My Two Girls – All About Zara and Zaria

Love the girls’ natural smiles, but when they are asked to smile for the camera, this is how they look like.

Check-out-how-many-teeth-I-have smile.

I-saw-a-scary-monster smile.

The-stool-is-too-hard smile.

I’m-young-but-I-have-crooked-teeth-and-wrinkle-on-my-nose smile.

They look funny, but I still love it.

We’re very amazed with how Zaria expresses herself. Some moments :

When she looked as though she’s about to poo, we quickly took off her diaper and sat her on the toilet bowl, she struggled.
“Don’t want poo poo. Bum bum pain pain” (she has been having big hard stool).
But when you have to go, you have to go, she tried for a moment and said “Poo poo stuck.”
Once done, she said, “Za-yah poo poo boh (bowl) there. Ah-tie(Auntie) hold”

She saw a faded Winnie The Poo figure (but you can still make out it’s Winnie The Poo) on some girl’s water tumbler in the park. She pointed to it and say, “Poo bear gone oh-di (already)”

Asked if she needed help on the swing, and she said, “No. Za-yah own.” And this is what she did.

One day, she wore the top below and she pointed to the polka dots and said, “Mummy, look, rain dops (drops)”
And yes! She’s jumping now.

And yesterday, she put her bear on the bottom half of the russian doll like below, and shouted, “Ah-tie (Auntie)!! Bear-bear poo poo oh-di!”

This girl is 1 year, 6 months and 2 weeks old today. Although she looks like Daddy, she definitely has my brainy genes. 😛

Suddenly, I realise how much my little girl has grown.

She feeds herself on most meals (she only needs help to debone or needs probing when she’s eating something she doesn’t quite like).
She carries the stepping stool to the sink to wash her hands.
She uses to the toilet on her own (except when it’s a big business).
She chooses and puts on her own clothes.
She puts on her own shoes (except for buckle types).
She brushes her own teeth in the morning (in the night, we’ll help her).
She walks up and down the stairs as she pleases, and opens and closes doors as she enters or leaves a room.
She helps to keep an eye on Zaria – either shouts for help or steers Zaria away from dangerous objects.
She recognises the numbers 1 to 10, and able to name the alphabets, and knows the sounds of the alphabets from A to Z.
She can talk about a subject with others (or herself) using knowledge we’d shared with her, i.e. pollination, Jesus’ crucifixion and how the dinasaurs got extinct.
She does a forward roll with ease, sings in pefect tune and pronunciation.

Suddenly,
She who used to need me sleeping next to her or to be in the room with her until she fell asleep
is sleeping on her own.
Be it nap time or night time.

Just so suddenly.

My program manager is a Taiwanese, and our test manager is a Mainland Chinese. I speak a lot to them over the phone in Mandarin.
On Saturday, while trying to get the girls to nap, I took a Chinese book in the attempt to bore them to sleep and read aloud.
Zara stopped me midway and said, “Mummy, you sound like you are having a meeting right?”
😛

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zaria just did a poop and since was about to take her bath, we left her diaperless, just in her pajamas pants.
She was playing in the living room on her own, and then shouted to Jelly, “Auntie! Chu-chu (Chinese : peed) oh-di (already).”
Jelly being the slow self, took a while before she came out to check on Zaria.
Jelly said when she came out to the living room, Zaria was already holding some tissue (pulled from the nearby tissue box) and was trying to wipe away the puddle on the floor.
😛

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Zara was trying to tell me something about trying Japanese something, while we were going for a walk, and she was in the pram.
Me : Can you speak louder I can’t hear you.
Zara : mumble mumble…try Japanese ….
Me : What about Japanese, I can’t hear you.
Zara : *loudly*Haiya!*whisper*mumble mumble…TRY JAPANESE!
Me : Zara, when you talk to mummy, please turn your head to look at me. I can’t hear what you are saying
Zara : Aigh! Never mind la.. since you cannot hear me, I also don’t want to talk already
o.O”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’d been telling Zara about aging.
Zara : Mummy, I don’t want you to grow old. I want you to be like Ah Kim. Alicia jiejie and Sam jiejie big girl already Ah Kim still not old yet.
(Ah Kim has kids when she was younger, I had mine when I was older..and Ah Kim has La Mer cream to keep her young.. how to compare)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I asked Zara if she liked her Alice In Wonderland DVD.
Zara : I like it a little bit only
Me : But you’d been watching it so often. Why don’t you like it.
Zara : Because, Alice is only a normal girl. She’s not a princess.
Sorry Alice!

