Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Independence?

I got so many things I want to blog but in the deep cool weather right now I got my butt to the chair and switch on my laptop to blog this.

I just realise independence is like a something that stay at home mom have to build up  as soon as possible *for those without parents or parents in law or helpers - we tend to need to build this independence even more.

Why all the sudden this topic? I just realise every MON till FRI i would anxiously wait for my husband to arrive home.   If he is not back by 5.30pm there is little steam boiling in me. Then i would have to self calm myself "ohh he must be still stuck at work, with a meeting or at customer site etc etc... basically he is at work still... " no choice but to bugger up my mental mind to get what needs to be done. Bath toodler and cook dinner with a sticky glue toodler or a crying sulking toodler and then feed her dinner and then try to continue to cook my dinner .... etc i think i am repeating myself yeah you know what i mean... In many occasion I find myself losing my "cool" just because i feel the awesome pressure in time management vs a I WANT YOUR ATTENTION AND TO BE CARRIED toodler.

Why can't you just take things one at a time? Easy said than done. If you don't care what time your kid eats .. yeah it is much easier.  Till today I can't put myself to feed her toast or bread for dinner unless she reject all food then i would give bread a try. What put such pressure on yourself?? Well.. if she doesn't eat well for dinner, she would be waking up middle of the night or early morning stating she is hungry!! Good reason isnt it?

As for scedules,  If you don't care feeding your kid late would distrupt the whole "scedule, yeah it can be done.  Unless there is events or dinner out, I would try to put tigerbaby to bed by 830pm *for many it is actually a bit too late but I jsut can't put her to bed at 7ish and then have my dinner at 9pm!* Anyway as new parents, we need to find what works for us as many say. If I feed her a late dinner lets say at 7pm and by the time we finish ours and then get her ready for bed, it would be 9ish, so whats the big deal?? the side effects is SHE WOULD WAKE UP LATE in the morning and then you be serving lunch at around 1-2 pm and then nap time and then guess what? she be dinnering again at 7! Your whole routine just changed~~~ and you would need another day slowly adjusting back.

As first time mom, we are so hooked up with scedule, time table and whatever you want to call that. to be it is just PURE ROUTINE. I tried changing her routine a little just to "accomodate" myself more and guess what you get - a wailing sulking crying toodler.  Feeding and Napping are crucial to the development of a child. Some moms just have the luck to have kids that ALWAYS HUNGRY and eat whatever you give and go to sleep pretty much in 10 mins. However some don't. *i am one of them that doesn't as you all pretty much figured out by now!*

Ok so enough of yapping so whats your point? Back to the point. A bit drifted off. Independence. I had people asking me, why are you so dependent on your husband?? WTF! Have you ever handle a toodler  24/7 ? Have you ever try going on busses or "trams" with a pram? Husband are meant to be dependend on or else what the point they are call HUSBAND? You don't depend on your husband to buy your pads or tampons but you need them for emotional support and when it comes to having children, they need to help out physically. Unless they made tonnes of money and get nannies and maid for you or else don't give the crap that they are so tired after working whole day. *gee i think this topic has been discuss and debate many times but i am going to say it again anyway*

 So no matter how much independence a woman can have, there is always a breaking point when it comes to being a Stay At Home Mum with babies, toodlers and children.

Many SAHM may not understand what I am saying or may not see it from my view.  Thats fine.  You have a grab of your life. Good on you!

For those that get the crap of what I am talking about, you would by now learn the few steps to this: By hook or by crook, we just have to do it .  Even you are having a flu and having body aches, you just need to move your butt to give your kid a bath, move your butt to the kitchen to make meals and bear with any crying your toodler would have.  As some say, get over it girl! thats how it is.

Welcome to Motherhood - the dark side =)

Monday, June 18, 2012

Aus Diapers: Woolworths Select Crawler 6-11kg

Currently on promotion a pack of 44 pieces at the price of $13.98 ($14) which makes them about $0.32 per piece.

note: for the 99 pieces pack $26.82 - there  is no promotion currently but its more cheaper than the 44 pc pack obviously where one piece is only $0.27 per piece.

And if you are a BabyLove fan, for crawler 93pc pack $29 - round up $0.31 each so it pretty much in par price with Woolworths Select while its on promotion.

