A DAY OUT TO BREATHE

So what's new? I guess this blog will always be a place for me to escape and rant. Lately I've been having what I would best describe as a family life burnout...daily chores and kids bickering is wearing me real thin...so this time I'm escaping to...McD's for a drink. Even brought along books to read.. 

But blog first...need to purge my system of all negative thoughts.. Having four kids in the same household is no easy feat...what more with limited space. So with space constraints it is very easy to get into stress mode. What's more keep hearing people's stupid comment...feeling like a freak for having 4 kids...what bloody business is it if people like to have 10 kids! 

Anyway, on to happier times..N is like a young man now, helped a lot with A who can be most difficult at times (think not sleeping for more than 15 minutes, keep wanting to be carried, entertained, etc.) Only thing is his impatience with B. Cannot help feeling he has some sort of hate for his brother (is that too strong a word to use?). B is his usual self of all play and no work...but he is mighty proud to have scored the highest mark in his year-end English paper.. And V is as usual her joyful self except for some purposely carried out tantrum to spice up the atmosphere. 

Andrick discovered the joys of turning around at Day-86. And he surprised us when daddy put him down on the couch and he managed to stand on his own! This is at Day-136. His current obsession (after his born-with-it obsession of biting fingers) is sticking out and rolling his tongue around. 

Feeling much, much better now...gotta head home to mah boyz and girlz...chiao!

BABY'S HERE....WHAT TO DO?

Selfie with Che Che!

With a large family and a small baby around, all too often we find ourselves feeling constricted with lack of space. Hence, I've compiled a list of baby-friendly activities to do with Andrick...ta-dahhhh:

Ooh... *pinch pinch*

1) MUSIC will be a calming balm to soothe the soul. During the day when the elder kids are at school, I usually put on some baby music for Andrick to listen.

2) WALKS Going for walks at the neighbourhood park is great for everybody. Andrick often look around the park with interest while the kids can have a chance to stretch their legs or have a good run.

3) YOGA This new age yoga with baby is da bomb! No need to leave baby with babysitter, can bring along and have some fun together...In fact, you can plan your classes with them as early as during your pregnancy. Their classes include : Pregnancy Yoga, Pilates, Stretch N Tone, Fitball, Mom & Baby Ball N Sculpt, Yoga, Ab Bootcamp and Total Body Workout. Check it out at Fit for 2 in Bangsar Village II.

4) GAMES Andrick loves to play counting/pointing games. His favourite would be This Little Piggy (where I would hold his finger and point to each of his toes while reciting the rhyme) and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (while pointing to said part).

Recently, our resident's association organized a mid autumn festival for the residents. We joined in the fun...there's a walkaround at our apartment compound for the kids.

The lanterns look so nice and colourful!

Andrick playing silly games with Moo Moo.

We also had a mini celebration for Mom on her birthday with cake slices (no whole cake!).

Mom carrying her favourite grandchild.

UPDATE - ANDRICK CHOW

It's been one month plus since Andrick's birth, and he's filling up nicely. Here's some pics:

Staring and smiling into the camera!

Mr Moustache!

Oh my sleeping child!

He is turning out to be quite a bundle to handle...always super, duper active and non-stop action. Wondering how we'll cope when he learns how to flip to his tummy and start crawling!

ANDRICK CHOW KAY VIN

Today is another special date for me : it's Andrick's fullmoon eve! You know what they say....being in confinement is worse than the delivery itself? So just wanna say....it's almost over! The days of smelly hair and body, bathing in HOT herbal bath, feeling so heaty from all the ginger consumed (though they' re delicious).

Part of the full moon package : Mentos and Marshmallow!

For Andrick, we thought we would just send out a simple full moon package to friends and relatives to announce the birth...it's more economical compared to inviting guests over for buffets.

But being me, my imagination totally ran wild. I was thinking in the range of Garrett's Popcorn, 3D Cupcakes, Candilicious Chocolates, etc...

So I quickly check my excitement and think back to the Mentos and Marshmallows... :(

Anyway, first let me post some happy pics...

Flashback : At birth

Andrick pooped right into my palm!

Andrick at Day-21

Daddy KO-ed and Mommy....just doing what a new Mom usually do.

And sister Venice can't get enough of Andrick!

We got a scare at the early stage of his birth because he doesn't seem to want to open his eyes, and only opened them around the second week. Anyway, all is good now.

NEW HOME FOR OLD POSTS...JUST FOR MEMORIES' SAKE

As mentioned earlier, I'm transferring my old blog to this one...so it's only apt that I too transferred the contents here. Basically, here's the summary of it.  

