Bz mommy's back!

Phew...! Just came back to my office from a 2-day workshop. Tiring... but am happy that we achieved the objectives.

Hmmm, not too sure how many times I'm going to say this...but I'm surprised that this blog has been left un-updated for more than a month now! Yeah, yeah... I gotta discipline myself in my time management so that all tasks get done. With new responsibilities, priorities have changed once again... Can't help it but if it's gotta be done that way, then that's the way it is gonna be....

What am I mumbling about? Probably just need an avenue to clear out all the thoughts lingering in my head right now...

As expected, I have missed out updating so many latest happenings in my and Leia's lives. Thanks to my long silence but will try to catch up. I promise.

Leia has been growing up very fast. She's in her baby talk phase right now - "go ga tha di dum tha...", "ma cha si di na...". Incomprehensible but it's been fun reacting to her verbalisation. *Is there such word??* Also, she's now trying very hard to build sentences in her conversation with us. For example, " Papa wake up" (when she's been asked by yours truly to wake up her lazy daddy from his slumber...), "Mommy keep" (when she wants me to keep her books for her after reading), "Kakak (sister in Malay) makan".... Oh yes, she's learning Malay language too with her "kakak" (our new maid). Yup, you see it right... we've got a maid too!!! It's another long story to share... Will do it in another post, I promise. Oh god, it's the second promise I made within the same post!!

But one thing good for sure, I can now cook almost everyday for the family. Thanks to kakak's ever ready assistance.

Talking about that, I better think of what to cook for tonight now...!

No teeth still?? Part 3

Yes, finally made it to the clinic! Well, guess I had overly-rated my expectations prior to the visit coz it was nothing exciting nor eye-opening! I have no one to be blamed but myself!

"What is it?, what is it?", you may ask... But oh well... nothing extraordinary happened. Reached the clinic almost 9am and for the first time, couldn't get a parking lot there. Why did every parents decide to bring their 'lil ones there on the same day..?? So, being the responsible road user I always am, I politely parked next to the motorcycle park illegally but made sure that I didn't obstruct the traffic. Very thoughtful, wasn't I? Thankfully, I managed to persuade the security guard to let me go. Not surprising, right? Who on earth will not sympathise to a helpless, semi-incompetent-looking mom with a toddler strapped on the car seat - without any other human being at sight to assist her, right? "Cheh eh ho liao ha?" ("Just for a short while, ok?" in Hokkien), requested the security guard.

The visit lasted about one and a half hours. I do hope it is considered "short" for the kind security guard...

Anyway, it was just another regular check-up. Checked her weight - 9.5kg. She only gained 100g since her last 2 months visit. It's considered a low increase... But nothing to worry about as long as she's still gaining weight progressively. She was measured height for the first time, though.. 77.4cm. Oh, another first time - dental check, the moment I've been waiting for!

"Buka mulut, Leia..." ("open your mouth" in Malay), the nurse asked her. "Mai..." ("no" in Hokkien), she retorted. This happened for a few times until everyone gave up. So, I explained her progress to the nurse. According to her, some babies are late bloomers. *Duh.... They will usually refer the late bloomers to doctors if there's still no sign of teeth by the age of 2. So, Leia "failed the test" to get the chance to meet the doc. Remember I told you earlier, one tooth on the upper gum is showing...

So, there we were... listening to some dental care advise given by the nurse. I find it hard to believe that I need to start cleaning her hardly visible tooth! and gum. No more pacifier. Fact or myth?? That babies may develop imperfect teeth if they continue chewing on their pacifiers.

Want to know our progress thus far? Well, Leia has successfully lived her last 2 days without pacifier. Easy-peasy. No violent protest required. But....but... as for cleaning her tooth and gum, no action has been taken yet. Blame it on my lack of urgency. Hmmm... maybe tonight.

No teeth still?? Part 2

Hehehe.... I see something in there....!

Yup! I'm seeing sign of teething! Leia's first tooth is struggling to pierce through her toughen gum. Counted. 1/4 tooth is out. Meaning, the first one is not totally out yet. But, it's ok. I can heave a sigh of relief now...hai..... :)

Hubby's right. We've not heard of cases of toothless child, right? And I'm pretty sure Leia will not place her name in Guinness World Records...if you know what I mean....

Nevertheless, I can't wait to visit her doctor this coming Thursday. Counting down!

No teeth still??