Verdict:

Definitely better than the Homebrand nappies regardless of the pricing. The quality of the diaper is much better and the usage is much more user friendly. The tapes are easier to be use; been only using for 2 days and will update more on it. However I do only use it for DAY time so no leakage till now and it can keep quite a lot of urine and yet you don't feel it to be too bulky and it flows through other area of the diaper and not concentrating on the front =)




>>> extra info on the nappy:

Woolworths Select nappies are dermatologically tested and specially designed to keep your baby dry at every stage of their growth. So no matter what your little one is up to, you know they'll be comfortable and protected with these features:
  • Triple layer, lock away technology and an absorbent core provide fast absorption, drawing and locking liquid away from the skin
  • Offers better fit around the legs and double the protection against leakage
  • Breathable cover leaves skin comfortable and dry
  • Strong grip tabs for a secure fit around the tummy
  • Soft and stretchy sides for maximum comfort and secure fit
Plus there’s a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you’re not happy, simply return the empty pack to any Woolworths store to receive a full refund








Wednesday, June 13, 2012

June Toys for Tigerbaby..part 1

Tigerbaby seem to have little toys.. seriously.. she does not like fluffy toys like bears and all her toys that teach colours or fruits are getting boring for her so off we went for a quick shopping trip to Myer @ Bourke St to get some toys for her as it was stocktake sale. After comtemplating for a while and due to the vouchers (gift cards) amount we had, we set for the below 2 items. A Tea set $17 and a Table Chair set (which hubby and I think it is a great deal due to the quality of it ) $30. 

*Table Chair set is made in USA and the item initial cost $80.. wow! 





Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Recipe: Tiramisu (Milo)

As I do not have any instant coffee or coffee of any kind at home, decided to give Milo Tiramisu a try so that Tigerbaby can try it.  However decided to be creative to left some of the mascropone cheese and added some Bailey in it to make a cup and hubby liked it but he still prefer the normal Coffee Baileys tiramisu

Milo tiramisu Verdict: Passed !

Ingredients


1/2 cup of milo
250g mascropone cheese
1/2 cup thickened cream (approx 125ml)
2 tablespoon of caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanila extract
16 sponge fingers (plus minus depending on your box or how you want to put it)
1 cup Warm Water

Methods
1. Line a pan with baking paper (if you want, I didn't)
2. In a shallow dish (or big bowl), use HALF of the milo only and add with the warm water, stir it.
3. Use a wooden spoon, beat the mascropone cheese, caster sugar, vanila extract.
4. Dip sponge fingers on the the milo and lie them on the tray/ box
5. Spread the cheese mixture on top, and then another layer of milo dipped sponge fingers
6. Refrigerate overnight

Note: I kept some of the cheese and added Bailey (1 tablespoon) to it and make this small cup for Hubby. The taste is great still even using milo and not coffee. Of course if you want to make some for Adults then just double the ingridient and make one with coffee and bailey.











Emotional Transition to Parenthood

What is it like entering Motherhood?  Welcome to Parenthood!

I do get this question quite a fair bit and initially i would be stunned for a few seconds as to find the right words to answer this question. It is definitely a huge emotional roller coaster ride I have to say!

First of all, the pain and labour one has to go through itself is indescribable. Well it can be describe but you won't totally understand until yourself goes through it. All I can say this is the first emotional ride you take is to go through the labour pain (but of course if you going through planned C-section, you won't understand this). While going through that phase of pain, you would have a sense of the remarkable sacrifice one woman has to go through to give birth to get the official tag of "being a Parent". This is the first test of the power of your mind to overcome the physical challenge. :)

After giving birth, you would find the joy of holding your new born. But as a first time parent, you would feel like you are in a Lost World. All educational classes you attended won't give you the confidence that you know what to do next. However along the way, with a few trial and error, you would manage it some how.  Feeding, Bathing, Changing and putting you little one to sleep are the basic thing for a new born. However there is always a thought in your mind, Am I doing this right? Is the water temperature right and etc etc little questions you ask yourself while doing things. You find yourself tight up with all little things as you want to give your little one the best of everything and sometimes it can make you stress up more that you make mistakes while doing it.

