To the park, to the park, we go!

For the past 2 days, I've been trying to motivate myself to lose some weight, and to get out of the house!

So for the past mornings, we've been bringing Vanessa to visit the parks. We went to the Bukit Batok Nature Park yesterday morning (so near our palce yet we never venture there before ;P) and today, we went to the Botanica Gardens. We wanted to check out the Children's Garden but it's closed on Mondays.

[Food for thought - read only if you are interested in some bitchy musing:
Nope, we weren't the only parents who were met with locked gates. At least we realised it's closed on mondays, there were some folks who were still waiting patiently for the gates to open (it was close to 10am and the garden is opened at 8am - go figure). Not only that, I overheard some parents telling their kids to pray about it, that some other places would be opened for them to visit. Really, I don't think God would be very pleased to be an excuse for bad planning on the parent's part.]

I would say the Botanica Gardens was a much better workout - pushing the stroller up the Red Brick Path *pant* but we had fun ... Vanessa fell asleep while we were on the Red Brick Path, so we had a brunch break - had some food at the Les Amis Cafe. It was good, but the price was .... think $7.50 for 4 pancakes which were 10cm in diameter, and they added a little bit of strawberries to it. Nevertheless, it was yummy - I think I saw a strawberry buttermilk pancakes recipe somewhere.

I know Vanessa enjoyed the walks - she was kicking non-stop in her stroller! Just thinking which park to visit tomorrow!

If you are happy ...

When my girl is happy or pleased, she doesn't just show it with her usual sweet smile. She now happily waves her right leg in the air, or hang it over the stroller and kicks happily. Well, as long she doesn't kicks me, I'm happy!

Falling ill ...

First was my sweetheart, who had the runs 8 to 10 times day. As she didn't have any fever or any other symptoms, I decided to adopt the wait and see approach. When she had runs 4 times at night, we went straight to the PD and as I guessed correctly, the usual PD is on leave. Even the nurse concurred with me, it seems that Vanessa falls ill every time the PD goes on leave. Nothing unusual, only her intestines were rumbling. So we did the stool test just to eliminate the possibility of salmonella (the thingy that's been going around). The PD said it's probably just a viral infection (again) and of course, the guilt sets in once again since I've almost stopped breastfeeding (just a miserable 80ml of expressed breastmilk a day if I'm lucky).

Then the hubby came down with diarrhoea, vomitting and fever. He's down with gastric flu.

Then now I'm not feeling all the best either - tummy's feeling queasy, been visiting the loo but no loose stools. Been feeling the urge to hurl too (not a remote chance that I'm preggie) so I decided to skip dinner tonight. Finally got around to taking my mulit-vits, so forced every one to take a dose to prevent any further illness over this WONDERFUL FESTIVE SEASON. It's Christmas, for goodness sake, and the only chance I get to take leave and spend time at home before facing the onslaught of emails and phonecalls in January. It's unfortunate that it's also the festive season for the flu bug too. *sigh*

I want to enjoy my time off to sleep with my girl, not isolating her from me or the hubby just because we are sick. It's just so da*n ironical that we get to spend time at home, AWAY from her.

I survived!

on my helper's first day off.

My girl was very well behaved today, since I brought her shopping for a few hours at Takashimaya. We survived her poop fest, she slept on her daddy's shoulders twice without the need for a pacifier, she helped her daddy to choose the colour of a shirt, etc.

I thought it was really going to be REAL BAD, but surprisingly, she didn't wail for my helper - she only cried for her feed, and then cried because she was sleepy. She was quite happy with me feeding, bathing, changing, and patting her to sleep.

I think I passed the motherhood test =)

The sweetest of all ... Thy name is Revenge

Remember how I used to whine about my girl prefering the Daddy instead of the Mummy? How she coos at him and gives him the sweetest smile of all? How green-eyed I was when she happily dives into his arms?

It's MY time now ... now it's MUMMY'S TIME! And it is sweet, oh such sweet revenge with a vengeance.

My girl wants ME, and if she gets plucked out from my arms unwillingly, she will wriggle and squirm. And if I turn to leave both of them, out comes the "WAIL". Now she dives into my arms happily and gives me the sweetest smiles.

Oh, and she loves to secretly vomit on the Daddy ... which he doesn't realise until she's gurgling happily in my arms.

*sigh happily*

Feeling alive ...

It's been a long while I actually took a bus home (yes I know I'm pampered). Usually I'm drive, I get a lift or basically just hail a cab. Today the inspiration just struck me - I mean, it's a free ride to "almost" home anyway. Besides. the weather is simply lovely. So why not?

On the way back, I was doing the scene watching bit, then it suddenly struck me - Geez, how long has it been since I actually felt like an individual, that I feel alive and actually feel happy about it?

I was watching the trees and plants by the roadside swaying in the strong breeze, coupled by the beautiful golden hue of the sunset, and I realised what I have been missing, all this while, couped up in my office, my home, and even my marriage.

I actually miss the feeling of freedom, the scent of breeze, the rustling of the trees, the warmth of the sun. Too much time spent couped up in the office, too much time couped up at home, and too much time couped up in a relationship. It just wonderful to have a breather - a mere 5 minutes walk was all it took to make me HAPPY to be alive. And happy to strut back to the grind of work, home and marriage committments and ... into the arms of my sweetie pie :)

In one day ...

She's officially 8 months old and she has started playing with her saliva.

No, not the mad abstract artist who smears her saliva over the leather couch with her hands or feet (whichever that hasn't been restrained). She already did that a few weeks back.

She's doing the "let's blow bubbles (or rather saliva)" routine. She just STARTED it today only.

I'm glad I didn't miss it :)

Turning 8 ...

In 1 day time, my sweetiepie will be 8 months old.

How time really flies! I was looking at this beanie cushion she used to sleep on when she was 1 month old (the beanie cushion hugs around her from head to toe, so she's very cushy and secure). Now, probably it's just big enough to be her pillow ;P Too bad I don't have a before and after picture!

Her top 2 teeth is out, so she has now a total of 4 teeth.

She now wants to drink water from a cup, so she has her own pink hello kitty cup I got from Daiso for $2.

She's a lot more vocal now - if anyone walks out from the room she's in, she'll protest. Not because that person is her favourite, but because they are "going out" to the "FUN outside world".

She will protest too, when sometimes I am busy with my things and don't pay her attention. Or, when I stand in front of her but don't offer to carry her. She'll protest because she WANTS me.

Now, that's just sweet sweet motherhood.