My Two Girls – All About Zara and Zaria

Zara was flipping one of her favourite books, Maisy’s Bath Time (it’s about Maisy’s friend coming to visit Maisy when she’s just about to take her bath), and trying to read it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAepX0CTXK4]

This is what she said :
She said the book was Maisy’s, then Mummy’s then eventually said, Zara’s.
She said “Going Upstairs, ya” when she came to the page where Maisy’s friend went upstairs.
… (don’t know what she said in between)
She said, “Floor, Put on the floor” where she got to the page with the picture of the racquet.
On the last page, where the text was, “Splash Splash, Maisy and Tallulah play in the bath, Hooray!” She read, “Splash Splash, Maisy bath, Hooray”

Me : *talking to Daddy* Eh, I go for my shower, you look after Zara huh?
Zara : *looked up from what she was doing* Sar-wer. Don’t want.
Me : *turned my attention to her* Huh? Mummy need to shower. Daddy looks after Zara ok?
Zara : *fake crying sound, held my hand* Don’t want!
Me : Daddy look after Zara cannot huh? Why don’t want?
Zara : Don’t want. *Patted her chest* Sked Sked!
(Now when she cannot find a reason for not wanting something, she just says she’s scared. Don’t want to eat fish, because she’s scared. Don’t want to brush teeth, because she’s scared. Don’t want Daddy to look after, because she’s scared)

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Just got into the car.
Zara : Chih-den! Chih-den (Children)! On.
Me : Ok.. Mummy turn on the Children’s song for you.
She listened happily. After a song she likes finished playing, she’ll say, “More more!” (and doing her hand sign by pointing to her palm)
At the start of a song she doesn’t like, “Don’t want! Don’t yike (like)!”
Or she’ll just say, “Off. Don’t want.”

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While waiting for the car after lunch, Zara was admiring the 2 stone lions at the entrance of Federal Hotel.
Me : Let’s go home.
Zara : *waved* Bye bye Nai-yen (Lion). Go hom dee (Go home already). See yoo Monday.
(Every time we leave King’s Wife place in the evening before the weekend, we make her say good bye to everybody, and we say “See you on Monday” to every one, she must have picked that up).

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After changing her to a nice blouse and a denim skirt :
Zara : *put her palms on her cheeks* So tute (cute).
Me : *can’t help but smile* Yeah, Zara so cute.
Zara : *pulled my hand* Hold hand.
Me : *followed her* Where Zara wants to go?
Zara : *point to the door* Show Daddy. Show Kakak.
(Oh, my. She’s really getting vain.)

On Saturday, while feeding Zara lunch, the old newspaper man (a man who goes from housing estate to housing estate collecting old newspaper, magazines, car batteries for recycling; and we get paid a small fee for letting him have these old items) passed by our house.

Like all old newspaper men, to announce his presence, he blasted his recorded ‘advertisement’ repeatedly while driving through the residential area. It was something like this :
“Paper Lama (Malay: Old newspaper). Siu Gu Poh Jua (Hokkien: Collecting old newspaper). Sao Gao Poh-Ji (Cantonese : Collecting old newspaper). Old newspaper. Bateri Lama (Malay: Old batteries)”

Zara very quickly learnt up the ‘chanting’. And here’s a recording of her chanting, with me prompting.

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For those who are interested in the scones recipe, I’d posted it here.

I had finally settled the hotel reservations in Bali; being such a cheap skate after lots (and I mean LOTS) of hunting around, comparing locations, prices, checking out reviews, we’d finally settled for 2 small properties, Ellie’s in Nusa Dua and Barong Resort & Spa in Ubud. Not sure if it’s such a good idea not staying in those big reputable resorts, especially with Zara, but I like smaller places (not having to compete with big tour groups), we shall see.

(Thanks to those who had suggested places to stay in my last post)

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Yesterday, I invited my side of the family over for tea and dinner. We ate out for dinner but for tea, I baked some scones.

Simple recipe of mixing everything in the food processor, cutting the dough up, and then baking it.

Nothing beats fresh from the oven scones with a dollop of whipped cream and strawberry jam.

I baked about 30, and at the end of it, we have about 6 left for today’s breakfast. 9 of us took 24 scones!! But they are pretty small though.

As for Zara, since her 1st birthday, she’d never seen so many people in our house before. She had fun, playing with her cousins, going to the park with them, and best of all, getting to see her youngest cousin, baby Tasha (her inspiration to become a baby) again!

Playing with Norman Ko-ko; getting ready to go out for dinner; giving Tasha a big hug (almost suffocating her in the process); Tasha giving us a rare smile (she’s grown so much, compared to older photos).

