A L♥ve Letter To My Little Angel, aged 3 years, 3 months + 22 days

Dear KeiKei,
I wanted to let you know about the special things you bring to my life, and the special memories I’ll take away from this time we’ve had together.

I love —

• The way you scrunch up your face and grit your teeth together when you’re being ‘pretend mean’.
• Your impish smile, especially when you’re doing something impish.
• How when wisps of your hair blow in your face, you unthinkingly brush it away from your eyes with the back of your hands.
• Your intensity when you find something interesting on the ground to squat and look at.
• When your little hand slips into mine when you know we have to cross the street. I never, ever, ever want that to end.
• When you say “Thank you, Mommi” in your clipped, polite voice, especially when you haven’t been reminded.
• When you look at my mosquito bite “ow-ies” and carefully put band-aids on them with all the patience and concern of an OR nurse.
• Unexpected hugs, and expected ones too.
• How you sleep, arms and legs spread everywhere, no blankets, and your sweet little mouth just barely open; and then you 'shout' instructions to your daddy while in a dream.
• How you say, “It’s OK, Mommi” if you think I’m upset.
• Your nap-times when you ask to go to sleep and fall asleep right away (these are rare events indeed).
• Your tousled head when you wake up.
• How you laugh and tell me to “stop it” when I tickle you, then laughingly beg for more when I stop.
• Your head lolling about when you fall asleep in the car.
• Every time you say, “I love you, Mommi”, “I miss you, Mommi”.

Will all my love,
Mommi

Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 9:03pm

Happy 3rd Birthday Baby Girl!

Dear KeiKei,

Yesterday you turned three (Chinese Lunar). We celebrated by taking you to lunch at Sushi King, when we got your Hello Kitty Cupcakes you screamed “My Birthday Cake! My Birthday Cake!” and gave me a big smile and huge hug with the look of pure happiness on your face the way only you can. When you wrap your little arms around my neck and squeeze until you cut off my air supply, I am the happiest I have ever been.

It’s true that the transition from babyhood to toddler-hood is slow and gradual but yesterday you blossomed into a full grown 3 year old right before my very eyes. I can carry on a conversation with you like we are the oldest of friends. And really you are my best friend and I feel so blessed to be able to spend as much time with you as I do. I love being your “person” who knows every little thing about you.

I am so grateful to be able to spend every day with you but I realize the time is coming that you will need to break away from me and venture out into the world. You will go to preschool soon where you will play with little boys and girls your age and learn from your teachers who will teach you wonderful things about the world. And I will always be here for you to come home to.

Happy Birthday, my little one.

Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 9:30pm

Is turning 3 suppose to be harder than terrible 2's??

My gal is going to be 3 in 2 mths time. And it seems as each day goes by she gets smarter, with more attitudes. Its like she finds new ways to get under my skin, or does something she knows she is not suppose to do. She "lips" to me, she ways i didn't even know she knew because as far as i know she not around "attitude' like that.... 

Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at 8:48pm

Giving Thanks

In honor of Thanksgiving these are the things I am thankful for…
1. My daughter – The most incredible blessing in life. She is smart, loveable, sweet, and incredibly healthy. For that I thank God every day.
2. My husband – We’ve been together for 12 years and have been through a lot. He is the most dedicated, faithful man I know. He loves me and he loves our daughter beyond belief.
3. This land I live in. – I always have more than enough of everything I need. Water, Food, Clothes, Shelter.  I remember everyday that I am very lucky for this.
4. The right to the pursuit of happiness – I often take for granted that my husband and I have the opportunity to go to work, and provide for our family. I know that a lot of families this year are struggling just to find a job and that makes me so sad.
5. A family that supports me no matter what. I can always depend on them.
6. God – Without Him I would have none of this.

Monday, December 6, 2010 at 10:58am

New day, New Chapter

Being a mom is one of the journeys that I treasure the most. It full of ups and down, laugh and cry. But I know this moment is the best in ones women life and I don’t want to miss it.