Needless to say, the Sleepless Nights and Routine is one big transition. You would wake up to feed, then to burp , to play with your newborn and then put your baby back to sleep average every 3 hours (2.5 hours if you are breastfeeding). While your baby naps, you would rush to eat , to bath, house chores or to clean bottles and if there is extra time, a quick nap yourself. When the night time come, you pretty much would be walking like a zombie memorising the steps: Make milk bottle, Feed, Burp, Cuddle and Sleep. However sometimes the little ones don't want to go back to sleep, thats where you go.. Oh why don't you want to sleep? Daddy/Mummy wants to sleep...  this would go on for at least 3 months and when you get the hang of the routine, a new routine starts where they slowly move to solids or purely waking up to play as they have not play enough during day time.

You may think, ahh thats just physical changes in your life, oh my dear friend, you are wrong. The physical is actually much easier to overcome but the emotional is much harder. Why?

If you have been a working person, you would definitely find the difference to the routine and responsibilities that you hold now being a mother as working in a company. You need your mind to remind you that no matter how physical tired you are, you need to do it or else who would do it. House chores can wait, is it true?  when you are a mother, your maternal instinct kicks in. You tend to be more hygienic towards your surrounding, hoping to give a more "clean" environment for your new born child *i have to say, this doesn't work that well when you have your 2nd or at later stage... :) * You will miss eating in peace and so the list goes on... as all of this little things compile, you will have this huge emotional stress all piled up and waiting to explode.

God is great i have to say. With all the stress waiting to explode, you find that by looking at your baby sleeping in your arms or even in their bed you would have this huge calmness in you that seems to wash out the stress you build up for the day. When you see your little one smiling or giggling or even laughing with you, you would have this sweet smile in your heart. You feel the sweetness melting that crying heart of yours that you felt one hour ago when your baby was wailing or crying. It seems every stress you go through there is a gesture of love from your child to counter it.  That is the emotional transition to parenthood that one would go through for sure which would indeed make you a stronger person.

It is your choice to be a happy mother or a depress mother and never underestimate the power of your mind and the gracious of GOD (regardless what religion) to give you the best mind support you need. Pray  for Help when you are in stress and Pray to Thanks when you see the seed of love (i.e your child) grow healthy and happy each day.




Friday, June 8, 2012

What to Expect When you are Pregnant Part 2 - 1st Tri

continued from part 1... as you found out you are pregnant, you would have spend most of your time starting to read up online or ask your friends.. what should I do.. which doctor you recommend etc etc..Ohh I am so lost specially this is your first pregnancy. you would have gotten a rough idea how the medical process work , seriously, Asia countries system is so different with Western countries. To be frank, I seriously feel asia methods are more straight forward and there is pretty much ONE person you need to see every month and he would tell you what to do... thats right, the GYNAE.  As for Australia from my friends information , well.. you hare CHoices! Neways, i won't talk about this much here so i stick to what i know: What you shouldn't be Doing now and What you shouldn't be Eating now.


What you shouldn't be Doing now

1) No Sex for First Trimester ! yeah this is the first thing i would say. Weird and what crap is that well in asian we believe it won't do the baby any good and our vagina area may be a bit more sensitive and if you stimulate it , it may cause miscarriage.  Is there any scientific proof? I can't give you any but thats what elders say and seriously, if this is your first baby after trying for months and years, better believe than not! oh what about the husband?? well...... then its up to the husband whether is it worth the risk after trying so hard many months .....

2)  No Sewing on bed.. ahh another supertious isn't it... yeah yeah ... as tradition, we believe if you sew on bed your child would have a chance of having claf lips or some kind of scar around the face. haha that is really no scientifc logic in it but then why risk sewing on bed .. just sew on a chair or in the living room. 

3) No Major renovation specially of hitting nails on wall - alright this is kinda play along with the ear.  Many people moves houses or do reno during their pregnancy. But for my personal thinking and feeling, don't do it on yoru first trimester. Do it on your 2nd trimester meaning 5th month. Reason? Its simple. Moving houses and renovation is stressful. Noise polution and making arrangmeent and seeing things getting done is pure plain stressful and tired. With this stage you may be normal but you may be going through morning sickness etc etc or just plain TIRED so why don't keep it till when u are more stable with the whole changes in your body ... right ? 

