(2008/02) Feb 2008 MTBs

Iso
yeah, i did seriously consider withdrawing K too. I do have my mom/mil to help for now but it will be tough on them cos it's really energy-zapping to entertain a tod all day! K is not like Gwen or R or A who can be entertained quietly by colouring or puzzles. She needs someone next to her to talk/sing/draw together. If she has to be kept busy, our next alternative is to put her in front of the goggle box which is frankly, a poor alternative to me. I don't know how to get her interested in one thing long enough to stay at it.

Abrakadoodle - I wanna try too. jio me leh.

Piglet
LOL, yeah managing HR issues more complex than working hor? I went back to read ARtemis' method of incentivising. She pays the FDW between $10-$40 bonus a month for good performance. She mentioned an evaluation form which I guess u have to devise based on your home needs? I think maybe easier way could be to say I will pay you X mth bonus if you perform well and we will review performance every year or 6 monthly?
 


re: art class,
my friend went to this art class at kallang leisure park as well... but i have not tried it. have also been looking at http://www.kinderartasia.com/centres but the classes all clashes with C's sat morning playgroup so wait later when he's older to join other classes... for now he just doodle at home.

gar,
can also buy those aquadoodle stuff... i got one of them, and just stick them up in the living room. C will just go, grab the pen and doodle away... :p also you may want to get erasable color pencils as opposed to crayons/pens coz not that easy to stick on surfaces like couch or wooden stuff... or what about drawing outside the house using easel or something...

piggetail,
wah.. H1N1 possible case, better keep your son away from your maid for now..
 
piglettail,
no prob. i also kena before.

bkk,
agree about energy zapping part. i can't wait for A's daytime nap time sometimes =P

no lah...A is only entertained by colouring for 10 mins max. IMHO, i think A is more active than K! she also needs constant engagement through out the day. we all surrender after keeping her at home for 2 days haha....

maybe you can slowly encourage her to do activities by herself. whenever i notice A flipping a book quietly, or drawing quietly - i will stop engaging her. let her play by herself until she's bored and come to kachow me.

Abrakadoodle - i also keen!
 
iso, tute,
yeah we let her use washable most of the time. but she has devised her ways of accessing our stationery (ie normal pens and pencils, markers etc). and accidents have happened.

the stool is her favourite friend now. whatever used to be out of reach, now becomes accessible with the stool! damn =P

tute,
thanks - will check out this cos at kallang very near my place. the abrakadoodle looks good too, only more inconvenient for me cos a bit far.
 
Sorry , looking for artemis here hehe.

<font size="+2"><font color="ff0000">Paging for Artemis! pls check your email!</font></font>
 
bkk
can understand, E is getting q addicted to the tv and the iphone now, but sometimes i'm just too lazy to entertain him..

abrakadoodle
ok!! let me see what i can arrange. I might do a friday morning class if my other friend is interested, but the last time i called them the classes was not quite the same as on the website. I guess since K goes to school it would be weekday afternoons?
gar, is A in sch too? (sorry i forget).

tute
actually that reminds me i got an aquadoodle at home but still haven't opened yet!! :D
 
me same as Gar. whenever Ruth takes to her own things - cooking on her own, flipping books or playing her toys, i will take the chance to shuddup and do my own stuff.

it will never happen for long. sometimes even cooking, must also entertain her. She will take her pot and ladle and walk to everyone to feed them. and if u dun entertain her, she will get very upset.

i'd say 80% of the time, she needs someone around her to engage and acknowledge. i sometimes lack the patience to be around her also...cuz after a day's work already quite zapped out - especially if it's a stressful day.
 
hi all, do u hv this prob with yr hb?
He'll say he's leaving the office then some while later, he's still not home. Mine works at raffles pl.
E.g. Yesterday he said he's going to leave ofc at 7pm, 8pm he's still at raffles pl mrt!
Today, he said he's going to leave ofc at 6pm, 45ms later he's at novena mrt. Sligtly better huh?
*rolleyes this is one of the reasons why we hv to get a helper...
 
iso,
aquadoodle is great ! coz the pen is water based, they can only write on the special paper/mat itself... and can't damage anything else.. hahah.. and the look on their face when nothing comes out when they write outside the paper/mat is quite hilarious too.. hahha *evil mummy*

clover,
my hb does that all the time... he said he's going home at 7pm, but you call him 7.30pm and he's still in office... in fact i do that as well, esp if i'm caught up with stuff at work, i'll get stuck... then sometimes on the way out, kena stop by people for disucssions.
 
