2013 in Review

Dear readers, how have you been? As the year is coming to an end, work & events are piling up, my calendar is filled up almost to the brink! Such joy… :) Have you been naughty or nice? I'm a little slow in blogging but I have not forgotten this blog. As I am blogging with christmas songs in the background, I would like to close the year to blog about the year;  rewinding back & reflecting on the good times & bad times, happy times & sad times, about the people we journey along with.

2013 is indeed a very unique year. It is filled with joy and unexpected sorrows. It was a year of Friends losing friends, friends losing siblings... I pray hard that those who are trying to move on, will find peace and let go of those who have left.  A sweet girl and a dear friend of my sister was one of the people I will remember. Though a life is lost, memories of her still remains.

I have also learned very much about HOPE & FAITH, experiencing how fragile life can be first hand & how life can just change it's course, at any single time. I've learned to live life to the fullest & appreciate everyday spent with loved ones. Life is indeed UNPREDICTABLE. How insignificant our little rants are compared to others who are fighting to live on & move on. I pray that my mum & my aunt both find strength & hope to continue fighting on.

I now learned to rant less… (not that I have anyone to rant to… :) but as long as I give it my all whole heartedly, I believe the reward is just around the corner, work more, complain less…). This year, I have been blessed with great opportunities to improve and grow in my passion & career. Though I'm still taking baby steps but I remain hopeful that all things will fall into place.

Although, financially, this year has been a tad challenging for me, I'm grateful that Lucas & I are blessed with lucky stars throughout the year. This year, by far, must have been the year for most won giveaways & challenges as well being featured. How awesome is that ?! So despite all the sad things that happened, there are also the good things I look forward to :)

Last but not least, we would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year! May the new year bring you & your family new hope, new joy & new adventures… xoxo, yours truly.

The broken monkey...

It has been a few days now, I have noticed that every time when I am occupied with something, cooking, or when I am working on my desk, Lucas will run to me, giving me the look, nagging & babbling (in his own language) and showing me his broken monkey. It happened a couple of times that it did occurred to me in my thoughts "What a lousy toy is that? Why does it keep falling apart?" 

On good times, I will fix it back for him, on other times, I will just ignore him and told him to play without the monkey attached, & I will continue on with my work or chores. That's the part & parcel of being a Work-at-home mom. You always question yourself about which should be prioritised in a day, sometimes you give in, sometimes you can't. Barely a handful of people understands the situation that I go through daily… 

One day, daddy was watching over him while I was cooking lunch. Lucas did the same thing running along with his toy but to daddy. But, this time "unfortunately" daddy caught him red-handed. Daddy told him off and asked him "why did he remove the monkey from his toy?" It was then, that it struck me, all this while, Lucas was trying to get my attention. Sigh, he must have felt neglected when I am busy with my daily chores & also sometimes work that he tried to get my attention. This coming from a less than 2 year old kid. I felt so bad. All he wanted was for me to be there to play with him. I also realised that at times when I actually stopped my work and walked to him & fixed his monkey back, he would usually smile and continue playing before "breaking the monkey" again...

Sometimes, we get so caught up with time & work, we often neglect and push aside people who are closest to us. This is how a broken monkey reminded me about the most important thing in life, just being there. I'm still working on making myself more available to my family but life ain't easy. A mom gotta do what a mom gotta do.

Going 21…. *months*

The little fell caught the flu bug a few weeks back. Fever went on for 4 days with runny nose & bad cough. Despite being sick, he was still very active running around & being his usual jolly self. It's only when it's time for medicine & during the night, he gets cranky. During the Dr's visit he still weighs below 11kg. Still a little underweight for his height & age.

24th Oct

I love it when he asks daddy to read him a book before he sleeps. Somedays, he will fall asleep before daddy is back home & daddy leaves for work early so he won't be able to see daddy. So bonding time like this is very precious… :)

I love to watch him sleep. I really do. He literally konked out after taking flu meds.

Because he was sick during halloween, we cancelled our plans for taking him out for trick or treating this year. We didn't want him to spread his flu to other kids as well. So we spent the day at home. We sort of dressed him up in his "glow-in-the-dark" pyjamas for the occasion :)

During the long weekend for Deepavali, we went back to daddy's hometown. He now knows how to answer us when we ask him, "where is daddy's hometown?" he will answer "tampah" (suppose to be Kampar… He had a swell time because every time he meets his aunt, he will get loads of presents. 

