Our Tingkat Dinner

Since we've been home for the weekends, I've ordered our dinners from KCK Food Catering.

PS: Their website is not all updated.

I was pleasantly surprised that:
1) their tingkat (tiffin carrier) dinners doesn't require you to order a minimum of x number of meals per week which many other tingkat catering sites do;
2) it costs about $5 per person per meal for 3 dishes & 1 soup;
3) the meals actually taste good (not salt laden) and they don't skimp on the ingredients.

Bummer:
a) They can't deliver in tingkats anymore but in microwavable containers. Wei & I send the containers to the recycling bag in our bid to save Earth's resource *fingers crossed*. I guess that's why they don't tie you down for a min. meals per week;
b) They only deliver to the East.


This was one of our meals:


Did I actually mention what a lifesaver these meals have been?

Future Pondering

I lay awake at 0246hr this morning even though I am knackered from the day's work.

My mind has been preoccupied with Bud's future.

I am sure that every mother before me who had planed to return to the workforce when her maternity leave expires have agonised about arranging the best care for her baby or considered alternative working arrangements to spend quality time with her bub.

I had it figured out.

Or so I thought until Bud arrived and I got to spend the past 2 months with him. Anticipating what is to come, I've wavered in my decision a couple of times.

I cannot help but feel anxious about leaving Bud in the Babysitter's care come July.

I will miss his first rollover, his first crawl, his first steps....to hear it from the babysitter's mouth will be heart wrenching. Will he still know me from what little time we have? Will I know him?

I remember a poignant scene from "Stepmom" where Susan Sarandon reveals to Julia Roberts that she has cancer and that her children's welfare will be in the latter's good hands. For a mother not to be able to partake in her child's future is heart breaking enough. To give it up to someone who (in her opinion) was deemed unfit even as a child minder must have been extremely humbling.

Well I do have more alternatives to play around with than Susan Sarandon had in the movie. But the permutation of placing Bud in the Babysitter's care while I work full time seems the best....right now.

Like it or not, she is a big feature in Bud's life.... anyway. Begrudgingly, I admit that he will be well-taken cared of by any standards.

It's about giving up control.

If I've been doing things a certain way, I bet it will be undone when there's a change of hands. There's no right or wrong way --- but there's a preferred way by either of us. The poor baby's going to be confused.

Susan Sarandon lamented that Julia Roberts will get to see her daughter in a wedding dress and Julia Roberts fears that her stepdaughter will wish her mom was around.

Babysitter may get to see all the firsts but I hope in my poorest of heart that Bud will wish I was there to witness it instead.

Before/ After Shots

These are before after shots.

My baby has been losing his hair!!

He started a few days before the first month. It was quite apparent when his hair was wet in the bath; then the strands will land on his face and clothes when it was dry.

Can't see much of his famed sideburns too.

Boo.

Taken on 23 Apr

Taken on 30 May

Tales From The Crib

It was past midnight.

I was nursing Bud his last feed for the night when Wei, who was already in la-la land, moved his hand; his 5 fingers were in unison going up and down, like he was patting someone.

It brought a smile to my face.

More often than not, in the wee hours of the morning, Bud would stir for attention.

I take him in my arms and feed him. He cries some more and I wonder why he's not comforted.

I open my eyes and realise he's still in his cot and that I had dreamt of waking up to nurse him. This delusion has happened several times now.

These stories have got to belong to first-time parents.

The Aidan Project

Combining my two loves for this new Aidan project: stationery and journal.

Drab Fab

These days, without consciously realising it, I go about my day without brushing my teeth or cleaning my face. I could be in my nursing gown from day till evening. My face is oily, my body is sweaty (breast feeding is a v hot & passionate affair)....I think Mother Earth is happy to have her soil back by the time I am done with my shower, which happens sometimes late at night.

I would not have recognized me a few months back.

And that's why I look forward to those lunches with my girl friends. For twice a week, I feel like a human being once again; I clean up nice to meet the outside world and have meaningful conversations (no offence Bud--baby talk is cool too).

I can't wait for my lunch date tomorrow.

Aidan vs Aedan

Watching "The Gilmore Girls" always makes me crave for a burger -- it must be the healthy appetite of the Girls at Luke's.

So Relish we went to satiate my craving.

Wei started talking to a couple next to us with a pram as well. The mother came over to have a peek at Aidan who was (finally) feeling sleepy -- I guess the dim lighting in the diner worked.

So we chatted:
They have a 3-month old son;
She lives with her MIL who sounderd uncanningly similar to my MIL;
Both babies' fathers belong to the same alma mater;
(Get this) Their son's name is Aedan.

My jaw literally dropped when I heard that last bit.

We were so spooked that we arranged for brunch this Sunday.

:-D

Baby Aedan

The Body Postpartum

You forget that the body has been to hell and back the day after the delivery. The system remains pumped with adrenaline and euphoria ... or maybe it's the drugs that fool you into thinking you are infallible and you could go through labour a few more times.

The ache & pain kicked-in about 24 hours later. Peeing needed some serious coaxing (oh gawd, i don't want to even think abt pooing), the legs were wobbly like jelly, the head was light, the tummy had that 'sour' sensation.

By the fifth day, I had more confidence walking and regained control of my legs. By the seventh day, I started peeing at will. I still felt sore nonetheless.

I was amazed by the "liquid gold" that came the day after delivery which will line Aidan's system with antibodies. As Wei crashed onto the couch next to me during the wee hours in the ward, I began to enjoy the bond with Bud more than I care to admit.

I was curious about the line down from my stomach to the start of my pubic area. Apparently my "linea nigra" will take some time to disappear (or not)...possibly a few months down the road. I was also quite happy about how fast the baby bump had gone down at 3weeks post delivery. And would you believe it.....no stretch marks! Woo hoo!





I hadn't realised until now that due to the pregnancy, my hair had been kept intact...and they are still intact. I think it should be falling out soon. That's about 9 * 30 * 1000 = 270,000 hair to fall out. Yikes...time to call Ken to cut it short first.

I'm sure most new mothers will atest to the fact that their wrists get weak(er) from the feeding, carrying, rocking the baby. It gets really stiff in the wee hours of the morning. OMG, my body is degenerating. Dr. Chong says parenting a child is THE labour so labour pains should be termed pre-labour instead. Yeah, good one.

Sometimes I will look down and wonder who this creature is attached to my breast most of the time; you'd think that with 30 hours of labour under my belt, I'd have more time to get used to the fact of this new addition to the family.

I still feel awed and humbled by his existence. I mean, we created him -- this beautiful boy.

How cool is that?

Aidan Turns One Month

And just like that, Aidan turns a month old.

I could get nostalgic and say that the month flew by so fast.

There were many times when my life was just about those pockets of 5 minutes....especially during those 3am feeds and there was only zzzzs to accompany the silence of the night. I am currently not living in the comfort of my own home so there were other moments when i wished the day would come for me to get out of confinement. [ Who in the world decided that confinement is a month long anyway? ] I was planning my lunch appointments during those countless hours infront of the telly.

Motherhood is actually not so bad if Baby has a predictable pattern esp. sleeping pattern. So i am actually looking forward and hoping Aidan settles down to a routine. Here's looking to the 6th week when the turning point is supposed to be (?).

We threw a lunch for the foggies last weekend on this milestone:

Stop. Enjoy.

There's quite a bit going on right now.

Aidan's like a whirlwind running in circles around us....hopefully he settles down soon.

In the meantime, here's a father and son pic.