Saturday, October 17, 2009
Jian Xin, a brother at 20th month old
Pictures taken at the Zoo in May 09
It was JX's 1st time to the Zoo
but haha he was too tired & slept halfway through.
He was 17th month old then & was still the 'only' child.
Having a new Baby in the family
is a transition for us all.
I think Jian Xin being so young...
having a Sister would have more impact on him
eventhough he isn't able to express his feelings through words yet.
JX doesn't mention that he "don't like Mei Mei" any longer.
But occasionally, he'll say "Put Back Box";
he meant to say put back Mei Mei in Cot when he saw me carrying Mei Mei
during those times he wanted my attention (for play/nap).
Having a new Sister meant lesser time with Mummy...
so JX has became more independent & less reliant on me.
He plays with his aerolanes, helicopter, train, cranes & trucks
on his own when I bf baby.
At times, I felt sad that I couldn't afford the time & energy
to play & read books with him unlike before.
JX has been reading lesser & lesser as a result...
I'm happy that my mum & my mil would try to read with him
whenever possible.
As JX is approaching Terrible Twos,
he gets more disobedient as he asserts his wants/needs.
I've spanked him several times out of anger & frustration
which I know I should not have.
May God grant me wisdom & calmness to discipline JX.
JX can be really cheeky & playful.
Eg. 2 days ago, his ye ye told JX to put his leg down from the table while having his meal. JX refused & was beaten at his foot. JX put down his leg & showed a cheeky face & put his leg up again 2x & deliberately waited to see how ye ye would respond.
JX's Latest Progress:
Dear JX has been progressing fast in verbal skills & fine motor skills.
He is able to buckle his own seat belt on highchair
& has tried to feed himself with a spoon.
JX is as chatty as ever.
He hasn't been learning much new words from books lately...
perhaps I've lesser time to teach him or perhaps JX had Mummy to read his books many times & had lost its novelty - Nothing new to learn?
I've to start teaching him new things!
JX memorises stories & words.
His collection of vocabulary (for objects, colors, shapes etc.) comes through seeing the object/picture itself.
However, JX is still unable to read words.
So lately, I tried to put up pictures of animals with the names of it.
JX doesn't appear interested in reading words yet
so I think it would take some time.
Nai Nai has been teaching JX songs (nursery songs, Christian children songs).
JX is able to sing the whole of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
though diction isn't very clear. Haha.
JX is also able to sing the Christian version of the "Little Indian" Song.
Lately, JX would mumble or sing songs he has learnt.
JX can be rather rude to unfamiliar people -
he'll say "Don't like", "Go Door" or "Bu Yao".
It can be pretty embarassing when JX says that.
I've taught him several times not to say it
but JX still does it...
So I've to continue to teach him to love others.
Ok that's all for today...
Gotta cook maggi noodles before Mei Mei wakes up.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
JX @ 20 months old
It has been some time since I blogged...
perhaps the last month of pregnancy had been very exhausting for me -
1. My father's hospitalisation for stroke
2.Sam's grandfather's demise
3.Sam had suspected H1N1 virus that resulted in both JX & I having to stay in ils place for two 'sleepless' nights,
4. Both JX & I having slight flu. And the worst was me having to go through the uncomfortable nasal swab test for H1N1.
Nonetheless, Thank God that despite of all the weariness,
I was able to deliver little baby Aletheia on 1st Sep 09.
If I do have some time, I'll probably narrate the delivery process in another post.
XXX
Alright now I shall blog about JX @ 20mths old
(wanted to post some pictures but unable to upload it into Blogger? Do take a look at FB if you're interested)
As dear little JX is approaching his Terrible Twos,
he has often been expressing his wants & dislikes - "Don't like, Don't want, Put Back, 不要etc."
When unfamiliar people want to carry him, he'll often say, "不要, 不要!"
When he wants to watch Videos (of Word World/Barney), he'll say, "Watch Video/Watch Television/看电视机". He'll then find the DVD that he wants to watch & try insert it into the DVD player. We would usually let him choose the DVD that he wants to watch since he knows the title of each video. We usually limit him to watching 2 videos (1 in the morn, 1 in noon).
Little JX also knows the title of all his books & he'll usually take out the book he wants me to read & say the title of it. As mentioned before, JX knows the last 1-2 words of each sentence in most of his English books so I'll pause for him to say it.
I've been reading to him books in Chinese as well. Similarly, he knows the title of each different stories. I would say that JX is bilingual! When he says an English word, he'll repeat the word in Chinese at times.
JX is able to distinguish different colors, different shapes (that include sector, ring, parellogram), different objects (that include towel, soap, mirror etc. etc.), different seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter), different expressions/actions (happy, sad, angry, cry, excited, surprised, scared). Also knows mountain, river, sea, dessert etc.
(I taught him these from several books that Sam's mum bought from her previous China Trip. Thank God that JX is a very keen learner & he has a superb memory & ability to grasp/comprehend/associate.)
JX loves to PERFORM - he loves to talk, sing (able to mumble the tune of Twinkle Little Star), dance & act out the storyline when others read to him.
JX is bustling with energy most of the time. So, he gets very grouchy/cranky when he is overly tired. If possible, I'll usually get him to bed at 8pm as he needs about 45mins-1hr to wind down before he enters his slumberland. (However, sadly now, I have to juggle between breastfeeding newborn sibling & settling JX to sleep - it can be truly tough!)
JX's adjustments to a New Sibling:
I've been very worried about JX's adjustments during my labor, hospital stay & after.
Indeed, having a New Sibling is a Major Transition for him.
My MIL & my Mother had a very Challenging Night when I stayed in Hospital -
JX woke up from 3am-5am looking for Mummy & they had to play with him/sing songs till JX managed to sleep at 5am.
When JX visited me in hospital after my labor, JX didn't want me to hug him & I was truly sad.
But thank Lord that JX didn't cry or make a big fuss.
JX would at times say, "Don't like Mei Mei" or "Put Back" when he sees me breastfed (bf) baby. So we try our best to engage JX with other activities when I bf.
However, I noticed that JX appears to be rather disoriented these few days & his ability to focus has been somehow affected. Perhaps because his normal routine has been disrupted & his Mummy couldn't be around most of the time to teach him. So, he has to learn to play independently on his own. I felt sad.
(If only I can be torn into half so that I can both breastfeed newborn & spend time with JX)
Hence, I tried my best to settle JX to bed whenever I can & to play with him & read to him whenever I can. It has been exhausting.
As the first 6 weeks of breastfeeding is based on demand feeding (baby demands, Mummy feeds bb), I acknowledge that it is very tough for me to spend time with JX.
Furthermore, I'm still in my Confinement for 1mth which supposedly is the Month for me to REST.
As my mum couldn't take leave to help me out during confinement,
it had been rather taxing on Sam.
Haha at times, Sam became so disoriented in the middle of the night & thought that he had suffocated baby. I told him 2x before that baby was in the cot, not on our bed.
But I believe things will get better when breastfeeding becomes less demanding & baby feeds faster & at a longer interval.
I'll have more time for JX & Sam will be able to focus on his church ministries better.
Dear Christian Readers, do keep us in Prayers -
May God help us to adjust to a new baby in our family.
May God help JX to learn to love & be gentle to Mei Mei.
May God grant me lots of Strength to look after 2 children &
lots of patience & wisdom to discipline JX as he reaches 2yrs old.
May God grant Sam strength in serving God.
Thank YOU!
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Here's a pic of a Pregnant Me...
Hehe there are very few pictures of a pregnant me as I think I look horribly FAT when I'm pregnant. People will say it's ok to be Fat when you're pregnant But after giving birth, unkind words would usually arise if you don't lose those weight by the 6th month.
Haha...last year, when I managed to return to almost pre-pregnancy weight by the 11th mth,
I'm pregnant again SO I believe it would take me a longer time to reduce weight this time.
Please be kinder to me. ;)
While waiting for Sam to return home from the wake, decided to blog...
Had been wanting to blog about my struggles as a Mother of JX in church
as there's nobody I can share with besides Sam.
For the last 2 Sundays, I felt rather 'alone' in this church.
When I carried JX in my arms while he was sleeping in the church office,
I was just pondering how pathethic I am -
not able to attend service, nobody to help me or rather JX did not readily allow others to carry, not able to eat lunch when others are having their lunch,
so having to eat a cold plate of lunch left on the table by Sam for me,
feeding JX on my own while most have maids to feed their kids,
not able to communicate with others as I've to follow JX ard,
no peers whom can chat & share prayer requests with...
"How I wish I was at CBC" were thoughts that popped up.
At CBC, I've my Mum, my in-laws, Aunties who know me, my good friends, my youths...
seeemingly so many that might be able to HELP.
Perhaps I would be able to attend service & listen to sermons...
Perhaps someone would be able to help me feed JX while I have my lunch...
Perhaps I would have a close friend whom I can share my prayer requests with...
I wondered wbether I looked pathethic (as I thought of myself to be) in front of church members.
I just felt so ALONE.
I want to be independent so that Song En can focus on shepherding in this church
but yet I know I couldn't do it on my own at all!
I'm going to have another baby...how am I going to manage on my own?!!
While pondering about how pathethic I am...
God had been so Kind towards me even when I'm complaining.
On the 1st Sun, when I opened the office door after JX awoke from sleep,
God sent me 2 helpers...
there was this Auntie who saw that my lunch was still left on the table.
She told me to eat my lunch & that she would help to feed JX.
So, I was able to eat my lunch...though the noodles were cold & soggy,
I tried to complete everything.
The other lady was a Deacon...she chatted with us while we were eating.
I felt so comforted & a sense of warmth...
I felt so Thankful to God.
On the 2nd Sun, God gave me strength to look after JX while Song En was having Board meeting for 2 whole hours.
JX was able to sit quietly in his highchair while I fed him his lunch & while watching Barney, Thomas the Train.
It is indeed not easy for me.
At times, I just feel so alone.
Likewise, I think it would be even tougher for Mummy Pei En & Upsheep
when they bring their toddlers to mission field.
How I wish I could be in a comfort zone (in my case, CBC) where
there are so many people whom I know & could help me.
However, God has placed Song En & our family in another church.
