Reflections on year 2009

Counting my blessings for the year

• promotion at work despite the economy being in a recession
• had a smooth pregnancy despite the growing fibroid to the surprise of my gyne
• had a smooth delivery despite having to deliver baby Sophie earlier due to preeclampsia
• made new friends who are fellow mummies for us to exchange stories on sleepless nights, baby's poo , etc..
• love and support from family and friends when the role of being a mummy was sometimes too overwhelming
• supportive and loving hubby who often gets his hands dirty changing the diapers and bathing baby Sophie.

2010 is just a day away... I no longer have the habit of setting new year resolutions anymore. But maybe for this new year I would.

New Year Resolutions for 2010

1. Pick up driving : I really have not been driving for a long long long time. And I have to admit I'm really very put off by driving a manual car. Like it's not hard enough trying to navigate and watch other cars in front of you, beside you and behind you, still got to make sure that I don't press too hard/ too soft on the accelerator, control and switch gear, apply handbrake when going up the slope and then releasing enough to go off...and the last is always the one that makes my heart race, palms sweaty and mind blank! Maybe I should stop having such negative feelings towards it first then I can conqueror whatever feelings to start driving...

2. Be more productive at work: I think that I'm already quite an efficient worker hence the nick name in office - Super Susan *wink*. But now that I have to spend about an hour to pump (30 mins each time), that easily shortens my day and I have to be less "engaged" with the gossip in the office and work faster. And after work, I have to pick up Sophie from the infant care so I cant work OT anymore. And did I also mention that the new boss seems like a slave driver too :P


3. Have more me time : As a mummy, I don't have my own life anymore as everything revolves around Sophie esp after work and on the weekends. Sometimes all I wish for is some time to sleep in, hubby to do some of the housework so that I can read a magazine or a book, go for a nice massage, go out with friends and more than anything spend time with the hubby and not have any baby related conversations. Yes, and not feel guilty that I'm having time for myself too.

I think the list will be more than just these 3 items. But I'll add them as they come to mind before the clock strikes 12 to 2010!

My breastfeeding journey

First week back at work and I'm already down with a flu *sniff sniff* Alexis too has fallen ill, so the flu bug is definitely in the air at home. Hopes that Sophie will be strong enough to withstand the virus flying around the house else we will have to keep her away from the infant care centre. Heard that man babies are also sick, hence the near empty state when I visited Sophie today. Another reason why I plan to continue to breastfeed her so that she will have my anti-bodies now that I'm ill.

Although I am proud that I have successfully breastfeed Sophie for the past 4 months, the journey for breastfeeding has not been an easy one. The first few days in the hospital, the nurses and my mom were so insistent that I should feed Sophie with formula. But I was stubborn and refused and insisted that all babies have enough reserve since most mummies milk supply don't kick in until the 3rd day or so. And on the 3rd day,it was a great encouragement to hear the nurse comment that the milk I've expressed is actually quite a lot. So I persisted and persisted. Persisted through cracked nipples, bleeding nipples, engorgement, leaking nipples, nipple being bitten by Sophie. Such is a mother's sacrifice just to give the best to my baby. Of course, nothing beats the bonding that I enjoy with her while breastfeeding her. Knowing that she is nourished and also connected to me in such a special way.

Of course the plus point is that breastfeeding burns calories, so that allows me to still eat and not put on too much weight. But cant say much about losing all the pregnancy weight. I suspect, it may take a few more months for all the weight to be lost by the way I'm still eating now. But the downside is that I still have to watch my diet in case it gives Sophie tummy upset. Now I'm a bit more relaxed and will have my daily dose of coffee and even have spicy food like tom yum occasionally.

Well hope that I can continue to give Sophie mama's milk for as long as possible but also gotta see if I can keep up with all the pumping at work. It's such a chore sometimes, having to run away from work and pump and be stressed that the boss may not be happy about it.So conclusion: On a best effort basis :)

Sianz...

