Yup, I have done it again! Only this time, these weren’t for me.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Hynotised
The magnetic force of Kinokuniya propelled me into the bookstore, and hypnotised me right into the children's section. I did not even make it to the adult's section and spending close to an hour of "just browsing" only in the kid's section, I came out of the store with these:
Yup, I have done it again! Only this time, these weren’t for me.
Yup, I have done it again! Only this time, these weren’t for me.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
First trip out
Last weekend was a big adventure as we conquered another milestone by travelling out of Bangkok for a short weekend getaway to Pattaya with a baby in tow. All three of us and along with everything but the kitchen sink.
Call it a practice run if you will as we set ourselves up for future travels with a small child. A practice run not only for us, but for Spud as well since we are curious as to how she would take to travelling. If anything, we reckon that she might as well get used to travelling since she already has a set of footloose parents on hand.
Imagine that we did not even have the chance to enjoy the pool or go for an hour of massage or take naps when we want to for the 3 days we were there! Everything really had to revolve around Spud.
As hard as it was though, we surprised ourselves yet again at our ingenious ways of trying to make things work for us. We make do with what we had and improvised around it, especially when it comes to entertaining her or how she gets her bath every morning in such a tiny bathroom with bathing facilities that was not meant for tiny babies.
The troubles almost seemed worth it when she gave her heartiest smiles while Dad tried to entertain her in our tiny little room
It was a learning curve…our first baby steps and in preparation for the next big(ger) trip.
Call it a practice run if you will as we set ourselves up for future travels with a small child. A practice run not only for us, but for Spud as well since we are curious as to how she would take to travelling. If anything, we reckon that she might as well get used to travelling since she already has a set of footloose parents on hand.
Day 1
Spud slept through the 2 hour drive to Pattaya. By the time we got there, it was just a couple of hours away from her witching hour. At 5 pm sharp, Spud started fussing away and the only person she would want during her witching hours is her Momma.
We stuck to her night routine by putting her to bed by 7pm. Unlike being at home, we cannot really leave her on her own in the hotel room while we grab some dinner. So we brought her along with us by putting her in the stroller while she was still sleeping.
She must have been disturbed by being in a strange place for she woke up startled in her stroller several times while we were having dinner. It took a while before we could calm her down as we tried to finish up dinner. We were back in our hotel room less than 2 hours later. As expected, Spud slept pretty badly throughout the night, waking up almost every hour till the morning light.
Day 2
We were already out having breakfast by 7.30 am with Spud being all wide-eyed bushy tailed at 6 am. By noon, we had done all the shopping we needed to do at the outlet malls. Unfortunately, Spud decided that that she would prefer to be cranky for the rest of the day. We did suspect that she could have been in the middle of a growth spurt at 11 weeks as her appetite has been insatiable since Friday.
We did the same dinner routine as Day 1 but Spud clearly showed signs of distress as she woke up several times while sleeping in the stroller and appeared inconsolable. As hungry as I was before dinner, I somehow could only managed a few bites of my pasta as we tended to Spud’s needs. She, did, however, slept just only slightly better than the night before, waking up only a few times during the night.
Day 3
It turned out to be a rather pleasant day for all of us as Spud decided that she was going to cooperate. With Spud being less fussy than her usual fussiness, we managed a breakfastsession with an ex-colleague of mine without any major hitch. In fact, sometime in the late morning, Opa even managed to take Spud out for a walk in her stroller for a good hour!
It was all hard work, I tell you! So much so that I was very glad to be going home from the mini vacation so Spud can get back to her routine. Come to think of it, it was no vacation for me since our time was just consumed by Spud.We decided to stick to her routine as closely as possible, which included the ritual of putting her down for afternoon naps. Ironically, we spent much of the afternoon of this fantastic vacation indoors that kept her rather cheery and happy. Not wanting to further disrupt her night-time routine like we did in the first 2 days, we decided to shift our dinner time earlier and made sure that she was in bed by 7.30pm.This had worked out better for both of us. Once she was asleep, she was pretty much out cold and woke up twice at night for her feed.
Day 4
Weird day this was as Spud decided to stay in bed till 7.45 am as compared to her usual 6 am! To be honest, I can’t quite remember what happened, except that as soon as we were done with breakfast, we were ready to check out and head back to Bangkok. After fussing quite a bit when we were about to check out, she pretty much crashed on the one half hour ride back home.
Imagine that we did not even have the chance to enjoy the pool or go for an hour of massage or take naps when we want to for the 3 days we were there! Everything really had to revolve around Spud.
As hard as it was though, we surprised ourselves yet again at our ingenious ways of trying to make things work for us. We make do with what we had and improvised around it, especially when it comes to entertaining her or how she gets her bath every morning in such a tiny bathroom with bathing facilities that was not meant for tiny babies.
The troubles almost seemed worth it when she gave her heartiest smiles while Dad tried to entertain her in our tiny little room
It was a learning curve…our first baby steps and in preparation for the next big(ger) trip.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Test-Run
Having the in-laws here for a visit gave us the opportunity to "test-run" travelling with a baby in tow when they invited us to join them in Pattaya for a short weekend getaway. How Spud took to travelling and being away from familiarity requires a separate blog entry altogether.
What amazes me is the sheer amount of luggage we have with us. Ironically, both Silver Bullet and I required only 1 luggage. COMBINED. There were 10 pieces in all, with the rest belonging to Spud or loosely required for Spud.
Essentially, we brought everything but the kitchen sink. Our next travel plans to Singapore will be interesting.
What amazes me is the sheer amount of luggage we have with us. Ironically, both Silver Bullet and I required only 1 luggage. COMBINED. There were 10 pieces in all, with the rest belonging to Spud or loosely required for Spud.
Essentially, we brought everything but the kitchen sink. Our next travel plans to Singapore will be interesting.
Babywearing Week
Hence, when I knew that the Bangkok Babywearing Club (BBC) wanted some volunteers for an outreach booth to help parents learn to use baby carriers, I raised my hand up. I even contributed a photograph of me wearing Spud for an exhibit on one of the panels.
Last weekend, the Bangkok Babywearing Club joined the world in celebrating the 3rd International Babywearing Week on 22nd and 23rd October 2010. They had partnered with Samitivej Hospital once again in trying to try and spread the wonders and joys of babywearing to families in Bangkok.