He is so loved!

We captured some pictures during our family trip to Ipoh.

Group picture of the family at Plan B, Ipoh (love this place)

More pictures of the little guy while shopping!

We also spent a lot of time cleaning up my sister in law's new house. Lucas had fun running around the living room that was still very empty.

Below are his loot from Aunty Stephanie & grandpa, which I'll be keeping for later ;)

He pouted his lips when I told him he cannot play with them yet.

This little guy can now say "Thank you" in words instead of signs. I'm so proud of him. The first time he said thank you was when his aunty gave him something. Everyone was surprised as he barely speaks.

He now knows how to say thank you after I applied lotion for him (without me asking), took me by surprise but I was really happy. 

New words he can speak : Duck Duck, Throw, kank kiu (thank you), poke, two, cuckoo (mimics the cuckoo clock when it cuckoos) **We are going slow & steady but we will soon get there ^_^

New things he does : 

• Washing himself while bathing (with instructions of body parts like neck, tummy, hands, face, etc…)
• Peeing in his potty (before and after bathing) showing progress with the potty.
• Drinking fresh milk / formula in the morning.
• No more pacifier :)
• Drawing in circles with a crayon *sometimes*
• Ask me to clear his ear wax (he stays really still and let me clears them but he wants to see the wax after) *I'm amazed but I did this with extra extra caution & only with his "consent"*
• Tells me to wash him up when he poos  or when diaper is really wet, he will ask me to change him by pointing to his diaper & pulling me to the room/toilet.
• More opinionated and says No to things he doesn't like.

And of course, still gives me the million dollar smile I love… 

Review : Balancing cactus by Plan Toys

During the long weekend back to my in laws, Lucas was given a toy by his Aunty. I have seen and heard about the balancing cactus from plan toys before and it did occur to me I might buy it for him one day. Lucas is so loved. The moment we unbox the toy, I was amazed that he immediately knew what to do. He started playing with it almost immediately and that was about what he did during the long weekend.

On the box, it states for 3+ years, so parents should always observe their kid when playing as some parts are only a thumb size large. I guess it's still possible to choke on them.

The cactus came with a base and 18 pcs of parts.

The base has 5 holes. While the rest of the parts has different count of holes.

I love how it encourages creativity. There's no right or wrong in constructing the cactus. The goal is simply to balance it and not let it fall.... If possible :)

The concentration when Lucas tried to build the tallest cactus... :)

Another attempt with another method of construction.

Look mummy... No hands! And it's still standing... :)

Disclaimer: This review is not sponsored and it is based on my personal opinions.

Ah, The sentimental me, the sentimental me...

Just a few days ago we were doing fine

then sneezes, cough and fever came by the same time... 

When it's time for meds you will run n hide, 

else you will close your mouth real tight.

Then, when Mummy offered you milk to drink, 

You rejected me & my heart sinks... 

Is it time to wean? Is it really time to wean? I'm pretty sure that's not what you mean.

It's been almost two years and very much a part of me, 

It happened so suddenly, Mummy is not ready.

This morning u woke up and asked for it, 

I jumped up immediately and tried to enjoy every minute.

I am quietly hoping it's not the last,

Oh my, oh dear, you are growing up too fast...

Today, Mummy tried a few times, you still said NO...

Looks like it's time for mummy to let go.

I will remember all the memories, oh so fond.

The struggle we went through, the sweet times we bond, 

What a journey it was for you and me, & how much you have grown my little baby. 

Ah the sentimental me, the sentimental me...
Just a little note frm a breastfeeding mummy.

:'( *sob* *sob*


p.s. I'm still secretly hoping it's not the last. >.<

Review : Merries Diapers Pants by Kao

Have you heard that there's a new diaper brand in town? Merries by Kao, Japan has recently hit the country and many mummies have been raving about it. I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity to review and find out about Japan's No 1 diapers for myself.

Product Overview

Merries Walker Pants

Size : Large (27pcs per pack)

Suitable for both Boys & Girls

Made in Japan

Review Package came with a Merries Bunny & CD & leaflet.

Merries has been around for quite sometime in Japan and was first launched way back in 1983. Merries closely monitors market trends & continually improve their product by developing breakthrough technology.

Product claims

"Mothers in Japan trust Merries to provide the most comfortable diapers for their babies. With it's superb absorbency, exceptional breathability and ultra softness, Merries provides the dryness and comfort that your baby's delicate skin needs."