One word that sums up my feeling towards going back to work in 2 weeks time.

After a good 4 months away from the office, I will have to drag myself back to the routine of 9-5...dunoe what my new timing will be. Hoping that when I go back to work, I can work from 8:30 to 6pm and leave on the dot to pick baby Sophie from the infant care centre.

Gosh I'm going to be the one suffering from separation anxiety from my little one. Better prepare more tissues on the first day I go back to work. Haha.

Sianz also describes my feeling when I look at my wardrobe and see the clothes that I can no longer fit into and the money I have to spend for a new wardrobe. Yes and not to mention my shoes too...

SIANZ ah..

Speedy Gonzales

These days with a baby around, I have become Speedy Gonzales. From eating, to bathing, to doing the houswork, and I think even my beloved shopping trips are a fraction of what they used to be.

In fact I think I no longer savour my food anymore and just gulp it down fearing that she will make noise half way during my meals. The good thing is she's usually asleep when we're out so meals outsides are more "peaceful" compared to meals taken at home.

There was once, I was halfway cooking dinner and Alexis has to take over the cooking because she was crying for milk. Fortunately for him, dinner was a simple affair of pasta. So everything could just be dumped into the pan. Pasta, ham, mushroom and sauce. Hehe and that's how I conned a dinner cooked by him :P

Probably this training will be helpful when I go back to work too. In fact, I think I'll need more speed when I return to work. Cant imagine the morning rush having to wake her up, feed her, change her diapers and clothes and the for me to bathe, change, apply make up and then hopefully have some breakfast. Gosh, what time do I have to wake up everyday? 6?

We're training her to wake up earlier in the day so that hopefully she'll get used to this routine when it's time for me to return to work which sadly is in 3 weeks time. So baby Sophie, you better co-operate.

Alone at home with baby Sophie on a lazy Tuesday. The only sound in the house is that of her happily sucking on her thumb. *zuk zuk zuk* She started sucking her fingers about a month ago and has recently picked it up again and this time with a vengeance and only sucks her thumb!We tried to "exchange" her thumb for the pacifier but I guess nothing beats having a perfectly fit pacifier that is softer than a rubber teat in her mouth.

There are days when she prefers it over milk and we'll have to pry her thumb away from her mouth to stuff the bottle or my boob in. But we'll have to keep trying to make her take the pacifier else it will be harder to wean her off her thumb which is so easily available. Not to mention that it's certainly not a very ladylike thing to do.

Anyway, decided that I shall blog about me instead of baby Sophie and reclaim some identity of my own :)

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Cant believe that December is round the corner now. Also means it's almost Christmas, back to work (gasp!) and also Alexis's birthday. He turns 31 this year... sorry for exposing your real age dear.

Last night I got upset... (I blame my erratic emotions on post delivery) partially because Sophie has disappointed me when she decided to sleep at 11pm instead of 8pm which she did last night. This also means another evening spent coaxing her and less time with the hubby. I have already adjusted my expectations that our evenings (and even some days) will no longer just be about the two of us ever since we knew a baby is on the way. But what gets to me is even when we have time alone, he chooses to sit in front of his computer surfing the internet.

When he's home, I long for adult conversations after a day of baby talk with Sophie. And somedays after hearing a day's of mom's complains about my dad, her negative attitude rubs off me when I begin to find fault and pick on Alexis too. Of course, I cant push the blame on her for my behavior and I don't think I can justify it by saying that it's because of all the whining that I hear from her that I am also turning into a whiner myself. I am a strong believer that one has to take responsibility of my choices, my actions and one's consequences. That's also one reason I choose not to be too near her as her attitude really affected my self esteem when I was younger. Another story altogether...

So last night, I decided that I will choose to be thankful for what I have in my life and make 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 the hallmark of my relationship with Alexis and Sophie.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails.

