Pre USA trip...

2013... a year with many possiblities...

The new year came and went... and in case you were wondering... the stuffs I promise to do before I turn 30 did not get done... hahaha don't ask me which one because I refuse to look at the list that never got done!  :P It's the new year after all... time to start a new list wouldn't you say?

Anyhow... this year is the year that my parents-in-law are going to take our little family on a long holiday... hehehe long awaited hols to USA... ahhhhh.. been wanting to go there since goodness knows when! I can't believe it has been almost 15 years since I was last there... never appreciated the time given to me that time.. and now it took that long for me to finally find a way there.

I still remember when I went there when I was 14 years old... I bought Doritos (still my fav) from a vending machine.. and watch a few boys playing basketball at a nearby court (was staying at Ramada Inn then). The air was brisk since it was spring.

Now I'll be going there with my hubby and baby girl... and I am super excited... hehehe of course I must add that shopping would be great too! :)  So many stuffs that I love here that we can get a super cheaper prices... heheheh

But I must say... getting the visa for our stay was super hard... hahaha... ok it wasn't that hard... just a lot of that and this... for starters... before even setting foot to USA we needed to pay the visa application fee and one application is USD160! So the 3 of us was a costly sum of RM1.5k ++.... then we needed to get our pictures taken and we needed to be careful because they have a lot of do's and dont's on this one... Of course little Miss Shiya has decided that she doesn't like having her picture taken and no amount of Minnie Mouse or pringles (yes.. guilty) can make her sit quietly and look straight at the camera. We had to go to the photo shop twice! In the end luckily the girl was quick to snap a somewhat straight face pose of shiya (her body was tilted towards me) and Alhamdulillah... the picture passed.

After numerous trips to the photoshop because hubby did not make sure that the girl gave us a correct softcopy (which we need to upload in the application)... we were able to settle our application the day before our interview... hahahah there's a another mistake.... we should have completed it BEFORE we set our appointment... unfortunately we overlooked that part (seriously I feel so immature and speechless about this bit). We had the interview scheduled before we started our application... tsk tsk..

We had the interviewed schedules at 10am.. though we got there before 9.30... imagine it took us almost 30 mintues just to step inside... First you gotta queue up to get a number...this is where you leave your IC and show your appointment letter.. next you have to queue up to go in... and they only let it 2 at a time at the guard house... because this is where they scan you and your bag... all digital things will be taken away from you... so if you are scared you'd get bored inside... bring a book. ;)

The first thoughts me and hubby had as we stepped out was.... "wow... hehehe... feels different in here.." (hubby's words) hahaha... yeah... it felt different... though I must say that was silly cos... goodness.. it's not like we were in  Narnia...  :P  I think we were just into that moment... hahaha very like a Japan tourist with a big old cammy taking pics of KLCC... we were enchanted... hehehehe

Inside was more waiting.. oh we had to take out a number... then when the number is called we pass our documents... passports... and waited again... when they call out number again... our finger prints were taken... hehehe... and more waiting... then they call us for an interview... I was really nervous by then... hehehe.. but the guy was nice and didn't ask funny questions... but he scanned my application so many times I was sure I failed. But....he said.. "Maam, you and your child can pick up your visa tmrw.."... I was so happy!!!... Then I was like... errr..... hubby??

Unfortunately hubby fell into one of those 'random' buckets that they needed to do a background check first so he can only proceed to pass his passport when they call... Basically he got the pink slip...  :(

Oh dear...

Both my bro in law and mum in law had to wait so long when they got the pink slip... but hubby got his call  today...! yeay!... so USA here we come... or rather... we'll be there MARCH!  *big smiles*

This is darling Jellybean's 3rd trip... first being the trip to Jakarta... 2nd to Penang... hehehe... 20 hour flight... hmmm.... :)

For more info on the visa... go to...   http://www.ustraveldocs.com/my/

Time Out

So what would you do if your child started throwing a temper tantrum and screaming her her lungs out... because she didn't get what she wants? What if it happened in a shopping malls where people will actually stop... or worse... actually whisper (loudly) for your benefit... "what's wrong with the baby?"... ??

