Random.

(1) Just felt like blogging but don't have anything in particular to write about.

(2) Everything has fallen into routine now with the baby. With the additional help from my parents and our newly hired helper, I get to relax a little.

(3) My baby boy has just reached 9 months young. He's growing up way to fast! And to think that when he was an infant, I wanted him to grow up faster (cos I was tired and overwhelmed with the entire motherhood thingy).

(4) Baby boy has started semi-solid. He's on 3 times solid a day and 3 times milk a day. Always start and end the day with a bottle of milk. :)

(5) He's a very good eater. Not picky. Fast. My mum says it's a blessing. 

(6) I wished I could have exclusively breastfeed him longer. Unfortunately, he is a milk guzzler and I made the mistake of not latching him as often as I should have. I have been an exclusively pumping mum since he was 2.5 months young. :(

(7) I vow to do better for my #2.

(8) Don't know why I suddenly have the urge of trying for #2. Probably it's the hormones. 

(9) Work has been awesome. So far so good. There's been stressful moments but with the correct attitude and mindset, there is nothing that you can't overcome.

(10) Did I mentioned that Francis has FINALLY agreed to bring me to Maldives next year? :D

Ok. Gonna abrubtly end here.

Love;

Mummy Geri

Baby Isaac @ 8 months Old

My 8 month old precious has started to show signs of being mischievous.  At this point, amongst the things that he can do are:

- Shake his head (vigorously) when you say “No! No!”

- Just learned to say “Pa Pa Pa Pa Pa”. On repeat mode. 

- Trying to psycho him to say “Ma Ma”.  He’ll usually shake his head.

- When in awe, he'll usually go "UhhHHhHhhh" with an "O" shape.

- Can give a high 5.

- Depending on mood, can do Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

- Knows what is Bang! Bang! and then proceed to bang on the table.

- Occasionally can clap his hands. 

- Sometimes can wave bye bye.

- Likes to bite people. Especially on their faces. 

- Able to scoot around very fast. Not able to crawl properly yet.

- Able to sit very stably on his own.

- Learning to grab onto things to hold himself up.
- Loves to roll around on our bed. 

- Is in a “koala bear” phase. He love to cling onto me. 

- He screams when things don't go his way. 

- Cries and will reach out for you for attention.

- Knows when and how to manja to get things done his way.

- Showing signs of separation anxiety.

- Dislike being in a huge crowd of unknown people. He'll end up crying hysterically and being in a "koala" mode.

We have started him on semi-solid ever since he was 6 months old. He's on 3 times solid now with 3 times of milk. I'm very pleased that he is not too picky/fussy on food - he'll usually chomp them down. And if you are not fast enough, he'll end up crying screaming for more. Of course if those that he doesn't like, he'll end up spitting them out or clamping his mouth shut. If you continue to force him, he'll use his hands and grab the spoon or will inevitably end up crying screaming. Yup, this boy knows exactly what he wants! 

On my breastfeeding journey, I'm sad to announce that I'm on mix-feeding. Once on breastmilk and twice on formula milk. Mummy can't catch up to his demands anymore - he's now taking a total of 7.5oz at each feed. :( And may I say, formula milk is so darn expensive! We're feeding him organic Bellamy formula milk. Apparently, the closest you can get to breastmilk in terms of components. 

I vow for my #2, I will push myself to direct latch more and to go on exclusive breastfeeding as long as I can.

My precious is growing up way to fast! I love waking up next to him every morning and cuddling him to sleep in the night. Better enjoy it whilst I still can before he eventually outgrows all the snuggling sessions. 

Love;

Mummy Geri

Review : Avi Spa, Port Dickson

Bringing a baby for a short trip is like packing the entire house

Overview of the resort: My first impression on Avillion Port Dickson was so-so. First of all, we arrived at 3.30pm and the chalet  was not ready! We waited until 4:30pm (after numerous calls to the lobby) then only it was ready. The chalet in itself is very impressive. Spacious rooms and even bigger bathroom. I love the room! Service is generally ok but could be better as it is a five-star resort. The staff does not voluntarily smile or greet us. So in general, for the price we paid, it wasn't worth it. 

