Life Journey

H.O.L.I.D.A.Y.

2012-02-08T16:03:00.001+08:00

**** UPDATED ****
As I am typing this, I have mixed feelings.. felt sad I couldn't go for this trip, felt somehow relieved because I know I couldn't enjoy much with my current situation and condition..
So, we have no choice but to postpone this trip until April 2012!!

I can't wait to get out of Singapore this coming Saturday for my long long long overdue break!

Pangkor Laut Resort.. a privately owned resort that promises privacy and tranquility and a good escape from the hustling and bustling of city life!
Just what we needed.. a breather from hectic work, rejuvenate and me to recharge back after 2 back to back op.. and for the kids? Well, for them to soak in the pool and play on the sandy beaches all day long till Zach will say "Mummy, I have old man's hand" haha

CNY Outfits

2012-01-23T00:15:00.002+08:00

I started my buying frenzy for CNY outfits from October onwards!!?! Some of them are from Asos.com - a very affordable and good quality site for wide array of brands of dresses.

Love this top from Traffic People and Asos Bandeau Jumpsuit - I have this love for jumpsuit..casual yet look pro at the same time!

Of course, I do get a few pieces from my regular place - Chinatown where I shopped mostly for my work dresses. I bought about 5 pieces the last time I went and so far wore 2 of them to work and left few pieces for me to wear when I start work on the 10th day of CNY.. keke
Of late, Robinsons also carry some pretty decent looking clothes that don't look too aunty-ish esp brands like Oasis, Core and Collette. I bought a few pieces during their member's preview sale..
In total, I have about 10 outfits to last me throughout the 10 days of leave..hahaha

HUAT AH!

Kieran is 7 month old

2012-01-18T17:09:00.001+08:00

How far this cheeky boy has grown!! From 3.2kg at birth till date he's 9kg or more.. Haha
Summarizing Kieran..
- a happy baby
- slept through the night after 2.5 mth old
- loves pacifier
- loves putting things in his mouth be it food or non-food. Haha
- will wail if he finds his paci missing during sleeping time
- loves Zachary very much!!
- sticks to me like elephant glue! Even if he's sleeping once a while he'll need to place his hand on my face or pull my hair towards him. Lol..I'm not complaining cos I love him too much.

Chinese New Year

2012-01-16T11:52:00.001+08:00

Final week to CNY 2012! Cleaning & washing are on-going coupled with we just move in hence loads to wash n clean. The room is in a mess!! I better get my act together n tidy it up.
I found some time over the past weekend to bake some cookies. Nothing fanciful, just bak kwa cube. It's pretty easy - cutting bak kwa into bite size and mixed into any pastry - I used pineapple tart pastry for it's melt-in the mouth experience.

This was so much easier to shape compared to my first attempt.

Haha.. The above turn out to be like Texas Chicken's biscuit. It's still nice because I used cream cheese and cream as part of the ingredients - FAT!
I'm looking forward to flying back on 1st day of CNY! Will be home till the 9th day of CNY.. Yahoo!!
Till next update..

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

Happy New 2012!

2012-01-02T03:22:00.001+08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I was so pre-occupied with the boys, our new place's completion, my parents visit etc to write.

Last 2 weeks of 2011 is always the best for me. No decisions to be made during meetings, long lunches accompanied by shopping trips etc. Love love love!

Eve of new year's day were spent at Orchid Country Club for staycation. It was a very quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of city but very very far to travel out.. Not gonna stay here nxt time cos can't bring the city out of me even for 3 days!

Zach was learning his first step in swimming. Blowing bubbles underwater. So far so goof. Hopefully he'll remember nxt week!
Now, for NY 2012 Resolutions.. It'll be something simple and achievable and nothing fanciful.
1) More time with the boys doing quality stuff and not me pestering Zach to pack up or clean up
2) Setting up a fixed sleeping schedule for Zach
3) Fix my dysfunctional marriage. (2) is a good start so we have more time for each other
4) Exercise at least twice a week no matter how late it is.
5) Cook frequently! A healthy meal at least twice a week for Zach and Kieran
6) Holidays! Guess it'll be hard for me to spend year end outside of SG due to work commitment from hb so NYC for Christmas and New Year 2012 is not possible? Hmmm..
7) This is something I want N not NEED! A pair of Ferragamo pump. Haha

See how many I manage to fulfill come 2013..

Turning 3

2011-12-13T08:19:00.001+08:00

It's a big small affair for turning 3!
It mark the real beginning of becoming a little man of the house. Mark the beginning of reasoning, bargaining and negotiating to get his way.
I don't accept tantrums at home or outside. No nonsense type of mummy. That doesn't mean I chase him around with a cane. I use reasoning and explaining first n if that don't work scolding comes next.
A friend once commented that if Zach don't ask for permission before going up for the $1 ride he'll get it from me. I beg to differ. I'm proud of my little man for asking my permission. It shows he respected me as mummy and he has his manners. No! I'm not saying her kids r ill mannered. It's just a different way of bringing up kids. 'Nuff said

Birthday celebration with my family! He had loads of fun and the endless smile on his face when he saw the cake!! Couldn't ask for more.. Thanks Aileen, Melinda, Jason, David & Rafe for loving Zach as your own!!
I had another dinner with in-law but photos are in my camera. Shall add that in later.

Turning 3 also means he's a 'big kor kor' as he always refer himself as. He'll hug Kieran and whisper I Love You Didi. I know if something ever happen to me Zach will take good care of his little bro (who btw constantly pulling and tugging him). Hilarious!

But Zach don't mind at all.

Still love him with a smile.
Gosh.. I love my little man more and more and more.

Home Reno - Part 1

2011-12-02T06:20:00.001+08:00

Renovation started on 29 Nov with hacking of kitchen, toilets and cupboards.
All lighting points were fixed or moved. Now waiting for wet works of laying tiles and false ceiling.

No better quality picture as all the lights were gone. Will snap more nxt weekend. Hopefully by then tiling work are completed.

No fancy chandelier this time round. We do not want to spend another $1k for a light that we barely use. So we settled for this chubby transparent dining room light. All other lights are PLC. Simple and straight-forward.

Light for guest room. Gives a nice bright feel to the room.
More to come..
Excited!! I'm actually counting down to moving in early next year.

December

2011-12-01T09:26:00.001+08:00

It's my favoriteee month of the year again!!
1. It's cooling because of all the rain.. downside? My clothes took longer than usual to dry and luckily they dun smell
2. It's Zachary's birthday. This year he is turning 3 and it is a big milestone. Cheekier (Check!), Faster (Check!), Nottier (Check!), Cute-o-meter (Sky rocket high! Check!).
3. It's our wedding anniversary and I suppose we will only be celebrating it at a later date. Busy at work-lah
4. It's Christmas and I start my quest to go around Singapore admiring Christmas trees and lights. This year will be extra special because Kieran is here and he loves shopping..I am always happy to hear him scream in delight

More time is needed

2011-11-29T10:18:00.001+08:00

Work schedule at this time of the year is always crazy!! Back-to-back workshops.. Meetings with bosses and stakeholders during lunch time!
Good that I'm busy as a bee - I don't hv time to eat leisurely and I can feel my dresses are loose!! Woohoo..
I need more time to spend with my boys. Thinking in depth, I only spend average 30 mins with Kieran on weekdays.. Too little. This little boy is growing up too fast..
Zachary is different.. He sleep late and our time starts after Kieran is asleep and since Zach sleeps with me we still get to chit chat after lights off. I still miss him though..

New milestone

2011-11-21T13:11:00.001+08:00

Our new milestone start today! 21 Nov 2011!
More abt it later..

The Lion King

2011-10-31T10:23:00.002+08:00

Caught the finale of The Lion King at Marina Bay Sands! I've been procrastinating for the longest time whether to go for it or not.. and I am super duper very very (pardon the grammar) I did and I am glad I bought the highest category ticket too! I brought Zach along with me knowing he will enjoy the show as well.
I am impressed with all the thoughts put into this musical, the animals, the songs, the story etc.. exactly like how I remember watching the cartoon version.
Zach was enjoying every bits of it too and this show managed to capture his attention when the elephant emerged from the door behind and walked down the steps and we were just seated beside the steps!!! Woohoo..
Next up: Mickey & Friends, The Elves & The Shoemaker or Jack & The Beanstalk - which should I go for? Both should be equally good.. Zach is saying he wants to watch the Shoemaker..lol

Little Charmaine

2011-10-25T17:55:00.002+08:00

Our Feisty Princess, the blog that I used to follow when I first knew of Charmaine's illness.
Now that I am a mother of 2.. re-reading this blog bring a different kind of feelings and emotions. I cannot comprehend what Mummy Cyn may be feeling now!
Each time I think about her, tears just flow.. Thinking about how Mummy Cyn is handling the situation, thinking about her final moment with her brother hugging her tightly refusing to let go.
I am sad..

Time is Essence

2011-10-25T11:07:00.001+08:00

The above saying is true!
I mentioned earlier Kieran is a much different baby from Zachary in terms of behavior. Kieran (K) is more cranky and easily irritable. I attribute it to what I went through during my 37 weeks of pregnancy. Haha
Now that he is 4.5 mth old, he's becoming less irritable. More smiley and responsive. Early morning he'll never fail to greet me with a bright cheery smile.

He recognizes me something I take great pride in. It made all my sacrifices worth it. All the sleepless nights and patience on his incessant crying worth it!
He always reach out and touches my face, at times pulling them closer to him so that he can 'chew' my lips. Haha

Of course not forgetting my hyper hyper Zachary!

Love them to the max!!

Psst.. Look at Kieran frowning.

Kieran

2011-10-13T17:45:00.003+08:00

I'm swarmed with the daily routine to even maintain this space!
Promise I'll do it more diligently. I suppose things will get better as Kieran grows older..

Love to talk.Intro to Sophie.Loving Lamaze toys
Generally he's very smiley and fun to play with. I would say he play hard cry harder. Haha and no i will not post up photos of him being cranky though I have plenty of that.. double haha.

He turn 4 months today and I can't wait till he's big enough to sit unassisted or start on solid.

Cakes #1 Moist Butter Cake

2011-08-05T08:56:00.001+08:00

There's a National Day celebration at Zach's school tomorrow. Kids are encouraged to wear red & white as well as bring party snacks to school for sharing.
Initially wanted to get edible cupcake stickers but I din get ard measuring my cupcake liners.
Settled with this Moist Butter Cake adapted from Little Teochew Homecooking. She made this cake twice and both time it looks yummeh.
Tried it but din get to taste it though. However the aroma of the butter was still wafting around the house hours after! I knew this recipe is a keeper.

Moist Butter Cake (fr Little Teochew Homecooking

* I reduce the amount of sugar since it's meant for children's consumption.