This is what I want in my heart for my hubby and daughter. To build my family up with kind words and in so imparting the right values to Sophie. To teach her that somedays when its hard to love, we still do so because love bears no records of wrong. But most importantly, we love because God first loved us.

I love you Alexis and Sophie :)

Back to work soon....

Oct is ending soon and the end of my maternity leave is drawing near too. Recently, I've been rather stressed up on the arrangements on who's going to take care of Sophie when I return to work in Dec. One of our plans was to put her at the infant care centre which is near our offices or the next viable option would be to leave her at my in laws place.

I was rather hesitant as that would mean a daily commute of about an hour to and fro as they live in Tampines. Not to mention having to buy an extra set of stuffs to leave there. But this arrangement would be better for our parents who have agreed to take care of Sophie. After all, it's not fair to ask our folks to travel daily to our place... So I'm slowly at peace with it. Guess it's all the anxiety of the new mom.

Gosh I really cant bear to go back to work so soon. I was still kidding with Alexis if I can stay home to take care of Sophie for about a year before we send her to child care. Guess that has to take the back seat for now... Maybe when we have two kids then more worth while to be a SAHM :) But for now still a FTWM, else no $$ for shopping.

Home alone

It's Friday night and I'm home alone with baby Sophie while her Daddy is out. I'll get my turn soon too and leave her in his care when I go for my company D&D in Nov. How I miss my office colleagues in office.

Thank God Sophie's sleeping now giving me some much needed ME time for this entry.

Ever since being a mother, my life just revolves around this little princess. More so because of the fact that I'm breastfeeding her so I've to be on "stand by" for her milk. Being a mother really changes your life in so many ways.

I was commenting the other day that having a baby is like a daily lucky draw coz you don't know when she'll have a good day, bad day, whiny day, colicky day, when she'll wake up, sleep, etc... So look who's the boss now?

Shall update another time and check on my little tow kay now.

2 months and counting..

Into my new role as a mummy for 2 months and I can really appreciate what my mom went through to bring me up. One word, tough, tough, tough!

The first month with the confinement lady was a breeze with someone to bathe baby, change baby's dirty diapers, wash her clothes especially soiled nappies, feed her in the middle of the night. After the confinement lady left, Sophie started to get more colicky and difficult in the nights, which means less sleep for me and Alexis for sure. We have to take turns to carry her, soothe her by rocking her, feed her in the wee hours of the morning.

Recently, it has been more difficult getting her to sleep as she'll cry. And boy, does she have powerful lungs! Alexis says that his ears will ring when she turns up the volume when crying. And frankly sometimes her cries are so shrill, I get so scared of her. Good thing Alexis also tries his best to take care of her before he sleeps as he knows that I will have to wake up to feed her.

Understand from other parents that this is a phase for babies and they will outgrow it in another 1 to 2 months time. So we're really praying it happens soon before it threatens our sanity. But in the morning when I wake up, seeing her greet me with a smile makes me melt with love for her all over again. If only she can be so nice to mummy all the time. But I know she's only a baby and wants our attention.

Diary of a new mom

These days I have become nothing more than a walking milk machine that goes moo moo. Right from the start I decided that I will try my very best to breastfeed Sophie. After all, studies have proved that breastfed babies tend to have stronger immunity and also gives mummies and babies more bonding time. Not only that, it's also fuss free feeding without the need to sterilize bottles, boil water, etc.

But it certainly has not been easy especially in the early days when Sophie is more sleepy than hungry. Having to latch her on to feed it no easy task and I often get so tensed that my neck, shoulders and arm ache. Now it's a lot better but Sophie still has her days when she fusses and will not feed immediately.

My confinement lady commented that I sure have a lot of patience. What to do as I only want what's best for Sophie. Though it can get frustrating to feed Sophie when she's a fussy little brat in the middle of the night, her smile (yes she can smile when feeding!) makes me melt...

I cant wait for her to grow up quickly so that I can start playing with her and showing her more of the world.