So, once & once again, I've to have lots of Faith & Trust in God...
to keep me strong & give me strength & more strength & more strength
to look after 2 children & yet being able to support Sam in church ministries.
May God help me! May God send me helpers.
May God help me to open up & to ask for HELP.
Christian readers, do keep me in prayers.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Now About JX's Mummy...
- In this pregnancy, I had gained more weight or rather the baby inside appears to be bigger. So, the weight has been pressing on the uterus & causing pain in my pubic bone. If I stand, sit, walk too long, my pubic bone will hurt. I've difficulties sleeping lately as well. If I lie to the side, my pubic bone will hurt. If I lie on my back, my back feels uncomfortable. But the pain is still bearable. =)
- With the lack of good sleep, I become exhausted easily. Ard 4pm, I would be too tired to look after JX & play with him. It would be a real challenge for me each time! At times, I would have to disturb Sam who would be working at home occasionally. I truly don't wish to interfere Sam in his work...but at times, weariness makes me too frustrated in looking after JX. I need a small break & some help.
- At times, I await for 6pm to arrive when Sam's father would bring our dinner & help out so that I could have a small time out for at least 1 hr. From 6pm-7.30pm, I would take a short break if Sam's parents are free to come.
- After JX's dinner & bonding time with his grandparents, Sam & I would prepare his bath, have bible story time, give him goodnight kiss & he'll enter into his slumberland by 8.30-9pm.
- After 9pm, it'll be a longer break for me. Watch TV, facebook...then have QT with Sam then sleep (if I could sleep...)
- Anyway, baby inside appears to be more active than JX last time when he was in my womb. Hmm...will she be more active than JX???... I wonder how will I be able to look after 2 Active Kids...
- In church, I know many people by face but do not have much opportunity to communicate with them yet as I've to look after JX. It appears that my role presently is to look after JX so that Sam can serve in Church ministries. As I'm unfamiliar with many of them & they're unfamiliar with me, the only family who usually helps me is Shi Mu & her daughter. So, I've got to be independent in looking after JX on my own. Most of the needs of the younger children in church are usually attended by their maids. E.g. the maids would bring the lunch in for the children & feed them. But for stay home mummies like me (w/o my mum, in-laws, Aunties who know me & could possibly help), I've to bao gao liao in this church. So, I've to feed JX his lunch before I could have mine. I've to run around with JX whenever he goes for his adventure around the small church premise. Imagine a pregnant Mummy following a little kid around. Haha. BUT I try to remain joyful & patient so that Sam could concentrate on his church ministries - preaching, teaching etc. I wonder how I'll manage when the next child arrives or how will I manage 2 crying children. May God pave a way for me. May God grant me more helpers for JX & may JX adapt better to others playing with him. May God help JX's sibling to be easily manageable.
- Alright...that'll be all for now. Readers, do keep us in prayers. May God grant me lots of strength & joy in looking JX daily.
Sigh...something amiss in my blog so I couldn't put up pic or type normally. But I wanted to blog so here it goes...
A quick summary on JX:
- With increased mobility, JX doesn't like to be carried. So, if you carry him, he'll struggle his way out and wants to be put down.
- JX still enjoys reading books. I'm thankful that my mum-in-law had bought many Chinese books from the recent China trip she went. So, I had been reading to him in Mandarin. I would say that JX is bilingual.
- JX knows many words now. He knows how to differentiate & say different colors - red, blue, yellow, green, purple, pink, grey, black & white. He also knows shapes - rectangle, triangle, square, circle, diamond, sector, moon, oval, parallelogram, semi-circle.
- JX loves to Count! When he sees numbers or objects, he'll start counting. He still doesn't really know how to count but he loves to blabber 1, 2, 3, 4, ...
- JX has been a very active boy. At times, some ppl will find him 'Hyper' as he's always moving around & not pausing for a minute. Even my parents-in-law do not have the strength to look after him for very long. But I believe that he's active not to an extent that he's unable to focus. He's still able to sit down & listen to stories & learn new things.
BUT you all could imagine how busy & exhausted I am in looking after such an active boy!
- JX is small in built...or rather Lean or Lanky? Hmm...JX really can eat a lot BUT he's too Active to be FAT. In the morn, he eats 4 tbs of Nestum with formula milk (4Tbs of Nestum is almost equivalent to what an adult eats). Besides nestum+milk, he will eat 1-2 portion of fruits (like banana, prunes, kiwi etc.). Besides that, at times, he is able to eat a slice of bread/pau as well.
- JX's favorite food - Chives Dumplings (Gu Chai Jiao Zi), any types of Pau & most types of fruits.
- JX has been teething - 1st molars are out on his lower gums. It has been rather painful for him. So he's been drooling lots & biting his fingers.
That's all for JX for now. =)
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Seeing the World in the Eyes of a Child
makes me pause to look at 'little' things I hardly took notice of before.
Little JX is an observant little boy with sharp sight & hearing.
He loves to look out for moon, stars and aeroplanes in the sky at night.
Several times, we were surprised that he could exclaim & point out those glowing/sparkling objects in the sky.
At times, we would dismissed what he had said as we couldn't see those objects
but would later realised that little JX was right.
Little JX would at times imitate the sounds of vehicles he heard at home.
At times, he would climb onto the sofa & peer through the window grilles
to see where the sound was coming from (e.g. the rubbish truck).
He would never fail to notice & be excited by "Cranes" along the road/expressway.
He would exclaim in delight "Crane" and add that it's tall, long, high (descriptions made in both Eng/Mandarin).
JX also loves to look out for aeroplanes, trains, bridges when he is in the car.
Lately, he has been very amused by "Escalators" & he would exclaim "Escalator, Escalator" whenever he sees one in the shopping mall.
Sam would let JX stand on the escalator while holding his little hands.
Little JX also enjoys listening to Music created by musical instruments.
Whenever he goes to Church, he would try to put his little fingers to the piano or the guitar.
Indeed, Seeing the World in the eyes of a Child
makes a difference!
Daily life can become such a routine that we fail
to look in awe at 'little' things around us.
Do we stop to look at God's creation - the Sun, Moon & the stars?
I didn't realise that Cranes can be SO TALL!...
till JX pointed that out to me.
Perhaps you may want to take a look at those Cranes beside the new skyscapers in the City which are still undergoing construction.
Crane gonna be built first before a building gets to be built.
Thank Lord that JX is such an observant little Boy!
Little as he is...
he is able to observe more things around the world than Me - an adult.
May God help me to understand JX better as
I try to look at the world in JX's eyes.
I thought he wouldn't be able to see JX's sibling
Prior to this post, I had written regarding the deterioration of my father's health
and two Sundays ago, we had to call an ambulance & get the medics to force my father to go to the hospital as he couldn't speak, eat and walk properly.
The soft approach didn't work for him -
we tried to persuade him to go to the hospital & he stubbornly refused to.
Even the medics tried the soft approach but they were not successful either.
SO, the medics said they had to use the hard approach which was to drag my father out of the house & put him on the stretcher.
My brother said that he only relented & stopped struggling after knowing that he was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
Thank God that we managed to get him to the hospital!
Neurosurgeon said that he had several blood clots in his head due to falls (my father had several falls) which had resulted in his lack of functionality/mobility.
And he needed to go for an operation the next morning.
According to my brother, the doc appeared to have confidence in doing the op as my father was not too old.
Doc said the op was necessary as he might suffer greater consequences (death) if he had another fall the next time.
I was rather shocked that my father's condition sounded so serious to the extent that he needed an op so urgently.
So, that night, I went to see my father in ICA (Immediate Care) for the 'final' time before his op.
Sam briefly mentioned the gospel and we prayed for him.
That night, I was thinking whether I would see my father again & whether he would get to see JX's sibling.
Perhaps due to the lack of information about my father's condition & the drastic deterioration of my father's health had resulted in my negative thinking?
Prayer was the only thing we can do.
The following day, we went to see my father after his op.
Doc had drilled 3 holes in his head to remove the blood clot
so my father had this "Manchurian" hairstyle.
Thank God that he Survived the operation & that he could speak slightly to us.
He could even complain to my mum & brother about his stay in hospital & that he was hungry.
In the next few days, my father had shown improvements in his speech, appetite & functionality.
At present, he could use his right arms for his meals & he could complete his meal.
In the past 3 months, my father's appetite had greatly decreased after a bad fall he had...
so, I'm happy to see that my father is eating well again.
My father is presently still residing in the hospital.
The nurses said that he would have to attend rehab so that he would be able to function independently first before discharge.
Therefore, he has to stay in the hospital for 1-2 weeks more.
Hopefully, he would be compliant and complete his rehab before discharge.
Thank God for his grace & mercy.
We will need to make the house more elderly friendly
so that falls could be avoided
& his blood clot in his head would not be aggravated further.
Thank you to close friends for your prayers.
May God help my father to accept Christ into his life
& lead an abundant life for Him.
Friday, June 26, 2009
25th June 2009
was my Father's 74th birthday
& also, Michael Jackson's last day on earth.
News of MJ's death was rather sudden
as he was such a distinctive figure - bizarre yet entertaining.
He was musically talented...
however all the sensationalized news about his life simply reflect a state of Confusion -
a life without God.
I won't elaborate further as this post isn't about MJ, but my father,
whose life somehow reflects sadness - a life without God.
25th June 2009 -
I noticed the deterioration of my father's health.
His previous heavy consumption of Alcohol added with his retirement (staying indoors daily) has taken a toil on his health.
It was the 1st time I noticed that his hands were shaky & he couldn't hold things properly, to the extent that he couldn't even eat his meals properly.
It was the 1st time he didn't pour a cup of drink for me when I came to visit.
It was the 1st time I heard from my mum that he couldn't manually wash the clothes.
He appeared much thinner as well...
Thankfully, he was still able to walk around.
My father is a rather stubborn old man
who refuses to acknowledge his retirement and his failing health.
He would rather keep to himself and stay indoors to avoid embarassment.
It is really sad to see him like that.
What is most sad is that he has not accepted Jesus Christ into his life
& his life has been filled with much bitterness and sadness.
Hence, he previously drank alcohol daily to suppress his bitterness.
Two months ago, my mil had shared the gospel with him
& supposedly, he agreed to accept Jesus Christ into his life.