Unfortunately, the International Baby Wearing Week coincided with a long weekend last week. Hence, I could only manage a few hours of volunteer work as we had made plans to get out of town for a few days. I really wished I could have stayed longer to help out!
Nevertheless, that few hours spent with the staff and some mothers-to-be was fun. Hell! Babywearing itself can be fun; if not extremely practical in these very stoller-unfriendly streets of Bangkok.
It was a few hours well-spent!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Quote of the day
Many knew from before that I am not the most patient person on earth. However, Thailand changed me, and many were surprised at how patient I can be when dealing with all things Thai.
Based on that, a friend once said to me that she thought I have achieved sainthood for she is shocked at how patient I have become these days.
I can only say that if I managed to achieve sainthood by moving to Bangkok, then I think I may just have achieved Nirvana when I become a mother to Spud.
Based on that, a friend once said to me that she thought I have achieved sainthood for she is shocked at how patient I have become these days.
I can only say that if I managed to achieve sainthood by moving to Bangkok, then I think I may just have achieved Nirvana when I become a mother to Spud.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Déjà vue
Silver Bullet's parents brought his baby book along when they recently came for a visit. Upon flipping those pages, I immediately picked out several photographs which left me grinning from ear to ear. It's like a déjà vu...
As the saying goes: like father, like daughter.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Battle of The Bottle
[Warning: A very lengthy blog post]
Last weekend must have been one of the toughest weekends yet. Somehow, I’m thinking it will not be our last.
Having been completely taken aback by Spud’s reaction to the bottle earlier, I figured we should just continue with the re-introduction rather than waiting it out right before I am due to go back to work. What we discovered can be described as an almost scarily exhaustive and daunting experience and one I don’t wish upon other parents. It certainly was a rude awakening for us all. The “soft-approach” lasted for 3 days:
Day 1 (Thursday):
This marked the accidental discovery where Spud has totally rejected The Bottle. While I was out in the day, I received 2 frantic phone calls from the Nanny telling me that Spud has gone completely berserk on her and refused to feed. When I came home, she was extremely cranky and slept most of the time, still refusing the bottle when I tried it on her. I finally offered her the breast after a few more hours of trying. She has gone without a feed for 7 solids hours. We abandoned the plan to give her The Bottle for the rest of the evening. The search for what might be possible bottle type that she may accept continued with Google.
Day 2 (Friday):
We went out of our way to get her a new bottle, Adiri, with high hopes that she might take to it. After all, there were raving reviews on these Adiri bottles. They had won awards and had worked on the most stubborn babies. We were hopeful that this will work when we got home in the afternoon.
Our attempts were met with violent refusal. The moment the tip of the silicon teats touched her lips, she screamed bloody murder. Having the bottle near her was enough to send her into hysterical crying fits. Sneaking in the silicone teat while I was breastfeeding did not work. I swear her cries could have brought the whole apartment down! She was not tolerating the bottle at all.
Day 3 (Saturday):
Basically a repeat of Day 2, where I snuck the bottle at every single feeding. We even went out again to get several different types of nipples which turned out to be a lost cause. Every single time we attempted The Bottle on her, she threw a fit, screaming her lungs out. So much so that I think that if the neighbours had heard us, I am sure they think we must have been torturing our child to death.
We both got so mentally and emotionally exhausted by the evening that I eventually went back to breastfeeding.
Feeling lost, I decided to call my Mom for advice. Despite being apprehensive as we had a brunch session with Silver Bullet’s parents on the next day, we took the advice and prepared to steel ourselves for a full-on battle on the following day:
Day 4 (Sunday): The Hard Approach
Started the 1st feed of the day at 6 am by offering The Bottle, knowing full well she will again cry bloody murder. I was determined not to offer her the breast under any circumstances during the day and to keep on reinforcing the bottle at every cry for a feed. When she started wailing like there is no tomorrow, I comforted her and repeatedly gave her The Bottle. Each time, it was met with another violent screaming and refusal to take The Bottle. I got so sick to my stomach as I felt so distressed watching her. It was painful to watch her screaming away in hunger, but I know we have to be persistent. Finally, after about 7 hours of hunger strike since 3 am, Spud finally took a suck and several more from The Bottle. You have NO IDEA how overwhelming it was all for me that I was bursting in tears when she finally took the bottle. This happened while we were in the car just as we were about to reach our destination for brunch and so, I had to hysterically tell Silver Bullet in between tears to continue on driving so we won’t be losing the momentum. It was crazy, crazy moment when she finally relented. She must have been so hungry and tired that she crashed to sleep almost immediately for the next 2 hours.
While that was a start, subsequent attempts throughout the evening were again met with more violent rejections and ear piercing crying. Spud was still refusing to feed for hours on end. I really had to steel myself from giving in to her and was very determined not to offer her the breast.
Ironically, our attempt at bottle-feeding just prior to her bed time was successful. She slept till midnight and I braved another bottle-feed, much to Silver Bullet’s chagrin. Expecting yet another violent rejection, we were pleasantly surprised that she took the bottle without any fight and fell right to sleep. I decided to breastfeed her when she woke up for another night feed 3 hours later.
Day 5 (Monday):
Bottle-only day feeding continued on. Spud continued with her hunger strike for 3 and half hours. Eventually by mid morning and 3 feeds later, she appeared to have accepted the bottle.
She then decided to throw another curve ball at noon where she pretty much threw a fit and cried for 2 solid hours, refusing to feed again. While I was completely drained out, we kept on trying till she finally succumbed after 3 half hours later. I literally bawled my eye out again from exhaustion and decided to get away and went for an hour of foot massage.
The rest of the day went by pretty smoothly. She even let her Oma bottle fed her for a little bit. (Although I remained on the edge, expecting more violent rejections).
We braved another bottle-battle before her bedtime, which she accepted. Her night feed was a combination of bottle and breast.
Day 6 (Tuesday):
I braved a club meeting without bringing her along with me, leaving her in the hands of the nanny after her morning bottle feed. It turned out that the nanny did not have a rough time with her. She took the bottle without a fight. The rest of the evening went rather smoothly as I believe she decided to accept the bottle as part of her repertoire.
At her bedtime, I first offered a little bit of breast milk from the bottle and then let her have the breast. She was immediately lulled to sleep.
