Curry Chicken Rendang

Both hubby and me miss this so much so i decided to give it a try! (given that we have very limited ingredients here, coz BJ supermarket here don't really sell spices and stuff we have back there...)

This is the product! Looks not bad ya, and taste equally yummy! haa.. im being thick-skinned again :p

Yes, Zq is going to school

We have decided to let Zq try out the Etonkids nursery programme after some serious thoughts and discussions with my parents...

It will be a good learning and playing place for him since he loves to interact with other kids so much. Like what my PD told me, we cant confine him in a bubble and life goes on. He is an active and curious kid so we shall let him have more exposure.

We will monitor his progress and health for a period of time, if it's not favourable then we may stop or postpone his class. I think minor sickness like flu & cough are unavoidable, like what many told me, it's part & parcel of their growing up and they may grow stronger after all these ordeals.. So i pray hard.

And enrolling him into this bilingual nursery programme definately not an easy task for me! Coz the school had gave me a thick portfolio of information. I need to fill up tonnes of mandatory forms for the school coz they wana understand each child better and help them to progress. Seriously speaking, some of the forms are really a challenge to me coz the questions they asked are things i seldom observe and pay attention on Zq.

And there are also tonnes of information on the school and their philosophy i have to read about. The principal shared with me that it's good that we know about their teaching skill and the learning environment they thrive to provide for each kid, so i may continue and adapt all these concepts at home to provide an overall & multi aspects learning experiences for Zq. So, sending him into a nursery seems like more WORK on me! haa

Shd i or shdn't i...

enrol Zq into Etonkids School...

This has been bugging on my mind for the longest time. Actually we had brought him for a trial and he seems to enjoy it and exceptionally curious with the new surrounding and new friends, totally oblivious of both Dear and my presence...

But but but, there are still many concerns that make me so indesicive over this...

Some pros of it are:

* hopefully he will be able to learn new things and improve his self dependency under this montessori environment
* make new friends and socialising with them, learn to share and take turns
* less off my load abit and im able to have more free time to take care of my newborn

Some cons of it are:

* cant help but find that he's too young for school, though it's only a half day class
* it's common for kids to get sick at childcare
* very expensive school fee (S$1200/mth for 5 days a week, 3 hours a day class)
* sometimes he still needs to have a short nap on morning
* disturbed by the break when I have to back Spore for delivery, he might get cranky again when we put him back to sch after we back to BJ

How how how?! His school gonna start next Monday and im still so confused now.. Shd i continue with the plan or postpone till he's much older? Argh! Im having a headache again...

Mouth Ulcer

Zq has some mouth ulcer on his tongue. We worried if there is anything to do with HFMD, so we brought him to a PD. It was diagnosed that he has a bacteria infection and very common for toddlers at this age. He has been rejecting foods and milk for the past 2 days, we are worried that he will get dehydrated if carried on like this.. Hope his ulcers gone soon and appetite will slowly regain... *Pray hard*

Some info on toddler's mouth ulcer:

Ulcers in the mouth are pretty common in childhood and are usually caused by viruses such as herpes or the Coxsackie virus. They're typically gray or yellow with a red rim and may develop on the gums, the tongue, or the lining of the cheeks. They can occur alone or along with an illness that also includes fever, rash, cold symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Ulcers go away without treatment, and usually feel better within a week (although they may take longer to completely clear up). The biggest risk to a child is dehydration, if the pain stops him from drinking (this is most common in infants and toddlers). While it's okay if your child doesn't want to eat for a couple of days -- he will when he feels better, and not eating is sometimes how the body conserves energy to help fight off the virus -- he must drink. Stay away from anything acidic, though, such as orange juice or lemonade, which can sting. Cold liquids often go down better than hot; Popsicles may be a good choice since the iciness can ease discomfort (and kids feel like they're getting a treat). When he's ready to eat, avoid salty or spicy foods; they also sting. For starters, try things like ice cream, Jell-O, or pudding.