My Product Review

Because it is imported from Japan, all the description on the packaging are in Japanese. 

I found the translated version of the description online for anyone who wish to know what's all about. 

My first impression when I took out the first diaper was... "Wow! It's so soft." Even my hubby told me "Wah, soft like cotton..." :) The interior of the diaper is actually made from very soft cloth like material. The diapers come in 6 different designs, but each pack comes in two designs.

A very important factor for me when I buy diaper pants is the elastic gathers that holds the diapers. It must not be too loose as Lucas has a very flat bum... He has worn diapers with no or minimal waist gathers, that would just slip right down after a few wettings & he will come to me looking sad, pointing at his sagging diapers or worst he removes his diapers and starts running around without pants. Unlike, tape diapers, where you can still adjust it to be tighter so it doesn't fall off. 

So, I was very happy to see the elastic gathers (about 4" in width) on both front and back of Merries diaper pants. Also, the elasticity paired with the soft material feels comfy & not too tight to cause any discomfort when wearing it.

Front of Diaper

Back of Diaper

After putting them on Lucas, off he goes! As usual my active little boy would be dancing, running, & doing all sorts of physically demanding activities. After more than 5 hrs, still NO DROOPY DIAPERS & NO LEAKY DIAPERS! That's just great...

One of the reason I LOVE diaper pants compared to the tape diapers is because, Lucas will not lay still for me to wear his diaper for him anymore. I pretty much have to chase him around when trying to make him wear his diaper. So, Diaper Pants is really the way to go. 

Look at him wiggling here and there... 

*Merries offers diaper pants for babies/toddlers weighing 5kg onwards. Currently, they only offer tape diapers but only for Newborns & babies below 5kg.

Merries fits him really well. Look at how snug it looks on him :) No redness on the waist or crotch area even after long hours of wearing. Thumbs up!

One of the rare feature that can be found in Merries, is the wetness indicator. Apparently, the indicator is triggered by the moisture contained in the diaper, turning color from yellow (partial green) to complete blue when it's time to change. I love it that it actually let me know it's time to change the diaper.

I have received comments from my friend before that diaper pants are hard to use because, when the baby poos, it's hard to take it off without smearing all over the baby's legs. Only for me to find out, that they are actually doing it wrong. It's actually really simple. The way to do it? Just tear the sides. 

Although that being said, some diaper pants are really hard to tear off, especially the elastic gathers. When that happens, you are sort of pulling the elastic band on the gathers real hard and sometimes it snaps back and hit the baby or your own finger when it breaks, which is pretty annoying & might hurt too.

For this review, I found that Merries diaper pants comparatively to other brands, it is quite easy to tear. The elastic gathers were easily broken when torn.

In the earlier images, you would have notice there's a tape behind the diaper. So far, I have only seen this "feature" in foreign diaper brands. This tape is really useful and I think that all diapers should have it! Let me tell you why.

It actually helps keep soiled diapers from leaking & also after wrapping it is more compact when throwing into the waste bin. Just roll, pull the sticky tape over and Tada! It's done. So easy. Isn't this feature great :D

Without the sticky tape, diapers will keep rolling itself opened, sometime exposing the "not so great" looking poo! 

The Merries bunny actually comes in handy as a distraction during diaper change.

One minor setback on the tape, is an active baby/toddler like Lucas may accidentally wriggle and the sticky tape may stick itself loose, & lose it's tackiness. But this is a rare case, if your baby/toddler wears pants, it usually doesn't happen. But then again, it's not really a biggie :D I still love the tape & want it there!

Product Verdict : 

Merries Pants Diaper is a really comfortable diaper and it is suitable as a overnight diaper, as it can withstand long hours wetting. No leakage, no droopy diapers! The little details such as tapes & wetness indicator, just makes it even better. 

To purchase, 

Kao Merries are available exclusively at AEON & AEON BIG selected outlets.

If you wish to know more about Merries, visit their website at

Kao Malaysia Merries brand website: http://web.kao.com/my/merries/index.html

MY Merries facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/MYMerries

If you wish to sample the above reviewed Merries diaper pants, you can do so at

this link.

Disclaimer 

Kao Merries Diaper pants was provided to me for review purposes. No monetary compensation was received for this review. This review is based on my own honest opinions & are not in anyway influenced by company that provide me the samples.