Time fly...

How to make time pass slower... maybe because I start to feel time is running out... as in no more eng eng everyday at home surf net liao... kaoz... have to go back to battle field soon... why time pass so fast... I haven have enough rest lei... maybe I am not resting enough...


I am that sort who wake up jiu very hard to fall back to sleep... I dun have the habit of afternoon nap as well... so everyday I would be either online or go market buy stuffs... and lately this week... I am busy with my vinyl plant! kekekek... Nick is engrossed in his planting project as in real plant... but seems like his current batch of plant going to mati liao... Whereas mine is ever blooming...kekeke... Took me about 2 days to finish this... I finish the end product at 2am on Tuesday... Nick ask me.. "U not tired?" I say No lei... then he say "But ask u feeding milk at night tired hor?" Me..."Hee hee"

Charlotte now sleep as early as 8.30pm and would wake up for her night feed at about 3am. I am quite tune to this timing and morning cant sleep late as well cos we have already get used to the routine for Nick to send me, BB and maid to my parents house on his way to work.
Monday me brought Charlotte to go for her 1st vaccine... saw many newborns there... seems like yesterday... my small baby gal has now becoming more and more han bao bao... Today mark her 3 months old and now she can lift her head not quite steady yet but doing good...


We have been training her on tummy time and usually she is very lazy to lift her head even with our assistance... on one Saturday evening she lift her head for quite long and the whole family was yelling in surprise! Actually only me yelling lar...kekekke... faster took some photo with the hp.   
 
 

Now she can sit up with assistance and its kind of fun to see her sit like a "bu dao wong" cos her head will be shaking and wobbling... :P She is getting more and more active... in order to entertain her, I rented a play gym for her but she only like this sotong... perhaps some parents will try to only speak English or Chinese to their baby... but me always speak rojak to her.. sometimes teochew mix ang mo mix Chinese..kekkeke... mix malay too...like sotong! I din realize sotong is a malay word until my maid say they also call this sotong! Kekekek...

Got once my bro ask me, what exactly u wanna teach her? Why u speak so rojak to her? hmmm.... I think its ok ba... seriously I would like her to pick up teochew if she is able to... but no hurry also... now she like to make sound and we would mimic her...hahhaha... become lao baby liao...kekeke
She is growing and changing very fast as the days goes... I wonder would I be missing out a lot when I return to work... hmmm... 

Expensive Dental in SG with Alamak Patient

I was looking for a cheap and good dental service. My coming to 1 month maid has a swollen gum and suspect its wisdom tooth... siao liao loh.... Singapore dental is damm expensive...
My very "gao" brother ask me to call the agency to "question" them why they bo check the maid dental health before sending her... ?!?!!!?/?? .. I ask my brother, they got medical check up lar... but where got check dental one... he say "Just Push the blame to them"... ?!!!?!. I wonder what has SG education system done to these younger generation.... its like so "unreasonable"... I told my bro... u know what... when u push the blame to the agency, the agency will push the blame to the maid... end up the maid will suffer, then not happy, then how to work for u? but youngster of their age dun think so far one... they just want quick solution.

I was searching online for cheap dental but all cost a bomb... average about 50 to 80 buck for just cleaning services. I call up polyclinic... to my shocking surprise, non citizen like maid , the basic cleaning cost 80 buck!!!! faint!!! more x than pte clinic loh...

I am still looking for a cheap and good one... not only for the maid, but also for myself... any recommendation?... I got a good and cheap one in amk but damm long q...

Just as I was searching online, I saw this blog of a dentist... he is damm funny... he share about his experience of Alamak Patient... got ANG MO alamak somemore...kekeke
http://www.hougangdental.com/articles/alamak.htm

Extracts of some of my fav!
Case 2 :
Dentist: Have you ever been seriously ill or hospitalised?
AP: Aiyoh, I come here to pull teeth only you ask this kind of question.
Dentist: I need to take your medical history.
AP: Pull teeth only ask so much for what?

Case 6 :
Dentist: Your dentures should be ready after 2 more visits. Please wait outside to make payment and get your next appointment.
(Alamak patient walks off without paying or making appointment. Turns up one month later asking for denture)
Dentist: Your dentures could have been ready by now, but you did not turn up for the other 2 appointments. We were going to give you the appointment dates, but you left.
AP: But I stay uptairs only what.
Dentist: ????
AP: So when can my denture be ready?
Dentist: After today's visit, there will be one more visit.
AP: When is that?
Dentist: One weeks' time. Please wait outside to make payment and get the exact date and time.
(AP disappears without paying. A few days later, AP sees dentist at a public place)
AP (shouting loud enough to make heads turn): Ei, where is my denture? Why so long huh?
Dentist: ???!!!

