Kimmy and Julie :: Family Journal

Praise the Lord for the good weather. It was a bright and sunny afternoon. All set for a great beach time. Sis and I each prepared some snacks and finger foods.

Baked chicken wings, baby potatoes & broccoli salads, fresh fruits from me. Vietnamese spring roll, inari and guacamole as the dipped for nachos from sis.

We headed to Pantai Morib which is the nearest beach from Klang but ended up at Pantai Kelanang about 5km from Morib. It is a mangrove swamp which the Selangor government turn into a major seafront 4 years ago. We had been there 2 years back so this time was a revisit.

All set to swim but it did not materialised because the beach water is too murky as it’s a mangrove swamp.  So the kids ended up playing with sands on the soft sandy beach.

I put Jonathan to stand in the water but he got scared seeing the waves rushing towards him. He had a great time playing with sands and the beach toys. He is smart of not putting sands or fingers in his mouth.

It pays to gain some fun and so we ended up with itchy legs from the sandflies bites till today. *scratch…scratch…*

My Darling is an egg lover. He can’t live without eggs. His favourite is half-boiled egg but funny thing is he himself could hardly done up a perfect half-boiled egg.

Let me share with you my Darling’s own recipe of burger with egg. For those of you who are health concious, this is definitely something you are not interested in. But no harm trying it once, who knows you may fall in love with it.

First, place a piece of burger meat in a bowl.

Then, break the egg on top of the burger meat. Tap some pepper and/or soya sauce. Put it to steam until the burger meat is cooked which is approximately 10 minutes.

Here, serve with chilli or tomato sauce and mayonnaise.

I’m not a professional photographer so the pictures don’t look so great but the taste sure are! But we find that the burger meat is not as tasty as before.

There’s a fun fair in town just beside Aeon Bukit Tinggi shopping mall. Euro Fun Park they called it. Since my SIL and her daughter was here last Saturday, we decided to bring the little ones there. Moreover it’s Jonathan’s first time so we want to see how is his reaction towards the whole event and rides. I just can’t remember how long ago since my last entrance to a fun fair.

We have to pay for an entrance fee and it’s not cheap…RM3 per adult and RM2 per children. I don’t remember we have to pay to enter during my time many years ago. RM2 for each token and the minimum token per ride is 2 tokens. Truly, it’s expensive…maybe…comparing to my time.

We headed first to the Ferris Euro Wheel and that required 3 tokens per person so that was RM6 per ride just for a few circles of round and round and don’t know how may rounds. But it was all for the sake of Jonathan so we were willing to pay for it…just for this time!

While on the Euro Wheel, he behaved well. He looked around up high in the sky but he was very quiet.

OMG, look at this timid boy. Again, scared like a kitty cat.

He clinged to us most of the time we were at the fair. He is not used to the bombastic sound and music with scarry witch voice. I hope he don’t do that to his girlfriend next time…memalukan.

We headed to Super Jet, another children ride. It is sort like jets on the tentacles of an octopus where it brings you up and down and round and round. Shy to say, both of us (what a big kiddo huh?) sat on the same aeroplane. With Darling’s weight, I can feel the whole thing is going to tumble on our side. The most secure person is Jonathan who we placed in between us. He was so calm. I guess he was shock with Mommy screaming beside him.

That was all we had. After all, I was felling a bit nausea after the Super Jet ride so we headed home and my lunch and dinner just went all into the toilet bowl.

The fair will be here till 31 October 2008. We may go there again with my “Children Next Door”.

Hope you enjoy your weekend, folks! I definitely am cause we are going to the beach. Praying for a good weather.

Jonathan boy is up on the October 2008 issue of Parenthood magazine’s “Baby’s First Meal” photo contest sponsored by Milna. It’s not easy to have your photo selected so I was blessed enough this time and the previous time. Just doing it for fun only when I am free to get those photos printed and post them out on time.

