More Chinese lessons??

Today I did not go to work. I have been awarded the EXSA-Silver Award for Executives. Yeah! As what the course instructor said, this is a national award. It feels great! Thus, all awardees need to attend this course before we are able to receive the award - compulsory.

Finished the course early at about 4.50pm. Mr Kho came to pick me up from Redhill MRT station. Proceeded to West Coast to pick up Yitian and Sri. When we arrived at West Coast, Mata said that she was going down to the RC to bring Stefanie home from her Chinese tuition class. Mr Kho volunteered to go and at the same time to extend his parking coupon.

Stefanie came home with homework and Mr Kho sat down with her to go through. Shannon and Yitian both were intrigued by the homework and crowded round the two of them. Soon, my dears, it will be your turn also... Endless homework....

Ms Little Fix-It

Like her father, Yitian loves to be able to fix things. For instance this booster seat.

However, she must first fix up her health first..

Guess what now!!

Throughout the day, I called Mr Kho and asked how's everything at home..

He had brought Yitian to the polyclinic to see a doctor. She no longer has a fever but still has running nose. Was prescribed medicine for it. Mr Kho said that Yitian seems to take to Sri now by allowing her to bring her from the bedroom down to the living room. That is already one big improvement from the preious days' of screaming. She also allowed Sri to bathe her, but still have problem letting Sri wash her hair. Mr Kho feels that Yitian is just bullying Sri..Yah, Yitian really does know who she can bully at times. I know that very well.

Mr Kho asked if I could apply leave tomorrow. How could I? I have already told him that all leave are frozen. He said, then what is staff welfare, at least ask and see what happens. Mr Kho, please try to understand...

During lunch, I felt that my left eye was a bit uncomfortable. It was not red but then you get the feeling that it's a bit sore. After lunch, my left eye started to have discharge. The discharge was yucky greenish yellow. My duties this week is the main cashier, I would have to stay until the last patient leaves the clinic and do the closing settlement. My colleague, Thana, says "Eh, you better go to the staff clinic now before they close at 4.30pm". I tried to ask Helen, my clinic manager but she and all the staff nurses were engaged in a serious meeting which I cannot disturb. Thana managed to grab hold of Shanna when she came out of the room to get something. Then after about 20mins, my team leader, ST, came out and asked what's wrong. She saw my eye and said, "Ok, you go and see a doctor now."

Managed to see the doctor at 3.30pm. Doctor asked do you need MC for today. I was looking at the time and said no. He gave me eye drops and said ok, then 2 days MC from tomorrow. While waiting outside, I read the eye drop notes. It says that not tested before on pregnant women and one of the ingredient used may penetrate the placenta! Also, I was thinking if I go back to the clinic now, I can't use my claim time to go off early..Thus, went back in to see the doctor, he gave another eye drop. Gave me MC to cover me today....AARGH..now it's almost 4pm!!! There's no such thing as 1/2 day MC! The doctor says it's all administrative details. Thus, at 4.30pm, left the clinic..3 days MC!!! Mr Kho came to pick me up.

We agreed that Yitian cannot be around me. We can't risk her having red eyes now. Mr Kho again said that he wants to send Yitian to his parents' place. Not that I'm trying to find excuses, but his parents have never look after Yitian (who is still unwell) and with Yitian still adjusting to Sri, I cannot find it within me to agree. We finally reached a compromise. My parents insisted that Yitian go to Sembawang, my younger sis, Amy's, place for the time being. I told Mr Kho, in future we will spend some weekends at his parents' place. Another case closed..(for the time being)...

Running nose and fever

Yitian caught a cold from Mr Kho...

She was sneezing and having a running nose. Shannon was also not feeling well, thus did not go to school on Monday.

However, Yitian was her usual active self. It was only at night she started to be a bit grumpy. I felt that she was having a fever, but then as I always have slightly cold hands, I asked Mr Kho to feel. Mr Kho kept saying "No lah, don't worry, no fever". I was a bit concerned and asked him how he tested the temperature. By using his lips! Aargh...

At night, Yitian woke up crying. I thought she was trying to be difficult and not go back to sleep. I was worried as Mr Kho and I still have to go to work the very next day and I don't want him to feel that having Yitian at home during the weekdays will disrupt our lives. Luckily Mr Kho now has the sense to use a real thermometer to take her temperature. It was 38degC! Mr Kho quickly went to the fridge and pull out the panadol syrup. As I was patting Yitian to sleep, I was very worried..What to do...Even though I'm entitled to Family Care leave, I can't take leave now as the hospital is having the ISO audit these few days.. I asked if Mr Kho can take leave. Straightaway, he called his colleague and was cleared to take Child Sick leave. Thank you!!

We were in the study room and Yitian fell asleep with me carrying her. Not that I'm happy that Yitian is sick but I'm finally able to care for her as a mother..That feeling was incredible! I told Mr Kho to switched off the air-con in our bedroom so that Yitian's nose will not be congested. After taking the panadol syrup, she settled down to sleep for the rest of the night..