Case 7 :
AP: Ei, that day you pulled out a tooth for me hor, you broke something inside ley.
Dentist: There's nothing broken inside.
AP: Who say nothing. I touch the hole got one sharp sharp thing.
Dentist: That's your bone. Leave it alone and your gums will grow over it. Keep touching it and it may get infected.
AP: Where got bone? This one must be broken tooth lah.
Dentist: If you insist that it is a broken tooth, then I can't help you.
AP: What you can't help? You must take out broken tooth for free ley. If not I complain to ministry then you know.
Dentist: I can refer you to a specialist if you want a second opinion.
AP: Free or not?
Dentist: No, you'll have to pay the specialist.
AP: How come? You broken the tooth I still must pay ah?
Dentist: ???!!!

Case 9 :
Dentist: The surgery is done. Bite on the gauze till the bleeding stops, don't smoke, don't drink ...
AP: Thanks for telling me all that. Really appreciate it, but I'm sorry I'm not going to follow your instructions. I just have to smoke and drink.
Being alamak is not restricted to locals. The trying-to-be-a-cool dude who said all that (and refused to take his 5 days' MC) is an ang moh alamak.

Case 10 :
AP: Do you sell bleaching gel?
Dentist: We provide a tooth bleaching service.
AP: Can't you just let me take the gel home and do it myself?
Dentist: You need bleaching trays for safety and for greater effectiveness.
AP: Come on, I can handle it. Just sell me the gel.
Dentist: We can't just sell you the gel without constructing the trays for you.
AP: But I don't need them.
Dentist: Yes, you do.
AP: I just want the gel.
Dentist: We don't sell it.
This is another trying-to-be-smart ang moh alamak.

Case 13 :
Alamak Patient: My maid just extracted one tooth last week. Now she say pain again.
Dentist extracts another carious tooth for maid.
AP: How come must pay again?
Dentist: Another tooth was extracted.
AP: That means last week you pulled out wrong tooth lah. Why must pay? Why this time not free? Wah, last week paid so much, this week still must pay.
Dentist: ??!!

Case 14 :
AP caller: Hello, what time you all close tonight huh?
Recep: 9.00pm
AP caller: OK, I want to come at 9.00pm
Recep: I'm sorry, we're closed at 9.00pm
AP caller: That means I come at 9.00pm you all finished with all other patients already so I don't have to wait right?
Recep: ??!!

Case 15 :
AP: Can I see now?
Recep: I'm sorry, we have a patient coming any minute now.
AP: I got appointment what.
Recep: Yes, but your appointment was 9.00am. It's 4.00pm now.
AP: I was busy this morning what. Come now also must wait ah?
Recep: I'm sorry, our 4 o'clock patient has just arrived.
AP: OK, I go off now. When I come back make sure you see me immediately.
Recep: That's provided we can finish this case when you come back.
AP: I don't care!
Recep: ??!!

Case 23 :
Dentist: Mr Ang, the filling I place on your tooth after root canal treatment is just temporary. As there's not much of your tooth left, you need to do a crown over the tooth if you want it to function normally.
AP: OK, OK, I sure do one. Don't worry.
3 months later ...
AP: £%&*^! That filling you did for me dropped out already. Why so lousy?
Dentist: Mr Ang, as you may recall ...
AP: Can't even trust you with $50 thing expect me to trust you with $500 thing.
Dentist: ???!!!

Learning to let go

I was looking at my gal's photo from birth till now... she really look meaty now... from the dark skinny baby to now fair fair and chubby! Not really very chubby thou... maybe because of her allergy issue, she wasn't drinking well for the past one week. I tried to find and try many home remedy for her blocked nose and allergy issue... so far I think we are dealing it well.

As she grow everyday, her pattern also keep changing... now she no longer like to sleep on our chest at night anymore... she dun like to be cradle, she like to be hold upright when carry. hmm... I miss the time she sleep on my chest soundly... Now she also demand more... she used to be "easily satisfied" but now she needs more different entertainment and even feeding style changed! She like to drink milk lying on her pillow... dislike being carried... But other than that, she wants more bao bao and rocking and shaking...I mean human body and not rocker... she dislike her rocker now too...

Now her mummy and her nanny aks helper become the "ren rou" shaker cum rocker. Cant help but feel that she change too fast...  She dun seem to be so cherry anymore... maybe mummy lose the touch of how to make her smile.

My helper is with me for less than 2 weeks... she and Charlotte is bonding well and in fact very "bonded" liao... cant help but feel jealous. In order to train my helper, I would leave home for at least 3 to 4 hours everyday... ask me where I go?  Lot of places to go one... hahah... my favourite is market and compasspoint loh...nearby so can wear lok kok, lok kok go out...

During day time, my helper will take care of Charlotte, I do take over at times, but I try not too, cos I will be going back to work really soon. In the evening when we get home, we will take care of Charlotte on our own. We do the night feeding ourselves as well. Charlotte sleep with us in the room.
Last evening, Charlotte is throwing her temper again on her rocker. My helper came over and talk "baby language" to her... Guess what! My gal reply in her "baby language" and smile... My heart dropped! Cant help but feel a bit sad... On the other hand, at least I know my helper know my gal pattern and can take care of her.

Parenting is really not an easy task. During preggy, all the MS and discomfort seems to be unbearable... During labour, everything sound so scary and stuff... Under comparison... parenting is even more taxing... The day Charlotte is out till now, I already forget how it is like to have straight 8 hours of sleep. Kekekekke....

