Traditional chinese medicine

Because of the marathon in the last 2 months and because I am sick and tired of feeding the kids antibiotics, cough and cold syrup and paracetamol, I have started to look to the east. Now that they are well, I want to boost their health with some traditional chinese medicine so they won't fall sick so easily and won't need to rely on western medicine so much. Most importantly the chinese medicine will not make them lethargic, tired, have cold hands and feet and most importantly there is almost no risk to allergies (not suitable for babies with G6PD though). My sister recommended me a chinese doctor in Klang, her kids are regulars there.

The doctor prescribed some herbs for Zac and Hayley. The herbs are blended into powdery form so it would be easy to feed (just dilute in water). I also got some prescription for papa and me, ours are in the form of herbs, roots and leaves. The medicine is very bitter, very tough to get Hayley to consume them but Zac seems to be able to tolerate it much better. And because Zac is not even 1, I reduced the quantity. The doctor prescribed 1 tea spoon of powder but instead I only gave him half.

The goodies for papa and me

Apart from traditional chinese medicine, I am also giving them:

1. Cordyceps
These little worms cost me a bomb. My next door neighbour and the salesman at EYS said they are very good for lungs and should be taken after a bad cough/during a bad cough to heal the damaged lungs. Cordyceps enhances immunity, therefore building resistance against coughs and colds. It reduces phlegm, strengthens the lungs and fortifies the kidneys. It is also very good for health. Another friend also said it is recommended to improve appetite. It sounds like the perfect solution for my kid's cough and cold and Hayley's poor appetite. I boil it with birds nest and rock sugar (1 piece of birds nest with 3 Cordyceps) and will give the kids once every 2 or 3 weeks. Hayley will get half a bowl and Zac just a few small sips. The chinese doctor is against me giving Zac Cordyceps (she said not to give when they are too young) but I think it is ok to give in small controlled quantity. Plus I am only giving once every 2 or 3 weeks.

We've so far had this once and since then Hayley's appetite improved tremendously. She's less picky and more willing to try out new stuff and she's eating much faster and in bigger quantity too. I don't know if it's mere coincidence or if it's really the results of Cordyceps. Don't really care :-)
2. Pearl powder
I usually keep stock a few of these at home and use when necessary. I was introduced to pearl powder by the babysitter and also my sister. My family members are very prone to throat infection (meaning our body gets heaty very easily which leads to throat infection and then fever) so we usually take pearl powder to reduce the heat as and when we feel it coming. Apart from cleaning excess heat, pearl powder is also used to calm the nerves and improves eyesight and complexion. Everytime I noticed the kid's lips turning red or their body feeling a bit warm, I will give them some of these powder, I usually mix into their milk. Haylet gets a bottle and Zac half a bottle. In the past I used to just get them from normal chinese medicine shop but Alice made me realise that I could be feeding my kids some unknown powder if I am buying it from unreliable sources. Since then I get them from EYS. I didn't know EYS actually sell them until recently. 6 bottles costs RM108 and member gets 5% discount and because of promotion, they are giving an additional 5%.
3. Bo Ying Compound
I was introduced to Bo Ying Compound by Leona. Again this is from EYS. I went to EYS to enquire and the salesman told me it is a good product to give to kids to maintain their health. Bo Ying Compound alleviates fever and cold, eliminates phlegm, calms nerves, removes wind in the body, increases blood circulation, promotes health, detoxification and anti-inflammation. It can be given everyday but I prefer to give just once a week. Hayley can take 1 bottle and Zac half a bottle. I don't usually give it to the kids weekly but will give from time to time. Although I know chinese medicine will do no harm but I still prefer to give in moderation and as and when necessary.4. Manuka honey
I haven't got this yet but this is something I would like to get next. They have it at EYS and also at GNC. EYS is a bit pricier than GNC. Manuka honey is also a good supplement to boost overall health and some of my friends told me their kids does not cough as much after consuming Manuka honey. It is also a valuable aid for the healing of burns, infected wounds and ulcers, and assists in treating dyspepsia, stomach ulcers and other digestive disorders. It can help relieve skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and acne. Manuka Honey also soothes sore throats and helps to speed up recovery from colds and flu. Manuka honey is to be given daily, 1 teaspoon once a day. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for Zac as he is still under 1 year old.