With his failing hearing, I had some doubts about whether he could hear & understand what my mil was saying. Furthermore, he would often say "Ya, ya" even when he wasn't able to listen to the content of the conversation.
May God help my father to believe in Him.
On a positive side, I am thankful that we, including little JX could celebrate my father's birthday with a cake.
I am also thankful for the times I brought my parents & JX out to Tamp Mall/Century Square/Airport T3 two months ago (after dad's retirement & before my dad is unwilling to step out of house).
Hopefully, my father would have the strength to carry JX's little sibling in Sep 09.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Shepherding a Child's Heart
Lately, I've started reading again -
I've been reading a book 'Shepherding a Child's Heart' by Tedd Trip.
This precious book was given to me by dearest Pei Xuan last year.
According to Song En, this was a very good parenting book & he had also bought the same book
as he was unaware that Pei Xuan had given me this book the last time.
So, I had given this good book to dear Xiaomin.
I had read about 1/3 of the content of the book & found it truly beneficial.
"Parenting is shepherding the hearts of your children in the ways of God's wisdom"
In summary, this book discusses on deep biblical principals to the task of parenting & concentrating on what is going on inside a child rather than just their outside behavior.
Tedd Trip mentioned about 'unbiblical goals and methods' of parenting/childrearing.
Unbiblical methods that include behavior modification and punitive correction
which I previously thought was helpful due to societal experiences and my course of study in social work.
Indeed, I agree with Tedd Trip that such methods might not be effective in correcting the behavior for the long term. E.g. Parents not around to monitor the behavior or when parents remove the reward, the child would not have the incentive to perform the good behavior.
E.g. a child accepting grounding as a punishment as he/she has learnt to cope with it.
Such outward behaviors might not flow from the heart & true motives of the child.
SO, what are biblical methods to shepherd a child's heart in the ways of God???
I'll share with you more after I've completed the book. ;)
The primary thrust of discipline is not punitive, but correcting a child who has disobeyed God back to the path of obedience.
As mentioned in the previous post, I've been pondering about how & when should I discipline JX
as JX has started to be disobedient and throwing anger tantrums at times.
(All of us are sinners; certainly not excluding a baby who has started to disobey)
In what situations should I discipline him?
How do I discipline him? Spanking? Rebuking?
Thankfully this book has provided me with some biblical guidelines.
One important principal I learn was that discipline is NOT punishment/revenge/venting frustration or anger.
This was a good reminder for me because I realised that often, I would shout "No" & "Get out" to JX when I was frustrated and angry at him.
E.g. when he touched electrical switches or went into toilets to play those flushes & toilet seats.
Indeed, what I was doing wasn't disciplining JX, but venting my frustration on him...
& it isn't helpful at all.
Furthermore, I don't think these are much worthy issues for discipline either.
Hence, in the future, I'll reflect upon when I should discipline JX & keep check upon my feelings 1st so that I would avoid venting my frustrations at him.
What stems from JX's behavior?
Is it an act of disobedience to God?
Is it an act of disobedience to his parents?
"Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod,
he will not die.
Punish him with the rod
& save his soul from death... (Proverbs 23: 13-19)
We agreed to discipline JX through spanking his little palms when JX slaps others.
Also to rebuke him when he throws temper tantrums - stiffen his body, yelling, slap, bite, blow bubbles.
Such of JX's behaviors stem from anger, selfishness and much unlove.
Hence, an act of disobedience to God and his parents.
I will share with you more on the methods of disciplining the next time
after I have completed the book.
Reading this book has also reminded me that not all of JX's behavior require discipline
which previous experiences & familial expectations have contrary demonstrated.
E.g. I personally don't think that JX requires spanking on his palms when he touches the pavement or objects around the neighborhood when we bring him downstairs. It's perfectly normal for a curious toddler to explore his surrounding & using his little chubby fingers to touch the different textures of objects. We just got to clean his hands after the trip. (But I noticed that JX got rebuked & spanked before by YeYe due to his meer curiosity).
Henceforth, certain behaviors portrayed by JX that are deemed unacceptable by adults might Not necessarily be an act of disobedience But a growing up phase for him.
Alright that will be all for now.
May God help me & Sam to have lots of wisdom to shephered our child according to the ways of God. :)
Sunday, June 07, 2009
“潘师母”
Praise Lord that Song En is officially "颂恩传道/潘传道” in our Church today!
And that makes me 潘师母...LOL.
It feels really queer when 牧师 in our church introduced me with that status.
I think I would prefer if people calls me 佩玲 or Carol instead
as many church members are more senior than me.
Furthermore, this 潘师母 is not able to do much for the Church yet due to babycare.
I truly hope to be a support to Sam in his ministries...
so may God gradually put away my pride & comfort zone to be able to
communicate more to others.
Today, I'm very Thankful to 师母 for volunteering to look after JX so that
I'm able to attend church service.
It was the 1st time (ever since JX was born) that I was able to attend a full service
without needing to care for JX.
It was the 1st time I was able to sit & listen to a sermon attentively.
Thank Lord that JX is able to be without his Mummy for 2 hours
& he did not ask for his Mummy throughout.
师母even managed to give JX his lunch.
(Dear Mummy Carol was concerned so she went to check on JX quietly 2x w/o JX noticing. He appeared fine so I left quietly)
Hopefully, JX would be willing to stay in Sunday Class w/o Mummy soon
so that I'm able to attend service
& look after his baby sibling who will be coming out soon.
May God help JX to be an obedient boy - (lately, JX has learnt to slap/push others away when he is grouchy or upset. Both Song En & I had beaten his little hands and taught him not to do that. May God truly grant us wisdom to know how to discipline JX & may JX be an obedient boy)
My God use our Family greatly in this church.
Friday, June 05, 2009
Month of May...
Month of Holiday, Treats & Outings...
JX getting into a Box. Loves to explore getting into & out of Boxes.
JX sitting on the Giraffe given by Uncle Zhi Yong & Auntie Jia Min for his 1st birthday 
Papa & JX looking at an aeroplane
JX asleep on his stroller on the way back from Tamp Central
Above are just some Random pictures. I think I'll post more pictures on Facebook next time instead.
Anyway, Month of May is a pretty enjoyable month as PaPa is having his holidays
& so we are able to go for Outings - to the Zoo, East Coast Beach, Swimming etc.
Yay! I've Sam as a helper during his holidays so he does the cooking & feeding.
1. Treats & Yummy Food!!!
Yeah I'm thankful to be part of a pastor's family. LOL. One of the pros are we get Treats! Our family were invited for dinner treats from Churches as they wanted to treat those graduands upon their completion of their theological studies. So, dear Mummy Carol was able to enjoy delicious food!!! Besides getting treats, Sam & his classmates also gave dinner treats to their classmates who were going overseas upon graduation. Haha...I get to benefit nonetheless... ;)
2. Lots of Outing!
We brought our dear Jian Xin out rather frequently during the holidays as well. With a car, travelling has indeed become more convenient! We experimented 'outside' food for JX during those times we were out & unable to cook his meals. Hopefully, he would be able to accustom to a different variety of food soon.
3. Total Weaning
I would think 4th June (yesterday) would mark the date that JX was totally weaned off breastfeeding. I truly Thank Lord that total weaning off comes so naturally & without much protest from dear JX. We had gradually tried to wean off JX from his 1 day & 1 night feeding during the past 2 months. At times, when we brought him out at night, he would sleep along the way home & would 'forget' about night feeding. In the morning, when he awoke, we would tell him that we would prepare his breakfast when he requested for a feed. Thumbs up to Mummy Carol for breastfeeding JX for a total of 17 months! I would fondly remember those times with precious little JX.
4. JX's Great Memorising Abilities
In the previous post, I had mentioned that I was letting JX fill in the blanks for the last word in each sentence from his story books. Lately, JX is able to fill in the blanks for the last word/last 2 words in each sentence, not only for his story books, but for ryhmes, Children's Praise songs, The Lord's Prayer etc.
Here's an Example:
Our Father who art in _____ (Heaven), Hallowed by thy _____ (Name), Thy Kingdom _____ (come), Thy Will be _____ (done), On _____ (Earth), as it is in _____ (Heaven). Give us this day our daily _____ (bread). And forgive us our _____ (trespasses), as we forgive those who trespass against _____ (us). Lead us not into _____ (temptation). But deliver us from _____ (evil). For thine is the kingdom, the _____ (power), the glory, forever & ever. _____ (Amen).
(JX is able to say the last word of each sentence of the Lord's Prayer in Mandarin too).
He knows how to sing the last word of...God is so _____ (Good), God is so _____ (Good), God is so _____ (Good), He's so _____ (Good) to me.
JX surprises me each time when I pause to let him fill in the blank of the last word for Songs, rhymes (like Bah Bah Black Sheep) & books..."Wow I didn't know he actually could remember what I read or sang to him the last time!!!"
Two days ago (3rd June), I tested JX on his counting. I'm pleasantly surprised that he could say Number 1 to 10 (in both languages). I would say '1', then he would say '2', then I would say '3', he would say '4' etc. Then I would ask him to say '1', then I would say '2', then he would say '3' etc. Today, I tested to see whether he knows how to say numbers beyound "10" & he actually knew how to say from 11-19.
(Though JX's pronunciation for words isn't accurate yet, we could hear him attempting to mouth those words & their syllables.)
Yeah!!! We thank Lord for JX's ability to learn & memorise!!! Song En said that we should start to let him memorise biblical verses. At present, JX only knows "The Lord is my _____ (Shepherd)."
5. JX's sleeping issues
Hmm... JX's sleep hasn't been too good lately. Probably due to teething. He has been waking up in the dawn hours & unable to get back to sleep for an hour. So, he will crawl up to mummy & wants mummy to cuddle him back to sleep. So, obviously, I'm unable to sleep well either. May God help him to sleep better.
6. Preparation for the Next Sibling
Yep Mummy Carol has started to ponder about preparations. Dear JX is rather attached to his "Mummy" and usually it's Me who helped him to sleep. So, I'm rather worried about my labor day, hospital stay & days after the new sibling is out. Hmm...I wonder whether his grandparents would have the energy & strength to look after JX during my labor day & hospital stay. Lately, Ye Ye had mentioned at times he didn't have strength to carry JX & would pass to Nai Nai to carry. But Nai Nai appeared to be exhausted at times due to her stressful job. As for my mother, she would often tell me that she wasn't tired in carrying JX when I knew she would be (because JX is very active & fidgety). SO, I gotta start Praying!
