Month: April 2008

Finally, Alycia Gets To Carry Her Baby Sister

When Alycia and Sherilyn were sick last week, we forbade them from getting near Baby C…..but still they tried every way they could to get near their baby sister and even tried to kiss her. Their hands were practically all over their new baby sister each time they see me breastfeed her. The 2 gals were really upset that they could not touch or kiss their new baby sister. They just would not buy what I told them about spreading their virus to the baby.

2 days ago, Alycia finally got her wish granted when I allowed her to cuddle Baby C, with my CL holding the baby. She was grinning from cheek to cheek and was really contented that she could finally cuddle her baby sister.

No. of times viewed = 214

Mummy’s Milk Is The Best

3 ounces of milk in under 15 minutes…. not bad huh? That’s how much milk I can express out yesterday. Hopefully the supply will increase in days to come. I must thank Barb once again for this wonderful Avent ISIS manual breast pump. It sure feels better than the Medela electric breast pump that I used with Alycia and Sherilyn. The suction from the Avent manual pump is not as painful as the Medela pump, yet the suction is strong enough. My breasts even shrunk after using the Medela pump! Best of all, the Avent ISIS pump is almost silent, unlike the Medela pump which emits loud sounds like a cow mooing away and it sure sounds awkward in the middle of the night when everyone is fast asleep. Even our neighbors can here the mooing sounds!

No. of times viewed = 427

Too Difficult For A 4-Year Old?

I bet many of you do not know what animal lives in a hutch eh? Some of you don’t even know the meaning of a hutch. Admit it if you’re one of them 🙂

When I was flashing this pile of cards to Alycia on the name of the place that animals live in, I admit that I had to search the dictionary to see what animal lives in a hutch.

A hutch is a wooden box or cage with a front made of wire, used for keeping rabbits, etc. in. Pre-schoolers are becoming more advance in their vocab these days. I’m also learning new things everyday when I coach Alycia in her homework, especially in the use of the abacus and Mandarin. I really don’t remember learning all these things when I was in pre-school. All I remember is that I used to play a lot in pre-school.

Do you find that the things your kids learn in pre-school a little too advance for their age?

No. of times viewed = 319

Yucky Bath Time

This is the pail of brown herbal water that I have to bathe myself with everyday. The water is brewed from a concoction of Chinese herbs. My CL boils the herbs for 1-2 hours everyday and sometimes she adds ginger into the concoction to brew. It really does feels yucky, not to mention the stinging sensation you get on your private part (caused by the ginger) when the hot water is being poured down your body. The herbal concoction is supposedly good to prevent body aches after the birth of a child. Though we are not supposed to rinse our body with clean water after the herbal bath, I still rinse my body clean with warm water. Otherwise, I would smell of herbs the whole day and night. BTW, I still have a very quicky warm shower (without herbs) at around 8:30pm every night. I did this during both my previous confinements too. Without the shower, there’s no way I can nurse my baby with a stinky and sweaty body. There’s also no way I can fall asleep with so much sweat and body odor from my body. I really salute those who can tolerate not washing their hair for 1 month and only bathing once a day with the stinky herb water. My tolerance to dirt and heat is practically zero!

No. of times viewed = 519

Free Business Cards!

A former colleague of mine had just left my house. She was here to visit me and Baby C. We have not seen each other for almost 2 years and she too had left the company that we once worked for to join a bank. When I told her that I am now a blogger and working from home, she was rather surprised with how I can earn money from blogging. In fact, she’s not the first person who is amazed at how I can earn money from my blogs. Before she left my house, I gave her the URL of my two blogs and she promised me that she would be my blogs’ regular visitor. Many of my friends and relatives do not even know what a blog is and sometimes I have a hard time explaining to them what I do. Perhaps I should make my own business card and distribute them to my friends and relatives whenever they ask me what I do.

I came to know that I can now get UNLIMITED supply of FREE business cards from unlimitedbusinesscards.com. This online store that makes business cards even provides free shipping. However, the condition is that the clients would have to allow discrete advertising on the back of their business cards. Now that’s not a problem to me as long as I can get free business cards. You really got to check this out too and get your own free unlimited supply of business cards.

No. of times viewed = 189

Drunken Baby

After reading Vien’s post on her drunk Cassie, I thought I want to post one on my own drunk Cassie. Yes, our gals have the same name – Cassandra!