Honestly, a combination of all the above do cost me a bomb but if it will help my kids get stronger naturally and fall sick less often (hence saving on medical bills and trips to clinics), I think it is all worth it. I don't mind cutting up some of my personal expenses (not that I spend a lot) to cater for these.

I'll see if a combination of the above actually works better than multivitamins, vitamin C, fish oil and yogurts which I use to give to Hayley on a daily basis. Despite her taking these supplements religiously, I didn't really see an overall improvement in her health. Plus these supplements are not cheap too. Some even said multivitamins are actually very heaty and if the kids does not consume enough water, they will end up getting sick!

Bun at 36+ weeks

Today we went to see our beloved Dr Lee again - getting a bit bored with all these visits and the waiting .. haha

The good news is Bun is growing well, Dr Lee predicted Bun to be at least 3.2 - 3.4kg (if not more). The circumference of Bun's head is quite big too, about the size of a 37 - 38 weeks baby. So Dr Lee said it is probably a good idea to confirm c-sec.

Our c-sec has been confirmed for 1st November at 2.30pm, just 16 more days to go [nail biting]. I probably won't be able to sleep the night before and ended up looking like a panda on 'action' day. Hopefully Bun remain co-operative and stick to our plan!

Dr Lee also said that there is a high chance that Bun might come earlier. If that happens, then we'll decide on the spot whether I should try natural or c-sec. He said if Bun's head engaged/crowned up to 40 - 50% and my cervix is about 4-5cm dilated, he would encourage me to try natural. But if Bun's head remained high and I am only about 2-3cm dilated and am experiencing labour pains, he suggested that I should just go for c-sec.

As for my weight, I lost this time. I am now at 58.9kg, lost 0.6kg in the last 2 weeks. Is losing weight even possible? I don't really know but Dr Lee said some women will lose weight closer to child birth so I should not be worried about it. But he did asked if I was sick or having diarrhea etc and said that instead of coming back in 2 weeks which will be 2 days before my c-sec, he suggested that I return for the last time next Saturday just to make sure everything is fine - he did show a concern face when he saw my current weight.. haiz...

In the last 2 weeks I also experienced the following changes:

• experiencing extreme itch on my tummy, so itchy that I have to scratch even when I am in the office or driving or walking. Extremely embarassing but I can't help it :-(. Hopefully I won't end up having red watermelon looking scars all over my tummy.
• my gums have also started bleeding in the last few days when I brush my teeth.
• sleeping (finding a comfortable spot) and waking up is becoming more and more challenging. Sometimes Bun will kick or press against my ribs causing pain.
• Bun likes to put pressure on my bladder too, very irritating.
• losing appetite during certain times especially dinner is also becoming a norm - sometimes feeling nauseous after eating - maybe this is why I lost weight.
• I am walking slower and slower that sometimes my colleagues will tease if they need to bring a shopping trolley to wheel me to lunch hahaha

Today we also completed pre-admission at SDMC. The costs are just scary, RM8,000 deposit, single room is RM230 per night (ala hotel standard).. hahaha

Stocking up on herbs from EYS

The moment I found out I got pregnant, my best friend asked me to make sure I stock up on some herbs from Eu Yan Sang (EYS). When she got pregnant and when her sis in law got pregnant, her mom gave them a checklist on the things they need to buy, some from EYS and some from any chinese herbs shops outside but her mom insisted that they MUST get everything on the list. She's had 1 kid, her sister in law 3 kids and they both seems to have very good health after having the kids and rarely falls sick - unlike me :-(.

So this time I decided to follow her and requested the checklist from her mom. This is what I was told to get and I got mine mostly from EYS for convenience sake:

1. Dang Guai and Nan Zhao (get 100 grams and divide into 4 packs), boil and drink with chicken drumstick after 10 days, drink once a week
2. Bak Foong pills (eat for 12 days, only start eating after menses is clear)
3. So Hup pills (eat for 16 days, can start immediately after child birth, once in the morning and once at night)
4. Astragalus slices (pak kei)
5. Tong sum
6. Red dates
7. Black dates
8. Lycium berries (kei chi)
9. Dried longan
10. Black beans (hak dao) use to boil with soup
11. Pak Foong Ngai (herbs for shower)

Items 1 to 3

My 30 packs of items 4 to 9 all nicely prepacked so it would be more convenient for the confinement lady to boil for me

The only 2 items I haven't bought would be item 9 and 10 which I will get later from the chinese herbs shop outside the house. The above, all from EYS cost me a hefty RM718.32 (after member's discount). Well, money aside I just hope to have better health after having Bun because I certainly do not want to be sick so often again like what I have to go through after having Hayley.

