A renovation is a renovation..no matter big or small scale..

Hello after 2 weeks of absence! And yes because of renovation! Our kitchen tap broke (like how did it happened right? I am totally clueless too!), water was flowing all over each time we used it, and the cabinet under the kitchen sink got literally watered, and it got spoilt too. Spoilt in the sense because it is made of wood+melamine, wood in contact with water = bulging/separation and rotting. So the entire sink section had to be taken out and re-casted using concrete blocks and cement now. This is how it looks now.

Old cabinet on the left, and new sink support aka cabinet on the right.

Before, it was just like the area around the cooking hob, solid surface worktop with wood cabinet. Now its concrete with tiles. Pros and Cons?

Solid Surface VS Tiled Surface
Solid surface has a seamless surface, looks classier than tiles, can withstand the heat around the hob, wider range of pretty selections. It is generally costlier than tiles. Tiles are relatively cheaper compared to solid surface, super easy to clean, has a super wide selection to view and choose, and wouldn't lose shine (our solid surface lost shine after awhile). Disadvantage of tiles is that it looks tiled (duh), cannot withstand the heat as well around the hob (will result in tiles popping out), if wanna chop whole chicken whole duck then better be careful about the strength of chopping cos the tiles might crack if you chop like chopping the whole table away, and of cos, the grout can trap dirt and look ugly after some time (think the bathroom grout). SO, grout cleaning is one thing to take note of on a regular basis in order to maintain the looks. Or one can opt and pay a higher rate for colored grout if it matches the tile color.

Another option one can go for is to choose marble or granite (preferably) worktop. My mother went for this option in consideration of aesthetics. Granite is a better choice cos its maintenance free. Marble requires regular shining if not it will lose shine after a while and look really retro if you don't mind. China granite is by far the cheapest if I'm not wrong.

Wood Cabinet VS Concrete Cabinet
We had our cabinet and the doors in wood, so with doors there will be hinges. For us it was not a good option. Though we are not staying in view of any seas, but our area is near to the port, so there will be salt winds coming from the port. This corroded almost every stainless steel screws and hinges there are at home. And like I previously mentioned, wood under the sink, not so good. Any water splash or overflow and drips onto the wood needs to be wiped dry immediately, if not will result in rotting. So the tap was literally crying waters onto the cabinet. And also if any cold meat is left in the sink to thaw, chances are condensation drops will form on the underside of the sink, and drip on the cabinet floor as well. Now with the area done up in concrete, we need not worry about water splashing on the to cabinet, no more worries about termites, and even no worries about condensation drips cos the floor of the cabinet is now tiled as well! Just wipe dry the area will do.

I'm not sure about it, but I think it might be possible to request to do partitions in the concrete cabinet. But it might be fixed tho, they might just cast a thing slab across. We did not request for it, but its working fine for us anyway. For wood cabinet, well we all know partitions are guaranteed. In adjustable heights too! For wood cabinet it will look classier as well thanks to the pretty melamine/laminate (the more expensive option) that clothes it.

With our current cabinet, we are having aluminium sliding doors. So its great for us as aluminium doesn't get corroded by the salt winds.

*~*~*~*

Actually after everything finished, I was kind of thinking, in the future when we do reno for the whole house, I might just go retro for the kitchen. Adorning the cabinets with mosaic tiles at some areas. Love for mosaic tiles anyone?

So for anyone out there thinking of redo-ing your kitchen, consider using concrete for the sink area. Another plus point is that when choosing wood cabinet, you often have to 'queue' for your turn to renovate. This is because almost 90% of carpentry workers are contract from Malaysia, and it is often difficult to do reno at the end of the year because the workers schedule are all packed. But concrete workers usually are with the reno companies, so it is easier to plan reno schedule and can start almost immediately. We could have started 3 days after the lady came over to view our situation, but had to delay awhile for hubs to work out his schedule so that someone can be at home while the reno is ongoing (I have to hide in the room with the baby). And doing carpentry works take more time than casting concrete. Our sink support aka the cabinet was casted on the first day, and by the second day its fixed up with the tiles. Fast huh. By the third day all is dried up, with the aluminium taking door measurements and the plumber coming in to connect the pipes and all and we can use the sink already. On the fifth day our aluminium doors are up and works completed.

