Taking Advantage

Sometime ago I posted about the generosity and giving spirit of people who give away / loan out their unwanted items for free. The idea is to reduce waste on the givers side and also to help the receipients save $$ on items they would else need to spend money on. And indeed I've gotten many items passed down to me that I am very grateful for. The spirit of giving and passing it on is truly admirable especially when its actually possible to sell many of these items 2nd hand (as opposed to giving away) for cash. I am trying to pass on some of my stuffs too, in dribs and drabs when I find the time to find the items (ha ha pun).

Have noted that some people do try to take advantage of these generous souls however. Urgh!! There's one particular userid in SgFreecycle that keeps on popping up daily, asking for the most ridiculous things - all expensive and frivolous items - like handphones, laptop, and (champion) a Wii set. I really feel like this guy is trying to "just see what he can get" and is not genuinely needy for any of the above. I for one will never want to reply to any of his postings even if I have any of the items that he wants.

Worse still are those people who get the items for free and then re-sell them. And apparently its quite common as I have read some peoples' message "warning" people not to do so with their items and requesting that those who ask for the items give their reasons. Sigh!! That's so unethical. Grr. I hope no one does that with the items I put up for offer. =(

Diet of Worms

Real worms are just *too yucky* to put up.

Sounds yucky??
Like something out of Fear Factor??
Guaranteed you to lose weight in a very short period of time??

Read on.. Without it, the Protestant Church would not be here today.

Just goes to show that things are not always what to seem or sound like!

the Qute May 2008

Long overdue conglomeration of cute pets.. They've all been overtaken in priority by one cute mouse. =P

Little Hands

Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my finger prints
On furniture and walls

But everyday I am growing
I'll be grown someday
And all those tiny hand prints
Will surely fade away

So here's a little hand print
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my finger looked
When I was very small

Flip!

Missy Sophie is going to be able to "Flip" herself any day now. This morning, she has turned her whole body except 1 arm - once she figures out how to coordinate the movement of that arm then thats it! She will have achieved her "flipping". =)

Ministry Mum

I am going to be back active in UM from June onwards. While I do miss being involved in the very vibrant and involved ministry, part of me does wonder if I can do it or not.

Those others with kids serving in UM at the same level of commitment as myself (or even higher) are without exception, the daddies in the family. I'm not saying that DAD has a lesser role to play with child's development and care than MUM. But usually the perception is that the MOTHER is the one who should stay with the baby more and "give up" more commitments to be a good mum. So if I manage it, it will really be a breakthrough - both physically for myself and in terms of mindset for others. I've always heard comments from adults that they feel UM is too "high-commitment" for them, explain that they have family / kids / work etc hence its not possible to join such a ministry. Well, if I can accomplish to come back to serving effectively in UM, then I will be able to refute all of such arguments because if I can do it, hey others can do it too!

Ask me how am I going to do these:
1. Serve effectively in UM at the level of an SL
2. Allow my Hubby to serve effectively in his Drama and Photog ministries
3. Consistently bring Sophie along to church to let her grow up in the house of God

.. and I will tell you: "I really don't know!!"

But I do know that I have to try. And starting from June 1 onwards, I will try my very best to a "pioneer" in this area. I am curious to prove to myself and to others that it CAN be done!

In the meantime, I got to catch up back on 2month plus of backdated UM news and changes and emails.. Gosh.. Wish me the best!!

Drooly Baby

All of a sudden, my baby has learned how to drool... YUCKS...

She has blown raspberries with her saliva for some time now. But this one is really streams of saliva running out from her mouth.. Ewww!!

It was really funny. On Saturday, we went to a Japanese restaurant at Tampines with G's CG after service. Oh boy, Sophie suddenly started to drool non-stop. So tempted by the food the adults are eating.. haha.. sorry baby, you cannot eat any of it for a least a few years!! Stick to your milk, after that is mashed up baby foods, and then porridge.. Sophie's diet going to be very boring still =P

Well, now, there is a new addition to the list of baby things I got to bring when we go out.. and that is.. BIB!! Else, I will be covered in Sophie's saliva!!

Its really true that babies development changes from 1 day to the next. Suddenly, she started to drool. And suddenly, she developed easy-to-interpret sleep patterns. She'll feed, then be happy to play and coo for about 45min to 1 hour. Then, she will give little cries and yawns which means that she is sleepy. Once she is in that state, pick her up for 5 mins to soothe her and she will fall asleep. And last night, she is able to tahan 7 hours unbroken sleep without waking up wanting a feed. Keeping my fingers crossed that this will last! Yeah!

Oh yes, the Japanese restaurant is quite interesting. Forgot to note down the name but its located in Tampines Swimming Complex. Its like a Japanese style "Marche" where there are different "stations" for you to order different types of food - Sushi, Udon, Rice, BBQ stuff, fried stuff, Dessert and Drinks etc etc. You walk through the area, select which items you want to try, it will then be cooked and delivered to your table. Price is quite reasonable also, start from $0.99 per plate of sushi. Yumm!

Happier Things

Sophie is happy in her new stroller cushions and romper, getting to see more of the world

G and I have received a lot of response to our postings on his illness. Thanks all, feel much blessed and loved while being showered with all your care and concern!