I don't know about other parents.. perhaps they have a better view or technique but I find that mine works best for my baby... and that is timeout. I had generally believe that this is the best and recommended... but after reading some opinions on Baby Centre (a good website) I realise that some have negative thoughts on this method. Ok, let me just briefly explain how I try to take control of the situation when Shiya the 'hulk' comes out :P

1. If she is struggling and throwing her body... I will get down on my knees and try to cradle her or if that seems to cause greater struggle... I just gently let her be on the floor though am close in case she decides to bang her head or bang her angkles...I read somewhere they they lack the words or knowledge on how to express their frustration or anger.. so this is their way to lash out...
2. I wait until the storm to calm down... any small clue would help like the sudden stop of struggling on her part... or the scream that seems to be winding down... it shows me that she's ready to be comforted...
3. If nothing seems to soothe her... then I would say sharply.. just clear enough for her to hear (though I try not to shout it) ..  "QUIET!" "shhhhh" (this sometimes to be repeated a few times)
4. I always make sure that I am giving eye contact when I do this because I want her to see how serious I am
5. I take her away from whatever it is that provoked her in the first place
6. Then I make her sit facing a wall... and told to sit down, be quiet and think about what she's done...of course she might cry louder at this rate... but it's crying... and no longer shouting... she will look around for help but I sit next to her so she knows its just me... the wall... and her time right there...
7. If its in a public place I have never taken her to a wall but buckle her into her stroller instead and close the top part... no one talks to her until I give the signal
8. After she has calmed down... I will look her in the eye and tell her it's NOT ok to scream.. and that she shouldn't do that again... we hug and make up..  :)

Amazingly this has worked for us... she is less prone to tantrums... and though she has her bad mood moments but she has also learned to control and not make such a fuss... I think a lot of times timeouts doesn't work for a parent is because:
1. timeouts should be done when the baby is actually starting to communicate with you... then there is that 2 way communication
2. The time should be equal to their age... a few seconds for yound ones and a lil longer for the older ones... this is because their attention span is shorter when they are younger
3. Parents don't really explain to the child why they were made to sit in a corner in the first place
4. Others overidding the parents words and taking the child out... it should always be the parent who put the child in the timeout... to give time to heal and make up for both parties
5. My sister read somewhere that the 'punishment' should match the 'crime' (lack of other more appropriate words)... and I believe this is true... so I am happy that I did it right... her timeout is her quiet time... for when she loses control and have a screaming fit... not when she hit.. throws something...

My baby girl will be 2 soon... and she grows brighter and lovelier each day... A mother can only hope that whatever we may convey to our little ones is the best because ultimately we wish to be the best for them.. always...

Salam Aidilfitri

I had a lovely 4 day weekend with my Jellybean.. our maid went on leave for 3 days so I had her all to myself and I loved every lil moment... even when she's crying to get me to pick her up! :) Yes... I am weird that way...

Hari raya was spent with my in-laws as usual for our morning bersalam-salaman... then we were off to my SIL's to join my family for a our first (and so far only) rumah beraya... hehehe... we had a grand time makan laksa johor and of course... kuih raya... it was funny to see the 3 kiddos chasing SIL's poor and frightened cat around the table! hahahaha... all in good fun though... needless to say, the cat disappeared when she could. Baby girl was so brave and touched the cat numerous times... she just loves cats... or as she calls them "katt"... 

Then we went home where all 3 kids went to take their naps and eventually got our own salam-salaman under way just before Maghrib.. it was messy and non photogenic op with cranky Jellybean wanting her dinner... but it was lovely because I got to spend it with my whole fam present.  :)

That was raya for us...

My Mini Fashionista

First Playground Experience

We went to the playground for the first time last weekend... Jellybean was soooo happy you can her her screams of joy like a mile away!  :P

She absolutely love the swing set and yes darling sweetie... that was mummy's fav thing too when I was just a little older than you... in fact one of my first memories as a baby toddler was of playing at the playground.. swinging merrily... in fact I was quiet proud because I bested your papa long and was able to swing all by myself ...  ;)

No worries sayang.. we'll make this a weekend outing...

Jellybean was sick! :(



she fell asleep after crying hard when they set up her IV line and took her blood

Feeling better and cranky...

Sick for the second time within a week...



Shiya's First Birthday Bash

Shiya celebrated her birthday on 28th Jan among our close friends and family... at first I was scared that she couldn't get along as she is quite shy and many still remember her debut debacle during her aqiqah when no one could come within range...hehehe she would start screaming until her face turned red just looking at anyone! :P

But Alhamdulillah... after months of planning and hours of decorating... the party went off well and many, many people showed up to celebrate the birthday of our sole princess! :D All the presents are wonderful and Shiya had so much fun with everyone around... she even got excited and started walking around the house all by herself! hehehe... mummy is soooo happy...  :D

Pictures are still pending, but here are a couple sneak peeks! ;)

Theme...polka dotty
Color.... green and pink...

Her 1 year old self...

