself too. not just humming and babbling in tune, but actual lyrics. ok, fine, you occasionally mix up the words to "Are you sleeping" and "London Bridge" and "Ring Around the Roses" - you'd go "Are you eeping? are you eeping? Baden Beech, Baden Beech ... all poll down" and you'd occasionally translate some words to Malay if you forgot what it was in English. And you can already compose your own songs like the one i caught you singing the other day that goes "Fineee! Dadddy! Finneeee". you're a musical genius!



this month, we've started potty training you. only, we didn't get you a proper potty, because you need to know that the toilet is where you need to do all your business. your incentives for peeing is 1 baloon and 2 for pooping. It's been a slow progress but now, every morning and evening before you shower, you'd ask to pee on the toilet and you've learned to control it and not just let go before i prop you on the toilet. we still have a long way to go but every time you tell me you want to go to the toilet and actually do it, i beam. good job, sayang!



You've also shown that you've got wit with excellent and quick come backs that often render us speechless. like the other day when i asked you why you had to disturb Oma and strew all the mango skin she peeled all over the kitchen floor, you casually said ".. saja! happiness kacau Oma". and when you asked Oma if you could play with a fruit that she's reserved to make juice for buka puasa, Oma said "No, cannot, nanti buah tu busuk". you replied, "Busuk? Buah nak mandi!".



And the other day, i told you to stay and play with daddy because i want to take my shower, you pleaded me wanting to follow. I said "No, tak boleh, malu lah mamma.." but you came back with "Alaa. Arwen dah tengok, dulu? Apa mama lah!". How can i say anything else after that? Unfortunately, you've also inherited speech blooper tendencies from both your grandmothers. you favourite line is "Lalu, Arwen nak tepi!". And when you can't find the words you want to say, you'd go "A-ble-ble-ble-bah".



your toddler tantrums are getting worse these days. i hope you'll get over this phase soon. i hate raising my voice at you but it seems like that's the only way i could get through you. sometimes, when i'm in an okay mood, i'll talk and reason out with you. but when i'm tired and your antics have annoyed me to the lowest of hell and i've run out of patience and wits, i'd scream at you.



you drive me insane, but there's not one second that i do not love you. especially when you'd lift my head up by the hair asking me to "Coming mama, come main dengan Arwen!" or when you slap my face in the morning asking me to wake up to make you milk. or when you'd come running towards me all the way from the kitchen with your hands at the back as if they're wind propellers the moment you see me walk in. or when you'd randomly sing "Ibu... ibu... kolah.. atikuu.." or when you'd give me kisses and hugs and say I lo chi without having to ask. or when you are so engaged in your pretend plays and want to include me to play along with you. or when you look up to the moon at night and asking me if you go there and can touch it. or how you insist that "I lo chi" is the right way to say i love you.



i know it's still to early to tell but after 24 months of having you and watching you grow, i know you'll be a girl that's not stubborn but headstrong, not difficult but assertive, not reckless but self-assured, not pretentious but ambitious, not nagging but persuasive, and not only imaginative but creative. i know it's to soon to tell, but i know you'll go far. i promise you.



I lo chi.
Mamma.

arwen's second year from Lisha Johanabas on Vimeo.

songs : Angel by Jack Johnson, I'm There Too by Michelle Featherstone, and an excerpt from I Found You by Luluc

why we love two year olds

Was reading through parents.com this morning (just another one of my daily morning rituals) and found this post titled "Why We Love 2-Year-Olds" and it really hits home for me. call me in denial, i just think that this changed my perception about the much-hyped about terrible two phase. i mean, this post is making me tolerate arwen's tantrums and antics much better. normally i'd be the one yelling at her in exasperation, and my husband would be the one spanking her, but thing is, we don't see it the way she's seeing things. she's just exploring her environment, testing her limits, learning her skills and finding herself.

these points really strike me and made all choked up :

• When she takes a running leap and lands on top of me, she is questioning whether she will always be able to lean on me. And because I always want her to know the answer is yes, I tolerate it.
  
  
• When she yells "No!" and points her finger, returning the glare she undoubtedly learned from me, she is asserting herself. I couldn't be more relieved. I hope she will maintain that perseverance right into her teen years, when she can use it on any boy who dares to try to get fresh with her. And into her adult years, when her stubbornness will be called "determination."

• When she draws on the walls with a purple crayon (or in Arwen's case, a white-ish rug with black crayon), she is expressing her creativity. I try to think of her as an artist in training. And even more important, she is learning the value of leaving her mark on the world.
  
  
• When she breaks my favorite lamp and flashes her award-winning smile just as I am coming toward her, she is practicing her people skills.
  