In the car, while on our way to home after dinner, I asked her, “Zara happy or not? So many people came to Zara’s house to play with Zara?” She said, “Happy! *pointed to her chest* Zara.”

These few days have been busy with some issues at work, and then all my spare time I’d spent on looking for cheap deals suitable hotels in Bali (on the net) for our upcoming holiday.

Will not be updating my blog until the above 2 are settled.

I’d been to Bali twice, once a company trip and the other joining a tour, and everything had been organised so I didn’t have to plan for anything. This time, we are going on our own, and it’s Zara’s first trip overseas so I’ll have to plan well. If you have recently been to Bali and have some hotels, restaurants or locations to recommend for a visit, please drop me a comment.

Hope blogging will resume next week.

Zara sometimes gets a bit manja (Malay : need affections), and she will start complaining she has pain every where so that I’ll kiss the pain away. Yesterday night was one of those times.

While in bed, waiting for her to fall asleep.
Zara : *turned to me* Mummy
Me : *grogilly* Yes, Zara
Zara : Eyes. Paink paink
Me : *turned to look at her, in the dark trying to check her eyes* Zara’s eyes pain pain?
Zara : *whined and rub her eyes* eyes, paink paink.
Me : *took her hands away* You don’t rub your eyes! Let mummy check. *Checked and found nothing wrong* Never mind, Zara don’t rub your eyes any more. Mummy kiss kiss. Muak *then turned the other to try to sleep*
Zara : Mummy. Boh-dee paink paink.
Me : *turned to her* Body pain pain now?
Zara : *smiled and pointed ot her body* Paink paink.
Me : (realised she’s playing her ‘manja’ game) *kissed her tummy* Ok, mummy kiss kiss. Muak.
Zara : *pointed to her elbow* Eh-boh paink paink
Me : *kissed her elbow* Muak. Where else pain pain?
Zara : *pointed to her knee* Knee paink paink
Me : *kissed her knee* Muak. How come every where pain pain?
Zara : *pointed to her bum* Beh-sike, bum bum paink paink
Me : (never mind, this is a good time for her to name the body parts) *kissed her bum* Muak. Your armpit pain pain or not?
Zara : *pointed to armpit* Ah-Pit paink paink *grinning*
Me : *kissed her armpit* Muak. Your belly button pain pain?
Zara : *stuck her finger into her belly button* Buh-ton paink paink
Me : *kissed her belly button*. Muak. Some more?
Zara : *pointed to her private part* Petpet paink paink *cheeky grin*
Me : Eee. Petpet also pain pain? Ok ok, mummykiss. Muak. *Kiss her diaper*
Zara : *pointed to her ear* Eeyer paink paink
Me : *kissed her ear* Muak. Wah, every where pain pain huh?
…
And it continued, kissed her chin, her mouth, her feet, her hands, her nose, her head, her hair… It’s a bit like doing a revision on all the body parts she knows how to name. I have yet to teach her forehead, eye brow, shin, shoulder, but I guess we’ll soon get there, if she has this ‘pain attack’ often enough.

Birthday Party

Zara attended her first birthday party get-together on Saturday. Daddy went to clean the ancestor’s grave with FIL, so I took Zara to Sandy’s place on my own for lunch. It was Sandy’s daughter, Yen Mae’s 4th birthday.It was a small affair with only 3 kids (including Zara) and one 3 month old baby. Zara was happy playing with Yen Mae’s toys, but she won’t or don’t know how to play with the other 2 kids. I guess at this age, she still doesn’t know how to socialise with younger kids yet, although she likes to hang around bigger kids (because they normally give her lots of attention).

Birthday girl in green. Zara in her ‘sessy’ Aunty Jesslyn’s dress.

Dinner with PIL
Daddy is the type who needs to see his parents at least fortnightly (or he’ll miss them, although he won’t admit). He suggested dinner with them on Sunday.

We had dinner in Bibik Chik, SS2. This is one place which we can have Zara sit through the whole meal because there’s an inhouse entertainer who plays the guitar and sings some oldies.

Zara’s eyes were constantly fixed on the entertainer. Dancing occasionally, swaying her arms, and if it’s the end of a nice catchy song, she would be clapping her hands shouting, “Bah-Voh”. I think it really made made the entertainer’s day having such an ardent fan. In return, he sang Zara the Do-re-mi song which made Zara so happy!

Woot!
And the highlight of the weekend…… Daddy set up the wireless router in the house. So we have gone wireless!

I’m into my 17th month of breastfeeding now, I wonder how long more I’ll go on, but it seems the days are numbered because my supply is getting low.

One of the reason why I could continue for so long is due to the facilities we have in our company (some credits have to be given to my understanding male bosses too). Some pro-breast feeding mums have persuaded the company and 2 rooms have been allocated for nursing mums, with a fridge too to store our supplies, long before Zara was born.