At Leona's recommendation, I also got a pack of Bo Ying Compound for Hayley just in case. I was told by EYS that I should give it to Bun as well the moment Bun is born but I am not prepared to do that. I think my breat milk will be sufficient :-)

Bun at 35 weeks

2 weeks flew by yet again. On Saturday we visited Dr Lee again for my checkup. This time I gained 1kg - current weight 59.5kg. 14.5kg gained to-date.

It was a quick checkup, Bun was growing well and we didn't check Bun's weight this time. I told Dr Lee to check only at the next check up so it will be closer to due and I don't have to pay RM60 twice for this scan. It will also be easier for me to make the decision whether to opt for c-sec or natural if I knew Bun's weight at a later stage. Dr Lee said based on the size of my tummy, Bun looks 2 weeks older, ie he is hinting to me to expect Bun to be more than 3kg :-).

Dr Lee gave me some dates to choose in case I decided on c-sec. Since Bun's EDD is 10.11.10, Dr Lee suggested 30.10.10, 1.11.10, 2.11.10, 3.11.10 or 4.11.10. At this point in time, I think I will just go for c-sec due to the following reasons:

• hubby strongly encourage that I go for c-sec again so I don't have to go through the trauma of attempting natural and then ended up being slaughtered if the baby won't crown again - this will also result us in paying extras for the use of labor room and also the operating theatre.
  
• since we have Hayley at home with no maid/help, having an elective c-sec will help us plan a little better. We could make arrangements to drop Hayley at the babysitter's and prepare everything else necessary instead of going into panic mode if I suddenly experience labor pains in the middle of the night
• my first was a c-sec so might as well have another c-sec since I already have a scar there
  
• I know what to expect from a c-sec so hopefully will be able to prepare myself better - mentally and emotionally.
  

Of course there are a lot of disadvantages to c-secs too such as:

• max 3 babies (not that I am planning of having more than 2 but you just never know)
  
• the post surgery healing is much longer than natural birth and much more painful
• movement is very restricted due to the pain for the first 2 weeks, breastfeeding while lying on my sides is almost impossible without help
  
• won't be able to do 'urut' immediately which a lot of people say is really good and must do as soon as I can. I didn't have a single urut session after Hayley was born :-(
  
• of course it cost a lot more too.. you're talking about RM3-4k V RM7-8k at SDMC
  
• restrictions to certain confinement foods
• more prone to infections post surgery (which I experienced 2 weeks after having Hayley)

Weighing the pros and cons, I am currently 70% leaning towards c-sec. Anyway, will decide in another 2 weeks. Hopefully I will be 100% sure by then.

I just hate making all these decisions but it is one that must be made. SIGH....

Papa's birthday and his present

Papa's birthday was exactly 10 days after my birthday. For this year, I wanted to take him to Sage (fine dining restaurant) at The Gardens but unfortunately we could not find a babysitter on Saturday night and they are not open for business on Sunday and therefore I had to change my plans. I took him to Xenri (Japenese fine dining) instead which is located near Wisma Elken in Old Klang Road since we've heard a lot of nice things about this place and instead of dinner we went for lunch. All these was made possible thanks to my sister and her boyfriend Ivan who helped to babysit Hayley for a couple of hours :-).

About Xenri, I think the food was really nice but the ambience just average. Here are some of the food we ordered taken using my new Canon S95 without any touch ups :-)

Part of Papa's meal set

My set but I donated my sashimi to papa :-(

Part of papa's set - Salad

Part of papa's set - Tofu

Part of papa's set - more Sashimi (which unfortunately I could not eat)

My healty 'dragon fruit and orange juice', absolutely love it. Only RM6.90.