clover,
haha. I think that is quite common for guys lah. My hubby always say he is 5 min away( from somewhere), but honestly, he will take at least another 15 min to arrive. Once u realise this, each time he gives u a "time", just take it with a pinch of salt lor.
 
clover,
i think you not alone. my hb also like that. actually, i think almost all men are like that *muahahahah*....i call it rubber time.

but seriously, sometimes situations can arise at work when they have to quickly rush out something and it takes longer than expected. or heng heng boss asks for something as you are packing up.....it happens to me quite frequently. maybe you can ask hb to call you and let you know if these situations occur so you not waiting and expecting him to be home by XXhrs.

QUESTION ON FEEDING EBM

Ok, i'm getting old and forgetful. Or probably I'm just a bit lazier with #2 heh heh.....After my EBM has defrosted, can I transfer to pre-sterilized bottles + teat and keep in fridge at the start of the day (so mum only needs to take the bottle and warm it prior to feeding)? Or do I need to use sealing disc for the bottle, then change to sterilized teat only when I am warming the milk.
 
iso, tute,
LOL...ok this is quite gross, but A actually sucks on the tip of the aquadoodle pen...*roll eyes* she laughs hysterically cos i think she's amused that by doing so she can "drink water". mom / i groan in frustration cos it's soooooooooo unhygienic
 
Hi Gar,

I transfer to presterilised bottle and teat and leave in fridge for mom. So far ok..no stomachache *cross fingers*

Clover
I'm like that!! keke. drives my hb nuts cos he'll be waiting in the carpark forever until I finish. Usually, I give est time but sometimes boss wants something urgent or colleagues stop you to ask stuff. Or you're shutting down and your stoopid PC hangs...
 
gar,
during A's time, i put in presterilised bottle + sealing disc in fridge. only change to teat when wanna feed. but i think ur method should be fine.

gar, bkk,
can share ur pumping schedule?
 
BX,
I'm getting lazier nowadays :p partly cos milk ss is established and partly cos K needs attention. I pump only once in the morning 8am and at night 9pm (after both girls sleep). If SM does not empty me in the middle of the night and I'm not too sleepy, I will pump. In the first month, I was more hardworking..cos need to up milk ss, so I try to pump after every feed. I'm planning to adjust pumping schedule when I return to work. Gar, what's your pumping schedule when you return to work?
 
Iso
If you going for afternoon lesson at Abrakadoodle, then I join u. K has class in the mornings. Did u try bibinogs in the end?
 
bkk,
hehe good to know you practise the same. i've been doing so for a while, no problem. but recently J's stools are like mustard yellow water so i'm not sure if she's having mild diarrhea or what.....

bx,
i did the same as you during A's time. but now with two kids, every little reduction in "chores" helps the old folks (especially when A is having one of her tantrums and J needs to feed). so if putting the presterilized bottle + teat in fridge is ok, then it saves them one thing to remember / do lor.

pumping schedule
during the first 8 weeks, i just latch on demand. it was quite chaotic, not much opp to pump, so i only pumped either when she only needed to drink from one breast, or when it was obvious that she didn't clear the breasts.

i started simulating a "back to work" routine since J was 9 weeks old (so it's been 3 weeks already). it goes something like this

6/7am - J wakes up in mng - Latch (before I go to work)
11+am - pump (at work)
3+pm - pump (at work)
7/8+pm - J cluster feeds for the evening - Latch (i come back from work)
Middle of night if J wakes up and hungry - Latch + pump (if J doesn't clear breasts)

Abrakadoodle,
Hmm...weekdays a bit tough for me cos can't bring A after I start work. Weekends are better. But if weekday afternoons are ok for both of you pls go ahead.
 
bkk-u only pump twice a day? (no latch in between)? is the milk supply sufficient for the feeds? now i try to pump every 3 hrs,sometimes 4, sometimes 2.5 (depending on "free" time), each pump now yields ard 80-90ml,which is much better than my first one (used to be only 30-50ml per pump) during 1st month. Hayden is already drinking 75 ml per feed, and at night he cluster feed,8pm,10pm,12pm,2am,then 5am, than 8-9am, 12-1pm,4-5pm,...whew..tired..