After 18months of breastfeeding Zaria, it has come to an end. My milk supply dwindled to a mere 6oz a day in May with the increasing work travels.

I refused to bring the breast pumps to US as I intended to stop since Zaria was coming to 18months. No engorgement, no leaking breasts, my body just stopped producing. And how did Zaria cope? She’s fine having her formula milk. She asked for the breast a few more occasions when I got home, I told her, “Mummy’s breasts no more milk.” and she replied, “Suck suck breast oni (only)” pulling my top up. And she really meant it, just a minute, and she let go.

On days, when she tries to be funny, she tells me “Mummy, want suck suck breast.”, and when I lift my top, she turns away, and then looks back at me smiling cheekily and says, “Don’t want.” repeating this a few times. OR she pulls up my top, and pinches the breasts, and says, “Peet Peet” (the sound of honking). I can’t remember Zara being so cheeky last time.

Then there was once, she asked for the breast, and after just a while, she let it go and said, “No milk oh-di (already).”

The request to nurse and actually nursing, is becoming more infrequent. Now, she said, “Mummy, make milk” or “Aunty, make milk.” when she wants her milk.

Nursing Zaria for 18months just like Zara (see, I’m fair!) has brought me some embarrassment (leaky breasts) and some pain (engorgement, the biting) but it’s all worth it. We have lots of private 1 on 1 to increase bonding, she has strong immunity, and she’s rather smart for her age because of all the DHA I was giving her from my milk.

Now the time has come. I chucked away my nursing bra and bought myself some new bra, and I’ll be putting up an ad to sell my pumps and all other nursing gear.

The big solid boobs are gone, the bottles are here to stay. Goodbye Big C, hello Little B (or is it A?).

Continue from here.

On the last day of the training in Houston, Friday, 6th June, I took a 3hrs flight to New York, to visit my best friend, Ping, who’s 7 months pregnant. I spent 3 days there (you should see Daddy’s sour face when I told him I was extending my stay). We’d never spent so many days together before since 1997. It was really good catching up with her, at the same time I managed to see a bit of New York.

When I arrived, New York was hit with a heat wave, so throughout my stay, it was very hot, always above 30c!

Our first stop on Saturday morning was my favouritest shop in US, Whole Foods Market.
I only managed to glance through things at the skin care and health care department, no time for the supermarket as we had to rush to our next stop. The Big Apple Barbecue Party at Maddison Square Park.

So hot, such long queues and wait! If it was me, I wouldn’t be bothered, but it’s a big thing since all the famous barbecue joints around US will have a stall here in this event. Ping’s hubby is a big fan of barbecue.

After you queue for ages, you get your food, and sit in the park to have your meal.

If you are drinking, too bad, you’ll have to stand and finish your drink before you can step into the picnic area.

After being under the sun for 2 hrs, we went back to Ping’s place for a nap.

In the evening, we went to walk about in Greenwich Village .

Around The Village. Check out the Limo and the fire escapes.

Nice houses, all with back yard away from prying eyes.

Patriotic Artwork.

I had the best meal for the whole US trip in Mary’s Fish Camp. A small little restaurant which is bustling with activities.

We shared half a lobster and fish.
So delicious I tell you!

Sunday morning, we walked about around Tribeca, where Ping lives. This is the view a few minutes walk from her appartment.

We had breakfast at the World Finance Centre. This is the famous Winter Garden within the building.

Through the building, I saw Ground Zero of the World Trade Centres.
Such a vast gap! Now with some construction going on.

We then went on a free return trip ride on the Staten Island Ferries (such a bargain!), you get nice view of Statue Liberty from the ferry.

Also Manhatan skyline.

Next stop Central Park. So big.. but not shady enough. I was sweating profusely.

Ping decided to head on home to rest after Central Park and I continued my walk around Time Square. I hid myself in shops to enjoy the cool aircondition most of the time.

There’s a big Ferrel’s Wheels in ToysRUs at Time Square. If only the girls were with me!

I managed to navigate through New York Subway with a guide Ping left me and got myself home. New York subway isn’t glamourous at all.