Ok, ok, ok...there I go again... getting all paranoid with Leia's teething issue. Just great! I just got a weekly baby update from one of the baby's website that I subscribed to - Babycenter.com this afternoon... And guess what I've been informed..?

Quote
If your child still doesn't have any teeth by 15 to 18 months, schedule a visit with a pediatric dentist
Unquote

Haha! See, I knew something is not alright...! Leia's 14 months old now. Pretty close to the age range given above, don't you think?

Ok, should I get panic now? Her next regular medical check-up is in next 2 weeks time. So, I think I'll stay sane till that d-day (she'll turn 15 then!) and interrogate the doctor!

Leia's milestones

Physical development
Yay!! She could walk on her own d! She took her first successful independant step just right a day before Chinese New Year (that is 25th Jan, right?). Hooray! You bet, she's everywhere now. Good for this mommy. No more excuses to run along!

And now she's into going up and down the steps. Don't ever let her catch the sight of steps. She'll either run towards it on her own or drag us along. And then be prepared for non-stop "exercising" for the next 10-20 mins.... "Up!" and "down!"

And you better believe it.... yup, no sign of teeth yet. How old is she now? 14 months... What?? Yeah, yeah, yeah... you are not the first person to emphatise and say nice things to us...like, "it's good to sprout teeth late. Then her teeth won't spoil so soon...., etc, etc"

Well, many doctors and baby websites have said that it's normal... Ok, then it's normal. Not going to worry about it. * yeah, right!* You know, each time Leia developed fever, the common prediction was "oh, perhaps her teeth are coming out..." Well, they were false alarms alright. My heart has just decided to stop guessing... Well, the teeth will come out when it's time, I guess. Have faith!

Speech
She's at her peak right now, I think. She's learning words and memorizes the relation between a picture and word very fast. At times, all we need is to tell her one time and she remembers.

Some of the words that she has been using frequently;
Ah mie (mommy)
Ah pa/ Papa (daddy)
Ah kong (grandpa)
Ah ma (grandma)
Koh koh (brother)
Ah ku (uncle)
Bye....
Bb... (baby)
hi
phak! (beat you!)
mai (no)
ai (i want/ yes)
woh woh (dog)
bird
yugh.... yugh... (hot)
piggy
fish
bike
mam mam/ eat
up
down
sit
shoe
book

she can recognise;
lantern
fan
socks
sponge bob (her favourite bolster cum soft toy)
cup
thermos (her porridge container)
giraffe (her assisted walking toy)
chair
flowers
cat
handphone/phone
etc, etc

Oh yeah, she loves to "dance"! Play any kind of music, she'll happily shake her body for you, be it in standing or sitting position. So, this could be our life saviour when it comes to handling her tantrum throwing moments.

Oh, it's so true that babies grow up so fast. It's simply amazing to see a toddler who's just been living in this world for merely a year could handle so much in a day!

It's miracle!

She's losing her appetite

Hmmm... it's coming to a week now - Leia seems to be losing her appetite. She refused to finish her "moi" (porridge) and milk almost on her every meal. She used to drink at least 7 ounces of milk in 2.5 hours time but now... she couldn't even finish her 6 ounce milk. 

I'm getting a bit concerned. Could it be due to teething? She's coming to 13 months old and yet, there's no sign of sprouting teeth. 

Tried giving her other new type of foods like bread, biscuit, oats, pears but she doesn't seem to be able to eat a lot. That includes her favourite biscuit - Jacob's Weetameal. She could only finish quarter or maximum half of the biscuit when previously, she could finish one whole at one go.

Feeding time

Lately, Leia has started to like playing with her cutlery. During feeding times, she has tried to grab the spoon from my hand. So, you can imagine how messy it could be most of the time! I have to always get ready a bucket of water and wet cloth next to me. Just so that I can immediately wipe and clean up the mess once it happens. Sigh...

Solution? Look at the pictures below,

Her own cutlery set - minus the food

Hmmm...what's so yummy with the plastic spoon?

Not so full-proof still. I guess it will only happen when she turns adult, hopefully....

Discipline my child

My dreaded moments have arrived... Or should I say that it's confirmed that I lack of parenting skill?

Leia has been throwing tantrums quite often lately whenever she didn't get things done her way. It's especially embarrassing when she does it in the public. As much as we both tried very hard to reason with her and gently tell her "no" to avoid unsafe situations, she would just "flipped" and engaged into actions that at times may hurt herself. Things that she would do would include crying till we pick her up, pushing herself backward with all her might, raising both legs into the air and then bringing them down hard, throwing whatever items held in her hand...

