Waah...

This is a blurry pic but it clearly reminds me how funny my little girl can be.

I had just dressed her in going out clothes. She asked to 'wear' my necklace and upon putting it on, said 'waaah' and did a little twist from her waist.

This is her admiring the necklace that hangs to the bottom of her dress.

She still has on the one sock we put on her right foot every night to keep in moisture on her ankle with eczema. (We're keeping to intense moisturising and it seems to help.) She doesn't mind pottering around the house with that one sock, and sometimes I am not allowed to remove it...

Date Night Up in the Sky

Dinner @ OChre

Roboman and I went on a date last night. Our first in a very long time. In fact, I can't quite remember when was the last time we did! hmm.

Thinking it would be nice to try out one of the many restaurants 'in the sky' that have been springing up all over the island, I tried to make reservations at several roof-top places, including Ku De Ta, Lantern and Orgo. Each of these boast incredible views, which I really wanted to experience. I naively thought I wouldn't have a problem securing a table for two, given that it was a weekday. Well, they were all fully booked! Ku De Ta is booked all the way till sometime end November, in case anyone is interested.

We ended up at the rather pleasant OChre at Orchard Central, and made up for the lack of a view by taking a walk on the roof garden after dinner. It was a lovely, cool and quiet night. Perfect for a long overdue and much needed date.

Hyland's Teething Tablets Recall

Please help to spread the word to anyone who may be giving their babies Hyland's Teething Tablets.

The US FDA has just recalled it. See full report here.

"FDA is issuing this warning because the use of Hyland’s Teething Tablets may pose a risk to children. FDA analysis and testing identified some Hyland’s Teething Tablets that contained varying amounts of belladonna, a potentially toxic ingredient. FDA has received reports of serious adverse events in children taking this product that are consistent with belladonna toxicity. An ongoing FDA inspection at the manufacturer indicates substandard control of the manufacturing operation."

I bought some for Bubbles as it came highly recommended on many sites and I know of many mothers who use it too. Although I don't recall any averse effects on Bubbles I feel terrible for having exposed her to potentially harmful material :( The bottle I own is going straight into the bin.

Hat on my Head

It was another outing to Ikea and we found that they now have these really adorable hats for kids. They come in all sorts of irreverently fun designs. Birthday Cake (complete with 3 candles), Viking Helmet (?), Ladybug, Flower on a grass patch, Aeroplane etc. Some even had matching eye masks to pull the look together!

I couldn't resist putting a hat on Bubbles. She started running around the moment she had it on, as if to put it on a test drive. Zoom zoom zoom, as fast as her little legs would take her, stopping occasionally to hold the hat in place. She seemed to be programmed to take off every time I managed to set my phone's camera to focus! We must have been a funny sight!

Flowerpot dessert, anyone?

Which of the above 2 would you choose to end off a meal?

I was at a birthday celebration over the weekend at the quaint little Vanilla Cafe.  When desserts were served, I eyed them suspiciously, wondering why on earth would they waste space by putting fake flowers on the tray.

As it turns out, the little 'flower pot' was itself a dessert choice! The 'soil', that is!

What a cute idea!

Children's Community Library

Last week, I took Bubbles to a Clementi Community Children's Library. It was so funny to see how excited she was! Rows and rows of books on low shelves to pull out and flip through.

If you live near the library, do check it out! It is small but cozy and the best part is that it is ok to make some noise (since all other kids will as well).

Check out A Dollop Of Me's Facebook page to see a video of Bubbles 'reading' at home. I've watched it tons of times myself :) Warms my heart. Do 'like' the page too (if you do!) I'll be writing a post about this FB thing soon, am going off for my Monday outing with Bubbles now!

Homemade Breakfast

I took Bubbles to a dear friend's home this morning to pick up T-shirts for the Happee Day Activity Kits.

If there is one domestic goddess in my circle of friends, she would be it.  She actually woke up early this morning to bake poppy seed cupcakes and chicken curry puffs for our breakfast!

That, along with home-brewed coffee and a heart-to-heart conversation, made a very lovely start to the day.

Bubbles too, had a good time pottering around exploring the house and all the lovely things in it!

Painting Fun

I read that around that time babies walk, they can begin to draw and paint.

One day, before bathtime (yes, painting THEN bath - this order is essential), I stuck a piece of mahjong paper on the floor - a big square piece. I set out some Crayola washable finger paint on plates and left Bubbles free to do her 'art'.

She worked her way to removing as much paint as she could from the plates and splattering them on the paper. She looked at her coloured fingers and tasted the colourful, slimey paint.

Later, I handed her a small balloon. It was one of the leftover balloons from her 1st birthday party (yes they are still around the house!). I had let some air out so that it was a size she could handle. I showed her how to dab the paint using the little balloon.

By then, she had tired of the paper, and started dabbing the floor, creating round patches everywhere.

When she had enough of paint play, we transited to water play in the bathroom :)

Read about her first 'taste' of painting here.

