Christmas Photoshoot and Playdate

Our mummies support group organised a post Christmas get-together and had a photographer come to take pictures of our bubs. With about 20 over adults, more than 20 babies and toddlers, needless to say, it was chaotic. But boy was it fun. Gone are those day where the babies just lay quietly on the playmats, now, they're crawling, standing, screaming, crying, snatching, laughing. I wonder if they will grow up to be friends like their mothers.

Farewell 2013

Last year round about this time, I wrote a letter to B.

My emotions were in overdrive when I wrote that letter. Imagine being pregnant with your first child, full of uncertainties, unsure of what's ahead of us yet a picture perfect image in your mind.

Well, a year later, what do you know? The uncertainties are still there, we are still unsure of what's gonna be ahead of us and the picture perfect image? We're living it.

I don't know about you, but a floor full of toys lying around, towels draped over chair/cot, babies toiletries taking over your bathroom, dustbin full of soiled diapers, fridge full of fresh food for baby, sink full of dishes and milk bottles, loads full of laundry, that's pretty "stepford housewives" perfect to me.

To an even greater year ahead, thank you 2013 and hello 2014!

Bradley's Bag of Tricks

Happy 8th month old my darling! 

It is ridiculously crazy how time passes so quickly. 4 more months and he will be one year old! DH and I are already thinking about his first birthday. I think most likely it will be a quiet affair, just the 3 of us. You know if we have a party with my side of the family, there's a chance we have to do one more with his side... so I guess to not complicate things and start any conflicts, just the 3 of us might be the best and ideal case.

At 8 months old, B has his bags of tricks. You know I'm not exactly very conscientious in stimulating or teaching baby with things like flash cards. Well, I did "flash" him 3 times a day, everyday when he turned 3 months old. Then it become once a day, then it became whenever I feel like it. But one thing for sure, I read to him everyday without fail, especially before bed time.

So I was rather surprised when I taught B how to "kok kok" our foreheads and after a few tries, when you say "Kok Kok" and lean your head in, he does the same! But this cannot, never ever, be compared to asking him to give mummy a kiss. I guess from day one he's been abused with all my kisses and whenever I wanna kiss him, I will say "come, let mummy kiss" or "give mummy a kiss". Now, when I lean in to him and say "give mummy a kiss", he leans back in and aims for my mouth. Sometimes with his mouth open! DH witnessed it yesterday and I was crazy with pride.

Oh baby, mummy loves you so much. 

Christmas 2013

Last Christmas, I was 6 months pregnant, received compliments about how pregnancy suits me and the radiance it brought me. The family was sipping champagne and I was drinking sparkling juice. I was happy.

This Christmas, there isn't any party on eve or actual day. Most of our friends and family are like us, with young kids and our engagements have all been pushed to post Christmas, which is fine by us. No baby bump, no radiance but a whole lot of happiness and blessings.

2014 will be great!

Namaste

I'm a yoga rookie. The first time I did yoga was during my honeymoon and the resort offered complimentary yoga on certain days. That session left me handicapped for the rest of my honeymoon. Ok maybe I exaggerate, but you get the gist.

5 years after that session, I signed up as member of a gym near my office and took advantage of its lunch time Yoga 101 classes. But it was usually too rushed for me so I ended up using the gym more instead of the classes.

I always wanted to be religious in practicing yoga but I guess you can say there was never a right time and place. When I got pregnant, I was very keen in prenatal yoga but Dr W felt that unless I have been doing yoga for awhile, I should probably not attempt to start- not for fear of hurting the baby, but more of injuring myself. 

Up until recently, a new yoga studio opened next to my mum's place! That's a sign from heaven to stop finding excuse! I jumped at the opportunity an wet for the trial class today. Love it despite being in so many aches and pains now. The one hour of solitude really did me good. I felt rejuvenated afterwards and best part? It's next door to my mums! How convenient?

Looks like I'll be doing some stretching moving on!

New Hobby?

Extremely fed up that I lost B's taggie twice, I decided to attempt to see one myself.

Taggie blankets are cuddle cloths, with ribbons of different texture in a loop surronding the sides. It is believed that babies love playing and fondling with those tags of different colours and textures.

I first bought one for him when he was about 3 months old but it wasn't until recently that I saw him playing with it intently, fingers looping through the ribbons, feeling them. And then one day, the taggie went missing. Not wanting him to miss out "exploring" the taggie, I bought another one, exactly the same, only to lose it a few days later!!!! Boy was I upset. So I decided maybe I could try and make one myself.

Excuse the terrible needlework, minky cloth is very hard to work with, plus I don't have the right equipment. So needless to say, I was very happy and satisfied with the end result.

I got the materials from spotlight and have enough to make at least 5-6 more. I'm already planning to make one of a different shape. Should be fun!

气消了

果然。。。是一时看不开，被怒气冲昏了头，说气话。

雨过天晴 。

女人嘛。。。

该化解怨气了

心里头的怨气，有时还真会令人冲昏了头。可能自己没自己想像的那么伟大吧。 

怨他可以从早到晚有自己的空间；怨他又可以和朋友出去； 怨他不百分之百明白带孩子的累和压力；怨他以为一切轻而易举；怨他不明白怒气后的真正原因。 

说实在，和朋友的聚会他是推掉很多，因为他选择陪我们母子。就是不甘愿他可以有那个选择。而我是直接别多说- 只要是过了6点就免谈。

虽然常提出要我独自出门享受一下， 将孩子交给他，我实在是不放心。就因为他毕竟只有真正在周末才朝夕相对，不完全了解宝宝的习惯。即便我在家，有时一个简单的任务都无法以我想要的方式去做， 可能他认为他的做法比我“苦尽甘来”察觉到的方式来的好些吧。

怨。真的很怨。

必须想尽办法解怨，不然当我的嘴巴不留情时，肯定两败俱伤。

今天真的要爆了。 是大姨妈的关系吗？

Go away.

Welcome Back, AF

Yep, after 16 months of absence, Miss AF is back. Oh boy, I sure did not miss you. For all the agony you caused me while we were TTC, your absence was truly appreciated. Now that you are back, I guess some normalcy is returning?

This question has popped up many times - "are you guys planning to have another one soon?", "better now than later ", "chop chop get it over and close shop".

Well, truth is, I'm undecided. 