Like I mentioned, a renovation is a renovation, no matter big or small scale. Because the cleaning up works is the same!! Especially when there is a baby in the house. JCH was being really good despite cooping him up in the room all day long. No play yard, no walker time..basically he's not allowed out beyond our room's door! After the workers leave, SIL and I will be cleaning the house up. Thank goodness she's at home with me. Wiping the dusts and debris off, cleaning the reno area (so minimum dusts get blown into the living area later), mopping the floor for 3 times each day so that its no longer dusty after that, and wiping anywhere else that JCH will come in contact with. Its only the night time, when everyone's home for dinner, that JCH gets to come out and roam the living room area. Imagine the work we need to do! Handling a baby at the same time, and getting ourselves cleaned up afterwards. Not to mention ironing the clothes dry. The dirty laundry still needs to get washed up, and any laundry that doesn't quite dry up will get ironed dry. Oh the days and nights.

 Waking up to find a play pen squeezed in the room for him

 Let me out~~~

On the third day of reno, when the workers come in a little later. JCH having a little morning fun at the sofa.

And then, JCH's cot gave way on Wednesday night. It didn't totally break up. In the middle of the night, I got awokened by a "thud" sound and JCH cried. Checked around the cot and saw that the base went lower at one corner, the corner that was loose for a period of time. Long story but that corner of the cot base was showing signs of giving way for a period of time. Next morning told hubs we really need to throw the cot away. And then, we had to repack the entire room to fit a safe corner for JCH to sleep and have his little moments of fun in the room. Tiring max. More cleaning.

The loose corner

His current sleeping area, taking up to the computer table. Shucks I need to fix the bumper. Packing not quite finished as he can reach really far in now. *sigh*

I began typing this post with the lil' bub playing around my feet. Halfway into the post he signaled to me he wants to sleep. And now finishing up the post, the bub has been asleep for the last 10-15min already. Now, time for me to wash up all his porridge cooking stuff sitting in the kitchen sink.

Christmas is coming~Have you prepared your Advent calender? ;)

Sharing the secret (and yummy) recipes not up on Starbucks' main menu!

Meant to type the post on BM vs FM, but time flies while I was checking out FB updates from all over. So, I just have to share this before sleep time.

Starbucks' Secret Drinks!

Why secret? Because they are not on the main drinks' menu. Why not? Because, they are created by the very fun loving, creative, inquisitive, experimental blahblahblah baristas working in Starbucks for the very siao-onz and mad regular customers! These drinks are for real, its only a matter of whether certain ingredients/base drinks is/are available, as some tend to be seasonal. I've just ordered a Butterbeer Frap and its yummy! I would say its more for those people who loves milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate. Yes, there is a distinct difference between the taste palates of these two groups of chocolate lovers.

Right now, recipes requiring toffee nut syrups are available for sampling. BUT! I just overheard one of the baristas mentioning that they are out of cinnamon syrup. So, check with the outlet's barista, probably its only the outlet I've just visited that's out of cinnamon syrup. They are always friendly. And be nice when asking for these special concoctions because these are essentially customized drinks! They would not know how to put up a Red Velvet Frap or Banana Split Frap just by names. Save the recipes in your mobile and show it to them. That's what I did when I requested for Butterbeer Frap, just show the recipe to the barista!

Alrighty then, enjoy experimenting these new flavors!

Insomnia

Seems like insomnia is not really a thing of the past. It is still continuing!

These days, it has been quite difficult to get JCH to sleep at his bedtime. Somehow, he is just super wide awake. So, what happens is that, with all the bottles/cloths/bibs/wipe up bucket unwashed, hubs and I will sleep before JCH sleeps! Only then he will get to sleep a little while after hubs and I are knocked out. He doesn't like crawl or turn. I think he just wants to make sure like he is not missing out on anything fun with dad and mom? But at night time, we try to keep things toned down after I had read of such mentality that babies might have which would lead to them unwilling to sleep.