______________________________

The newly renovated Avi Spa is breathtakingly beautiful. Somewhat reminded me of the resorts in Maldives. I like the service as the staff there are courteous. The problem is because the premise is small, the rooms are always fully booked, so I recommend to call in advance to make prior booking before heading down to Port Dickson. 

The lounge area is exclusively for priority customers - i.e. those who stay in premium water chalet. They serve finger food there. The staff was gracious enough to allow us to quickly snap a picture before we went off. 

Both me and hubs selected the normal body massage as the spa package was expensive! We reckon that it was not worth splashing our money like that. The entire session took us 90 minutes. 

Treatment Room:

- Beautifully decorated. I love the interior. Very exclusive Tiffany-color theme. 

- Overlooks the ocean so it is real good ambiance with the sound of crashing waves. 

- Couple room is big and airy.

Massage: 

- Started off with the foot soak and was gently scrubbed using sea salt.

- Frankly, I didn't enjoy the massage that much. Too strong pressure. 

Beautiful isn't it? 

After the session, we were usher out to the open-space balcony where we sip on their ginger tea while overlooking the sea. I love this concept. Extremely relaxing  :)

All in, I would recommend just for the experience. I really didn't enjoy much the massage. And it is quite pricey as well. 

Love;

Mummy Geri

Baby Isaac @ 6 Months Old

How time flies! Isaac boy is 6 months old!

He is such a joy to be with. I love rushing back from work and seeing him laughing and smiling away. To think that initially I was so worried whether if I'll be a good mother and how on earth am I gonna manage a baby! I wanted him to grow up fast.

Now I want him to slow down.. I'm beginning to miss his infant-hood! :(

Here are some of his milestones:

He slept through the night at 2.5 months old. Good boy! So that Mummy and Daddy can be well rested for work. :) He has learned how to flip and turn over.Recently have learned how to lift his cute butt up and lunge forward. My baby boy is attempting to crawl soon!

Very chatty! He will go coo~ing and aah~ing when he sees us. He blabbers a lot too I'm psycho-ing him to call mama :p I think he's teething as he's drooling a lot and he nibbles on things. He's biting on people's fingers, knuckles, and shoulders! He's quite a kay poh chi observant little baby. Always looking at people with his mouth open wide.

Relatively easy baby. Not much fuss. :) He loves the water! He'll kick and "paddle" in his bath tub - making us all wet!

He loves music too - all thanks to my Mum. He love it when people sings to him. When he sleeps, he loves being surrounded by a lot of pillows, only leaving his little face exposed. And he wants people to hold his hands too. -.-"

Extremely good in manja~ing. He'll snuggle his face into your shoulder and chest. And when no one is around, he'll cry and reach out his hands for you to be carried.

Started on semi-solid i.e. avocado and he loves it. He love his food just like Daddy.

And he loveeeee his Mummy's milk :)

Love;

Mummy Geri

On Hiatus : Holiday in Avillion~!

Disclaimer: All photos from Avillion. 

Heading to Avillion Port Dickson for a much needed break and relaxation before the hubs goes off for his secondment in Singapore. :(

 It's gonna be a family trip - our first ever with Baby Isaac together with both the grandparents to help to babysit while we have our quiet time together. Can also bring Baby Isaac for his first ever swimming experience! There are kids room and a mini petting zoo as well!! 

Can't wait to try their all new Avi Spa. Looks soooooooooooooooooooo good!

Mummy here is extremely excited!!
Till then.

Love;
Mummy Geri

Review : My Confinement Lady

Now that I've pass my confinement (actually I've passed it 5 months back but was too lazy didn't had the time to blog), I think it is high time to do a review on my confinement lady (CL).

My super love my CL.  I would say that I'm very blessed to get a correct one at first try without actually meeting her in person (she's from Ipoh) and interviewing her. Her name is Ah Mew -  I call her Mew Che because she's obviously older than me. Gotta admit, initially I didn't take a liking to her because she is straight-forward and too "ganas" (she's not the gentle-type la) for my liking. But week after week, I grew fond of her and she's open to my disagreement and I can be very frank as well with her.