The birthday boy

At night, the little rascal sang her papa a birthday song and she couldn't wait to blow the candle on the cake and to have her hands on the cake. The cake is courtesy of my sis and her boyfriend (picked by Hayley)... thanks again :-)

And lastly, papa's present to himself. A brand new car! I sponsored some accessories.. haha. Well, papa ordered the car about 2 weeks ago but wasn't expecting it to arrive on his birthday but it did. Papa had to say goodbye to his old faithful of 15 years (yes he drove his previous car for 15 years) and it was a rather emotional goodbye for him. We made the very difficult decision to get a brand new car (that of course comes along with a commitment of 6 years, sigh) because of the growing family and a need for a safer and more reliable car.

Swiss Garden Kuantan

This is actually a long outstanding post. Its been almost a month since our trip to Kuantan was from 25 - 27 July. Anyway, I have been busy at work and at home (too tired to do anything at home) and didn't have time to sort out the photos.

Anyway, not going to elaborate much here (maybe just a little bit la in case some of you are keen to go) but instead will let the photos do most of the story telling :-)

This is the view of the pool, the beach and the coffee house taken from the lobby.

The lobby, the place looks a little dark as it was taken late afternoon on a rainy day. But the newly refurbished lobby is really nice. Very cosy and welcoming.

Hayley love taking photos with the trishaw, and of course her papa

A shot of us taken by Hayley

Her favourite ie playing sand and catching crabs

At the fruit farm, eat all you can (seasoned fruits only) paid for by the hotel. The tour is for 2 hours and includes transport. We only managed to eat rambutans (Hayley asked 'how come got hair one?') and of course durians. We experienced picking up the durians from the ground and then the orchard owner will open it for us. He will also pick up a couple from various trees to let us try the different types. They were delicious! Unfortunately Hayley didn't like it. She also enjoyed following the goats we saw at the farm.

More time at the beach on the 2nd day. Papa is going to kill me for exposing his 5 months belly. At certain angle, his looks bigger than mine.. hahaha

Her second favourite place ie the swimming pool. We spent most of our time either on the beach or at the pool or in the bath tub in the room.

Of course we dropped by the turtle sanctuary. It was hot and therefore we didn't stay for too long. We arrived around 1.45pm and was told that the place is closed from 1 - 2pm (lunch time probably). So we waited and snapped some photos instead at the beach nearby.

Lastly, a family photo taken at the entrance of Club Med where the beach and the sand are so much nicer. This beach is just next to the turtle sanctuary. Unfortunately we are not allowed to pop into Club Med so we only stopped for a while to snap some photos before heading home. And yes I do look very fat in the photos... I blame it on the angle and the wind blowing my hair away from my face :-(.

Here are some general comments on the hotel, food etc for those who may be keen to visit:

The hotel and the room

As you can see, I didn't take any photos of the room because it wasn't at all impressive. We booked the garden view room as per the promo package but instead we've got the car park view room. I requested for a room closest to the lift so I don't have to walk too much but ended up getting a room in the middle so I still had to do some walking to the lifts. The furnishing in the room were old and I didn't have any mood at all to snap photos (yes bad).

But I do like the lobby and the pool area. They have an adult's pool, a children's pool and a jacuzzi which unfortunately was out of order the 3 days we were there.

The check in was also quite disappointing as when we arrived there were 3 staff on duty and 2 families checking in/out and I am not sure why I still had to wait almost 20 mins to be attended to. As for the staff, most of them are not very friendly. We had to wait for 10 mins before someone (and that is after us calling many times) came to attend to us at the coffee house.

The food

On the first day when we arrived, we were too lazy to go out for food. So we had hi-tea at the hotel. The price was RM28nett per person and the food I would say was quite ok - acceptable la. We also had dinner on the 1st day at the Blossom Chinese restaurant that comes with the package. The menu were pre-selected so as expected it was nothing fancy and definitely nothing to shout about. We got 3 dishes (chicken, beancurd and vege) with 1 soup, a fruit platter and chinese tea.

On the 2nd day, we had lunch in town at one of the regular kopitiam. As for dinner, we got slaughtered at the Beserah Seafood restaurant. We ordered a steam fish (can't remember what fish), a spinach soup, fu yong egg and 2 drinks and the bill came up to RM70! So please do not go to that seafood restaurant unless you want to get slaughtered! But I have to say that the fish was really good and tasty :-)

On the 3rd day, we checked out and went straight to the turtle sanctuary. On the way back we stopped by at another Seafood restuarant located at the entrance of Legend Cherating and we ordered venison, vege, seafood fried rice and drinks and it cost us less than RM40. The price is very reasonable and the price list is displayed in the menu. So definitely no hanky panky here.

