Confinement DIY: Lactating Longan Red Date Tea

This time round we're doing our confinement ourselves. (don't get me started) but I've been freaking out about this. We finally got down to buying some herbs and me trying some. Of course the basic stuff like longan red date teas is a must to conquer.... Never did I know there are SO many variations of longan red date tea...

I decided to pick one that suit my 'goal' of BFing the most. I bet along the way I'll get more and attempt the various recipes. Of course I tweaked it to suit my taste... Will be posting recipes in a bit

To get my help started on the tea whilst still in hospital (I can't be cooking myself in the hospital right?!?) I prepared 4 days worth so she can dump, pour water and boil... I hope the instructions are simple enough for her :)

I'm not asking for your help

I was slightly ticked off tonight by a conversation that started out on how good I had my life and how/what cost saving efforts are undertaken. Only to indirectly tell us 'we're on our own for my confinement'

In the first place I had not had any expectations on you doing my confinement or even caring for the newborn - which is Precisely WHY I am already looking at plans for Stevlynn, the help and myself. So you need not worry. In any case these are my children and my daughters and my well being so I will manage them myself.

You don't have to tell me 'you WERE my first child' and then correct yourself. This shows ALOT on how you view us. Thank you for that.

If you think we are adding any burden to you today we'll gladly stay away to prevent any additional burden that you might be caring. Don't take this in your all negative manner cuz I didn't start this conversation first. Remind you; you did...

Don't worry I won't have any expectations that you would help nor ask. Thanks

Chanel's On Its Way?

With the prices hike in Chanel, SS finally got sick of them raising their prices every 6 months or so and decided that with the good news on its way, the Chanel's Jumbo Flap is the very right celebratory gift for the good news :D :D :D
What helps is that I've got a colleague coming to SG from Ireland, stopping by in Heathrow Airport
What a perfect timing.
So in less than 2 weeks, a good friend of mine in Ireland would be hand delivering my Jumbo Flap to me
***YIPPEE***

should i get a matching wallet?
HAHAHA

Celebration Time OR Time to Re-Plan

As we are still in the midst of celebrating the good news for the week, I cannot help but stop and think.
With the 'good news' on it's way, would our lives change and would our financials have to be re-adjusted again?
With Stevlynn in half day playschool and house obligations, We *or I have forced SS to work with me on this) to readjust our financials and we are still in the early months of it.

I'm not saying i'm not happy with the good news, all im saying is im questioning if we need to once again re-visit the adjustments and accomodations we have to make?

HairBows WIth a Twist brings in some side income for us (and all the $ earned goes into Stevlynn's savings account) but it isn't much. Need to find time to focus and start building and spreading the word around. Maybe get onto sprees

But for now, check HairBows WIth a Twist out at facebook.com.hairbows with a twist
Leaving you with a pic of our hairbows
:D

Something Exciting

SS & I are extremely excited about something that's happening in our lives
And so in Stevlynn!
We'll reveal in due time.
Stay tuned

And i believe i'll be back here often to update once more.

Stevlynn is now a 2 year almost 3 months old toddler whose speaking in full sentences and is fully potty trained.
We only wear pull ups now when she's sleeping, or in school or outside.
She's fully aware of what's going on and can clearly articulate what she wants and doesn't wants.
What she likes and doesn't like
My goodness, time really flies so fast!

1st night in the new place

And I can't get to bed. Can't get used to the hustle and bustle of the street at night; the many bright lights.

Christmas doesn't feel like Christmas

So it's been a week of hectic work, short breaks, having fun with Stevlynn, time for myself & house cleaning. All packed into a week!

I took a short getaway to malacca after settling my team down (not forgetting working a bit still) and time with stevlynn, a lil hair pampering on myself and house cleaning and putting some stuff in.

The week flew by so fast I didn't wanna come back to work. But reality I that no matter what I have to and I did

I'm making progress on HairBows With A Twist come visit us at Facebook.com/hairbowswithatwist and slowly pickin up on doing stuff I like to do. spread the word around I wouldn't make anything I will not put on Stevlynn.

I'm a little happier now keeping my mind occupied whilst I still battle with insomnia.

How long has it been?

It's definitely been awhile: a LONG while since I've blogged. Many things have come and gone during this period most of all life in terms of my family space has changed

Stevlynn has bloomed from a baby that rambles stuff we do not understand to speaking in semi sentences. Of course when she get excited it's a mixture of both. She's running and jumping around making her more accident prone.

