My Two Girls – All About Zara and Zaria

“Me is half!”

Today, Zara turns 2 and the half. If you asked her how old she is, sometimes she’ll say, “Twenty” when she wants to be a big girl.  And sometimes she’ll say, “Half”, when she wants to be her age, but not knowing how to say “two and the half”.

11Kg and 89cm. With full set of teeth grown (2nd molar started sprouting early this year).
She gives us much happiness, and sometimes some hair pulling moments when she throws tantrums or ‘bullies’ her meimei. She gives us the tickles at times, and most time we’re just at awe with her.

At this age, she knows how to :
1) put on her shoes, her trousers, and take them off. Knows which shoe should go into which foot.
2) put a disc into the DVD player, turn on the TV, and play a movie/program of her choice.
3) eat on her own with fork and spoon as well as chopsticks (although most of the time she perfers to be fed).
4) stack up building blocks or lego, claiming it to be a house, a room, a rail way track.
5) do simple drawing like puting eyes and a smile or a sad mouth to turn it into face
6) recognise some numbers (8, 7, 1) and alphabet A.
7) finish a 16 piece puzzle effortlessly
8 ) play imaginary games like having a royal tea party,  being a butterfly,  caring for babies or driving a bus on her own.
9) sing almost all nursery rhymes. She’s actually quite good with memorising sounds, so even though she doesn’t know Chinese, she can sing some Chinese kids’ songs too.

Eating with chopsticks; Her creation; Her drawing of happy and sad faces;
Completing her puzzle; Having a royal tea party; Her royal guest, the lamb;
Favourite past time in a restaurant; Being a butterfly; Decorating herselves with stickers.

She’s more independant now, able to be on her own, playing, watching a TV program, doing ‘drawing’ and ‘colouring’.
She allows Daddy or Tuyam to tuck her to sleep occasionally, but mostly it has to be me.
She sometimes go over to neighbour’s house to play on her own, without us accompanying her.
She’s the English teacher at home, correcting the maids’ English. “It’s maam, not mum”. “It’s meh-dee-sen (medicine), not meh-lee-sen.”
She’s assertive and expressive. “No, no, no, you don’t touch the remote control, I want to watch my DVD.” “I want Vitagen 1st not later” “You don’t push me ok, and you don’t scold me!” (e.g. when she tries to give Zaria too tight a hug, and I had to seperate the 2 of them, and raise my voice at her). “No, this baju (Malay : clothes) is not nice. I want to wear my jeans.” “I want to go home, this restaurant is too noisy.”
She loves books, TV, being pretty, being outdoor, playing, animals, home made macaroni and cheese, ice cold non-fizzy drinks, ice creams, cheese, singing, dancing.
She’s afraid of me getting angry with her, loud thunder, cars zooming passed her too quickly, creepy crawlies.
She’s Mummy’s and Daddy’s beloved. Although sometimes she thinks I love Zaria more because I spend a lot time with Zaria (she told Tuyam once, “Mummy sayang (Malay: love) me little bit. Mummy always sayang mei-mei only.”)

Zaria is growing really fast, and such a joy to have around.

This little girl knows how to :
~ turn from back to stomach swiftly (started @ close to 4 months), and turn from stomach to back with some struggle
~ slowly reach out her hand to grab an item placed in front of her, and then immediately put into her mouth to have a taste
~ do the phhhhhhhhhbbbbbbbt sound by blowing air through pursed lips
~ scream aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa or eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaa probably influenced by Zara’s frequent shouting while talking at home
~ turn her body towards my breast when she wants to be fed (this is especially useful when I have to feed her in my half asleep state at the break of dawn)
~ laugh a real nice babyish laugh

And she likes to :
~ suck on her hand (I’m not sure if she’s going to be a thumb sucker later)
~ turn from back to stomach; then cry for help after a while because she doesn’t quite like being on her stomach and still struggling to turn herself back
~ put everything into her mouth, and turning it dripping wet (I always wonder where all the saliva comes from)
~ play with her tongue by sticking it out, or moving it about in her mouth
~ play with her feet; angkat kaki (Malay : lying leg raise) is so effortlessly done
~ be sung to, talked to, and praised; she responds with big wide smiles
~ sleep on her side
~ go to the park and watch children play

She cries (with big drops of tears) when
~ I lay next to her preparing to feed her, making her all excited; and then I got up abrubtly to get something I’d forgotten (like a book to read or to put on the breast pads)
~ I removed my breast from her mouth when she’s half way feeding
~ there’s big loud thunderstorms
~ she has a bad dream (I wonder if it’s about big loud thunderstorm, or abruptly ending a breastfeeding session)

She gives us the biggest smile when we greet her in the morning. Cries the loudest (with no tears) when she’s sleepy but can’t fall asleep in a hot day (lucky for me, this only happens in the day. She’s like an angel in the night). 