We also bought some prawn and fish crackers back for families, colleagues and neighbours.

The trip

I would say Hayley enjoyed the trip the most. She was so happy throughout the whole trip. It makes us happy to see her so happy. She kept telling us that she wanted to play sand, go to the beach and sea after we got back. She was also a darling throughout the whole journey of 5 hours (2.5 hrs each way). Although she didn't nap on the way to Kuantan, she didn't really fuss at all and remained seated in her car seat, although occasionally we need to entertain her. On the way back, she slept for 2 hrs :-).

Papa on the other hand complained about the driving. He finally admits that he was getting old and driving for 2.5 hours non stop was too taxing for him. I guess he was just tired as he didn't really sleep well both nights as we shared a king bed and 'Hayley the terror' who slept in the middle terrorised us both during the night with her kung fu kicks and punches.

To summarise it all, it was definitely a simple but memorable trip for us as it will be our last trip as a family of 3!

Detailed Scan - DONE

This afternoon we completed Bun's detailed scan which cost us RM220. Happy to record that everything was well and in order. Another hurdle passed!

The sonographer scanned the toes, fingers, brain, face especially lips (for cleft lips), back bone, blood flow to the brain, kidney, heart, lungs, the long bones to the arms and legs, cord insertion, placenta, amniotic fluid (to ensure its sufficient), bladder, stomach, diaphragm etc

The scan was quite fun as we were able to see Bun in more detail, unlike the usual ultrasound. We could even see Bun's face like a 3D/4D image. Papa claimed Bun had a flat nose like me :-(. Looking at the scan, Bun didn't look at all like Hayley when she was born. It was a nice feeling seeing Bun although in black and white.

Bun at 24 weeks is 842 grams and I have gained 2.4kg since my last check up around 3+ weeks ago. I am now at 53.2kg, 8.2kg gained since I got pregnant. I hope to be able to maintain the same weight gain as previous pregnancy which was 13kg in total. Looking at the rate I am going, with 14 - 16 more weeks to go, I think it is going to be mission impossible.

The sonographer gave us a copy of the scan (we haven't seen it yet so not sure whether it was a recording of the entire scan from start to finish or it was just copy of the images she took down during the scan) in a CD. Whatever it is, it is nice to have something for memory sake :-)

When lightning strike.....

We lost our DVD player, Astro satellite dish, thermopot, WIFI router and possibly more gadgets/appliances which we have yet to thoroughly assess.

The rain and lightning were so ferocious yesterday afternoon. This was the first time we've experienced such a mishap. Luckily some of our other more expensive electrical appliances seems to be working fine.

This gets me thinking. Should we start considering getting one of those lightning rods for the roof or should we start buying insurance for losses caused by lightning - is there such an insurance to begin with?

Bun at 5 months

Last Wed we went for a check up, Bun was at 19 weeks and I gained 3kg! Yes 3 huge kg in 3 weeks. I am now at 50.8kg. I better control my diet else I will be in serious trouble.

As for Bun, everything is well except that my placenta is a little low according to Dr Lee. And that explains why I am having pains down there for the past few weeks and the pain have become more and more unbearable. It felt like the pain I had when I was at 9 months with Hayley, like she's about to come out from down there that kind of pain, like some veins are being pulled down there.

Dr Lee said there are 2 possible reasons for the pain:

1. this was my 2nd child and my uterus have expanded before and therefore higher chances for the placenta to be lower this time causing the pressure pain.
2. I had a c-sec the last time and during the c-sec some of my veins or whatever is in there may have been tangled or stuck together and therefore with the baby continuously growing, the veins may be pressured hence causing the pains which felt like the veins are being pulled.

Thankfully I only felt the pain when I walk or when I move. If I stay still in bed or sit in a chair, there will be no pain. I just hope the pain will go away soon. I don't know how I am going to deal with it if I have to live with it for another 20 weeks!

During the check up, I also had my blood test done for HIV and infections. The blood tests cost us an additional RM100. For my next check up in 3 weeks, I was advised to go for the detailed scan which will cost us RM220 to check and ensure that Bun's organs are developing well. Although this was my 2nd pregnancy, the detailed scan and the NT test mentioned here are all very new to me as my previous gynae never recommended or mentioned about them.