Again, I feel panicky! Oh dear... what can I do better to discipline her? A couple who came to visit us last weekend gave us some advise - It is the time now to consider using "the rod" to discipline her. They have always been our role model for good parenting. They have raised 2 obedient, polite and well-mannered children and deep in my heart, I really hope I can be one as well.

We have never used the rod. The most we have done is to beat her hand and bottom with our hands. So, obviously the current method doesn't work. This sense of desperation lead me to read up more about the right method to disciplining Leia. But what is discipline to begin with? According to Dr Sears, discipline is based on building the right relationship with a child more than using the right techniques. Discipline is mostly what you do to encourage good behaviour. Certainly not reacting to bad behaviour as some parents would equate discipline with.

After reading this article about "DEVELOPMENTAL REASONS WHY TODDLERS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO DISCIPLINE", I begin to see Leia's temper tantrums in different light. I now understand that the drive that babies have to develop, is the same one that creates discipline challenges. For example, along with learning how to pick up things, a one-year-old toddler develops hand skills to manipulate what she gets. Doors are to be opened, knobs turned, drawers pulled, dangling cords yanked, and waste cans emptied. Everything within walking and grabbing distance is fair game, or so she figures. To the inquisitive adventurer like Leia, the whole house is an unexplored continent, and she intends to leave no stone unturned.

So, what are the discipline principles that I need to use to help Leia to have "good" behaviours? I trust the most important one is to understand and know her. Know her needs and capabilities at various ages. My discipline techniques should be different at each stage because Leia's needs change. A temper tantrum in a one-year-old calls for a different response than it does in an eight-year-old.

So, say no more to reacting to bad behaviours but start instilling good ones. Looks like I won't be able to doze off so easily tonight.... Lots of reflection going through my head now!

Hair cut!

Don't you think Leia's hair is a bit too long? Her fringe especially. Almost touching her eyes.

So, I finally decided to give her a haircut after her lunch last Saturday. Covered her with her "lampin" (cloth diaper in Malay) and clipped it with a cloth peg on her back to keep it in place.

Not much success though...

Comb, comb...

All set!

A tiny scissors was in my hand when her "papa" came back from work. Looking at his adorable baby sitting in her high chair all ready, he offered to be the hairstylist of the day!

Combing her hair again....?

As soon as papa combed her fringe with his fingers, she screamed, yelled and resisted his action.

Can you see her teary eyes?

So, we tried many ways to make it a not-so-bad experience for her. That included giving her things to keep her occupied and talked to her.

Since she liked the comb that papa was using for the haircut, I have to get her my favourite purple one.

Anyway, that was not her first time. Perhaps, it was a bit too hot that day. There was no fan nearby and she was covered half top body with the cloth. Yeah, what a bad location I've chosen...

Guess where was the location this "hair salon"? Hint: Find for clues from the photo background

Her latest favourite chew item : Her ABC rubber mat! Oh dear!

Lots of hair was cut, almost an inch in length. Didn't have the time to snap the "after" haircut shot. She had "poo"ed! Do check out her new hairstyle in coming posts.

Almost ready to walk

For the past few days, I have tried guiding her to walk by holding her hands, only to receive resentment from her. Instead of walking, she jumped up and down signing "no". Well, guess she's still not ready then.

However, last night as I was busy making her fried anchovies in the kitchen... she "did it" on her own! Not exactly actually. She held on to her walker. But that's a good start nevertheless. I was very excited for her. I clapped hands and gave her words of encouragement. She turned and smiled at me and walked a few more steps before she stopped and crawled to her "papa". Didn't make it for some photo shots.

But later, again she went back to her walker and pulled herself up.


She didn't "walk" the second time though...

I certainly look forward to the coming days when she'll be readier to try her "legs" on walking... :)

Wwwwwwuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaa........!!!!!!!!

Wah... beh tahan!! (cannot stand it) It's been several days now that Leia has been getting so cranky and cry like there's no tomorrow to get things done her way.