195g all-purpose flour
170g butter
180g sugar (original calls for 250g and Little Teochew reduce to 200g)
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
12 tbsp milk

- Mix flour, salt & baking powder in a clean bowl
- in a separate bowl, beat at medium softened butter & sugar till light and fluffy
- add in the eggs & vanilla essence and combine well.
- mix in flour alternating with milk combining well after each addition.
- pour batter in a baking pan for 40mins at 190 degree. My oven needed 50 minutes.

If the top of the cake darkens before it finish baking, cover with a piece of aluminium paper. :)

The end product! I hope all the kids loves it.

Life as a moo moo cow

2011-07-07T08:14:00.001+08:00

With a blink of an eye my confinement is coming to an end. It's been up & down for the past 20 odd days. Stressed over milk supply, stressed over my messy house, stressed over not spending enough quality time with Zachary.
My day begins at 6.15am..
Pump for 15 mins, prepare milk for Zach, pump another 5 minutes, prepare Zach for school (brush teeth and change), wash up, rest for a while till 8.30am, breakfast, read the papers, express/latch, lunch, rest, express/latch, rest, dinner, express/latch, spend time with Zach, express n sleep!!
Alot of my time is spent with my pump! Luckily I'm taking 15 -20 mins max to express compared to an hr for latch. It looks tiring but I gotta psycho myself to endure for next 11 mths!

Kieran is very responsive to people talking to him.

He's not feeling too good on his tummy so sleeping upright is the best position for him.

That's the mouth he'll gv when you talk to him.

Decisions! Decisions!

2011-06-30T10:02:00.001+08:00

Question: What are your plans after your maternity?
This q caught me by surprise. Err.. Status quo? Boys go to babysitter's house and I pick them up at 7pm?
Hb's suggestion: Continue sending them to babysitter, we get a maid so that night time there's help. Triple amount to spend. Babysitter for the boys n maid excluding levy, additional utilities, food n lodging. Doesn't make sense.
He further suggest I quit my job but that would mean I lose my financial freedom and Zach would need to stop his current school arrangement (which I bore the fees all on my own)! I can't do that to my boy.. The thought of having to get $$ from him is daunting.. How much can he give? How much I need to maintain my sanity at home? $2K? $3K? Does that mean I hv to cook? Ugh..

Kieran Tan

2011-06-24T09:57:00.001+08:00

Born 13 June 2011 weighing 3.285kg at 50cm in length. Not bad for a 37 week baby!!
I was scheduled for c-sect on 21 June 2011 at week of 38! As how my past pregnancy is this time round, I thank God pre-eclampsia nvr found it's way nor water retention or high blood pressure. However, I was suffering from stomach hardening most of the time that walking seems so difficult.
I took urgent leave on 25/05 to see my gynae about it only to find out:
1. I'm having contractions not Braxton
2. My cervix is softening.
Gynae ordered bed rest for the rest of the week afraid that baby may decide to make an appearance.
3 days of bed rest became 3 weeks of bed rest.. I was soooo bored at home, not mobile enough to go out all the time (that'll defeat the purpose of bed rest, right?).
Nxt bad news I received fr gynae 2 weeks later is my amniotic fluid is low! And baby do not have much space to move so no point keeping baby in my tummy anymore!! Date was brought forward by a week - 14/06!
Well.. Mom being mom couldn't resist checking with a geomancer on good dates. Apparently the only good date is 13/06 or 17/06!! As my water level is dangerously low, we doubt gynae will allow c-sect on Friday.. So scrambling to call her on 11/06 morning informing her I wanna deliver on 13/06 then rush down to pay $3K in cash for delivery was no joke.. Muahaha
So that's it.. Delivery via c-sect with epidural on 13/06 between 7am - 9am!
Naturally I had a feast the day before, indulging in laksa n durian pengat.

2011-05-27T18:36:00.001+08:00

I knew this day would come.. Zach had severe attack of wheezing last night and this morning I realized he's breathless when he talks and he's trying to catch his breath.
Sensing something is wrong, asked hb to come back n drive us to PD. Trust mother's instinct my worries came true. Dr Ee said this is quite an escalation of his usual bout of wheezing and it can be considered mild asthma attack cos of the breathlessness. Sigh.. My heart just sank!!
Recommended to nebulize him for 5 days and then he needs to be on inhaler for 2 months!!! This is prevention course. I certainly hope he's not going to be on inhaler forever.

Now as I calm down, I began to think what I did wrong.. I stopped all cold drinks, no ribena, no vitagen, no yoghurt nor cheese unless if course he took all those at nanny's place. Sigh.. What can I do abt it? There's alot of things which I don't feel happy abt like how can my son don't nap when on weekends he'll nap from 2pm - 5pm at least. Or how can she let him nap till 6pm knowing that 10.30pm he's supposed to be on bed so that he can get up well rested for school but that never happen cos he'll sleep at 12am at least.
Like this instance... Took medication at 9.30am will make him drowsy by 2pm. I picked him up at 5.30pm n I was told he din nap!!! Wow.. N now it's dinner time, my boy is snoring away.. Zzz
Drastic measure needs to be taken!!

Easy peasy

2011-05-20T11:43:00.001+08:00

Life's so convenient with Internet connections and online shopping.. I frequent sites like Gap, Amazon, Asos and 2 days ago I realize I need to stock up on my kitchen stuffs since I'll be doing confinement in SG. It's no fun bringing Zach to supermarket and have him running around and we have to lug bags and bags of groceries! So.. It's off to Fairprice online!

It's such a breeze! I'm more organized because the site is organized so no impromptu & impulse buying!!
Total spent: $100 including $7 delivery charges..
My items were delivered today packed neatly in boxes (no plastic bags = environment friendly)

Long weekends

2011-05-05T14:11:00.005+08:00

I love long weekends! It made time passes by quickly *I know I am crazy that I want time to pass! But as long as it flew past, I can look forward to my delivery and maternity leave*

I love the month of May.. Labor's Day fall on Sunday so Monday was a public holiday, Polling Day is on 7 May which we get a day off so I am flying back to Malaysia to celebrate Mother's Day with mommy dearest and at the same time utilizing the day off for Polling Day as well as additional day when I came back for testing at the wee hours! Not forgetting Zach's Sports Day is on 13 May which I am on leave again and then 17 May is Vesak Day! Woohoo..how not to love May? Muahaha

We went for our usual staycation at St Regis over the Labor Day weekend. St Regis again? Well, no choice since I get free night stay with complimentary buffet breakfast (nothing fantastic to shout about) and free usage of all their facilities with wine tasting every night..it comes with The Astor card that I signed up for and renewed for the 2nd year..will not renew it for another year since I am kinda bored with the same thing though the service was impeccable each time we stayed there..time for another membership..keke

Zach is definitely growing up fast! I can remember our first staycation, he is still a young baby that doesn't really know where he is but now, he knows we are staying in a hotel, he knows he can enjoy bubble bath, watch TV, sleep late and wake up late, swim at the pool, R&R etc.. he is practically charming everyone in the hotel! Hahaha.. He ordered his own food..sheesh..wait till he knows the price difference..hehe It is definitely a much enjoyable experience this time round and I am sure there are many more to come. :)

Random Ramblings

2011-04-11T09:47:00.006+08:00

We came back from Hong Kong more than a week ago and I've yet to regain back the loss of sleep!! The tiredness is taking a toll on me, my back etc..

Zach with his collection of Angry Birds

I began to wonder how my body is functioning with 3 hrs of sleep for the past months, I kinda lost count since when I start waking up at 2.40am, 3.30am and not being able to sleep till 6.30am, which is a mere 5 minutes snooze time for me since my alarm is set at 6.35am on weekdays!

Tried all kinds of method to fall asleep, eating less, waking up for hot drink like milo or horlick, reading, Bejeweled (temporarily gotta ban this at wee hours cos it is causing my brain activity to peak), flu pill..only thing yet to try is downing Dom or Yomeishu which I don't think I should since I am preggy at this moment.

Well, good thing about this is that I am more or less prepared for #2 to come in about 10 weeks time!!! Woohoo.. guess it will be no problem for me to moo moo at ungodly hours, attending to his whims and needs or mabbe my body clock is weird, after I pop I will be so tired out that I need at least 10 hours of sleep daily? Muahaha..that will be so ironic and WEIRD.

Finally, after sucha long time I get to meet up with a few friends that we used to meet every Saturday. It was a busy busy weekend since the start of 2011. We had dinner at HRC, RWS with the initial plan of going into USS after hours but shelved off when it rained heavily!! Missed the 9pm fireworks but vowed to be back again for it.. Zach had fun of course meeting up with his 'older bro' Darrell. He rarely play with the other 2 peers..I wonder y..lol

Having hotdog for dinner - triple tsk to mummy for allowing that

I gotta give him more activities before I deliver and gotta be confined for the whole of 1 month. I can only think how boring it would be for him on Saturday and Sunday.

2011-03-19T00:13:00.001+08:00

It was a tiring but fun day for me & Zach. Having stayed home for 4 days with each other, we went out today!
I applied leave much earlier since it's his school holiday (1week). I had gynae appointment in the morning followed by lunch (we tapao-ed) and Zach took a quick 2-hour nap. We rushed out to Singapore Indoor Stadium to watch Disney on Ice.. I'm so glad I splurged on rinkside tickets cos I don't know how those peeps or little kids can even see fr high up.
Zach was very enthu abt the whole show! He said he wanted to watch again.. Haha. I too enjoy the show because I'm a true blue Disney fan.
He was a happy boy after the show!

YouTube Video

My very musically inclined son! Modifying Wheels on The Bus with his own version!!

Dinner @ Ippudo because I wanted to go to the baby fair @ Taka. Zach loves the tamago while I heart their deep fried gyoza.. Yummy yum tum!

Entering 23rd week

2011-03-03T08:20:00.001+08:00

I can still fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes!! That's because I have not been putting on as much weight as I should be; comparing with me preggy with Zach too. Hehe.. So far it's only 4kg!! Hopefully by the time I deliver, it'll be < 10kg!

My little attempts to make me less frumpy by wearing some accessories.

2011-02-23T23:01:00.001+08:00

I went to bed & woke up with a terrible and throbbing headache yesterday. Decided to stay home to rest. Since I can't be resting the whole day, it was also planned that Zach will not go to babysitter's place after school.

I went to his school at 11.50am to pick him up. He saw me, got up, with a surprised look ran to me and gave me a very very tight hug! I can't help but to tear.. I juz felt so helpless at times like this because he needs me clearly but being a full-time working mum, I can only relish this joy once a while..

We had small shell pasta with cream snapper n mince pork for lunch. It feels good to watch him finish up his lunch!! :)

I made an impromptu move to bring him to East Coast for sand play. He's having runny nose n some fresh air may help!! Round up all the tools required, we made our way there...

