Cheeky Lucas

Lucas's vocabulary has improved so much to the extend of being cheeky / rude now. Some snippets on our conversation:

Lucas: One two, buckle my shoe, three four, shut the door..............
nine ten, big fat Mommy....(laugh)
Me: Is Mommy fat?
Lucas: Yes (laugh again)


One day, after I gave him his bath:-
Me: Hurry up, come and wear your pyjamas.
Lucas: Is Mommy smelly?
Me: No, Mommy had her shower.
Lucas: Is Daddy smelly?
Me: No, Daddy had his shower too.

2 days ago, Lucas walked to me:-
Lucas: Mommy, you are a slow turtle.
Me: Lucas is as slow turtle, not Mommy.

During bedtime at my parent's place, my sister was talking to a cousin while Lucas was trying to sleep:-
Lucas: I don't want to hear anymore noise.
My sister: wow.....(surprised with his choice of words)

Back to Reality

The confinement lady has left and Dominic is back to work (weeks ago). I now have 2 kids to care for. I must say it is really a challenge. I am lucky to get to clean my teeth by noon and have my shower by 11pm. The kids always have their demand...
Yesterday, Chloe was making a fuss after her feed. When I tried to carry her, she continues fussing. I had enough of her 'unreasonable' demand and decided to let her cry her heart out. So, I put her on her baby cot and watched the time. It was 10.10pm. I just lied down and watch her to make sure she doesn't vomit and choke herself. She cried for 10 mins and take a breather for 5 mins. Then she continued crying and take another breather. She keeps doing that until 10.47pm and finally goes to sleep! I suppose that is not too bad considering this is her first time. On another note, she has grown quite a fair bit. Think she doubles her birth weight. Will get the official measurement when she goes for 2 months check-up and vaccination.

Meanwhile, Lucas missed his 'comfort' zone. We spent a few days at my parent's house and he is glad to be home. He missed his cars and bicycle and the cartoon channel, Playhouse Disney. Schools starts Sept 1 and I have to figure out how to send him to school with Chloe in tow. Lucas has been 'bum-ming' on our bed since Chloe's birth. It is going to be another training to get him to sleep on his own room. The last time, it took me 3 months to train him to go to sleep on his own room. Another 3 months this time round?

As for myself, I have 4 kgs to shield.......

Cry Baby

Lucas has turned to a cry baby these few days. He doesn't talk but he cries. When he opened his eyes first thing in the morning, he cried and said 'I don't want the fan, I want air-con'. Then, he cried, "Mommy asked Kakak (the maid) the make milk and water'. After his milk, he cried again and said 'Mommy open the gate (children stairs gate). I want to go down'. 5 mins after he went downstairs, he will cried and said 'I want to go upstairs'. The grouses go on and on....and every grouses have crying tone to them...sigh... He is definitely feeling very jealous and neglected. I tried to be accommodating but I just cannot accommodate him all the time.
When I an feeding Chloe, he will come and said 'Mommy, I want to go pee'. He wants me to take off his pants and put him on his training toilet seat. I can't do that as I am holding Chloe and Chloe takes forever to feed herself. He does not want the maid and the confinement lady to help.
Very often, I lost my patience. I will just scold him after trying to explain to him numerous times. He is very insistence that I should attend to him and not Chloe - after all Lucas got my 24 hours attention until a month ago.....

Bottomless Pit Chloe and Bored Lucas

Chloe has her fair share of growth spurt. On her third week, one night, she had 9 ozs of milk in 4 hours. She cried for milk every 2 hours. Initially we ruled out the food factor as she has just eaten but her mouth was like a bird 'searching' for food. We couldn't believe it when she finished all the milk we gave her. I nicknamed her bottomless pit and sometimes I nicknamed her eating machine. My milk supply is not able to catch up with her and I have to use the spare milk from the freezer. Yesterday, she drank 9 ozs of milk in 2 hours! This girl will only go to sleep when her stomach is very full.


Meanwhile, Lucas always asked 'What should I do now?'. I always replied 'What do you want to do?'. He is spending 2 afternoons a week with his grandparents. I need to arrange a playgroup for him. This morning, he found a feather-duster and that keep him occupied for an hour.