Her night feed was first breast, and followed by the bottle a few hours later.
Day 7 (Wednesday):
Day feed: Only bottle with hardly any resistance
Night feed: Only breast with no signs of nipple confusion
She woke up the next day with a bottle feeding first thing in the morning. She did not put up a fight.
At this stage, she seems to be able to feed from the bottle and breast seamlessly. While it has only been a few days of hard fighting, it felt like forever. I swear had it not been the phone call I made to my mom on the night of day 3, I probably won’t have the strength to go through it all. One must really work up that nerve and confidence of a steel to be able to get through this. We may be far apart, my mom and I, but her confidence was the strength I needed to pull this through.
Every baby is different and I guess Spud was just playing her ultra-stubborn cards. What I learnt through the entire process is that persistence and determination worked. It was not easy, but there certainly was light at the end of the tunnel. One of the most important things for me was having Silver Bullet fully on board. Getting his 200% support was critical as it was crucial that we both have to be strong for each other and not cave in, regardless how tough the journey is. Without it, we could never have gotten Spud back on the bottle within a few days.
This kid has got quite a personality, really. We figured her out that much. But then again, just as when we thought we had her figured out, she might just throw us another curveball.
Last weekend must have been one of the toughest weekends yet. Somehow, I’m thinking it will not be our last.
Having been completely taken aback by Spud’s reaction to the bottle earlier, I figured we should just continue with the re-introduction rather than waiting it out right before I am due to go back to work. What we discovered can be described as an almost scarily exhaustive and daunting experience and one I don’t wish upon other parents. It certainly was a rude awakening for us all. The “soft-approach” lasted for 3 days:
Day 1 (Thursday):
This marked the accidental discovery where Spud has totally rejected The Bottle. While I was out in the day, I received 2 frantic phone calls from the Nanny telling me that Spud has gone completely berserk on her and refused to feed. When I came home, she was extremely cranky and slept most of the time, still refusing the bottle when I tried it on her. I finally offered her the breast after a few more hours of trying. She has gone without a feed for 7 solids hours. We abandoned the plan to give her The Bottle for the rest of the evening. The search for what might be possible bottle type that she may accept continued with Google.
Day 2 (Friday):
Our attempts were met with violent refusal. The moment the tip of the silicon teats touched her lips, she screamed bloody murder. Having the bottle near her was enough to send her into hysterical crying fits. Sneaking in the silicone teat while I was breastfeeding did not work. I swear her cries could have brought the whole apartment down! She was not tolerating the bottle at all.
Day 3 (Saturday):
Basically a repeat of Day 2, where I snuck the bottle at every single feeding. We even went out again to get several different types of nipples which turned out to be a lost cause. Every single time we attempted The Bottle on her, she threw a fit, screaming her lungs out. So much so that I think that if the neighbours had heard us, I am sure they think we must have been torturing our child to death.
We both got so mentally and emotionally exhausted by the evening that I eventually went back to breastfeeding.
Feeling lost, I decided to call my Mom for advice. Despite being apprehensive as we had a brunch session with Silver Bullet’s parents on the next day, we took the advice and prepared to steel ourselves for a full-on battle on the following day:
Day 4 (Sunday): The Hard Approach
Started the 1st feed of the day at 6 am by offering The Bottle, knowing full well she will again cry bloody murder. I was determined not to offer her the breast under any circumstances during the day and to keep on reinforcing the bottle at every cry for a feed. When she started wailing like there is no tomorrow, I comforted her and repeatedly gave her The Bottle. Each time, it was met with another violent screaming and refusal to take The Bottle. I got so sick to my stomach as I felt so distressed watching her. It was painful to watch her screaming away in hunger, but I know we have to be persistent. Finally, after about 7 hours of hunger strike since 3 am, Spud finally took a suck and several more from The Bottle. You have NO IDEA how overwhelming it was all for me that I was bursting in tears when she finally took the bottle. This happened while we were in the car just as we were about to reach our destination for brunch and so, I had to hysterically tell Silver Bullet in between tears to continue on driving so we won’t be losing the momentum. It was crazy, crazy moment when she finally relented. She must have been so hungry and tired that she crashed to sleep almost immediately for the next 2 hours.
While that was a start, subsequent attempts throughout the evening were again met with more violent rejections and ear piercing crying. Spud was still refusing to feed for hours on end. I really had to steel myself from giving in to her and was very determined not to offer her the breast.
Ironically, our attempt at bottle-feeding just prior to her bed time was successful. She slept till midnight and I braved another bottle-feed, much to Silver Bullet’s chagrin. Expecting yet another violent rejection, we were pleasantly surprised that she took the bottle without any fight and fell right to sleep. I decided to breastfeed her when she woke up for another night feed 3 hours later.
Day 5 (Monday):
Bottle-only day feeding continued on. Spud continued with her hunger strike for 3 and half hours. Eventually by mid morning and 3 feeds later, she appeared to have accepted the bottle.
She then decided to throw another curve ball at noon where she pretty much threw a fit and cried for 2 solid hours, refusing to feed again. While I was completely drained out, we kept on trying till she finally succumbed after 3 half hours later. I literally bawled my eye out again from exhaustion and decided to get away and went for an hour of foot massage.
We braved another bottle-battle before her bedtime, which she accepted. Her night feed was a combination of bottle and breast.
Day 6 (Tuesday):
I braved a club meeting without bringing her along with me, leaving her in the hands of the nanny after her morning bottle feed. It turned out that the nanny did not have a rough time with her. She took the bottle without a fight. The rest of the evening went rather smoothly as I believe she decided to accept the bottle as part of her repertoire.
At her bedtime, I first offered a little bit of breast milk from the bottle and then let her have the breast. She was immediately lulled to sleep.
Her night feed was first breast, and followed by the bottle a few hours later.
Day 7 (Wednesday):
Day feed: Only bottle with hardly any resistance
Night feed: Only breast with no signs of nipple confusion
She woke up the next day with a bottle feeding first thing in the morning. She did not put up a fight.
At this stage, she seems to be able to feed from the bottle and breast seamlessly. While it has only been a few days of hard fighting, it felt like forever. I swear had it not been the phone call I made to my mom on the night of day 3, I probably won’t have the strength to go through it all. One must really work up that nerve and confidence of a steel to be able to get through this. We may be far apart, my mom and I, but her confidence was the strength I needed to pull this through.