Here are the reasons why I love my CL :

1. She's not petty and definitely not calculative. She always offered to cook for the entire family - even if my husband comes back late from work!
   
   
2. Does household chores. In fact, I never tell her to do it. On her own, she will change my bedsheets, wash my toilets, upkeep my household, fold and iron my clothes, arrange the stuff in my drawers etc.
   
   
3. Does not take afternoon naps.
   
   
4. She's relatively young i.e. in her 40s, so she's not that old school and won't impose stupid confinement rules. (Well.. she does impose some la.. but most I can get away with :p) Yes, I still can't wash my hair until Day 12 and I can bath everyday with herbal and ginger water.
   
   
5. FULLY SUPPORTS BREASTFEEDING! In fact, she was the one who encouraged me when I thought I didn't have enough supply. She discouraged me to buy a tin of formula milk for standby, she cooked yummy milk boosters soup for me, she reminds me to pump regularly, she brings the baby to me for feeding etc.To the extent that friends who gave birth around the same time asked me for help for milk boosters recipe from my CL. She also prepared extra ingredients when she left so I can prepare my own milk boosters. Couldn't thank her enough for that.
   
   
6. An amazing cook! Her dishes are all very yummy. And I can put in my request for her if I gian wanna eat something. I was very well-fed in that 28 days of confinement. It has been awhile since I've last had home-cooked food. :(
   
   
7. Good companion. While I had my post-partum blues, she was the one who sat and chit-chatted with me. She kept me occupied the entire time. I shared my concerns and in exchanged she gave me tips on how to take care of a baby, on breastfeeding, and we shared stories of her funny confinement stories with weird clients. There was this time when I was being harassed asked to drink this awful herbal thingy by my family which in my opinion (and my CL agreed) was not necessary, we pakat and hid the bottle. heheheeh ~
   
   
8.  My only complain is this : While she is excellent in taking care of babies, she can be a bit crude in the sense that she is stern with the baby (in terms of words). Initially, I didn't like it but when I told her, she kinda mellowed down. I like the fact that she allows you to room in with your baby in the final week of confinement to get adjusted to the baby's routine. Of course, she'll be there on standby if ever you require her assistance.
   
   
9. Still keep in contact with my CL and she calls me from time to time to check on my and my baby to make sure that everything is ok. She's like a friend now. :)

So all in, I am extremely pleased with my CL and would definitely hire her again for my #2 in the future. 

Love;

Mummy Geri

I choose to NOT vaccinate my child

Source: The Star

I have made the informed decision with the consensus of my husband to delay Isaac's vaccination until he's at least 2 years old. Then we'll decide from there whether if we want to proceed with it or not. He has taken all of his compulsory shots up until 4 months old.

Initially when I was pregnant, I was one of those judgmental person who thinks that mothers who choose not to vaccinate their children are crazy, ridiculous, selfish, and is putting their babies at risk for infectious disease.

And then, I was opened up the what vaccines contained and what are the adverse side effects that could potentially harm my child. I am grateful to one of my friend who introduced me into a group so that I can read up more on it and to consult them on my worries/concerns before making an informed decision. Noticed I keep using the word informed. I do not recommend people to just follow blindly on whether if they choose to vaccinate. The decision is yours. Do your own research.

Below are the reasons as to why I would want to delay Issac's vaccination :

(1) Do you know exactly what is being injected into your baby? I strongly suggest for you to read up on this article. It clearly states the breakdown and the effects of each of the vaccines on your child. You'll be surprised that most of the items listed down are toxic to your child's body. Look at some of the real cases on the adverse effects of a vaccine injury on a child - on a worse case, it could lead to death. Would you want to expose your child to it? Think about it.

Here are some links on cases where babies succumb to their vaccine injuries. I shall not post the pictures here but you may view them in the links below. It is very heart-wrenching.

Baby Dies After 9 Vaccines in One Day  

Ian's Voice (I cried reading baby Ian's story.. so much of suffering)

And one more case.. closer to home : 16-year old Malaysian boy paralyze after receiving his tetanus jab

(2) Vaccination does not equal to immunization. That explains the booster shots. Further, in my opinion it is better to allow your child to fight off the disease himself to strengthen his immune system naturally. It is all about good hygiene and proper sanitation. 