Just turning 1, she has mastered the art of..
1. running!
2. munching food with her 4 front teeth...hehehe its funny to see really when she's eating...so semangat!
3. trying to jump
4. walking up and down the stairs holding to ur hand
5. dropping balls and whatever that can be dropped in the oval tembalang
6. understand "no", "sleep", "give  to mummy", "tido", "off", "air/minum", "stand", "come here"
7. shake her head when she doesn't want something
8. can take your hand and place it somewhere that she wants you to help her with like turn on tv or switch vids on ipad

Love you sayang! :D

My sweetest love...

She was my Jellybean... now she's my Princess... though she will always remain a Jellybean in my heart....

Shiya sayang wearing the same baju she wore when she was 16 days old.... how time just fly by!  <3

20120122

Clap...captured!

Her beloved ... sock! :p

Excited to hear her grandparents sing 'Happy Birthday'

Her funny little self...

My baby girl is so funny... sometimes she makes me laugh...

1. she has started to run... especially if she thinks you're after her
2. she very clearly calls out to her 'papa'
3. she understands when you ask for 'ball' and asks for the ball... she will go and pick it up and hand it over
4. she know's what a cat is and looks for the cat in kajang and starts to call out 'caaaattt' in a high pitch voice (ikut mummy lah nie)
5. she can climb up and down of our bed successfully
6. she would cover her face with a blankie and say 'chak' like mummy always does  :D
7. she shows she loves you with an open mouth kiss
8. she is daddy's girl because she would only ask for his help to get out of her baby chair since she knows her daddy loves to manjakan her and will grant her request
9. can now point to whatever she wants or where ever she wants to go
10. knocks on a door if she wants to go out of the room
11. can imitate holding a phone to the ear and starts talking as though on the phone
12. would tap her finger on the ipad like she has seen everyone do and would get mad when nothing happens

hehehe, my funny girl in a nutshell... ;)

Clap, clap, clap...

She was in my arms and smiling that cheeky smile of hers... telling me that she's happy and merry... then she looked down at her hands, palm up. She looked at her right hand and then to her left hand... slowly, as though experimenting... she placed the two palms together and repeated several times.... hehehehe, she started clapping! :D

She looked at me expectantly... and my face must have showed my excitement as I said.."Yeay!" because she smiled even more and did it again... hehehe.... first time she clapped... and this time I remembered to take note, 16.11.12 (8.15pm)... hehehehe.... so many of her other milestones I got so excited until I forgot to take down when it happened... but mummy has been waiting a long time to see my Jellybean clap...

Job well done my sayang!

This morning I also found out that she understand when I say "tutup"... because she closed the drawer she was opening and looked at me... hehehe... I guess she wanted me to say "Yeay, pandai anak mummy!"... hehehe because she kept opening and waiting for me to say "tutup" before she would close it again... and again, look at me expectantly... cheeky girl! :P

Just a note...

Oh did I tell you... at 11 months 2 weeks:

1. she can call a specific person to show you where she wants to go
2. she can say 'nak' to something she wants or 'nanak' to something she doesn't want
3. is mastering the art of 'merajuk' which she likes to show you in 3 different ways
  - will lie on the bed/floor and start to kick her feet in angry rhythm
  - sits down and refuse to stand/walk/crawl and starts to scream until you come and hug her
  - will not smile and refuse to sit/be held by you
  - walk to the door and starts pointing (to show that she wants to go out of the room)
4. can hold out her hand, palms up to request something from you
5. try to walk down the stairs (of course an adult must always be there since the key word is try)
6. actively play peek a boo where she'll try to find you then walk away from you asking you to 'run' after her
7. has 2 teeth fully out, 2 mid way out (and there's a gap in between her 2 front upper teeth), one showing signs just penetrating the gum
8. has eaten everything and anything (mummy=fail) :P
9. loves grapes and red dragon fruit currently
10. can now officially sport a small hair clip
11. can place two cups together repeatedly and cap small cotton bud bekas (though she starts screaming if she can't)
12. definitely understand when you say 'no' and remember it sometimes because she always looks back with a cheeky smile just as she is about to do something that was previously forbidden
13. recognises all her family members' faces
14. called out 'mama' when she reached out for me! :D *big grin*
15. recognises 'Dora' and 'Duck Duck'
16. had her first shower standing up... first she was scared and held on to my legs ... but then she started to enjoy the spraying water and needless to say, loving the water as it splashes around her... :) bathing time now is a time full of happy screams from my jelly bean as she tries her hardest to 'catch' the falling water with her hands... hehehehe

Hehehe... there's my baby girl in a nutshell...

Turning 1...

