Gift of Gab?

Gift of Gab for Keira? Or just talkative like her mummy.... ME?!?!?!

At current age of 19 months, I feel (we feel... or many others felt)... Keira's like a 2.3 - 3 years old when she talks. Sometimes I wonder... is Keira's speech capability progressing faster than other toddlers? Sometimes, we are so amazed by her use of certain vocabulary at her super young age. Firstly, she can say words with more than 3 syllabus and she can speak in short sentences that you actually understand! Most parts, we believe she picked them up from what we constantly taught her and by repeating those on and on, she got them. For some, she learnt from how adults speak.

Let me see what I can recall from the list of words/sentences that she can speak really well - I mean... pronounce really well, and she actually know what they mean.... I want to capture these in my blog now, so I know at progress of Keira's growth/development...

Words she knows and can call out when she sees them/wants to tell us:
- Umbrella (in English and Mandarin)
- Clothes: Shirt and pants (in Mandarin)
- Shoes (in English and Mandarin)
- Lorry, Bus, Car (in English): she can more or less differentiate them..especially for lorry!
- Please, Bye Bye (in English)
- Diaper (in English)
- Cow, bear, zebra (in English): not to mention her toys Dora, Elmo, Cookie Monster, bear bear
- Cheese, Raisin, Yoghurt, Soya Bean, Milo, Soup, Fish, Milk (in English)
- Biscuit, Bread, Meat, Vegetable, Carrot, Rice (in Mandarin)
- Hair (in Mandarin)
- Itchy, pain, cold, hot (in Mandarin)
- Thank you (in Mandarin)
- Spicy (in Mandarin): Basically, anything she sees is Red in colour, she associates them with being spicy for now... hehe

Sentences she speaks:
- Go there, go here etc (in Mandarin)
- I want to eat.. xxx (in Mandarin)
- I want to poo (in Mandarin)
- I want to pee (in Mandarin)
- I want to drink water (in Mandarin)
- I don't this/that/person, go away (in Mandarin)
- XXX don't have hair (in Mandarin)
- Open the fridge (in Mandarin)
- Mama, thank you (in Mandarin)
- Mama (or xxx), carry me (in Mandarin)
- Mama eat spicy (in Mandarin)
- Where is xxx (in Mandarin)
- Bra is mama's (in Mandarin): faint - this one she picked up because I told her!

Ok... I think the list is long than what I can actually remember... so long for now...

Oh, since Keira is absorbing things so well and picking up really fast, we'll be sending her to play school within next couple of weeks. This also starts preparing for arrival of our second bb so everyone can manage better.

Hmm...I feel so guilty...

Just what am I so guilty about?

1. Those of you who have been following my blog will notice that my blog updates were not as "intensive" as before. I used to write >10 blogs a month, however, for the past 6-7 months, you'll be lucky if you can read 2-3 blogs from me...

2. I used to take lotsa pictures of Keira, especially on my mobile phone. I changed my phone recently and imported all my pics unto the new phone... Yep... realised that the # of pics got lesser and lesser over the past months. I wonder, if Keira is going to get more face time when #2 comes along?? or going to get worst because I will be going "ga-ga" taking pics of the newborn again??

So... over the past week, I made an effort to "remind" myself to take pics of Keira whenever I can. Here's are some for your viewing pleasure...so I don't feel so guilty today.. :p

April 26: Stayed over at mum's house over the weekends while hb went on holiday with frens.

Super hot weather over this weekends!!! We were just lazing at mum's home....






May 1: Me on annual leave and home alone with Keira while hb was at work

Keira just wouldn't release that pacifier of hers to take these pics! yyeee.... so ugly!



Keira mimicking "V" hand sign...







May 3: Packing room for #2: what a discovery for Keira! ...haha...

Keira doesn't recall she wear these booties and mittens when she was a newborn, ofcoz!!! It's fascinating for her to see these... and ofcoz.. she wanted to wear them!!!







May 4: Dressing Keira for shopping. Put on hat I bought for her... nice?

BB#2 @ 29 weeks

BB # 2 is now 29 weeks old. Another about 2 months more to go b4 she pops. Oh, I can't wait for this day to come... This pregnancy seems to go by faster than the 1st, perhaps I was just too busy and engaged with work to even think or pay attention to.. or perhaps this is 2nd so the excitement level is not as high as the 1st.