I often prescribe a mouthwash for kids with painful mouth ulcers (your pharmacist will mix it; it typically contains a one-to-one ratio of Benadryl and Maalox or Kaopectate). This coats the sores so it doesn't hurt so much when they drink. Older kids can swish the mixture around their mouth and spit it out; littler ones can have it gently painted on the ulcers with a cotton swab.If he truly won't take anything by mouth, call your doctor (you should also call if he has a fever higher than 102°F, if he's lethargic, if he has decreased urine output, or if an ulcer lasts for more than two weeks). In those cases, sometimes a stronger version of the mouthwash that includes an anesthetic may be prescribed. In rare cases, children who flat-out refuse to drink may need to be hospitalized to get intravenous fluids while their ulcers heal.

For Darius... My little baobei

It has been decided that we shall name our 2nd boy Darius - with the meaning of Upholder of the Good, which we think it's very meaningful.. :) And this shall complete our A.B.C.D family!

You are a strong boy of mine, who gone thru alot with mama... You were conceived in KL Malaysia, just like Mama (a product of Malaysia!). And we moved back to Singapore when mama was about 2 mths pregnant with you. Shortly after which, we got to know Papa gonna relocated to Beijing and all the hectic packing and logistic comes in again, and you had your 1st flight in mama's tummy to Beijing early Jan to recce for our accommodation then... But you are just so strong and loves mummy so much that you seldom give me any discomfort and worries... I love you Darius... very very much..

Pls pardon mama for lesser time talking to you, lesser music played for you, lesser "massaging" for you coz mama is always so occupied with Gor gor and totally beaten at the end of the day... Mama wana tell you that i love you both as much, both of you are the greatest gifts in my life and im very very fortunate to have you... Im sure both you and Gor gor will love each others too and become the best playmates and buddies! Did you sense the "poking" game that Gor gor play with you everyday? He will lift up mama's shirt and poke his index finger on my belly button to play with you.. Can you sense his way of saying "hello" to you? All of us look forward the day of your arrival.. Meanwhile you stay warm and happy inside mama ya... :)

Anyway, we had a joke on namings today.. And here's what Papa & Mama derived:

Gor gor's name: Anderson Poh, A.P = Associate Professor (Wow!)
Your name: Darius Poh, D.P = Deputy President (Cool!)
Papa's name: Benjamin Poh, B.P = "Bang Pui" (Wahaha, the coolest of all! :p)

Our 1st Snow @ BJ

Zq put his little palms on my face this morning when he woke up and i felt that it was colder than usual. So i let him wear a thicker top and carried him out from the bedroom to have his breakfast.

And i was shocked to see that it was snowing!!! Our 1st snow in Beijing!!! Too bad Dear had been outstation to 重庆, not able to enjoy this beautiful scene with us...

Zq was fascinated by the snow as well, he tried to grab them from the window and of course he didn't manage to do so! I brought him to his room, asking him where is the playground? He puzzled and hesitated for a moment and showed me the "no more" sign.. So cute! This little boy must be wondering why it was all whitish now and the playground just "disappeared"! :p As usually he will be able to point out where the playground is :)

View from Zq's room

Trying hard to get him cooperate to take a snow scene photo!

Our Valentine's Day

Well, i guess Valentine's Day is no longer a big event to Dear and me when Zq comes along.. Actually i still think it's a day to celebrate our love though no gift and flower needed, just an appreciation kiss or lovenote, it's more than enough.. Too bad, Dear is not as romantic as before anymore... Sigh.

We started our day at Gymboree (Beijing Jianwai SOHO), quite a posh and nice place that situated at the CBD area. It was a free trial class and i was glad that we didn't have to pay anything for this coz the trial turned out to be quite disappointing. And it was not a cheap lesson afterall, costs 260 yuan (estm S$60 for a 45 mins lesson).

Things that turned me off:

1) No temperature checked for every toddler.