He was very happy to be able to play freely with the sand & water. I felt so relaxed and happy too.. Wish the day would last longer cos we only spent 45 mins at the beach :(

Nevertheless it was great spending quality time with Zach before the arrival of his lil bro. I wanted to make sure Zach will not feel left out or lonely. I've made mental note to bring him put on an individual basis every mth!! :)

We're both fooling ard at home. Hehe

Half-way mark

2011-02-16T14:02:00.001+08:00

Yesterday marked my 20th week of pregnancy. Time flies for sure.. Counting it'll be another 17 or 18 more weeks to go. Boy, it's scary. Scary because of delivery? Nah.. Scary because of confinement? Nah. Scared whenever I thought of returning back to work. The logistic nightmare of preparing 2 kids. One to nursery n another to babysitter. With me need to express, can I even get decent sleep?? Haha

Before CNY I went for my routine gynae checkup. I'm expecting a baby boy again!! The boy gene is surely very strong in his family. Boy or girl, though girl is much preferred doesn't matter cos as ppl always say "As long as baby is healthy". I do hope mine is.. I've been very nottie, eating raw food at times I can't resist!! Haha

Chinese New Year 2011

2011-02-09T10:48:00.003+08:00

Chinese New Year 2011 is gone with just a blink of an eye. Technically, it is still CNY as it is only the 7th day today..to me, as long as I started work, CNY is over for me.

This festive season is always fun during the preparatory stage and when it is the actual day, everyone just fall flat on their back - too tired, fatigue, hot weather! Kids will be the happiest because they will be receiving Ang Pows (red packets). Even Zach started saying "Give me ang pow" after his "Gong Xi Fa Cai"..arrggh..i m so 'paiseh' each time he said that cos that sounded so wrong! Luckily he only dared to say that to his grandpa (my dad)..lol

We resorted in giving him an empty red packet to hold

Lil' Ethan wants to play

1st Day of CNY

2nd Day of CNY - having lunch at Pizza Hut

Family pix - Don't ask me why my husband is not in the picture! The reason is the same yearly..

Kuih Bahulu

2011-01-14T19:45:00.005+08:00

Zachary loves kuih bahulu very much! He can gobble up to 3 at one go.. since Chinese New Year is around the corner and kuih bahulu used to be made by my grandmother (the traditional way of course), I decided to scour the www for a trusted recipe!

I remembered chancing upon a recipe from My Kitchen Snippet and hence decided to go with her recipe..

This is my first try and thanks to Melinda who gave me 2 kuih bahulu mould as Christmas present..

* I omitted lemon zest and replaced 3 tbsp of melted butter with canola oil instead.

HO HO HO HO

2010-12-24T09:29:00.003+08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Love,
Kathleen

Christmas & New Year

2010-12-08T16:05:00.001+08:00

Christmas is 2 weeks away!! Not getting super excited because my 'mid-afternoon' sickness is not getting any better. I weigh myself and my weight actually went down!! Colleagues commented I don't look pregnant.. is it a good thing?

I have yet to decide on Zach's gift. As for hb's I'll skip his since I got him a fairly expensive gift for anniversary so that will make up for Christmas and our customary anniversary.

New Year means I've gotta come out with new resolutions!! Muahaha.. Let's recap last year's resolution:
1. More bags & shoes - check!! Acquired more than 2 bags n 10 pairs of shoes but how come I dun see my shoe collection growing??
2. Lose weight - arrghh.. This did not happen! My weight was stagnant at 53kg.. Stubborn! Now I can't lose anymore because I'm expecting!
3. Stay healthy & happy - fail! Wasn't happy because of work.. N when not happy I get migraine which means not healthy.

Ignore the above!! Haha.. For 2011 I must:
1. Lose all my pregnancy weight by exercising!!
2. Learn how to roller-blade. Been wanting to learn but always too shy.
3. Make sure I save at least 45% of my salary. That also means no more cards spending! 45% will include joint-savings, employee share options, investments and fixed deposits!! Does that mean I can spend money like water like wat I've been doing everyday? Haha.. NO!!
4. Save enough cash for upfront payment for us to purchase a private property. I'm thinking of one for investment or rental yield purposes and then renovate our current nest.
5. Stay healthy! Be happy! More patience towards hubby, Zach and the new baby..
6. Oh.. How can I forget?? MORE HOLIDAYS!! I must go Japan nxt year. I don't care if it's to Tokyo or Hokkaido. I juz want my feet to step on their soil! Lol..

Boring entry.. Some pix to brighten it.

Our Christmas tree

Zach testing all Ikea's chair!

Little blue box inspired tree

Zach built this! He even catered a space for the little man to seat!

Our #2

2010-11-16T15:55:00.002+08:00

I have decided at this point of time will not be creating a separate webbie for our #2. It may sound unfair cos Zach has his own blog and #2 do not have one..but well, the downside of #2? Hahaha..
I am a fair person..in due time I will create one for the baby just not now cos I am still in my first tri and I am feeling so tired all the time and not to mention I feel FAT despite not eating like a cow!

2010-11-15T09:46:00.002+08:00

I wasn't in the best of mood for the past months due to:
1. Work - things went horribly wrong to the extend I left a meeting halfway and packed my stuff n stay home for 2 days!
2. Work - I tendered my resignation soon after. Felt at top of the world with no burden no worries. I cannot be an executor.. Give me salary and I want to make sure the things I delivered are of good quality!! That's me.. Hence I felt I can't continue
3.

Yeap!! I am 6 weeks pregnant.. Could it be the reason I'm so charged up n more irritant than usual??
4. Work - after doing my sums with hubby n not wanting to sacrifice on things materially coupled with insistent talk by 3 bosses, I retracted my letter. Not a smart move but I hope I can 'tong' till march at least to get my bonus. Doubt it'll be alot after all that has happened but any money is better than no Money.

I had to keep this pregnancy a hush hush for the time being, something I'm not very happy with cos I've decided to transfer to another team within the same dept and I'm not sure how my new little Boss will take the news. Sigh..
Told hb this morning, when I was pregnant way back in 2008, I also had to keep the news under wrap cos my boss is not exactly pro-family. This time round, the same thing again!! Why can't I proudly say I'M PREGNANT! And everyone will be congratulating instead? Maybe then I'll have a full term baby instead of delivering at 37 weeks because my mind is worrying any how other think!!

Can I for once make myself happy? Hmm..

One year older

2010-11-01T09:46:00.002+08:00

None the wiser! My birthday wish for myself? To have higher EQ.. That'll really help me to get further in my career. Yep, I still want to climb the corporate ladder. Do not want the man to be juz the man of the house. Haha.. The competitive nature in me.
Hb booked The Greenhouse (again!) for dinner but was canned by me cos the food wasn't fantastic to start with. So it's to

Shangri La where the oysters were super big n fresh! Food selection was great.. Not much appetite no thanks to my sprained neck while carrying Zach during class. But Zach ate alot.. Till he threw in the bib. Lol

A surprise mini cake for me!
Next year will be a much better celebration.. I promise!

Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake

2010-10-20T09:51:00.004+08:00

One of the many food blogs that I follow, this particular one caught my interest the most! A SAHM with 3 kids and yet she manage to whip up really good cakes, dishes etc and her photography skills are really good too. None other than The Little Teochew.

Inspired by her Cotton Soft Cheesecake, I attempted to bake one for my dad's birthday! It was a near disaster.. the cake was practically in the oven for 12 hrs! Hahaha.. I attempted the 2nd time earlier this week and this time round, I made a real small cake and I finish it on my own..that spells FAT. It was a success..Happy! Next time I will bake the same cake again and decorate it..

Cotton Soft Japanese Cheesecake (recipe from here)

After Work Party

2010-10-12T19:43:00.002+08:00

New Asia Bar. A place that we frequent during our dating days. It was really a crowded place but today was quiet though they hv this every Tuesday After Work party at $15 entrance fee + free drink per person.
Hubby suggested this place after work today to wind down. We're both stressed at work recently.

Dressed up for a night of partying!!

Breathtaking view from 71st floor! Awesome!!

Photography

2010-10-11T15:58:00.001+08:00

I've always been fascinated by how those professional photogs capturing beautiful moments.. The angles, the story a photo tells.
I too wanted to jump into this bandwagon n I consider myself far fr amateur. Haha..

Using my trusted iPhone camera to capture the breathtaking Singapore's financial district.

And there's always idiot-proof app that helps to make the photos look artsy-fartsy.

Graduation

2010-10-10T09:01:00.003+08:00

Finally he graduated! A very long journey for both of us..4 years of hardwork, sweat and tears.

I am glad it is all over... it isn't easy for both of us but glad we made it so far and finger crosses we will overcome all storms ahead!

Awfully Chocolate Banana Cake - a keeper!

2010-09-28T09:50:00.007+08:00

This recipe is a keeper! I've decided to start blogging down those recipes that I've tried and taste-tested to be good into my journal so that I can remember :)

Awfully Chocolate Banana Cake (adapted from Aunty Yochana)
Prep time: 15minutes

Chocolate Sponge Cake
(A)
4 egg yolk
100g castor sugar
120g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g corn oil
1 tsp vanilla essence

30g cocoa powder + 120g hot water - stir till smooth

(B)
4 egg white
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
60g (50g) castor sugar

Method
1. Put (A) into a mixing bowl and mix them well.
2. Pour in cocoa mixture and stir till smooth.
3. Whip egg white and cream of tartar together till frothy (about 30s) on speed 2.
4. Add in sugar and continue whip for 2 minutes till soft peak (not stiff peak else it will be difficult to fold).
5. Take 1/3 of the egg white mixture and mix into the chocolate mixture. Mix well.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the remaining egg white and fold gently. Becareful not to overmix or the egg white will deflate and the cake will sink)
7. Pour mixture into a 9" cake pan (square or round) and bake at 175C for 50minutes or when inserted skewer comes out clean.
8. Leave on wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Mousse
400g (300g) Whip Cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp gelatine + 4tbsp water - microwave for 20 seconds
50g cocoa powder + 80g (50g) icing sugar
1 1/2 tbsp Nescafe + 1 1/2 hot water
1 tbsp baileys or tia maria (I omit this)

2 large ripe Del Monte Bananas - slice thickly

Method
1. Beat whip cream till soft peak
2. Mix all the ingredients together

Assembling
1. Slice the sponge cake into 3 layer.
2. Spread chocolate mousse on the first layer, arrange sliced bananas and spread another layer of chocolate mousse to cover.
3. Top with second layer of sponge cake and repeat (2).
4. Cover the cake with remaining mousse and let it set in fridge for an hour or so.

Ganache
35g cocoa powder
50g (30g) castor sugar
150g whip cream
30g butter
80g cooking chocolate - I use white chocolate

Method:
1. Double-boil all the ingredient above till it thickens and become a smooth batter.
2. Let it cool completely before pouring it onto the cake

*measurement in bracket is the one I used - I prefer to reduce the sugar for health reason.

Busy Days Ahead

2010-09-22T15:17:00.002+08:00

These coming months are busy for me..and when it is busy for me, it is busy for Zachary as well! Why is that so? Me and baby is one entity..I am busy, he will busy too!