  
• When she climbs (on something precariously dangerous), she is proving that no challenge is too difficult for her to meet.
  
  
• When she dumps macaroni all over the kitchen floor, stops to acknowledge my "No!" by turning briefly to look at me, and then goes right back to what she was doing, she is showing her ability to follow through with a task.
  
  
• When she gets tickled over something I take for granted -- the toast popping up from the toaster when it's browned, for instance -- she is blessing me unaware. How many times have I longed to see the world through the eyes of a child once again? Thanks to her, I can.
  
  
• When I catch her trying to eat the cat's food (or in Arwen's case, caught her eating a handful of cat food), she is proving that she will not be a picky eater -- and that she has survival skills, which may come in handy later in life.
  
  
• When I call her name and she immediately breaks into a sprint in the other direction, she is listening to her own inner voice and refusing to be a conformist.
  
  
• When she suddenly decides to throw a tantrum in the middle of a restaurant, she is teaching me humility. And that leftovers reheated later at home usually taste just as good as food served fresh.
  
  
• When she steps into my enormous shoes, which swallow her tiny feet, and clumsily tries to walk in them, she makes me reflect upon my great responsibility to provide a good role model for her to follow.

but this is by no means i will back down from teaching her who's boss. i mean, i normally cut her some slack, but she needs to know limits and boundaries. or else, i'm afraid she'll turn out to be one of those people who's selfish, and reckless about how people and the world works.

in view of two

my little girl will be turning two tuesday next week. excited? well yeah, but not going crazy preparing for a party just yet. since it's in the middle of puasa and all. but yeah, i'm currently putting together her second year slideshow which will run longer than her first year slideshow, that i can assure you. although her first year slideshow actually took 2 months to finish, only because i was a noob at using iPhoto. now that i've gotten the hang of things, it doesnt really take that long to do. just collecting and selecting the photos that takes up a long time because i have gajillion of them to sort out from.

we'll be celebrating Arwen's 2nd birthday by treating her to watch Elmo in person on Saturday, 4th September. Bought the tickets and all. We'll be watching the 1pm show. so in case anybody else is going, and if you see a fat lady tearing her hair out to a little girl who's screaming wanting to dance with Elmo on stage, yeah, come say hi to me (if you dare, heh).

and with my mom's recommendation, we're also planning to throw a little party for Arwen during Raya. more like mom's throwing an open house and we'll squeeze in a party for her. not a big one, just amongst family, friends and neighbours. im not so big on birthday parties, but arwen sorts of wants it. she keeps on arranging her bowls and plates and cups into tiers and sing "Happy Yu-yu Arwen, Happy Yu-yu Arwen.." (her version of Happy Birthday to you) and then she'll be blowing a pretend candle and asking me "Arwen nak eat cake, boleh?" and when i ask her " What kind of cake?", she'll reply "Cake Odang" .. seriously, i don't know anybody who'll eat shrimp cake.

so yeah, i guess i'll be a busy mom for weeks to come.

and i'm also in a midst of making a huge decision and change. but right now, just waiting for something.

potty training is one tough job, especially for someone who has very little patience.

arwen kinda knows that she needs to go to the toilet to poop and pee but we never really officially trained her. until last weekend. since we've kinda got the sitter situation pretty much settle, for now at least - her sitter, my neighbour whose maid has been taking care of arwen still wants to take care of arwen without the maid. alhamdulillah coz i know she'll be in good hands. only she's old and i don't know if she can handle changing arwen's diapers and whatnot. thus, we're training arwen to go pee and poop in the toilet right now, so by november, she's independent. well, kinda.

potty training a tod is definitely not for the weak. you've got to have patience that would make angels quiver, the calm of Long Beach at Perhentian in July, the determination of Oprah Winfrey, and the excitement of a bunch of cheerleaders on acid when your kid finally makes it.

if you've been reading up on toddler manuals, you know that the sure fire way to successfully train a toddler to go potty is by 1. setting an example. with toddlers, most of the time it's monkey see monkey do. so i'd normally take arwen along with me when i need to pee. well, okay fine, it's because she doesn't want to be left alone and i really need to pee so i don't have a choice but to take her with me. but at least she knows what the toilet is for.