Every baby is different and I guess Spud was just playing her ultra-stubborn cards. What I learnt through the entire process is that persistence and determination worked. It was not easy, but there certainly was light at the end of the tunnel. One of the most important things for me was having Silver Bullet fully on board. Getting his 200% support was critical as it was crucial that we both have to be strong for each other and not cave in, regardless how tough the journey is. Without it, we could never have gotten Spud back on the bottle within a few days.
This kid has got quite a personality, really. We figured her out that much. But then again, just as when we thought we had her figured out, she might just throw us another curveball.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Bottle Sucked,Mom!
It will only be a matter of weeks now before I return to work from maternity leave. It was also not too long ago since The Bottle went on siesta while we moved on to exclusive breastfeeding after a very bumpy start.
We figured that since Spud has been quite familiar with the bottle in the first 5 weeks and even the occasional bottle feeds by Daddy/Nanny/Grandma in the subsequent weeks of her life, going back to the bottle would certainly be easy-peasy at any point in time. Feeling rather confident and in an urgent need to take care of some business required by my company late last week, I then decided to leave Spud at home for the Nanny to take over the day feed for just half a day. I thought we might as well start re-integrating the Nanny into her day feed on a regular basis from now on. Something which Spud is already familiar with.
It turned out that Spud was not too thrilled and reacted violently to the bottle. That little imp retaliated by first screaming her head off then took to sleeping rather than take the bottle. Talk about the rebellion of a child who will not nap! She raised absolute hell.
I honestly did not see this one coming.It came as a rude awakening. What threw me back was also the thought of after all the hard work of establishing breastfeeding,I cannot imagine for a second that it could be so hard to get the baby back on the bottle. After all, I would think that babies tend to prefer The Bottle at any point in time since they don’t have to work too hard at it.
With Google just a fingertip away, I started doing some research and found that introducing back the bottles to babies may not be as easy as we think. By chance, I found a clip on YouTube which left me laughing so hard I almost cried. It took the edges off my stress for a bit; although I do think behind the child was (or still is) a very frustrated mother.
Now, I can imagine why many sucuumbed to formula.
We have a very long road ahead of us to get this little imp back to her humble beginnings when the breasts were out of order.
We figured that since Spud has been quite familiar with the bottle in the first 5 weeks and even the occasional bottle feeds by Daddy/Nanny/Grandma in the subsequent weeks of her life, going back to the bottle would certainly be easy-peasy at any point in time. Feeling rather confident and in an urgent need to take care of some business required by my company late last week, I then decided to leave Spud at home for the Nanny to take over the day feed for just half a day. I thought we might as well start re-integrating the Nanny into her day feed on a regular basis from now on. Something which Spud is already familiar with.
It turned out that Spud was not too thrilled and reacted violently to the bottle. That little imp retaliated by first screaming her head off then took to sleeping rather than take the bottle. Talk about the rebellion of a child who will not nap! She raised absolute hell.
I honestly did not see this one coming.It came as a rude awakening. What threw me back was also the thought of after all the hard work of establishing breastfeeding,I cannot imagine for a second that it could be so hard to get the baby back on the bottle. After all, I would think that babies tend to prefer The Bottle at any point in time since they don’t have to work too hard at it.
With Google just a fingertip away, I started doing some research and found that introducing back the bottles to babies may not be as easy as we think. By chance, I found a clip on YouTube which left me laughing so hard I almost cried. It took the edges off my stress for a bit; although I do think behind the child was (or still is) a very frustrated mother.
Now, I can imagine why many sucuumbed to formula.
We have a very long road ahead of us to get this little imp back to her humble beginnings when the breasts were out of order.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Not for bedtime reading
We hope to instill the love for reading to Spud as early as we can, and so started reading to her several weeks ago. Never mind if she understands jack-all! Of course, considering how unpredictable she can be, we can only read to her when she is in a fairly good mood.
Wow! Said the Owl happened to be the very first book we picked out for Spud at the store even before she was born. I reckon, we either did not read the book first, or probably forgot how the story went, for when I started reading it out loud to Spud, I wanted to whack myself on the head!
It turned out that of all the books we could have bought, we bought one about a curious little owl who would not sleep at night like most owls do. As it is, Spud's already a chronic cat-napper and refuses to nap in the day. I fear she has it in her head to follow the example of this little owl. I love owls to death, but I certainly will not appreciate it if Spud decides to get into the habit of an owl!
I think we should stop reading this book to her. We ought to put it away, otherwise I fear this book might just be severely detrimental to our health.
Very smart of us, right?!
It turned out that of all the books we could have bought, we bought one about a curious little owl who would not sleep at night like most owls do. As it is, Spud's already a chronic cat-napper and refuses to nap in the day. I fear she has it in her head to follow the example of this little owl. I love owls to death, but I certainly will not appreciate it if Spud decides to get into the habit of an owl!
I think we should stop reading this book to her. We ought to put it away, otherwise I fear this book might just be severely detrimental to our health.
Very smart of us, right?!
Friday, October 15, 2010
The 10-Minute Rule
Looking back, we literally had no point of reference or guidance when we became new parents. There were no midwives or day-time nurse who would come to check on us and how the baby is doing. (Apparently, new parents get such support in Holland free of charge. Isn’t that just amazing?) There were no handbook of tips and tricks dished out to us on how to handle a new, bawling baby.
Apart from our parents who are a hundred miles away, there were no SOS emergency numbers to call to ask the most stupidest question. It was literally just us; and in the daytime, us and the nanny. Google was, and still IS, our best friend.
It is all almost a blur now, but I recall the frustrating, sleepless nights we went through in trying to sooth a wailing baby for hours and hours on end. Some nights, it will take us more than 3 hours straight before Spud would calm down. The next thing we knew, the sun had rose and we barely had some sleep before the entire cycle started again.
The fact is, babies cry. That certainly is a fact of life, since it is their only form of communication. What we don’t know is how much we should let them cry. Depending on the school of thought one subscribes to, crying it out is easily one of the most emotionally confusing and polarized issues for new parents like us.
That is, until a friend from Holland, who are parents themselves, shared the 10-Minute Rule with us.