(3) MMR vaccine causes autism. Read up here. 

After reading all of the above, it is a risk that I'm not willing to take. To knowingly allow toxin being injected into my baby. 

I am the mother. And as a mother, my role is to protect my child at all cost.

Love;

Mummy Geri

Breast Feeding (Part 2) - Review : Medela Swing

When I was pregnant, I was undecided between Avent or Medela. After a quick survey and asking my mummy friends, I've decided to purchase Medela Swing, a single electric pump. Was tempted to get Freestyle which is an electric double pump but it was so darn expensive at around RM2,000! 

Thank God I made the right decision. I love my Medela Swing to bits and pieces. The pump has been following me everywhere - to work, to the shopping malls, to other people's house. Yes, I've been pumping very diligently for my little milk guzzler at home. 

What I love about Medela Swing.

- The 2-phase expression is absolutely wonderful! It mimics the sucking of a baby to stimulate more milk production.

- It is quiet so the whole world won't know that I'm pumping.

- It's portable and can I can opt to use batteries or electric. Perfect for full-time working mums like me who is always on the go.

- Simple to use, wash, and assemble.

- You have an option to convert it into a double-pump. DIY yourself and refer to the Youtube video. It's very simple :)

What I don't like about Medela Swing - I occasionally have the problem of backflow of milk into the tube back into the motor! Grrr ~ So inconvenient to wash. There's this one time it was so bad my tubing had mold! Yuck

Alternatively, drop by to Enjoy Breastfeeding where you are allowed to try the pumps before deciding on which on which suits you best.

Love;
Mummy Geri

Breastfeeding (Part 1) - The Journey So Far

Today I want to talk about my breastfeeding journey so far. I'm not gonna lie.. it's not easy. People has the misinterpretation that breastfeeding is the most natural and easy thing to do. It's not. You need sheer determination and perseverance to not give up and give in to that tin of formula milk. 

You have to constantly battle with supply issue - not everyone is blessed with abundance of supply. Some mummies even have too much of supply they suffered from mastitis. Sometimes I get blocked ducts and lumps too - it's annoyingly painful and you would have to massage it to unblock the duct.

Thank God I have good support from my parents, friends, and my confinement lady - else it would be an uphill battle. Of course, joining sites like The Breastfeeding Advocates Network (TBAN for short) on FB really helps a lot - where all mummies come together and connect to share a common goal i.e. breastfeeding. 

Being an exclusively breastfeeding mum who is also working full time, you have to be extra hardworking to pump out your milk to ensure that the baby has enough supply at the daycare. Thankfully I have an understanding boss who is ok with me taking time off to pump in the office.

Truthfully I did occasionally think about quitting but when I look at my boy thriving on the breastmilk and growing up strong and healthy, I know what I'm doing is the correct thing. And then I will persevere one month at a time.

I guess at the end of the day it is mostly your mental and how determined or stubborn you are that makes breastfeeding a success.

My personal target is to fully breastfeed Isaac until 6 months old. Thereafter, I will set another milestone. :)

.. 2 more months to go ...

p/s: My only qualms is that I wished I could have direct latch him more. Now I've became an exclusively pumping mum. I miss having to direct latch him. Maybe for #2, I will try harder at latching. :) 

Love;
Mummy Geri

Review : Battle of the Storage Bottles (Bumble Bee vs Autumnz)

The reason why I had two different brands was because Autumnz storage bottles comes together with my Medela Swing, whereas Bumble Bee was bought. Honestly, I prefer Bumble Bee storage bottles over Autumnz and here's the reason why : 

(1) Compatible with my Medela Swing. I can straight away pump into the Bumble Bee bottle without having the hassle of changing and pouring. Minimize the risk of spilling my precious breast milk.

(2) I find Bumble Bee's storage bottles more 'solid' in the sense that it doesn't look too worn out after numerous washing and sterilising.

(3) The middle cap doesn't fall off easily as compared to Autumnz (which is darn irritating).

