A beautiful year

On this second last day of twenty-ten, I want to sieve through my memory and jot down the highlights of the year to refresh my memory of the fun & memorable times I experienced, to record the tremendous progress of my lovely daughter Kate from an infant to a toddler and loving moments worth mentioning.

Kate's first Christmas, December 2009

She was 3 months old then & sitting aided (bfeeding cushion which served as her armchair). Oh boy, those early days of parenthood were a hoot - tough as h*ll and probably one of the most memorable and challenging days of my life! I definitely appreciate how caring, patient, understanding and helpful the husband was through the early months, when I was considerably blue post-pregnancy. I was nervous and anxious about everything - bfeeding, diet, losing weight, gaining weight, baby regurgitating, baby drinking too little, expressing milk, losing hair, lumpy tummy, vaccinations, sick baby, lack of confidence... you name it, I'd probably experienced it (either fleetingly or in full-force)! The best Christmas present I got last year was definitely the Miu Miu bag that the husband selected for me - my very first very lovely Miu Miu! Besides it being a much coveted bag, it displayed the husband's thoughfulness and generosity in buying it for me. I heart it muchos!

Adult holiday in Phuket, January 2010

This was a holiday that we'd planned with our friends for months. It took a lot of co-ordination of leave, time & money for everyone to have gone. It was the first time the husband and I went away together, away for Kate for three full days! I was still bfeeding then, and it took the husband patience and I tenacity & determination to fit that into our holiday routine. We had to make detours to do the deed, or I simply had to pump away manually till my hands/arms ached. But we perserved together and my worries of weaning being away from Kate were unfounded. That holiday was great - I was in great shape and it was a good break away from being parents to focus on ourselves and each other. The trip also coincided with the husband's 30th birthday & it was great having a birthday celebration in a foreign land with all our good friends.

January was also the month I went back to work after my maternity leave and I had to adjust to being apart from Kate. It was tough and I suffered from separation anxiety! I learnt to deal with it and it was also joyous and very comfortable working 4-days a week (a work arrangement that was super).

Chinese New Year, February 2010

Kate's first lunar new year! She was uber hot property, every relative and friend was asking to see her, as she was the newest addition to the family. The husband and I were obviously very proud parents, showing off our little bundle of joy. See the pink dress she's wearing in the pic? I bought it for her then and she can still wear it today (albeit as a shorter dress). At 4 months, Kate also could flip over on her own - I'm so thankful for FB where I can monitor her progress through the pics and videos that I'd uploaded.

Kate goes on her first holiday, March 2010

Yes! We brought her on her very first holiday when she was 6 months old. We worried about her comfort levels on the flight - but we needn't have worried! She was a natural traveller, charming the flight attendants in-flight. It was quite an experience, the food was good, the weather was decent, the sister, the husband and I managed to squeeze in exercise time too; it was fantastic. I also managed to catch up with some old friends, visited my old university and shared it with the husband and daughter - lovely!

The reason why we went on this holiday - we're all very proud of the sister!

Celebrating my birthday as a family of three, March 2010

Besides the travel, the other highlight of the month was me turning the big 3-0. I remember doing this checklist then: job - check; husband - check; house - check (in-progress); baby - check! My life is good!

Cousins, of the same size in April 2010

In April 2010, Lukas was about a month old already. Here's a shot of them cousins together - cute huh! Lukas is 6 months younger than Kate but being a boy, he's pretty big in size. He was a very big infant to begin with. Today, Lukas is already heavier than Kate though she's still slightly taller. He's definitely a boy through-and-through! His build is chunky and manly; making Kate look terribly petite and girly in comparison. At 7 months, we could place her in high chairs when we ate out, her drooling became uber-intensive and she was definitely teething.

8-month-old Kate doing gymnastics, May 2010

Kate was developing very quickly these months and at 8 months, she was pulling herself to stand on anything she could grab her tiny baby hands on. She'd also graduated to being able to sit upright on her own. She also finally sprouted her first two teeth and began to crawl.

It's so tiring growing up, I can barely keep awake while eating, June 2010

After 9 months, the husband and I had definitely gotten used to being parents. It was terribly fun and endearing to watch Kate grow and we (especially the husband) will be rather cheeky and as a result, we have plenty of funny (some haha, some outright spastic) pictures and Kodak moments. The above is a classic one where Kate fell asleep in the chair, while eating.