I have used these rooms for 14months now (1st 3 months at home enjoying my maternity leave). This is where I met Two Little Fellas, and some other nursing mothers; separated by a thin wall, we exchanged breastfeeding and parenting tips

On months when we have lots of new mummies who’d just returned from maternity leave, the rooms are occupied most of the times (sometimes a queue is formed). After a while, a new ‘user’ settles into a pattern, and chooses a time she prefers, or to meet up with a particular mum so that she has someone to chat to while ‘doing her business’.

I’m currently the mum with the oldest kid still using the room (too bad there’s no trophies for this one). One by one I see mummies dropping off, and they asked me when it will be my turn to stop (oh, Daddy asked me the same question too). I don’t know, maybe when Zara is 18 months or 2yrs old? Or when I get pregnant again? Or I have so little supply it’s not worth expressing anymore?? Which ever comes first.

From 3 times a day in the beginning, I now settle with once a day starting of this year. At 4pm, with a good pump, a good book, 30minutes later, I emerge with 1 of Zara’s feed for the following day.

I worked from home today. While working, I heard Zara fussing in our room. I went over to have a look.

Tuyam picked the below set of clothes for Zara to wear after her morning shower.

Me : What happened?
Zara : Don’t Want!
Me : Don’t Want what?
Zara : *Point to the clothes* Don’t want
Me : You don’t want this baju (Malay : Clothes), then what Zara wants to wear?
Zara : *smile* Sessy Tothes
Me : *don’t believe my ears* Zara wants what?
Zara : *smile* Sessy Tothes
Me : Sexy clothes?
Zara : *pointed to another set of clothes Tuyam has selected for her* Sessy Tothes.
Tuyam : Yeah la. Dia tak mahu itu, dia mahu sexy sexy punya (Malay : Yeah, she doesn’t want that, she wants something sexy)

And so, a set of ‘sexy clothes’ she has! She’s happy now!

Hmm.. I wonder if this has got anything to do with King’s Wife.

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I brought Zara to see another Paed today (I didn’t say we’re going to see a Doctor, but told Zara we’re going to get an uncle to check her). A very old and experienced doctor highly recommended by a friend.

When I told him about my worry. He just laughed, and said parents nowadays worry too much. After checking Zara thoroughly (felt her head, her back, and the routine check of ear, throat, teeth) and asking Zara to do a few things (helped him turn on the thermometer, gave him high five, shook his hand, played pat a cake), he said Zara can understand him very well, and her overall development looks fine.

He then proceeded to say that the raised ridge is formed by the 2 front skull bones fusing (I think the bones are called metopic suture). It won’t do her any harm. I asked him if it would eventually go away, and he said very likely it won’t, and will be there even in her adult life, but it shouldn’t get any bigger.

This kind of makes me feel better.

By the way, thanks to all your kind words left in my last post. Really appreciate the support you have given, it’s kind of like having a group of friends standing by you. Thank you!

I just come to realise that Zara has this little raised ridge (about 1cm long) right in the middle of her skull where her hair line is. I don’t know when it started to be there, but 2 weeks ago, I could feel that very tiny little bump (feels like touching a tooth pick covered under a blanket), and it got me worried.

I wanted to slap myself for not bringing this up during the last visit to the Paed. After worrying for another week, I thought I’d bring her to the Dr to have a look.

When I told Zara we were going to see the Dr, she immediately whined, “Don’t want. Doh-tuh.” She probably remembered the injection she got.

She was as usual very cheerful while waiting for the Dr, playing with the toys in the waiting room. When it was her turn, she dragged me away from the door leading to the Dr’s clinic, and put up a fight when the Dr wanted to feel the bump and measure the circumference of her head.

The Dr told me this could have been caused by the fusing of the bones in her skull, since she’s developing normally, and the measurement of her head is within normal range, I should not be worried but I do have to monitor her to see if there’s any abnormal behaviour or if the bump size increase.

How could I not worry? Even after seeing him, I’m still worried! I don’t like to think about anything which can ‘possibly’ happen, or which needs monitoring.

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On a lighter note, I asked Zara if she wanted to play with a Dr set I bought before Christmas.
Me : Zara want to play Dr Dr?
Zara : Don’t wang. Pay. Doh-tuh Doh-tuh
Me : *showed her the set* See, so many things for Zara to play. Zara can pretend to check Mr Blue to see if Mr Blue is sick sick.
Zara : Don’t wang.
Me : Why Zara don’t want?
Zara : Sked sked (Scared)

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For those of you who understand Chinese, click here for a meaningful song which is dedicated to all parents, I could really relate to it now, after being a mum for 16months.