Keira now knows bb#2 in my tummy is a "妹妹". Sometimes, she'll offer her drink or food to her "妹妹" - directing it at my tummy ... hehe. Cute! Sometimes she'll kiss my tummy... at times, she'll simply ignore ... haha...

BB#2 seems to be alot more active than Keira when she was in my tummy. Her movements can be rather vigorous at times and it still wow me everytime I see my tummy being stretched to one corner with her movements. Interesting!

I have yet to think about my birth plan, simply because I don't think I have a choice except to have Dr Chan examine to see if I can proceed with natural birth later stage of pregnancy, since I've had c-sect before. At this point, I am sceptical about going natural and later end up with c-sect as it's an ultimate stressful and tiring process! Anyway.. shall wait and see...

Till then...

Keira contracted Bronchitis!

Keira has been coughing (with Phlegm) for the past 2 weeks, with no fever, still very active... basically nothing unusual except coughing couple of times each day. Over the last 2 nites while I was sleeping with her, I would notice her coughing (with phlegm) and crying a little and screaming "pain pain" and then back to her dreamland again. She didn't/couldn't tell me exactly where the "pain" came from and so I thought, perhaps a little sore throat or maybe teething? Get her to drink more water. We did not consider bringing her to Dr N since there wasn't any cause to worry.... or so I thought since Keira is supposed to have Dr N appt for 18 mths jap on Sat (5 April) and we can consult him then....

And so we thought!

Until Friday (4 April), my parents called me multiple times (coz I was on another line) to informed me that Keira was crying alot and kept pointing to inside her mouth.. crying "pain pain". Couldn't sleep during her nap and was starting to look listless. Mum thought I should bring her to doc. So i did, informed my boss about it.. and then left home early to bring her to Dr N.

She looked very listless when I got home, packed her stuff and then headed for Dr N. But she started getting all active again when we reached clinic, waiting for Dr N and her turn - she was back to her usual self! Smiling, walking, running... creating a little havoc....And I began to wonder if she needed to see Dr N!!!!!! gosh!!!

Until... and not until....

Dr N. examined her.... and told me "oh no... she has Bronchitis." Bronchitis??? Sounds very familiar... can you refresh my memory please....

"She has Bronchitis, having phlegm in her lungs now, causing her air passage way to be blocked. If not treated, can lead to Pnenomia. So need to treat her fast and basically oral medication is not very effective now, and she has to be adminstered via electric respirator" ... gosh... sounds complicating!!! How did she contracted this? Or was it a plain simple cough not treated and it got worst, into her lungs???

Anyway.. too late to ask all these.. just get her treated first. It was an expensive affair - >$200 for this! Keira needs to be on respirator 4 times a day, for 5 days. With oral medication too. Arrghhh.. poor Keira!

Here's a pic of the electric respirator, and will need to add some "medicine" to it before administering on Keira. I wouldn't want to take a pic of Keira screaming and rejecting this while I did it on her. Basically, she accepted this for the 1st 2 times, and then the rest of the weekends... K papa had to hold her down, lock her legs and arms, and me administer on her while she was crying, screaming and struggling. When it's time for this, I'll tell Keira... "Wanna hoo hoo?" ... she said "no" ... when she sees me preparing the medication on the respirator... she "shoo me away"!

I can't wait to get this over and done for her! Poor Keira!

In Jakarta...phew...going home tonight! yeah!

Can't wait to get home to Keira!!!!!!

Easter@Sentosa

Nice to have Friday off for Easter Holiday. Eld Bro, Sis-in-Law, Karin, K papa, Keira and I headed for Sentosa! yeah!

Some pictures...

Karin and Keira - Excited when they arrived Sentosa! Look at Karin, all ready to build her sand castle! Keira still figuring out what she wanna do.. hehe

Trying to get both of them to look at my camera is such great challenge! Here's a nice looking one...

Keira "learning" from cousin Karin what to do...

Keira trying her hands with messing around... hehe while Karin guided on..

The Tent is up... and both of them couldn't wait to try sleeping in there!

Karin was on the sand building here sand castle... and Keira wanted to join but so scared of standing on the sand!

Finally, she set on a pail! haha...

Here's the results of their sand castle!

It's getting harder... and harder to ...