And I tell you... her cry is unbelievably loud. It is the type of cry you'll let out when in pain. A long moment of silence before wwwwwwuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaa........!!!!!!!! And the pattern repeats until a person picks her up! That means, if no one picks her up for the last 5 minutes, then she would have cried for the last 5 minutes. So, to end her crying, we'll just have to pick her up. Almost instantaneously, her crying will stop. Please tell me - what do you understand about this type of crying? Could it be any other reasons besides using this tactic to get things done her way?

It's driving everyone who care for her going crazy! Tonight itself, she has had her series of loud crying within 5-15 minutes gap. For example:

1. Sat her on my aunty's lap, she cried. Aunty had no choice but to stand up again and walked and then she would stop crying.
2. She was playing happily with bunch of keys in her hand but as soon as I passed by, she went into hysterical crying and kicked her legs.
3. Sat her on the car seat (going back home from my aunty's place) and smiled at her, she started to cry.
4. Dropped by at my mom's place to pick up some stuff. The maid said "hi" to her and she smiled so sweetly. But as soon as the maid disappeared from her sight, she screamed!
5. So, along our journey back home which took around 15 minutes - she cried non-stop. Tried to let her suck her pacifier - only ended up making situation worse. She cried even louder and pushed it away.

Stressed out. Face turned red


Sweat trickling down from her head

As soon as I took her out from her car seat, she stopped crying. And started communicating. Pointing her finger at our dog and blurted out "whou whou" sound. As soon as we entered the house, she pointed at the fan, the hanging paper lantern, the spoon that fell on the floor....

Does it sound like what a spoilt child would do? Or am I missing something here?

Vaccination

On this coming 30 November, Leia will turn 1 year old. That also means, she will have to go for her next jab soon. Oh, another painful experience for her....

Ever since she was born, I have taken her to a government clinic for her periodic check-up and the scheduled vaccinations. Even if she falls ill, my trust is in the government doctors. After the horrible experience we had to go through when she first had a fever a months back with a private doctor, we have basically decided that medical assistance from government doctors will be our first choice from then onwards.

Call me bias but in my personal opinion, the chances of receiving sincere service is greater when monetary reward is not the main objective. This applies to many other aspects in life.

Anyway, back to Leia's vaccination schedule. She will be receiving her MMR (measles, mumps and rubella vaccines). Other optional vaccines which are made available in private hospitals for this age are chicken pox vaccine and pneumococcal C vaccine. Here is the attached link to Malaysia mandatory and recommended vaccination schedule for our children.

Our children have to be free from illnesses during the vaccination period. This is to ensure that they'll be better able to handle the vaccination when they are healthy.

It was unfortunate that I couldn't send Leia for the optional ones like Rotavirus and Pneumococcal vaccines earlier as she was not well when the right time came. Now that she's more than 8 months old, she no longer needs Rotavirus vaccine because there's not enough evidence to show how well it works in older babies. Thank God she passed the testing time!

As for Pneumococcal vaccine, I can still get her vaccinated. According to the expert, for children aged 12 to 23 months, two doses should be administered at least two months apart.

Will seek the doctor's advise when I send her for MMR vaccination this coming 1st Dec...

How many teeth does Leia have?

None!

She's going to be 1 year old by this end month and yet... "takda" (Malay word for none). I can see her bottom 2 middle teeth showing in her gum already. In fact, they have been there for a few months now and yet still not willing to come out!

The proof - shot taken a few days ago

Everyone have been asking and some couldn't comprehend why. Some had having negative thoughts in their heads. Abnormal baby? Of course, not! According to experts, baby's milestones vary from one individual to the other. Some babies could have their teeth sprouting out as early as 3-4 months. Some late bloomers will insist that it will only happen pass their 1 year old. I guess Leia will join the latter group.

The older generations from the Hokkien clan even have their own version of baby's milestones. It goes like this;

Chit chieh (7 - sit)
Peihk peh (8 - crawl)
Kow huat geh (9 - sprout teeth)

* 7, 8, and 9 refers to specific month

So, obviously Leia is out of the league. Hahaha... well, nothing much can be done. Just have to wait and see. Look at the bright side. I don't have to start worrying still about how to care for her gums and emerging teeth, the best way to brush her teeth, when to take her to the dentist, which brand has babies best toothbrush technology, etc, etc...

Horror story

Oh...it's so good to be back home! We picked up Leia from my aunty's place on our way home. Before we could enter her house, we heard Leia screaming away.

As soon as she saw me, she hurriedly leaned her body forward - expecting me to hold her. Oh, what a nice feeling to hold her in my arms once again. Indeed, absence makes the heart grow fonder...