BB finally passed his jaundice,today drop to 12pts liao..yippee.can resume full BM 2 days later but the way he drinks, i think my ss cannot catch up
 
QL,
wow hayden has a very healthy appetite! you mean when they feed FM it's 75ml or EBM 75ml?

clover,
my hb also like that. so i have to keep reminding him to let me know if he's gonna be late (i position it as being considerate to others....cos mom / MIL have to wait till he's home before they can go mah).

so maybe you have a chat with him - say that an easy gesture on his part (SMS to let you know he'll be late) will go a long way in maintaining harmony
biggrin.gif
 
Gar - FM feed 75ml,cos i can't BF him now, so i noe his appetite is so "good"..haha
his weight gain also quite power i tink, his birth weight is 3.21, then discharge at 2.9,5th day at 3.1,today weigh already 3.4...hmm
 
Just paid $232 for 1 airticket to penang for maid!?! So bloody exp cos bought ticket late. Last nov I bought 3 air tickets for just $205. she will be paying us $150 over 3 installments. The rest we absorb as her birthday present (July) cum 1 year bonus lor. :p
 
QL,
don't worry. i find nurses tend to overfeed FM so that bbs full full will kuai kuai sleep for a longer stretch. when you latch or give EBM you can adjust and give lesser amounts.

my hubby gave the nurses at KKH a earful when he knew they fed A 60ml. cos based on literature, bbs tummy at birth only size of marble, so dun need so much milk mah
 
gar
oh dear!! how does the "pen" work? there's no problem if she sucks it?

abrakadoodle
ok, will call them to find out schedule and let you gals know.
gar, when are you starting work?
i'm thinking of going trial these few weeks before i deliver!
 
garfield, yah will try yr method. ^^

mums with no.2, do u give yr no.1 the excess bm? I'm wondering if this will boost no.1's immunity when he start sch n both will fall sick less.
 
QL, the 2 pumps are on top of latching.

Gar, yeah, going back early June...sianz...the thot of work, but also looking forward to doing something productive beyond crying babies and screaming tods.

Abrakadoodle - I'm ok for weekends too
happy.gif
 
Pauline, I paid $329 for K and me to go to Penang last week on Jetstar. Child tickets no discount, same as adult fullfare. Bo hua now...
 
iso,
aquadoodle is water activated. so the pen (machum a marker) is actually empty inside. screw open the top, pour water in and voila! you can draw on the mat. so A has lots of "fun" sucking on the tip cos the water seeps thru it lor. i've resorted to filling up with boiled water *roll eyes*

i start work 21Jun, so if you are thinking of weekday trial class in the afternoon i'm game. but needs to be late afternoon cos A has her nap after school lor. sorry so ma fan =P

clover,
i did try to give A the excess BM (mixed into FM) but she took a few times then rejected. now that you mention, i should try again. actually i've been adding all sorts of things into her milk...multi vits lah, fish oil lah...nowadays she supervises me making milk to make sure i don't add funny things in hehe

bkk,
i know what you mean. a bit of mixed feelings too for me. some more i think boss expects me to resume travelling (i siam for three years actually - since i was preggie with A till now).
 
Hi tongtong,

Sorry for the late reply. Been busy at work and my new job doesn't allow me to read web mail. I use my Nokia X6 to read but hard to reply using the interface. :p Maybe I will get the iPhone 4G when it is out.

Hi piglettail,

I very KS. :p I do monthly reviews. Depending on her performance based on a pre-defined evaluation form, I will give her ratings:
0 - Made mistake(s) (No bonus)
1 - Almost cannot make it, forgot to do this and that (SGD10)
2 - Can make it, all work done when told (SGD20)
3 - Fairly good, all work done with slight initiative (SGD30)
4 - Good, all work done with full initiative (SGD40)

So far, after the initial getting used to, my maid has been getting at least SGD20 extra per month.
happy.gif
(Sometimes, she laspes into this stupor which I don't really understand but I guess we all have our unproductive moments.)