Her dad finds her increasingly difficult to manage and sometimes loses his cool with her. Which she thinks is fun and does stuff intentionally to irritate him.

My siblings has all gone to uk for their studies leaving the home very quiet. My parents has shifted their focus and for the first time in my life not spending CNY with me/Stevlynn. This still irks me when I think about it.

My work has increasingly gotten busier which explains my absence and time simply flies without me noticing. Appraisal this year drove me insanely mad n upset and bonus or increment made me even worse.

To gain some sanity I've re begun my bows making for sales. It's small scale but I enjoy doing it and I'm just wanting to make full use of the ribbons I have. I make a pair or 2 for Stevlynn in each design and leave e rest for sales. Not wanting to make money here just wanting to clear my ribbon stash so that I can get more ribbons and start the cycle all over.

We're moving into our new place soon and Stevlynn would be starting school right outside my parents place next year

I'm still trying very hard to stash money away for Stevlynn and rainy days but it's increasingly difficult. I've given up all luxuries in my life but as she grows and needs more my savings doesn't seem to grow. Which drives me back to being insanely upset about my bonus and increment. Bah!

I find it increasingly difficult to tear myself away from Stevlynn with the exception of work. She drives me nuts but makes me very happy at the same time.

Time for bed now before I really go insane with insomnia

Helper's Woes

So in a span of 2 weeks I've lost the support of the helper; one who has been attending to Stevlynn for 14months, one she has gotten used to.

She has been giving us problems with 'runaway' midday sessions and talking endlessly on the phone etc. The typical woes of any FTWM... Plus her son was giving the grandparents problems in her home country. It was back to searching and finding the 'right' one. HAHA, if only that was possible. But I gather we found the 'okay' one.

The party whose most impacted by this whole saga is Stevlynn, where she has to learn to live with someone new and strange; to trust and to care. And as parents we suffer the 'brunt' of it. Not that I'm complaining but it's challenging when you have a full time job that's ever so stressful and demanding.

So now it's me whose holding the gap together, with SS chipping in where I lose the battle to sleep or exhaustion.

Again I quote the woes of a FTWM with help as the primary care giver in the parents' absence. And this will be the first of (I'm hoping) not many changes over the course of Stevlynn's life where both of her parents are working full time.

And now after her 'usual' wake up session I'm tired but waiting for the whole cycle of a new day to start.

There was a chapter of my life where I detested 'her', 'them' and their actions.
One which I thought I had closed off and moved on. But I was wrong.
Over this weekend SS had shown me again that 'her' and 'them' are of priority over to Stevlynn and myself.
I am upset and I won't deny it. In fact I'm showing him how upset I am.

On occasions where Stevlynn needed a parent or both parents and I can't be there, SS had not taken leave for such occasions. So he claims 'I don't have enough annual leaves left' time and time again it was either my family or myself that had plugged the gap. Not that anyone of us is complaining. In fact that we would do it despite him not asking for we love Stevlynn and want her well.

I must add in here an xceptiom - the week where my grandmother passed away he took 2 days off. But if he didn't and him knowing how much she meant to me it's something that I would never forgive him for.

So SS have taken a day offf from work for 'her' plus made wonderful plans of engaging the whole family to go see her before,during and after. Coincidentally there were some sudden changes in Stevlynn's daily care and required a parent to be home on some days. With me preparing for a business trip and work piling up, and a lack of a person on the team, became quite obvious that I wasn't able to be this parent. And I remembered of that day off he was planning to take. And asked 'how about your upcoming leave?' his response was an immediate no and retorted in response 'your daughter important and 'she' is not la?'

First of all, Stevlynn isn't ONLY my daughter; she is OUR daughter.
Second I'm not bloody asking you to give up the full day to Stevlynn, but a few hours.
Stevlynn doesn't deserve a few hours of your time but 'she' deserves ur one full day? Especially when you will be sitting around waiting and doing nothing mst if that day?

FINE. You made your point and have shown me what we mean to you versus 'her' thanks for that.
And you have shown how I cannot rely on you and neither can your daughter. Thanks for that too
You have shown how selfless you are for her but selfish towards us.

You have grown to take us for granted and do not derseve our love for you.
Thanks for this too.