This pic was taken in the ferry on our way to Pangkor Island for my grandma’s birthday. The oranges were so sweet and Jonathan boy just couldn’t resist it and sis managed to snap a candid of this big eater.

A good job from Jericca - Pretty Frosting.

Jonathan boy in his birthday pyjamma and shoe.

Just a simple celebration at home with my sis and her kids. Besides the cake, we had KFC for supper.

All his! Nobody can touch the cake or spoon. Big boy already...

Presents time!

Yeah, all for me! And a special present, "First 100 Words" book from my friend, Philip.

It is not a grand one as many would have thought it would be for a child’s first birthday. We are so tempted to have one for Jonathan boy after seeing many parents out there were talking about and making plans for their child’s first birthday party. We think he’s too young to understand all the fun, perhaps we’ll consider a party for him next year when he knows better what birthday is all about. So long there is a cake with candle and Daddy, Mommy singing birthday song, Jonathan definitely a happy kid.

Everyone says time flies…Jonathan boy is one year old now. As I was swaddling him one night, I suddenly realized how big he is now. No longer the fragile baby I was holding 12 months ago. No longer can fit into my folded arms. From a 4kg baby to a 10kg boy. From 53cm to a height of 72cm. No longer a baby but toddler.  We are putting more efforts in nurturing him as he is understanding things-you-do and things-you-said. He is getting more demanding and starts to show his temperament so therefore our instructions have to be clear and more stern now. 

He could take one or two quick steps depending on his mood but has yet to walk or I can say refuse to walk. Whenever we hold his hands to guide him to walk, he gets agitated, pull his hands away, sit down and ask us to carry. This is call a “ho mia” (in Hockien) baby, an old aunty was telling me. Few days ago, I noticed that he has started crawling on four instead of combat crawling.

The spoon is his new interest now. There was once I brought him to shopping mall, he sat quietly in the stroller playing with the spoon without disturbing me or asking me to carry. He is most happy when you give him a spoon with a cup/bowl. Once, he refused to eat until I let him conquer the spoon. I only let him practise self-feeding occassionaly as I hate the mess after that.

He is excellent in sipping from straws and also feeding cup. He could now hold his bottle and feeding cup high up. Time to wean him off bottle? Perhaps I should start weaning him off pacifier? Or wean him off my breast? But that’s so convenient…I don’t have to carry milk bottles, milk powders and hot water everywhere I go.

Jonathan boy started to say “ma ma ma ma” or sometimes it sounded like “mum mum mum mum”. He is either referring to food, his pacifier or Mommy. So Mommy is the happy one now. Worth all the effort I’d put in for him. *Big grin*

Happy Birthday, Jonathan boy!

You are a precious gift,
a bright blessing from God to Daddy & Mommy.
With joy we celebrate you,
with confidence we entrust you into God’s constant loving care.
And with faith we cling to His wise and wonderful plan for you.
One year passed by, we have seen how great is our God.

Always remember…
He calls you by name-
Jonathan, Jesus loves you so.
You are His beloved child,
the apple of His eyes,
the delight of His heart.
He shall be with you as you grow.
May He bless you in every way,
as you follow Him each day.
May He keep you in His sight,
from the rising of sun to the starry night.

It started with some red bumps like pimples on his forehead last Wednesday.  Then on Thursday, out came one under his nose. I undressed him for his morning bath and noticed one blister below his belly button. Later in the day, I saw more on his back. When I came back from work on Friday, I saw few new ones on his face, neck and back of the ear. My sis confirmed that it is chickenpox but I didn’t want to believe her cause I just recover from some kind of cold sores due to viral infection which look alike chickenpox. Moreover, there is no sign of chickenpox symptom…no fever or itchiness and still so jovial.

We brought him to see the paediatrician to confirm the diagnosis. True enough what my sis said. It’s chickenpox or also known as varicella in medical terms which is caused by the varicella-zoster virus but thank God it’s just a mild one. And thank God he don’t scratch them nor behaving vague or uncomfortable.