Following Day (Monday), Ping decided it’s too hot to go out, so I went on my own.

Checked out Rockefeller Centre.

Walked along Fifth Avenue.

Checked out Apple Shop and FAO Shwarz Toy Shop
Too bad, no more iPhones for sales!

Then I met up with Ping at Kitchenette for lunch! Such a nice place, and the food is very homely. Love their cookies on display.

After lunch, it was off home to pack and leave for the airport. I took my flight home from New York, flight hours is shortened to 20+hrs.

You want a glimpse of my shopping? I bought lots of natural skin care and ointments (for the girls), mainly from Whole Foods Market.

My bag is 8Kg overweight but luckily they just let me through. *phew*.

Continuation from here.

After a few phone calls, multiple online chats with Simple American, we finalised our plans for the weekend in between our 2 weeks training.

5 of us were meeting S.A and family in San Antonio. We drove 3hrs there on Friday night (30th May) right after class. My colleagues weren’t very sure about being shown around by ‘my friend’, S.A., but after a few hours spent with he and his family, they thought he was the nicest American they’d ever met! Such hospitality, driving all the way down from Houston, so that he could be our tour guide.

Here is what we’d done and see.

Forget NeverLost, tailing S.A is much safer.

First stop is Enchanted Rock.

Someone’s artwork.

That’s the rock we’re climbing.

The trail up Enchanted Rock.

The view from the summit. (Those 2 are S.A’s kids)

With temparature above 30C and no trees to provide shade, it was quite torturous. S.A did a good job by having a cooler in his truck, and he had so much cold water, Starbucks coffee to pass around!

Lunch was at Fredericksburg, a charming little small German town.

We get to sample a lot of Texas specialty from a Rustlin Rob’s, from jams to dips to fudges. Try all you want and can!

And while trying to take a rest after lunch before our next destination, we realised we were siting right under a Pecan tree!

We started cracking them and distributing them among ourselves.
They are so expensive in Malaysia, and you get to eat them for free right in Texas!

Our next statepark was Pedernales Falls.

Everywhere in the park, you get warned about Flash Floods.

The area that we visited (you can swim in some pools but this one we visited didn’t allow even the water to be touched).

This reminds me of Pamukkale in Turkey.

We left Pedernales Falls at ~8pm but the sky was still bright! I’m quite amazed that S.A’s kids were so sweet and didn’t mind following a group of adults going from places to places. They blended in so well. Some other kids would probably have complained!

The following morning, we visited Mecardo, a Mexican market, in San Antonio. It’s shopping for us ladies, and the men did some sight seeing around San Antonio.

Credit : Mom2Ashley

After lunch, it was another round of shopping in San Marco’s Premium Outlet! My friend’s Timberland which was bought the week before got thrown away by Houskeeping in the hotel, the hotel gave him USD100 as compansation, this was why we went back, to get another pair of Timberland. We shopped till the shops were closed (6pm). Without the Memorial Day Sale Discount, and S.A following me around, I didn’t get much (very ‘paiseh’ or shy), but still ended up with another handbag (I swear this is going to be my last handbag purchase for a long long time.)

Before we headed back to Houston, we stopped at Austin, the capital of Texas, just to do a quick glance around the State Capital.

Around the State Capital.

Credit : Mom2Ashley

The State Capital, Austin.

My Shanghai colleague commented that Texas sky seems higher, and bluer. I so love the sky in Texas!

What else did we discovered? Texas squirrels are so shameless!

It was then time to bid farewell to S.A and family (although I got to meet them another around for dinner the following week). We were both leaving for different parts of Houston.

For dinner, it was something that S.A talked about. The burget joint that’s only available in Texas!
Whataburger! Whatameal!

♥Zaria♥

On asking her to give me her favour cheese omelette.
“Give mummy some can or not?”
“Teh-not”
“Why cannot?”
“Hot Hot”
“Then mummy blow first.”
“Teh-not. Zah-ya’s one.”

On her wanting to go home after park to have dinner
“Go. Go Home oh-dee (already).”
“Why Meimei wants to go home?”
“Go home. Dinner. Eat yice.”
“Meimei hungry huh?”
“Aah.”

On her being full
“Pao Pao oh-dee (already)”
*move the bowl to Jelly*“Auntie eat.”