MY GrandMummy YEN

From my first memories and recollection of my childhood I have known a wonderful woman - a woman who cared for me; fed me; showered me; ran after me with a bowl of rice at dinnertime; fetched me to and from school; watched me in school through the windows.

She is one of the two women in my life who loved and cared for me unconditionally; my grandmother whom we affectionally called 'mama'.

She has had a hard life, fighting for each additional day for the past 10-15 years.

Today she's in hospital fighting for her life, floating in and out of consciousness and requiring medical machines to help her breathe - something we all take for granted.

She has seen me grow up; get married and have my first kid; Stevlynn.

And for me to see her now like this breaks my heart. She also startede thinking very hard and I realized I've not done my part for her for the past few years. I was too pre-occupied with catching up with my life in the recent years.

And with this I have alot of regrets. Regrets of me not spending enough time with her; of not telling her how much she means to me and how much I love her. Please, get thru this strongly and I will make up for the lost years.

I remember how she spent my 27th birthday with us; holding Stevlynn in her arms and how brightly she smiled and how happy she was.

Please god let me have her for another few more years for me to tell her how much I love her.

She told me in gasping breaths on Friday 'Adeline, 嬷嬷老了，没有用了。' my heart hurts so badly when she said that to me. I wanted to tell her she gave me everything I remembered from young and she has done more than her required for me, for the YEN family and cousins. But I couldn't for tears wld get the better of me when I think of losing her.

please let her get thru this, so that I can show Stevlynn the person whom I love so dearly and how much this person means to me. Let me show Stevlynn through her what unconditional love means...

You're my safe haven and I need you in my life. Be strong, for yourself and more selfishly for us.

金钱与快乐

I've been thinking why can't the duo go hand in hand? I've been frustrated at work recently; not sure if it's because i feel I'm getting nowhere or just the amount of 屎 I've been taking...

On 1 hand I love my jobs to bits; on the other I hate it to the core at times. 难道我要的永远得不到吗？

Stevlynn turns 15 months today and what a joy this journey has been. She's transformed to a toddler who has a mind of her own; who can express herself with facial and body expressions with a little words and alot of baby talk that I can never understand.

宝贝妈妈很爱你，也希望在你的生命中永远像现在的快乐。 希望你的人生旅途中你会找到快乐！

I Jinx Myself

After saying for so long that 'Aunty Flo' hasn't returned to visit me, it came back on Jan 15. Right in the middle of a relaxing brunch & before a massage. It's been 23months... Scary...

When I Stay Up Awake

What do I think about? My family mostly & my career. Am I allocating the right amount of time to the various aspects of my life; am I doing a good enough job. As a mum; a wife; a salaried worker; a daughter; a sister; as a friend and many other roles.

Seems like I have much to think about...

Christmas 2009

Christmas this year for me seems to be creeping up too fast for me; barely have time to 'catch up' with it. Last year this time I was on maternity leave; this year I'm half buried in work.

Stevlynn has a super cool Christmas present from grandparents YEN; a mini mini Cooper which we cam control with a remote now n when she grows older can drive by herself. It's a hefty present and she's spoilt by her grandparents :)

Daddy n mummy has been put to shame; we haven't got her her present yet. Still haven got a clue what to get her and it's Christmas eve Tmr. We'll make it to you baby - how about a pretty decorated room in our new house?

Yeap the house's coming soon I think. We should be collecting keys in a few months. Time to start planning and I'm crossing fingers the Reno costs wun make me utterly broke. But I bet we'll have fun designing and decorating it. :)

A pic of the cool present!!!

Retirement of Moo-Moo-Cow

So after dragging for a week or 2, i've decided to go 'hardcore' and stop pumping totally.
In any case, I wasn't getting much from my once a day pump now, it's been declining daily from 280ML to today's 140ML.
So today's the last time i'm using my pumps, washing and sterilizing it before they are packed into the cupboard for good.
So i've breastfed Stevlynn for 13 months & 5 days, with 69litres of frozen breast milk to last her for the next few months *i'm hoping*

To me personally; this is an achievement.
I never thought i could have lasted this long *pats myself on the back*
So BF-ing mummies, if a person like me can do it, so can anyone of you out there.
It's a matter of persistence and a matter of choice.
Trust me when i say it's a feeling and satisfaction you can never get elsewhere, even from work.

Whilst i'm happy that i've done it for so long, i cannot help but think what if i had allowed my supply to naturally tell me when to stop, when will the end date be for us?