Enjoying her orange

First Sunday night at home..

Sri cut up some oranges and Mr Kho brought it up to me. Yitian saw the oranges and said, "I also want leh.."

"Nice"

Sri settling in/ not settling in ??

Maybe my expectations are a bit high, for I expected that after two weeks at my mum's place, Sri would at least have an idea how to handle Yitian. It could be that Yitian is also a bit difficult to handle.

Yitian would scream when Sri wants to bathe her or feed her. For me, I would reassure Sri that it's because Mr Kho and I are at home, which is why Yitian would prefer us over her. But I cannot help but worry that what would really happen if Sri was to be left alone with Yitian...

Mr Kho and I discussed over this..I called my elder sis, Aileen for help. I asked if we could put Yitian and Sri at her house when we went to work and then pick her up after work. Thank goodness she said no problem. I was thinking that at least Yitian will have Stefanie and Shannon to play with and Mata, my sis' maid, is also on hand to help Sri should she have problem with Yitian.

Mr Kho is upset that I do not want to put Yitian and Sri at his parents' place. I explained to him that I want to be able to see Yitian everyday. That was one reason why we wanted to employ a maid. I have spent almost two years as a weekend mum and I do not want to go through that again. You only get to see your kid on the weekends!! I told him that it's basically the same as putting Yitian at a day-care centre. She would still have to wake up early and only after our work can we go and pick her up. The only difference now, is instead of a real day care centre, Yitian will be at my sis' place!

Thus, current problem at hand settled....

Passing on of my Aunie Ah Hee

It is with great sadness to post this blog as I had received news that my aunt had passed away.

Though she had battled with diabetes for a while, you cannot imagine that your loved ones are gone.

I was working when I felt my mobile phone vibrate. (As I'm working front-line, I cannnot answer my phone immediately.) I quickly went to the clerical office and realised that it was my elder sis calling from her office. My sis asked me what time I'll be knocking off and I replied that I would have to wait till the last patient to leave the clinic as I'm the main cashier this week. She went on to tell me to pick up Yitian from her house in West Coast and that my mum would be there too. I asked why..She said..Huh, you don't know yet..Gugu just passed away..

It took a while for the news to sink in. I know that she has been sick for a while, but like I said you never think that someone close to you will be gone forever.

My mum and my sisters all advised me not to attend the funeral wake as I'm pregnant. My heart is heavy as Gugu is family..and to be not able to see her one last time...

However, my thoughts are with you, Gugu. Please rest in peace. My deepest condolences to my uncle and my cousins for the great loss.

Sri has arrived!

We had fetched our domestic helper, Sri, from the agency yesterday evening.

On first impression, she seems to be very polite. However, her understanding of the English language is not so good. Our spoken Malay language is just as bad. I think we would have to rely on my father's help for the time being. Without my father around, we just have to rely on a lot of hand gestures to get by first.

It is really a lot of getting used to. Not sure how to give instructions to Sri. Will have to surf the forum for a sample routine.

Maybe for the time being, I will use this which I found on the "ExpatSingapore" forum - "A Maid's Day"...by Comments.. Any comments??

MONDAY

• Launder bed linen.

• Clean all showers/bathtubs

• Clean all bathroom sinks

• Clean all toilets

• Clean bathroom mirrors

• Empty trashcans

• Mop kitchen floor

TUESDAY

• Dust all surfaces in house including picture frames & ornaments.

• Remove and vacuum all sofa cushions on the sofa.

• Vacuum and mop all floors throughout household.

• Change and launder towels in bathrooms

WEDNESDAY

• Clean stove and oven – not just wipe down

• Thoroughly clean fridge – not just wipe spills.

• Clean all windows

• Mop kitchen floor

• Hose and mop downstairs patio

THURSDAY

• Dust all surfaces in house including picture frames and ornaments

• Clean all showers/bathtubs

• Clean all bathroom sinks

• Clean all toilets

• Clean bathroom mirrors

• Empty trashcans

• Mop kitchen floor

FRIDAY

• Vacuum and mop all floors throughout household

• Remove and vacuum all sofa cushions on the sofa.

• Change and launder towels in bathrooms

SATURDAY

• Miscellaneous chores as needed

• Hose and mop outside patio

DAILY

• Make beds
• Laundry as needed
• Clean kitchen after meal
• Wipe all counters
• Wash, dry and put away dishes
• Pick up toys, tidy up childrens room

MONTHLY

• Deweed downstairs patio

• Clean ceiling fans

• Wipe down insides of kitchen cabinets

Domestic help on the way...

The maid agency called up Mr Kho and informed us that the domestic helper, who we had selected, had passed her English entrance exam. Christine, the lady from LabourExpress, also informed Mr Kho that we'll be able to pick her up from the agency on Friday.

Mixed feelings...

1) Someone, other than family, will now be staying with us..strange..

2) We'll have to entrust the little one(s) to her...