4) Husband are not to go Fishing - This is pure susperstition i have to say! but once again same with point 2 better be safe than sorry. Reasons? First, it is a bit cruel to hook a fish so thats comes with Karma a little. which is what they belielve a hook in a fish mouth and your kid would get claff lips.  You got to be kidding??! But millions of people still fish while their wifes are pregnant. As i say its up to you whether you believe it or not but this is word by word from elders.... 

5) No Heavy Housechores - specially on vacumming and moppping. Well mop the floor is dangerous as the floor may be wet and you may slip so thats the point. Vacumming as you be turning your waist and body in some direction that may stimulate the pregnancy and cause "accidents". So if you have a weak body, try to reduce this house chores but if you are as FIT AS A BULL by all means continue with your housechores. 

As for now.. these are the main things I remember and will update once i recall more...

What you shouldn't be Eating now.

1) Sashimi -  it all goes with Contamination of how the fish is being handle and the freshness of it. 
2) Some type of Vegetables.. ok need to come back to this as there is a list which I need to find where I put it but number 1 not to eat is Cabbage. Is very "cooling" as elders say but small amount (i.e like little shred of it) is still acceptable and not deadly.
3) Dole Banana (the big type)
4) Pineapple 

For most western mind thinking people, your pretty much say what bullshit is that... welll... as again being safe than sorry is the elders motto which ASIAN tend to keep in consideration. 




Friday, June 1, 2012

Aus Diapers: Homebrand Crawler 4-9kg


I think my memory getting weaker each day so I decided to start a section on "Australia Diapers/Nappy" to do my own comparison on products so I don't forget.  Feel free to comment.


Pampers - which from my memory, the result for Pampers was OK just that it came with a kind of smell which is not that likeable for me as i think it is with fragrance so it is not fully fragrance free.  I can't recall which range it is seriously but my verdict on it  is it has franqance which is a big NO for me. As for the usage, it is quite alright however there were a few leaks occurred during night but we thought it was us wearing it wrongly (such as didn't open the flaps properly for eg) but it just seem that it is more prone for accidents. So to my instint, it could be human error but as a mom you won't need extra steps just to put a diaper on for a active toodler.Texture of the diaper was very soft type which feels like using recycled paper. ... so for me, Pampers is out from my buy list!  Verdict: Failed


Snugglers - No leaks occured but to my memory it is at the mid range on pricing. One box cost about $24 (from Big W) .  quality was Ok as of the texture feeling.  As per my recall it is more long shaped type of diaper and the flaps are quite user friendly. Neways, would write a separate post on this brand when I buy them again.  As of for now, Verdict: Passed (as I think i brought up to 3 times on this brand)

Woolworth Homebrand - I decided to get one packet due to it seems so cheap on promotion. 56 pc for $10 (usual price is $14) with calculation it is only $0.18 per piece and on usual it would be $0.25 so its still not to bad. For everyday DAY time usage, i find it quite good for that price as I change at least 3 times during day time for tigerbaby. Definitely worth the value of money! Verdict: Passed - however do not use it at night as the urine just concentrate on the top and wont' flow below. So it is just acceptable for day time where you change frequently. 


Tigerbaby is 21 months old toodler but has a small body build and a tiny waist which result she still uses Crawler level diaper which too is still a bit too big for her ; meaning I would need to tape it right all over to the middle which 2 tapes are sometimes touching each other. Though her weight is 8kg currently which I thought that this packet should fit her perfectly but I was wrong. So if you have a tiny waist baby like tigerbaby then do take consideration for this.






Note: TIgerbaby uses a Asian brand "MaMa Poko" during night time which is a excellent product. *Yes they flew all the way from Malaysia and Singapore* How is it? Even after 12 hours tigerbaby never get a rash *touch wood* and it won't feel like she is logging a bucket of water when she wakes and walk. Will do a post on this brand soon. :) but the verdict:  Exellent

Diapers (Nappies) that Tigerbaby used before:
1) Fitti 360 *asian brand in Singapore*
2) Fitti Basic
3) Pampers for Infant
4) MamaPoko (Size S, M and L)
5) Pampers for Crawler
6) MaMaPoko (Pull Up Pants- extraSoft Fit)
7) Snugglers