Watch me walk, I'm trying! July 2010

At 9 months, Kate also slowly began tiring of crawling and we encouraged her to walk with the walker. It is more independent than the sit-in walker where she was already very adept at since she was 5 months old. That month, we also celebrated Fathers' Day, a first for the husband.

Happy Fathers' Day, Papa! July 2010

Celebrating August birthdays, the family picture's complete, August 2010

The sister-in-law lives in New Zealand, so in August, she came back for a holiday. Then, the whole family was complete which was nice, as we celebrated birthdays of the eldest brother and the MIL. Kate could toddle around, preferring for us to hold her while she ventures everywhere she wants to - training on the push-walker has paid off!

The princess turns ONE, September 17 2010

The husband and I had stressed weeks leading up to the birthday party that we'd planned for her. As luck would have it, she contracted HFMD a few days before the party! How sad! We improvised and instead of a big party with many friends, we did a cosy little dinner with immediate family only. I love the picture above, it shows our little princess enjoying herself with her whole cake in its full glory (numero uno!) Celebrations are meaningful when you share it with loved ones, the number of people doesn't matter. Another super highlight, a very special homemade gift from the husband to Kate, was the video he put together for her. I was very touched as he also attributed it to me, telling me beyond words how I'm doing a great job as a Mother. Yay!

A couple of weeks after Kate turned one, she discovered mobility - she found courage to walk on her own. There's no stopping her after that! She began to walk everywhere and anywhere she wanted; but this little one is no fool - she knows to choose when she wants to walk, requesting for us to bao bao her when she's lazy.

When Kate turned one, I also stopped breastfeeding. It was a tough time weaning her off, especially when she was very reliant on suckling to sleep. With the help of my mother and the husband, we did it. I slowly stopped latching her on, and also slowly stopped expressing. I had no issues with stopping, and it was very odd having "my breasts back", if I may put it that way. I no longer had to carry my 'mommy bag' (full of equipment) everywhere I went, I no longer had to worry about spillage or engorgement, I lost the fullness of my boobs, but I gained back my independence. From the very beginning, I'd wanted to bfeed and I'm very proud of myself that I did it as I planned to for a whole year. I'll like to thank the husband for his support throughout the whole period, I'm beyond happy that he also encouraged me to perservere; yet never pressurising me to do it, allowing me to take it easy and do my best.

In November, I had a stressful & emotionally charged two-weeks, where I debated internally and decided on a change of job; the decision seemed easy to make but was so tough emotionally, because I was at Ogilvy for 4.5years, having built my own base, friends and strengths over time through sheer hard work. It was a decision that came rather naturally, despite the emotional entanglements, because my priorities in life were different. I knew that being a mother, I wanted more time with my family as time lost cannot be re-captured, and so I know that my decision was right.

WAAAH, Kate & her super Christmas present, December 2010

So it's been a whole year. I love the picture above as it shows Kate in her ultimate cutest state - she was wow-ing over her present, she could tear apart the wrapping paper on her own; a vast contrast to how she was a mini bundle last Christmas. I love December, who doesn't? It's full of holidays, of fun, of great food, of over-eating, of love, of presents, of laughs, of reminiscence and of thanks.

It's been a beautiful year for me; thanks to the husband and Kate for making my life so much fuller and beautiful than ever before, and I'm looking forward to twenty-eleven!

Snip!

Look who had her bangs trimmed yesterday?

Haircut: Papa Seah

Love and other drugs

I watched this with no expectations whatsoever, with little knowledge of it except having heard of it over the radio about it being a love-comedy starring Jake Gyllenhaal & Anne Hathaway. I caught it rather unexpectedly today & rather enjoyed myself. It also made me think about a few things.

1. Rekindling that love

It's easy to fall in love, but not as easy to keep it going good; watching the love scenes and love-filled eyes that the actors have for each other made me think how easy it is to forget that kinda feeling. Sure, it's not realistic to expect to have that kinda sparkle always, but I'm a sucker for romanticism, and I think it's important to keep that flame. When was the last time you looked at your partner as if it was for the first time, and got that flutter in your gut?

2. Good conversations count

Hearing the witty banter in the show makes me, no, not expect real life to be like that (not for me anyway), but it's lovely to see how they make each other laugh. They tease and talk and I think that's how it ought to be, regardless of length or stage of any relationship. When was the last time you talked, really talked to your partner whether it's asking about how his day was, how he was feeling, how you loved him - instead of talking about chores/work/complaining of something?