Now all I hope for is that the pain will go away so I can plan for a short trip in the next few weeks before we are being grounded at home for the next 2 years!

Would you donate to a stranger?

That is what I did today. I donated RM100 to someone I didn't know. Not my first time though. Am I stupid or silly for parting with my RM100 hard earned money to someone I didn't know? I hope not. I hope the money is actually and truly helping someone in need.

I read on my friend's facebook today about a posting her friend wrote. Her friend is actually helping a couple to raise money for their son's surgery. The son, ie a baby is slightly more than a month old. The boy had various conditions and needs to be operated immediately. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow and they were interviewed by some chinese press today to help them raise money. The surgery will cost about RM45,000 and this excludes all the other hospital expenses incurred. They are currently at Gleneagles Intan. I don't know if all these infors are true as they are found in the posting itself.

The story came with lots of photos, copy of reminders on outstanding payment from the hospital, letter of reference by hospitals as proof that it is not a scam. He is merely helping his friend.

Genuine or not my heart cringed when I saw the photo of the little baby covered in tubes and another photo of the mom wearing gloves and plastic apron touching the baby's face. The parents are not allowed to have any skin contact with the baby. Imagine that my friend! You can't even touch or kiss your own flesh and blood. I cried when I saw the photo, my eyes are watery as I am writing this.

I did wonder if this was a scam but then I asked myself, what if that was me. Thank God it wasn't me and I thank God for blessing me with a healthy little girl. To thank God for the blessing, I decided that I should help someone else in return. Although the amount is not something to shout for, I do hope it will contribute in helping the baby get better and eventually leading a normal life. I have been through the same situation 5 years ago when my dad was hospitalised. He was in a coma and was placed in ICU for 3 months in a private hospital. We received reminders and 'friendly' visits every week from the accounts department. We are constantly worried if our savings will be able to cover what seem like a never ending journey. Friends and colleagues helped. The hospital bill came up to about RM300k when it was over. So we know how it felt to be in that position, to be uncertain, desperate and worried.

Half of me is happy for doing what I did, the other half of me is wondering if I have been a victim of a scam. Whatever it is, I know God is watching from above. If this guy decides to scam us using such dirty tactics, he will receive his punishment. That I am sure. But if he is genuinely helping his friend, God will also see it and he will be blessed for having such a kind heart.

As for me, I hope little baby Matthew gets through the surgery tomorrow and that he will grow up to be a healthy and happy little boy who will in return help others!

UPDATES: I tried to log into his FB page to verify some infor but I can't find his page or the link anymore. I added him as a friend 4 hours ago and we exchanged some comments. Could it be some technical issues with FB or have I been scammed? My heart will be so shattered if I got scammed simply because I was just trying to help ...

UPDATES on 11 June: Apparently the father of the baby works in Public Bank and my sister who also works in PB received an internal memo this morning asking the bankers to help their colleague. Same story, same photos were shared. My sister also confirmed the father's name, ie the name of the account in PB that I made my donation to.

OK, this makes me really happy. At least I am highly convinced that the donation drive is genuine. Still don't understand why the friend who initiated the drive on the first place on his FB would disappear just like that.

Anyway, I hope baby Matthew pulls through the surgery today!!!!! Pray pray pray!!!

UPDATES on 12 June: I added baby Matthew's father on my FB list and he announced that the surgery went well yesterday but little Matthew will need to remain in ICU for 3 days for close observation. That is excellent news!

And the friend who disappeared from FB didn't really disappear. For some reasons (maybe they thought he is a scam), FB closed his account and removed all the links in relation to baby Matthew's story. He's now back using a diferent login profile :-)

A reward for Papa

In conjunction with Father's Day next Sunday and papa's decision to quit smoking (happy to say that he's still nicotine free since the day he decided to quit), I have decided to reward him. Actually I owe him.. so I am killing 2 birds with 1 stone hahaha.

You see, every year for his birthday I asked him to choose a gift (yes we are hopeless romantic, no surprises, choose what you want and I'll pay for it kind of thing). Every year he will say he wants a new mobile phone but he always end up not getting any (love him to bits for helping me save :-)). For 2 years I didn't buy him his birthday present although I always got mine [big grin].