2) It is supposed to be a fully English class but teachers spoke both "broken English" and mandarin throughout the class. I can understand on the Mandarin part as most of the parents & toddlers attended are local Chinese and they may not able to understand English.

3) Parents here behaves totally with parents over at Spore Gymboree. There were 12 toddlers and they suppose to take turns on some games. So, 6 of them went ahead first, but after the game was over, they reluctant to leave and let other have a chance to play also! This was what i heard they said "宝宝, 你喜欢这玩意儿呀, 那我们再玩一次吧"... Im speechless!

Im happy at least Zq seems not as disappointing as Mama

So after the disappointing trial, we went to have our Valentine's lunch. Though it was just a simple pizza & spaghetti meal, but enough to make me very happy coz im so sick with the local fastfood!

And we saw this on our doorstep when we reached home:

It was a gift from my next-door neighbour, a Singaporean family.. How sweeeet of them! :)

Zq quickly grabbed one and hide behind the curtain :p

I love this self-taken photo! :)

Nothing fanciful from hubby, just a bouquet of lily (as usual)... I must admit that im rather disappointed, though im not expecting anything expensive, but at least a card with his deep-down heart thoughts will definately be able to warm my heart... Especially after so much happened recently - the relocation, my 2nd preggie, his hectic work that always leave Zq and me alone at home... Sometimes, i really miss the very romantic hubby of mine...

1st Sunday @ BJ

Zq's fever has been fluctuating between 37.5 to 39 degree celsius since Thursday night. He is very cranky and fussy as well, so we decided to bring him for a PD visit this morning. As we suspect his illness is more than simple teething.

Still in the mood of posing for my camera before we set off for the clinic

(look at the corner of his mouth, the leftover of his dragonfruit!)

We brought him to Amcare Women & Children's Hospital. It was just 10 minute drive from our place. To my surprise, the hospital is a very cosy and well-organised one, from registration to collection of medicines. There are personal touch in this hospital as the pharmacist even walked out and dispense the meds to me individually, she even asked me what other med/ supplements Zq taking now so she can write down the detailed sequences of each. And the stuff there are all very polite and friendly. I think i will book a gynae visit here as well. Not knowing any good PD there, so we were assigned to a Professor (Professor Yu Ren-Jie), he does has a funny name right? Dear said it's equivalent to "April Fool"!

He is an old PD, around his 60's. But he is very attentive and caring. He examined Zq carefully by checking his ear, throat, eyes, head, hand, legs, fingers and hearing to his lungs. Then he talked to us to understand more about Zq's background. And we are right, it's more than teething, he's having throat infection! This explain his rejection towards food and his restless nights, as his throat infection affect his ear infection and the water balance btw both affected as well, thus he couldn't sleep well at all coz of the pain & disturbance at his ears and throats :(

He commented that it's common in kids when they have a sudden change of environments, from a hot & humid to a cold country. This infection and fever thing will gradually subside over 5-7 days and Zq's fever peak was already over, he told us that he will be fully recover very soon. He also said that it's good that Zq still looked alert and playful. Virus common at cold climate so he asked us to take extra precaution and less outdoor at the moment, esp he is still a young toddler.

Upon listening to his advice, now Dear and me are having 2nd thought of enrolling Zq into the Etonkids nursery at the beginning of March. We might wait till when we back to Beijing after the delivery of my 2nd baby. Hmm... shall give a serious thought on this..

After the PD visit, we back to our place. We decided to dine in the clubhouse since i have no time to cook Zq's meal. The atmosphere and food were nice. And there was a children's activity room that Zq can enjoy himself also..

At the clubhouse

Dear and Zq fake their smile for the camera, their fav "hobby" now.. All thanks to Wheel on the Bus!

Teething maybe...

Zq had been extremely cranky today. Refused to take his morning nap, cried and fussed lots. We seriously suspect he is teething and might be his 1st molar teeth, as he didn't have such problem when his incisors emerged.