I want B to have a sibling, preferably a brother, but at this point, I just want to give him my full attention. At least until he's 2.  Then again I'm not sure if I like the gap to be too big, because I'm not sure if I want to go through this whole sleepless thing all over again. Yeah, it's for totally selfish reasons.

DH and I spoke about it. We want another one, but now is not the time yet. I don't dare to let nature takes it course this time for I hear women are rather fertile in the first year after child birth. Someone from our April mums' group is already expecting!

But, the thought of being pregnant and going through it again..... happiness.

Mummy's Little Man

Today was a great day! I had planned on taking B to Paragon as I saw something from Mothercare there which wasn't available at other outlets I've been. And then there's the CNY clothes shopping for B.

After his nap and porridge, we drove to Orchard, which by the way, traffic was f---ing unbelievable. I got so fed up stuck in traffic for so long I decided to just park at Triple One and walk to Paragon. B enjoyed the stroller ride as there was much to see. We had lunch at Big O and it was really enjoyable having B as my lunch date... Provided he was in a good mood. He napped again when I was wearing him, which gave me time to shop at H&M for his clothes. Spent about a hundred bucks and everything for him! 

By the time we are ready to head home, it was nearly 3pm! 3 hours shopping date with my boy. Simple pleasures in life.

A shot of him when he woke up from nap and having a snack of pumpkin purée.

Busy As A Bee

I had a busy week last week with DH traveling and only back for the weekend and now strutted off to Jakarta back tomorrow night.

B and I have our own little routine when daddy's not home, but like me, B is always happy to welcome daddy back. To the extent I think daddy is now his favourite person. His eyes lit up when he sees daddy and he kicks in excitement. Sadly, he also sleeps worse during the night when dad is around. It's true, whenever DH Is around, B doesn't sleep through and fusses a lot. But when it's just us two, the night breezes by. I came to the conclusion that he associates Dad with play and Mum with food and sleep. Because when he fusses at night, whatever daddy does it futile. But when mum takes over, he quietens. Sighs. So daddy gets the good, fun job of playing while mum has to do the "dirty" job of waking in the middle of the night. Cest la vie.

At 7.5 months, B is keeping me real busy. He crawls whenever he gets the chance, flips whenever we put him down and whines whenever he's unhappy. He loves meal times, thank goodness. What was once a challenge of feeding him his dinner is now gone. Besides his 2 meals, I've incorporated snacks of various fruits and veg purée in between his meals and milk. I don't think he's ready to increase the milk intake yet but that's fine.

As for me, I think I'm coping ok. I have ventured further with him - driving to town and expo instead of just home and my mums. B seems to get that there's no point grumbling, he's stuck in the car seat as long as we are in the car.  He has even on a few occasions fell asleep on his own in it. 

Watching him grow daily is a privilege. Seeing him learn new tricks is priceless. Oh what wouldn't I give?

The Stars Are Telling You Something

Fun Fact #1: Bradley's zodiac - Taurus

"Though you are usually stable and sensible, sometimes you need to break out of that middle ground and try something crazy. Today is perfect for wild schemes, so go for it"

Fun fact #2: Mummy's zodiac - Virgo

"Ease up on that one kid who drives you crazy - criticism is doubly ineffective right now. Exercise a little patience and he may come around without you having to say a word".

Oh boy, aren't we in for a fun day today? Especially when daddy is gonna be traveling today and back on Saturday. 

Yay.

Mother's Instinct

"Trust your mother's instinct", a friend told me.

I was contemplating whether to bring B to his pd. He wasn't exactly unwell (thank goodness), but he has been pooing a lot. By a lot, I mean 5-6 times a day. I didn't pay much attention to it in the beginning because B is a master pooper in my eyes. Since day 1, he poos a lot. Until about 4 months he started to have one mega poo a day, which I thought was great. Then came the introduction of solids... Well.. That's another shitload of issue, puns intended!

Anyway, for almost a week, he has been pooping a lot. The texture were normal except for 1-2 diapers a day where it was somewhat watery. Other than this, he was perfectly fine, eating normally and his usual self. But the frequency and duration had me worried, so I was thinking wether to see the pd or not. My gut feeling told me he's fine, but my paranoid-mum brain told me to play safe. Lo and behold, on the day of his doctor visit, he only pooped once so far. Doctor's diagnosis? Probably something he put in his mouth since I didn't introduce anything new. He ruled it out as diarrhea but gave probiotics anyway.

So my friend's comment was right, trust your instinct. But then again, I'm no doctor. I rather pay to buy a peace of mind.

That said, like most mothers, I think I've graduated with a major in poology.

Keeping A Positive Mindset

What a long day. On days like this, I doubt my parenting skills and question the patience that I am oh-so-proud of when it comes to my baby.

The last few days, or even couple of weeks had been great. Since his teeth cut through, he was less cranky and doesn't cry in the middle of the night. I have even managed to "wean" him off the swing cradle *self-pat*. Not letting him nap in the yao lan took a lot of patience. After two days of hair pulling during nap times, we kissed the cradle good bye. I have also cut down his day time naps from 4 naps to 3. When he was napping 4 times a day, each nap was only 30 minutes, 45 max. Now with 3 naps, he has at least one nap that's about 1.5 hours. That gives me a window to get the chores done.

Today, however, was a different story. Sighs.

Long story short, he dragged 2 of his nap times an hour later. I had to can my plans of taking him to Suntec for lunch and people watch. His last nap was too close to his bed time and missed his dinner. He wanted to continue sleeping but I didn't let him because it was almost 6. When I finally did give him dinner, he couldn't finish and started to get cranky because he hadn't had enough sleep. All in all, the last hour before he went to bed killed me.

Yes I'm exhausted. Yes I wish I had help. Yes I would love some solitude. 

But right before he dozed off, he stared into my eyes intently, hand holding onto mine, smiling. All my exhaustion and frustrations just went away. Just like that, I realised...

I am in love with a manipulator.

Thanksgiving and Heather's November Blues

November is typically a somewhat antsy month, right? The excitement is building up for Christmas, everywhere you look Christmas decorations are up, yet it's not Christmas yet. The lead up to Christmas and countdown to new year always gets me excited. And for mostly Americans, there's Thanksgiving. Whilst I do not celebrate Thanksgiving, there are a couple of things that I am really thankful for:

• Bradley - the most amazing, incredible thing that happened to me. 
• DH - without him, I wouldn't have Bradley. Without him, I wouldn't have come so far. I love him so much. 
• My family - as with every big families, there are bound to be conflicts, misunderstandings, unhappiness. Mine too, but its through all these that made my family extremely close and bonded
• Health - what's wealth without health? (Although, health plus wealth would be a big bonus!)