We created this e-shop (http://babys-precious-gift.webasyst.net/shop/) as my birthday gift in June 2010 -- Fully support from my beloved hubby. I was so excited & started sourcing for items to upload into it. We've been talking about having one of our own ever since I do online shopping. I love dressing up my lil gal. That's what inspired us to pursue this interest with passion. We will do this in just a small scale basis w/o scarifying much time we have for family.

I enjoy shopping, for myself (of course!!), for my little one (that's for sure!!!), for my husband (sometime... :P)

I like to share with all parents on what i think is nice and make our little sweetheart a happy one ever...Well, what can i say, I am just an ordinary wife & mother....:)

This on-line shopping (http://babys-precious-gift.webasyst.net/shop/) is just the perfect venue to select and fill your little sweetheart's wardrobe, or even getting a special gift for your little lady and gentleman! All items are my personal selection which I feel good to have. Time flies, in a glimpse our kids will be all grown up. The joys we have by merely looking at these cute little clothes is simply priceless...

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 3:35pm

Positive Reinforcement

As parents we always hear how important positive reinforcement is when disciplining your child. Instead of just punishing your toddler for whacking the dog, praise her when you catch her petting the puppy nicely. I’m sure you have all heard this over and over again.

Well, recently, I’ve discovered that this works for me as well. I tend to beat myself up over every mistake I make as a parent and think “Alright now I’ve gone and screwed her up for good.”

Last week I started trying this positive reinforcement thing out on myself. I have been ending every day with thinking of three things I did RIGHT that day concerning KeiKei. It has seriously made a huge difference in my interactions with her. Not only do I feel better about myself and my ability to raise a little human being but throughout the day I think about how I am going to have to answer to myself and I make better choices because of it.

Positive reinforcement has made me a better mom.

Monday, May 10, 2010 at 6:10pm

KeiKei has finally quit pacifier! Hurray!

KeiKei has finally quit pacifier! Hurray!

She has developed a rash around her mouth - it's been about 2 weeks or so I would say. We think it is from her pacifier, but it seems to get better, only to get worse again. The rash looks better in the morning, but seems to get worse throughout the day. So we decided to give it a try of letting her quits her pacifier.

What's the method of letting her quits her ‘pacifier attachment’? you may ask. Applying chili sauce onto the pacifier? Take a pair of scissors and in one clean snip took the end off of it??? Nah…Hubby and I feel that’s really a crude or cruel way as a quitting medium ha-ha-ha ....

We would just talk to her a lot and explain that she is a big girl and doesn't need it.. Use an older child as an example. Even a cartoon character, like Dora the Explorer and Little Einstein would work. You just have to say, "You don't see your cousin Jerome with a 'chutchut', do you? That's because he's a big boy. And you want to be a big girl don't you?" often works. Using a model can help them begin understanding comparisons earlier then say, preschool.

She cried for 'chutchut' that night. We reminded her how big of a girl she was starting to be and that I was proud that she was sleeping without a sucker just like me and daddy and a list of other personal heroes.

Since then she has not had a pacifier, she just talks and plays with her pillow and her imagination. A few times when she was really tired but Mommy and Daddy reminded her that she didn't need it and that was it...

Sunday, May 9, 2010 at 12:45pm

My lil princess turned 2 (15.02.2010)

Time passes so quickly when you have young children at home. I don't mean the day to day stuff because we all know how it can drag on at times. I am talking about the weeks, months and years. These pass so quickly that you look back and wonder where has the time gone. You start off with a little baby who is adorable but depends on you for everything, who wants nothing more than to spend all day in your arms. Before you know it a year has passed and then two years and your once snugly little baby is now a toddler with an independent streak a mile wide with an attitude to match. A sweet girl who wants to be so big but still needs you to comfort and provide for their wants and needs. I love being the person who KeiKei wants to comfort her, snuggle her and love her unconditionally.

I love being her mommy and this job has changed my life for the better. I love you KeiKei! Thank you for bringing so much joy and love to our family.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 3:38pm

Short and Sweet

She calls me “mommy”, I call her “baby”.
She takes my hand, I gladly stand.
She smiles sweetly, my heart skips a beat.
She kisses me lovingly, I melt in a heap.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 2:58pm

We love you!

What would a Modern Mommy do without a Modern Daddy? I know I could not live without KeiKei’s Daddy aka my husband Joey.