Oct - workwise I am having UAT till 29th..which means I will continue to be working late till 8pm/9pm and then gotta rush home to spend some time with Zach
personal life, gotta attend hb's convocation (finally!) and then we have a 3d2n staycation at St Regis (can't wait for that!!)

Nov - workwise I have to prepare for product launch on 21 Nov (if that's still possible) and mabbe gotta travel to Taiwan for 2 weeks!
personal life - a very good ex-colleague is tying the knot but I am still contemplating if I should attend cos I really do not know my schedule..but I really wanted to fly back to KL to attend cos I have not seen them for ages.. as I age, I feel it is important to maintain contacts with all my good friends!

Dec - possibly support, start of new projects.. planning Zach's 2nd birthday. Will not have a mega party but just a small party at McDonald's for the kids to have fun!
Lotsa celebration in Dec..our ROM anniversary and customary anniversary. Should we even celebrate both of them? Arrgghh... just celebrate a combined one will do-lah. Save $$

New diet plan needed!

2010-09-17T15:33:00.001+08:00

I need a diet plan!! My bulging tummy is really disgusting me.. Mabbe I should detox and really go to gym diligently.
Will start once my UAT completes..it is driving me up the wall.
As a kickstart, will eat fruits for breaky and black coffee as well!

Sweet tooth

2010-08-30T16:48:00.001+08:00

Another visit to Once Upon A Milkshake.

Had Strawberry Agent ice cream this time round. Did not disappoint me at all.

Desserts

2010-08-28T08:14:00.000+08:00

Had a wonderful lunch with my temps and colleague at Riccioti.

Sobs that both Cheryl and Ming Hui are leaving (left). They're both good.. At least I know I'm getting quality stuff.

Bleah

2010-08-21T20:01:00.000+08:00

Tsk tsk.. Look at how uncivilized some ppl can be.

It's a restaurant for pete's sake.. Keep the smelly feet at home!

While waiting

2010-08-15T23:30:00.001+08:00

Starhub service is prolly the suckiest around! We had to wait > 30 mins to be served and then queued > 40 mins to pay! The q was snaking long and only 1 cashier. Come on, there are like 20 counters servicing customers for mobile, cable, broadband. Surely they can afford additional cashier in such big outlet??
So Zach decided to kill time by snapping photos using my iPhone 3G!

2010-08-05T18:01:00.005+08:00

Walked over to IP (International Plaza) today after lunch with the intention of getting some envelopes for my Modisch.Bebe online biz but can't help myself to stroll into Heatwave..keke and came out with this pair of shoe!

I wanted to find a black peep toe pump to replace my Schu which is nearly 2 years old alr and it's PVC skin is starting to look dull and peeled..can't find one that captured my heart so I went for this color and design instead.

I threw away 6 - 7 pairs of dated shoes yesterday and I have every intention of replacing them again..but of course if I ever find one that I love!

Pre-LASIK

2010-08-05T08:57:00.003+08:00

Can't wait to go for my LASIK eye assessment.. everyone's been telling me what a worthy investment it will be.

This will mark my 3rd assessment for trying to do LASIK and I hope this will be the last one..do not want another hiccup.

Incompetent fools

2010-07-19T18:37:00.001+08:00

Hate my job! Really hate it to the core..cos I have to deal with whole bunch of incompetent fools! How come my ex-boss theory of money can buy talent does not apply to this large organization that always seems to be spending tens of thousands or millions of dollars into technology that seems to be outdated or worse..supporting talent that do not give any support at all..

Yummy Yummy

2010-07-18T01:28:00.004+08:00

Left these out from my last post..

Shark fin soup!

After dinner drink topped with yoghurt - the healthier choice!

I am hungry...

Travelogue: Bangkok

2010-07-11T23:59:00.006+08:00

This trip really started off bad..I received an SMS from Jetstar informing us that the flight was delayed till 1.15pm! Supposed to be 11plus am..we were so excited abt going to BKK and thinking that earlier flight could mean more time to shop! Essentially, this only left us with 1 3/4 day in BKK..boo!

Us waiting to board the plane to BKK

We immediately checked into our hotel upon reaching BKK and wasted no time to hit MBK! Did not buy much exccept for 2 big packets of snacks, 2 pairs of shoes! Woohoo..shoes are dirt cheap in BKK. BHT150 per pair ~ SGD7. Heart will not ache if it spoils within a month, though I am hoping they don't. Hahaha

Super single bed!

Lazing before shopping!

BKK is so different from 2 years ago when hubby & I were there, especially Novotel area. Not sure if it is due to the burnt down mall during the recent riots, there are so many peddlers selling their wares on the street which wasn't there the previous time. However, I do not find the items are cheaper than before though it was supposed to be the Great Thailand Sale! I wonder...

Yummilicious dinner + Tom Yum Goong

I had tom yam goong 3 days in a row, some days twice a day till I thought I was having gastric on the last day of our trip.. :p

It was my first time visiting Platinum though I was being told or read about its existence few years back. Somehow always did not manage to locate that building..double boo! This time round, we took a cab..and we were told that it is only opened at 10am till 5pm but on the last day, we saw that they opened from 8am - 8pm..ceh, got smoked.

Need energy to shop? Have a hearty breakfast!

We had aromatherapy massage on Day 2 at Healthland.. super duper shiok and it is pretty affordable at BHT850! I must try others as I really wanted to do some scrub and serious feet massage too..keke. Pressing for time, hit the malls to get Wacoal/Triumph, most Singaporeans highlight whenever trips to BKK is made..muahaha. Did not get many except 1 from Morgan and few undies. I need to revamp my undies dept once every few months..lol

Us before having our tight knots removed by the experienced masseuse

Our loots from 1 day of shopping! Luckily we did not exceed the baggage weight!

The last day was the worst day! We woke up early to hit Platinum Mall again to get some last minute stuff and rushed back to hotel to check out etc.

Our flight back to SG is 1.20pm..reached the airport, counter was not opened YET (we were told..) then one lady told us our flight was CANCELLED! and the next available one is 9pm..I really got a shock..near to disbelief. I am not going to wait 9hrs in the airport doing nothing..not that we have much moolah left. No books or magz to read..Angry! Called their call center only to have the calls disconnected TWICE!

Bye Bye BKK!

Finally, we paid additional $200 odd for Tiger Airways and managed to reached home by 6.30pm! Phew..how I miss my little cheeky monster!! Such a darling..shall blog about our experience at Modesto's. Lol..

This trip was overall fun albeit rush! At least I have a decent 2-night sleep on a very good bed with 3 plush pillows and warm comforter..muahaha

Planning another trip soon..and will unveil a surprise pretty soon!

Stay tuned...

Cath Kitston

2010-07-07T18:42:00.001+08:00

I was shopping during lunch time and I spotted this beauty!
At the same time another customer was 'bio-ing' the same bag (only 1 piece).
After pondering for 10 minutes, I decided to juz close one eyes and purchase it!

Mad about extensions

2010-06-25T09:11:00.004+08:00

Did this set of nails last night at Yishun, a hom-based nail technician. Her skills are good and she is very friendly too.
Though the price is very steep but I simply love having nicely doned up nails.. it makes me happy to see them whenever I am typing on my keyboard.
I'll definitely refrain myself from going regularly, mabbe 5 weeks once?

Luv it

2010-06-24T12:27:00.001+08:00

Simply love this dress that I got during our Oz trip last month.

Stretchy material and thick enuf to hide my bulge but not weighing me down.
Pair with a pair of nude color pump!

More funny faces

2010-06-09T11:20:00.002+08:00

Mickey pose

Captain Zach Cape

Even daddy joined in the fun

I'm proud of Zach for coloring this (an online app) and saving this to my photo album.

Fun times

2010-06-09T11:10:00.002+08:00

In foul mood cos my entry juz vanished into thin air!! My phone is driving me nuts.. Time to change when 4 comes to SG.. Hee

We're bad parents. In order to enjoy 30 minutes of TV last night (hey, it's Buffetlicious), we turned on Zach's fave DVD show on the portable player.

Look at how serious he look and his eyes is actually squinting. Hope he do not need specs soon.
Bedtime is fun time. Some days we read stories, some days we sing-a-long. Last night was funny faces on camera.

Zach nose rubbing action

Ooppss.. Think I reached the max no of photos to be uploaded!

Bad Start

2010-05-27T08:41:00.002+08:00

Our trip started off with a bad bad start... :((

Reached Melbourne at 4 am SG time to a temp of 9deg!! Love the weather here... Zach was happy too.

Everyone is now catching some precious winks.. Hb did not sleep at all while Zach only manage a measly 4hrs. Me? Not impt whether I sleep or not cos who needs sleep when on hols??

Guess what? We're so gung-ho by not bringing Zach's stroller.. Quote hb 'we'll look for one here if the need arises'

Zachary, my pledge to you

2010-05-13T13:36:00.006+08:00

Zachary is turning 18 month soon!! Time sure flies and looking back at when I first found out that I was pregnant to frantically look for a gynae finding out the gender of our baby and naming him Zachary Tan..remembering the days when I talk to him day and night, buying bedtime stories even before he was born..and now, my baby is walking steadily to the extend of running, babbling in his baby language, thinking that we would understand and of course I do know what he was trying to say, I am afterall his mom! *Proud*

Being a full-time working mom, I have to place him with my trusted babysitter, that came highly recommended by my bestie. She's godsend and I am lucky Zach loves her and her family as well! However, I can't help but feeling sad and jealous pang will hit at times because the amount of time I spend with him is only a mere 2 hours (exlcuding sleeping time of course) compared to him spending 12hrs with his nanny. Out of these 2 precious hours, 1/4 of it will go to preparing him for bedtime, me taking a shower, preparing his meals and packing his and my stuff for tomorrow.

I've read many articles and books that kids that Zach's age (before 3 years old) have brains akin a sponge, absorbing fast and so we have to guide them well.. It's like treating Zach as a piece of white paper and he is what we wants to write but if we decides not to write anything and let him be, he will turn out to be messed up and I do not want that to happen..hiak hiak

I bought many many books for him, trying to cultivate good reading habits but alas, I was not disciplined enough to sit down with him daily to read it with him *sad*.. the same goes for flash cards, educational toys, etc. Zach has loads of them, enough to accomodate a playgroup of 5 to 7 kids of his age!

I was always telling hubby how we ought to bring him to the park more often to expose himself to the nature instead of cooping inside air-conditioned malls every weekend and sadly, this never happened!

I AM GOING TO CHANGE! NO MORE PROCRASTINATING..

ZACHARY, MUMMY AND DADDY PLEDGE TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOU, NOT MISSING YOUR DAILY GROWTH PROGRESS, GUIDING YOU TOWARDS TODDLERHOOD, ALLOWING YOU TO GROW UP TO BE A HAPPY, KIND AND CARING PERSON!

What we said we wanted to do in the past and did not get to do, we will fulfill our promise..visits to the Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Botanic Garden, Marina Barrage..