Jokes aside, I've always taken my health for granted. Even after losing my father to renal failure that was brought upon by diabetes and hypertension. But now that I have Bradley, I try to make sure DH and I eat healthy by cooking at home more. I cannot imagine having to care for B if I'm down sick, worse, I cannot bear to have the thought of B losing his parents at a young age. Any parents will feel the same. So I cannot imagine what Heather von St James went through when she was first diagnosed with mesothelioma when her daughter was just three months old.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer, affecting the membrane lining of lungs and abdomen. There is no known cure but chemo and surgery have helped to improve prognosis. Typically, someone with mesothelioma is given 15 months to live, but Heather beat the odds and is one of the few survivors of this cancer.

As she was diagnosed in November, every year this month Heather gets the "November Blues". Could you blame her? But she has made what, in her words, started out as a tragedy ended up in triumph. She has since embarked on a mission to spread awareness of mesothelioma by sharing her story.

Have you heard of mesothelioma before? I haven't. Sure I've heard of lung cancers, ovarian cancers, cervical cancers, and even have a good friend who is diagnosed with breast cancer. But mesothelioma? No. So when Heather contacted me and asked if I would share her story and help create awareness, I did a little reading. It is extremely sad to read things like "at some point, the management of the disease will shift from trying to cure the disease to trying to keep the patient as comfortable as possible for as long as possible". Yet on the other hand, you read about Heather beating the odds and coming out as a survivor.

Whether you know of anyone who has cancer, be it a friend's friend, or you just happen to be the curious passerby, spend a couple of minutes to watch this video and help spread the word. 

Lastly, think about the things that you are thankful for. The simple pleasures in life.

xx

Bradley at 7 Months

As I'm writing this post, DH is in Jakarta having meetings with clients, B is having his nap and I'm eating a hum chin peng for lunch at 3.30pm. My mood? Incredulous. Simple things in life make me happy. Now, I would be really happy if B can take at least an hour nap.

At 7months, he recognises things, people, songs. He shows different emotions, and of late, scared and sad.

I needed to get a new pair of specs desperately as I had an eye infection from wearing my contacts too long and my old pair of specs is really blurry. So we went to an optical shop across the road to see if I can get a pair. You know how these shops display their specs frames on the wall? When we stepped in, B let out a loud cry and we took him out immediately. Thinking it was nothing, after calming him down, we went in again. And when he saw those frames on the wall, he jumped and had a scare, as cried even harder! I guess those frames look like eyes looking at him? 

Today, his 5 yo cousin looked at him and said "what?" in a slightly louder tone, poor B thought he was being scolded and cried too. My heart broke on both occasions.

Every morning when he wakes up, we hear his coos through the baby monitor and we'll go into his room to see what he's doing. I typically greet him with a song, same song no less, and without fail he breaks into this sweetest smile. When he hears the song but doesn't see me, he'll pause whatever he's doing and wait for me to appear. I guess this is what happiness means.

5 more months to a year old, I haven't even grapple with the fact I have a baby! When will it actually sink in? That DH and I are now parents and we are in this forever... 

And So We Did It

I don't know what I did that made this post went missing. Well, it's back now.

With no fanfare, no tears, no emotional conversation with B, just like that, I weaned B off my breastmilk. :)

Talk about being random. It happened two days ago after putting B to bed, DH and I were having dinner and I was too tired to pump. I was already pumping twice a day and very irregularly, and so I decided to skip that pump and go to bed early. Random isn't it? All those thoughts and imagination about how I will tell B, "Baby, this is the last bottle of breastmilk, after this you will move on to drinking fm, ok?" never happened. B's nonchalent attitude towards what he was drinking made it easier. Man, can I love this boy even more?

I got up in the middle of the night with a soaking top and stone hard boobs, but I was too tired (read: lazy) to get up and pump. Honestly I think it was a bad idea to somewhat abruptly stop. It could lead to mastitis and from what I heard, some said its worse than childbirth! I hand expressed a little but succumbed to the pump twice. Today, I'm glad to report my boobs although full, doesn't hurt, so I assume we are doing ok.

I am enjoying my "pumpless" moments, for one, I got to somewhat sleep in today till B woke us up. We only need to carry a flask for hot water, the fm and empty bottle when we go out. No more cooler bags with ice packs in them, no more thermo flask with container to warm up ebm. DH is totally enjoying carrying the lighter bag. I got to eat what I have not eaten since pregnancy days - mackerel, raw oysters and drinking guilt-free. When one is breastfeeding, one really needs to be mindful of the diet as it gets passed on to the baby. I have a friend whose pd was concerned that a particular persistent cough was taking so long to recover. Eventually, they suspected diet played a part.

Anyway I digressed. My whole point is, I can now say "been there, done that". Given a chance to start all over again, I probably would choose to do the same thing over despite the pains and stress in the beginning, all those hours spent hooked up to the pump, the countless times I dozed off while pumping...... But ask me what I feel about breastmilk, my honest opinion? It's probably a tad overrated. I get that "breast is best"... but "excuse me, are you a formula fed/breastfed baby?" says no one ever. I am glad my breastfeeding days are over, I am glad B was exclusively bf for at least 6 months, but more importantly, I'm glad B's healthy and happy. That's all I ask for.

Meanwhile, let me sit back and enjoy my drink. :)

Product Review: Sinchies Reusable Pouch

Ever since B started solids, I've been preparing his purées almost everyday. It's hard enough to plan DH and my dinner everyday, wrecking my brain on what to serve on the dining table, I now have another person's meal to think about.

Typically, B has his porridge in the morning and cereal late afternoon. And with his porridge, I cook it with a piece of 'bak tao' in the slow cooker. Bak Tao, if I translate it literally from hokkien is the meat near the pig's head. I'm not sure if it actually is but apparently this cut of the pig gives the porridge a great fragrant and flavour (note to self: reconfirm if indeed meat near head). Served with his porridge are usually sweet potatos, carrots, peas, pumpkin or salmon purées. As for his cereal, I serve them with fruit purées like apples, nectarines, pears.