Alright that will be all for now. =)
Monday, May 11, 2009
Living in Simplicity & Contentment (II)(Part 1 post was dated on 23rd Dec '08)It has been 1.5 years since I've been an unemployed or rather has been a non-paid Stay-Home-Mum. LOL.As mentioned previously in my old post dated 23rd Dec '08,I've been gladly living in prudency & contentment for these period of time.Perhaps having lesser $$$ has taught me the lesson on living in simplicity & contentment.I hardly harbor much thoughts of wanting material things for myself.With the gradual depletion of my personal savings,
I guess I don't have much of a choice but to practice the art of prudence.
Lately, I realised that I pondered twice about purchasing stuff (like the Shampoo or bread) when I went to NTUC.
Wow a big bottle of shampoo cost $13-15...
since we still have the old Shampoo that we haven't used for a while,
why not finish that bottle 1st.
So in the end, I didn't purchase it.
Sigh at the start of my 2nd trimester, my sinus/bad running nose started up again...
Esp. these few days, I've been using 1-2 boxes of tissue within 3 days.
Hmm...Sam commented that I've been using too much tissue papers...
Furthermore, I'm using Kleenex tissues which is more costly than other brands.
I told Sam that my nose is rather sensitive & will itch if I used toilet paper...Hmm...
I was rather frustrated then but I realised that I truly had used too much tissues & it's really costly at the rate I'm using it...
haha...so I've to use lesser.
We didn't really bought much things for JX either.
The previous stuff I bought for him were books (Gingerbread Man, Lion & the Mouse, Field Mouse & Town Mouse - 1 for $3) & a small keyboard which cost $15.90.
JX enjoys those type of books & presently, I'll read to him & ask him fill in the blanks for the last word in each sentence.
E.g. I will read, "Once upon a time, there lived a girl with curly golden _____.
She was called _________. One day, she went for a walk in the ________. Soon, she became hungry & ________."
So, I will pause at the blanks & ask JX to read it out.
I don't think he can read the words yet but he remembers the story well.
As for JX's clothes, I hardly purchase it as well.
The last purchase was 3 T-shirts from FOX (Xiaomin recommended it).
Yep the price is reasonable & quality is soft.
I bought it as JX doesn't have many T-shirts with short sleeves.
Recently, Nai Nai also bought about 5 singlets & shorts for JX.
I'm glad that she did as JX's old singlets were worn out.
Actually when I'm out shopping with my mum,
she would at times remind me not to purchase some toys that I've intentions of buying.
Well, thanks for her reminders.
Thankfully, my mum has given JX many old Mac Donalds' toys that she had bought previously
through her many years of work.
So, we could save some $ on toys.
Special Thanks to Krystin & her daddy for giving me so many baby clothings for my 2nd child...Wow the next child would have so many new clothes to wear for the 1st 3-4 months of her life. I had reminded their grandparents not to purchase any more new clothes for the 2nd child due to Krystin's gifts.
In contrary to what most would have thought about doting grandparents, JX's grandparents actually don't purchase much material stuff (like clothes & toys) for JX as well (in which I'm thankful for).
So far, Ye Ye has bought only one mobile 'Fish' toy for JX from his China trip previously.
Nai Nai has bought him books, singlets &
a Big Pooh & an aeroplane.
Perhaps our generous Nai Nai would have wanted to purchase more stuff but
I'm glad that a very thrifty Ye Ye has often reminded her not to.
I'm thankful for that because it would have taught not only Jian Xin, but myself not to harbor for more & more material stuff.
Instead, Nai Nai & Ye Ye have taught him to save.
JX has a Fat Piggy Bank & both Ye Ye & Nai Nai would give him $1 gold coin to insert into the Piggy at times. Now, JX enjoys inserting $1 into his fat piggy.
As for myself,
I'm still wearing my old pair of Clark shoes that was bought in 2007.
I wanted to purchase a new pair this year but couldn't get the color & size I wanted
so in the end, I didn't purchase any.
I bought some maternity clothings for the New Year.
Lately, bought a blue maternity dress which I wore for Sharon's wedding & Sam's graduation photo shoot.
Guess I'll need to wait for 2010-2011 before I could fit into my previous slim clothings again.
I'll need to give myself more time this time...haha...
also to factor in the need to be more bulky due to breastfeeding of the next child.
Wow...guess I've babbled too much about purchases till it sounds like I'm bragging about how prudent I am.
Actually, I'm still learning to be prudent. Haha...I think I still lose out to Sam & PJE on that.
I'm truly not as wise as both brothers on prudency & saving.
But what I learnt is to live in simplicity & contentment.
Perhaps with 'lesser' thoughts/harbor for stuff
may make you a happier person...
knowing that God knows all our needs & will provide us with all we need.
Are you living in Contentment?
Or are you harboring for more than what you 'need'?
Would it make you a happier person if you truly got all that you wanted?
God knows our every need & you wouldn't be in lack. =)
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Struggles...
Being a stay-at-home mum of a toddler, there are so many things that I miss greatly. I miss serving in Church, fellowships, going out with church friends on Sat/Sun, sharing prayer requests & praying with each other. I miss working with youths & teaching them. I miss writing assessment reports. I miss communicating/counselling with others. I miss having colleagues. Haha I think my ex-colleagues would 'suan' me for saying I miss writing reports...previously, we could have as many as 30-50 reports to submit in each month. But I truly do miss writing & working with people.My life appears rather simple right now. Everyday is about Spending Time with Jian Xin. However, it truly isn't as 'simple'. Each day is a busy day for me as well. So, I won't have the time to dwell upon things I missed (as mentioned above). In this road of motherhood, I struggled much greatly with lack of faith & trust in God in the midst of much physical weariness. Previously, Jian Xin couldn't sleep well at night due to much reliance of nursing to sleep. Thus, I'm exhausted despite a non-pregnant status then. Presently, he is able to sleep so much better with the weaning of night nursing. However, being pregnant & having a low placenta (in which doctor advised against strenuous activities & carrying heavy stuff), it has been equally or even more exhausting looking after a very active Jian Xin who doesn't sleep from 1pm-8pm. Certainly, there are times when I complained. Complained to Sam why there is nobody who could help me out - Sam has to go to school till 6pm, Sam's retired father & working mother only come from 6pm-7.15pm, my mother has to work & can come only on off days. There were times I would complain to Sam that I couldn't manage & would need HELP due to physical weariness (yet knowing that Nobody is able to physically help me out due to their commitments). Hence, I would complain even more & be rather bitter towards the lack of help I received. Those were times I would be less tolerant, loving and patient towards Jian Xin whenever physical weariness & frustration sets in. "HELP" is my bitter complaint. I've to be reminded by Sam each time to PRAY & TRUST in God to grant me the strength & ability to look after Jian Xin my own. I believe with the arrival of a 2nd child, I would face this struggle even more. With my own limited ability & strength, I don't think I am able to carry on. However, I've to overcome this struggle of mine! I want to be a loving, joyful & patient mother to both my kids. It would be most ideal if our parents could help out at times. However, I've to acknowledge that there would be limited help available since our parents have their commitments as well. I find it rather selfish if I ask my mother to give up her job just to help me out (if she truly enjoys her job). It would be just as selfish if I ask Sam's parents to give up their leisurely, retirement dreams as well. This is both Sam & mine choice for me to stay home to be the main caregiver for my kids. So, I've to find the Strength & Ability given by God to me as a Mother. I cannot do it on my own; but with God, I believe I can. God's love has graciously led such an ungraceful mother for 16 months. Besides these struggles, I would soon be facing expectations as a Pastor's Wife. I truly don't know how would God use this lousy personality of mine... Hmm I shouldn't even have written this right; being a pastor's wife who should be a spiritual role model. Being out of touch with so many things (people, fellowship) at present, I feel so incompetent to be of support to Sam & church ministry. To be honest, my relationship with God is not in a good state at all. I need to work on it first and foremost. May God help me. It has been a long while since I wrote such reflections. I hope by writing, I would be reminded of things that I should work upon. Yep being a Pastor's wife, I know that I should be a spiritual role model...but I'm also just a human with frailities. I struggled & am struggling. May God help me to trust more and more in Him.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
JX @ 15mths, turning 16 mths in 3 days time
He's able to walk officially at 15th mth old
& is presently walking everywhere in the house.
He knows how to say many words now
though his pronunciation for some words is still unclear.
His memory is superb!
He remembers the bible character "John" & "Mary" etc. in this particular bible story we have.
JX loves BOOKS more than toys.
I've read to him all his books - Little Red Riding Hood, Gingerbreadman, etc. etc.
umpteem times & he's learning how to mimic words that I read from the books.
JX appears to have a rather "gan chiong"/tense personality...
think besides his Mummy, Books & Soothing Music helps to calm him down.
He doesn't say Hi Or Hello Or Bye as readily when we ask him to do so...
well I just got to accept that he is a human; not a robot...
So he has a choice on whether to say it or not.
His new game which he invented is hiding jigsaw puzzles under his mattress & exclaiming in surprise "Where? Where?"
He has also learnt to Press "8" and "1" in the lift.
JX is VERY active...has transited to 1 nap per day...
so after his 1st nap from about 1pm, he's awake & walking around till 8pm (before he rest for the night),
dear Mummy Carol has to spend time with him.
It can be very tiring for a Pregnant Me.
Thus, I appreciate very much when my parents or my ils or someone would come over to help me at times.
Many who see JX would say that he's "thin" (Mandarin)...
I seriously have no idea why he's lean despite his good appetite & his ability to pass motion 2-3x per day.
So I can't answer "Why"?
I would postulate it to genes of smaller build (from both families), breastfeeding, not drinking formula milk yet, JX being so active, high metabolism rate...?????
I'm doing my best to feed him proper, healthy meals.
Hmm he's still in the average weight level & is growing taller...
he's generally healthy...so I shouldn't worry too much either.
Lastly to add,
most likely JX will have a Sister (from the 1st scan).