This is how Baby C normally looks after a session of mummy’s milkie……

The content smile….

and a drunken look…


But the moment Baby C is placed back in her crib, her eyes will be wide open and then she goes “eeee eeeee…… aaaaa aaaaa……” whining again for mummy’s breasts.

And she can never ever get enough of mummy’s milkie.

No. of times viewed = 446

Middle-Child Syndrome?

I really don’t know what is wrong with Sherilyn but she is really making me very pissed off with her. Several months before Baby C’s arrival, she started to be really willful, rebellious, disobedient and hard to handle. I am really lost for ways to handle her. She takes no instructions from me or my mil, not at all. Every single instruction to her from getting her to take her bath, to washing her hands, eat, drink, nap, sleep, pee, poo poo etc. is like a chore to her and we always have to end up in a power struggle…. with me threatening her with the cane and she ALWAYS ends up bawling and rolling on the floor, even till she puked at times. (ChumsyAshley saw Sher during the meltdown when she came to visit me last week)

My mum says this usually happens to the middle child. I think she is starting to feel jealous and neglected that I am spending a lot of time with Baby C but she does not appear to despise her little sister. In fact, she adores her little sister and keeps touching and kissing her.

Sher is really driving me bonkers and I’ve even come to the point where I just cannot tolerate her behavior and even starting to hate her. Can you beat it, I’m starting to hate my own daughter just because she’s jealous of her sister and wants mummy to love her and spend time with her like I used to. I just hope that this is just a phase that’s fleeting and that very soon, she will mellow down and transform into an angel, just like Alycia. I used to have that feeling towards Alycia too during her Terrible Twos stage where she used to throw horrible tantrums but over time, Alycia transformed and now, she’s such a joy to be with. She’s very independent, obedient and caring and does not irritate me anymore with her wimps and fancies. Last night before going to her mah mah’s bedroom to sleep, Alycia ran to me and said “mummy, I love you” and gave me a hug and kiss. I wish Sherilyn will be like that too in time to come. Otherwise, I will go cuckoo….. with a baby who’s seeking my teats for comfort round the clock and another crying and whining 3-year old toddler who is resisting every single instruction the whole day.

No. of times viewed = 464

Baby C @ Day 16

That’s Cassandra at day 15

and day 16

Baby C’s legs are very thin, they were even thinner at birth, just like skin wrapped round her bones. Sherilyn even commented yesterday that baby C’s legs are like ‘chicken legs’, how very right she was in her description, LOL!

I’ve been nursing Cassandra all day and night till my teats feel so sore. They even feel sore when they touch my clothes. My sil from HK has given me a very good Lanolin cream for nursing moms to apply on the nipples. Perhaps I should try them today, else I will not be able to nurse Cassandra anymore.

No. of times viewed = 405

A Little Update On My Life As A Mum To 3 Kids

I have been nursing Baby C the whole day today….. non-stop and it is really tiring me out.  Sometimes, she just wants to suckle my teats for comfort and not for milk, otherwise she wouldn’t go to sleep. 

Sherilyn is also desperately seeking a lot of my attention lately. She has been resisting our instructions and would bawl and roll on the floor when her whims and fancies are not met. When I wasn’t nursing Baby C, I was reading to Sherilyn.  When I wanted to get some rest or coach Alycia in her homework, I put on a DVD for Sherilyn to watch.  Watching TV is the only time she would sit still.  Alycia’s homework is also very heavy this week. That’s because she was absent from school for 3 days last week as she had high fever.  Coaching Alycia in Math, especially in abacus and mental calculation are the toughest as she seemed very lost, not to mention my non-familiarity with using the abacus.  She had missed too many classes lately.

Did I also mention that last week both Alycia and Sherilyn had high fever and throat infection?  Gee, it really ain’t easy having to take care of a newborn baby and care for 2 very sick toddlers.   I was also worried sick that Baby C would catch the virus.  Sherilyn is still on antibiotics now.

I just could not find much time to blog lately.  My earnings will definitely drop this month as expected.  Hopefully it will pick up again next month when things are more settled. 