So you can imagine the amount of cooking, steaming and pureeing I do on a daily basis. With that, I will need storage solutions as well - something that I can freeze/chill and warm up nicely. I've used many things - those Avent 125ml milk bottles that I have so many, Avent storage cups, breastmilk bags, baby cubes. They all work fine but I am always game to try products that can store these baby food. When I heard of the Sinchies Reusable Pouches, I was eager to try and was sent a couple for reviewing. 

Here's how I used them:

They come in different sizes: 80ml, 140ml, 200ml, 1L. Perfect for storing different food intended for different meals. For the purpose of this review, I made sweet potato puree.

Usually, the sweet potatoes I get are the red-purple skin types and they are really sweet and delicious. But I came across the golden honey sweet potato the other day and thought I give it a try. Whilst the colour is not as appetizing, its taste is comparable.

Whether you are cooking it with the skin on or off, I think its a good idea to scrub the skin clean before cooking. You could either steam or bake it, I chose the former.

(I know, I know, don't judge me. I'm probably one of the very few mothers left not using a Philip steamer/blender. Don't get me wrong, I think that's a great product, but I'm used to this method. One day, I might get it. It's year end already, time for DH's company to give away department stores voucher. ;p )

Steam the sweet potato until tender, and transfer it to choice of equipment for blending/pureeing. I did get this hand blender which has been put to good use ever since.

Happy with the consistency, it's now ready to be transferred to the Sinchies pouch.

I prepared this the night before, so off into the fridge it went. When ready to serve, just warm it up in a cup/bowl of hot water.

Squeeze them out of the pouch, easy and fuss-free.

Give it a good mix, and it's ready for savouring.

I think B approves because this was all that was left:

What I liked about Sinchies pouches:

- it comes in different sizes

- can be sterilized (for the paranoid mothers like me)

- perfect for on-the-go feeding

- for older babies, you can serve them smoothies directly from the pouch

What I feel could be improved:

- the opening of the pouch, especially the 80ml pouch is a little too small to fill puree. Although there's no such problem with the bigger pouches. Might be a good idea to fill the 80ml ones with liquid.

My verdict: it's perfect for on-the-go feeding and saves space in your fridge. I can imagine filling it with juices or smoothies for B next time. Probably not so much for every day use at home, but certainly for outdoors!

To find out more, like Sinchies Singapore on their Facebook page.

Disclaimer: I was sent the pouches for reviews but all opinions are mine.

Various Milestones

And so I can't deny it any further, my little baby is no longer that little anymore. He screams in displeasure, throws his tantrum but also warms your heart with the sweetest smile. He's nearly 7 months already. 

Random updates on B:

~ his 2 teeth are visible (and sharp!)

~ he's learning to crawl and on his fours most times. This makes diaper changing extremely difficult. We also bought a play yard for this purpose

~ he doesn't stay still when washing his butt after pooing. Not the innocent baby who loves getting his butt washed anymore. He squirm and arch and splash

~ We have lowered his cot because he had attempted to do a prison break a few times, or even trying to reach got items outside his cot. For my benefit and to save my back, we are looking for a cot bed and have every intention to get a new one. I wished someone told me about all these nitty gritty yet important stuff so that we could possibly shop wiser.

As for mummy, she's doing very well now having dropped yet another pump. We are giving B fm for the middle of night feed and when we go out. Makes staying home alone with B more enjoyable and I find myself doing that more than going to my mum's. Being at home gives me time to do more stuff, like preparing for dinner, B's purée or even the laundry! This whole motherhood thing is beginning to make more sense.

Latest PD Visit

And so we went for B's vaccine yesterday. Boy was the clinic crowded, probably backlog from his mc and his clinic closing for a week starting Friday. We waited about 30 minutes or slightly more for our turn and glad B didn't lose his patience. He just sat on my lap and happily sucking his fingers away.

B is now 8.4kg and 70cm. According to dr and some of my mummy friends, he's a tall boy. As for his milk intake, I'm no longer concerned he's only drinking 140ml coz some other babies who are older than him are taking in the same amount too. and obviously he's doing fine with this so I really should stop worrying.

Dr and I chatted about the kind of solids we have given him, and I asked him for recommendation of fm since it has been so long since he had taken fm - he gave us a tin of sample. The reason why it is advisable for babies to start solids round about the 6 month mark is because their bodies need the iron which breastmilk alone is not able to provide sufficiently. Baby cereals are often fortified with irons and the introduction of fish with red meat like salmon and tuna are good for them. FM also has the iron which breastmilk lacks. And so we went home with me thinking when I should start the fm. Well listen to this, I finally did last night! Dr said if we plan to intro fm, might be a good idea to give it for his last feed as it will probably last him longer. I was actually excited making the fm and when I offered it to B, I half expected he will cringe a little because of the taste, but NO! 不给面子, he drank like there's no difference at all. TMD. But I was actually happy. It was easier than I expected. But...... the fm did not make him fuller. He still woke for milk. Which I'm thinking could possibly be outta habit. But it's ok, in time to come I'm sure it will pass.

The funny thing happened after I pumped - as I was pouring the bm into the milk bag, I caught myself smiling. It was like telling myself I won't be doing this for long. So happy. All this while I've been persistent in pumping but it wasn't really because of the "benefits of bm".. I guess it's more of "it's what I should do for six months at least". And truth be told, as the days got along, you really will get 不舍得 as there is some kinda bond. I can't imagine mums who latch weaning off, must be worse.

The end is near.....

P/S: B's tooth is coming out! I thought I saw something underneath his swollen gums and doctor confirmed it! It's gonna be so irritatingly cute!

Drinking Your Way To Better Health

I don't know if you are aware, but I am quite the lazy bug. If there is an easier way to do certain thing or not to do anything at all, I would choose not to do it. Like if I can drink tap water, why bother boiling it? But thankfully I hate the taste of regular tap water, unless it's chilled. That's what restaurants serve you by the way.

Anyhow, since I got pregnant and with me breastfeeding, I drink so much water. Like seriously a lot. DH and I got tired of boiling water all the time. Then we found a solution to our problem one day when we were at my sis' place: a water purifier.

All you need to do is to pour tap water into the filter and let it do the rest. It will shock you how dirty our tap water is. Not PUB's fault, but the water pipes and our taps. We just need to wash it every month and change the filter every year. Tadah! Fresh, crisp water all the time. There really is a difference in the taste of the water. I guess crisp best describes it. DH uses the water to make his coffee and he says there's a difference.