It has not been a comfortable experience for Leia. (As usual, this overly worried mom called aunty everyday from outstation to check on her.) On her first night alone there, she couldn't put herself to sleep. Though aunty tried her best to follow my advise of what to do whenever Leia show any of the 3 signs (as per my earlier post), she resisted and slept only at 11pm (way over her usual bedtime which is around 9 plus). Only to wake up again around 1 plus and kicked up a big fuss. She was wailing and struggling and kept on pointing finger towards the door. It was as if she was asking to take her home. My aunty struggled to put her back to sleep. Her incessant crying woke up my grandma too and she helped to manage her but without much success. It was almost 3 in the morning, when she stopped crying and by then, my cousin has woken up from her slumber too and chipped in to help. Out of desperation, my grandma dialled 911 for help. Eh no-lah. She dialled my parents' home number.

My mom and dad came rushing to check on her. Leia then followed them home. Luckily, after feeding her with milk, she finally dozed off on my parents' bed. So, my dad was kicked out of the room and has to make do with sleeping upright on the sofa...

Leia's second night was a bit better. Though she slept past 11pm, she didn't wake up middle of the night this time. What a great relief for my aunty and the whole family. And a great relief to me too knowing that Leia was feeling a bit better and getting enough rest.

There are many contributing factors as to why she has behaved such;
1. Changed of place
2. Separation anxiety
3. My aunty's place is hot - she's developing rashes again which lead to greater discomfort
4. Over-stimulation through play and stress

Even during the day, nothing that my aunt did pleased her. It took 4 people to feed her - my aunty held the spoon, my grandma sat at the side to make sure she sits still all the time and my little cousin brothers entertained her by playing with her.

When my aunty put her in her cot, she made a fuss. She "cried" (minus the tears). Took her out from her cot, she cried again. Gave her favourite toys, she pushed them away. My aunty almost went bonkers, I think.

I'm glad that she is now back at home now. She slept like a sleeping beauty lastnight. And that was at 9 plus. Nothing out of ordinary behaviours shown. Back to her routine....

Oh Leia, I'm so sorry that I have put you through all these. I think I better find better solutions fast!

"No, Leia... you're not going home tonight..."

Went to visit Leia at aunty's place. That was coming to 9pm. She was drinking her milk. Shhhhh.... shouldn't speak too loud. Distraction. She may not want to continue drinking.

Since she will be sleeping there for the next 3 nights, I brought her favourite "going-to-bed" toys for her - Sponge Bob and counting book.

Oh, missing her already... As soon as her papa picked her up, she started waving "bye-bye" to my aunty and grandma. "No, Leia... you're not going home tonight...", I told her. :(

We spent some time playing with her before I put her to sleep.

Sleeping time

Who usually put your baby to sleep? You or your partner? Or maid? If it's you, how do you feel about this given "honour"?

Well, in my case, most of the time it will be me. There may be 1 or 2 occasions my hubby would have to do it but I personally rather handle it myself. Why? Coz I can easily put her to sleep without having to tear the whole house down!

You see, Leia has 3 types of sleeping signs that we can identify easily -

1. The blank stares. No matter how much we want to entertain her through stimulations like play, making funny faces, sing songs, etc, she will not react as we expected her to be. She will just give you the blank stare. For this case, putting her to sleep is easy-peasy. Just put her down in her cot and plug in her "chut chut" (pacifier) and within seconds, she'll be in dreamland...

2. The screamings and strugglings (must be due to over-stimulation earlier). Hooyoh... hubby certainly wouldn't want to offer help in such situations. And I certainly wouldn't make to make a fuss out of it. Coz, if he couldn't settle her down within 15 minutes, I would have to come to rescue. So, I'd rather handle her from the beginning to avoid unnecessary, prolonged stress for all - Leia, hubby and I!

3. The "play-by-myself" act. Easy. Put her down in her cot and give her a book or her favourite toy, Sponge Bob, she will happily play on her own for a while before slowly lying on her side/back and zzzzzz......

So, guess which sign she showed tonight?

Oh, she loves interacting through the cot net. Stick my face there and she will do the same...Mom and daughter bonding

She loves lying down at the corners too

Aik! Get up again?

Playing with her hanky

Lying down at opposite corner. Meddling with her book

Yeh....sleep d...

No leh...

Finally....

So, what's your guess?

