O...kay.....

So I managed to get the picture back in the header, but I really can't be bothered to do the same for the rest of the pictures on the blog. So... let's move on.

DH is on the way back as I type this and its the start of a long weekend for him! He took the day off on Monday so we can have more family time together. I, on the other hand, have yet to decide what we are going to do to celebrate his birthday.

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For the last few weeks, some of us have been taking turns to host play dates and it really is great fun for both mums and bubs. Unfortunately most of the pics were in my iPhone so not able to post.. mostly involved the mothers trying to get the babies' attention and failing badly.

Are My Pictures All Gone?

Can someone tell me if it's just me or all the pictures on my blog are gone?

I've recently gotten a Samsung S5 because my iPhone dropped and cracked. The thing about Android is it somewhat automatically sync your google+ stuff.. I think. So I ended up having loads of pictures from the past in my phone, which for some reason couldn't be deleted. I had to google (haa!) how to remove those pictures.

It seems that problem was solved but another has risen? If that's the case, I have to "redo" the blog design. Crappity crap.

Well on a separate note, DH is away, again. And I'm moping, again. This must be the 8635th time I've written here about being emotional when he's gone. But I can't help it. I guess we should both be somewhat happy that we are feeling this way after almost 8 years of marriage and more than 10 years together.

That said, his birthday is coming up next week and I'm freaking out because I have not planned anything. Well, we weren't able to properly celebrate both our birthdays since B came along. I was glad I did the big 40th bash for him before we were expecting. And now that I do not have my own income, there are lesser things I can do.

Any suggestions and recommendations on what we can do as a family?

I Am Wang Year Old

Driving home from yoga last night, I thought of the conversations I had with B and chuckled out loud in the car. It went like this:

Me: Can you tell Mummy what's your name?
B: Buuuuuuuad
Me: How old are you?
B: Wang

He is "wang" year old. Hahaha.

Not being able to pronounce his Rs... he differentiated "Brad" from "Bad" by dragging the B.

Buuuuuuadley.

Our First Family Vacation

Was a success! It was a very blissful, STRESS-FREE 2 days for me, something which I did not expect. I knew I had to take things easy and not fret over things like B not napping or eating, but I did not expect it to be this easy.

B slept when he had to, even when we were hoping he would try to fight it so we can all play more and enjoy the hotel more. He ate when we did and that gave me a whole new perspective of feeding him. I used to stick to a very strict routine of 3-4 hours feed but I guess he is old enough and stomach can hold out longer. So instead of having his lunch around 1045-11am and dinner at 5pm when he's home, he ate around 12-1pm and dinner at 6ish with us. In a way its easier because he's more hungry and ate faster. So now, I'm doing the same at home - I won't freak out just because it's past B's supposedly lunch time. All in all, it was such a wonderful break for us. My friend YN said she felt that her daughter who is B's age grew more every time they go on a holiday. It is true, after this short staycation, DH and I felt the difference. B seems to have grown. Hard to point a finger at exactly what, but there definitely is some form of growth.

Now, the hotel. I was somewhat disappointed. For a hotel that prides themselves as family-oriented, they aren't that great. The baby cot was in a poor condition and I was so happy with myself that I remembered to bring a couple of swaddling cloth. They did not provide any baby toiletries - not that I'm cheapskate, I brought my own, but having spent so much on their facilities to clearly target children, you would think its a given. My friend Mel took her boys to Ritz for a staycation and I was impressed with the kids amenities. Granted, its the Ritz, but I read an article that Intercon had the same too. Anyway, I think if we had asked for it, they probably would have provided.

What I liked about Rasa Sentosa:
- Kids club/tods room
- Kids section at the buffet
- Amazing breakfast spread
- Complimentary wifi throughout the property
- First round of minibar free
- Amazing view
- Great kids pool and play area
- Peacocks roaming around

What I felt could be better:
- Service. Apart from front desk and housekeeping, service is rather poor especially at the restaurants
- They have a gorgeous chill out area at the lobby, overlooking the sea, equipped with comfortable sofas and chairs and even a bar which I think is meant for when there are events like conferences or weddings. The bar is otherwise unattended. One evening, we wanted to have drinks there before dinner, just enjoying the view and letting B roam around. I asked if they served drinks there and answer was no, only at the bar. Asked if I could order drinks and have it there, they said no despite being apologetic about it. Maybe with my customer service and hotel background, I thought it was rather unacceptable and inflexible.
- The only bar at the hotel is somewhat miserable. They should move it up to above said lounge.

Regardless, it was still a wonderful vacation and I am so glad it went by without any glitch. Told DH to be prepared, cause we are looking forward to the next overseas trip!

Enjoying a snack after swimming

Cheers Mummy!

B loving the cot. 

Aloha

Quick update while the bub and hub are napping. It had been great so far - we had fun at the pool yesterday, went to the kids club which really is more suitable for older kids, but they have a small tods room which is great.

Went to Resort World for lunch and will head to the beach and pool once B is up. The hotel has it's pros and cons- generally ok but could be better. Will share upon my return.

During lunch, B was playing with his utensils and I said "can you feed mummy?" He surprised me by putting his spoon in my mouth! I've never taught him that so was pleasantly surprised. When we went on the Sentosa Bus, DH asked "what's this Bradley?" He was able to reply "bus". This mini conversation threw us off.

I've said before and will do so again- so thankful for our mummies group because I've learned so much from their experience. Just like the flashcards episode. I've stopped flashcards when b was 6mo and got inspired to do again of late by one of the mummies. Sharing what we do with our bubs, esp for SAHMs gives us ideas. So one idea leads to the creation of another and so on. Of course some of us may disagree with certain things but we are almost never disrespectful to one another just because of that. Doesn't mean we don't do things a certain way means we are wrong. We respect each other and are never condescending. Ultimately all mummies want the best for their children. And truthfully, this should be the respect for all human beings, no?

Efforts Paid Off

Deleting and backing up my videos and pictures and decided to share this. Proud mama moment.

Everytime I do flashcards with B, he will sit through maybe 15 cards max and then he will focus on trying to get the cards off my hands, scrunching it, putting it in his mouth... But this shows they are listening and learning all the time. Note to self: mind my language and behavior in front of him, even when I'm scolding him.

First Vacay

Off to our first family vacay in a few hours!

Diapers - checked

Formula milk - checked

Sunscreen - checked

Swimming float - checked

Chill pills - plenty!