The 10-Minute Rule basically is a form of controlled crying where the baby is allowed to cry for 10 minutes. This is done only after we ensure that she has been fed and no longer hungry, has had a change of fresh diaper, has been burped, no fever or any stomach issues. Then we let her cry, as we will then know she is just being whiny. At the same time, we do keep our eyes on the clock like a hawk; for 10 minutes can feel much longer than it actually is. If she continues crying, it is usually one of the lists.
You have NO IDEA how that little tip changed our lives! It makes our lives so much easier and once we attend to that, Spud will usually settle herself within the 10 minutes time-frame. As silly as it may sound, both Silver Bullet and I could finally have a sit-down dinner at the dining table. T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R! Believe it or not, that was something which we weren’t able to do since we became parents!
From then on, we spent many an evening having dinner by the baby monitor. Most times, the first 10 minutes at the start of our dinner will be accompanied by her cries and lullaby. It was more bearable as all ear-blasting, nerve-wrecking effect were promptly toned down by the baby monitor. Not the most ideal background music for dinner, but it certainly was better than nothing.
We now swear by the 10-Minute Rule, for without it, our own mental health and well-being will suffer as a result of sleep deprivation. It is most useful at night as it helps us distinguish the real cries from the whiny ones. That rule is truly god-sent. It literally saved us our sanity. We no longer feel as exasperated at the slightest sound of her cries. It really is one of the best tips we have received so far since we became parents.
We now let her cry it out, but within reasons. Honestly, I don’t think she will love us any less in the morning.
Apart from our parents who are a hundred miles away, there were no SOS emergency numbers to call to ask the most stupidest question. It was literally just us; and in the daytime, us and the nanny. Google was, and still IS, our best friend.
It is all almost a blur now, but I recall the frustrating, sleepless nights we went through in trying to sooth a wailing baby for hours and hours on end. Some nights, it will take us more than 3 hours straight before Spud would calm down. The next thing we knew, the sun had rose and we barely had some sleep before the entire cycle started again.
The fact is, babies cry. That certainly is a fact of life, since it is their only form of communication. What we don’t know is how much we should let them cry. Depending on the school of thought one subscribes to, crying it out is easily one of the most emotionally confusing and polarized issues for new parents like us.
That is, until a friend from Holland, who are parents themselves, shared the 10-Minute Rule with us.
The 10-Minute Rule basically is a form of controlled crying where the baby is allowed to cry for 10 minutes. This is done only after we ensure that she has been fed and no longer hungry, has had a change of fresh diaper, has been burped, no fever or any stomach issues. Then we let her cry, as we will then know she is just being whiny. At the same time, we do keep our eyes on the clock like a hawk; for 10 minutes can feel much longer than it actually is. If she continues crying, it is usually one of the lists.
You have NO IDEA how that little tip changed our lives! It makes our lives so much easier and once we attend to that, Spud will usually settle herself within the 10 minutes time-frame. As silly as it may sound, both Silver Bullet and I could finally have a sit-down dinner at the dining table. T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R! Believe it or not, that was something which we weren’t able to do since we became parents!
From then on, we spent many an evening having dinner by the baby monitor. Most times, the first 10 minutes at the start of our dinner will be accompanied by her cries and lullaby. It was more bearable as all ear-blasting, nerve-wrecking effect were promptly toned down by the baby monitor. Not the most ideal background music for dinner, but it certainly was better than nothing.
We now swear by the 10-Minute Rule, for without it, our own mental health and well-being will suffer as a result of sleep deprivation. It is most useful at night as it helps us distinguish the real cries from the whiny ones. That rule is truly god-sent. It literally saved us our sanity. We no longer feel as exasperated at the slightest sound of her cries. It really is one of the best tips we have received so far since we became parents.
We now let her cry it out, but within reasons. Honestly, I don’t think she will love us any less in the morning.
Thai Police Day
A little bit of an overdue news,but here's a couple from a few days ago which left me laughing my ass off and rolling my eyeballs:
There really has to be better ways to increase public confidence in the Thai police force than having S.T.A.T.U.E.S waving at motorists, though! Talk about potential road hazard.
Only in Thailand!
"Traffic police in Bangkok will not be giving out traffic tickets in Bangkok today. The move is in celebration of the Thai Police Day on October 13, 2010" (Source: Tan Network 2010-10-13)Then a day later:
"New police statues to wave at Bangkok motorists" (Source: Thaivisa)I am not sure if the coppers were at all happy about not giving out tickets, considering a fair chunk of their daily revenue stream come from "giving out tickets' whether the offences are legitimate. Somehow, I think they may come back with a vengeance post Thai Police Day.
There really has to be better ways to increase public confidence in the Thai police force than having S.T.A.T.U.E.S waving at motorists, though! Talk about potential road hazard.
Only in Thailand!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Just us
Intrusive is how I feel about having a nanny around the house 10 hours a day, 5x a week.
I know, I know…a nanny or domestic help at home is supposed to be part of the family, and, like most people, I am supposed to feel that way for everyone’s benefit, especially Spud’s. But, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t help but feel like I have just welcomed an intruder into our lives.
You see, I’ve been somewhat a wreck these days. Not that I have not been out of the house, but it probably stemmed from spending too much time at home, with the constant presence of our nanny during my maternity leave.
It came as a rude realisation to me that I have never been alone with my daughter in our own home since my discharge from the hospital. As far as I can recall, the Nanny has always been around to help out since she was born.
Having a nanny, while is a blessing especially during the early days of my recovery, can also be a curse. While I appreciate the fact that a lot of the household chores get done, I don’t really like it when the nanny tries to take over minding Spud when I am around.
I mean, of course I understand that it is her primary responsibility, since we hired her to take care of Spud in the first place (mainly for when I get back to work). However, I was beginning to resent the fact that she is always the first to get to Spud each time she cries or is always, always there for Spud within seconds as much as we hear a tiny yelp from that little imp. When I told her ‘I got this’, she would linger about me, watching me, in case I need help. I know she has had experience with babies before and I am only the inexperienced new mom. While I believe her intention is all good, it somehow made me feel incompetent. I did not like the feeling one bit. Most of all, I don’t want Spud to have a stronger attachment to her and that I am only known as the one with the boob-for-food to Spud. Sometimes, there is also a conflict in how we see things. For instance, while I think it is OK to let Spud cry out once in a while, I don’t think she has it in her to let a baby cry at all; not even for a minute. Call it a power struggle if you will, but it was enough to drive me crazy!