No. of times viewed = 454

Free Drug Reference

If you are one who prefers to buy medication over the counter instead of going to the doctor’s office, you can now get free drug reference from epocrates.com to learn more about the medication before you purchase them. The information on the drugs includes dosing, interactions and adverse reactions, side effect, retail pricing, safety / monitoring and pharmacology. You can register for free as a member at epocrates.com and get access to free handheld and online drug references. You can even download the information into your PDA or smartphone and have access to over 3,300 brands and generic drugs. Epocrates medical reference software is now used by over 500,000 healthcare professionals.

This announcement was paid for by Epocrates.

No. of times viewed = 160

Baby C @ Day 14… And She Has A Name Now

Today, daddy finally went to JPN to register Baby C’s birth. Finally, daddy has settled for the name Cassandra Yap Kay Lee. So Baby Callista, Caitlyn or Caeley is now called Cassandra or Cassi in short.

Baby C is starting to get addicted to my teats. For the whole of this afternoon, she has been whining away, but not exactly crying, you know, the type of whine that’s pestering for something. The moment I picked her up and carried her, she turned her head left and right, seeking my breasts. When I let her suckle my breast, she stopped whining but did not exactly suckle for milk, but suckled for comfort, as if it was a pacifier.  The minute I placed her back in her crib, her whining started again.  When my CL fixed her an ounce of formula, she spat the milk out, closed her lips tight and whined….. until my breasts took over. This went on the whole afternoon.   

Alycia and Sherilyn did not help either when both of them fought for pillows and bolsters and both wanted me to lie down and turn sideways facing them during nap time. I went ballistic when all 3 of my kids bawled at the same time!

Doesn’t Cassandra look like a boy here?

No. of times viewed = 466

Personal Injury Attorney

When hubby met with a motor vehicle accident last month, his MPV was badly wrecked. The irony of this accident is that the person who crashed his car onto hubby’s car is a driving instructor and examiner. Good thing he admitted his fault and not try to deny being in the wrong. Also, luckily hubby was not injured in the accident, otherwise he would have to hire a good personal injury attorney, like the Personal Injury Attorney Austin from the law office of O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath in the city of Austin. I heard that the attorneys from this law firm do not charge their clients initial consultation fee. The clients will only be sent the bill if the attorneys are successful in recovering the money from those who are responsible for their personal injury or loss.

No. of times viewed = 136

Baby C’s Drinking Pattern

Baby C’s appetite and demand for milk are becoming stronger each day.  My breastmilk is insufficient to satiate her ravenous appetite.  I now have to increase the formula to keep her tummy full.  From 2 ounces of formula a day, she’s now drinking around 4-5 ounces of formula on top of my breastmilk.  My breastmilk is still not a lot.  Today is the first day I actually expressed out my milk to see how much milk I have and sadly, I only managed to milk out 2.5 ounces from both breasts after painstakingly sitting and pumping till my hands ached for around 20 minutes.  

Baby C also tends to suckle at full force for a short 5-10 minutes and then she will drift back into slumberland and then treats my teat like her pacifier instead of suckling for milk.  Consequently, she drinks very little and gets hungry pretty fast. 

I have asked hubby to buy some raw papayas and I shall get my CL to boil some papaya soup tomorrow in the hope of boosting my milk supply.  I also intend to get some Milkmaid tea to drink.  I heard Milkmaid tea is really effective in boosting milk supply.  Does anyone know where I can buy Milkmaid tea in KL? 

No. of times viewed = 849

My 2 Helpers

That’s how Alycia and Sherilyn entertained themselves while I was busy with Baby C yesterday.  Alycia who is a clean freak told me that her toys and box to store her toys were very dirty.  My maid was busy, so I gave the gals some wet wipes and they were more than happy to wipe their toys with the wet wipes.  They even went a step further and wiped the windows, the floor and the iron grills till I stopped them.

No. of times viewed = 147

Baby C At 10 Days Old

Baby C is quite a good baby.  She wakes up 2-3 times a night for nursing and does not poo poo in the middle of the night anymore.  I am nursing her on demand and sometimes I supplement it with a total of 2-3 ounces of formula in a day (once or twice a day) when my breastmilk is insufficient to satisfy her hunger.


Baby C looks so much like Alycia when she was a baby in these 2 pix here.  However, in terms of size, Alycia is much much bigger than Baby C at birth…. so big that that I could not even see her neck for the first few months!


Now I have 2 teaching assistants – Alycia and Sherilyn flashing cards to Baby C!

No. of times viewed = 320

HEALTH FREAK MOMMY