3. Looks matter

Yes, I know it's a movie and a lot of money & time is spent on wardrobe and setting so that everything, down to the minutest detail is perfect. And so yes, while it is unrealistic to have an open concept bathroom and a bathtub with a loft-like apartment, whilst sitting in it with your partner enjoying a hug in the bubble-bath; my point is, it is important to make an effort sometimes. Go out somewhere different. Dress up differently. Try a new diner. Doing something totally the same (like walking/shopping/eating) with different wardrobe/settings can make you feel different and create a different experience. That's why you feel different when you're on holiday in a different country. And while it's not financially sane for most of us to travel every time we need to feel a buzz, making an effort to create a different experience can be just as fun.

I'm not a movie critic and am generally rather easy-to-please, and since this movie fits nicely in the I like category, it wasn't tough to enjoy it. So while it isn't a perfect or the best movie, I think it's a movie worth watching. For the two hours, allow yourself to be romanticised, to discover that Jake Gyllenhaal can be quite a charmer (I never saw him that way before) & to remember love all over again. Oh, one thing though - I'll recommend that you go catch it with your partner; I wished I watched it with the husband. It's just one of those movies you'll prefer to cuddle with your loved one while watching so you can sneak kisses with each other at aawww moments. Kinda like how you'd always prefer to go to weddings together, you know?

Cat... or mao?

We've long established that Kate is bilingual. She has quite a large vocabulary of words (though not all pronounced accurately) and it's currently tilting more in the mandarin segment. Her level of comprehension seems balanced in both languages.

While reading her a book two nights ago, the husband and I decided to 'test' the commonly heard theory if she will be able to respond in the right language.

Me *pointing to picture: Baby, what is this?
Kate: cat

Me *pointing to same picture: Baby, zhe shi she me?
Kate: mao

YAAAAAY!! The husband and I looked at each other incredulously for some moments with huge grins on our faces. Clever baby!

Er ling yi yi!

I overheard the MIL teaching Kate how to say 2011 in mandarin the other morning. It's terribly cute as she didn't quite grasp the sequence, and kept going straight to repeating yi-yi (one one); it also prompted me to think of how quickly the year has gone by.

I started the year full of trepidation as my maternity leave ended and I had to go back to work, I survived breastfeeding my daughter till she was one, I'd groomed and watched my daughter grow to the cute little clever toddler she is aged 15 months today, and as we are on the last week of this year, I look forward to the quiet, meaningful dinner that the husband and I will have to recap, mull and appreciate the year that we've shared together.

On a side note, we brought Kate for her first MMR vaccination at the polyclinic today. Two things to note: 1/ it only cost us $5! Am totally rooting for public health care - how much we save with it! & 2/ it's common that the child usually has fever a week after the shot. I'm not looking forward to that & I secretly hope that Kate will be the minority % that does not get it. Good luck to us!

Christmas through the years

Every Christmas, the husband and friends celebrate together. It's been their tradition for years and the very first time I joined the husband in this celebration in 2004, I was a friend.

X'mas 2004 @ Swissotel

Typically, there's always an abundance of food (either potlucked/catered) and drinks and the night is spent with lots of laughs, games and spirits are always high. There's also a traditional gift exchange. The husband and I became a couple after the first year and I joined in this festive tradition as a girlfriend for the next three years.

X'mas 2005 @ Swissotel

X'mas 2006 BBQ party @ Jerry's

X'mas 2007 @ The Beaufort, Sentosa

Then the husband and I got married, and we'd then celebrated the next few Christmases as husband and wife. After this many years of the same kinda routine, we themed the next party as a pyjamas party. Everyone gamely donned on their pyjamas that night.

Pyjamas party @ a villa in Sentosa

Then last year, we continued with a themed party & everyone upped their game with costumes galore.

A retro-licious christmas 2009

It's so fun going through old pics, and looking back at how my relationship with the husband has progressed much. It's exactly what I've written of us - how we were friends, and how our relationship's developed more & how we have a beautiful daughter today. The celebrations also become more meaningful as our friendships with each other strengthen over the years.

This year, we decided to do something different yet again and we went on a cruise. Some highlights of our trip:

Bingo (nay, we didn't win) - check out the husband's competitive face!

Entertaining ourselves with silly deck games. Again, check out the husband's game pose!