So Christmas usually is a period of the year i look forward to, with wonderful lightings and gatherings and friends & family.
Not to mention I can shop guilt free; all in the name of Christmas.
This year's a little different, with Stevlynn in tow & the ramped up volume of work, I can barely find the time to go out of the house, not to mention shopping.
And this year, with Stevlynn as a walking toddler, shopping has been challenging.
Last year this time, she was just barely a month old and slept in her stroller most whilst we shop.
None the less, we managed to get MOST of the gifts.
I say MOST because the day after i shopped, i woke up to only remember, i had presents for everybody other than Stevlynn.
My poor lil princess - mummy forgot about you.
Time to see if i can squeeze in some last minute shopping for her; or worse case, bad mummy has to make up for it LATE

I've also finally found the time to upload her pictures from Aug onwards - including her birthdays.
How fun to look back and memories and see how fast she grows.

GrandParents YEN bought Stevlynn a car for Christmas.
Uncle YEN whines whilst they are attempting to sell the BMW away, they bought Stevlynn a car.
Cant wait to see it, i bet and KNOW she will LOVE it - she basically loves everything that moves now

Time to Hang Up the Nursing Shawl

So i used the weekend to drag my pumps even further and am 1 pump each day.
Friday: 2 pumps a day; 7AM & 8PM
Saturday: 1 pump; 830AM
Sunday: 1 Pump; 830AM
I'm now getting about 200ML to 300ML each pump; depending on how engorged I am
But this will quickly and drastically drop over the next few days i'm thinking
It's REALLY almost at the end of my journey

Looking back, It's been a wonderful journey. I didnt have much problems with latching nor supply & Stevlynn was an easy baby to start BF-ing & to wean.

I know I will miss this.

Time really flies, 1 more week to Christmas, 2 more weeks to 2011.
And time for me to start my diet plan and lose that 10KG.
A part of me has been waiting for this day for some time :)

My nursing shawl has served me well,so has my DUO pump.
And its time for them to go into retirement.

13 months & 2 days of latch; with probably a few more days of pumping and i call it quits.
The up side is that my freezers' still full of frozen EBM, which i gather will last her for another 3 to 4 months depending on her intake - this will cut her very close to 18 months * i'm hoping*

How's Stevlynn you maybe wondering, she's darker now cuz of the sun in the AU trip.
She's walking all over the place now; preferring walking to sitting in the stroller at times.
She's now addicted to yoghurt - which she previously hated.
She's beginning to eat some table food - but before the table food is with added any flavouring.
She's now attempting to self eat - with her fingers, which makes a mess but she enjoys it.
She can now articulate what she wants and even sometimes insists on having it
She understands our instructions to her, in simple 2 steps manner; like take the red ball and give to mummy or walk to daddy and give him a hug.
She STILL is very loving, showering us with hugs and kisses - even strangers at times.
She still prefers females over males.
She is now very talkative, and hums to the songs she knows.
Her attention span isn't as strong as i would like it to be, but again that's common for babies their age.
She enjoys her classes and has settled in quite quickly.
I am looking to continue this for another 2 semesters before switching her over to GUG or SM.

The house's coming in 2011 1st quarter and we're still saving $ to do the renovation.
SS' decided to be generous with me this Christmas + Bday present and is considering to get me a Chanel or Prada; which i havent decided if i should just buy it or take the money and keep it.
Afterall, it's been a LONG while since i had any new additions BUT with insurance premiums coming, and the new house coming, and CNY on it's way - may not seem like a good idea to spend this money.

2 pumps a day

instead of the gradual dragging of time intervals from 3 pumps down to 2 pumps i decided to do it the hardcore way or the 'shortcut' way just to buy myself more time :)
so just yesterday i decided not to pump + the fact that i was sick and highly medicated and had to throw the milk which made me even had lesser motivation to pump.
so far so good, of course there's slight engorgement, but i should soon expect to see a drop in supply overall.
so 2 pumps a day, i'm down to about 500ML to 600ML each day, not that big a difference.
i'm hoping to stop completely before Xmas
And then DIET PLAN here i come :)

Gotta lose that 10KG - WAhahaha

Stevlynn turn 13 months today and she's off the boobs completely for 5 days now. so far everything's good and she's taking the bottle from me (though it depends on her mood how much she's willing to drink). Once last night she caught me changing and saw a peek at my boobs and immediately she stopped whatever she was doing and was STARING and licking her lips. How hilarious that look it was.

