Alex-Cheryl

Are you a mother??

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 22:00:00 +0000

I would be lying if I said I have enjoyed being a mother from day one. I would be lying if I said that I was born to be a mother. The truth is until little C was born I wasn't too sure I was a mother. What I mean to say is I was performing correctly as a mother and I was doing everything a mother should be doing but somehow the role didn't feel like it was me. I felt like I had lost myself in all the sacrifices I had to make and I had yet to reach the sense of fulfilment that I thought a mother should have.

Don't get me wrong. I love my daughter very much. Its just that I didn't feel like I was Cheryl. Cheryl the mother? It just didn't feel right. So I plodded along doing the best I could but yet at the same time not knowing who this new person really was. People complain about the physical changes that a women has to come to terms with after giving birth but the emotional upheaval is the one that matters the most. It was a very guilty feeling that I was carrying around on my shoulders. I suspect that most women go through the phase but few talk about it. Its as if its taboo or something to be ashamed about. I wish women's magazines would talk about issues like these instead of focusing on 'losing the baby weight' as though that is the most important post baby subject to talk about. Some women take longer than others to really 'feel' like a mom while some were really born into the role. I took longer. 2 years long.

To be honest I felt like an imposter. I knew how to be a mom. I could dish out very good advice and words of wisdom but I could not believe that no one could see through me and realise that I really didn't think I was a mother. Secretly I was really afraid that this was how I was going to feel all my life. But when little C was born, that feeling dissipated. Suddenly I felt like I understood my role as a mother. I had come full circle into acceptance that I am a MOTHER. It finally felt right. It's amazing just how empowering that realisation/acceptance was.

I now know what it means to be in love with your children and each day I am discovering new things about the side of me that is Cheryl the mother. If you are going through the same thing I did, I must say I do not know what triggered the change. I do not have a solution to the problem except words of encouragement that you are not alone in feeling this way. It happened to me and I suspect it happens to plenty of other women as well. Take heart that this could pass and if it doesn't, seek help and talk to someone about it. Getting the guilt off your shoulders is a big thing. There is no need to look like you have it all together all the time and there is no shame in talking about it. This is why I have decided to put this down in my blog. It may help someone to read this just as it is helping me to 'pen' it down.

Perhaps one day us womenfolk can feel less pressured to look like the perfect woman with the perfect house and the perfect children plus a perfect body to speak out and support each other. Why should we set such ridiculous expectations of ourselves and of other women? The most critical judge of women is woman herself. Let's change that and lets start with ourselves.

A Pen with a Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 06:52:00 +0000

It's been awhile since I posted. We've been busy travelling with the two kids in tow and then returning home only to fall sick for 3 weeks. Yes 3 weeks! And all of us were down for the entire time too. It wasn't like the dominoes where one fell before another and then another. Good for us that we are finally on the mend now. 85% better - not quite there yet but at least we feel normal! Unfortunately we have now passed the bug on to grandpa and grandma. Nasty thing that bug.

Anyway here is some eye candy while I ponder my coming posts. Alex loves all things stationery and when he saw these he was itching to buy them. Me being the diligent wife of course stopped him in his tracks and said the only way he can have these is by taking a picture of them and that's final. Wife puts her feet down.

What? The guy has enough pens to supply an entire suburb for the elections! I think it's only wise that I stop him from adding three more to his collection. :) Oh and I'm only mentioning the elections because the elections are coming up in the ACT.

Till the next post...

Dining at Soju Girl

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 08:40:00 +0000

It was that time of year again where I turned a year older and this year I requested to have dinner at Soju Girl, a 2 year old establishment in Canberra that has gained quite a reputation and following for its food in the capital. I was keen to try it out and it was either this place or Public @ Manuka. The two establishments are totally different in cuisine but Public is another place I wanted to try out so I left it to the husband to decide which of the two to make reservations at. He chose Soju Girl probably because Public was too close to his work place and there isn't anyone I know that wants to go back to the work place after working hours.