What I really like about this:

- it's a standalone unit with no need to plug into a power point. So you can place this anywhere.

- it's really simple to use: just pour in tap water. That's it!

- a whole lot of benefits from drinking alkaline water which supposedly helps in slowing down oxidation, better hydration and detoxification.

Well, for the lazy me, the real benefit is I get to drink clean water all the time, no need for boiling and transferring water to a pitcher. In turn, making me drink more water and don't we all know drinking water is good for you? :)

Oh might I add, all these convenience and benefits actually come quite affordable, we got it for $199 at Best Denki. 

Sleep Deprived

Aren't we all? Before B came along, I felt sleep deprived every morning when waking up for work. But not that deprived to stop us from going to the gym, having one drink too many the night before or falling sick from it.

And then came Master B. I finally understood the real meaning of sleep deprivation. DH said he had gone through this in the army, but me? I was nearing hallucinations was it not for the adrenalin of having a new baby that kept me going.

Since then, it has been so much better. Or has it really? Whilst he used to wake every 2-3 hours for milk in the first 2-3months, he started sleeping through at 4 months but stopped one day. We kinda resigned to the fact that he will wake for a night feed, usually between 1-3am. I tell myself it's ok, I'm not working and will be happy for any opportunity for him to up his total milk intake. It's true, you just have to keep telling yourself that. -_-"

We had friends over for dinner on Saturday. It was a good catch up and I have to say I really did enjoy myself. It helped that B's bed time is 7... So we had uninterrupted "adult time" with our friends. By the time they left and we cleaned up, it was midnight. Needless to say, we felt zombiefied the next day. There we go, sleep deprivation again.

B's pd was on mc so we had to postpone the visit, and hence the introduction of fm. Funnily enough, the boobs sisters must have thought it was amusing to screw me up as the supply increased. It was enough previously despite the drop but now as B is taking in more solids, he has dropped one milk feed too. Here I am again with the same freaking dilemma of do I then continue pumping? I guess I'm about 85% sure I will stop very soon especially after enjoying the convenience of giving fm.

Whatever, I'm so tired of my fickled self. Watch this space I guess.

Of Bonding, Eating and Loving

Of late, I feel that B and I are spending more quality times together. I mean, we have been together since his birth but it's only recently that I feel our mother and son bond is strengthening. For one, as he grows, he's more aware of his surroundings and what's happening. I'm spending more time with him alone at home then at my mum's. On days like today when we are home alone and have nothing on our agenda, it's just mother and son time. The helper came in the morning and left by noon, B and I went to get lunch, later this afternoon we will go for our daily walk. There's no other distractions for me, I can just focus on him. Seeing his face lit up with smile when you go near him is simply heartwarming. I will do all I can to always be there for him.

He's taking in solids well. Besides the store bought cereals, he'd tried home made pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, green peas, potato, avocado, apple and porridge. I think his favourite so far are avocado and apples. The hand blender we bought have been put to good use and when I'm preparing his purée, I really enjoy it and do it with so much love it's so cliche. Oh the joys of motherhood.

Motherhood would be even better if we don't have to deal with other "family issues".

A Day In The Life of a SAHM - Part II

0500: first pump of the day

0530-0630: baby wakes. Lotsa love, hugs, cuddles. Take a shower, have breakfast, attempt to read the papers. Wash and sterilise. Dump the laundry into washing machine

0730: baby's first milk. Hb leaves for work

0745-0830: baby's first nap. Hang up laundry, wash bottle, prepare towels and clothes for baby bath, prepare diaper bag to bring out, prepare milk for next 2 feeds

0830: baby wakes. Bath

0845-0900: ready to leave the house for mum's. Call mum, possible detour to pick mum from market.

0930: feed baby solid. Play time

1030: milk feed. Baby naps. Wash bottles and bowls.

1130: second pump

12-1230: baby active play time

1330: milk. Nap.

1330-1430: mummy's down time - Facebook, whatsapp chats, Instagram and possibly nap.

1500-1530: drive home. Feed baby solids

1630: milk. Nap. Prepares ingredients for dinner. Prepare baby's purée.

1700-1730: baby wakes from nap. Take a walk with baby.

1800-1830: wipe down for baby. Simple games, lotsa reading, winding down.

1900: last milk feed. If hubby is back, hubby feeds and I prepare dinner

1930: baby asleep. Dinner. Wash up

2000-2030: last pump. Watch tv while pumping 

2100: KO 

2300-0000: baby flipped in sleep, annoyed, cries. Baby dropped paci, annoyed, cries. Walk to and fro baby's room to flip baby back and put paci in. 

0300: baby stirring. Warm up milk. Feed. Change diaper

0330: lay in bed, can't sleep. Check fb

0345: KO

0500: alarm rings. First pump of the day 

Conclusion: it's nice to be a baby.

New Routine (Again)

The recent lack of updates and blog posts signifies my newish routine. I have since dropped another pump session and am now doing three pumps a day. My last pump is around 8ish at night and I usually go to bed right after the washing and stuff. This means I get to enjoy at least 2 more hours of sleep everyday. Yay! 

If you have been following my blog, you might have realised I'm somewhat anal when it comes to milk supply. Afterall I did go through a fair bit to bring them up. So for me to see supply dwindling and falling daily and accepting it is a huge thing. In the beginning, I was still contemplating if I should get started back on fenugreek again to bring it up but I reminded myself of my 6-mo goal and if I were gonna continue adding pressure to myself whenever supply drops, I'll probably bf him till what, 1-2yr? Ridiculous. It's time to let go. So once I had my mind set, being at peace with myself, I began to appreciate the "freedom" of one pump session less, and was even on the verge of stopping almost immediately. My current daily yield is still more than enough for B's consumption (a different story later) and I wanted to wait till his next pd visit to get a recommendation on the formula to introduce. Once we see the pd, I will start to intro fm to him starting from the midnight feed, then move on to a combi of ebm and fm and then eventually wean him off. It's a lot of emotions but I'm kinda over this whole bfg thing.

Now moving on to B's milk intake.. Omg I think he's probably teething. He's been rather cranky of late esp after he falls asleep at night. He will stir many times, wake up crying for his bickie, when you give it to him he sometimes refuses it. But when it's not in his mouth he cries for it. He's also flipping a lot in his sleep which is frustrating for him coz he can't flip back on demand. Yesterday he had a milk strike, he only drank 60ml each feed. Thankfully the last 2 feeds he finished everything. So far so good today, his appetite seems to be back. I hope the poor boy gets over this without any further discomfort. And if he indeed is teething, we are so looking forward to that first mini tooth popping out!