..... harder and harder to leave Keira behind for my business trips. *sob*

Only when I became a mum that I truly understand why it's so hard. Before Keira came into my life, I used to "fully-utilize" my trips.... making sure that I don't tire myself out by arriving earlier into the country and not rushing to get out as soon as my commitments end. However, now it's different. As much as possible, I'll take the last flight out of Singapore and the earliest flight back to Singapore! It's tiring, yes.. especially now expecting bb#2... !

Now I am in Bangkok for a week, and end of this month, I'll go to Jakarta. Thank goodness that these 2 trips are not back to back like the last one in Jan - when Keira did not want to go home with me!!!! arrghhhh...........................

Keira got Flu

Keira was down with fever last Thursday morning. Probably got the flu virus from my mum who was sick on Wednesday. It was too last minute for either of us to stay home with Keira when we only found out mum was sick on our way to bro's home. Lucky K papa managed to take urgent leave 2nd half of day - but all was too late, Keira caught the flu!

How vulnerable bbs are! Walked from home on thurs though... Keira was so sick. Her cough was really bad.. phlegm and all... each time she coughed, she'll cover her mouth followed by "pain pain".... *sob*. Keira's fever gone down by Sat, but her cough will take her awhile to recover, and her voice was cracking. So tough to tell her not to scream/cry/talk... I was so worried that she'll lose her voice! Good Grief, I went thru that and certainly do not want her to go thru it! Good for her...she did not lose her voice... however, this time round, K papa got the flu from Keira!!!DUH! It's super contagious!

Last night, I woke up with sore throat... and I began to worry... thots of Laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx, usually accompanied by hoarseness and coughing or temporary lost of voice)...scares the hell out of me!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.... I do not want to contract that again! Immediately, I took an extra srong strepsil (although I wasn't sure if I can take that while preggie :( ).

Hope we'll all get through this virus and not have any trouble! I can't afford to get sick - for bb #2 and my work :(

Boy Boy or Ge Ge?

Make your vote today... Boy Boy or Ge Ge???
Sometimes she looks so much a ge ge, and at times, she looks like a boy boy... However, her eyes are too enchanting for a boy boy.. hehe..

Super Weird...

So what's wrong with Keira lately? She's been behaving really weird... super weird....
Here are the unusual things happening to her:
1) She stopped drinking milk since last friday (till now - it's been 5 days). These 2 days, she will only drink when my niece is also drinking (in the morning, that's it). She lost weight too, can definitely tell from her face and tummy...
2) She's been calling "ah ma" and "ah gong" alot. Every nite when I bring her home, she'll want to be carried, refuse to let me get changed. She'll sob/cry for ah ma and ah gong until she ZZzzz in my arms...(so I have to carry her and walk around for a good 20 mins every nite... hmm.. a preggie carrying a 9.5kg for 20mins!)
3) The way she looks at strangers these days... more weird than anything! Previously, she'll be a little shy and still smiley. This time around, she stare at them with face tilting back, eyes squeezed upwards, lips locked.. as if she's going to fight them. Gosh... Funny thing is... with this look of hers, those strangers found her really cute!!! my....hope she will not behave this way when we go visiting on CNY! :s
4) Crying and crying over the weekends... we still can't figure out why, what's wrong...

All of the above, I can only suspect the following causes:
- Could it be that we left her with ah ma and ah gong for 2 weeks coz I was travelling?
- Could it be that she's teething with pre-molars?
- Could it be due to...hmmm.....something... not clean (arrghh... I dun want to believe in this)
- Could it simply be due to growing up changes?

Hmm... I have no idea! I called Dr Ngiam yesterday, was hoping to fine answer(s). I was surprised ... when ...
Dr said: Dun worry, if she is just not drinking milk, no problem. They dun need milk after 6 mths, they only need solids.
I said: Huh? really? I thought they need milk for calcium up to 2-3 yrs old?
Dr said: That's wha ang moh say! You are not ang moh.
I said: So how do I ensure she gets enough calcium etc.
Dr said: From the solids that she eats.
I said: Well, I am not sure why her behaviour is so weird, not sure if she's teething
Dr said: If she is only refusing milk, then dun worry.
I said: Do I need to bring her down to see you.
Dr said: No need.

So, I am not too convinced about the milk thing. If possible, I'll like Keira to have some milk everyday as a supplement. I mean, how are we to ensure that she gets enough of vitamins/nutrients from solids.

So... despite all the above... here's a video clip of Keira trying to see what I was taking on my phone.