Been meaning to start her on a routine but it's easier said than done. Guess it will take a while before I start that. Meanwhile some pictures of my dear daughter.

My favorite picture of Sophie after a bath

Mummyhood

Sophie was born on 9 August 2009 and became a National Day baby!


Mummyhood for the first week has been really challenging. Because the confinement lady only arrived 2 days after I was discharged, Alexis and I had to be hands on and grope our way about. Thankfully we attended the pre-natal class so could remember how to bathe and change baby. It also helps that Alexis is very involved so was adapting to his daddy role very well. Not forgetting the fast that he offered me alot of emotional support when the stress got to me at times


Feeding in the inital days were also tough coz I didn't have any milk yet and that was also a stressful time especially when the nurses and even my mother wanted me to give Sopie formula milk. But as I persevere the milk supply slowly began to build up. So now Sophie can have breast milk and hopefully I can continue to do so for a long time. After all breast fed babies are supposed to have better immunity and helps in mummy and baby bonding.


Being only a week old Sophie loves her sleep and wants to sleep more than eat now. Hopefully we can start putting her on a routine soon so that everyone will be happy too :) I cant believe how cranky I can be when I'm super tired too.

Verdict: First week of mummyhood has been very fulfilling and looking forward to more exciting moments to come.
You can read more about Sophie at her blog too.

Count down...

How much more swollen can my feet get?



While they may look stubby and cute but they hurt a hell lot now a days. Told Alexis that I have to take cab to work for this last week coz the walk to the MRT, and from the NEL to NS line and from the MRT to office is getting so tedious for me. Not mention I get easily breathless now, so it's such a chore going to work.

But thank God that it's my last week at work ... finally!


Am going to miss my colleagues at work. But I told them, the feeling will go away pretty quickly once I have Sophie to keep me occupied.

Shall enjoy my 4 months of maternity leave and enjoy every moment being a Stay At Home Mother (SAHM) for as long as I can.

Retail therapy for ME

Was telling my colleagues that I have not really shopped for myself at this year's GSS. With baby on the way, the only things I seem to be buying are stuffs for Sophie. Pram, cot, clothes, toys for Sophie, and all seems to revolve around her. Not complaining coz I'm really excited buying pink, girly stuffs for her. Oh have you seem the rompers and dresses they have for little girls? So cute!

Oh and the thrill of shopping online for Sophie, or rather ordering form sprees and having the excitement when the package gets delivered in your mailbox. Be it clothes, socks or even just bibs! I know, how silly :P

And after getting pregnant, I have not really shopped in Orchard until yesterday when I made my debut trip to ION Orchard. The latest swanky shopping mall along Orchard Road. Found it a bit hard to navigate around the mall with escalators that runs everywhere.



But that didn't stop me from indulging in a bit of shopping for myself. So I bought myself some post-pregnancy stuffs, like this stripped wedge that will be perfect for the weekends...in the near future. No heels for me now ever since I nearly tripped when I was 3 months pregnant wearing my 3 inch heels. Now I only wear my scholls sandals, how unglam. Boo hoo :(



Oh and I love love my cup cake t-shirt. It's got glitter okay. Haha. Hope I wasn't too confident and bought a size too small. We shall see, we shall see. And a pretty cardigan which I just liked coz of it's frills.

Not sure when I can start wearing these clothes or even fit into my old wardrobe. Maybe I should take the opportunity to revamp my wardrobe when I get back to work after my maternity leave too. Husband will surely not be too happy about it.








Dinner at a DIY Teppanyaki restaurant, Shu Teppan. Not much different from Pepper Lunch in my opinion.


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Some indulgence first... or not?

The idea of having food craving sounded like the perfect excuse to indulge in all my favorite delicacies during my pregnancy. But alas, my dear husband was spared of this seemingly unavoidable pregnancy symptom because I had none of it... Or at least only had them in the mildest form. So no excuse to make him drive out in the middle of the night with char kuay teow, hokkien mee, roti prata...