NATIONAL FAMILY CELEBRATIONS 2010 (NFC 2010)

Organised by the National Family Council, National Family Celebrations is an annual event which celebrates and reinforces the importance of families and family life. This year, Singaporeans are encouraged to make a personal commitment to their families by being a part of the Singapore Family Pledge Movement.

To provide opportunities for Singaporeans to follow through on the pledges to their families, there are a myriad of activities under the NFC 2010 calendar – which will interest the young, the old, and everyone in between! NFC 2010 will be held from 25 May to 26 June 2010, and this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Celebrations. For more information on NFC 2010, visit www.nfc.sg

Thoughts Recollection

2010-05-13T12:40:00.003+08:00

Bear with me for not posting for sucha long long time..

I was pretty busy travelling between KL <> Singapore <> Taiwan for the past weeks and I am now rushing to complete and send out some documentations and also finish up our Australia trip itinerary..been putting it off for the longest time ever and the trip is 2 weeks away!! Aiks..

I just need to sort out my thoughts and blog them.. =)

Counting down miserably..

2010-04-30T23:11:00.003+08:00

2 more days to me flying off to Taipei for a week-long business trip.

Zach and myself flew back to Klang so that my parents can take care of him for the week.. I'll be missing him much!

Trips

2010-04-23T23:43:00.003+08:00

Busy travelling in the month of May..

My trip to Taipei on 3rd May is confirmed and tickets were issued today and hotel booked too! Gonna be there for 5 working days..I will miss Zach very very much..Arrggh..this is the first time I will be away from him for so many days!!!

I will bring him back to my parents during my absence which means we will be travelling back to Klang next Saturday and another trip down to pick him up the following Saturday.

Rest for 2 more weeks and we will be off to Melbourne and it's surrounding cities..can't wait for our trip!

Then it will be a busy schedule at work!

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

2010-04-13T21:11:00.006+08:00

My family loves chiffon cake so I made it a point to do some blog-reading to some of my most frequented food bloggers site to search for a reliable chiffon cake recipe.

This time round I decided to follow Aunty Yochana's recipe.

Chocolate mixture - I use Valrhona chocolate which is quite expensive but doesn't matter since it is for my family's enjoyment. Looking good..teehee

Egg white mixture - I substituted cream of tartar with lemon juice. Happy that I manage to whisk it to the right consistency compared to my failed cheesecake whipped cream earlier.

Baking in progress...

The outcome..

Traces of egg white because I did not mix them thoroughly afraid that the outcome will be too dense
Strong chocolatey taste and soft cottony texture!!

Yay!

2010-04-08T08:25:00.004+08:00

Received an email that my order has been shipped! Can't wait to get my hands on them..

And I finally collected my parcel from the post office yesterday..been waiting for them for the past 1.5months!

Booties

All of them fitted perfectly well and I wore the pink one to work todae - super comfy lor and the
blue heels is my favie!

Wondering and Questioning

2010-04-07T15:44:00.003+08:00

I began to wonder why I always get to worked up over work issues!

Politics within office is inevitable and I've seen those over the span of 11 years of my working life but working in a financial institution is a different ball game all together.. people only want to get the merits for themselves and pushes blame to others. Where is the teamwork spirit? None! Nada!

Now I question is this the kind of work life I want to have? Have to shout and scream and raise my voice in order to get things done? Where are the common senses? What about customer's experience? Where is the customer is king mindset?

Bintan

2010-04-06T22:03:00.010+08:00

Finally have some quiet time to blog about out our mini getaway to Bintan which I promised about 2 posts ago.

Here is Zach killing time while waiting for our ferry..he's been helping himself to all my barang barang in my bag ever since he knows how to open up the zip!

We started camwhoring while hubby is waiting for our luggage. Asking Zach to pose for a photo is so much easier because he will stand still though still unsure on how to pose! Teehee

Fuss free checking in to Bintan Lagoon and we were impressed with the size of our Floral Suite..it comes with a living room and spacious bedroom, changing room and bathroom with a jacuzzi - the whole reason I booked this expensive suite! The balcony made us go WOW!! Big..haha

Zach helping himself with the chips while I was busy checking us in

All the photos above were taken by my Lumix LX3 using a wide-angle lens.

Our little rascal loves the water so much! He can't wait to 'walk' in the pool..muahaha. We were lazing by the pool 2x a day! No wonder Zach is so tanned..which I love. The sun was good, scorching hot but we all love the sun so doesn't matter. Some tan will make us look healthier too.

We went to the cool sandy beach on our second day.. strong waves and we were the first one there!! Hooray...

After the sand and sea, we took a dip in the pool water again..muahaha! Well, no one is complaining, especially Zach. Teehee..

There's really nothing much to do at night in Bintan so we were goofing around in our room with the jumping shot! Keke..

Love the expression on both Zach and hubby's face!

Mango Cheesecake

2010-04-06T18:02:00.005+08:00

This was supposed to be made last Wednesday because it was hubby's birthday on 1st April. Unfortunately, I was out for wine session with my kawan kawan (frens) that night and by the time I reached home and ready to start on this particular cheesecake, I realise I forgot to buy the most impt ingredient, gelatine..wooppss.. So the plan was on hold till Saturday after our Bintan trip..I still did not get to buy gelatine and I make do with this mango pudding agar agar to replace.

I googled on some mango cheesecake recipe..and boy was it an eventful night. I spoilt the whipped cream required in the recipe - whipped for too long till it became curdled! Then I tweaked the recipe by adding some mango yoghurt drink and additional few tablespoon of agar agar powder as opposed to 2 tablespoon. I reckon I added too much mango juice to it because the outcome was disastrous!

It looks good before chilling..and when we are ready for it the next morning, this is the result I got. Boohoo..

I am going to try Oreo Cheesecake next week! I will make sure it works this time round because I am going to follow the recipe instead of tweaking it..keke

Murky Water

2010-04-05T14:26:00.004+08:00

This is what we have to brush our teeth, bathe with for the past 3 days in Bintan!!

Bed bugs included!! I shall post up the photo of my poor hubby's back tonight.. can't be posting my back rite? Hahaha..luckily Zach din have any because I was very careful with him, slapping on alot of citronella cream by California Baby after shower.

Not all is bad about this trip.. we still have considerably fun time at the pool and beach! So it was all about the sun, sand and beach but not the room, water and food.

Next post..

Banana Buttermilk Pancake

2010-03-28T10:18:00.004+08:00

We are going to Yan Ting, St Regis for dim sum brunch today but I bought a bunch of bananas yesterday, thinking of making banana cupcakes later.

Afraid that Zach could not eat most of the stuff at brunch later, made one batch of banana butter milk pancake for him.

Yummy!

Cool Mango Dessert

2010-03-27T00:25:00.004+08:00

I bought 4 mangoes over last weekend and was very inspired to make Mango Sago dessert for everyone on Sunday! Laziness got over me after I finish up 3-4 durians that night.

Left the mango to ripen over the next few days and finally on Wednesday, I got my butt moving and prepare this.

Should have done it earlier cos it was super easy and fast.

Recipe:
1 ripen mango - puree
1 ripen mango - cut into cubes
200ml fresh milk
250ml evaporated milk
200ml water
120g sugar
200g ice cubes
100g sago - which I omit completely cos (i) i am not a fan of sago (ii) buying one packet but can't finish them is a waste

Method:
Mix milk, water and sugar in a bowl and bring to boil. Once sugar is completely dissolved, turn off heat and add in ice cube.
Pour in mango puree when all ice cubes are melted.
Chill in fridge when it is cooled.
Serve in bowl with decubed mango.
Serving: 4-5 bowls

My verdict - I would half the portion of sugar in the recipe and maybe reduce the evaporated milk to 200ml as well. It's abit too milky to my liking.

My Top 10 Picks

2010-03-23T22:17:00.010+08:00

Inspired by Bagaholicboy post on the Top 10 Picks of the most iconic bag, decided to do my very own Top 5 Picks on bags that I hope to own one day!! Cannot manage 10 bags because my craving is only 5 for now..

Well, to own them, I must save $$ cos I rarely bet on 4D nor TOTO hence no chance to say wait till I strike them..hehe

Here goes (in no particular order)

1. Balenciaga Giant City

I love their selection of veiny leather and vibrant colors! Come to think of it, I never had a black bag.

2. Prada Napa Gauffre

3. LV Speedy

Every girl must have a LV bag.. and this is my very first branded bag

4. Loewe Amazona

5. Miu Miu Coffer

Buys!

2010-03-20T10:44:00.003+08:00

I was contemplating on which camera to buy..many recommended GF1 which I was very tempted to..but the price was way too high. Even though hubby was glad to sponsor me I still feel bad.. tried to keep to my budget of $1k. =)

After going through 3 shops at Funan, decided to get Lumix LX3 instead. $660 and that kind fella waive off the 3% credit card charges.

I always wanted to capture pictures that are of DSLR effect so he recommended me a wide-angle lens and I happily indulge. I walk out of the shop $1.4K poorer..Ooopss...supposed to be hubby is $1.4K poorer..muahaha.

Thanks hubby for the camera. I am sure I will put that to good use rather than spending that money on another bag which I don't need at this moment.

Wishlist

2010-03-16T16:09:00.001+08:00

I'm a greedy person.. I have so many items under my wishlist that when I did a mental calculations just now, it'll cost me a few arms n legs to have them all.
Here goes:
1. Large Weekender by Le SportSac (by Apr 2010)
2. Deluxe Everyday Bag by Le SportSac (by Apr 2010)
3. Large suitcase (by Apr 2010)
4. Camera - still toying between GF1 or TZ
5. MacBook (no hurry but hate to use the Sony netbook)
6. Balenciaga City/First in Moutard - this bag is nearly $3K!! I gotta save n save to buy it. (by Dec 2010). Not going to use credit card to purchase this!

Will not be surprise if I can only achieve all these after Apr 2011 when I get my bonus. No bonus this year cos I'm not qualified yet. Sob sob

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hot Weather!

2010-03-03T17:56:00.003+08:00

Weather check: HOT!

I am on medical leave today due to splitting headache since Sunday night. For the past 2 nights, I woke up middle of the night search for panadol to ease the pain. Without them I can't sleep cos the pain is just too intense. Trust me cos I have high tolerance level for pain and if I need panadol it means I can't take it anymore!!

Slept till 11.30am today..the eyes just can't open and my brain is definitely not thinking well.

Sorted out the brochures we got from NATAS fair last Saturday. Thew away those unwanted flyers and kept those for Melbourne, Australia. We booked our tickets yesterday, not from Natas but online. SQ A380 on 25 May - 05 June...hooray!! Our first overseas family trip together cum honeymoon for me and hubby..did not mind bringing Zach along cos he definitely have to tag along wif us anywhere we go.. :)

I hope it rains soon...my air-cond is giving me prob, could it be cos the temp is too low it is freezing itself? It's leaking.. =(

The One about Food

2010-03-02T19:21:00.004+08:00

I generally loves to cook and bake, making a point to at least cook over the weekend be it dinner or making something special for hubby and Zach. Cooking is always a huge thing for me, y is that so? I can't help but to use up alot of utensils, plates, bowls etc and not to mention wasting alot of water during the process as well.