My baby will soon be 1 years old... how time just whizzz past us. I can hardly believe that she will no longer be a baby... but a little girl who is so full of cheekiness and cuteness... :)

Sometimes I wish I can turn back time and just have her as she was, all cuddled up on my chest...or have her again that first hour... all pinky and soft as she opened her eyes and give that little wail when she was hungry...sayanggg! hehehe...

Nyways... my bff has asked me numerous times what Shiya would like for her birthday and so here comes a list of stuff that would be great for her... hmm... of course the list is just those stuff that I myself have seen in my favorite haunts while looking stuff for my Jellybean, so if there are other cooler/nicer/similar things out there I would definitely not object  ;)

*in random order*
1. Fisher Price - Learning Table
2. Fisher Price - Learning Kitchen (I think that's the name :P  )
3. Fisher Price - Learning Tool Bench
4. big round pool (hahaha, thinking of getting her one but has yet to search for it)
5. musical book - one of those books that has buttons and you can press to make sounds or effects
6. ELC - wooden wagon with blocks
7. ELC - vanity table (mengada i know! )
8. ELC - activity table
9. ELC - My First Music Centre
10. wooden blocks

These are just some of the things she'd like... well, mummy 'thinks' she'd like... knowing her, she loves first and foremost, music & lights object... secondly.... she loves balls... hehehe... she likes to carry it around though I am still trying to teach her to play with it, either to put it through a hoop or kick/roll the ball... thirdly, she loves water too... splashing it around...she finds it funny and amusing! :P

There it is my wish list... oops, I meant Shiya's wish list... ;)

New House for Baby Girl

My baby is almost 1! And here an early present for her... A small house to call her own... Hehehe...

My Little Angel

My sweetie at 11 months 4 days... She's had a mild fever and slight sniffles... Must be the weather... I love it when she smiles and comes to me to surprise me with a hug!

She had a little taste of ice cream but just a little by mummy dearest.. Hehehe and twisties thanx to her michu... Had her first taste of grapes too and loves them!

Barney is still her favorite and she loves her duck duck soft toy..

She can now walk steadily though you feel like laughing looking at her... She's confident enough to start going though the house without someone by her side and now she loves eating what other ppl are eating... So need to watch out in front of her especially during her mealtimes! :) she knows to knock though it's more like a scratch on the door...

She has a bike now, a pressie from mummy for her 11th month bday... Amazingly she has learned to properly sit on it! Hehehe and she knows how to get on and get off though we still need to be there since she's still wobbly... :)

Off She Goes...!

My baby girl can now officially walk at 6 days shy of her 11 months birthday!

I don't even know where it all started... it was a slow and eventual event... she has been up on her feet for awhile now... I think she first stood up supported when she was 7 months... and she started to cruise when she was 8 months... since then she just loves to have someone hold her up and 'tatih' her around the house and I must tell you... it is superbly tiring to the waist trying to entertain her 'bertatih' as she just throws a fit when you stop! :P

The first step she took was around 9 months when she would subconsciously walk up to you though only a few steps before she would fall on her bum bum. Even then it was rare and far in between. Then at 10 months the rare little steps would be more frequent and longer... she even started getting up and picking up toys and doing her little jiggly dance... hahahaha... it was a sight to see... :)  in a matter of a couple of weeks, she went from just a few steps and jiggly dance... to a full walk from one end to another. That's when I got a brilliant idea to get her new shoes. I finally noticed that the shoes she's wearing seems a bit tight and she always hates it when I put her on the ground when she's wearing them.

My BFF advised me to try Stride Rite and looking at the designs, I fell in love. The shoes are also light so it'll sure to be comfortable for her little feet. The first day we got it... she wore it... and voila! She started walking on her own... All the way at Empire (24.12.11) as mummy went shopping.. she was happy with all the Christmas deco and was merrily fascinated with the trees around. We even went for a window shopping session at Toys R Us, just baby, me and daddy... hehehe... It was an amazing experience... can't believe how much she's grown! *sob!*

At 2.95kg... her days were spent gazing into my eyes... and eventually her arms started flailing... trying to catch the stars... finding her way to her tummy at 3months, she worked her way to a crawl at 5 months... and found freedom to stand up at 7 months... now at almost 11 months... weighing a mere 7.5kg... she can walk right next to me... *eyes tearing* love, love, love....