The furthest I went was just to crave for spicy food. And what proved to be comforting was mee siam, tom yum, where spicy meet sour. Perfect combination :) Wonder if Sophie will have spicy taste buds too?

And now that my pregnancy journey is coming to an end soon, I wished I had eaten lesser. Easier to lose the weight that I have put on over the past 8 months. Blame it on my gyne who told me I was not eating enough as I was putting on less than 1 kg per month initially. So I let down my defenses in my bid to follow doctor's instructions. Then came the frequent tea breaks, or rather regular tea breaks. Which also mean I got chided by my colleagues for "choi-ing" them along.


Unfortunately,that also meant I over compensated and put on more weight than I needed to subsequently. *faints* And now at 8 months, I over did it as I still have another 3 more weeks to go... meaning I'm still likely to put on more weight till Sophie is born.

And at this point,I have a last craving for crabs!!!


I have heard of horror stories of pregnant woman eatig crabs only to have their kids behaving like crabs. You know being all busy with their hands! At least that's what my sister-in-law claims with my niece! But still that does not put me off.

One last indulgence, CRABS.
Pepper crab, chilli crab, butter crab...
Dreaming of crabs tonight...

Last leg more to go

The last leg of the pregnancy is certainly taking a toil on my body. More aches, more swollen feet, ankles and I suspect even puffy eyes too. Oh yes and the dreaded stretch marks which have started to appear ferociously that even my l'occitane mom & babe balm is no match for it!
And without saying, sleeping has become harder as well with Sophie getting in the way. Now I have to hold my stomach to get into a comfortable position when I turn from side to side. Oh and have I not mentioned about getting up at least once to pee cause of the weight of her on my bladder.

Woes of being a mother ... and yes I hear mothers telling me, "Wait till you're in the delivery room"...

One more month, one more month...

The countdown to Sophie's arrival

In just another 4 weeks or more accurately 32 days more to go, our princess Sophie will be born. What a wait this has been for our baby.

The last few weeks have been more tiring with Sophie betting bigger and a lot more active. Did I mention that she gets very active after I eat and especially in the nights! So to help me sleep, I play classical music so that ether she gets knocked out first or me!Her movements are so obvious now that you can see the skin of my tummy in a wavelight manner when she moves about. And my little one knows when it's time for mummy to go to work coz she'll start kicking me when the alarm goes off in the morning.



Whenever Sophie gets too rough, I'll keep reminding her to be a gentle baby. One strategy is to keep her tightly swaddled after she's born. Some mummies tell me they miss the feeling of baby's movements in them after baby is delivered... I'll let you know after Sophie's born... Prob not :)

Just the other day I asked Alexis what we want our home values to be.

• Crying will not get you your way and it's something Daddy reminds Mummy too :)
• To teach Sophie that a person of character is more important than a person of success.
• That God gives us an area where to excel in and it need not necessarily be academically.
• It's important to try before giving up.

We will probably discover more about raising a family as we go along...as we grow along.

Into my 33rd of pregnancy by the next week. The big day is fast approaching.

Don't know what to expect... okay maybe I do know, like sleepless night, waking up to cries of baby, etc. But it probably wouldn't sink in until the read deal.

Last night, Sophie was having hiccups in the night and didn't want to sleep. I think she's going to be a Saturday Night baby. It's getting more amusing to feel her moving and her movements can be quite painful at times. Alexis too gets excited to see her moving in my tummy.

Sophie's room is fast taking shape with the arrival of most of the furniture. I'm so excited at her arrival. So far the date set is 12 August 2009. Will have to discuss this with gyne at the next visit. Gosh.. will we be ready for baby?

Meanwhile we still have about 1 month plus for our dates before our lives start to revolve around Sophie. Not a bad thing, just different... very different :) One that we're definitely looking forward to.

My Restaurant in Restaurant City...