Our usual Christmas goodies

Our traditional group shot

Gift exchange, the husband and I

My favourite shot - we being our usual silly selves; set on the cruise deck

Because the cruise dates were set, we'd brought forward our celebrations by a day this year, which explained why I was home with the husband and Kate on Christmas eve & day. The cruise was so-so, not sure if I'd ever go for one again (not for the exact same one I'm pretty sure), but as always, the company made it worthwhile and it was still a nice Christmas memory down the road. One setback which I'm still feeling today is the 'motion sickness' - I'm still swaying slightly in my brain which is becoming rather uncomfortable *puke

And that's how we spend our Christmases all these years. Looking forward to the next one and many more of love and happiness, joy & fun!

Tis the season

The rain's pouring down hard, the daughter is sound asleep and the husband is in the shower.

The parents are either watching TV or in bed, the brother is with his girlfriend, the sister is with her friends and the boyfriend should have joined her or will be joining her soon.

We've all had a day together, nothing fancy, a happy lunch altogether as a family with gift exchanges, lots of laughs, love and happiness.

And that's what it's all about.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Missing you already

Dear Kate,

Papa and I are going away for 2 days (only!); like Mama said, you'll sleep with Ah gong and Ah ma for 2 nights (only!) & we'll be back very soon.

I miss you so much already.

Love lots, Mommy

How is it possible...

that I miss Kate so much when I barely left her less than 2 hours ago, and after we've slept side-by-side for the whole night?

Sigh.

When one goes down, all goes down

That's what happens when any of us fall ill. Whether it starts with me/the husband/Kate, the other one and/or two will inadvertently catch some form of the same virus too.

Kate's had a throat infection since last week, and this morning, the husband and I are both down too.

Sharing the good times, and the not-so-good ones too.

But we're always there for and with each other, so it's always fine!

Birthday party

I brought Kate to Joshua's birthday party yesterday. Didn't manage to capture a shot with him on my equipment, but I guess the group shot will turn up on FB once Mommy Sab's ready with them.

I think the highlight has got to be how well-behaved my little princess was! She was totally taken with the police car and she sat in there throughout the entire party with no fuss at all! How angelic!

Hey Ma, watch me drive - vroooom

The party was themed Elmo & the cake was very very cute. Kate had a little gift-bag - personalised! - to bring home and though I wish I had more time to spend with Mommy Sab, I think K and I both had quite a fun time.

Bringing Elmo home

Dear Kate (with heart!)

I’ve mentioned before how Kate is very close to me. I cannot begin to describe how much I love her and how delighted I am that we are this close. I hope that we’ll always be this close; though I know that the dynamics of the relationship will evolve and change. So right now, I’m truly revelling in our love.. and here’s some pictorial proof of it.

Koala-Kate hugging her special mummy tree

The husband surprised me with this MMS just moments ago! He’d snapped it this morning while both K & I were sleeping. I so heart this picture!

Dear Kate,

You turn 15 months today. The past 15 months have been the best time in my life – you have strengthened the love and communication between your Papa and I. You have taught me to not sweat the little stuff & to focus on what’s important in life. You have given me confidence, strength and wisdom in parenting, making me a better woman. You make me laugh, you make me exasperated, you make me so happy and proud to be your Mother. You are a little person now, expressing yourself very clearly in your demands and wants; going to places that you want to, taking things on your own, mimicking everything that you see and hear. You respond to us so lovingly, giving us smiles & hugs freely; you are my sunshine, my love, my everything.

Thank you for being the best baby in the world. I love you.

Love, Mommy

Her secret spot

We have a little green stool that we put outside the common bathroom. We use that stool in chores - when the MIL washes clothes, when we bathe Kate... The husband just sent an MMS to me with the accompanying message:

Kate will randomly come and sit here

HAHAHA How funny is that!

Our busy weekend past

Saturday

We visited Cova (Paragon) for the first time. Kate shares our toast for breakfast

Walking down Orchard Road

Kate play-shops while Daddy shops

The little cousins join us - had to take a shot with the Christmas tree as backdrop!

They ran amok at go-go-bambini & all collapsed in exhaustion

That pretty much ended our Saturday which was a very long day when you have three kids in tow (the husband and I shared a moment of "gosh three is too many" thought)

Monday

We were both off work on Monday and we headed to town for the much talked-about ramen @ Ippudo. I thought it was pretty alright, though the husband still much prefers his favourite Men-tei ramen. The shops were pretty quiet at the Mandarin Gallery & look what Kate did:

Lounging

Close-up - we had no idea what she was doing?!

