DJ Jazzy Gi and the Fresh Princess

Gigi and Nat have been helping themselves to my breast pump, treating it like a DJ console. They love to turn it on and dance to the rhythm of the pump, especially Gigi who will bop up and down.

Here they are caught in the act, at times they look like they are spinning records, and sometimes they play with the plastic tube and try to suck the air...somehow they look like they are smoking shisha!




Nat even wants to try the machine on herself. When she sees me getting ready to express, she wants in on the action. Our conversation goes:

Nat: I pump boobs
Me: Nat, you don't have boobs
Nat: I got boobs! (flips up her t-shirt and flashes me)
Me: Ok, you have boobs but you don't have milk
Nat: I got milk! I pump boobs!

Kids!

Ready, get set, goal!

The World Cup kicks off today in South Africa and I couldn't have timed my maternity leave better!

Am counting on Natasha to wake me up to catch some of the early morning matches though with all the sleep deprivation thus far, will only watch the higher profile games that feature key European teams like Italy, England, Spain etc...never been a fan of South American teams especially Brazil or Argentina, despite Messi being the world's current best player.

Will be rooting for the underdogs like Australia and New Zealand and during matches will support whichever team features a Liverpool player.

Natasha's all geared up too, in her little Nike romper. Check out those thunderthighs...I have a Michelin babe on my hands!

Juliana ties the knot

Today was Juliana's big day, she got hitched at the Swissotel Merchant Court earlier this evening.




Met Desmond, Max and a very pregnant Jeannie at Central before walking over to the hotel. I wore a one-shoulder peacock print dress tailored in Vietnam with matching peacock feather earrings and took the bus all dolled up, wasn't willing to pay all the taxi surcharges and ERPs which would have added up to ten times more than the bus fare. Ngiau, I know!

Dinner started relatively early by Chinese wedding standards, the first course was served at 8.15pm and thereafter the dishes were rolled out in quick succession resulting in an early end. The moment the fish course was brought out though, Jeannie made a quick exit because she cannot stand fish in her current pregnant state. She returned only when the dish was being cleared!

Juliana looked lovely, her evening gown was understated elegance, a dusky lilac one-shoulder chiffon confection with a flowy skirt and diamante belt.



Crispian was entertaining as usual and Keli put in an appearance but she left midway. Maybe she left early because Hong Wei wasn't there to flirt with her, ha ha. We were commenting we only get to see her at weddings and now that everyone's married, we'll probably never see her again because she's always turning down our dinner/drinks invites!

Michael is counting down to his baby's arrival and gathering as much info as he can, he was asking me about booby milk storage from across the table! Poor guy also spilled red wine on his shirt.

Have very few weddings to attend this year, just 3 more I think. Most of my friends are all hitched already, everyone's having babies instead!

Natasha's officially Catholic!

Natasha was baptised today but I almost didn't make it for the baptism.

Woke up at 3 am with the runs and really painful abdominal cramps that were worse than labour pains! From then on, it was in and out of the loo for the next 2 hours, and 3-4 bouts of puking. I was rolling around in bed from the pain and willing it to go away but at 5 am Nick decided we had to see a doctor immediately. Couldn't just leave the babies like that, so I woke Swana up and she and Kevin came over by 5.40 am. Owe them big time!

Headed to SGH's A&E department and didn't have to wait too long to see a doctor. She extracted some blood and later on I was given two jabs for the pain and vomiting, and placed on a wheelchair and attached to a drip. Was shivering from the cold and borrowed a hospital blanket but when I didn't warm up, me and Nick waited outside.

After 40 mins the drip was taken off and the pain had eased but we couldn't leave yet because we needed to wait for the blood test results, which takes 2 hours. At around 8.30 am we finally got to see another doctor who said the blood test was ok so we could leave after collecting some medicines.

Earlier I had messaged Jane to check if she was ok and she replied that she and Albert were also having the runs, so we concluded that it must have been caused by the laksa we ate the day before because Nick and Germaine were fine, and they hadn't had laksa. Mine was more severe because I had a whole bowl to myself, while Jane and Albert shared one. Ugh, food poisoning sucks!

Am so grateful to have Nickypoo, he was a source of comfort throughout the whole drama despite me reeking of puke.

I was feeling weak the rest of the day and slept most of the time. Nick wanted to cancel the baptism or at least the dinner we had planned after, but I persuaded him I would be well enough by the afternoon.

Dragged myself to church and thankfully the stomach behaved. The baptism itself went by very fast, it was a mass one with 13 babies and when you have so many kids in one spot, it's hard to pay attention to the proceedings because one after another will start crying or whining!

Natasha wore the same gown and hat Nat and Gigi wore before her, she was a good baby. Never fussed and slept through most of the session.






We had time to kill before our dinner reservations so everyone came over to our house for some Goodwood Hotel durian cake which Mildred bought for the occasion. Then we headed to the Prima Revolving Restaurant near Vivo where Nick had made a reservation and pre-ordered some dishes.




Been meaning to go there for a while, the kids were excited about the view, so were the adults! We had fried rice, crab and corn soup, fried chicken, steamed fish, tofu, 2 veggies and hot plate beef but I only tried the rice and soup because I had no appetite. Shall have to go back again!

Babies and birthdays

While Germaine was gallivanting all around South America, the States and Europe the past 6 months, there were 3 new additions to the group which she got to meet earlier today.




We met up at Rena's house and tapau-ed lunch over. Nat was as usual shy but luckily there were lots of Gabriel's toys to keep her entertained, including an automatic bubble machine and a train set.