So now, I'm gradually preparing JX that he has a little"Mei Mei"
inside my tummy.
May God help JX to love his little sister.
As for me, I'm trying to enjoy the time spent with JX alone as an only child.
Not thinking too much ahead about the struggles of looking after 2 children on my own.
Just gotta take a leap of Faith & Trust in God to lead me through!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Apologies Readers for being too lazy to blog for the past few weeks.
I've been spending more time on Facebook & watching Boys Over Flowers instead.
1. The Weaning Process
During the March Holidays, Sam & I decided to begin the weaning process for JX.
The 1st 3 days were truly tough -
JX cried so badly as I refused to feed him during his 1st nap.
He cried so miserably that I cried in heartache as well.
During the middle of the night, JX woke up several times wanting to nurse to sleep.
So, I've to carry him on my shoulders to pat him back to sleep
& endure his on-off cries throughout the night.
Persistence & Perseverance is the key to weaning.
Praise Lord that JX got accustomed to only 2 feeds per day now.
He doesn't need to nurse to sleep for naps & also in the night now!
He is sleeping so much better now & he is able to sleep for longer intervals.
I truly give THANKS to God for this, which I truly thought it was impossible to do so.
I'll gradually wean him off totally in Apr/May.
2. Being a Patient & Loving Mother
is something I struggled with.
There were times I would say unkind words to JX
during times of frustration due to lack of sufficient rest.
JX has been touching/pressing electrical appliances
& there were times when I became frustrated when he did not listen when
I told him "No".
May God teach me to be a better mother.
3. Feelings of Isolation
Being a Stay-At-Home Mother & especially with a 'never keep in contact with others'
attitude means Carol sees Baby & Baby sees Carol daily.
Besides regular SMS from Sam, Xiaomin, Krystin,
nah Carol hasn't make the effort to sms anybody else...sounds so lazy & emo hor.
Yeah Yeah Yeah...
I know I need to do more.
I need to start making new friends in Church & begin caring for others.
4. A bright JX gives me JOY
JX is truly good with words & he learns words quickly.
Last Sun, he watched Thomas & Train in church & he was able to say Edward.
It has really been amusing to see him speaking
& Praise Lord that he has taken many steps lately!
That's all for now.
I need to do some household chores now.
Will update on JX soon. & will put up his pictures.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Jian Xin & Me
My dear little son has been conversing with us through words lately.
He speaks rather loudly, so I think he has probably inherited Sam & YeYe's loud voice.
He knows how to say his name "Jian Xin...ah".
Lately, he will pass me his toys/boxes & ask me to "Open" for him.
It's truly enjoyable to hear him communicating with me through words now!
His curiosity has resulted in him wandering to forbidden places like switch boxes, electrical appliances, corners with sharp edges etc.
So often, we have to tell him "No, No" & at times, he will mimic us & say "No, No".
There are times he will look at us, grin cheekily & continue touching those forbidden stuff...
then we would have to carry him & pull him away.
Jian Xin has this cheeky & playful streak in him (Nai Nai said that next time, he will be a cheeky, playful little boy)
It appears that Jian Xin isn't too interested in toys...no toys has captured his attention for more than 5 mins.
Instead, he prefers picking out books from the storage box with all his books.
He will pass us books he has picked out & asked us to read it for him.
xxx
Now About Me!
I've been just as exhausted as ever with insufficient rest...
but God's Grace is forever sufficient for me
as I get by each day with new strength & joy.
There are many occasions I struggle with weariness when JX is most energetic.
How I wish he could take his nap so that I could rest!
Often it never happens so.
So, at times, I will lie on his play mattress while he plays with his toys/books.
JX is truly very active...
He doesn't rest/sleep easily...
probably inherit my inability to sleep easily...
How I wish I could sleep easily!
xxx
Let's move on to the Church I'm presently attending.
So far, Huiping, Pastor Cheam, Rev Teo & Mrs Teo have came to our church.
They do not have a cry room
so most of the time, I'll be in a classroom where children & toddlers have children's worship & sunday class during service time.
Therefore, I miss service all the time.
I'm hoping for the day when JX will be able to attend the Toddler's Sunday Class on his own so that I can attend service.
In the church, there is no fellowship except for the youths.
No prayer meetings yet either.
Nobody shares prayer request yet either...
...my spiritual life is in a rather bad state!...
No fellowship, no bible study,
I try to do QT though...
Pray...I still do certainly!
Thank you to Krystin who is assigned to be our prayer buddy -
at least I can share my prayer request with someone & to pray for others,
something I used to do so much in CBC.
Being new to church, I certainly couldn't find any peers whom I can communicate with.
Actually, there are close to NO similar age peers in this church.
Those mothers who have toddlers appear to be older than me.
There is a lady, Yi Yi (Sam's classmate's wife) who is currently attending our church.
I can communicate with her...however, after her husband's graduation from SBC,
they will be returning to NZ in May.
Well...I guess I wouldn't be able to do much for the handful of youths in church till 4years later
when JX & his sibling can be rather independent of Mummy
& be accustomed to the Aunties & Uncles in church.
I await for that day -
to worship, to serve in Church, to teach, to pray, to love & to care.
How I miss so much -
fellowship with all its prayer support, bible study & outings.
So for those who have fellowship,
do treasure what you have & attend it with Joy!
But for now, I seriously need to reflect & repent from the rather bad state of spiritual life I'm in.
May God help me to continue equipping myself spiritually till
the Day comes when I can serve God again.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Latest Happenings of Jian Xin
Praise Lord for Jian Xin's good health & increasing appetite & hence weight gain!
He is improving his verbal skills & is learning to converse with us through words.
Latest Words He Loves:
"Lizard" - Once, he was so amused by a lizard he saw on the kitchen ceiling, he started pointing & laughing at it. After that day, he would keep looking at that spot & say "Zard...zard".
So, at times, we would ask him where is Lizard, then he would crawl to the kitchen, stand up, point & shout "Zard, Zard".
"Crane (construction site Crane)" - Previously, I mentioned before that he was fearful of the sounds emitting by Crane about 3 months ago. Now, he likes Crane.
Once, he saw a crane between 2 HDB blocks of flat (@ a distance away) when peering through the window, he shouted "Crane, Crane". My mother was amazed at his sharp eyesight. On another later occasion, he did the same thing, exclaiming "Crane"...I was amused to see the Crane at the same position.
Lately, he would also exclaim "Crane, Crane" whenever he saw one during car rides.
"Windmill/Pinwheel" - We bought one of those common multi-colored windmill for JX. So, we taught him that it was called a Windmill. He would say, "Windmill" whenever he sees one.
"Coconut" - We brought him for a walk in Tampines Park Connector one day. He was looking at coconut trees & we taught him those were coconut. Along the way back, he kept saying "Nut, nut". Lately, we went to the cemetery for Shao Mu & he was shouting "Nut, nut" when the rest were praying. Nai Nai was so surprised that JX knew what was coconut.
"Bread/bun bun" - JX will say this when he wants to eat.
"Banana" - JX loves banana & will say "Na Na' when he wants to eat it.
Other Words JX knows how to say:
Balloon, Ball, Cat/Mao, Bo Bo (Uncle), Pong Pong (Bath), Messy (for Mr. Messy's shirt),
Eee...Zhang Zhang (dirty)
Words he can relate to but might not be able to verbalise it yet:
Various Body Parts, some animals etc., Seven Seas, Chocolate
Actions:
Combing his hair with a comb,
Tilting his head to smile,
Saying Cheese to camera,
Kok Kok Head (saw him deliberately knocking his head slightly & saying Kok Kok before; but this is an action we dis-approve.),
Touch his head & say "Tong, tong" (we taught him that his head would Tong, Tong when he knock his head),
Crawl to his high chair when he wants to "mum, mum" (eat),
Crawling to the sofa, standing on it, climbing on top of the sofa to peer out of the window to
see the dustbin truck etc. He's rather K-Po. Whenever he hears the sound from the dustbin collector truck, he will go the window.
When we say want to go Gai Gai, he will stand & raise his hands up, wanting us to carry him.
He will put the phone to his ears & listen.
He will raise his hand & say "Dao" at times whenever we ask "Where is Jian Xin?"
He will say "Gong" when he sees Tang Chong Rong Mu Shi's face on a magnet at our fridge (think he knows that old man is "Gong Gong")
Ok that's all for now...Will add pictures another day...
Lastly & Most Importantly,
Jian Xin Can STAND ON HIS OWN! He finally has the Confidence to stand on his own.
He stood up on his own last Sun & clapped his hands during children's worship.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Jian Xin @ 1 year - 13months old
with new hobbies & interests
Hello Readers, Jian Xin has recovered almost completely from his bad bout of flu.
Lately, Sam & I both got the flu bug but we are thankful that Jian Xin did not caught the flu virus from us this time. If he got it, it would be his 4th consecutive bout of flu.
As he has recovered, we've allowed him to try more variety of food.
We've also changed the recipe of our porridge to something simpler but tastier.
Alright will keep it short & jump straight to the pictures.
Hobby 1: Climbing on Sofa & lazing on it/
standing up & peering out of the window/
trying to take down his windmill
Hobby 2: Lazing on his Mattress
Hobby 3: Waiting at the Gate/Looking @ neighbor's Plants
Jian Xin in his Red Chinese Costume on CNY (bought by Nai Nai)
Nai Nai Reading a Story to Jian XinJX loves hearing stories
The Cuckoo Clock from Ye Ye's House is now at our Place
Jian Xin had a bad fever then...so we placed a cooling gel on his forehead
as he didn't like us sponging him.
This is how he looks now... with his longer fringe & reddish highlights on his hair
Oh he dislikes wearing cap...but I'll put it on for him on sunny days (using distraction methods)Yep, it's not sunny at home but we wanna capture him with his cap on.
Jian Xin still enjoys chatting as usual
& he is really good at mimicking words...
& he learns new words really quickly.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
JX IS A HAPPY BOY!
On a happier note, dear little JX seems better in health...
He still has cough with phelgm but he's Happy & Smiley & Cheeky.
JX has been very chatty & very expressive lately...
probably inherited those chattiness from Sam & PJE.
His favorite Call Outs include...