Letter To Bradley - 6 Months On

My dearest baby boy,

You will be 6 months old tomorrow. What a crazy journey eh? I hope that I have done alright and have not caused any permanent scars on you! :)

By now, you will probably realise Mummy loves reminiscing. That's because the memories are oh-so-sweet. From being pregnant, to the 40 weeks I carried you, to your birth, your first weeks and up till now, the learning curve for me is so steep and it continues to climb. Everyday I'm learning new things about you, everyday I'm discovering new things. What more can I ask?

Well maybe if I could, I'd ask for time to slow down a little. Let me enjoy your infanthood slowly because I know before anyone can say "baby", in a blink of eye, you will be a little kiddo. I also pray for your health because life has shown me regardless the material wealth, without health, everything is moot.

So, on the eve of your half birthday, Mummy wants to thank you again for coming into our lives. You filled up the void that we never knew was there until you came along. You made me learned patience is indeed a virtue, and something I hope will be instilled in you. You made me realise that it is actually possible to love someone, something so much that you are willing to give your everything.

Thank you baby. Mummy and Daddy loves you so so much.

Happy Half Birthday!

Quality Family Moments

DH had taken Monday off so we had a long weekend. When I was working, long weekends really perked me up and gave me the strength to last through the rest of the week. Now, it's the same. If DH has a long weekend, it means baby and I have an extra day to spend with daddy. From now till the end of the year, DH will be clearing his leave and the last week of December will be a blast!

Last weekend, we went out everyday. B gets excited when we leave the house and there's always much for him to see. With the pognae carrier, it makes bringing him out easier and more comfortable. DH and I were fighting who gets to wear him coz we love how he falls asleep in it, close to our hearts. We have become baby hoggers.

Our dear boy will be 6 months old this Saturday. Daddy will be back from India and I'm sure we'll have more fun as a family. Not looking forward to DH traveling but it is what it is.. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do! 😌

Surviving Days Without Daddy

DH used to travel a lot for work. Ever since the birth of B, he tried to cut down his travels but there are still the occasional trips here and there.

B and I used to "camp out" at my mum's when DH travels. It is rather cumbersome, having to bring so many things. And I think it was inconvenient for my family. So this trip that DH was away, I decided to stay home with B, afterall he's just away for one night. Well, we survived. I drove to my mum after B's bath and first nap and try to come home around 3ish so as not to get stuck in the peak hour traffic. It's not that bad except, I really really miss DH a lot. Feels a lot like how I felt during my confinement, except this time round I don't feel helpless.

I don't feel bored either, just lonely. Funny how I feel this way even with B! And poor B seems bored! Next week DH will be away for 3 nights, I'm contemplating to drop my 5pm pump, something I had planned to do anyway when he reaches 6mo. 

Let's see how it goes.

Another Big Deal

So the time is here, for B to start solids!

My intention was to let him be on bm exclusively until he reaches 6 months, as what is recommended by the whole world. Last visit to the pd, he suggested it's probably a good time to start solids. A part of me wanted to wait till he is 6mo, while another part of me can't wait to let him have his first taste at food. O...kay, baby food, not that yummy, but still.

Yesterday, B had his first taste of food!

I've only started him on oatmeal cereal. Next item on menu: sweet potato and pumpkin!

Yummmmmy.

Bradley's First Dip in the Pool

With B's first pd at TMC, we asked when can we bring him to the swimming pool. She said not until he's at least 6 months old, and I agree with her. With Dr Zainal, he said anytime as long as the water temperature is not too cold and each swim should not last more than 20 minutes. DH was excited and want to bring him for a swim. I, on the other hand, although excited, wanted to play safe and wait till he's 6 months old.

As he moves towards the 6-month mark, I started getting excited and bought his first swimwear. I would have love to see him in a rash guard and board shorts, but I guess that will have to wait till he's much older. Next item on the list to get him ready for the first swim: sunscreen! I always have very terrible reaction to sunblock and my face and body break out in horrible, itchy rash that often lands me in the doctor's clinic with an injection. So I am particularly careful with B's already sensitive skin. The things to look out for when getting sunscreen according to Babycenter:

* Zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide

* PABA free

* Paraben free

* Fragrance free

PABA stands for para-aminobenzoic acid and was once commonly used in sunscreen as an ultraviolet light absorber. Because of its high allergic reations, it was removed as an ingredient.

Parabens are a class of chemicals used in preservatives and in recent years have been found to link to some cancers.

With these in mind, I went in search of a baby sunscreen. Hah, actually not much searching required as all I did was to go into Mothercare and they only carried 2 brands.

Remember to do a skin test before using. Rub a small amount on the inner arm and wait for 20 minutes to see if there's any redness or reaction.

I was so worried he would catch a cold and used 3 towels on him.

Daddy's 1001 Things To Do With Bradley

In a random conversation we had in the car, DH said, "I can't wait till the day I can bring Bradley camping at Pulau Ubin. There's so many things I want to do with him, father & son." This triggered me to ask him to send across a list of things that he wants to do with Bradley.

I am surprised when he did send it over, and it was a long list. Some of it are ok for sharing, some he prefers to keep them private. As I go through the list, my eyes swelled with tears. It reminded me why I married him, and that our love are strong after all these years.

Here's his list (in no particular order):

1. Swimming

2. Camping - daddy first camped when he was 12 and it's fun for a 12-year-old

3. Visit the zoo

4. Early morning run to see the sunrise

5. Do a cross-country run 

6. Go to Universal Studio - have fun

7. Go to Disneyland - have more fun!

8. Taste a lemon - daddy just want to see your reaction

9. Build a book shelf

10. Wash the car

11. Take the first sip of Coke - who doesn't like Coke?

12. Spring clean the house

13. Cook dinner for mummy

14. Ball games

15. Walk you to your first year at school

16. Go to the beach - have fun and get very tired

17. BBQ

18. Chase away the lizards - relieve daddy of this crazy task

19. Fishing

20. Snorkeling

21. Shop for your 12" action figure

22. Build plane and warships models

23. Shop for your first exercise kit

24. Attend a football match

25. Attend a rock concert

26. Help dad cook prawn noodles

27. Visit Pulau Ubin

28. Hiking

29. Canoeing

30. CNY reunion dinner

31. Go to the movies

32. Visit Botanic Gardens

33. Staycation

34. Watch a football match in a bar

35. Go to a book store

I think #13,15 and 18 are so sweet.