Nap.

The hour that she napped was a peaceful moment - the husband went to run an errand and I carried her in my arms. I miss the days when she was a baby when all she did was sleep and I could spend all day holding her. She was so much smaller then and so fragile - being a mother now makes me understand how your child will always be your baby; and I think of how my parents raised me up from a tiny tot to the adult that I am today. Amazing!

December is always a joyous, festive month and this christmas is much more hectic and busy with a toddler to run around after. I love December; I lovemy family!

Mid-day treat

MMS from the husband. My girl's 4 days shy of turning 15-months-old!

Because she is the daughter I incubated in my womb for 9 months

She's too close to you, cannot even go out of her sight! (or she'll cry)

...said the husband just moments ago. It's not entirely true that I cannot go out of her sight, but it is true that Kate very much prefers me to anyone else. She'll call for me when she awakens, she prefers me to put her to sleep, she'll come to me when she gets shocked/frightened/shy/etc, and all I want to do is enjoy & treasure such moments where I am number one in Kate's life. It's not going to last forever and I want her to know that I reciprocate with all my heart.

Talking Kate

Yesterday evening, after dinner, I brought Kate to the void deck for a short walk (she was so hyper & bouncing off the walls – had to bring her out to exhaust her) & the moment I stepped out of the lifts, she said...

Cat.

Up.

No more...

What did she see?

We spotted a cat, walking up the stairs, which disappeared out of sight when it turned the corner.

Aaahhh…. my clever little one!

Guess who dropped me off at work today?

Happy Friday!

Hit of adrenalin to start the day

I did it.

I went for a jog before heading to work today. A super 30-minute jog (okay, I have a confession - I didn't intend to run for that long; I just miscalculated my route and had to keep going!) with no time to cool down, but it was awesome.

Ever since I became a Mom, I’ve not reverted to my regular exercise regime. Once upon a time when I used to hit the gym at least thrice a week, I now don’t even have… well, I just don’t. Boo.

So, on the days that I drive to work, I can leave the house later than if I had to take public transport. If I wake up at the same time as my “public-transport” days, I can use that time to run! I just have to tapau my breakfast and groom myself in the car/at work. Only downside is that I'm dripping with perspiration because my body is so revved up but fortunately, I have the air-conditioning in the car to stabilise my body temperature. A side effect is that I'll miss having breakfast with K, but I doubt I’ll do this more than twice a week, (ha! let’s see if I can begin a once a week on a regular basis) so it’s ok! All in all, there are more pros than cons in this arrangement and perhaps I’m still on a high after all the running I’ve done in the past week (3x!), or maybe, it’s the coffee (heh) but I do hope that this is a beginning of a long-running (pun intended) arrangement.

Wish me luck!

Happy morning

I had a rather pleasant & enjoyable morning - a great start to the day!

I got an unplanned morning call from the husband at 6.30am, telling me that he wouldn't be back home in time to handover the car (the poor man has been working all-night shifts); and what struck me as rather amusing was how he asked me if I was truly awake and he even offered to call me again if I was semi-asleep & not absorbing what he was telling me!

As I was already awake, I thought of going for a morning run & I was nearly out of the door when I heard "Mama!" The little one had awakened!

Now, let me digress a little to share with you how close K and I are. She's especially clingy to me at bedtime - before she sleeps, when she sleeps and after she wakes up. Before she goes to bed, she'll roll over my body, sit on my tummy, touch my face/arms/belly, sometimes she'll poke my eye (have to teach her to stop doing so!)... until she tires herself out and knocks out. When she's asleep, she may suddenly wake up to shift her sleeping position and sometimes she'll put her head next to mine or lay very close to my body, sometimes she'll slap my face (lightly) & her intention is merely to touch me and seek comfort in having me by her side. When she awakens, she'll like to have me by her side - again I just think she feels comforted. She'll wave to me (this is terribly cute!) and smile and just lay beside me in bed (she's a lazer). The MIL & the husband have both shared with me that she'll check to see who is in bed with her (they have tried cheating her by covering their faces) and she'll cry if it isn't me. I think this terribly endearing & I love her so!

So back to this morning - because she was up and calling for me, I abandoned my plans to run and had a leisurely breakfast with her. She was in great spirits before I left the house and I stepped out with a bounce in my step. Maybe it’s the lovely weather (cool air with warm sunshine), maybe it’s December – whatever it is, I’m feeling great!