Ma Ma, Mi Mi (he loves to call out for me as & when he feels like it)
Clock, Cuckoo
Bit (stands for Rabbit. Lately, he has been seeing lots of Rabbit/Bunny on Baby Channel)
Ball, Duck, Car, BaNaNa, joNAH (whenever he sees them)
BYE (says this loudly few minutes after visitors leave/after I close the door)
His eyes light up & search around when I ask him where is
Papa, PoPo, Nai Nai, Shu Shu or Noah Bo Bo.
He loves snuggling up to me & sitting on my lap while reading, playing, watching TV.
I guess little JX really loves Mummy a lot.
He's really playful...he loves to wrestle with Mummy...sitting on my neck, body etc.
though I've to take extra caution now.
JX dislikes certain screeching sounds esp. if it's unfamiliar.
He dislikes the sight of the black Crane (those you see in construction site) & the sounds it make.
JX is Mr. Tickle because he gets ticklish rather easily.
E.g. he will touch Jia En Shu Shu's toes & giggle (did it before),
he will giggle in delight when he sees PaPa hitting a cockroach with a newspaper,
he will also giggle when you point at a little black dirt & repeat words like Eee...Zhang Zhang.
Ok that's all for now...will post more pic next time.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Last 2 days, I was very depressed in spirits.
Dear Little Jian Xin appears to have inherited
our bad genes of sensitive nose/lungs...
so Doc said that it would take him longer to recover from flu.
Jian Xin has altogether 3 bouts of flu since the return from Batam trip.
Last Thu-Sun, he had ongoing fever & was rather moody.
He had since recovered from fever but is currently having cough (with phelgm).
He was not cooperative in taking his medication for the last 2 days
& as parents, we were worried that it would worsen his condition.
We pray that his condition wouldn't worsen & that he wouldn't inherit our (Sam & mine) childhood asthma condition.
Due to his 1-month bout of flu, his appetite is affected
& he has not been gaining much weight.
It truly pains me to see him being thin...
esp. with the addition of so many reminders & yet more reminders that Jian Xin has become much thinner from his once chubby self.
He hasn't been sleeping well at night either...
& I'm so very exhausted that at times, I complain that I don't have the energy to carry on...
But yet, God's Grace is indeed Sufficient
for I still managed to get by each day.
Thank Lord for uplifting my spirits today!
Today Sam bought a new toy for JX (we hardly buy toys for him)
& bought me Potato Cum Ham Bread & Egg Tarts (told him to buy these along his way home).
Wow it's been 1 year since I ate my once favorite Potato Cum Ham Bread.
These few days, I've been getting some food stuff that I feel like eating
when I bring baby for stroll downstairs -
Mee Pok Noodles, Laksa, Chicken Rice etc.
Hmm...dear maid usually cooks Rice Cum Same Fish Cum Vegetables for lunch
so I've been craving for other food (probably due to pregnancy as well).
Today FIL brought over the Cuckoo Clock from their place to ours
because we needed a clock.
Jian Xin is very amused with the Cuckoo Clock...haha.
I think the Cuckoo Clock looks really fitting in our house.
Anyway, thank you everyone for your encouragement in my new pregnancy...
Actually, I hardly have time to think about this new baby inside me
because Jian Xin has been sick & I've been so tired & preoccupied.
I just couldn't have this privilege of 'taking gentle care' of myself
unlike the 1st pregnancy...
I still have to carry JX, do everything as per normal...LOL.
But I believe God will help protect this baby.
Please continue to keep Jian Xin's health in prayers.
May I learn to TRUST & TRUST MORE in GOD daily!
Thank YOU!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Psalms 139
13 For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them. I'm rather apprehensive when people (in particularly, legitimate married couples) exclaimed that a pregnancy was by accident (yi wai in Mandarin) or unplanned for.
Perhaps only in mere humanly view, these occur.
However, in Psalms 139,
we learn that each of us are intricately made by God.
Every child is made in accordance to God's Will & Purpose.
Many "plan" to have a child; but not every person would have one.
Many "plan" not to have a child (through contraceptives/Family Planning Methods);
but not every person would succeed.
For everything Happens in God's Will & Control.
Hereby, I shall announce of God's Will that I conceived again in Dec 08.
If God grants, another addition into our Family would arrive in end Aug 09 or early Sept 09.
JX & the latest addition will be 20 months apart but 2 calendar years apart...
(Dong Dong & Nuo Nuo were 18 months apart).
It's indeed God's plan for Mummy Pei En & Mummy Carol to conceive once again at such a close interval to the first child.
Sam & I didn't 'plan' to have another so soon because we hope to spend more time with JX
but we didn't actively 'plan' to prevent as well.
But as mentined above, at times,
God's plans far transcends humanly plans.
Initially, I felt rather stressed up because the thought of looking after 2 young kids can be rather scary!
At times seeing Little Dong crying endlessly for Upsheep while he is leading worship/speaking sermon & Pei En has to hold Little Nuo & at the same time, hushing Little Dong...seems all so Scary.
Arrgh...how am I going to handle this alone in the new Church next time. (*stressed*)
On the other hand, Mummy Pei En has been such an excellent Mummy
& has been a good role model for me.
She is calm & always carries a smile.
When she heard that I was pregnant (from my Mum),
she had been encouraging...she said that some people might say that our children's ages are very close...but there are pros about having another child sooner as well.
She said that Little Dong loves Little Nuo. (So Sweet)
If it's God's Will to grant me 2 children, I should be Thankful.
Perhaps it is God's plan for me to learn to entrust all cares & worries to Him.
Readers, I give you the authorisation to share this news whenever necessary.
Instead of remarking that "I'm pregnant again so soon!?";
why not just keep me, JX & baby in prayers.
I would gladly appreciate prayers more than anything else.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Before people start thinking Carol is getting too 'emo',I believe I should start writing some light-hearted post.
XXX
Anyway, Thank Lord & thank you for prayers!
JX has 90% recovered from his bad bout of flu.
No oozing of yucky mucousy discharge from his nose...
& we don't have to feed him with those medicine any longer.
His appetite has increased & he is eating more & passing lots of motion.
He has really been a good boy - not complaining even though he has been eating fish for almost 3 weeks (My mum said that he couldn't eat chicken/some fruits due to his bad phelgm).
XXX
JX knows how to call my mother "Ma Ma" (with the different pronunciation from Ma Ma - Me)
& he knows how to call Sam's mum "Nai Nai".
Both grandmothers are definitely very delighted! LOL.
It appears that JX might be rather faster in the verbal language area.
He knows how to say Bird, Car/Che, Star, Mao (Cat) whenever he sees them.
He has learnt how to say "Bye" as well.
As for motor skills, he is like most average children.
So I believe he might start walking only at 13 months onwards.
But it's perfectly fine...I heard crawling is good for the eye-hand coordination.
Presently, he expressed his needs much clearer too.
E.g. he will nod his head when I ask him whether he wants to eat bread.
XXX
Queerly, he likes the color Black...when I ask him where is Black color, he will find a black object.
He knows how to comb his hair, roar like a lion, put on his cap, make the twinkling action when sing Twinkle Little Star as well.
He also knows some of his body parts - eyes, nose, hands, feet.
It's really amazing how much JX could comprehend our language now.
XXX
Lately, he loves biting & licking his parents' faces.
However, both PaPa & MaMa do enjoy this affectionate time when he tries to attack our faces.
It's really ticklish whenever he tried to bite/lick us. LOL.
So, we usually roar in laughter & amusement more than crying for help.
XXX
Here's our Present Ideal Daily Schedule:
7am: JX wakes up, plays, eats breakfast
10.00am: JX takes 1st nap
11.30am: JX wakes up, plays
12.30-1pm: JX has lunch
1.15pm: JX has his bath
2.00pm: Mummy brings JX for a stroll (45mins)
3.30pm: JX takes his 2nd nap
5.00pm: JX wakes, plays
5.30pm-6pm: JX has dinner
7.00pm: JX has his bath
8.00pm: Lights Out - prepare to sleep.
By 9.00pm: JX asleep.
10pm-11pm: Mummy watches Yi Zhi Mei on Channel U. :)
XXX
Bye...need to take a short rest before starting to cook his dinner.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
"The Path of a Pastor's Life is Lonely"
Song En once told me that we've to be prepared for a rather lonely life as 'pastor'...
It's something I couldn't really comprehend because
I always see so many church members caring for our Mu Shi, Mu Shi Niang & their family.
During JX's 1st birthday celebration, I mentioned to Mu Shi Niang that I miss our Chinese congregation & she commented something akin to being prepared for pastors' lives to be rather gu dan...
Hmm... I still couldn't really comprehend this notion.
Why would a pastor's life be lonely?
Song En explained that probably
pastors have to shoulder many responsibilities on their own
& at times they couldn't share openly with church members
about their deepest concerns or worries.
Pastors' sharing openly about one's worries or others' problems
can be a rather foolish action.
The art of keeping confidentiality & secrets is something pastors have to practice.
Seemingly, it's indeed difficult for pastors to find close friends whom they can
confide their deepest thoughts/problems with.
I'm happy that Song En has his dearest brother, Jia En
who would be his closest confidante in his life (besides me of course).
Till now, I couldn't totally comprehend the above notion
because I've not experienced it yet.
However, leaving old church for a new ministry ahead has given me
an experience of how a pastor's life can be a rather lonely life.
Nonetheless,
we still Thank Lord for his abiding presence & Heavenly friendship in our lives
despite of the loneliness we may face.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Prayer Request for FAITH & TRUST in GOD
Yep...I need prayers for MORE & MORE Faith & Trust in God.
So if you happen to be a Christian Reader who is reading my blog,
please pray for me & keep me in prayers.
I'm coming to terms with an 'event' that God has placed in my life.
As I'm coming to terms with this reality,
it means I'm not ready to share openly with you readers yet.
When the time is Ready,
I would probably share with you all.
Why am I coming to terms with it?
I'm rather fearful, worried & stressful...
My stresshold level has decreased very much
since I've became a Stay-At-Home Mum...
I can become very stressed & edgy easily...Sigh.
Probably my walk in my Spiritual Faith hasn't been good either,
therefore, I'm more easily stressed & worried.
Despite all, God is good & His Will is good all the time.