at 11 months (almost):
1. Can pick up her toys while standing up
2. Respond when you call out her name
3. Can kiss when requested... either with her lips... or she will give you her cheek or forehead
4. Loves her Duck-Duck toy, a gift from her daddy when she was 10 months...
5. Still loving Barney and only Barney... though she has shown interest in almost all nursery rhymes
6. Will start dancing when her favorite songs are on... 'Where is Pinky', 'I love You', .... there is a lot  :P
7. Favorite music instrument is the drum... or anything that can make a banging sound
8. Will try and grab a toy from another baby/child if she likes it
9. Will scream at a baby/child who is disturbing her playing space/toy
10. Will tell you (though she screams in a particular way and you might not always understand) when she wants to watch Barney/want a drink of water/is hungry and want something to eat
11. Loves to play with water, so it's always a fight when you're changing her diapers at night and need to keep playing with water to a minimum
12. Can crawl down the stairs/bed/couch on her own (another milestone covered!) :)
13. Will wave goodbye or hi...  (yeay! :D  )
14. Knows how to get off a bicycle (though not always successful)
15. Can put toys in a box and take out toys from a box
16. Knows to say "mamam" when she's eating
17. Can find her way to the door and bang her hand  to get someone to open the door
18. Is now stable enough to push chairs or bicycle around on her own... she can now use her walker as it was intended... hehehe... ;)
19. New food? Tasted, soup tulang..cheese naan..ciku..milo..Malteasers Choco, Kinder Bueno for kids, Kit Kat (her fav), Milo Choco, Cheerios cereal, cheese, butter biscuits...fries (yes, guilty as charged)..fried tofu in oyster sauce..

hehehe... ok ... and the list goes on and on... some of the stuff up there was covered baby dear at 10 months, I think I might have written before...

;)

Jellybean and her 10 months Journey...

Cute huh? Her manja face...

My baby jalan2 cari makan...

Dancing in her dancing pants   :P

There she is... with her beloved duck-duck... :)

Some of the essentials we have to bring when we go out



Watching Barney with her cousins



:)

Oh, forgot to mention in the previous post... Jellybean can now go down the steps (well, 2 steps so far) all by herself... She finally understands that she needs to go feet first... :)

And last night she walked while holding and shaking her maracas, thanx to her Dadad's encouragement...
She still has 2 teeth only... Oh and she had her first taste of mandarin oranges and loves them! :) She also had a little taste of ciku... Seems to like it, but I think her latest fav is oranges.

Had her first bruise on Saturday when her nanny was not looking properly... She hit her cheek on the coffee table that left a bluish slash on her cheek. :( She also had her first fall from the bed when she was 9 months. But she was just surprised and once mummy was able to soothe her, she was her cheerful self again...

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10months of Pure Joy!

My sweetheart turned 10months last week... Almost 4 weeks since her last bottle of milk... I have been crazy with worry over her development, but she has proven to be strong and wonderfully smart.. alhamdulillah...still looking and praying to find some nutritious goodness that she would like. Oh well... :)
On a lighter note... My sweet jellybean has started to walk... As though a pressie for mummy dear, she walked right into my arms and danced a merry tune on her birthday! I counted more than 10 steps though sometimes less since she's still finding her balance. But with this new sense of confidence, she no longer clings to other to help her tatih, but would pull herself up and try to walk... Or even climb onto higher surfaces. She's becoming more and more active! :)
Just last week she managed to crawl up on the mini slide all by herself and slide back down on her tummy! Hehehehe... I was surprised and happy to see my baby so happy playing around with her cousins.
At 10months she has started to imitate the sounds that she hears... So of her words? Nanak, duduk, kakak, dadad, papa... The rest are still a jumble and sometimes she would start telling you stories... It's really fun to hear... Hehehe...
I didn't notice this before but she also loves to dance! Hehehe... She would start waving her hand and do a jiggle with her body to the sound of the music... Though the music selection is limited to the beat of her musical drum, mummy's walking chant and barney's butterfly and bubble shape song... :p
10months has been an initiation to her temper tantrums as she shows her mummy and daddy what she thinks of us saying no to what she wants... The many many lists that she protests to includes watching Barney before her bedtime. She can cry for a long time to show her displeasure. Tsk tsk...
What has she eaten? Basically anything under the sun since mummy can't be too picky... But what is always a must is her chicken porridge with broccoli, carrots, tofu, spinach and potatoes... Fruits that she loves are strawberries, jambu air, pears and apples... Biscuits? Marks & Spencer animal biscuits... Had her first taste of fries (and loves them! Urgh), cheese, yogurt, milo, bread, nasi lemak and nasi ayam... :)
On a closing note... She can now show you what food she wants to eat or grab her bottle when she wants a drink... It came as a surprise one morning when her papa asked her to drink some water... And she went and grab her bottle... *cry* ... My baby's so grown up! Love u my sayang... My cuddle muffin top... Muah!


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