On her like and dislike
“Meimei want ice cream?”
“Want! Ice Kim Koh-koh (cold cold). Nice.”
“Meimei want medicine?”
“Don’t want.”
“Why?”
“Sour.”

On her jumping on the floor.
“Mei mei cannot jump on the floor huh.”
“Jump jump bed oni (only)”

♥Zara♥

What about Zara…?? She’s so good at talking back sometimes she is just testing my patience.
She goes like this : “Mummy I’m grouchy, you keep quiet, don’t make any noise.”
and “Mummy, you listening or not, I say keep quiet.”

And when something goes wrong, she bosses around, “Whose fault is it? Huh? You tell me whose fault is it?”

Once, I scolded her for not behaving, she told me off, “Next time I big girl already, I go to another country and leave you behind.”
(Did I travel too much?)
But later, when we were best of friends again, she added, “I said next time I big girl already, I go to another country to work, when I finish work, I come back and see you.”
(Definitely I’d travelled too much)

May is a month full of travelling, but I think after my trip to US, there’ll be no more travels, and I’ll be home bound, at least for work.

I was in Houston for a 2 weeks training with 5 other colleagues from this region, for a company who’s very concern about cost, my manager must have fought real hard for us; and it’s economy class all the way, such class!

Mom2Ashley and I flew off on May 24th (Saturday), a good night sleep at Changi, and then it’s our 24hrs flight to Houston (*shudder* just thinking about the flight). Luckily we got good seats (thanks to my SIA friend), and on the 2nd part of the flight, the plane was quite empty and we could have a row of seat each to ourselves.

We transitted at Moscow. Where instructions were barked out, and every body looked so serious and unfriendly.

4 movies, and a few interupted short sleeps, and many meals later, we reached Houston at the wee hour on Sunday night; collected our car (with GPS, Always Never Lost, of course), went straight to the hotel, washed up and slept (or at least try to).

Monday 26th May was Memorial Day in US. Unlike my other colleagues who went sight seeing around Houston, Mom2Ashley, myself and another Hong Kong colleague drove up to San Marcos, 3hrs away, in the morning, just so we can do some serious shopping in Prime Outlet (rated as 3rd best place to shop in the world by some TV channel) and Tanger Outlet which are side by side each other.

It was worth the trip, especially with the Memorial Day sales on. Gap dresses were going for ~USD10, Osh Kosh had 50% and Coach had 25% discount store wide, etc etc.

Some of the brands in this outlet which are normally not available in other US outlets (at least those in Calirfornia which I’d visited).

Credit : Mom2Ahsley

I got the girls a few dresses, tops and pants, and got myself a handbag (not from Coach though). Check out our combined loot in the trunk!

Credit : Mom2Ahsley

We headed back to Houston contented, happy, and knackered. Dinner was just along the highway, some good old Texan BBQ.

Tuesday was the start of the training. The office is no Google Office, but it’s probably our company nicest office complex. With tall big trees every where, feel as though we’re in a park; so green, so much glass and light.

One of the cafeterias.

Link bridges link up all the office buildings.

Buildings are built among tall trees.

Training was good. You finally realised that the knowledge that you have, is no worse than the so called expert (but we learnt it the hard way by doing a lot of self reading). 😛

No food pix you realised? I’m not impressed with Texas food at all (Sorry Simple American). A lot of Mexican restaurants, Asian food is so so (think Sichuan spicy chicken == Tobasco sauce chicken), Italian food is mediocre. Simple American said steaks are really good, but since I don’t take beef, I can’t vouch for that. I love the pre-pack sushi from the office though!

She started singing Happy Birthday 4 weeks ago, I was too busy to capture her on video then although caught her on sound clip.

Today, I managed to get her singing, and quickly took the camera to capture this. She always only sings 4 verses of this, then stops at the 4th verse to ‘blow a candle’. Sometimes it’s Happy Birthday To You, or Happy Birthday to whoever, but most time it’s Happy Birthday to Zaria, just like in this video.

Check this out.

This comes from a girl who’s turning 18 months next week. I have to say, we’re quite proud of her achievement. *grinning from ear to ear*

Do you think it has got something to do with the mum who sings all kinds of silly songs to her kids and a sister who sings a lot of made up songs?