Last month during the CNY period, our utilities bill came up to a whopping $200plus and mainly due to increase water & electric usage - I made cookies, roast pork, ngoh hiang..

Cooking on weekday is definitely a no no because after cooking, I HAVE TO clean the kitchen stove, wipe the counter top and the surrounding items, mop the floor, not only kitchen but the entire house, make sure the rooms dun smell of the food I cooked!! Cooked for 1 hour but the clean up process takes me 3hrs!! I'll be so darn tired by the end of it. However, last Tues was different. Surfed the web and found out that this food blogger cooked her 'Rice Cooker' Chicken Rice by putting everything in at one go and let it cook..I tried. It's a breeze but we can't be having chicken rice 5-day in a row, right?

I bought chicken wings from Cold Storage on Monday night, washed them, cut them up into 2 parts. Marinade with dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, salt, sesame oil with some bruised ginger. On Tuesday morning, I soaked 2 mushroom but I forgot all abt them till i reached office, so my mushroom turned out to be oversoaked and mushy..gross!! After returning from work, I wash the rice, put in enough water, cut some chinese sausage, put in the chicken wings and wait!! 20 minutes later... we have this

Starting from March, we decided to order dinner delivery. We had dinner delivery since last year but alternate months. Food was bad...I meant the quality is really poor and I don't understand why do they get good reviews in the first place.

There was alot of good raves on Mom's Cooking. They only use Canola oil and no MSG were added..but it comes with a steeper price, $400 for 2 person 3 dish 1 soup. Taste like home-cooked meal esp the soup!! Yummy...

Broccoli + Mushroom, Pork Chop, Mayo Salmon, Corn Soup

Nail Fetish

2010-02-26T23:38:00.005+08:00

as i am typing this, i am officially announcing that the shift- key is no longer operable on my lappie, thanks but no thanks to my notorious son. even the enter key has to be pressed multiple time before it can function. shucks..luckily i heard from colleague today that it fair is coming soon in march, time to spend money on gadgets again. happi11 even exclamation mark can't be used.

i got my nails done before cny at this shop, which is supposed to be quite well-known at fep. it cost me a bomb but i did not quite like it n being a first timer in doing nail extension, i din wanna voice out my unsatisfaction. paid the amt and left the shop, vowing nvr to patronise them again..hahaha, mel says it is nice and few of my colleagues too.

the nails did not last a month as i was told.. it looks as though it was going to fall off anytime soon so i scoured the internet for a better extentionist and i found quite a few good ones. i made an appt with one at bugis which is nearer to my office for gel removal and another round of extension.. she saw my nails and when she is removing it, i could feel her frustration looking at it..after an hr of removing all my gel nails and shaping and buffing my original nails, she did acrylic extension for me..this is so much natural looking than the first one 9u be the judge0

brown with baby pink rose

but again i doubt the colors can last me 3 weeks because i need to do housework over the weekend, so...again another hole burnt in my pocket but this acrylic extension can last me months and months, i only need to go back for infills and change of colors / design. not sure how much those will be..

i am hooked to this now.. zach is a big boy now, so i guess this is the time i start to have my long nails back and have them made pretty1

check out clara's site and there are 2 more which i like as well, especially cynthia's.

petitnaildiary.blogspot.com
cynfulnails.blogspot.com

Looking forward to CNY 2011

2010-02-17T13:44:00.003+08:00

This year marks the first time in my entire life that I spent my Chu Xi in Singapore. Hubby and myself made a pact last year that we will spend Chinese New Year's eve at each other's house alternate year. This year is his turn.

Naturally I feel different, a pang of sadness that I cried a bit when I called my mom in the afternoon. I miss spending this day with my family.. my family is a bit different cos we're a very very noisy bunch and everyone will try to stall our time at the dinner table the longest possible cos dad always say, whoever gets up first will not get ang pow from him...hahaha

We had steamboat for dinner this year, something I am so not used to cos we had steamboat at normal day as well, so it was nothing special but... Zach was in good mood cos the weather was good and windy, thank God for that else we will have a hard time enjoying dinner.

By 9.30pm, I am sitting in my living room, munching on pineapple tarts and watching TV and if I am back home, I would be munching it with my family members and joking and talking nonsense.. Zach spent the night with us, manages to stay awake past 12midnight for the countdown. Back home, we would be having our prayers and if we're up to it, wil even go to the temple for annual offerings and then we will eat something sweet, like desserts to signify sweetness in our life for the new year. In SG, I was asleep by 12.30am! Zzzz.....boring

I am happy that I can go back to Klang on 2nd day of CNY..nothing beats the warmth of home and tasting mom's best cooked meal. Too bad we will miss the prayers again on 9th day of CNY but next year I will make sure I am in Klang for it...

Next year will be a better Chu Xi for me and Zach!! Looking forward to it now..

Internet World

2010-01-30T12:14:00.003+08:00

I admit that I am such an Internet junkie that I do not know if I can live a single day without internet connection!!

Internet has really made my life easy, be it surfing on the workstation, laptop, netbook and even on my iPhone! I surf alot..mainly online shopping (see next para), searching for information i.e. food, directions, research article for my work purposes, dictionary, news, etc etc etc.. sites that I use everyday without fail, Google be it the search engine or maps! Swear by it.. it's good! Better than Bing.

Now, online shopping really made my day. I can practically buy everything online not having to step out of the house. That's where the main problem lies.. I buy online and offline. How can that be? Hmm.. the shopaholic in me just can't stop! Sigh...

I found this great site http://www.acmamall.com/. I bought their Dermalogica products recently and found that their prices are definitely cheaper than those sold in the salon. I immediately ordered a few of my essential items and the good thing is it's free shipping! I save a total of $90 for 4 items ordered..the amount which I can use to buy another bottle of cleanser!

My goods are delivered in 4 diff boxes

Essential Cleanser, Sun Protection Booster SPF30, Multivitamin Power Recovery Mask (a very very good mask I've come across) and SKII Miracle Water

Impulsive and Compulsive

2010-01-27T19:17:00.006+08:00

My 2010 resolution seems to be materialising..well, not exactly all of them but at least for the more bags and more shoes part it is! Maybe I should add one more, more books?

A moment of impulse today burnt a serious hole to my next month's financial standing. Luckily it is CNY and that means it is February, a relatively short month..so I will see my salary coming in earlier..hehe.

It also seems that I have been to Borders almost every month if not alt month with a buddy. Usually we will go if there is a good promo for members. This time round we have 30% + 10% for members and it is a good bargain. Grabbed 8 books in total and paid about $85 for all of them. Average out about $10 per book.. what a steal!

Can't seem to rotate the above pix. As you can see, I bought 2 cooking books.. one to cook more tasty rice & pasta for Zach and another for my breakfast..hehe

Cooking Mama

2010-01-21T20:38:00.004+08:00

Finally I rekindled my love for baking and cooking these few weeks. I always love to cook and bake, especially the latter. I was constantly bugging hubby to get me an oven and he finally got me one and at first, it was only used to make Fish/Pork Baked Rice for Zach but now..

I am/had use(ing) it for...

Roast Pork Belly a.k.a Siew Yok

Pineapple Tarts

Buns

Muffins

Top of my list.. pizza, pies, cakes, roast chicken!!!

Dinner Date #01

2010-01-16T19:23:00.003+08:00

It has been an awful long time, few months to be exact that hubby and I went out for a decent dinner without Zach in tow.

We bought a dining guide recently from Borders and decided that we shall go and try them out one by one about once a month.. that way, it'll be easy on our pocket and my waistline as well.

Our dining experience began yesterday at Brotzeit @ Vivo. I specifically asked for al-fresco dining and boy am I glad I did.. the ambience was great! Service was good, food was excellent..though they were running full house, we only waited less than 15 minutes for our food to arrive.

Hubby trying to understand the menu

While waiting for our food

Numberger a.k.a pork bratswurst

This pork knuckle is so famous that it can't be found in the menu! Ultra sinful but uber tasty

What more, we can see the new Resort World from where we are seated!

After dinner, it was shopping time. We're kinda done with our Chinese New Year shopping. Hubby's clothes and shoes are done. Zach's clothes are more or less done. Needed to get more bottoms for him and mabbe a new pair of shoe. As for me, I have enough clothes to last me for a full one week of CNY! Hahaha.. in fact, Zach's can last the whole 15 days. Ooppss.. I kinda went overboard in buying his clothes this time round.

Mislead

2010-01-10T19:07:00.002+08:00

Double your eating pleasure with our all-time favourite Pan Pizzas.
Buy 1 a la carte Regular or Large Supreme Pan Pizza and Get 1 Family Favourites Pan Pizza of the same size free.

Above were the promotion by Pizza Hut that came in a form of flyer. When I logged online, based on the word A LA CARTE, would you choose Hot Deals or A LA CARTE? Well, I chose a la carte and thinking that the free pizza will automatically be added to my 'cart', I was wrong! I did not get the 1 for 1 pizza despite ordering a Regular Chicken Supreme.

Not that we are hard up for the free pizza but the instructions were not clear, so I gave the CSO a call. She told me "You have to go to Hot Deals to order the 1 for 1 because most of our customers click on Hot Deals to order online". Hullo... if it is under Hot Deals, why didn't they use this word on the flyer like they did for their past promos? I told them they are misleading the consumer and you know what the CSO said? But all our customers click on Hot Deals... that's the only statement that she kept repeating over and over till I thought she was a voice player with recorded message and repeat capabilites! In the end, she said I could always feedback to her Marketing folks on the ad..hahaha.

So people that wants to order a la carte, click on Hot Deals first!

Goodbye 2009!

2009-12-31T18:50:00.002+08:00

Welcome 2o1o! According to Lillian Too, a very well-known feng shui master Year of Tiger will not be a good year for Dragon but if we have the positive attitude and look at things at the bright side it may not be a bad year after all. Ah well... good or bad, will take all these to stride.

2009 is really an eventful year for me! In fact, from 2006 onwards, every year is an eventful one, hehehe. One person ever told me that we should always look back at what we have achieved and if what we have achieved is what we wanted. I agree to what he said. Let's see, what have I achieved in 2009:
1. Zach turns 1 month on 5th Jan 2009
2. Changed job in Oct 2009
3. Weaned Zach off breastfeeding in Nov 2009
4. Zach turns 1 year old on 5th Dec 2009
5. Yong Teck & myself held our customary at Goodwood Park Hotel on 26th Dec 2009

My 2010 Resolution:
1. Holiday at least once every quarter. That will be about 4 holidays per year. Going back to KL monthly don't count!
2. Lose some weight. If losing weight can't be achieved, at least get rid of the bye bye arm!
3. More bags and shoes? Bags difficult to justify but shoes is still possible cos I've thrown away quite a number of pairs due to 'wear & tear'
4. Keep Zach strong and healthy.. hope he will overcome his allergy fully and then mummy can save some $$ by not buying the super expensive goat's milk.
5. Own a private property at least. Looking at the property market, it will be a blessing if I can afford the downpayment even but it is still achievable if I stop spending unnecessary.
6. Work harder to earn $$$ and hopefully I will get a decent bonus in 2011!! Work resolution: Must implement 2 project in 2010..
7. Must own new gadgets, i.e. iPhone 3GS, laptop and a new camera! (sponsors are welcome!)