2 Naps to 1

At 13 months, Bubbles seems to be transitioning from 2 naps a day to 1.

She hardly takes morning naps any more and when she does, they are very short - about 20-30 minutes. On her 1-nap days, she usually sleeps for about 2-2.5 hours in the early afternoon.

I am looking forward to having her nap schedule settled down and be more predictable soon. In the meantime, on the days I am home, I can now have uninterrupted lunches while she naps.

If I am very tired, I will also sneak in a nap while she sleeps, before she wakes and demands "Up! Up! Up!" while expectantly peering over the side of her cot.

With the sis

Since becoming a mother, one of the things I miss most is time-outs with my sister. Since a child, my answer to the question of who I love most in the world would be this sister of mine. While she now has to put up with Roboman and Bubbles contending for that top spot, she knows she will always have a special place in my heart reserved only for her.

It was her birthday yesterday, and we both squeezed some time-off from work to spend the afternoon together. We spent a few hours over a long conversational lunch, a sleep-inducing massage and a heart-to-heart chat over coffee.

Although it was supposed to be a birthday treat for her, I myself felt refreshed from the afternoon.

As we discussed exciting plans for her future, I prayed that she will always find joy, love and meaning in her life.

Happy Birthday, Sista! I love you!

Another baby?

This is the "conversation" I had with Bubbles last night at bedtime:

Me: Who's the baby in the family?
Bubbles: Enthusiastically pats her chest.

Me: Oh, but that may not always be the case. Would you like to have another baby in the family?
Bubbles: Stares and proceeds to vigorously shake her head.

Me (disbeliefing): No? Wouldn't you like to have another baby to play with and to sayang?
Bubbles: Pauses, and shakes her head even harder (her hair was flopping all over her face)

Me (thinking maybe she was in a 'shake head' mood): Really? How about a dog, would you like a dog?
Bubbles: Eyes open wide, and shouts "Dog!" with fervour. No head shaking this time.

Hmmmmm... ...

Looks like I may have to do more conditioning before planning for No. 2?

Have you tried the bowling alley?

This is the thing about bringing kids out.

Sometimes you have it all planned. You do your research (ask other mums, check out forums, read blogs like this one muahaha etc), set the date and time, prepare the kids (naps out of the way, preferrably poo too), pack your bag and set out with a confident expectation that your kids will have a reasonably enjoyable time.

Then there are those instances where you suddenly stumble upon a place you've never considered as A place for kids.

Well, we stumbled upon the bowling alley. I wonder why I've never thought about it before?

Bubbles sat enthralled by the big bowling balls rolling down the alleys, crashing into bowling pins with satisfactory bangs. When there were strikes, or especially loud bangs, she would raise her arms up and shout something that sounds like bangoom! (I think it is a combination of a bang and a boom)

While we were there, there was a company tournament going on, so in addition to the exciting bowling balls and loud bangs, Bubbles was treated to regular claps and cheers. She clapped along of course, everytime others did.

And oh, she tried really hard to lift a bowling ball. You should have seen her puzzled expression when she realised it was just.not.possible.

To the beach we go!

In the past months, our 2 planned visits to the beach were thwarted by rain.

Thankfully the weather was beautiful this morning!

Bubbles was true to her pick-up-anything-that-looks-like-a-ball self. She excitedly picked up and presented to us a small coconut(?) the moment we set foot on the beach.

I was lamenting that we didn't have any beach toys for her but my concerns proved to be unfounded. On the sand, she delightfully went into her 'zone' - a recent ability to be totally engrossed in doing something. She sat barefoot on the beach, digging and throwing sand around with all her might. At one point I thought she was intent on covering herself with sand. She giggled, babbled, waved sandy hands into the air, put sand on her head and face, and tasted its gritty saltiness. I watched her like a hawk to make sure she didn't bite into any shells (she tried to).

Sand got everywhere. She truly had a blast!

She also confirmed my suspicions that she loves to be barefoot, taking off without her shoes to roam around happily after the sand play.

My little one is no gu niang.

Hi Doggy, I'm Bubbles!

I'm always trying to find new places to take Bubbles to let her have varied experiences.

Recently, on a friend's recommendation, I took her to a large pet shop in a shopping mall.

Bubbles' first reaction to seeing so many puppies at once was to shriek with excitement! She let go on my hand, and walked to the puppies as fast as her little legs could take her. She pointed animatedly at them and babbled happily.

What amused me most was when she went from cage to cage waving to each dog, and then patting her chest (her way of saying "I'm Bubbles!"). I realised my dear baby was introducing herself to all of them! Haha!

She was disappointed that she couldn't touch them though, as they were all behind glass panels.

Maybe someday I should seriously consider getting a dog for the family. If and when that day comes though, I will adopt and not buy.

Happee Day Activity Kits!

There are wonderful people out there who regularly put in time, effort and heart into supporting their chosen community causes and charities.