Quickly browsed through the website and he does have some of these symptoms:

- restlessness, irritability and disturbed sleep patterns (yes!)
- sore, red gums (not sure)
- flushed cheeks (yes!)
- loss of appetite (yes! he rejected his dinner)
- a slight rise in temperature (but not above 39oC, which indicates a fever) (yes, measured at 38 degree ard 7pm)
- dribbling (which may cause a rash or sore, chapped skin on the chin) (YES!)
- a sudden desire to chew anything they can lay their hands on! (is Gerber star puff considered? he has a strong craving for this today)
- an urge to bite. This should not be perceived as a sign of aggression or anger, more of a means to ease the pain. (not really biting but throwing things)

Till date, he has 6 teeth (2 pairs of upper incisor and a pair of bottom incisor). The bottom lateral incisor had cut through though but still very tiny weeny.

We shall monitor his condition closely, hope he will have a better rest at night...

Firework

There is firework at Beijing every night since we here and i think it will last till 元宵. The sky turns dark here early around 530pm as it's winter now, so firework starts early at around 7pm. So Zq gotta enjoy it before he rest :)

And this video was taken from the window of my bedroom!


Firework @ Beijing - 04.02.09 from Carol Toh on Vimeo.

Playground

Brought him to the playround of the condo apt we stay, and we spent about 20mins just to dress up for this even though it's just downstair!

After piling up a few layers of clothing, with thick socks and shoes, Zq had quite a time to get used to it and slowly regain his agility. Hee.

He was fascinated with the slides and attempted to walk up the ladder himself though he was not good at this yet. Walking down ladder and stairs are definately easier job for him than walking up. And he make a new fren here, a 2 yr old girl from HK. She was so lovely and sweet, a caring girl as well as she hold Zq's hand to climb up the ladder and slide down together.. Ooh..

They had a fun time playing together coz Zq was running and chasing her doggie all over the playground!

i wonder is the doggie feel cold????

Beijing - Here we come!

After a few months of planning and logistic arrangements (i had the most severe headache in my life coz of all these!), finally we ready to set off to Beijing!

Asia-mover had packed and sea-freight majority of our parcels - 20 bulky parcels of it, including zq's cot, baby food, our clothings, books, zq's toys, kitchen wares and many many other essential. It's a big-scale of moving house as it's not within the island but cross the Pacific Ocean! And we are expecting to arrive our stuff around mid-February. So which means we still have to lug all the immediate essential stuff over ourself.

It's a really challenge to bring a total of 4 checked-in suitcase (60kg), 3 hand-carried bags (including his nebuliser machine), 1 carseat (damn heavy Britax Royale), 1 stroller (luckily it's light-weight Maclaren Volo), 1 active toddler on board. And consider my current situation, a very bulky and heavy cum slow motion pregnant woman, i can only say "Dear, 拜拖你了"... haa :p

Generally Zq had been quite well-behaved throughout the journey and managed to have his nap about 2.5hours. However the bassinet was really too short for him, so he just sat in to play and R&R, he slept in his papa's comfy arms... :)

He had no problem for plane taking off and landing at all, and pacifier was redundant. This is his 3rd air-flight, 1st to Phuket when he was 6mth old, 2nd time was from KL to Spore when he was about 9mth old. Due to his nature, i think he has no time to worry and nervous about, coz he was busy touching and meddling with all the unfamiliar things around him, e.g. our earpiece, the flight screen, the remote control and of course air-stewardess! haa

My sam-seng boy on plane...

At Beijing Airport (the "bao bak-zhang" begin)

After an almost 6 hours of flight, we were 4700km away from home. The weather was rather sunny upon our arrival but still it was COLD at about 2 degree celsius.. It was impossible to squeeze in all our parcels into a cab + 2 adults and a toddler. So Dear and Zq took a cab with some of the luggages while i handled the rest myself. The journey from airport to our house was smooth and short, so we able to reach our Beijing home around 20mins. And now is the unpacking time! Argh...