Welcome 2010!!! Let's all HUAT!

Home Sweet Home

2009-11-23T22:03:00.006+08:00

Been a long time since I last posted on my own blog.. We made a trip back to Klang over the weekend that past and this time hubby manage to go back with us since he has finished his exam. No more excuses next time..heee

This trip was all about rest and relax. We had a great time taking afternoon nap, shopping at nearby mall and eating and playing rami. Woohoo..I did not lose as much as last time but still lose. Muahaha

Happy Family with the ever cheeky monster

Yummilicious champagne spare ribs

'Kam heong' crab

Chilli crab

We bought live crab on our own, my mom clean them up and we brought it to the restaurant for them to cook for us - only in Malaysia you can do that..

Looking forward to 5th Dec when it will be our Guo Da Li and Zach's first birthday celebration. Can't wait to see his cake..

Boredom

2009-11-09T06:43:00.000+08:00

Boredom is killing me...

I started with a new job early Oct, which means I am 5 weeks into it. I should be happy with this new job considering there is a pay increase and the workload is lesser than my previous 2 jobs. Why am I not?

Put it simply, the past 2 jobs that I was in, I have alot to do for one person. Easily handling 2-3 persons workload for a single pay but I am happy!! I cannot have a single minute idling.. call it crazy but that's me. Before venturing into end user environment, I was with vendor and working till 2am most of the time but I don't' mind it.. it motivates me alot. I am happier, jumping at each opportunity to start a project.

Different is to be said about my current situation. There is work-life balance. I don't need to answer calls on weekends. No emails to check, nothing to rush.. Arrggh.. I must get used to it..else it will not be long before I leave. Crazy!

New Look

2009-11-03T09:47:00.001+08:00

My new iPhone spring board..

M&M theme

Nice.. I love it to bits!

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-10-31T23:31:00.010+08:00

2008 - I was pregnant and celebrated my b'day at Ritz Carlton and watched a play at Esplanade

2009 - I have both hubby and Zachary to celebrate my 33rd birthday and we had buffet brunch at St. Regis today.

We're Family

Unlike the other buffet where there were different lines of food, only certain appetisers like the raw and cold cuts and salads were on display and of course dessert too. The servers will bring out the antipasto around. This ensure the freshness of their food.

Dessert (3 of the whole range), yoghurt sherbet, shrimp, some weird combi and my main course, scallops.

Impressive display of their desserts

Everything taste good..worth the price we paid for. We will go back there again.. hopefully during New Year's Eve.

I've been so busy lately, preparing for our customary dinner which I really find it a chore and half-kicking myself for not listening to my mom last year when she asked me not to proceed. I badly wanted to wear DC's gown and the worse thing is all has been paid for.. oh well! Stress is a good way to lose weight minus the headache and migraine that is bugging me recently.

Besides our customary, Zach's 1st birthday celebration is also a grand affair for us. He will have 2 party!!! Lucky boy.. no expenses is spared for his b'day celebration and though he may not understand it all but all the photos and videos taken will be kept and shown to him when he is older.

I can't wait for both events!!!

I am so FAT

2009-10-11T20:36:00.004+08:00

After more than a year of not wearing my shoes and clothes, I found them kinda out-dated. I have grown considerable too, not length wise but side-ways. :( Even my shoe size went one size bigger. Some of the leather start flaking away - well, they are not leather then, probably PVC..hahaha.

I tried online shopping but only 10% of my purchases actually fits. The remaining, either sitting pretty at my wardrobe, waiting for me to lose the extra fat or I gave it to my younger sister. Lucky her..

The last straw came when I started with my new job and I had trouble finding and fitting into decent working clothes!! Arrgghh... I looked FAT!! Off to shopping.. and I came back with 3 bags of clothes - all bottoms but no tops! WAT??!!?? More shopping..haha

At last

2009-09-21T00:05:00.004+08:00

I don't have to spend few hundreds to get a new video camera!!

Hubby bought the new iPod Nano that comes with a video recording function at the last Comex show and no prize for guessing who gets to keep it? MUA of course..hahaha cos I am the one that is always so fascinated in taking photos and videos of everything and anything. Hahaha..

It was a good investment. Now I can take photo using my iPhone or trusty going-to-die-on-me-soon Sony camera and capture those endearing moments using the Nano..how come I sound like as if I am doing adv for them? Hmmphtt..

Got the silver colored one! A safer choice

Old Times

2009-09-16T22:38:00.003+08:00

They say the relationship between a husband and wife will change once there is a little one. Did it change ours?

YES! It definitely did for me.. everything revolves around Zach. I spend a bulk of my take home pay on him - babysitter, food, toys, clothes and what not. Each time I go shopping, I will head to the nursery section. Worse, I resort to buying clothes online cos I am too lazy to shop for myself and I feel so frumpy and that makes me grumpy..hei! It rhymes..muahaha

When I am grumpy, he will be the one taking the brunt but he don't take it all without putting up a fight.

Looking back, most of our differences are quite petty and minor. Is it me that is making a mountain out of a molehill or is he trying to make a mountain into a molehill?

Things that happens the past weeks has taught me a very good lesson that we should not take things for granted, appreciate what we have, everyone is different and we are all brought up and grew up in a different environment and I should accept that I cannot keep forcing things to go my way..hmm.. how come I sound so matured?

Well.. so determine to keep the spark alive, we are going out on a date for a whole day tomorrow! Our little one will be at nanny's place while the big ones will be out shopping, eating and be merry. Just like old times..

Shopping!

2009-08-22T23:08:00.003+08:00

We were at ION Orchard todae.. shopping! I am proud that I did not purchase anything for Zach. Nada! Zilch! But I spent alot on ME. It's high time I spend on myself. Actually it did not start today but from yesterday onwards. My loot so far:

1. Pair of shoes from Itti
2. Limited edition Le Pliage in Graphite
3. Ice cream bath from Sephora
4. Books from Borders
5. Chocolates from a shop in Wheelock, can't recall the name.

Overall, it was quite fun spending money like there's no tomorrow but when the bill eventually comes, then it will be "What? Did I actually spend that much?" Hahaha

More to come next week when my parents and sis are here for our food tasting. Keep a lookout for that post.

My sister's wedding

2009-08-08T23:13:00.003+08:00

It was an event that all of us waited for! The wedding of Yi Si and David. I always believed in fate and fate brought both of them together.. I am happy for my sister because everyone around her could feel the love between them.

All of us woke up very early, barely had more than 3hrs of sleep among us. I for one took nearly few days to recover the loss of sleep. Hehehe..

We had fun playing with the groom and dinner was great!!

Deep hole

2009-06-30T13:20:00.002+08:00

A trip to Orchard on Saturday made a big and deep hole in both our pockets. Hb spent on something necessary for our customary end of this year and we both love the purchase very much. It will take 3 to 4 weeks for the items to be ready for collection. Watch out for it.

We had dim sum lunch at East Ocean @ Shaw. Yummy yummy.. we ordered a whole table of food fit for more than 4pax but only 2 of us. We end up packing the leftover for dinner.. What's nice? Egg tart, pan-fried carrot cake, deep fried fish skin.. I must go there again.

Next stop is to buy my stuff. I have not been shopping for quite a while. I know, kicking myself at the butt. I have been shopping almost everyday, be it at the mall or online but most of the time it is buying for my precious son. It is high time mommy start spending her own money on herself. I needed to get some shoes. Well, after 9 months of not wearing some of my heels, they are either out-dated, the leather is too dull and starts to crack, it is too tight (sob to my red heels!) so I decided to get some replacements.. my shoe cabinet looks empty..oops..hahaha. Went in to Schu, I skipped Charles & Keith cos their heels are not very long lasting and comfy. I came out with 2 pairs of shoes. The 2nd pair is 50% off! What a steal.. :)

I have a very important wedding dinner to attend early Aug. My elder sis is getting married. I need to find a dress that looks nice n yet comfortable. Manage to find one at Isetan Wisma. Cost me a bomb but it made me look gorgeous! Thinking that this dress could also be worn for my tea ceremony come Dec.. at least I can split the bill into 2x hence not that throat killing.

More toys for Zach?? Yeap.. all shopping trip must include some stuff for Zach. I got him some new toys, DVDs and CDs and a book as well.. Isetan is having 20% off their toys so it is a good buy, I suppose. Aiks.. Zach's playmat is full of toys, everywhere he turn, he will hv something to play. Hahaha..

We reached home ard 7pm and I was dead tired!!! Zach was tired too..he slept like a little baby :)

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-26T23:47:00.004+08:00

We were at Klang celebrating Father's Day! We went to Oriental Pavillion, our fave restaurant at the moment for dinner. 3 fathers were there, my grandfather, my father and Zach's father..

It was a great dinner - with good char siew, yummy double boiled soup and many more.

What did daddy get? Few things.. AX belt, Samsung handphone and a cake! Though the cake came later (because mummy left it in the office for few days) it was better late than never.

Happy family!

Our next project? Zach's 1st birthday party, our GDL and a wedding to plan..

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-05T17:58:00.009+08:00

May 10th marks the first year I celebrate Mother's Day. Nope, Zach's too young to be celebrating it for me but daddy will be celebrating it on his behalf. Heheh..Hubby said that's the least he could do seeing how much I have sacrificed for our only son. Well, even if he dun celebrate it with me, I am fine cos which mom would not sacrifice for their own child? The only gift I want from Zach is for him to grow up healthy and happy! Not forgetting, please poo daily. Hahaha

Hubby got me a new gadget. I kept telling him I do not need anything for Mother's Day nor anything at all at any other day but he insist on bringing me to Sony Gallery and showed me what he wanted to get me. I really wonder if he is the one that wanted it or I need it?

It's a new Sony Pocket Style PC Vaio P. My current Fujitsu lappie is onie 2 years old but I must admit the keyboard is getting abit weird..the alphabet 'P' needs extra few hit before coming out and the response time of the keyboard is killing me (hei, i m a typist hence i need fast-response keypad).

I must say this new Vaio is really cool! Slim and compact and light..I can bring it anywhere and the best thing is it fits nice into my LV or Coach bag. Needless to say, I am bowled over and hubby bought it on the spot. I chose my fave color, GREEN! The keyboard is good but the screen is really small! I must go for my LASIK soon else i will go blind playing with it. As for now, I only uses it when surfing in the room. :)

Thanks dearest!! Took loads of pix before, during and after our lunch buffet at Straits Cafe. Enjoy..