8 APRIL 2012 (Sunday) 

POST 1 - MY BLESSING - VENICE CHOW 
Venice will be 2 next month. And in this 2 years, I have never cease to be amazed by how fast she learns and grows. And as far as expenses go, I am very blessed to say that situations have saved me a lot in bringing her up.

Some examples: 
1) PRE-NATAL CHECKUP FEES : FOC (At government clinics). 
2) DELIVERY & HOSPITAL FEES : RM50 (At government hospital). 
3) PAEDIATRIC CARE & IMMUNIZATION : FOC (At government clinics). 
4) CONFINEMENT MONTH : Thanks to a bunch of great friends from church, expenses are covered. 
5) FORMULA MILK : Thanks to cousin Jessie, I can get Pediasure for dirt cheap price! Dented goods, however.

A few days' old Venice Chow

 Doing a half-ass duck lip pose at Month 2...

 One of my favourite poses have got to be of the siblings together...it warms my heart to see them so happy.

 Glaring suspiciously at Daddy even at one month old...(update : which will subsequently be her trademark look)

Nic making silly faces and Bryan.....well, just ignore his hands, haha.

Milestone : Venice at 1 year old.

Milestone : Venice at her 2 year old joint celebration with cousins (McD's BSD)

Milestone : Venice's third birthday was a simple affair with just cake-cutting at home coz we are financially drained from all the May babies (me included!). Even then, this cake alone cost over RM100!

But sometimes, you know what they say about having a girl ... you just can't help fantasizing about them being a princess, and princesses are hard to maintain....

POST 2 - A DEPRESSING TREND 
Today is a very depressing Easter Sunday. A few weeks ago, my big aunt have been admitted to the hospital for a broken leg. She was trying to hang up her clothes to dry in the airwell. 

At the time of her fall, there was nobody around. When my cousin found her, she was sitting on the floor waiting for help. After just one or two days at the hospital, she said that she felt very tired and straight away fall into a coma. Doctor said that she had a mild stroke, and at the same time there are some lung infection. The situation then goes roller coaster as she alternates between better (when doctor said that the antibiotic is working, her infection is under control) and worst (when the antibiotic suddenly lose its effectiveness). In the end as I write this, all the types of antibiotics are used up...and her situation is bleak. We just visited her this afternoon after her family called us. 

This got me thinking. Of life in general, of our journey on earth. As the Chinese saying goes : birth, age, sickness, death. I personally feel that all humans in general always put all their hope and time on the next generation; but for the elder, there is always a lack of patience and time for them. I myself are very guilty of the same. Whatever Venice say or do, I will be in awe as to the wonderment that is my BABY. But very seldom do we practice the same passion for our parents. We often think that it is enough to just give them a roof over their head and food to eat. We will not notice that they sometimes need companion too. Mostly they will be by themselves the whole day without anyone to talk to. 

As I cradled Venice today to read a book to her, I think of all the ageing parents who sit by themselves day and night waiting for their son or daughter to spare them some time. Why is the older generation so easily be neglected? Just because they are not cute enough? Let's try to put it this way : when we were small, I believe all parents have cradled us to shower us with love and kisses just as I have done to Venice countless times. The love that they poured to us are priceless, and yet when we grow up, they are forgotten. 

Recently, I have even begin thinking of how I would be when I age? Will I be the same like them? I hope not.

Update 1 : My big aunt loses her battle with the infection and passed away at the hospital not long after.

Update 2 : Just for memories' sake, thought I'd post this pic of mom with dad (1947-2010) with my small aunt (who passed away in 2013).

Update 3 : Fast forward 1 year (2014). I have this habit of scrolling back my blog to check out what I did the same time last year. It's Easter Day again...and I'm glad to say that this Easter brings on a happier note to us. We went to the mall coz Wei has a job there. There are people blowing bubbles from the upper floor to entertain the kids and Venice was so happily jumping up and down and bursting the bubbles. Then I bought her a Red Velvet cupcake (her favourite!). It's simple but heartwarming.

MEET THE FAMILY!

Hi, we are a family of six (obviously!)...consisting of Daddy Chow (Chee Hwee) and me (Evelyn Leong).

We have three gorgeous (if I may say so myself) and active boys : Nicholas, Bryan and quite recently, Andrick; and a feisty and lovely princess : Venice.

The reason I'm setting up this new blog is to replace it with the old, albeit under-post one. This is because stupid me, didn't know that photos posted on blogger is directly linked to picasa albums. I think I deleted the whole album photos and the pictures on my previous blog came up picture-less! That's me...always a stickler for neatness thus I hated photos all over the place...in this case all over the net! Anyway, it looks so unappealing now that I decided to create a new blog to replace the old one...

And I made a vow to myself to post more....hopefully. Sometimes memories with my family is so precious and I find it so sad to let it pass by and with no way to document it (I usually have my hands full with Andrick).