I guess as 1st time mummy, a lot of things I am unsure too... Glad that there is this thing call internet and forum... learn a lot about baby stuff. Esp when baby is feeling unwell, really at wit end... Got worried when she seems to be not drinking enough... then share by formers that some of their babies are like that too! At least more assuring. Still a lot to learn as the journey has just started! Charlotte is going for her 5 in 1 jab following Monday. Due to the fever saga last month, I am more confident in handling any jab fever... *finger cross...

Busy busy...

These few weeks I am damm busy... no time for taking photos of Charlotte and blogging. Charlotte fallen sick in week 7. She got fever and it shoot as high as 38.3 when I brought her to a near by Pediatric clinic. The Doc Zainal ask me to bring Charlotte to the nearest polyclinic, sengkang for a blood test.

The stupid polyclinic is full of people. I requested for a piority q for blood test as instructed by the clinic nurse. There is a tomboy at the clinic who is damm ya ya and tell me no priority Q. Damm her! or he?!? I am already very stress and she/he chu pattern. I went over to another counter to ask for the priority q. The counter lady tell me must see the polyclinic doc then can get priority Q. What kind of system is this... only their own patient can get priority q? In the end I went back to the blood test place to explain my case to the receptionist. I do have a letter from the baby doc which is consider private doc. The receptionist is very nice to let Charlotte go 1st.

I was feeding Charlotte her milk when the nurse prick her little feet. She did not cry or feel any pain... Waited for about 45 min and bring the result back to the baby clinic. The baby clinic doc say she might be virus attack but not sure what virus.

Her fever go on and off... I keep sponging her and that evening I got a little worried and call the KKH hotline to make inquiry. The nurse say we must check her urine if her fever dun go off the next day. To check for UTI, that night Charlotte sleep beside me and I wasn't fully asleep. Her fever goes off the next day and I din check her urine.

For the next few days she seem ok. But 1 week later, she get very cranky and I thought she is just attention seeking. Until my father sense that something is not right as she was crying non stop. Bring her back to the Pediatric clinic. The Doc Zainal say she has blocked nose. Give some allergy medicine and nose drop.

After 5 days, she still seems to have blocked nose and its affecting her feeding. I have been using Vick and I think cannot be long term also...decided to bring her to another doc to seek a second opinion. The doc is Doc Vanessa Tan from Kidslink. She say Charlotte is not sick. She is having allergy. I ask if she will outgrown it. Doc Vanessa Tan say Charlotte might be less sensitive when she gets bigger, for now we can only accept that this is considered normal. The only thing we can do is to keep the house clean. Doc Vanessa also commented that Charlotte should not take the allergy medicine from Doc Zainal cos its too strong for her age...

Following the doc visit, the next few days is Spring Cleaning of my parents place. Luckily my help came on that weekend so she help to clean up the dirty place... I begin to throw away a lot of stuffs. When WS was at my new place, she laugh at me for keep so many "old" stuffs... now because of Charlotte, I am throwing away all the unwanted and most important, those "dust collector" stuffs. After the clean up, Charlotte seems better now. I am also more relax and my helper is around to help take care of Charlotte, I got more time to myself.

In order to train my helper to be ready to take over in taking care of Charlotte, I left my parents home a few hours daily to let her take care of Charlotte on her own. So far she is managing well... * finger cross... kekekke..

I do realise that there are pro and cons...when I am taking care of Charlotte 100%, sometimes I get too stress out and dun even enjoy the time with her. Now I m more gentle towards her maybe because I dun face her 24 by 7. However I still take the effort to take care of her from evening till the next morning. That's the precious time for bonding though night feeding can be tiring.

I haven manage to get a full night rest since the day Charlotte come home. I guess every moms goes through this. Now she is more alert and know how to smile and make funny expression. She also seems to be able to recognize faces. I sometimes do get "jealous" when I see how my helper bond with Charlotte. But I guess this is the phrase I have to get through. I got to get ready to return to work soon.

Now I understand why even with 16 weeks ML, still some women are not interested in child bearing. Because the 16 weeks of leave is really not enjoyment time. Its really 100% full attention on the young one. Even though my new place is ready, I dun seem to have the time to "enjoy" the house..kekeke... maybe when my helper is more ready to take care of Charlotte then I can enjoy the house...kekek... but whenever I am free, I would want to take care of Charlotte on my own.

Nick and my arrangement with the helper is when we are at home during weekends, she will do house work and we will take care of Charlotte on our own. During evening time when we get home from my parents place, We would take care of Charlotte on our own too. Though it is tiring esp once I go back to work. But we feel that we need to allocate sometime for Charlotte.

Today my helper notice some yellow discharge from Charlotte nose. According to the flyer Doc Vanessa gave, if the discharge got color like yellow or green then its flu, a flu will take about 7 days to recover. If the discharge is colorless then its allergy. Now I am confuse. The only thing we can do now is keep monitoring. Parenthood is really not an easy path.