Basically, we have to get into our bed with him, turn on his lullaby music, snuggle. And he will start crawling all over, attempting his standing feat all over, get a little more exhausted and willing to lie down quietly. Being tired as we are, we'll just drift to sleep effortlessly with the lil' one snuggling in between and he will drift to sleep following. Then, I will awake around 12plus or 1plus morning time and start washing up all the things. So, that was what just happened. After that, here I am, wide awake, not able to get back to sleep no matter what. It's like a deja vu sometimes. During pregnancy this pattern of waking up at 1plus morning happens so super often. Next I know, I will still be wide awake at 3plus, may be sleeping around 5am.

When JCH was a lot younger, as in when he was still really small and waking up at every 3hrs interval through the night, it was ok with me to have interrupted sleep. Because I would be able to catch up on lost sleep time in the day when he have his 2hrs nap. Now with a 9.5mths old little monkey, nap time for me would mean a lot of things not getting done. He is already having longer waking hours, during which have to plan his playtime and read to him. And during his long nap session in the afternoon, is the time when I have to do the things that I can't do when he is awake. So, no nap time. Or rather, I try to avoid till really cannot maintain an awake mind, then hubs will return to a super duper messy room. Now, the room is in perpetual messy state, and then it will be super duper messy.

Couple the abovementioned condition with JCH's separation anxiety, I can totally imagine the mess in the house of some of my friends with babies older than JCH when their babies had separation anxiety too. It is a challenge to get anything done (especially cooking and laundry) with the baby needing your physical presence. But at the same time, he has got to get used to not being able to see mommy sometimes.

Quite thankfully, JCH had like 2 play dates last week, when I could have a brief respite as he mingles with the other babies and my friends and/or hubs can take over a little while.

One was a pretty last minute fixed up, when a friend had to take urgent leave to rest up after her girl just didn't sleep well through the night. We just met up at another friend's place (another SAHM), put the babies together on a single sized mattress, and its a mess of babies' bodies all over the mattress!!

 

They would just squirm and roll all over the place, crashing into each other sometimes. With them not knowing what are dangerous acts, we just gotta keep looking out so that they don't poke each other in the eyes or pull the hair blahblahblah. The youngest still couldn't sit for long and can't crawl well yet. The other two gorgor and jiejie are just all over the place, trying to grab each other's biting toy and their mommies' water bottles. They say the grass is greener on the other side eh? It was quite hilarious and relaxing in general. They babies entertain each other or themselves, while mommies could chitchat and just do supervising, at the same time they are actually play-learning! It is a plus considering all three babies here are the first children of the families. Wished such play dates could happen more for JCH. Somehow he would get a little distracted and forget to cry for me, though he still wanted to keep me in sight. But of cos I can stay in his sight, I didn't have anything else to do other than stay around the area (except for toilet time) with my friends! XD

 

Another was at a friend's daughter's first year birthday party. It was really good that they have a play yard at home too! So babies and young tods are just put into the play yard with some toys and balloons and they start playing!

 

It was funny all the same. Especially with JCH meeting twins for the first time. He was absolutely baffled, can see it from his signature blank look when he was trying to figure things out. Putting babies together and watching them play is just a very funny time! You would see them interacting cautiously at first, checking each other out, and then later clash of the baby titans as they start reaching out for each other and they start talking too!

Lately JCH has not only been having separation anxiety, but also stranger anxiety according to a friend who is a doctor doing his rotation at paediatrics currently. JCH is wary of strangers (something we have observed), and he is not doing very well in unfamiliar environment with strangers. He would get spooked out and want to look for me and be carried. Its super evident when we went for my friends' housewarming, he just cried and stop, and cried and stop, continuous cycle. Until I carry him (daddy wouldn't do~), and he will still be giving that wary look to other adults and cry if they start playing with him. Even at the birthday party too, he did cry but a lot lesser compared to the house warming. Somehow, he handles his stranger anxiety better in the day. Or was it because he sees so many babies around it made him feel safe?