We had reservations for 7pm and upon arrival, the place was already bustling with patrons. The bar area was quite full as was the dining rooms. We were seated and quickly briefed about the Soju Girl concept of plates for sharing plus their specials for the night.

First order of the night for me was the cocktail menu. After a quick perusal, I decided on El Diablo. I do not recall the ingredients in it except that it had tequila. I loved the drink. I like my cocktails strong. If I wanted something watered down I would just go with mocktails and this one had just enough kick in it. I was also pleasantly surprised by the generous size of the cocktail. One happy me!

Cocktail: El Diablo

We ordered a mix of dishes from the regular and specials menu. We were told that some of the starters are smaller portions and some can be quite filling. I really wanted to sample as much of the menu as we could and upon enquiry were told that 3 starters plus a main should leave us room to spare for dessert. However after finishing our starters we decided to add another starter before our main. The kitchen was kind enough to prepare our last minute request (it came 10 minutes after we made our request even though the restaurant was maxed out- I was very happy). In total we ordered 4 starters (plates to share) and a main.

Special of the night: Starter - Confit salmon, Black sesame seed rice cracker

I don't remember the actual name of the dish but it was a nice balance of textures when eaten together. Mild flavours, nothing too heavy on the palate. My only complaint, for a starter it didn't really get my appetite started.

2nd Starter - Tiradito of King fish, Yuzu, White Soy, Radish

This was really good, an opposite to the salmon - it really gets your appetite going. You get a burst of flavour at first bite. A little tangy and a little salty with some crispness from the radish and cucumber. Its light, refreshing and altogether yummy. I could have done with another plate of this.

3rd Starter - Wagyu Carpaccio, togarashi, New Zealand wasabi, pickled salad.

This was pretty good. Melt in your mouth wagyu carpaccio balanced by the pickled salad. The carpaccio was a little thick but I guess if you get more beef in a bite there isn't much to complain about. The New Zealand wasabi (a little yellow dot at the edge of the plate - not pictured) was quite hot. I love my spice but I think that the wasabi might be a little too hot for most Australians.

4th Starter (the addition) - Tuna Futomaki, seaweed salad, emulsions

Love the tuna. To be honest this can be described as regular sushi with better ingredients, prepared with more finesse and creativity. Oh and about heat, be warned - this is spicy. The tuna is firstly seared and then liberally coated with sprinkles of chilli powder. I love that the rice beneath the tuna is rolled in seaweed which is then coated in tempura batter and fried crisp. (Creative!) Plus the seaweed salad that sits beneath the rice is crunchy and tangy. The yellow dots I believe are mayo and the dark sauce is a mix of some sort with thick sweet soy. As a whole the entire dish works. My only complaint is that the rice is too densely packed. It crossed my mind that it could be glutinous rice and it reminded me a lot of Malaysian 'lemang' which is essentially rice, packed tightly into a bamboo and cooked over slow hot coals.

Special of the night: Mains - Beef short ribs, Asian slaw

The person serving us made mention of the fact that the beef short ribs were served off the bone more than once. I think she said it three times. I suppose the bone is a deterrent to order for most of the patrons? If I were ordering ribs I would not care if it was still on the bone. Half the fun is watching the meat fall off the bone! We loved the beef but didn't like the slaw. The husband stayed away from it after having one bite because of the wasabi content in it. I think it was alright but nothing to shout about.

This is a sexier shot of the beef short ribs. A little dark perhaps but it does look better than the shots with flash. Unfortunately the restaurant is kinda dark and I only had the iPhone camera to work with so the flash was the only way to go.

We had a look at the dessert menu but didn't feel inspired to order anything from it and headed off to have dessert at Gelatissimo in Manuka instead.

I will probably return and try a couple more items on the menu. The dishes here are for the slightly more adventurous and knowledgeable diner. Definitely not for the average Aussie who prefers a good steak or roast. So if you are keen to try dishes with an Asian twist to it, Soju Girl is for you. If not, just go for their cocktails and I hear they make a pretty good martini.