3) People always say that employing a domestic helper is based on luck. If your luck is good, you end up with good help..If your luck is bad..well, you get the idea..

I have already discussed with Mr Kho. As Yitian has always been looked after by my mother, she and the maid will stay at my mum's place for two weeks. Firstly, it will allow Yitian to warm up to the maid. Secondly, the maid will be able to learn how to handle Yitian and what to cook for her.. (Everyone knows what a lousy cook I am..Ha ha..)

Hopefully, with good help, the Khos' will have more quality family time together.

Enjoying the birthday cake!

Me and Yitian posing for Papa to take photo with the tiramisu cake, courtesy of Wati.

Making a wish and blowing the candle together.

Yitian enjoying the cake very much...

It's My Birthday today!

It's my birthday today.

Mr Kho had to go to work, so it's just me and Yitian.

Today, I will be bringing Yitian to the library. My mum called and said that she'll be bringing Manfred to Jurong East and will meet us.

It was raining when we left the house. Yitian brought along her "Princess" umbrella. This photo was taken on Sunday when Mr Kho and I just bought her the umbrella.

The kids had fun at the library and Manfred borrowed two story books. One about trains and the other about dinosaurs..boys...

While at the library, a deliveryman called and said that he had a cake and flowers delivery for me and was waiting outside the house. But I'm not at home! I quickly gave my neighbour a call. Luckily Man Loong was at home and accepted the delivery for me. That's why we must get to know our neighbours well and not the usual "hi-and-bye". You never know when you will need help. Of course, this was not a critical situation. But like I said earlier, luckily for good neighbours.

The delivery was from Wati, one of my very close friends. A bouquet of six pink roses and a tiramisu cake! Thank you very much, Wati!

My two sisters, Aileen and Amy, have also sent me SMS to wish me 'Happy Birthday' and many close friends too, like Jocelyn, Shira, Derrick. Thank you everyone for remembering my birthday. And of course not forgetting my favourite two nieces..Stefanie and Shannon, who called and said that 'Kakak' reminded them today was my birthday!

I'm turning 33!

On June 25, I will be 33.

I much prefer to list down resolutions on my birthday than on New Year's day..personal preference..

1) To be a better wife to my husband.
2) To be a better mother to my girl, Yitian and to my new bundle of joy arriving in November.
3) To have at least $8,000 in my savings.

Picking GuGu up from the airport

Mr Kho's sister, Huimin, is coming back from a school trip to Japan. It so happened that she was in the same area when the earthquake in Tokyo happened and the guy who went around killing (was it 17?) people. One shudders to think if she had met with harm's way.

Thank goodness she's back now..

Get the extra weight off me!

I am very enthusiastic about embarking on this weight loss regimen this time. With the support of mr kho, I am very sure that i will be able to meet my target. 20kg within three months! Let's work it out to smaller goals..

1 month = 4 weeks
3 months =12weeks
20kg / 12 weeks = 1.6kg per week

I have already lost 2 kg last week! Hurray! My last measured weight is 81.5kg. I started this journey weighing 83.5kg.

Helpful Notes about Weight Loss

7 Tips for successful weight loss

The desire to lose weight must come from the individual. If you’re truly ambivalent about making changes in your lifestyle or are doing this to please someone else, you’re likely to fail. When making changes, decide what’s right for your lifestyle. Your best friend’s diet and exercise plan may be completely wrong for your habits and interests. The key is to find a system that works for you.

Don’t blame yourself if you aren’t perfect. If you once fail at your attempt to curtail your overeating, it doesn’t mean you are a failure at weight control and that you should just give up.

Accept that you made a poor choice, but don’t let that poor choice influence the rest of your plan. The same holds true with exercise! Skipping a few workouts doesn’t mean you can’t get back on track. Weight control does not involve making perfect choices all the time, rather, it’s about attempting to make good choices more often than poor ones.

Avoid surroundings where you know you’re tempted to make poor food choices. Everyone has a time when we’re most likely to overeat, whether it’s the morning coffee break or after work with friends. Try to plan other activities or distractions for those times, or plan in advance how you’re going to handle them and stick to it.

Surround yourself with people who support your efforts. Even our good friends can knowingly or unknowingly sabotage weight loss attempts. Spend time with those people who will not pressure you to make poor food choices.
Decide on some non-food rewards for yourself when you reach interim goals. For examples, at the end of the first week of healthy eating or after the first five pounds lost buy yourself a new CD or book.

Stock your pantry and refrigerator with healthy foods. Get rid of the high-calorie, low-nutrition snacks like chips and candy. But don’t forget to have plenty of healthier options available as well, such as popcorn (hold the butter, try Parmesan cheese sprinkles), low-fat cheese and yogurt, fruit, instant cocoa without added sugar, sugar-free popsicles or puddings, or whatever appeals to you when you’re hungry for a snack.

Set small goals and focus on these rather than the “big picture.” Decide where you want to be in a week, in a month, rather than focusing on the total amount of weight you’d like to lose.