* He comes home every night from a long day of work and for the most part takes care of KeiKei the whole night. Even giving her a bath and getting her ready for bed.
* On top of that he cleans up after dinner every night.
* He takes KeiKei somewhere when I need a break.
* He loves our daughter and would do anything for her.
* He loves me and would do anything for me.
* He has an incredible sense of duty for his family and is a great provider.
* There are many more reasons why I love this man and could not live without him but I can’t list them all here.

We love you!

Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 2:23pm

Love Fridays

Fridays are for sipping coffee, shop for groceries.
Fridays are for hanging out in our pajamas until noon, making pancakes.
Fridays are for being lazy but also for tying up loose ends.
Fridays are for the daddy to change the poopy diapers.
Fridays are for two year olds to spend hours playing with the daddy.
Fridays are for doing what you love with the ones you love.

Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 3:52pm

Daddy’s Girl

I just love looking at this picture. To me it shows what a special relationship they have. Of course I already loved him before KeiKei came along but seeing the way he is with our daughter has made me fall in love with him in a way I had never known before.

They have this special relationship. Can you just see it in this picture? The look of peace and content on her face.

I know I am in big trouble as she gets older, or actually he is in big trouble! Honestly though nothing brings me greater joy than seeing those two together. Even when she prefers him over me or runs to him crying in her dramatic way when I have dared tell her no. Still I just stop and smile at the love they have for each other. He is completely taken with her and her with him.

I hope that she always knows the love of her daddy in this way. And that she measures all other relationships by if they treat her half as good as her daddy does. If she does I can tell you any boy who wants to date her will have some big shoes to fill!

Monday, April 5, 2010 at 4:20pm

Loving the Unlovable

Okay, so we all agree that although our kids are beyond lovable most of the time sometimes they are not so lovable. For example, every time I change my daughters diaper she throws a fit because she does not like to be slowed down. She will yell, kick, and scream. If she is being extra feisty she will kick me really hard and very forcefully try to turn around to get out of having her diaper changed. Anyone who has ever parented a toddler in diapers I’m sure can relate. I have tried many different strategies and nothing has seemed to work.

Well, I was reading a quote that said something about kids needing to be loved the most when they are being unlovable. If ever I am going to run out of patience with her, it is going to be when she is throwing one of her diaper changing fits. So, I repeated that quote in my head like a mantra. When I changed her diaper she threw a fit, tried to turn around, and kicked me the whole time. I repeated the mantra and tried to remember that I needed to love her throughout that. When I was done changing her I told her I loved her and she stood up and gave me a hug. Of course my heart melted.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 2:10pm

I love being a mommy ...

I love being a mommy. I really do. For 23 hours out of the day.

I love when my daughter looks at me with a concerned look on her face and says “Are you okay baby?”

I love wiping off her delicious little hands after she eats her lunch.

I love cheering her on when she learns something new.

I love her obsession with everything Disney.

I love watching her welcome her Daddy home every day with so much enthusiasm.

I love her fearlessness.

I love that she still has that intoxicating baby breath.

I still love kissing those squishy cheeks and her glorious glorious chin.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 3:21pm

WooHoo!!!

KeiKei has started this new super cute thing, because you know everything your own kid does is super cute and when a different kid does the exact same thing it’s just annoying, anyways she does this thing where if she is trying to get my attention she waves her arms at me and says “WooHoo!Mommy...WooHoo!”. My face is beaming with pride just telling you about it that’s how darn cute it is. But I realize she’s not your kid so you probably find it annoying. Oh well, you’re just jealous... :P

Monday, March 15, 2010 at 3:58pm

Potty Time

After a week of potty training we are making some progress. Yesterday I started to notice that she is getting better about controlling when she pees. I know this because her panties are staying dry and when she sits on the toilet she will only let a little bit go and then stop. So I have to sit there with her and encourage her to stay on the toilet until she is completely done. Otherwise she tends to stand up right away after only going a tiny bit.

One other thing we did was buy her some pull ups for when she's taking her noon's nap. When I opened the package, she said “Diaper” but I immediately corrected her and said “No, these are not diapers they are panties with babies on them! We need to keep these dry just like our other panties.”