Now, where he got the virus from? My brother-in-law got it first from don’t know where then my niece and followed by her sister. Then later I had the cold sores which doctor says it is not chickenpox but from the same family. I even went to see Chinese medical practitioner and he too said it is not chickenpox. I still breastfeed Jonathan and now he had got it from me I suppose. So that confirms that the cold sores I had earlier was chickenpox but my mom said I had it when I was a baby. So is this a second attack?

Mom said when I was having chickenpox, I was so difficult. I didn’t allow my shirt to be changed and demanded for the same shirt. Poor mom was looking around shops to see if she can find the same shirt but none. Unlike me, Jonathan boy is being good to me. He is like his normal self. So, Darling, he doesn’t have my gene, ok?

The photo above was taken on the 3rd day. More and more bumps are coming out and his look is worse than what you are seeing here. They are all over his face, neck, body and legs. I spotted some on his scalp. He should be getting the vaccine in another month but the virus just couldn’t wait and choose to attack him now which is close to his birthday in the next few days. All his birthday photos will look “dotty” later. *Sigh* Good thing we didn’t plan to throw him a birthday party otherwise we have to call it off.

Will it leave a scar? Any remedies to clear the blister asap?

It was a last minute invitation from eldest sis to join her for an excursion to Kuala Selangor. It was 5 years ago the last time I was there with Darling and two other friends.

First, we stopped by Bukit Melawati since my parents haven’t been there before. I remembered on our previous trip, we boarded a tram to bring us up to the hill.  I don’t see anymore tram now but visitors drove all the way up. Kind of scary because the road is very narrow and parking space is very limited. Up on Bukit Melawati, you can see the Straits of Malacca and all that is left of the forts on Bukit Melawati is a couple of cannons and foundation stones. Jonathan boy was happy camwhoring with Gong Gong and Po Po.

Several families of Silver-Leafed Monkeys and Long-Tailed Macaques hang around here for peanut handouts from visitors.  What fascinated me this time is the Silver-leafed Monkeys which I don’t remember seeing them on my previous trip. The Silver-leafed babies have golden fur as compared with the adults of dull-ashen grey. As the young ones grow older, their hair will slowly changes colour to dull-ashen grey like the adult monkeys. So you will see some young ones having black hair on their head but the body with golden fur. The monkeys roam around freely and looks quite tame. They don’t attack the visitors but graciously waiting for food especially peanuts from the visitors. But we still have to be careful as they are wild and wild animals tend to be erratic sometimes. This was Jonathan’s first time seeing a real monkey from quite a near distance.

We then headed to a seafood restaurant to fill our stomach. Can’t remember the name of the restaurant but all restaurants in Kuala Selangor were full with people due to the public holiday. The waitress warned us that we have to wait for at least 1 – 2 hours for the food. Jonathan boy missed his late afternoon nap so he was quite cranky during dinner time. We finished our dinner at almost 9.00pm.

Lastly, the highlights of the excursion is watching the firefly colonies of Kampung Bukit Belimbing which lived on the berembang trees that grow along Kuala Selangor’s riverbanks. As expected, it was a long queue for tickets. It was a public holiday and the fireflies are best seen on the 1st – 3rd day of the lunar calendar when it is not a full moon. We have put on the safety jacket but there is no baby size.

We get on the boat only at almost 11.00pm.  By then not many fireflies flying around. I guess they are all too tired and has gone to bed.  The best time according to the boatman is around 8.00pm. I was so afraid that Jonathan will make a fuss on the boat but good little boy was behaving well. He did not get too excited over the flickering lights but whenever I asked him where is the light, he will point to the berembang trees which are full of the twinkling fireflies. The fireflies are rarely sighted nowadays. When I was young, we can still see at least one firely flying around our house.

We reached home at 1.00am. It was a good trip. For those you have never been there, you should before the fireflies extinct. But never go when the moon is full and bright and not on a public holiday unless you are the early birds.