Love;

Mummy Geri

Review : Autumnz Steam Steriliser and Bottle Warmer

The initial reason why I chose Autumnz brand is because they comes in a set and is relatively cheap. Also, the steriliser was recommended by a good friend. After using them for a couple of months, here are my reviews.

(1) Autumnz Steam Steriliser. 

- Straight to the point and very user friendly.

- Sterilises your items in 8 minutes.

- Light indicator and there is a beep sound once it's done (plus point!).

- Able to fit all my Avent bottles and Medela Swing pump. 

- Good buy. 

Good buy :)

Can fit in a lot of items

(2) Autumnz Bottle Warmer.

- Takes very long to warm up (major thumbs down!)

- Good to keep the milk warm at a constant level i.e. 40c.

- Light indicator - orange means warming up, green means keep warm.

- Can do without it, would rather do the traditional way of using boil water.

Bleh~

Traditional way is still the best and fastest!

Love;

Mummy Geri

Review : Giving Birth in SDMC

I had stated previously on why did i choose SDMC to give birth. And how I have been through it, I am glad that I've chosen this hospital. 

The only downside is that this hospital is amongst one of the more expensive private hospital to give birth in. My total bill (inclusive of the baby) came up to approximately RM9k! Bear in mind that this is an induced natural birth with epidural and not even a c-sect. Can't imagine what's the cost of a c-sect. When we looked through the itemized bill, the hospital in itself charges the most (surprisingly not the professional fees of the gynea or the anesthesiologist or the nursery and pediatrics).

Oh and also there is no additional sleeping chair for your spouse. You may rent a lazy chair but it is very uncomfortable. In the labour ward, there is no sofa chair as well. Room is rather small as well.

What I love about SDMC:

1. Dr Delilah, my awesomest gynecology in the whole wide world
- calm, cool, and collective. In my 25 hours of labor she kept coming in the check on me - even in the wee hours of the morning.
  
2. Midwives
- all very professional and patient.

3. Dr Ngui, the anesthesiologist who did my epidural
- fantastic, didn't feel a thing.

4. Labour Ward
- very warm and comfortable (not scary like those you see in movies)

5. Nursing Care
- Thumbs up!

6. Nursery
- Very pro-breastfeeding. After the baby is taken to the nursery to be heated up for 2 hours, the baby will be taken to you for breastfeeding. Everytime the baby is hungry, the nurses will bring the baby to you for feeding. The nurses will teach you how to latch correctly and is on-call 24 hours should you encounter any problems. Rooming in with the baby is encouraged. No formula milk is given unless consent is given by the mother.

7. Dr Sanjay, the peadiatricion
- Extremely gentle with babies. Love that he encourages breastfeeding as well.

So there you go.. given a choice (and the budget), I would definitely choose SDMC again to give birth.

Love,
Mummy Geri

Life as a Mummy

Sorry for the lack of updates. With the baby and being a first-time mum, life has been extremely hectic. Everything is centered around the little one and there is no such thing as a 'me' time anymore. Proper bathing is a luxury item now and is a thing of the past.

Don't even talk about leaving the house for movies, shopping, leisure walks, hi-tea etc. 

Yes, I'm not gonna lie. Much has to be sacrificed. It is tough. I do get very frustrated especially when my boy fuss around and you have no idea why is he behaving like that. Worse is when you have lack of sleep. Thank God my mum has been coming around often just to help me so that I could take a breather. Truly grateful for that.

So far mummy~hood has been not too bad. Am beginning to slowly get the hang of things and understanding baby Isaac's pattern and routines. 

Well, he is now coming to 2-months old. How time flies. Some of his significant milestones are:

- Smile voluntarily (my heart melts each time).

- Coo and responds to us.

- Lift up his head.

- Turn to his sides (I have a feeling he's gonna flip over soon)

- Sleep through the night (hallelujah!)

His last 1-month checkup shows that his progress has been on the upper percentile which means he has been growing at an above average rate (not fat ok) in terms of length and weight. All on cap susu ibu (more on breastfeeding later).

Yup, and here's a simple collage of my little prince.

Love;

Mummy Geri