But to be fair, you must list down everything you want her to do and how you want it done and go over with her if she made a mistake so that she can change for the better. Otherwise, if just penalise very hard for them to understand what it is you really want. Mine I give her a printed set of:
- House rules (how she is expected to behave towards us, relatives and guests)
- Weekly schedule of chores (this I place near the entrance to the kitchen in transparent folder for her easy reference)
- How I like the house to be cleaned (this I give her to keep and remind her again during evaluation if she does anything I don't like)

Hope you new maid is fine, H1N1 now no need to quarantine already is it har? :p I a bit out of touch with this.
 
btw, what breakfast do u give ur toddlers now? mine is still on nestle cereal but can see she is getting bored of it.
 
bx-my output now is based on no latch for the past 2 days. my fren told me she also yields that much for the 1st month i.e avg 30ml/hr. now 3 months le, she dun pump at in middle of night,but after a stretch of 8 hrs, she can pump 450ml (i was like wow!!)
i also gave heidi the EBM..keke..she drinks it without rejecting..whew..
 
ql,
wow, ur friend's output very power!
if i got sufficient, i will give A too. not sure if the nutritional value is good enough for 2 year old? coz i thought the nutritional content of BM changes according to the baby's growth needs.
 
artemis,
can share your rules, schedule etc? having a discussion at home whether to hire part time help or a FDW so wanna take a look. thanks

QL,
wow your friend is indeed power! my ss for #2 also better than #1...no need to be so hardworking can rest more lor. used to yield 30ml/hr for #1, now with #2 it's 40 - 50ml/hr

Bx,
i think for our toddlers it's more the antibodies in the BM that benefits them, not the nutritional value.
 
artemis,
can share your rules, schedule etc? having a discussion at home whether to hire part time help or a FDW so wanna take a look. thanks

QL,
wow your friend is indeed power! my ss for #2 also better than #1...no need to be so hardworking can rest more lor. used to yield 30ml/hr for #1, now with #2 it's 40 - 50ml/hr

Bx,
i think for our toddlers it's more the antibodies in the BM that benefits them, not the nutritional value.
 
Bkkgal, $329 for two tickets still not as bad as what I paid. Mine is $218 for 1 ticket but got to pay additional $10 for convenience fee n $9 for 15kg luggage allowance. Luckily i already bought tickets for hubby, me n raeanne last year so just need to get 1 ticket for maid n infant fare is fixed at only $50 or else i really faint. :p

gar, haha, raeanne drinks the water from the aqua doodle pen too. I very bad, never use boiled water still. :p
 
Garfield, i used that method you mentioned for giving EBM to Shaun last time, no problem.

bx, breakfast would be millet/oatmilk, 2 hrs later wholemeal bread+cheese+fruits. when he starts cc, shd be oatmilk/seedmilk and salad.

artemis, thanks for your reply. will need you to help get one item, whcih is not available in msia. that's member price already? the first item is so ex, msia is cheaper.
 
Gar
I mix the ebm with fm. She'll taste the diff one. i used to mix fresh milk with fm and now she also instructs me not to mix her milk. they so clever hor, know how to command us.

Why thinking of hiring FDW now?

Tong
S's diet is really so so healthy. I hope to train my #2 to eat as healthily as S. It's a bit too late for K liao - she even rejects unpolished rice mixed with white rice and she simply loves white bread.

<font color="ff0000">Children's Passport Photos</font>
Has anyone had probs with your kid's passport and immigration clearance, as in your kid doesn't look like the baby in the photograph when you first made the passport? Do we have to apply for new passport huh? Will we get into trouble if we cont to travel on the bb passport photo?
 
clover
my gv my #1 the excess EBM, it really helped to boost her immunity system.

bx
my kids' breakfast is usually bread with milk. sometime if i got time, i will do the pancake for them. else, it will be oatmeal with fruits e.g. avacado, banana.
 
bkkgal, dont worry, you can train your #2 when she starts solid, refer to the ouyangying's book is good enough. It's never too late to intro healthy food to K, she is only 2 ! you can start mixing some millet and quinoa into her white rice ma. do it slowly. Or you can try red quinoa, it's very crunchy, and i made that to substitute cereal at one time too.

S looks very diff now already as compared to his bb photo, but he has no problem yet . maybe we will do it until we are informed by the custom officer :p
 
That time Xiaoyun passed me some quinoa to try but she simply rejected it...how do u add quinoa to cereal? must cook first is it?

Will the other side custom reject us and send us back on the plane? cos my fren's hb thot it's better to spend $70 make another passport than to risk being deported. I also thot to wait until Customs officer say must update then I go update...:p
 
bkkgal
my boy also looks very different now but the custom officer didn't ask us to update. i guess it's because the passport is now biometric and cannot update photo like the old passport i.e. just paste a latest photo. if update, need to pay for new passport which will be an additional cost to us.
 


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