More Time

My time is so stretched these days and the four main areas which are screaming for my attention are:

• house renovation stuff
• household matters
• teaching materials for Sofia
• rest and more rest

We had underestimated the amount of effort and time needed to get the house done. Of course we can close our eyes and leave the decision to the contractor but we are not too happy about the generous margin factored into the final price to us. So in the end it is DIY, research followed by calling up and site visit and then price negotiation done directly by ourselves. Sourcing for materials is another time consuming matter, a trip to one or two suppliers would easily take the whole afternoon.

Being away from home the whole afternoon would mean that dinner would be a rush rush affair when I get back.

I am also trying to create some teaching materials for Sofia, her thirst for learning is simply unquenchable and she enjoys learning very much, as long as we are willing to fork out the time.

REST. Yes, entering the third trimester is the toughest. Not being able to sleep through the night happens daily, got to empty the bladder in the middle of the night. Getting back to sleep is another struggle because the little man inside would be dancing or kicking in my tummy now that he has got more space. After half an hour of coaxing, he would be all quiet but I would be WIDE AWAKE! The only way to catch up with sleep is to nap when Sofia takes her afternoon nap but that means I will not be able to do anything else ... so little time so much to do ...

It is going to be '好'!

I hit the 6th month milestone of my pregnancy today and was scheduled to go for detailed scanning with my gynae today. I had been counting down till today cos everyone around me is eager to know the gender of this baby and that will be confirmed through the detailed scan. I, on the other hand, am more interested how the baby is progressing and developing. The detailed scan will give us some insight into its heart, brain, stomach, and I would like to see everything normal.

I heaved a sign of relief after the checkup revealed everything looks alright and I have a good piece of news to share, it is going to be a baby BOY! Don't get me wrong, I would be equally happy if it is a baby girl. But I do know with a baby boy, it is going to make some people around me VERY VERY happy. I can bet you my mum and my mother-in-law can smile in their sleep! Well, Sofia is a girl and with the next one being a boy, it gives you the "good" character in Chinese, just the way it is written - 好! So naturally, they are very delighted.

Now comes the headache, I have zero baby clothes for boys and that should give me the perfect excuse to Daddy for shopping rite? All parents would know how fast baby clothes gets "archived" and we do feel that it is rather wasteful to build another "him" wardrobe all over again. I probably will contact some of our friends in KL to ask for hand-me-down clothes if they do not plan to have any more kids.

Sofia's 2nd Birthday

Sofia turned 2 today. It is amazing how quickly time passes, we thought she was just lying in our arms just a while ago and all that matters was milk, milk and more milk. Now Sofia has grown into an toddler and is fiercely gaining independence as each day goes by. She would want to help us pay at the cashier after we finish shopping at the supermarket. She would also want a share in carrying the groceries just like us, never mind that the plastic bag is so big that she drags it along the floor. We guess this is all part of growing up though it is purely an imitation our actions and speech.

We had a very simple celebration, bought a cake, went to the playground and sang her a birthday song with all her playground kakis. Not sure what got into her, she was so uptight with all the attention and stuck to me the whole time.

We had great difficulty trying to lit the candles as it was a super windy evening. But even after the candles was lited, it was the older kids and me who blew it out for her, Sofia was trying to grab the candles with her bare hands again!

We doubt very much she knew what was going on, perhaps it would make more sense to throw a proper party when she turns 3? Well, let's see.

Fun @ Marina Barrage

We heard about the newly opened Marina Barrage in Singapore from a friend whom recommended us to bring Sofia there for fun in the evening. We actually had no clue what this place was for and what sort of "fun" could we have there. After some reading on the internet, we found out that it is actually the 15th reservoir and the first in the heart of the city. So we chose one of the weekday evenings and ventured this new place.


We were all surprised and impressed with this new reservoir, the location was strategic and it was filled with green and water (of course!) but nothing like those usual reservoirs in other parts of Singapore. It was happening, brimming with lots of people, so filled with life.



We had a good evening there, enjoying the cool breeze and beautiful scenery.


We also went to the waterpark and Sofia literally lost her mind there.

She started with small cautious steps into the water.

As soon as she realised it was WATER all around her to PLAY, she lost all her inhibition and went amok.

Help! My clothes are all WET!

Can I carry this home? Never mind that my diaper is full with water too!

Sofia had such great fun in the water and refused to go home. We had good fun watching her too but were afraid she might catch a cold from the wetness. In the end we had to bundle her up with a towel and grab her into the car. Of course, she was looking back at the water longingly. We hope to be back too, hopefully soon!

Toilet Training

Today marks the first day of toilet training (Phase 2) for Sofia. Phase 1 was completed as she has been able to communicate to us when she needs the toilet for her "big" business. Now we are going to train her to tell us when she needs the toilet for "small" business as well. Lots of mess will be expected initially as she will be off diapers and wearing panties only.

This is the method our friends have shared and recommended to me - fastest, though messy. We had been thinking about it for a week, what if Sofia pee on our mattress? How about the leather sofa or her bed? Can we contain and control the mess? I doubt so. But we just have to give it a try and see how it goes, she is afterall turning 2 in a week's time.