Screw the household chores for a few days, but I figured I have every right to have the entire apartment to myself. I needed that few days alone with Spud, not to test my sanity, but rather to see how I’d cope on my own. Most importantly, to get to know my daughter better as I relish on self-mastery and the ability to figure things out on my own. I want to do things my way without being afraid that I’m being judged because there is another person in the house, looking over my shoulder all the time. I just needed to do this.
So I told the Nanny not to come for a few days last week. I psyched myself that I’ll probably face hell without help abound, but I was adamant that I can cope, regardless how demanding Spud may be.
While I came out of the ordeal unscathed, I admit it was trying, especially when you have 3 cats running around testing your patience at the same time. Figuring her out was not easy, but it was not impossible. If anything, I managed to take the world's record shower! I am actually looking forward to a few more "us-days" before I go back to work. During those alone days, I managed to untangle a few knots between us, smoothing the creases as we go along.
I know, I know…a nanny or domestic help at home is supposed to be part of the family, and, like most people, I am supposed to feel that way for everyone’s benefit, especially Spud’s. But, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t help but feel like I have just welcomed an intruder into our lives.
You see, I’ve been somewhat a wreck these days. Not that I have not been out of the house, but it probably stemmed from spending too much time at home, with the constant presence of our nanny during my maternity leave.
It came as a rude realisation to me that I have never been alone with my daughter in our own home since my discharge from the hospital. As far as I can recall, the Nanny has always been around to help out since she was born.
Having a nanny, while is a blessing especially during the early days of my recovery, can also be a curse. While I appreciate the fact that a lot of the household chores get done, I don’t really like it when the nanny tries to take over minding Spud when I am around.
I mean, of course I understand that it is her primary responsibility, since we hired her to take care of Spud in the first place (mainly for when I get back to work). However, I was beginning to resent the fact that she is always the first to get to Spud each time she cries or is always, always there for Spud within seconds as much as we hear a tiny yelp from that little imp. When I told her ‘I got this’, she would linger about me, watching me, in case I need help. I know she has had experience with babies before and I am only the inexperienced new mom. While I believe her intention is all good, it somehow made me feel incompetent. I did not like the feeling one bit. Most of all, I don’t want Spud to have a stronger attachment to her and that I am only known as the one with the boob-for-food to Spud. Sometimes, there is also a conflict in how we see things. For instance, while I think it is OK to let Spud cry out once in a while, I don’t think she has it in her to let a baby cry at all; not even for a minute. Call it a power struggle if you will, but it was enough to drive me crazy!
Screw the household chores for a few days, but I figured I have every right to have the entire apartment to myself. I needed that few days alone with Spud, not to test my sanity, but rather to see how I’d cope on my own. Most importantly, to get to know my daughter better as I relish on self-mastery and the ability to figure things out on my own. I want to do things my way without being afraid that I’m being judged because there is another person in the house, looking over my shoulder all the time. I just needed to do this.
So I told the Nanny not to come for a few days last week. I psyched myself that I’ll probably face hell without help abound, but I was adamant that I can cope, regardless how demanding Spud may be.
While I came out of the ordeal unscathed, I admit it was trying, especially when you have 3 cats running around testing your patience at the same time. Figuring her out was not easy, but it was not impossible. If anything, I managed to take the world's record shower! I am actually looking forward to a few more "us-days" before I go back to work. During those alone days, I managed to untangle a few knots between us, smoothing the creases as we go along.
She gave me her first “ah-goo-goo”.
She focuses her attention on me while squealing in delight.
She flashes me her toothless grins.
She threw me her coy but vivacious laughter, where no one else have heard but me.And then I realised that I have fallen in love.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Dilemma
Finding a suitable nanny here is hard. Finding a good nanny-cum-domestic helper who fits our criteria is even harder. It seemed like the more we waited, the more likely the good ones are snapped up. Hence after several uneventful interviews, we found someone who met some of our criteria and one we are comfortable with. We then decided to recruit a live-out nanny before Spud’s arrival, with the notion that she could also help out while I am still on maternity, and then take over when I get back to work.
She has since been in our house 5x a week, throughout the day, and it will now be only a matter of weeks before my maternity leave officially ends. I bet our Nanny can’t wait to get rid of me so she can take over the caring of Spud, rather than spending her time doing our household chores 90% of her time!
I don’t like the idea of having a Nanny to take care of Spud one bit to be honest. We both want to be hands-on parents, and as far as possible, with a little bit of guidance from reliable sources, will want to figure things out ourselves. It irks me to bits even to acknowledge the fact that Spud will be spending more time with this one person day-in, day-out as I slave away in the office. It riles me up to know that potentially, Spud will become very attached to the Nanny than her own parents, and that there’s a possibility that she picks up habits and way of thinking more from the Nanny than from us; given the amount of time she will be spending with this one person. I shudder at the thought of Spud picking up childish habits with whiny high-pitched voice, and trickling of Thai.
However, having a nanny seems to be the only option at this moment. Unless one of us is rich, we cannot afford the single-income household. Besides, I am not ready to give up my career entirely to be a stay-home mom. I would consider going on part-time work, but as mentioned, we both cannot afford the financial impact that comes with it. And no, this country does not have a day-care centre for a child as young as 3 months old.
I don’t like the nanny idea one bit, but I just have to grit my teeth for now until we find a more viable option.
She has since been in our house 5x a week, throughout the day, and it will now be only a matter of weeks before my maternity leave officially ends. I bet our Nanny can’t wait to get rid of me so she can take over the caring of Spud, rather than spending her time doing our household chores 90% of her time!
I don’t like the idea of having a Nanny to take care of Spud one bit to be honest. We both want to be hands-on parents, and as far as possible, with a little bit of guidance from reliable sources, will want to figure things out ourselves. It irks me to bits even to acknowledge the fact that Spud will be spending more time with this one person day-in, day-out as I slave away in the office. It riles me up to know that potentially, Spud will become very attached to the Nanny than her own parents, and that there’s a possibility that she picks up habits and way of thinking more from the Nanny than from us; given the amount of time she will be spending with this one person. I shudder at the thought of Spud picking up childish habits with whiny high-pitched voice, and trickling of Thai.