It's the same even at my mom's place, a place he is familiar with, in the evening time. Somehow, the trigger time is evening, when the sun is setting. He would fuss and cry. But on reaching home, he is back to normal, playing, smiling, laughing. Although he would still cry for me.

The elders would keep saying, "see how your baby treats you now, you will know this is how you treated your mother when you were this young". But my mom says I was very guai wor (meaning obedient). Hmms..

Anyhows, think am finally getting a bit sleepy. Better capitalize on it and try to get back to sleep.

Last picture before sleeping, the Haenim play yard that I didn't post previously aka JCH's castle! Yet to name the castle, still thinking of a name.

The prince getting busy in his own castle!

Tah tah~

 

Post note: Will be giving my two-cents worth on breastmilk and formula milk. Have been witnessing some situations about BM vs FM recently.



Getting excited for Christmas!!

Am back at my mom's place for today, kind of like rest n relax for a moment. While the little monkey sleeps, i surfed IKEA's app and saw that they have the CHRISTMAS section up! But there were only few items. Nonetheless, enough to get me excited over Christmas!! Love love Christmas! Other than the fact that it is the day when Christ was born, i love how the atmosphere would feel so dramatically different from normal days, thanks to the mad effort in commercializing this day to pump up the consumer spendings.

And already i'm thinking whether we should be setting up a tree at home. With JCH being still so small at the moment, i doubt he would really appreciate the tree. But some deco in the house would definitely make the season feel more prominent. And i remembered, the Canon Creative Park Christmas Collection!! Love that Canon has such a section that allows the general public to print and do paper deco, they even recommend the type of paper to use for best effect!! So, this year's Christmas will be decorated with templates from Canon Creative Park mostly. Until next year, when JCH is nearer to 2yo, probably then we will consider getting a tree for the season.

Still, i am going to visit IKEA soon to soak in the season atmosphere!! Not forgetting Orchard road too! Probably snap some pictures of JCH with the many Christmas deco they have along the road. Ah the fun! Plan plan!

*yawns* May be i should nap too. JCH has been sleep-crawling last night n 2 nights before. Making him tired and me tired.

It has been quite a journey [random post]

Flashback.

Christmas Eve 2011, we got happily married. Went into 2012 with a new status, new planning.

April 2012, I was serving my notice after resigning from ex-co.

May 2012, went for honeymoon. Came back mid-month and started job with a new company.

June 2012, the night before my thyroid aspiration was due, did a pregnancy test, went to the nearest GP clinic for double confirm. JCH was with me, forming. We were ecstatic. And then later I was worried. Spoke to my then superior about it. She decided to go ahead and confirm my status earlier as a formal employee. I was really thankful, though I know that by MOM law they couldn't sack me off just because of my pregnancy. I tried to work, but it was difficult for me back then. Fatigue was bad. I think made worse that I couldn't eat proper meals. Nope I didn't have morning sickness. I was just not eating. And then there's the night time sleeplessness. I wasn't working well and it's not good for me either.

Mid-way through second trimester, I had bad fever. First temperature taking was 39deg C at KKH. Subsequently subsided and given a 2 weeks hospitalization leave. That was when I was discussing with hubby possibility of me resigning from work totally. We couldn't find a nanny to take care of JCH when he will be born in 2013. My health wasn't doing well. I wasn't resting well. I couldn't work or help my superior. Back to work after ending 2weeks of HL, told my superior I needed to talk to her. Turns out that she wanted to talk to me about the same issue.

December comes and I'm free as a bird. Work has ended for me at the moment. Focus was just to rest well, eat better (which thankfully I was eating better after the entire fever episode), and prepare for JCH's arrival. We had our first wedding anniversary and second New Year celebrations as a wedded couple.