She is slowly adjusting to taking 2 long naps a day, and goes to bed at 8:30-9pm, allowing me some private time with Zara (if I wan’t working).

Examining (and sometimes tasting) her toes. About to turn.

Love the taste of her hand. Looking around on all fours. Sleep like an angel. BLECH!

Zara is starting to be curious about her body, and the differences she found in mine. She asked about the differences sometimes, and at times just make passing comments.

She’ll say things like,
“When I big girl, I will have hair in my petpet (female private part).”
“When I big girl, my petpet will have blood. Then I have to wear mummy’s diaper (sanitory pad).”
“When I big girl, I will have milk in my breast. Then I can breast feed Mr Blue (she recently claims Mr Blue is her baby).”

She has been touching her private part recently, and I took it as a passing phase and did not make a big deal out of it. Today, over dinner Tuyam told me she said the below to Tuyam during the day,
“Kakak, my petpet got peanut. You help me take out the peanut.”

……… “o.O

So that’s why she’s been touching herself, she was just curious why there was a peanut in her private part.

I laughed so much over dinner I had tears in my eyes, the way she relate to things ….. And my little girl, she’s really growing up.

A

V E R Y  

H A P P Y   B I R T H D A Y 

T O

A H   M A Y

I wanted to get you some Asam Laksa, I wanted to get you some Apam Balik,
And those lovely coloured Ang Ku Kue, and an Ais Kacang to cool you down
……Too bad they all can’t get into the post….

So instead,
together with Zara and Zaria,
we wish you a
HAAAAAAAPY BIRTHDAAAAAAAAY
And hope, your guardian Angel will give you more Apple stuff you desire (and at the same time tossing in A My Breast Friend for your multitasking need).

This greeting is brought to you together with Alphabet Albie.

I hosted a 3hours morning workshop for 7 days recently. I had to make sure speakers arrive on time, participants have no problem joining, Q&A are jotted down etc. Thank goodness for technology, they were all done through audio conference and virtual meeting room, making it possible for me to attend at home.

However, being the host and with all the coordinations to do (and all the problems related to logistic to solve), I have to be at my desk more than 3hours in the morning. What happened when Zaria needed her milk after her morning bath?

Thank goodness I invested in My Brest Friend, a nursing pillow which can be strepped around your waist.

This is my best friend.

I know I shouldn’t do this hands free, but when worn while seated close to the table, it prevented her from rolling down from the other end of the pillow. Now with this, I could feed Zaria hands free, still able to do my typing, notes taking, talking.

(oh boy, doesn’t this sound like a PPP/sponsored post? Unfortunately it’s not.)

Zara speaks like an old lady at times. Giving me speechless moments, or a good laugh, or just at awe with how much she’s grown. More of such moments :

She likes to call people Yoo Hoo these days. E.g. “Yooo Hooo… turn on the TV for me” “Yooo Hooo! I want Vitagen”
I did the same, and called her, “Yooo Hooo.. You want to take bath now?”
She looked at me and said, “Mum, dont’ call me yoohoo, call me ZA-RA.”

She wanted some Pringles chips.
I told her, “Only one piece, you cannot eat so much ok.”
She continued, “Because got MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) right?”
(We always tell her she can’t have instant noodle, or outside food too much because they contain lots of MSG)

Overheard her talking to her toy lamb.
*pretending to apply something to the lamb’s face*
“No worries, it’s just paint (make up) ok.”
“Are you comfortable?”
“Finished already. All done!“
*started holding the lamb and ran around the sofa*
“Run, run, run, Isn’t it fun?”

Over heard her saying :
“Don’t worry. I love you very much.”
“I sayang you ok?”
“When I big girl, I get married with you.”
“Rusty boy, you is (are) my husband.”
And who is Rusty Boy?……… Our cat at home. “O.o

I told her I need to change before going out to buy lunch.
Zara : “Me is wearing new (clean) baju (Malay : clothes) already. You is going to change.”
Me : *correcting her Grammar*”I AM wearinng new baju. You ARE going to change.”
Zara : “Me is changed.”
Me : “I changed. Not Me is changed.”
Zara : “I have CHANGE-DED.”

While we were at Morib.
Zara was curious with every thing she saw on the ground, and I was shouting,
“Zara, don’t touch that, that’s rubbish” when she was aiming for the piece of ice cream wrapper
“Zara, don’t touch that, that’s rubbish” when she was trying to pick up a bottle cap
“Zara, don’t touch that, that’s rubbish”.. it just came out automatically when she reached for something on the ground.
She raised her hand and showed me a casuarina seed, “This is pineapple lar. You silly girl, everything also you say it’s rubbish rubbish. Tsk.” (And shook her head. She is using the ‘tsk’ sound a lot to indicate her displeasure)

Hijackqueen mentioned that there’ll be a bloggers’ meet at Morib on 1st May last week, I wasn’t keen initially, puting off by the thought of the heat and having to nurse Zara in sweat. When I asked her again if it was still on Monday, she said no takers so she called it off. Hmmmphhhh!