Cheese Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 06:00:00 +0000

I have been doing a bit of baking lately. I usually don't bake because it's such an exact science. Miss a few grams or add too many mLs and the outcome is so unpleasant the baked goods might as well be tipped into the bin. There is no fixing it with a dash of salt or a spoonful of sugar. Another reason I hate baking is the amount of washing up there is to do. I hate cleaning in between the beaters and I have never been fond of eating the batter.

However with a toddler in the house who needs to have morning tea and afternoon tea snacks, I have taken up baking on Fridays anticipating that she will need the snacks for Saturday and Sunday. Weekdays are fine because she is at daycare hence her meals are not my concern ( I say that flippantly but you know what I mean) My little girl often has fruit or some crackers as snacks but that does get boring so I have started to bake. Toddlers aren't fussed if the baked goods turns out sub par so I get off easy.

With that said, I have discovered that I'm not so bad at baking after all. My goods have turned out pretty yummy. I like utilising ingredients that I already have in my pantry and fridge. Even better if they are leftovers or bits of odds and ends that need using up. Here is a really simple cheese muffin recipe that I made just last week. It's so good, so moist (I hate dry baked goods) and best of all, there was no beater to clean! All in a bowl!

Ingredients

1 egg (beaten)

1 1/4 cup milk

2 cups self raising flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 big pinch of paprika (omitable)

1 cup grated cheese (I used Romano but you can use any cheese)

Shredded cheddar cheese for topping.

Method

Preheat oven to 180 Celsius. Prepare muffin pan by lining with paper muffin cups or coating the holes with non stick spray. Mix beaten egg and milk together. In a big mixing bowl, mix the flour (sieved), salt, paprika salt and cheese together. Add the egg and milk mixture. Stir to combine but be careful to not over stir or the muffin will not turn out light and fluffy. Spoon mixture into the muffin cups and top with shredded cheddar cheese before putting into the oven. Bake for 15 minutes and remove once skewer comes out clean.

I was very pleased with the result. The muffins were light and fluffy, very cheese-y and most importantly not dry.

Here is a shot with a bite taken out of it. See the fluffiness? :) It was irresistible fresh out of the oven and still as good 2 days after that after a short 10 second blast in the microwave.

Yummo. This recipe is a keeper.

Another Day, Another Year

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 01:48:00 +0000

The time of year has come again when I light the (many and increasing) candles, close my eyes, make a wish, blow a (long and getting longer) breath of air and voila - I am a year older.

This year I requested a cake from Flute Bakery, a shop well known in Canberra for its beautiful cakes. I told the hubs this year to go early, to have cash in his pockets(for they do not accept anything BUT cash) and to choose an interesting cake. So he chose this.

All I can say is that it is stupifyingly (for lack of a better word at this moment) YUMMY. Its name? TRIO. Is that cool or what? Its not called - Many layers of chocolate-y goodness sitting atop a layer of chocolate-y cake but a single word to represent a triple entity - TRIO. See this is why I do not have a job naming cakes. If it was left up to me I would just describe it as I have above and I'm pretty sure that very long name won't fit into any of the labels sitting in the glass display cabinet.

We cut into it and for someone who is a little OCD about balance and straightness of lines, this cake is perfection. Equal layers of chocolate-y goodness ( I am at it again aren't I? Maybe the chocolate-y goodness got to my head) increasing in chocolate-y intensity from the top to the bottom. I love gradient of color.

I have decided that we need another excuse to get another cake from Flute Bakery. I have heard that the Jaffa cake is awesome as well. Their cakes are so good, they don't even have a webpage. In this day and age, what business does not have a webpage to promote their goods? Their cakes are so good, they dont allow photography of anything in the shop. You are free to photograph your purchases at home. I guess it protects their creations from being copied and made available to the masses.

So is '3 months post pregnancy' a valid reason for another cake from Flute? :) Hmmm......