Chloe's Fullmoon

We threw a small party on Chloe's fullmoon. We decided not to be lazy. Invited a few close friends and neighbours. Ordered some simple food from a caterer.
Chloe at one month old
Me and the kids on Chloe's fullmoon
Dominic and the kids on Chloe's fullmoon
Chloe is all ready for her first outing (besides the trip to the hospital)
Dominic & the kids during a walk. It was also Chloe's first outing

School Holidays

Lucas is having his month long school break and it is a challenge to keep him occupied. He is not able to keep himself entertained for more than half an hour. He wants to be accompanied when he plays and I am running out of ideas. We subscribed to the Astro cartoon channels hoping to keep him busy for an hour a day. This does not seem to work - he is only interested to watch Bob The Builder and Mickey Mouse and I do not know what is the showing time. He also has colour pencils that works like water colour - can mix colours with water to create new colours. He only played with it for the first few days for 20 minutes each time. Now, he is bored with the colour pencils. Bought him some new books and he is only keen to read for 20 mins every night. I realised his concentration span is less than 30 mins.

His grandparents are understanding enough to take him out - twice a week instead of once a week. So, during his outing with grandparents, he will get his ice-cream.

He enjoys going outdoor like cycling and playing tennis. Maybe I should get him playgroups to play with. My neighbour has 2 young children and one of Lucas's classmate lives in the same neighbourhood. But then, he needs to be accompanied when he is with the playgroups. When I am stronger and Chloe is older, I can take both out.

He gave me a scare this morning. He woke up with tens of 'mosquitoes bites' on his arm. I thought he was bitten by insect and took him to the doctor. It is an allergy. I do not know the definite source of the allergy but suspected the new shower gel he is using. Doctor think it could be food in the nut family or seafood, but he hasn't been eating anything new for the past few days. I changed his shower gel and see if it is the source for his allergy.

Breastfeed or Not?

This breastfeeding is getting into my nerves. First, I am thrilled that Chloe is able to latch on well. After 3 weeks of feeding 'direct', I am now thinking of expressing the milk and feed from the bottle. There are just so many reasons or excuses (depending on if you are pro-breastfeed fellow or not). Firstly, my back hurts. MyBrest Pillow helps but does not solve the backache problem. Secondly, each feed took too long ( 1 to 1 1/2 hour per feed) and I ended spending more than half my waking hour feeding. I am not able to care for Lucas and that poor boy is feeling neglected. An article in the newspaper said 'breastmilk is only free if your time is worth nothing'. Thirdly, I do not know if Chloe has enough milk and when she cried, it is hard to tell if she need milk or cuddle. Her mouth is like a little bird asking for food all the time. But, when I bottle feed her (with breastmilk), she doesn't whine and go to sleep easily. Fourthly, she is beginning to use my breast as a pacifier. It is going to be very difficult to get rid of that habit later on.

Starting today, I am expressing the milk and see how it goes......

Juggling Act

Who do you attend to when you have a newborn and a toddler crying for attention at the same time?? My confinement lady has to go home for a week due to family emergency. And I am left to care for a newborn and a toddler with a maid. Dominic is back to work. Firstly, I was not able to send Lucas to school as Chloe is still to small to fit into the infant car seat. Luckily, one of Lucas's classmate mother offered her transport service. She lives in the same neighbourhood. That solved the first problem. Secondly, there is no more 3 dishes per meal, and all the nutritious soup. It is back to basic i.e. minced meat spaghetti, fried rice, noodles, pie and pizza. Thirdly, when Chloe and Lucas cried for attention at the same time, it can be very stressful. The other day, when I gave Lucas a bath, Chloe cried after 5 mins we were in the bathroom. I have to ask Lucas to 'play with the bath water' while I go to calm Chloe. Then I returned to Lucas to finish his bath. While I was attending to Chloe, Lucas kept asking every 20 seconds, 'Mommy, are you coming?'. After that bath, while I was feeding Chloe (which can take 1 to 1 1/2 hour), Lucas poo-ed on his diaper and asked to change. I have to put Chloe down to change Lucas's diaper. Chloe was wailing.....all the stress of juggling with 2 kids. Will it ever get any easier?