As long as I am seeing progress and as long as it stays a positive thing I will continue with what we have been doing. The way I see you can go about potty training two ways. You can wait until your child is completely ready to go independently on their own or you can take the initiative and help them learn how to do it. Of course if they cannot physically control themselves then it is not possible to train them and if you do not have the patience for it then it can be very damaging and prolong potty training for a long long time. Either way you choose they will eventually learn.

Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 2:32pm

The Truth – I LOVE this age

A friend of mine chatting with me via MSN and while she was reminiscing over KeiKei’s baby pictures (FB), she asked me a very simple question “Do you miss having a baby around?” It seems like a simple question but I was dumbstruck. My mind told me that I was supposed to say “YES YES I want her to be a baby again!” but my heart said “NO…NO…I love this age!” And I do I really do. Whatever age it is that she is currently at, that is the age I love. Every day she is one day older and I tell you every day she is a different child. That is my FAVORITE thing about being a mom. Seeing her grow up day by day.

One day…when she is “too old” to sit on my lap with her 'blanky' and cuddle after her nap…then I might miss when she was a baby. But perhaps I will be so in love with her pre-teen self that I won’t want her to be any other age. (Before I had a daughter I would have told you that was impossible but now I’m not so sure.)
So my very long answer to a very simple question is “No, I do not miss KeiKei being a baby.”
This week my 2 year old mastered the art of singing, being completely independent in the bathroom, making up a story in a picture book. I ask you how can life get any better then that???

Monday, March 8, 2010 at 7:42pm

Review of 2009

January
Became "superwomen" as my hubby was away far from Msia. Experienced many "first time" in this month.
- First time setup DIY shoes rack by myself.
- First time paint our house gates.
- First time order wardrobe and tidy up without him.
- First time prepared CNY stuffs with KeiKei, one hand carry her, one hand carry a trolley.

February
Busy preparing KeiKei's 1st bday. Got a Hamilton watch as Valentine's gift from hubby, my first automatic watch with diamonds.

March
Plan for our first family's trip. After discussed, we decided to go to Cameron Highlands which suitable for baby and the parents. And also... Tender my resignation letter to become a full time mommy.

April
Going to Cameron Highlands for our first family trip. It was fun with the little one although it's a bit tired by carrying her around.

May
Bye Bye to Content Team, which i have work for 5 yrs + 5 mths.

June
First month become a full time mommy by traveling between SP and PG every week. It's harder than my imaginations to be a full time mommy, but after all... worth for it... Preparing every single things for the family and the baby... Especially when seeing her growing up day by day healthy...

July
Hubby back to Msia, we have spending quality times with the family by partying and K session with the cousins before leaving...11/7 reached in a new city and started my new life.

August
Exploring be a full time mommy and wifey.

September
Started my knitting, baking and cooking 'hobbies'

October
Nothing much to update.... Routines ...

November
Counting down for CNY and booked tickets.

December
Busy for shopping gifts and clothes for KeiKei and all. Hubby got himself a PS3 after thinking for so long...Happy for him when i see his eyes are blinking .... with the PS3 ..aha..

Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at 1:56pm

My baby started walking today...

My baby started walking today, how did you feel when your baby took his/her first steps?
I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I am ecstatic I am so proud of my precious gal and I'm ready to begin a new phase and do lots of new things together.

On the other hand I'm really sad about how fast she's growing. She's 2 days away from being 13.5 months old and I never expected her to start being a toddler this fast. I miss the tiny little baby that would let me hold, and cuddle her for a long time, now the only time I can hold her is when she's nursing (or asleep).

So, how did you feel when your baby started walking?

Sunday, March 29, 2009 at 9:34pm

To KeiKei

A year has gone by. The most amazing year, filled with the wonder of watching you grow every month. You are a delight, a risk taker, a love. You giggle, you are silly, you make mischief, you love to laugh.

Your presence in the moment has taught me how to return to the moment. To right now, here where your heart beats next to mine. You are more than I could have possibly dreamed of or imagined or hoped.

Happy birthday, my little one.

Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 8:21pm