January, one more month till JCH was due in Feb. My last visit to gyne was on 18-Jan (around that date) for one last testing for any bacteria along the birth canal and whether I would need to be put on antibiotics for that. Next visit was scheduled 25-Jan for the test report and checking on JCH's progress and positioning. We were very excited and really looking forward to finally meeting our baby. But was hoping JCH would come out like before 10-Feb, before my gyne flies off to London to spend CNY with his pretty girls and wifey. There will be other gyne around to take over of cos, but we just wasn't that comfortable with it. Afterall, it has already been a 9mths visit and interaction with this current gyne right?

One day before my visit was due, we got the early morning alarm from JCH. Mucus plug out, water bag burst. This alarm woke hubby up VERY EFFECTIVELY. Got showered and pack in the final things (luckily I have been kiasu enough to keep packing on and off in Decemeber) and we rushed off to the hospital. I remember it was a Thursday, because it was my gyne's half day off! We reached hospital around 10plus in the morning, he was down to check on me before noon in his usual office wear and cutesie bow tie. And in the afternoon and evening time when he came in to check on me again, he was in his exercise outfit! We were like "WOW didn't know he is that well-toned!". It was a long wait because the little boy didn't make his appearance until 7plus in the evening! Took his own time literally, had to be induced so that we wouldn't end up going for c-sect option. I have nothing against c-sect, just that I don't want to have a c-sect at my first birthing. VBAC is possible but is dependent on alot of factors.

Fast forward to now.

He was one month old, then two months, then four months, six months, and now nine months. He could breath, and cry, feed, poop, pee, fart, smile, sleep, wake, whirls his hands and feet around involuntarily, to now controlled movement, then he could chuckle, to now his wide range of speech sounds, went on to swimming, then could hold his neck steady, prop himself up during tummy time, had his first puree, turn himself around, crawl, took his first porridge, stand, take his little steps and dancing (erractic feet movement that doesn't constitute walking are termed as dancing! ha!), and sprouting those 2 little milk pearlies.

He is growing so fast. It doesn't seem like I had just given birth to him back in January, it just seems like he was born a long time back! Its funny, like I felt that he is growing too fast, but yet time like just doesn't register to me as having passed by that fast (9mths only?!)!

Soon we will be heading into our second wedding anniversary with JCH right by our sides, followed by his first birthday a few weeks later, and for these 2 years we have been spending with different lifestyles, expectations and thankfulness. Come 2014 (yes I am already looking forward to 2014!) there will be lifestyle change again. Just so very thankful for everything; the fact that I could actually be SAHM, take care of JCH personally, spending all these precious moments together as a family, all the friends supporting me, the new friends I've met, and so much more.

Not sure what motivated me to write this post, probably because it is the end part of the year already, sort of a reflection may be. To also remind myself of the goods that I have in my life, some of which are envied by others, while I envy some of the goods that they have too. Good as all these words may sound, there have been downs as well. This is life afterall. But the downs shall be left unsaid, except if I have previously blogged about it. May be because this week has been a little low for me. It happens when there is only a single breadwinner in the family I guess and there is nothing much I can do at the moment about the situation. I needed something to perk me up I guess, especially when even my comfort tea couldn't work its magic like it does normally.

Anyhows, it is still a good time to start your own reflection of your year. Focus on the good and be thankful. Look forward to 2014 and your expectations for it. Remind yourself of where you could improve on from the lessons learnt in 2013 so 2014 can be better.

From now, I will be pretty busy. There will be a minor renovation going on as our kitchen sink is damaged, so is the cabinet below it. Plus I have started on his first year celebration deco project for about one month already, preparing the things needed. Why so rush? BECAUSE THE MONKEY'S BIRTHDAY IS ONE WEEK BEFORE CHINESE NEW YEAR! And I'm trying not to spend if I can replicate the deco myself. So much cheaper to draw yourself, and the rewards is much more too. All these has to be finished by Decemeber. So after I'm done with his birthday stuff, it is time to prepare the CNY things. Right after his birthday party, all the things will be taken down, house rearranged and prepared for CNY. What a rush! And then there is Christmas preparation also! Oh BEE-ziness!

I will share more on his birthday at the appropriate time! :D So excited for it! The little monkey is turning one!