2. setting a reward system. i wanted to give arwen stars for every time she made potty. but i figured, she wouldn't know what to do with the stars anyway. so, i've gotta give her something more tangible than stars, right? at first i wanted to give her balls. she loves "bolaball" and i love the sound she makes when she says "bolaball!" ... i figured, yeah, that's it! i'll give her a ball every time she pees in the toilet and two for every time she poops. good idea right? until my brother came home and suggested balloons.

yes! balloon is better than balls. at least when the house is populated by balloons, we can simply stick a needle and make noise. and she loves balloons more than balls anyway. and i have 3 packets of balloons i got from cleaning the office some time ago. i've got enough stock to last potty training.

we started on saturday, after her afternoon nap. we were alone at home so it's easier for me to keep an eye on her in case she 'let go' at random places. i told her that i wont put on her diaper, so if she felt like peeing or pooping, let me know. and if she pees in the toilet, she'll get 1 balloon, and if she poops, she'll get two balloons. so from 3-6 pm, there were a total of 5 fails (4 pees and a poop) and one balloon. that's when i realize that my god, my daughter pees a lot! second day, we tried longer - from 12-6pm. there were 3 fails and 2 balloons! we're making progress, yeah!

3. follow the plan through. since i'm working, the only time i can potty train her is during the weekends when we're home. well, yeah, we tell the sitter we're potty training her and also about the balloon system but i'm not so sure they'll follow through with my plans. just as i sent arwen to the sitter yesterday, she was asking Su for a balloon and Su was about to give in and blow the balloon when i stopped her and told arwen to go to the toilet first if she wants a balloon.

almost fail. but you know .. we'll see. the training continues.

arwen on...

arwen on warranting a little pinch :
my mom : arwen, come, let's go downstairs. i'll carry you (this is probably after 6-7 times of pleading her to come along)
arwen : Oi! Bisinglah!
me : *dropped everything, rushed to her, pinched her and told her that she should never say things like that to an adult and made her apologize to Oma* wah ini budak!
arwen : *hugs* sorry Oma, Ilochi Oma, nanak buat lagi. Ok, Fine.

arwen on branding (part 1) :
ayis : yang, i'm too tired to go out and get dinner (we almost never cook at home, coz i don't cook)
me : okay. shall i just call McDonalds?
arwen : E.I.E.I.Ooooooo. Moo moo there. Moo moo there.

arwen on branding (part 2) :
*i knocked off one of those free coke glasses from McD and it crashed into smithereens, literally. and then my mom ran down panicked, thinking i broke her expensive glassware and asked me what broke while i was sweeping*
me : gelas mcdonalds tu.
mom : oh. oklah, we have a lot more of those.
me : yeah that's why i didn't yell for you.
arwen : Oma! Gelas "moo moo there" pecah!

arwen on the drawbacks of living with a bunch of oldies :
*after getting tired of playing outside at her sitter's place while waiting for us to pick her up*
arwen : adoi. sakit pinggang!

arwen on making me speechless yet again
me : *inhaling her hair* siapa busuk mama?
arwen : Mamma yak!


arwen on being a true malaysian :
Me : Arwen, where's the colour red?
Arwen : Ni! Merah .. lah!
_________________________

Me : Arwen, there, cat!
Arwen : Baby cat ... lah!
_________________________

Me : Arwen don't disturb daddy.
Arwen : Daddy sleep .. lah!
_________________________

Ayis : It's Wa-ter-me-lon lah
Arwen : Atter-malen lah
Ayis : I yang belajar tinggi-tinggi gi wales, i'm being corrected? by a 2 year old?
_________________________

Su the sitter : Arwen, ni kakak punya.
Arwen : Arwen neh (nya) laaaa.

____________________________

Me : Arwen come here, mamma nak check you berak tak.
Arwen : TAK... LAHHHHH! 'Tut je! (kentut je)

arwen on ..

arwen on having peace :
arwen : Nangan kacau! Arwen nak baceh (baca)! or
arwen : Nangan kacau! Arwen nak gok (tengok tv)

arwen on foreign language :
Me : Ok! bye arwen!
Arwen : Boyoyage! (bon voyage)
*we're teaching her 'adios' now

arwen on empathy :
*a ball hits the side of my head*
My mom : Arwen, don't throw the ball. Sakit tau!
Arwen : ... si'an ball.

arwen on greetings :
Falie : Hi Arwen!
Arwen : Alam-atummmm. (assalamualaikum)

arwen on making me speechless :
Arwen : Mamma! Mayang! (sembahyang)

arwen on cool :
Arwen : Nak alam mamma (nak salam mama)
Arwen : Nak lok (nak peluk)
Arwen : Nak kiss
Arwen : Bipbum! (fist-bump!)

arwen on W

gotta write this down before i forget.

i was teaching arwen the alphabet tonight. we were doing okay until :

Me : V
Arwen : B!
Me : Double-You
Arwen : Bubble-boo

*and then she saw the lowercase w* :

Arwen : Mamma! Ni baby bubble-boo!


i was at the brink of eating her whole coz it was too cute.