Adrian showed off his Nespresso machine...he's a coffee maniac! There was a whole drawer full of coffee capsules!



Tried to take a group shot of the kiddies, Natasha is a giant compared to Joshua, and Ethan's very active. His smile is like Jane's.


Today is also the twins' birthday and Nya-nya booked a table for 18 at Sante Fe at Marina South Pier. It was grill nite and there was a live band. Though the music was loud, Natasha slept through most of the sound...amazing!




Gigi was the life of the party. Don't know if she was on a sugar high, but she was a bundle of energy and charming everyone. Most of them will be going Malacca this weekend, Gigi's going to have no shortage of babysitters!

Meeting Jayna

Judy and Jalen celebrated Jayna's baptism and 1 month last night. Had been meaning to visit the baby earlier but didn't get a chance to meet her till now. While I whacked the buffet, Nick minded Natalie, and Natasha slept most of the evening away.


Nat and Gigi were dressed in matching outfits, like twins!




There was a karaoke room next to the function room where the celebration was being held and us mommies and kiddies hung out there. The girls were tickled by the microphone and at first were too shy to speak but they soon started whispering, then screaming.

Gigi, ever the rat looking for a corner to hide, started piling pillows around her. She even wanted to climb to the back of the built-in sofa!

Rascally parrots

Nat is now 28 months and Gigi 21 months.

Those two are little rascals these days, repeating everything we say. Actually, Nat parrots us and Gigi parrots Nat! Ask them who wants jelly or other treats and they'll either reply in a sing-song voice, "Nat-nat and Gigi" or "Gigi and Nat-nat".


Nat forms longer sentences these days and knows what questions to ask and how to reply. Just yesterday she asked me, "Mummy, going to where?" when I told her I was going out or she'll say, "Where Mummy going?". She's also more discerning with her pillows and shoes, choosing what she likes and saying, "This one better". Ask her who brushed her teeth for her and she'll say, "Nat-nat brush ownself". She knows the route to Membina and can tell Nick whether to turn left or right along the way.



She also likes to say, "How about xxx?". E.g. Tell her you're going somewhere and she'll ask who's going:

Nat: Uncle Kaelash?
Me: No he's not going.
Nat: Aunty Jeanette?
Me: Nope.
Nat: How about Riley?

But her favourite phrase this past month has got to be, "I cannot see". If we're driving away from somewhere like Membina, she'll ask, "Where's Gigi's house?". We'll answer "Behind" or "Far away, we've left it", she'll reply, "Where? I cannot see."

She's formed an attachment to blankets, insisting on holding one while she falls asleep - doesn't necessarily have to be the same one all the time. She likes to cover her head and walk around the house with it too.




She has a habit of frowning and pouting her lips now, real 'mak nenek'. Her other latest act is to rock her baby doll to sleep, imitating us carrying Natasha. She doesn't just stand and sway, she hops from one foot to the other and bounces the baby, it's really cute and motherly. And she and Gigi also show off how to burp the baby doll.



She still sings at the top of her voice, she and Gigi love a particular nursery rhyme book with Humpty Dumpty on the cover that they both have. She's been getting more proactive in the gym class we go to on Tuesdays too, volunteering for stuff and willingly giving the trainers high-5s. She loves the swings and slides, but which kid doesn't? ;-)


No luck trying to get her to walk, or rather I have better luck than Nick. She'll listen to me sometimes but with Daddy, she's carried everywhere. A week ago she was really clingy at Marina Square though. We were eating at Jack's Place and Nick had not arrived. She refused to sit in the high chair and clung to my leg like a koala. I really didn't want to give in but she wailed pathetically several times, like the world was ending. Think she was really feeling insecure that day plus cranky from waking up too early from her nap. Sigh.

This past month she's also been sleeping in our bed and it's hard to kick her out now. She hasn't adjusted to Wendy sharing her room especially in the middle of the night and will come crying to our room at 3, 4 am. It was easier to just leave her on our bed after she sleeps, knowing she'll wake us up if we transfer her to her bed and now it's becoming a habit. Need to rectify this soon, am waking up with backaches everyday from the lack of space!


Gigi at 21 months is starting to be rebellious, doing the opposite of whatever you tell her. She recognises money but doesn't know what it's for. Nat likes money too and we'll give her coins sometimes to put in a piggy bank.

Gigi loves hiding in corners, must be the Rat in her. Of all rhymes, '3 blind mice' is one of her favourite songs and she can sing 'Wheels on the bus' in drips and drabs. Instead of saying 'finish' when she drinks up all her milk, she says 'ninish'.

She's really cheeky, and of late has been calling me Mummy, maybe because Nat calls me that or she's seeing me too often! It irks Swana no end but I'm highly amused by it. We'll correct her but she'll still occasionally do it on purpose. The other day on our way out to Suntec, we bumped into Mummy downstairs and when Gigi saw Nat being carried by Ma, she put one hand on her hip and pointed to the ground with the other and commanded Nat to walk, "Nat-nat down." We all had a good laugh!

She loves 'Baby Sasha' and is always trying to climb into her playpen.



She hates getting her face wet but loves bubble baths, and she and Nat never get tired of playing Simon Says.




While Nat likes to play with blankets, Gigi likes to put shorts and panties on her head!



Her lip is healing along, can't say the same about her bum fissure. She still breaks out in cold sweats when pooping, she's been getting lots of prune juice, jellies, blended papayas to help her along but it hasn't improved much. If she doesn't go in 2 days, Swana resorts to a suppository which does the job in 20 mins but don't want to have to rely on it too often. I totally feel her pain!