I realise I don't measure up very much in this regard. My giving has so far been rather sporadic - via my church's activities, a small regular cut of my income to a chosen charity, and occasional creative efforts that ride on fundraising events hosted by others.

Recently, I felt compelled to support Mother, Inc's Happee Day event by working to put together Activity Kits for each child who will be going for the Carnival. The intention is to bring Happeeness beyond the fun they will experience at the Carnival. Hopefully, each item in the Activity Kit will help engage the children during times they are cooped up at home or at the hospital, and to take their minds off any pain and discomfort they feel, even for a little while.

I sent a shout out to my friends to ask for sponsors. I am humbled and surprised by the responses I received via text messages, emails and Facebook posts.

So yes, the Activity Kits are definitely going ahead thanks to the generosity of my friends! 40 Roald Dahl books have been delivered to me, ready to be packed. On the way to me are T-shirts and fabric paint, Origami sets, Puzzles, Christmas Card making and Photo Scrapbook materials.

Thank you friends, and thank you Daphne for having the heart to start this in the first place!

Best Prawn Noodles

I know this photo may not look like much but I tell you, this must be the best prawn noodles I've had in a very long time! 3 big whole juicy prawns (and not those sliced into two) in an addictively tasty soup sprinkled with deep fried ikan bilis. Woaah

Found at Nonya Delicatessen on Level 2, Bukit Timah Plaza. Apparently they have been around for 32 years! 

The last time we were there the chap who serves up the food saw Bubbles and said "Hey you're that little girl again!" No prizes for guessing why! =D

Filling my shoes

I found her quietly trying on my shoes one lazy afternoon. 

Her face held a determined expression.

After whipping out my camera to capture a few (blurry) shots, I couldn't help watching in wonder at my baby-turned-girl.

Sticks and Stones

At a recent evening walk with Bubbles, we planned to take her across an overhead bridge to a pathway with plenty of greenery.

Funnily, we never made it to the pathway.

Bubbles was too distracted by all the twigs, leaves and stones that were scattered on the bridge. She had to pick up every stick and stone to poke at every leaf. Later, she discovered that she could also throw stuff off the bridge into the canal below. She was so engrossed with her activities that we decided to let her do as she pleased and forget about crossing over to the other side.

I think she really enjoyed that evening :)

Eczema: The Skin Prick Test

Update: 

I wrote an account about Coping with my Child's Eczema. 

You might want to read that post first, as it links to this page, and my other posts on Eczema. 

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Update: 
I wrote an account about Coping with my Child's Eczema. You might want to read that post first, as it links to this page, and my other posts on Eczema.

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- See more at: http://www.adollopofme.com/2010/12/eczema-update-lacto-gg.html#sthash.OFXRhKVu.dpuf

My dear Bubbles has been coping with Eczema for a couple of months now. She has it on the joints of her arms, the back of her knees and her ankles.

After several weeks of re-working her diet, eliminating foods, changing her bath soap and slathering on moisturisers, I decided enough is enough and took her to the PD today. She referred us to get a skin prick test done to help determine possible allergens.

I made sure that we tested her for stuff that we suspected she is allergic to - dust mites, tomatoes, wheat, fish, chicken and eggs. I also added on to the list more than the usual recommended stuff just to be sure. There were 20 things in total that were tested for. This meant 20 pricks on her back!

While the pricks are not painful, they are not comfortable. Thankfully my dear bubs was cheery through it all, playing with a little bell given by one of the nurses while allergens were being pricked onto her back.

And the test results were....
.... ALL NEGATIVE!

I was hoping to see some positive results just so that I would know what to eliminate to solve her eczema.

This just means I'll have to figure out other ways to do this, starting with even more intensive moisturising and turning off the skin-drying air-conditioner when she sleeps.

I pray she outgrows this soon!

Sunnies

She thought it was hilariously funny to put on my oversized sunnies.

I thought it was even more funny!

So for that reason I was a tad disappointed when this pair was later stepped on by chubby feet, breaking off one handle. No more funny sunny poses!

Happee Day!

What makes a Happy Day for you?

For about 30 children suffering from cancer, this day could be 31 October, where a "Happee Day" mini-carnival will be held at the Hort Park.

Daphne is working with the Children's Cancer Foundation on this project that hopes to bring some joy to the children who have been cooped up at home or at the hospital for too long.

They are also raising funds through publicity for this event all through October. The money will go a long way towards subsidizing the cost of the children's treatment and daily expenses.

Do click on the Happee Day widget on my sidebar to find out more about how you can donate or be part of this meaningful initiative!

Playdate with Ellie!

We had another enjoyable playdate this weekend.

This time, besides our loveable doggy friend, we had little Ellie over. 

There was playground time, blowing of (huge) bubbles, looking at fish, doodling, playing instruments and musical toys, and even a spot of swimming. What's there not to like?

Auntie Imp even came by later bringing along lunch from Imperial Treasure. So even the adults were spoilt!