We would always tell her whenever she wants my boobs is that - Stevlynn's a BIG girl now, BIG girls drink from sippy cups or bottles and no more mummy's neh neh. Stevlynn's a BIG girl right? She always seems to understand and would stop asking.

She's been VERY easy in terms of weaning, i've heard horror stories and the baby's mood changes with weaning to become a mini monster. Stevlynn didn't have any of those.

Well i guess she still would have enough EBM in the freezer to last her for another 2 to 3 months, so we'll end up a little short on 18 months of BM. As of now, i'm still pumping slightly below her daily intake. (150ML to 180ML/ bottle; 3 times a day) but that soon will all change

This is the LAST weekend to do Xmas shopping - which we will do this Sunday.
Sat's a nice impromptu gathering for some friends just to hang out and chit chat.
Busy Weekend AGAIN.

And since i'm weaning Stevlynn, its now time to bring bottles and milk out whenever we go out :(
I'm hoping since i never had the habit to do so, i will NOT forget, or i'll be in DEEP shit

Day 3 of Project Bye Bye Latch :)

So it's been 3 days and it's getting better each day.
last night she even asked for the bottle even before her feeding time.
so it seems much easier than i thought it would be; which is good.

so im officially down to 3 pumps per day but im still getting about 200ml or more each pump.
although significantly reduced from before, it seems to hit a stagnant 600ml +/- each day.
i'm thinking of going 'hard core' and just dropping down to 2 pumps each day and if it hurts or engorged, then heck it.
but again, i'm scared of pain... HAHA

Weaning Off Latch On for Stevlynn

So after a week of dropping 2 pump sessions I'm ready to move to exclusive pumping and taking away Stevlynn's last feed of the day which usually is a latch on.

Last weekend was her LAST weekend of full latch ons and she really made full use of it :)

She was hungry by 9pm and was asking for milk pointing to my chest - I showed her a bottle of EBM and she reached out for it; which is a good sign! And she finished 170ml of it! By positive reinforcement we tool the empty bottle to grandparents YEN & daddy and they all praised her which she laughed in return!

Day 1's a good day and she's been doing well with no fuss - my friends said she would miss the boobs eventually and ask for it but I'll have to be firm. Let's see about that :)

I love Stevlynn for her laid back anything also can attitude and her willingness to change. I'm thankful she's been an easy baby from the start.

Shopping for Myself

Its been a LONG time since I ever did ANY shopping for myself - it's always been either for SS or Stevlynn for the past year.

My wardrobe hasn't changed much for the past year neither has my shoes collection. Partly also demotivated by the additional weight I've put on during the pregnancy and didn't lose all of it (YET) post partum.

My old Birkenstock which lasted me for a good 4 years were finally giving up on me. My trusty old pair which survived me thru my pregnancy since heels were out of the question. And SS saw a good deal for a new pair today - 40% discount, who can resist? Plus a new fitflop which gives me the very much additional height plus it claims to have relief from back stress. So I guess I'm done for 2010!

Stevlynn has decided walking is more fun than anything else and no longer enjoys being carried nor sitting in her stroller for prolonged periods of time. She prefers to be part of the action!

And I have begun relaxing giving her table food; to the relief of the pple around me. though not ALL relaxed. I'm still wary of the salt n sugar added n pick her dishes.

And I'm tired out this weekend- packed full of activities.

Adelynn
A Mummy to Stevlynn; Wife of SS.
A Perfectionist in Life; All About Planning and Thinking Ahead

A Shopaholic Still - For Myself In The Past; For Stevlynn Now
Still Loves My Blings & Collection of Bags & Make Up (If I'll Stop Being Lazy to Use Them)

First Pictures
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1st Lunar Bday - 06Nov2010 Pictures
1st Birthday - 13Nov2010 Pictures
Dec '10 Pictures v

Reaching for Toy
Fist in Mouth
Hungry Monster
Squeals of Excitement
Playtime
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Her Fav Toy
Car Journeys
1st Experience with Teether
Teether Time
Stevlynn's 1st Cereal
Stevlynn's 1st Porridge
Happily Laughing Out Loud
Playing With Daddy
Atrina Journey
Jolene
Dulcena Yen
Sherlyn & Kayla

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