Still very humble looking. Doesn't help that the program is often under maintenance or down. I'm no where near serving all level 10 dishes. Need more friends, need more trades.

Had the busiest day ever

Up since 8am and only back home at 12am. Exhausting but fulfiling day. Accomplished most to do items for the month of June.

• Up at 8 and went for breakfast at Mac. I heart my mac muffins
• Decided to try designing my own twitter background. Check it out here
• Off to Ikea for lunch and furniture shopping. Bought an arm chair and other misc stuffs
• Then to Serangoon to buy bed and wardrobe. Finally settled it.
• Dinner with parents at Hougang to celebrate Father's Day
• And it's off to the Night Safari!

Ultra tiring day. Walked so much my feet hurts. I don't think I even walked this much when I'm not pregnant. What's more I'm carrying so much weight, my own and dear Sophie.

Shall update more another time...clock is ticking now and I'm going to Lala land.

Month of June with loads to do..

The month of June is going to be a busy busy month for me. Not only do I have to shop for Sophie's nursery, also got to get some basic furniture for the confinement lady who will be at my place for a month, finish reading my books, wash baby's clothes, pack and clean up the nursery...



And with just 2 more months to Sophie's arrival, we have to go on more dates before we get house bound with baby. So we've made plans to watch a couple of movies, go to the Night Safari, go for nice dinners.

Taken on our 3rd anniversary

Don't know how our lives will change with a baby in tow. But we're excited nevertheless.

These days Sophie has been really "interactive". Kicking, rolling alot in my tummy. My colleagues are literally getting a "kick" feeling her kicks, especially after lunch. Alexis was so shocked at how vigorous her movements are and exclaimed, Aiyoh Sophie! Wonder if Sophie is going to be as active as she seems now.

New Indulgence

You know they say that the worst way to while your time away is on games. And now with Facebook, there are just games at your fingertips.

There used to be a time when I was hooked on Fluff Pet, where I would pet, feed and race my Pinko. That's the name of my chubby Penguin pet. I'll even read the forums on how to increase her speed, take part in contest like fluff art and easter hunts to win rare gifts.

Fluff art of Pinko on the moon

Now Pinko's very much neglected and let to defend for herself. Thanks to the occasional visits from other people who will still pet and feed her on my behalf.

I now have a new indulgence, Restaurant City.

The aim of the game is to serve up dishes to customers who patronize your restaurant and keep them happy. At the same time you have to also keep your staff happy by letting them rest, drink and eat so that they will be happy workers. But what's more fun is that you get to play designer and decorate your restaurant, both on the exterior and interior.

Like Hello Kitty? Make it your theme, like the one I chanced on below.


Or how about a backyard BBQ theme?

Or perhaps a Rainforest theme?

You are only limited by your creativity. Mine however is very plain and simple...I'll need to level 10 by getting the right ingredients to cook dishes that can bring me to a higher level, which will give me more income and hence more $$ to buy deco stuffs. Give me a few more weeks and I'll show you what I've got!

I lurve this. This is so funny!!

L.O.V.E

A few days before our wedding, Alexis asked, Do you think your friends will sabo me at the gate crashing ceremony? I told him there’s a possibility. (Cant let him think it’s so easy to get this bride of his!)

Alexis: Do you think they’ll make me sing
Me: Yah I think so…
Alexis: But I don’t know any songs to sing.

So I suggested the L.O.V.E. song by Nat King Cole.

Maybe I shall make him sing it to me for our 3rd anniversary today :)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY DEAR!

LOVE

L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see

V is very, very extraordinary

E is even more than anyone that you adore can

Love is all that I can give to you

Love is more than just a game for two

Two in love can make it

Take my heart and please don't break it

Love was made for me and you

L is for the way you look at me

O is for the only one I see

V is very, very extraordinary

E is even more than anyone that you adore can

Love is all that I can give to you

Love is more than just a game for two

Two in love can make it

Take my heart and please don't break it

Love was made for me and you

Love was made for me and you

Love was made for me and you

---Nat King Cole

And so our story goes...