Let me know your answer in the Comments and I will let you know whether you are right or wrong..k? ;)

How is she today?

2nd day of her stay at my aunty's place...

And I have called up my aunty for the 4th time this evening to check on her. Twice a day. 1 in the late morning and 1 in the late afternoon before fetching her home with me. And each call was always greeted by an excited aunty telling me everything about Leia - her antics, activities, food intake, sleep duration, "poo poo", etc, etc... I'm extremely glad that Leia still remember her and love to be taken care by her.

On my way to my aunty's house this evening, I can't help but to feel grateful. Oh, how blessed are we to have a loving aunty who's willing to care for Leia unconditionally...


Climbing everywhere on her "chor chor"'s (Hokkien word for great-grandmother) lazy chair

1001 things to do for Leia

As I continue to surf the net for more infos on parenting, the more overwhelmed I feel...!

It seems to me that I have not done enough for my girl! There are more than 1001 things that I can do for her now and later. Geez...so many wide aspects to look into urgently - her food intake (need to consider the type, texture, cooking methods, equipments used, which part of the day, etc), her play/ learning items (type of toys - development toys, bath toys, arts and supplies, puzzles, outdoor toys and the list goes on....), her sleeping routine, babyproofing.... and what else???

And all these require immediate attention, it seems! She's growing up fast and this mommy needs to catch up fast too!!

Adoi...I need system!

No "moi" but what about cereal?

Haiyah... she didn't want cereal too! Look at how little portion I made for her this afternoon...


And instead, she went for this non-edible item! Her teether

"Mommy, do you want to bite this too?"

Hmmm.... it's been several days now that she didn't want her "moi". Probably she's bored d. So, we thought we will make different food for her. Yesterday, I made her steamed sweet potatoes. She didn't want it either though I personally think that it was very tasty. Yup, I ate it in the end... And today, cereal "pun tak mau" (don't want too)...

Let's try "moi" again tomorrow. Will make it a smaller portion so that it didn't go to waste if she again doesn't want to eat it... *so pessimistic*

Hai... challenge................

First Deepavali celebration for Leia

We all had so much fun! It was a full day celebration!

We had a real early start...

Dressed!

"Leia, comb hair now..."

"Mommy, are you done?"

Our first program of the day was to visit Leia's "ammama" (Tamil word for great-grandmother). "Kong kong" (grandfather) joined us too. No early notification given to her "ammama" as we wanted to surprise her!

"Ammama" stays in a chinese pre-war house in town. Spacious and airy...It has never ceased to bring back great old memories to both my hubby and pa-in-law. So, it was pa-in-law who did most of the talking, reminiscing the good old times...

Sight-seeing...

"Ammama" has a big mango tree in front of her house. With her very ripe age - 90 years old, she could no longer pluck the fruits on her own. So, a brilliant idea came up. Pa-in-law suggested that we'll help!

2 men busy at work with "ammama" providing "the back-up" support - making sure the right equipments are provided


While Leia and mommy enjoying the swing...

Wow...! Nice, plump mangoes...!


Very good harvest!


Pa-in-law ended up helping "awa" (Tamil word for grandmother) to prune the tree...

While her "kong kong" pruned the tree out there, Leia had a jolly time playing with "ammama"'s rattan chairs... At this stage, you just can't stop them from being inquisitive and wanting to explore everything. They get extremely curious to explore especially those things that you say "no". Hmmm...guess, forbidden fruit always seem to taste better.

"I want to sit on this chair..."


Leia was "singing"!

We didn't leave Leia's "ammama"'s place empty-handed. The smaller bag of mangoes that you saw earlier was given to us! Thoughts of dipping these mangoes with my dad's home-made, tasty rojak sauce can make us all salivate...yum, yum....

So, did we head home straight away? Absolutely not! Next was pa-in-law's friend's house. More Indian food savoured! And Another ang pow (red packet) collected for Leia! Or it is called cheh pow (green packet)? No? That's for Hari Raya? Then? Purple pow???

It's simply unbelievable that any pow-giving has been so commercialised nowadays that it has become a must-have for our major festivals - Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and now Deepavali. What's next? Pek pow (white packet) for Christmas? I really hope not...

Deepavali money collection. Think it's about time we open a savings account for this little girl...

Later that night, we introduced fireworks to Leia. Hehehe...

"No more..."

Truly a beautiful, memorable Festival of Light celebration for all of us... :)