Bradley, I look forward to the day where you can enjoy these activities with Daddy.

This Is The Way We Pump Our Breasts

Even before I got pregnant, I always thought breastfeeding is simple, that it should come to mothers naturally. But many friends were kind enough to share that it isn't the case. I have heard stories of how breastfeeding doesn't just come easy for some mothers and babies, but I didn't know it was THIS complex.

I dismissed the importance of a breast pump, thinking that I will latch baby directly. Well, I did latch B for 5 weeks before I decided to pump exclusively. Anyway, I had the "privilege" of trying 3 different types of breast pumps and wanted to share my thoughts on them.

1. Philips Avent Dual Electric

This happens to be one of the better pump in terms of clearing the breasts. However, it is so bloody loud. I'm glad I've sold it away now that I've bought a second-hand Ameda.

Pros:

Effective and efficient in clearing breast. Takes about 15-18min to clear but I often have another letdown at 18min but will be done by 20min.

Cons:

Too bulky and you have to stay plugged to a power point. The noise it makes is crazy loud. Not portable and no timer to show how long you have pumped.

My verdict: 3/5

2. Medela Freestyle

I got this as a hand-me-down from my cousin and it was very handy and useful as I can leave this at my mums place without having to drag the humongous Avent.

Pros: 

Portable and handy, has a timer

Cons:

Unable to clear breasts as effective and takes much longer time. What should have been a 20min pump session becomes 30min and generating only the same amount or less that I get with Avent. As such I get blocked ducts. Can be rather loud.

My verdict: 3/5

3. Ameda 

This is by far my FAVOURITE pump! Mdm Rokiah recommends this and so did a friend before I delivered. It costs much less than a Medela but in my opinion, most effective!

Pros:

Quiet,very efficient in clearing, even better than Avent. Love that it has minimal pump parts so makes washing and sterilising its parts a breeze. Takes less than 20min to express and seems to have solved my quantity imbalance. With the Ameda, my problematic left breast which is often blocked and expressed less milk has balanced up! Medela or any other narrow neck bottles fit.

Cons:

Although it can be powered by batteries, it's a little too bulky to bring out if the need arises. No timer.

My verdict: 4/5

So there you go, I recommend Ameda. It's way cheaper than Medela but does the job better. But different pumps work differently for different people, let me know what works for you!

Playdate Part II

Last Saturday, our mummies group had another gathering in Punggol. It's amazing seeing how the babies have grown since our last "playdate". When we had the gathering at my place, the bubs were mainly lying on the floor, crying, fussing. This time one, some were sitting, some were flipping, most of them were playing or at least in a playful mode and able to respond/smile at you.

As a first time mum, I am very thankful for the support from this group. Many of them are experienced mums and are able to share many tips and advices. Since our babies are born so close to each other, it means we get to do the same things almost around the same time. For example, confinement, breastfeeding woes, and now, starting solids. I have been listening intently on how to tell if an avocado is ripe, how to purée what, what to freeze, when to feed etc etc. We chat everyday on whatsapp group chat, and unknowingly, they have become an important part of my life.

It's The Time of the Month Again

Bradley's monthly jab, that is.

Seriously, as he grows older, it gets harder and harder for me each time we visit his pd. It's true I can't wait for each visit, because I have so much questions to ask the doctor and to seek some assurance that my boy is doing ok, but I always leave home with a heavy heart because it pains me each time he cries. Granted, I always underestimate what a strong boy he is, but could you blame me? He is, afterall a baby!

Anyhoo, I took B for the appointment alone today as it was originally set for tomorrow but the doctor has something on so clinic won't be open. DH has meetings today, so why not I just take him alone since the clinic is just across the road. B had his second dose of pneumococcal jab, which is a vaccine against some of the worst childhood disease such as ear infections and meningitis. He hasn't put on much weight nor grown much taller - weighing 7.88kg as opposed to last month's 7.4kg, and standing at 69cm. Dr said after the 3rd month, babies tend to slow down in the growth and more so after 6 months, so there's nothing to worry about. He suggested we start solids for B since he's 5 months now and then spent some time to go through with me what are some of the first foods to start and how to go about it. What i like about B's pd is his patience and pleasant demeanour that make me feel really comfortable... you know, somehow I trust him with my child. So..... next Sunday we'll let B have his first bite... erm.. taste of food. DH and I are extremely excited!

I've prepared the following weaning set:

1. Bibs

Wonder bibs! Ever since I saw Melissa's Connor wore it, I fell in love. It is so chic, but unfortunately comes with a price. So I went on Qoo10 and got some and managed to get a couple from the Rise & Shine fair that was 1-for-1.

2. Spoons/bowls

I had some Robinsons vouchers and decided to use the balance on these. A good tip I picked up is to get soft tips spoons so that it won't hurt your baby's gums and as for the bowls, get those with a lid so that you can store it in the fridge or bring it out.

3. High chair

I really just want the Ikea's basic high chair, I think it's good enough but unfortunately when we went to Ikea last week, we couldn't find it. They were renovating the kids section at Tampines and we couldn't be bothered to ask as I had intention to check out the baby fair. I eventually skipped it as I heard how terrible the queues and crowd were.

Anything else I need? Do share!

Bradley's Little Actions

Recently, B has been so playful and cheeky I can't keep up.

1. Bring 1 leg forward 2. Lift buttocks 3. Lift 1 leg up 4. And.... we're ready for take off.

He's been doing a lot of this when he flips and before we knew it, he's at the other corner of the bed. This makes leaving him on the bed a lot of work then it's meant to be. I used to just place him in the middle of the bed and use the bathroom or go get something. Now, I cannot leave him alone on the bed without supervision.

Besides being a really smiley baby, he's been chuckling and giggling a lot. He always smiles at strangers, especially when we are in the lift. Our little entertainer for that boring ride.

At any one time, you will see him sucking his fingers and has drool all over. I tried so hard but it's useless. I gave up an just resign to the fact I have to clean his hands and face every so often.

He loves blowing raspberries. But usually when he's annoyed or getting impatient. It's actually quite a funny sight but wish he would stop doing that.