However, having a nanny seems to be the only option at this moment. Unless one of us is rich, we cannot afford the single-income household. Besides, I am not ready to give up my career entirely to be a stay-home mom. I would consider going on part-time work, but as mentioned, we both cannot afford the financial impact that comes with it. And no, this country does not have a day-care centre for a child as young as 3 months old.
I don’t like the nanny idea one bit, but I just have to grit my teeth for now until we find a more viable option.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Crap weather
The weather has been nothing but really crap these days. Just about slightly cool in the morning, completely hot and humid in the afternoon and pissing rain towards the evening.
The erratic weather conditions might have something to do with my sneezing bouts and runny nose which is now causing my nose to be blocked.
I am not liking the change of weather too much, especially the ones in the afternoons.
The erratic weather conditions might have something to do with my sneezing bouts and runny nose which is now causing my nose to be blocked.
I am not liking the change of weather too much, especially the ones in the afternoons.
The one with breast milk
A pal recently asked me if I have ever tasted my own breast milk while we were chatting away on MSN. Come to think of it, God! No, I certainly have not. And, it definitely is not for the lack of accessibility or availability. I don’t really know why, but I have never felt compelled to do so.
My reply to her was that I’m kinda apprehensive to try. In fact, I am a little icky on the entire concept of drinking your own breast milk. It also never really occurred to me that I should be trying my own produce. I don’t know why babies like it. I guess they just do.
She suggested that perhaps I can try mixing it in my coffee or tea, as she has a colleague who does that. I was really just genuinely surprised. I have never thought about it that way, and we had a laugh about it.
But, that got me thinking though. Considering I have been laying off dairy in trying to determine the food allergen for Spud, adding my own breast milk to tea or coffee could be an option.
Then another thought popped in my head…
What if I ask for a decaf latte at Starbucks and upon ordering, told them not to put in any of their milk. Instead, I will miraculously whip out a sachet of my already pumped breast milk and ask them to please,please add what I have with me into my beverage, while specifically mentioning to them that the sachet contains my precious breast milk.
Since I am at that, I would also just tell them that I can give them extra FRESH milk should they desire so for their customers.
Oh boy! I really would like to see that look on their faces!
* Image courtesy of Google Images
My reply to her was that I’m kinda apprehensive to try. In fact, I am a little icky on the entire concept of drinking your own breast milk. It also never really occurred to me that I should be trying my own produce. I don’t know why babies like it. I guess they just do.
She suggested that perhaps I can try mixing it in my coffee or tea, as she has a colleague who does that. I was really just genuinely surprised. I have never thought about it that way, and we had a laugh about it.
But, that got me thinking though. Considering I have been laying off dairy in trying to determine the food allergen for Spud, adding my own breast milk to tea or coffee could be an option.
Then another thought popped in my head…
What if I ask for a decaf latte at Starbucks and upon ordering, told them not to put in any of their milk. Instead, I will miraculously whip out a sachet of my already pumped breast milk and ask them to please,please add what I have with me into my beverage, while specifically mentioning to them that the sachet contains my precious breast milk.Oh boy! I really would like to see that look on their faces!
* Image courtesy of Google Images
Friday, October 8, 2010
From the inbox
Here's a little fact about me: I am a sucker for personality tests!
No matter how banal or stupid the test may be, I certainly will give it a go. So, whenever there is a personality test to be done, I just can't help myself but do it. Here's my results from a recent forwarded mail in my inbox:
I ain't teling which ones, but of course there were a few things I don't quite agree with. It did make for for a pretty interesting analysis, though.
Here's the link courtesy of Vicvanvinkle if you are a sucker like me.
No matter how banal or stupid the test may be, I certainly will give it a go. So, whenever there is a personality test to be done, I just can't help myself but do it. Here's my results from a recent forwarded mail in my inbox:
I ain't teling which ones, but of course there were a few things I don't quite agree with. It did make for for a pretty interesting analysis, though.
Here's the link courtesy of Vicvanvinkle if you are a sucker like me.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Two months
The requirement for yet another photograph of a different size for Spud's visa had sent me to a photo-studio again this morning. I dread the thought of having Spud's photograph taken at any photo-studio ever since our last 1 hour photo experience. I fear the same episode we had previously will repeat itself, and I shudder of having to do it without having Silver Bullet around.
Nevertheless, I decided to just give it a go, expecting the worst.
Quite a funny picture for a visa requirement, I'd say. I had to laugh when they showed it to me and she looked all puffy and very well-rounded. I was then reminded that she turned 2 months today.
Nevertheless, I decided to just give it a go, expecting the worst.
Alarm bells started ringing in my head when we got to the intended venue. It would be a bad mistake to wake her up as Spud (surprise, surprise!) was still fast asleep. That was enough to send me pacing up and down the shop, trying to strategise the best way of waking her up without causing a scene. Then it dawned on me that at home, she would almost immediately wake up the moment I lay her down in her cot. Most of the time, that would immediately sent her wailing. Other times, she tolerated it.
I immediately looked around for a flat surface to lay her down. Just as I suspected, she woke up. To my delight, she remained calm. She even co-operated and within seconds, we got her a mugshot. No fussing, no crying. In fact, she was cooing away and started "chatting" incoherently as she stared right into my face. For that, I thanked my lucky stars and gave her a big huge kiss on her big fat cheeks when it was all over. I could not have been more relieved!
Quite a funny picture for a visa requirement, I'd say. I had to laugh when they showed it to me and she looked all puffy and very well-rounded. I was then reminded that she turned 2 months today. What a picture to show for it and not at all flattering! Those baby fats are starting to show up real nice.
1-year old to carry ID
Thailand has recently proposed a bill for all ONE YEAR OLD infant to carry an ID as reported in this article here.
I think it's insane and completely unnecessary. I would think the MPs here would have better things to do than come up with such useless policies. Where and how would a one-year old child keep the ID on him/her if ever stopped by the coppers?
If they do approve the bill, I certainly do hope it will be applicable to Thais only and that they don't expect the foreigners to be carrying an ID for their one-year old child all the time. One wonders if the infants are also required to complete the registration-forms themselves...
So comical. Only in Thailand!
I think it's insane and completely unnecessary. I would think the MPs here would have better things to do than come up with such useless policies. Where and how would a one-year old child keep the ID on him/her if ever stopped by the coppers?