So, updates:
G is much improved now, we spent some time at my mum's place where he received more "massage therapy"which is supposed to help with his neck ache and headache. I particularly enjoyed being back at my parents place cos everything is so familiar (esp my mum's cooking yay yay - not that MIL's cooking is poor but its just different style), also enjoyed having an oven so that I could bake! G does not like my muffins though =(

Going back, I realised I do miss the sky-eye view that a 23rd floor flat affords. Its a very different feeling than living on land as we do here. Its the kind of expansive suddenly-you-feel-the-world-is-so-large view that people go on holidays overseas to get! So, if anyone would like to take a holiday to my house, you are most welcome and we charge very reasonable fees =P

As we gain confidence in handling her, we have also started taking S out more often rather than just to church and hurry home. She has now been to IMM, Suntec, Rail Mall and Simei's Eastpoint. Well travelled girl! However she does get abit cranky towards evening time if the place is not familiar to her and hence we will keep our outings mostly to day time for the time being.

S is also much bigger and heavier according to all who've seen her. Her dad feels it too by the ache in his arms when he carried her haha. In the mornings when she's just woken up, she is generally in a good mood and coos and laughs while we play with her. Its these moments that your heart melts and you forgive her for all the whining / wailing of the past day.

S has also learned to use and control her hands much better. She attempts to hold her milk bottle herself (no kidding) and when she hungry she will also tap and push impatiently on the milk source as if to say "Eh Hurry up lei!!" On the contrary when she has had enough she will use her hand to bat the teat out of her mouth. And she twists and pulls her clothing and blankets.. and grasps our fingers to make sure that her mummy and daddy don't put her down and leave her alone! =P

G was Really Sick

It has been a harrowing 1.5 weeks since last Wednesday.

G was sick - very very sick, in fact, having to be admitted to TTSH on Monday after battling out 6 days of illness at home and seeing doctor 4 times. He stayed in till Thursday, and came home still feeling rather weak and dizzy, and as near as we can determine, a good 12kg lighter.

What was wrong with him?

Actually, we have no idea. He started with fever and headache - the fever went away but the headache remained, and then he started getting nausea and vomited up everything he ate. However by the time he was admitted, the blood tests and lumbar puncture done showed nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps his body had already begun to repair itself of any infections that had occurred by the time he was admitted.

It was very scary while he was so ill. I found myself wondering of all the possible conditions and couldn't imagine when or how he would get better. So true that health is extremely important - without good health, everything else is secondary.

By the way, TTSH is really unimaginably crowded. He waited a total of 20 hours in A&E to get a bed in the wards! And almost all of it was spent in a makeshift non-aircon room next to the ambulance drop-off point and carpark. Really not restful. There is no privacy at all - even the toilet is those construction site movable cubicle kind. There are no partitions between the beds, just rolls of plastic sheeting tied up to the piping overhead - if you need a partition, I suppose the nurse will come and cut the raffia strings that hold up the sheeting. And apparently thats not the worst they get yet - sometimes they will be so full that they close their A&E and turn away patients! No wonder there is a need for another hospital serving North area of Singapore. Gosh..

When he finally got admitted though, it was to an A1 class bed as the ward class we had asked for (B1) was totally full. It was really a room with a view though I doubt G managed to admire it at all. Full length drop glass window on the 13th floor.. Wow. However the medical facilities were not very good and the food really suck.. It makes me appreciate my stay in Mt A all the more.

On my part, it has been very tiring shuttling between husband and baby. Typically, I would wake up at 6+am to bathe Sophie, feed her, then settle any washing before going to the hospital to remain the entire day. Thank God for my mother-in-law who looked after Sophie all day long. Then at night when I get back at 10plus, I would immediately take over her care as I felt bad for MIL who has taken care of her all day long. However, Sophie did not cooperate and kept on waking up at 2-hourly intervals - 12 midnight, 2am, 4am, 6am.. so each time I have to soother her back to sleep which can take up to 1 hour. Yikes! I really have to drag myself out of bed each day. I tell myself, never mind, once G is totally well, I will stick Sophie with him for 1 week and totally enjoy myself! Yeah!

He is almost at that point now, thank God - able to keep down all food and regained his appetite and only has the occasional dull ache in his head. My mother has been coming over to exercise her famed massage skill on him as well, which he says it really helps. Haha!! My freedom is coming soon!

Hats & Tails

Heads!!

and Tails!!

Sleeping

This is what happens when one has a photographer for a husband. He sees photo opportunities in the most mundane things, like a sleeping wife and baby.

Of course, I've make him take out the most un-glam shots.. heh heh..

We are both blissfully asleep

Dropping off

Who's that nosy fellow taking photo and disturbing me??

Oh.. Its my Daddy

Act cute and sweet for Daddy's benefit

Is he done yet.. I wanna get back to my Beauty Sleep

Kah Kin leh Daddy

Go away!!

Forget it, I will just go back to sleep and no bother about Daddy anymore

Gratitude

"Gratitude should not be an occasional incident but a continuous attitude." - a phrase viewed while blog-surfing.

Wow. Let me try to remember that in all that I do.

"Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 5:20