Although his birthday is in Oct, this time, I insisted that he must get one now for 3 reasons:

1. his current Nokia phone is already 4+ years old and its showing symptoms of old age
2. it will be a reward from me to him for quitting smoking
3. so I will feel less guilty that I finally got him a birthday present

I tried to persuade him to get an iPhone cause that's the 'IN' thing now but being a Nokia loyal supporter all along, for some unknown reasons (I think he finds iPhone without the plan very expensive), he prefers another Nokia. In fact he chose this model himself out of the many other available models out there. The damage to me is RM1300+.

I am really happy that he finally got a gift from me and I hope he will enjoy using it.

Keep up the good work babe!

MegaKidz at Mid Valley

We went to Megakidz on Saturday to let Hayley experience an indoor playground for once and to let her learn to play with other older kids.

The entrance fee for weekend for 2 years and above is RM25 and for 2 years and below it's RM12.50. For weekday it's RM9.50 and RM19. For parents it's FOC. Both kids and parent will need to wear socks to be in the play area. In case you've forgotten about socks, socks are also available for sale at the counter. We bought ours at RM6 per pair.

Since Hayley just turned 2, we were charge RM12.50 only. We got there around 6pm and thought we could easily get her to spend an hour there before we head for dinner at 7pm. At the Megakidz, they have various play areas dedicated for different age groups.

When Hayley got there, she didn't dare to play anything and just walked around staring at other kids. When she got to the toddler area, she saw some balls and all she did most of the time is to play with the ball (pick it up, toss it and pick it up again). Isn't that great, RM12.50 for her to play with some plastic balls :-(

There were giant air bouncer for kids to bounce on and she was excited and kept bouncing on the ground but refused to bounce on them. At one point, she made friend with a little girl who is slightly older and kept following wherever the little girl is going. Even when the little girl hop onto the bouncer and asked her to join in, she refused.

We left at exactly 7pm and that was because I was bored. She wasn't playing with anything else and I was just tailing her walking here and there to make sure she was safe. Although she didn't want to leave, we managed to coax her to leave with no fuss.

We are definitely not going back there for a while. Here are the pros and cons from our observation:

Pros:

• There is a cafeteria in the premise for parents who would like to get a cup of coffee while waiting for their kids (when the parents got bored)
• Parents can enter with their kids at no cost, you can follow your kid and make sure he/she is safe. If you're tired, there are some small stools at the side for you to rest on.
• Older kids (at least 4 and above) can keep themselves occupied while you shop for a couple of hours as they have the 'drop and shop' programme (at a different cost of course).
• The entrance fee is per entry basis so its value for money as kids can play as long as they like.
• You'll not find some of the facilities there in the normal playground in your neighbourhood.

Cons:

• I think the place is suitable for older kids, at least 4 and above unless if you are planning to stay there with your kid for the entire time. It is definitely not suitable for a 2 year old.
• The staff on duty who are supposed to watch over the kids to make sure they play safely are not really doing their jobs. While I was there for an hour, I could see older kids running around dangerously and banging into other kids. The staff who mostly look like high school students just walk around with their nose in the air and they definitely do not look trained to manage kids.
• Adults and kids are supposed to wear socks in the play area but I could see some parents without socks, some adults with shoes in the compound.
• I dislike the flooring the most. I do not know what material it was but it was slippery especially with socks on. My little girl who likes to run almost fell twice! They should use rubber flooring which would be safer for kids especially if they fall.
• As the kids are free to roam everywhere (parents are suppose to accompany their kids in the play area unless its the drop and shop programme) I could see some of the older kids bullying the younger ones and the parents are not around to guide or defend them.
• Hygiene is also a big issue. I saw some kids with bad runny nose running around the place and i wonder how often the things gets wiped or wash!

And because my camera was in another bag (told you I hate changing bags), I didn't manage to snap any photo of Hayley walking around and having fun at he giant playground (that's what she calls it) :-(

Legend Water Chalet, Port Dickson

During the long CNY holiday, we visited The Legend Water Chalets in Port Dickson and spent a night in their Executive Water Chalets at RM355++ per night inclusive of 2 breakfast. The room doesn't come with internet but we can get free access at the coffee house or the lobby.

Overall, we love the place and the ambience but the cleanliness and food is not up to the standard. The sheets and towels doesn't look clean. They look worn out (some even have stains) and should be replaced. The bath tub is not clean and the toilet flush doesn't work on the second day! Imagine our agony.