Last Saturday, while having deserts and coffee, Denise made a comment, that marriage can make one a better person. I thought it and cant agree more. I nodded and agreed not because it sounded like a correct thing to say to friends, esp to those who have not given up their singlehood. But in all honesty, I know that marriage, my marriage to Alexis, has made me a better person.

At Sentosa back in 2002

Alexis and I are probably more different than alike.

He is a homie while I like to be out of the house.

He's very analytical and logical while I'm more.. lets put it, go with my gut feel.

He hates me being messy and I'm well ... messy :P He's quiet while I'm more chatty.

Posing like some damsel in Chinese Gardens

He's logical, sensible, reasonable, cool-headed, techie, smartie

I'm spontaneous, creative, people-oriented, celebrates people... I think I'm pretty sensible too.

Taken at the Peak in Hong Kong, after Alexis got down on one knee and proposed. Where I said, "I do."

Yet in spite of our many differences, we still love each other, not just for what we bring to each other but also what we bring out of each other. How in accepting each other, we also want to change not because we want to please the other party but because we want to be a better wife, a better husband to each other.

In our home sweet home

Over the past 8 years, 5 years of courtship and 3 years of marriage, our love for each other has grown stronger and deeper. There is a new degree of maturity in our relationship that developed over time as we nourish each other with support and encouragement, carrying one another's burden, walking side by side through the challenges and even struggles in life.

At Great Ocean Road- our honeymoon in Melbourne

I cant even recall the countless times when all I needed was the quiet assurance of him beside me as I go through difficult times. And indeed he was the pillar of strength when I was weak, to hold my hand and remind me that I'm not walking alone.

Peter Pan and his Tinkerbelle

And today, even as I count down to our 3rd anniversary, I know that we have much to be thankful for in our marriage. And like I told my friends, marriage can be hard work. Yes, we still have to "work" at it everyday.

There are still days that we don't see eye to eye, bicker and lose our cool with each other. But what has worked is not taking each other for granted. And never delaying to say, sorry. Or thank you. Or I love you.

Baby Sophie is on the way

And what better reminder of our love than our dear baby that's on the way... Where there'll be a little of him and a little of me in a life that we create together.

I do, I do, I do...

It didn't seem so long ago that we took our wedding vows.

I take you as my wife...
I take you as my husband...

This June, 3rd we'll celebrate our 3rd year wedding anniversary. What an exciting journey it has been for us. And though it has not always been easy all these years, we always have each other's hand to hold in this journey.

Very soon, we'll have another pair of hands in ours- our baby girl, Sophie.

A life that is a gift from God. A life that is created by you and me. A life that is a reminder of our precious love and what we have ahead of us.

Happy Anniversary, Alexis.
My hubby, my darling, my friend.

Planning for Baby

With baby on the way, I thought I'll do some financial planning and see if I'm on track. Boy did the upcoming expenses add up to quite a bit! With bills to the gyne, hospital stay, maternity clothes, confinement lady and not forgetting baby's stuffs like the cot, playpen, stroller, baby's clothings and a thousand and one miscellaneous stuffs, they do add up to quite a bit.

Now that we're contemplating sending Sophie to infant care when she's a bit older, that's going to be another area of expense too.

No wonder the mummy still have to work and cannot be a tai tai...yet! Haha.

But that said, I'm sure there will be many "priceless" moments which cannot be exchanged for all the money in the world.

Retail therapy

Did some massive shopping last week as my wardrobe can no longer fit a more pregnant looking me. So it was off to the malls for some major shopping.



My loot:

1. 2 pairs of shoes
2. 1 pair of pants
3. 1 pair of shorts
4. 4 tops
5. 1 bra

Besides shopping I also tried to catch up on some reading...








Photoshop is a skill that I've been trying hard to perfect for a long time. Gonna practice, practice, practice...