Family pix - Zach's too distracted by the TV

Quick Updates

2009-04-26T09:48:00.002+08:00

Started work but couldn't seem to get the momentum going! Wanted to do so much but somehow the mind is not with the body. Body is at office, mind is with Zach at his infantcare. This is bad.. Gotten our bonus though it is lesser than what I've got last year but I'm not complaining cos as long as there is $$ in my account, I am happy. No increment though..shucks! Nearly 2 years without increment..Arrgghhh..

Resume expressing milk for Zach. It's a tiring affair but I know I can do it. It was quite stress expressing at work, having to absence myself every 3 hrs (I am pumping every 3hrs to get the supply up) for 45minutes. Milk isn't flowing out smoothly and Zach is increasing his milk intake daily..first it was 150ml every 4hrs then 160ml every 4hrs then 170ml and now 180ml!!! Crazy or what... I need to pump like 4x a day in order to meet his demand and I could sense my boss is not very happy about it. Sigh.. I prepared myself to resign so that I could stay home and pump exclusively for few months just to stock up on frozen breastmilk that can last Zach for few more weeks or months (depending). I talked to her (my boss) and I was pleasantly surprised that she actually allow me to take leave to stay home and pump and come back when I am ready!!! Happy happy.. milk supply went up as well!! I am not going to give up anytime soon.. drinking papaya fish soup with pork ribs, steam cod fish, fish slice soup, warm soya milk, milo, fenugreek! Doing all I can to up my supply.. the result is showing soon and I am positive about it.

We're going to Genting next Fri!! It's been years since I last went there. Come to think of it, not that long, max 3 years? Hmm... it will be Zach's first holiday trip with his parents and hubby will be driving there with his parents n bro. Wonder will he let me drive..itching to drive on the highway. So many to pack for Zach and my mind is alr working on what to bring etc. Hubby say just bring the whole house along.

I watched a few movies on my iPod during expressing - Marley & Me, Bride Wars Out, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. All of them were nice and it was especially so for Marley & Me. It was so touching that I cried n cried in the end. Now that is the main reason hubby do not want me to get a dog!! I will be too sad if something were to happen to it. Oh well.. wait till Zach ask him for one in future.. mummy will psycho him to ask daddy to get one. Haha

Counting down

2009-03-22T11:15:00.006+08:00

Four business day to me returning to work! Am I looking forward to it? Well.. I am kinda bored staying at home and it is mounting up when Zach is sleeping. Of course when he is awake, I will give him undevoted and undivided attention..hehe. He was at the infantcare last week from Monday to Thursday for 1/2 day session each time and most of the time I was at office clearing emails and once went for my pampering session. Finally I got my manicure and pedicure!!

Went shopping yesterday with hope of getting some business shirt for work. Most of my working shirt cannot be buttoned up at my boobs area. On the other hand I shouldn't get new shirts since I will prob stop breastfeeding in another 10 weeks and by then I hope my breast will shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size..hehe. At the end of the shopping trip, I am poorer by few hundred cos I bought a Kate Spade wallet, 2 pairs of shoes at Charles & Keith both items that are not in my shopping list!

Next stop is Borders and hubby splurge on books for Zach.. we wanna rub off our reading habit to our son!

A Wedding and A Duck

2009-03-16T20:45:00.005+08:00

Sunday 16th March 2009 is hubby's bestie wedding which the dinner will be held at M Hotel. Since hb will be one of the brother, we reckon he will be too drunk to drive home after the dinner and hence we booked a room at the hotel to stay for a nite.

Daddy & Zach relaxing after Zach's feed

Lots to pack when you have a baby.. instead of a handcarry bag, we use a luggage instead. Alot of in case is taken into consideration during packing..so I end up bringing alot of Zach's barang barang. Even my bag looks like his play bag - all his toys is in there.

Zach still relaxing when daddy is checking us in

Let mummy take a photo with her precious darling

The hotel room is very nice and clean and spacious and we are impressed! Who get to check out the big bed first? Zach of course..haha and he sure enjoys it.

Zach enjoying the king size bed

Zach wants to test the firmness of the mattress by flipping! Good mattress and comfy bedsheet

Got Zach a inflatable duck tub. Lately he's been very fond of ducks cos mummy bought rubber ducks meant for his bathing time and each time during his bathe session, mummy will sing

Four little ducks went out one day

Over the hill and far away

Mother duck says 'Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!'

But only three little ducks came back

Zach n his duckie - thanks Unc Jack for blowing this up

The wedding was very nice and I lurve the deco and the black & red theme. How I wish my parents will allow us to have black theme as well.. I am thinking of black & gold & red theme but hb gave me a surprise last night on our wedding theme. Kudos to him for putting thought on it.. love him to bits..

Family pix - too bad Zach is flinging his hands ard..will wait for nicer pix!

Such busy weekend

2009-03-09T10:57:00.005+08:00

It was a long time since I last spend for more than 4hrs at shopping mall. It happened again yesterday as my family came down to Singapore - to visit Zachary and to some serious shopping to help stimulate the economy. Hahaha..

The moment they reached Singapore, we headed to Orchard and elder sis bought a solitaire at a very very good price. Gemalogist told me diamond price went down which is good *hint to hb..* haha

Sunday was shopping day again.. since Zach do not wake up early, all of them left to Compass Point for breakfast and when they came back, Zach is still sleeping..that sleepy head. They waited till quite restless and decided to take an MRT to Suntec first. Who knows, we reached before them (we left the house immediately after Zach woke up).. time check, 1.30pm! First stop, Gap where mummy went crazee seeing those cute rompers and shirts. Grabbed a few pieces and daddy was standing beside her couldnt believe his eyes seeing the amount displayed at the cash register. Oh well..I guess I hv to put aside my intention of shoe buying frenzy till 1 month later.

All the cute shirt and rompers mummy bought - I love the orange & blue striped romper

Hungry and lunch was at Sakae. My dear son must have realised alot of people are around him so he fusses alot and everyone in my family is so eager to pick him up and carry him! These 2 days must be his happiest cos the moment he opens his eyes, someone will be there to carry him..jia lat for mummy.

Grandparents with Ah Yi

Zach with his teether

More shopping follows - dresses, shoes etc etc and dinner was at Tony Romas. Our table were the noisiest cos we were all talking about Aileen's upcoming wedding dinner in August and very funny.. time check: 9.30pm. Asked for the bill and came up to $300!! Wah.. such expensive dinner but thanks to my future bro in-law that picked up the tab..hehe

Family pix before the rest arrive

Roma feast shared between me and hb

Zach was happy to be home and had a good wash down! I musn't bring him out shopping too much else he will make it a habit..keke

Total hours spent at City Hall: 8hours

Total amount spent at City Hall: $xxx

and none of the money spent is on mummy or daddy..it's all for Zach!

Oh..I almost forgot to mention that we bought a yellow Bumbo seat for Zach - he can't sit properly yet hence it is in our store at the moment. Shall let him try again one month later. Keep a look out for his photo then.

Hey Valentine!

2009-02-21T23:11:00.004+08:00

This is a super duper backdated entry - 7 days in exact!

Yong Teck and myself never celebrated V Day even during our dating days hence this day is nothing much - I am not expecting anything even a rose and he definitely not expecting anything from me cos I don't really like celebrating V Day to begin with..

He flew in from Singapore in the morning of 14th and surprised me with a stalk of rose made from chocolate which means it is edible! Hahaha... What did we do the whole day? He sleep of course while I play with our son.

This is how Zach loves grandma to carry him

Dinner was with the whole family at Mid Valley - so that all can spend quality time together before the 3 of us fly back to SG the next day.

One minute a happy boy

And he has grown all quiet - trying to fall asleep

The saddest person(s) of course will have to be my parents. I can feel that my mom wants to cry when bidding farewell to her grandson whom she has grown so fond of because Zach always chit chat with my parents. Zach too seems to understand it and he was super moody throughout the whole farewell process! Thankfully there is Skype..haha Zach's tech savvy!

Grandparents with moody Zach

Peaceful Zach

Chinese New Year

2009-02-03T18:33:00.008+08:00

This year mark a very special Chinese New Year for both the Tans and Khors. This year we have a new family member joining the celebration! Zachary Tan, our son, their first grandson, first nephew. Hee

Our son's first captured on camera smile

In order for Zach to grow closer to both set of family, me and hubby have agreed beforehand to alternate the celebration every year. This year will start with my family and next year will be his. It is a win-win situation.

Chinese New Year back at my place is always a grand affair! Mom will cook alot of dishes for offerings and subsequently it goes into our tummy.. ahh..well-fed! Then everyday we will head to restaurants for dinner. There are so many things to celebrate, grandpa's birthday, uncle's birthday, someone in the family won lotsa dough in gambling (in few Ks so I guess there are big losers as well).

The good food - I must learn how to make 'ngoh hiang' from my mom

Yummy steamboat dinner on 7th day of lunar new year

Mouth-watering pork rib at Crystal Crown Hotel

How can I forget the fireworks! My camera is not sophisticated enough to capture the beautiful fireworks but I am full of anticipation for Zach and hb to enjoy it next year..

This year will also be a very busy year for myself. I have to enjoy every moment watching Zach grow up, I have a wedding to plan, I have to plan for holidays for 3 of us..YES! Our first family holiday.. I can't wait.

What more can I ask for? I am a happy wife and a proud mommy to Zach.

Last Christmas..

2008-11-23T19:49:00.008+08:00

2008 mark the first year of me and hubby celebrating Christmas at our love nest. It is also the last year we will be celebrating as a couple because come next year, Zachary Tan will be part of our celebration.

We want to make the most out of it - spending quality time with hubby before the arrival of our little tyke as we both knew once Zach is born, we will have little time for ourself but most of our time will be devoted to our precious...

We have alot of questions running through our heads while putting up the tree earlier, will Zach be as excited as daddy and mummy? Will he spoil the tree by pulling and tugging all the ornaments? How many pressies will daddy and mummy buy for our precious? I will prob be the one that is splurging for him - alr made a list; train set, racing car, etc etc..anything that he want! Oooppss.. I hope I will not spoil him...hahaha

Hubby brought out the tree earlier this year since I am really having difficulty walking and squatting with my big tummy and swollen feet..

Fixing the tree

Spreading out the branches

Tree is in place with all ornaments hung

Yeay!! Our lighted tree - isn't it beautiful?

Blown up!

2008-11-01T23:12:00.005+08:00

I celebrated my 32nd birthday today - a day earlier as hubby needs to do his revision for his exam on Monday.

This year's celebration really went overboard!! I've got an iPhone, a baby bag, baby's 4D scan and I get to watch Avenue Q as well.. the seat that hubby got us is good.

I can't help but to look back at how I celebrated my birthday for the past 2 years.. I was horrified at how much I've changed. To be exact, how much I've ballooned!! Jia lat, wonder can I get back that look..wishful thinking

How I fared:

2006

2007

2008