He was meant to have his jab on Saturday but the clinic called and asked if we could change it. So I brought forward to tomorrow and cancel my plans to go to the baby fair with Gwen. It will be my first time taking him for vaccination alone, hope he won't get too angry.

5 Months On...

B turned 5 months last week. Yet, it was still not enough to convince myself I have a baby and that little boy sleeping in the room next door belongs to me. Crazy.

He is so playful recently and he makes me smile all the time (though there have been times of frustrations too). His newfound hobbies as of today are: blowing raspberries, flipping and hitting something repeatedly. Last week, it was screeching.

I took him out to meet Karen today and it was nice seeing her and Baby K after so long. Baby K is 18 months and I still remember visiting her when she was born. It was kinda funny seeing us both pushing our strollers with our babies. Funny how fate brought us together - getting ready for our wedding, in laws woes, work nonsense, trying to conceive and now, we have our little bubs. So thankful for this friendship as I've learned so much from Karen when it comes to parenting and tips.

Thanks babe!

Same Old Same Old

Yesterday I met with my ex-boss and ex-colleague from my hotel days. I spent my formative years there and whilst towards the end I was so annoyed with the power struggle at the management level, it did groom me and gave me exposure and opportunities one would not expect at my age then.

We had lunch at Tanglin Mall which was near the office, and also a place for many expats mums and their bubs. I popped by the office to say hello to one of the director and was somewhat surprised to see that the office has not changed a bit at all except for some new faces. I always thought if given a chance, I would go back, being a tad smarter and wiser now. But seeing how things are the same, ie same management, same issues, I don't think I can ever work there again. Oh well, I guess let's just leave the sweet memories as it is.

A Day in the Life of a SAHM

I an exhausted. Really exhausted. 

Mentally I'm doing fine - enjoying my time at home and spending it with B, I can't ask for more. But physically, I am crumpling away. Every night as I lay in bed, these aches and pains scream for attention, but thankfully I'm so tired I fall asleep almost instantly. But when I am patting B to sleep and he stares into my eyes, it makes all these worthwhile. Although a foot/shoulder rub will really make me feel so good.

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to document down what a typical day for me is like, since I find myself getting asked this a lot.

Morning

I pump four times a day now, supply is dwindling a little, but that's for another day. My pumping times are 5-11-5-11, so everyday by 5-530am, I'm up pumping. If B wakes at 4ish for milk, that's when I sfart my day. I could possibly go back to sleep and wake at the same time as B, but then that makes me very busy. Getting up early gives me time to take a slow, long shower, take my supplements, read the papers and have breakfast.

After pumping, there's much washing to do - the pump parts, milk bottles, pacifiers etc. I've tried Tollyjoy, Pigeon, Kodomo and Pureen liquid cleansers and my favourite is Pureen. For the simplest reason - it has "no flavour". Tollyjoy has such a strong scent its still present even after sterilizing. Pigeon is mild but I find that it can't clean the breastmilk fats effectively. Kodomo is the next best as it is mildly scented and foamy enough to remove breastmilk fats and stains. 

After washing, there's the sterilizing to do. I sterilize the stuff twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.

With all these barangs barangs done by 630am, we just wait for B to wake before we head to my mum's place. Sometimes B wakes up at 5ish, sometimes 6ish and occasionally 7. When we get to my mum's, it's all about feeding him, making him sleep, pump, playing. I try to slip in a nap when he takes his first nap of the day, but this is not always possible. 

When we get home in the evening, it's a mad rush again because it will be near his bed time and he gets cranky when he doesn't get his sleep. So we need to give him a wipe down, change into his PJs then get him ready for bed. Once this is done, I'll sometimes prepare dinner, usually a sandwich or one-dish-meal and dinner will be finished by 830pm. That's not over - there's still preparing for next day - stuff that I have to bring to my mum's -  fresh sets of clothes, new sterilized bottles, pump parts. I then take a longish shower and plonk myself on the couch waiting to pump before I call it a night. By this time, I am so tired. Last night, as I was typing this post, I actually fell asleep while still typing. When I finally snapped out of it and read my post, I'm amazed that I could actually "dream type". Crazy.

So you see, every day is the same. That's why I try to take B out often, whether it's meeting a friend for lunch or just a walk in the mall, just the 2 of us. I believe when I stop breastfeeding, my life will be so much better. But B will be 5 months tomorrow, which means I'm this much closer to the goal of 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. One part of me can't wait to stop, but another part of me still want to continue. Dilemma.

I guess meanwhile I'll just still sit on the couch and prevent myself from dozing off and think about this question again when he's 6 months.

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节

Bradley's very first Mid-Autumn Festival!

Noticed anything wrong with these pictures?

Yes, the sky is still bright. As silly as it may be, we took B down for a walk with his lantern (traditional paper lantern no less) at 6.45pm. He was sleepy on the way home and we tried our best to distract him. His bed time is usually between 7-830pm so we had no choice but to bring him down earlier. I wanted to take pictures for keepsake. Of course, he had no clue what's happening but seemed happy enough to "soak in" the atmosphere.

Separately, this morning when I was on the phone with a friend, B flipped (with help, he can only do a 3/4 flip, if you know what I mean) and next thing I know, he lifted his butt up like this and pushed himself forward a little.

I was amazed and told my friend I'll call her back as I needed to capture this on camera. It was hilarious seeing him do this. The thing with babies, they really grow so fast and change everyday. I remember Karen once told me, babies' seemingly settled down schedule is never settled. They change their "habits" often. One day they like this, another they don't. Some day they take long naps, other days catnaps. This is what's happening with B, but hey, both he and I are still trying our best at living in this complicated world and being a mother. Life's ain't easy on the baby too, he's got too much to take in everyday! Little wonder he's knocked out by 830pm everyday.

***

八月十五庆中秋。

大概有超过15年没提灯笼了吧。想想以往对提灯笼一点兴趣都没有。中秋节嘛，不就是吃月饼，每年都一样。

但今年可不一样，为人父母，可要教育下一代。我想为俊智拍下很多很多照片， 为他留下许多不一样的回忆。告诉他第一个中秋节是怎么度过的，第一个灯笼又是怎样。

先是中秋节， 再来就圣诞节，跨年， 农历新年。。。

宝贝，我要为你留下许多美好的回忆。让你在18年后勾起回忆，提醒你爸爸妈妈是有多么的珍惜你，疼爱你。