With a spontanious husband, we headed for Morib again yesterday, arriving 6hrs too late for the bloggers’ meet (which actually took place), and 3hrs too late for the tide.

Half a year ago, when we were there at the same hour, it was low tide. This time, it was high tide when we arrived at 3:30pm, and there’s no beach for us!! What more there’s no breeze, and most part of the picnic ground was wet or muddy due to the frequent rain we’d been experiancing. Sigh.

We still managed to get a spot luckily, but since it was pretty hot and we didn’t have much to do, we left after a short while. We headed to Tanjung Sepat for seafood, but chose the wrong restaurant (Restaurant Lovers Bridge) and waited for almost an hour for our dinner (even though we arrived at the restaurant at 5:30pm). With the dining area perched on planks above the sea, and strong breeze blowing at us, the wait was bearable; the girls were kept contented by watching the waves and cooled by the breeze. Seafood was very fresh and delicious, but the wait was just too long.

Still, the girls have a good outing. Lots of smiles from them.

Girls at Morib, and the Lovers Bridge at Tanjung Sepat

Almost towards the end of it, some one I don’t know nominated my site for Hottest Mommy Blogger award. Haha. Me? Hottest Mommy Blogger? Cocka will have many reasons to state why I’m not hot. I just don’t resemble any of his HOT piaomeis. 🙁

But I’m HOT for my girls, I have a HOT temper, and I live in a HOT country! That might make me HOT.

Anyway, as a customary, I’ll just ‘advertise’ this here.

I’m pro-breast feeding, I know there are lots of benefit for the mums (reduce risk in breast cancer, getting back in shape faster, savings on future medical expenses etc) and the babies (better immunity, better DHA absorption). I enjoy feeding the kids, the way they look at you when they suckle, the smile they give you after they are full. The most satisfying feeling I have is knowing I’m the nutrient provider for my kids, I’m in control! For Zara I did it until I was conceived with Zaria, i.e. when Zara was 18months. And with Zaria, I plan to at least do it for 1 year, and see how we go from there.

As much as I enjoy it, it’s not all rosy though. Here is the ugly side which I experienced. (Potential breast feeding mums out there, you know you are not alone if you too experienced this when you start breast feeding your kids)

1) Painful nipples for the first few days – Some people stop breast feeding because of the pain. I thought it would be better the 2nd round, but since I’d stopped for 6months before Zaria arrived, the nipples got tender again. I had to bite my lips and endure the pain, and I could see the layer of skin coming off, sometimes pieces of them found in Zaria’s lips. Blech.
Luckily, it was only for 2, 3 days and the nipples ‘toughened’.

2) Rock hard super big breasts – I don’t mind being super big (think 2 cup size increase the least), but when you get an engorgement, fuyoh, the breasts become rock hard (and of course big) and pretty uncomfortable until they are emptied! After Zaria drank from one side, I can see my 2 obviously different size breasts, a funny sight!

3) Block Ducts – Hate it, but it happens sometimes. I have to put warm AND cold compress on the breast, massage it, COMB it (supposed to unblock the duct). Daddy won’t help to un-clog it, but he wouldn’t mind bringing the warm and cold towels.

3) Breast leak – I used reusable breast pads for economic reasons (disposable pads per pair are more expensive than a piece of Mami Poko diaper!). When Zaria feeds, and let down happens, the other breast will start to leak big time. My breast pad can’t hold the milk, and it sips through the bra and I get a wet patch on my top. Oh boy, not a pretty sight especially when I’m out.

Sometimes in the night, the breasts get so engorged that they start to leak even though there’s no feeding taking place. I wake up feeling a cold draft on my chest, caused by a big wet patch; and I get milk stain on my bed sheets and bolster. The room smells of milk!

4) Can’t be away from the baby too long – We sometimes leave Zaria at home and go out with just Zara in tow. Maybe this is a good thing, I can’t be away from Zaria for more than 6 hours (i.e. 2 feeds). If we do go out, I have to pump before we leave the house, and pump again immediately after I get home. If we leave her longer than that, my breast will get engorged and uncomfortable, and I can’t pump when I get home as it’s too near Zaria’s next feeding time (or she’ll not have enough to drink during her feed).

5) Pump and Pump and Pump – I like to direct feed more than pumping out. But if we need to go out, or if I need to go to the office, I have to pump. I hate it more when I come back from an outing, no matter how tired and sleepy and late, I have to pump; just so the bottle of milk taken can be replenished (and also to maintain supply). Zzzzzzzz.

And have you seen the nursing clothes available in Malaysia? Totally utterly ugly! So I just wear normal clothes and when I have to breast feed in public, I’ll cover myself with a nursing cape.