Probably He wants me to learn to TRUST more in Him than myself.
May God help me to have more Faith & to Trust in Him.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Month of December
Our Holiday Overseas...
Jian Xin's Increasing Chattiness...
Jian Xin's Baptism...
& significantly, Jian Xin's 1st Birthday!
New Words JX can SAY:
Baby, Clock, Nai Nai, Star, Car
New Words JX KNOW:
Piglet, Tigger, Sonic Wheel etc. etc.
Mummy Carol ordered for JX a Pooh Cake with all the Disney Characters that he was familiar with. It's a 3kg cake that cost $135.
Just in case, you're wondering who's that 'Sudoku'...not to worry, that's ME... 
It's a tunnel game for JX...Find Mummy... 
Papa Messy & Baby Messy...both really so MESSY!!!
JX with his new cap... 
JX: I'm Baby Mr Messy
JX: I'm Baby Pastor JX
JX likes to climb onto sofa
JX baptised by Rev Meide on 21st Dec 08
JX's Favorite Fruit - Pear
JX helping with the laundry
Jia En Shu Shu would come over regularly to play with JX
JX @ Batam...looking amusingly at Uncle Chun Ming
JX & Baby Estelle (@2.5 months apart)
JX (a day before haircut) with Auntie KaiqiMummy placed a clip on JX's fringe cos' it's too long...Pretty Boy
JX @ Plaza Sing...avid reader
JX with his loved Po Tou (great grandmother)
Thursday, January 01, 2009
"Thinner Baby = Incompetency as a Mother"
This notion has very much perturbed me
especially when Baby Jian Xin has lost much of his baby chubbiness & grown more to look like a toddler.
Jian Xin had indeed lost some weight after refusing to eat a different porridge (cooked by an Auntie) during our 1 week trip to East Malaysia
& thereafter suffering from a bad flu for 2 wks plus after the Batam trip.
He is still having bad running nose...:(
What pains a Mother most is
to see their child sick...
however, the world out there isn't a very kind world...
adding to the pain a mother has.
This notion/stereotype in my title above has been ringing in my mind as a result of previous comments (or rather gossip) given by some Aunties & even closed ones about
a Friend (whom I look up to).
Gossips:"Baby now thinner, never look after baby well...don't know how to look after baby."
I felt rather upset by the unjustified & hurtful remark towards my friend.
If those gossipers were Mothers,
how could they still ever make such insensitive & hurtful remarks to discredit the competency of a Mother just because of the physical appearance of her child?!!!
Is effective parenting just based on child's physical appearance?!!!
If so, many parents would have failed.
Does a Fatter Baby = Healthier Baby?
I felt that my Friend is a Great & Competent Mother!
I'm happy that her child is growing healthy & well right now.
Do you think all Mothers will persevere in breastfeeding given its difficulties at the start?
NO! But she did.
Breastmilk is the Perfect Meal we can give to our child!
Hmm...for those without much prior knowledge to child's development,
baby's weight gain will be more gradual after 4th month especially for breastfed babies
& babies would have to lose some of their baby's chubbiness so that they will be able to stand/walk.
I wonder if anybody is gossiping about me right now???
when Jian Xin has lost much of his old chubbiness.
Sam said that I view other's opinions too much...
& he added that if anyone did gossip about me being a lousy mother,
God would vindicate for me...haha.
I never wanted Jian Xin to be sick & to be thin!
I always give him 3 proper meals whenever I can...
I always assist him to have 2 naps if possible...
Yet...
some people question me, "Why did Jian Xin lose so much weight?"
as though it's something that I've done really wrong...
(certainly, I don't deny that there are those who ask with genuine concern which I'm thankful for).
I wonder whether they will gossip about me like
how they gossiped about my friend?
Such hurtful gossips...
Perhaps these thoughts are unfounded
but it may be founded as well -people can be so judgemental...
Well, guess I can't stop them from doing so even if it really happens...
May God keep me strong & positive
to guard myself from all those unpositive gossips that might arise now or in the future
(especially as a to be Pastor's wife).
Song En said that people would always have higher expectations of Pastor & their family...
so they might offer more criticisms...more gossips...more negative remarks...
I've to endure & tolerate & be strong
so that I can protect little Jian Xin
& raise him up in a positive environment.
May God help Jian Xin to recover soon!!!
May I learn to trust in God more & more...
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Contentment in Simplicity...
That sums the life I've right now.
Being a Stay-At-Home Mother
& Song En being a student,
most of the time (when Sam isn't around),
I rely on my savings (hard earned from my previous job)
to purchase daily needs & baby stuff.
How many haircuts do you all have per year?
How many clothes/bags/shoes/accessories do you all buy per year?
Here's my humble account this year:
No. of Haircut: 1 (in April 08)
No. of Facial Treatment: 1
No. of new Tops (excluding nursing tops): 2
No. of Skirt: 1
No. of Pants: 0
No. of Shoes: 0 (except for 1 slipper)
No. of Facial products: 3 (cleanser, moisturizer, foundation)
No. of Bags: 0
No. of accessories (ie. hair accessories, jewellery etc.): 0
How do I spend mostly?
Daily neccessities - foodstuff, babystuff, bills
Perhaps I spend lesser since I'm home most of the time...
But not exactly as well...
when I'm out in shopping malls,
I purchase mainly baby stuff or household stuff.
& if I'm out, I've a Time Limit!
I can spend at most 2h out so that I wouldn't miss out too much of baby's schedule.
So, I would have a mental picture of what to purchase before I'm Out.
At times, I would hope to shop for stuff for myself...
Time Limit is a constraint...
& mainly, I'm more prudent in my spending -
If stuff such as clothes, bags etc. aren't really a need,
I would give up thoughts of purchasing those stuff.
Do I lack of things?
Definitely NO.
God said in Psalms 23 we shall not be lacking in want.
My mum or mil had bought me many clothes...
(though at time it may not be the design I like, it's still new clothes that I can wear afterall...
unless it's too 'off' or unfitting).
My clark shoe (that I had bought for $120 last year) is still lasting as ever.
Jian Xin has fresh supply of vegetables, poultry, fruits each week...
I Thank Lord that I managed to live by with such simplicity in my life.
No more late nights out, No partying, No Don-ning, No Shopping...
It's Much about looking after dear Jian Xin!
I imagine that if I were out, my heart & mind would be thinking about baby.
It has been a Joy looking after him.
Being with Jian Xin values much more than possessing many material stuff...
perhaps that is why I'm willing to live in contentment in simplicity.
Perhaps this is how I express Love for my child -
that is spending Time with him.
Praise Lord for his Providence of Abundance in my family.
Do you live in Contentment?
Sunday, December 21, 2008
A Farewell Note to my dearest Churchmates from CBC
In my course of study/work from Social Work,
I learned that it was beneficial to bade farewell
when you depart/exit from places/designation/people.
When I departed from my workplace as a Social Worker previously,
I regretted not doing so for some of my clients
& thus not having a proper closure for both myself & the client.
I felt rather disappointed in myself whenever I thought about those clients.
So, I hope I would bade a Proper Farewell to
my Churchmates (My Family) whom I had grown up with
from aged 21 to 28 years of age.
Perhaps Song En would miss CBC more than I do
as he had been in church since baby?
Farewell CBC...
My Family will be departing to another church next year
as Song En will be serving as a preacher there in June 09.
Reality hasn't set in for me yet
as I'm still so present in CBC...
But I believe I would miss all of you when the time arrives.
Farewell Xile/Ren Ai Tuanqi...
whom I had served as a mentor of Xile from 2003 to 2007.
It was a Joy serving in youth ministry!
I truly apologise greatly for my abrupt absence after delivery of Baby.
I simply couldn't do much for all of you this year & years to come...
Sorry...& Thank YOU!
But many of you played an important part of my life -
esp. ex-leaders of Xile ('03-'07) - Joanna, Jiamin, Kai, Shuling, Andrew, Edmund, Eric
& youths like my Sec 1 class (in '07) with co-teacher, Moses
& not forgetting Alvin, sweet Anthony, Yees, Jasmine etc.
Farewell to my Peers in CBC
Xiaomin, Krystin, Shufen, Pei Xuan, Huiping, Kaiqi, Zhaoshan, Tracey,
BIL (PJE) & wife, Chuan Wen, YG, Joe, Noah, ZhiYong & wife,
Thank You for your deep, sincere friendship & prayers.
We'll remember you & do keep in touch!
Farewell to Mu Shi & Mu Shi Niang,
Meide Mu Shi & family,
& many Uncles & Aunties
who had treated us as their children in Church.
Thank you Auntie Miaoying for her love & care for our family.
We love all of you...
& will miss all of you...
I believe we'll be back to visit at times...
Probably Jian Xin would be able to walk & even run by then.
Feel free to visit us...
or if you pop by PJE's house, probably can remember us? haha.
I hope that both Song En & I had at least some pleasant/positive influence
on at least some of you as mentors previously.
Despite the different Church we'll be attending next time,
let's not look back
But,
Strive to walk firmly & bravely in our walk of Faith!
Farewell my Faithful Christian Friends from CBC!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Jian Xin's Dream Party
What would Jian Xin like for a 1st Birthday Party?
Let me think...if I were Jian Xin...
"I would love to see all my loved ones -
Mummy!, Papa!,
Po Po, Nai Nai, Ye Ye,
Shu Shu, Jiu Jiu,
& Gong Gong.
I would love to see also -
Pooh Bear, Mickey Mouse, Wombat,
Birds, Cats, Aeroplanes, Helicopters.
I would love to eat -
Sweet stuff like biscuit, cakes..."
Well...that is But a Dream Party...
because he doesn't know what is a Party
& his 1st Birthday Party
would be another party to satisfy the adults' tradition/perception of
having a 'big' celebration for a 1st Year Old.
As expected, our parents would want to invite their relatives
to witness Jian Xin's 1st Year of age.
It seems to be a gathering/meet-up session for relatives/friends as well.
Yep undeniably, birthdays are good opportunities for old time friends to meet up.
Well, I never like such big relatives gathering...
perhaps I'm more of an introvert? or perhaps I'm not close to any of my relatives?
I don't really like it but it doesn't mean I disagree to such gatherings.