If they do approve the bill, I certainly do hope it will be applicable to Thais only and that they don't expect the foreigners to be carrying an ID for their one-year old child all the time. One wonders if the infants are also required to complete the registration-forms themselves...
So comical. Only in Thailand!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Meatballs Arrabiata
Cooking and baking are something I miss doing of late. It has been at least 2 months since I baked or experiment with new recipes to cook for dinner. Having the time to cook is such luxury nowadays. And, at the moment, I can’t really spare any time for baking as yet…which is a bummer!
With what little time I had for a home-cooked meal, I decided to whip up a Spaghetti Arrabiata with meatballs. Takes all but 20 minutes of my time. Just perfect!
Ingredients
With what little time I had for a home-cooked meal, I decided to whip up a Spaghetti Arrabiata with meatballs. Takes all but 20 minutes of my time. Just perfect!
Here's the recipe, of which I have modified a little:
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 2 tablespoon chopped basil
- 3 teaspoon crushed red pepper powder
- 1 small can tomato puree
- 1 can peeled and diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoon parsley
- Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
- Saute onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the rest of the ingredients and bring to boil. Add in meatballs then simmer uncovered about 15 minutes.
- Ladle over the hot cooked pasta of your choice.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Chick Magnet
I have a confession to make.
I have a thing for men who carry their babies in those cool baby-carriers. Okay, well...I don't mean the men per se. It's not like I'm gonna stalk every men out there that fit my description and have their wives hating me for being a husband snatcher, thank you very much! But rather, I meant the image of Dads who walk around wearing their babies so proudly on their backs or attached to their chest
Me-thinks there certainly is something about that image.Very endearing. Sexy even. I truly heart the sight of men who wear their babies!
I have a thing for men who carry their babies in those cool baby-carriers. Okay, well...I don't mean the men per se. It's not like I'm gonna stalk every men out there that fit my description and have their wives hating me for being a husband snatcher, thank you very much! But rather, I meant the image of Dads who walk around wearing their babies so proudly on their backs or attached to their chest
Me-thinks there certainly is something about that image.Very endearing. Sexy even. I truly heart the sight of men who wear their babies!
Here's Silver Bullet wearing my Mei-Tai; which essentially is just another type of baby-carrier. Ain't that just the most endearing sight!
For some reason though, we managed to pull in a lot of stares and a small crowd formed (mostly females) as they intently watched us while I was helping Silver Bullet don on the Mei-Tai for Spud. As soon as Silver Bullet was done, these girls just melted away and broke a few smiles and giggles.
Ahhh! I guess my husband just became a chick magnet. :D
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Just peachy
Father and daughter bonding. I could not help but laugh when I saw the image of both Spud and Dad sprawled on the floor when I came out of the kitchen. Made for a perfect candid shot!
When the cat rules
There is this one almost perpetually messy spot on our TV cabinet where miscellaneous daily essentials are placed. (We do try to keep it neat every once in a while). It also happens to be a spot where Andy likes to throw her weight around. Literally.
Most times, she pushes some of those things out of her way to create some space for herself. Sometimes, she just plonks herself on top of everything. One wonders how that could be comfortable with things poking from underneath. Try retrieving the stuff you need from underneath where she is, and risk being bitten. You then know you have just caused such great inconvenience to her siesta hour and you have annoyed a cat.
Most times, she pushes some of those things out of her way to create some space for herself. Sometimes, she just plonks herself on top of everything. One wonders how that could be comfortable with things poking from underneath. Try retrieving the stuff you need from underneath where she is, and risk being bitten. You then know you have just caused such great inconvenience to her siesta hour and you have annoyed a cat.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Long days
Gone are the days when we can choose to sleep-in over the weekends. These days, we wake up so early in the weekends that by the time the morning rituals are sorted (I.e Spud’s), we STILL have a few hours to wait for the shopping malls to be opened!
Our days have indeed become longer with Spud waking us up before or by 6 am on a daily basis. There has been no need for an alarm clock anymore to wake us up. On good days, we may have up to 6.45 am…but that has been far and between. There has been certain days where she has chosen to start waking herself up at 5am and with her fussing away, that dragged on till about after 6.30 am. When that happens, bye-bye sleep! No matter how hard we tried to adjust her feeding times, and no matter what time of the night she feeds, she will always be bright-eyed-bushy-tailed by 6.30am. Without fail. There is suddenly no more 5 minutes snooze. So far, this happens every.single.day.
As groggy and dog-tired as we are in the early hours of the morning, by the time both Silver Bullet and me divide and conquer to attend to Spud, we both will be very wide awake. By the time we end the morning rituals, if we are lucky, Spud would take a short nap. But by then, both of us are so wide awake that it is just impossible to nap along. If we try, chances are Spud will, as if on cue, starts to wail away within the minute we lay our heads down to rest.
Spud’s a chronic cat-napper. She just refuses to sleep during the day, and if she does, the longest she’ll go is about 15 minutes.
Having a nap in the day these days is just pure luxury. How I miss my sleep-ins.
If only Spud could grace us just a few hours of her daylight savings...
Our days have indeed become longer with Spud waking us up before or by 6 am on a daily basis. There has been no need for an alarm clock anymore to wake us up. On good days, we may have up to 6.45 am…but that has been far and between. There has been certain days where she has chosen to start waking herself up at 5am and with her fussing away, that dragged on till about after 6.30 am. When that happens, bye-bye sleep! No matter how hard we tried to adjust her feeding times, and no matter what time of the night she feeds, she will always be bright-eyed-bushy-tailed by 6.30am. Without fail. There is suddenly no more 5 minutes snooze. So far, this happens every.single.day.
As groggy and dog-tired as we are in the early hours of the morning, by the time both Silver Bullet and me divide and conquer to attend to Spud, we both will be very wide awake. By the time we end the morning rituals, if we are lucky, Spud would take a short nap. But by then, both of us are so wide awake that it is just impossible to nap along. If we try, chances are Spud will, as if on cue, starts to wail away within the minute we lay our heads down to rest.
Spud’s a chronic cat-napper. She just refuses to sleep during the day, and if she does, the longest she’ll go is about 15 minutes.
Having a nap in the day these days is just pure luxury. How I miss my sleep-ins.
If only Spud could grace us just a few hours of her daylight savings...
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