The water from the tap have some kind of a weird taste/smell too.

The check-in was rather slow (probably because it was holiday season so there were lots of people) and the staff weren't exceptionally friendly (probably tired and overworked). However, when we reached our chalet, we were pleased with the view. So was Hayley. She was running around exploring and smiling.

The hotel doesn't come with a beach. You will need to walk to the hotel next door (Glory Beach Resort) to access the beach. However, it was dirty and polluted. You might want to drive further to access nicer beaches.

The hotel does come with equipped facilities such as a gym, a karaoke room, a children playroom, an adult pool, a children pool, a playground, table tennis, bicycles for rent, fishing rod for rent and a mini market. There were plenty of indoor parking too which is ideal for such hot weather.

As for food, we tried food at coffee house (lunch on day 1 and breakfast on day 2) and it was just average. We also tried seafood at a nearby restaurant called Eighty Eight and another called Restaurant Hoi Chiew and I have to say they are very pricey (probably slaughtering non-locals like us) and they were nothing speacial. Food at 88 taste better than at Hoi Chiew but food at Hoi Chiew costs more. RM44 and RM59 for 3 dishes - fish, vege and tofu with chicken/egg with prawns. I believe we could get cheaper and tastier seafood meals here in KL.

Anyway, it was still a great holiday and an excellent breakaway from town.

Here are some snapshots of the happiest guest:

Here are some snapshots of the pool area:

Wash your feet using water from the well before entering the jacuzzi - the traditional way.

One of the jacuzzis, there were 2

The children's pool

The adult pool

Snapshots taken from our balcony and the walkways:

And finally, snapshots of the chalet:

The shower with a retractable rooftop

During low tide all we see is mud, during high tide we even spotted some tiny fishes but the water is definitely brown and not bluish like the photo in their website :-)

If you ask whether we will revisit, the answer is probably no. We will definitely be back but the next time we might stay at Avillion instead cause I think they have better beaches there and so far I have only heard about good compliments from friends or we might try Legends International Water Homes instead as they are newer and would probably be cleaner and better.

My birthday present

Although my birthday was in Sept, I told papa I would redeem my gift in Singapore and so I did. Initially I wanted a netbook but since we won a laptop, there was no urgent need for a netbook [big grin]. Therefore I decided to get the 2nd item on my wish list, a crossbody bag.

I always complained to papa that I have trouble keeping my shoulder bag hanging on my shoulder while I struggle to hold Hayley or push the stroller. The shoulder bag was good for weekday or office use but definitely not good for weekend when I need to handle a toddler. I do not have many handbags like most women do. I do not need them as I dislike changing handbags and risk forgetting stuff when I did (it happened to me before). And I certainly do not have many expensive handbags. I only have 1 so far which is the one I am currently using and it was more than a year old so there are already signs of wear and tear.

This time I chose a Coach crossbody bag as I didn't want to spend too much on a bag. An LV is definitely tempting but I cannot come to terms with paying so much just for a bag. This one cost me S$335 and I saw it in KL for RM900. On top of that, I got GST refund for the bag so I actually paid lesser than S$335. It was a simple and casual looking bag which suits my personality and style and I chose black as I could easily match it with anything I wear, see I am very practical :-)

And coincidentally, I found out that a friend of mine was in Tokyo (after I got back from Singapore and bought the Coach) and could not resist the temptation of getting a Burberry Blue Label which was only available in Japan. My sis got one as well and has been telling me so much about it that I decided to get one too. So this became my 2nd present, it was not meant to be, it just coincidentally happened :-). If my friend didn't get in touch with me (we lost touch for a long time and she only recently contacted me) and told me she was in Tokyo (she went there for 2 weeks for holiday and we hooked up 3 days before she was due to return), I wouldn't have known and if my sis didn't tell me about Burberry Blue Label, I didn't even know they exist. So I think it was destined for everything to happen at the same time and I went with the flow and got her to buy the bag. I have not seen it yet and will not be seeing it until after Christmas. I hope I will like it :-), it's the one on the left in the picture below. It was really hard to tell from looking at the photo from their website.

After spending so much on bags this year I hope I am not going to buy anymore for the next few years. Thank you papa for the lovely bags.

I can't wait to start preparing my birthday wish list for next year... hahaha.