It's still pretty nice to catch up with ppl you hardly see.
Well Well...
Sorry Jian Xin...
your 1st Birthday Party will be dictated by the adults.
Perhaps you might be able to indicate what you want when you're slightly older
(but well that depends on whether Papa & Mama are able to afford it as well).
How I wish I could ask relatives to dress up
in Pooh Bear/Mickey Mouse costume
so that you will be so amused to see them
rather than seeing more & much more unfamiliar faces.
How I wish I could show you little animals like the kitten, pup, birds
so that you will be delighted.
BUT nonetheless, it'll be a Joyous occasion!
Yay! I believe Jian Xin will have more toys/clothes!
Haha once again, it's Mummy, the adult who is more delighted to receive presents.
To a child,
what's most significant in his/her birthday,
isn't Gifts/Presents - toys, clothes, cakes etc.,
it's about spending that moment with him/her.
Indeed, being a Mother,
Jian Xin's Birthday 29th December 8.25pm
is a Special & Significant Date for Me.
It's the Date that God had graciously led me
in the delivery of Jian Xin.
I wish to spend this special Date with Jian Xin
as long as I live & as long as Jian Xin wants to.
His 1st Birthday Party will be on the 28th Dec (Sun) -
will be a purely relatives thingy. (as Poon's relatives consist of 40ppl already)
Thankfully, we still have 29th Dec (Mon) -
The Actual Birthday...
for Papa & Mama to celebrate with him.
Erm...maybe for breakfast, I shall make oats cereal with Banana & Yogurt,
for Lunch, cook for him Mee Sua with minced chicken, spinach & egg yolk,
& for dinner, fish fillet in sauce.
Hmm...perhaps we can have a Pooh Bear/Mickey Mouse Cake
which will be eaten by his parents eventually...
Hmm...perhaps we can go the beach/park to see the birds in the sky, the waves, the trees...
Here's Mummy Carol awaiting to Give Thanks to God
for Jian Xin's 1st Year...
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Jian Xin @ 11th Month (29/11/08)
with his increasing mobility,
with greater expression of his own needs,
with improving appetite for a variety of food...
New Words he can relate to:
Animals: Wombat, Penguin, Cat, Dog
Cartoon Character: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Ee-yore
Household Appliances: Aircon, Fan
Beddings: Blanket, Bolster
Objects: Pin-Wheel/Windmill, Aeroplane, Button
Words he can say:
Ma Ma & Ba Ba
Deng ('light' in Chinese)
Da, Dog, Duck, Dan Dan (most words are with a Letter 'D' in front)
New Food:
Tofu/Egg Yolk (inside porridge),
Rolled Oats Porridge/Cereal Cum Fresh Fruit (for breakfast)
Soft Wholemeal Bread (for breakfast)
Apricot
Teeth?
Lower Right is out, Upper Right is out.
Lower Left & Upper Left is sprouting out soon.
Separation Anxiety?
Jian Xin loves to be carried by loved ones only...
people whom he sees often & he feels comfortable with.
Thumbs Up for Jia En Shu Shu & Noah Bo Bo for making efforts to play with Jian Xin
...so Jian Xin enjoys playing with them.
Something Interesting About Jian Xin:
He's our dear chirpy Alarm clock that goes ringing non-stop @ 7am!
When he awakes at 7am, he'll start his chirpy & chattery self...
He'll blabber non-stop & climb up to our bed to find Mummy & Papa
& will climb onto us at times...
Usually, I'll carry him down to his bed & try to accompany him;
hoping he will sleep back so that I can sleep some more...
But well, that never happens...
So he'll continue to blabber till Mummy relents to bring him out to play.
Yep Mummy would finally relent & bring him out to play.
He'll be so hyper while Mummy is so jet-lagged.
I've bought a little trumpet for him last week...
certainly he doesn't know how to blow it yet.
But he likes Mummy to blow it for him...
so he'll pass the trumpet to Mummy to blow for him
& when Mummy blows it, he'll smile in delight.
It's amazing how Jian Xin is able to communicate his needs to Mummy using gestures right now!
Crying isn't the only form of expression already...
furthermore, Jian Xin hardly cries (unless he falls/Mummy leaves him alone)...
So by using gestures, Mummy is able to discern his needs better!
Pictures Time!!!
Jian Xin: A Keen learner...he loves to stand & dig for his toys/books from his Piglet/Pooh Box.
Jian Xin on Ikea high chair & having his meal
Jian Xin toppling his box of toys as usual (JX is fortunate to have many toys passed down from Auntie Rui Zi)
Our dear Jian Xin is a little Drama Boy...
lifting his head high up & exclaiming in awe or roaring like a lion
Jian Xin standing very steadily (still with some form of support...but can stand on his own for few seconds)
Jian Xin playing with the Remote Control
Jian Xin playing with Balloons for the 1st time.
Mummy playing with JX before his night bedtime
Jian Xin, the little froggy...
JX swirling the pen with his fingers
JX raising the pen up...he looks so cute in this picture...Hehe
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Is there Anyone as Clumsy as me?I got this terrible blue black last month
when I had a terrible fall in my house.
What Happened?
Baby woke up from his sleep & cried
so I ran from the kitchen to the room.
THUMP!
Fell @ the entrance of the room.
It was a very hard & painful fall...
& I had to grit my teeth, stand up & attend to baby who was puzzled to why I was shouting in pain...
The most silly thing was...
it was the 2nd time I fell @ the Same place.
The previous time was just 2 weeks ago.
Guess I didn't learn the lesson then
& wanted more blue blacks.
Today I'm spotted with blueblacks on my legs
which I'm clueless to how I got it...
Sadly, Baby Jian Xin is like Me...
He has blue blacks all over as well.
Two days ago, he fell 2x while crawling too quickly.
The 1st injury was a blue black on his left cheek.
The 2nd injury was a cut/slight bruise on his upper lips (probably cut by his new, sharp incisor).
He's spotted with blue blacks on his feet, thigh etc. as well.
BUT the Clumsiest Award goes to Mummy
because JX is still learning to master his gross/fine motor skills
& hence it's normal for him to have knocks & falls.
Today the Clumsiest Award Winner
actually slice a part of her last finger on her left hand
while grating the apple for baby.
Blood keep oozing out
& I was unable to point out where/how the wound was.
Wrap lots of tissue around it & place pressure onto the wound, hoping the blood would stop oozing (according to Jia En, Huifen & Sam)
Thankfully, bro-in-law & fil was around.
Jia En helped to feed baby his dinner.
Father-in-law went home to take his traditional medicine...
Blood was still oozing & dripping when he return.
FIL placed his traditional Powder onto the bloody wound.
It stings awfully at the start but got better later.
Thank Lord the blood stop oozing out after the wound was covered with the powerful Powder.
I felt rather handicapped with this rather small yet serious injury.
Thank Lord my Mil came later & helped to shower baby.
Sigh I wonder how deep is the wound?
Should be rather deep as blood kept oozing out just now.
Guess I would know it tomorrow after removing the Powder off.
I guess I would need to be less clumsy
or else I wouldn't be able to take good care of baby.
Thank Lord for the presence of my husband's family to assist me today.
Super grateful for their help!
Without their help, I wouldn't know how to stop the oozing blood
& hence wouldn't be able to take care of baby.
Guess I would have to call Sam to rush back from school to rescue me out of this situation again.
Thankfully, I didn't have to call Sam home today.
Hmm I would need to rely on my right hand for these 2days or so.
Hope my injury recovers soon.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A Missing Part...
In life, when we gain some new roles, we lose some existing roles.
When I advanced to Motherhood,
I placed down the role of a Social Worker & an active church member/mentor.
I don't miss social work as much as being an active church mentor...
sadly this is a missing part in my life right now.
I yearn to love God, to attend fellowship, to listen to sermons attentively,
to be mentor to youths, to teach in Church, to be a spiritual role model...
yet presently, I'm lacking or having none of the above.
It has always been a dilemma for me to attend fellowship at night
as Jian Xin sleeps by 8.30pm & he would get super chatty without sleep.
Hence it takes a lot of effort & energy to attend tuanqi...
I wish to listen to sermons on Sun but I need to carry a rather fidgety Jian Xin.
I miss serving in church & communicating with youths.
Yep...probably things would get better when Jian Xin becomes older as he wouldn't be too attached to me?
But most likely in 2-6 months time, I would be in another Church.
Perhaps it may be good for my low involvement in church this year...
so that I could exit quietly without affecting any group dynamics.
I doubt not many would notice our absence in church as well...
Lately, I had been confronted by Song En about my spiritual life - lacking in faith & faith in prayers...
lacking in faith that things would change with God's help.
I truly hope to improve the spiritual aspect of my life!
Sam has created a bible reading log for me, which I'm supposed to read specific chapters of the Bible daily next year...hope I'm able to persist.
May God help me to improve in my spiritual life
so that I can be a spiritual role model for Jian Xin as well.
Pictures taken at the Zoo in May 09
Here's a pic of a Pregnant Me...
JX sitting on the Giraffe given by Uncle Zhi Yong & Auntie Jia Min for his 1st birthday
Papa & JX looking at an aeroplane
JX asleep on his stroller on the way back from Tamp Central
Hobby 3: Waiting at the Gate/Looking @ neighbor's Plants
Jian Xin in his Red Chinese Costume on CNY (bought by Nai Nai)
Nai Nai Reading a Story to Jian Xin
The Cuckoo Clock from Ye Ye's House is now at our Place
Jian Xin had a bad fever then...so we placed a cooling gel on his forehead
This is how he looks now... with his longer fringe & reddish highlights on his hair
Oh he dislikes wearing cap...but I'll put it on for him on sunny days (using distraction methods)
Before people start thinking Carol is getting too 'emo',
JX helping with the laundry
Jia En Shu Shu would come over regularly to play with JX
JX @ Batam...looking amusingly at Uncle Chun Ming
JX & Baby Estelle (@2.5 months apart)
JX (a day before haircut) with Auntie Kaiqi
JX @ Plaza Sing...avid reader
JX with his loved Po Tou (great grandmother)
Jian Xin toppling his box of toys as usual (JX is fortunate to have many toys passed down from Auntie Rui Zi)
Is there Anyone as Clumsy as me?