Along the way, I spotted a squirrel! It was scrambling up the tree and I wanted to snap a picture of it, but I wasn’t close enough and I figured the quality of the picture wouldn’t have been great.

Happy Wednesday!

Happy tidings & a special yiyi

The sister has played a very active role ever since Kate was born – she was there on many occasions before Kate turned one, when K was merely a little bundle; and this was despite how she was not based in Singapore then. And of course, ever since she has returned to Singapore (of which I believe K was partial influence also), she has been great help to me every single time we are together. I have to say that the sister is indeed a great yiyi to bay-bee (how she fondly calls K), and I am always grateful at how initiated she is when we go out together (maria, how we fondly – jokingly of course! – call her). Not forgetting to mention how yiyi has captured only but 23,879 pictures of K, goes to show how much we all love and adore K, and the sister.

Two Fridays ago, the sister joined our little family for dinner. It was simple, we had dinner, we took pictures, we strolled around, we held hands, we laughed, we played, we ate, we talked, we hung out. Such moments together are always fun and I enjoy them terribly!

Love to the best yiyi in the world

K was mesmerised by the band

Gimme a smile!

Papa & K

Christmas is coming!

Rays of hope, love and happiness

Driving to work today, I saw sunrays streaming through the clouds. I wished I could have snapped the beautiful scene to share.

Love how it's a beautiful morning. I have plenty to be thankful for & much to look forward to.

Life is good.

MAMAMAMA

My little girl sticks to me like superglue these days and I've told the husband to try to snap a shot where she's clinging on to me. It's not happened yet, but you get the idea. I cannot even go to the toilet without her yelling for me, she'll much prefer me to be with her 90% of the time. Maybe it's because we spent a lot of time during my two-week break, maybe it's simply because I am her Mommy. Whichever the case, I totally revel in the idolising, the no-one-will-do-but-MAMA moments, the special waves and smiles she gives me.

This is what makes it all worthwhile.

Dear Kate,

Mommy loves you with all my heart too. I wish that we will always be this close, this special in each others' life.

Love, Mommy

Just gotta try it on for size

Parenting, that's what I'm referring to.

It's one of those things that you'll never know how it's truly done until you try it for yourself. And no matter how hard you try, you'll never know how it'd turn out.

It starts the moment you get pregnant - even before, actually. You gotta prep your body right for optimal fetus growth/development, watch your folic acid intake, quit smoking & drinking... then when you're pregnant you ought to take the right kind of omega-ness etc so that the fetus absorbs all the best stuff from you. You also got to have the right balance of exercise/diet/well-being (mentally, physically, emotionally) so that fetus grows in the best conditions.

After the 9-month journey of incubation, it's a whole new ball-game when the baby's out in the world. I never knew how tough a job can get and how much I can really push myself until I became a Mom - functioning on tight nerves, imbalanced hormones and fatigue. After the initial months, when the baby becomes more independent and responsive, parenting becomes more fun as the baby begins to communicate and interact with you. That's also just about when their already developing personality becomes clearer and it's a challenge trying to manage them.

Manage mightn't be the right word, it's more like hope-I-don't-get-found-out-that-I'm-an-on-the-job-trainee! Tantrums, terribly-twos, bratty behaviour... and years down the line, grades, school, boyfriends/girlfriends, lousy peers who are negative influences...

I guess that's the point I'm trying to make - no one is born to become a parent, nor is anyone totally ready to be a a parent, the ride is unpredictable, stressful, rewarding and unbelievably amazing - all rolled-into-one.

Sure, you can be as ready as you think you are, but when it actually happens, it is unlikely to be similar to what you've read up and tried your best to prepare for. Sometimes, you make the wrong choices (shouldn't have fed her that, it's too sweet/oily/salty; oops she fell because I wasn't watching her; I feel bad for yelling at her, she's only a baby afterall, she doesn't know any better?...) it never ends. But, I think we all try to be the best that we can, and hope for the best. There are, of course, some things that you can watch out for, especially in the areas of discipline - I strongly believe that every child can be taught to behave regardless of how playful he is, and it is crucial that parents instill discipline in their children because a child is not bad by nature, he is spoilt bad.

The best thing? Your child doesn't know any different and you will always be the best parent he has.

Fun times are made of these

Perfect start to the weekend

With a warm scone, peppermint tea, magazines