The Age Old Question

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:33:00 +0000

Mommy: Little A, how old are you now?
Little A: 2 months
Mommy:(Laughing) You are not 2 months! Little C is 2 months. One more time, how old are you now? Say 2 years old.
Little A: 2 old!
Mommy: 2 years old Little A. Repeat after mommy...
Little A: 2 old!

Dabbling with Marshmallow Fondant

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:17:00 +0000

When Little A turned 1, we didnt have much a of celebration for her birthday. In fact, I didnt bake a cake nor did I purchase any balloons. The one thing I did do however, was to ask Grandma if she could bake Little A a simple cake and we would just cut it before dinner. Grandma of course did her bestest, baked her a nice little bunt, stuck a sparkler on top and bought her two balloons to go with it.

In my defense, I was back to working full time then and between sleepless nights, (Little A was waking twice each night, crying and still feeding) waking early, showing up to work looking like a zombie for months on end, I was too tired to slot in baking and planning a birthday party. Any downtime I had was zzz time. Since then I have been simmering in guilt, feeling very un-mommy like for failing to put in some effort into having a birthday party for my child. But I digress, more on mommy guilt in a separate post.

This year after giving birth to Little C, I was set on making Little A's 2nd birthday special for her. The event itself wasnt much to shout about, just a simple party for a few kids and family with some nibbles. But my planning and effort went mostly into the cake.

I decided I wanted to make a beautiful cake for her. I had heard about how easy it is to use marshmallow fondant to cover a cake and how tasty it is compared to regular fondant. I know I have skills when it comes to arts and crafts so I decided to google and to accomplish what my mind had set out to do.

Little C was just born then and I decided to use his little "coming out" party (he turned 1 month old) as a trial run for playing with the fondant. I googled the recipe for marshmallow fondant - which was simple enough to follow.

Ingredients

1 pack of Marshmallows

1kg pack of icing sugar

1 tsp of water

Method

Put marshmallows in a bowl, add one teaspoon of water into the bowl, chuck them in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each 30 seconds until the marshmallows have melted. It should take about a minute to melt depending on how much marshmallows you are melting down. Remove from the microwave and stir in icing sugar until you can stir no more. Cover your hands with copious amounts of icing sugar, turn the contents of the bowl out on a sugared surface and using your hands, knead, adding icing sugar continuously until you get a dough like consistency. You stop when the dough can be stretched for roughly the length of one feet. If the mixture gets too dry or you have gone too far with the icing sugar, add a teeny spoonful of water and knead it again.

At this point you can add colors to batches of the fondant and store them for later use. It must be wrapped up to prevent it from drying and kept in air tight containers. I kept mine double wrapped in plastic and stored in Ikea containers in the fridge. I used gel colors to color my fondant. Do not use food coloring on the fondant unless you dont mind washed out colors.

I bought some fondant supplies from a baking supplies shop to get me started. A Wilton mat, roller, gel colors, pizza cutter, shaping tools (which I barely used) and an edible ink pen.

I did a trial run of shaping objects with Little C's cake. Mom and I played with the fondant for a little bit to get a feel of it. Together we made little booties, a milk bottle and a pacifier. The yellow beneath the booties is meant to resemble his yellow blanket but its also to break up the white surface of the cake.

This is the picture of Little C's finished cake. I made simple little squares to resemble alphabet blocks to spell his name and used an edible ink to write the letters on the blocks. I wasnt too happy with the effect of the ink because the pen seemed a little dry. I had to rewrite the lines a few times because the ink wasnt flowing very well. The cake is not the work of a professional but I think it passes muster for a first attempt. When covering and decorating the cake, I was more concerned about finishing what I had started in between Little C's sleeps.

A week later we made Pooh Bear and Piglet for Little A's cake. These figures for Little A took more time to shape than Little C's but since we already got the feel of the fondant the first time around, it was easier to work with.

This is the picture of the completed cake. A Pooh Bear themed cake. I was planning on making a honey pot to go with it but decided the cake was crowded enough. A simple Happy Birthday and a number 2 candle finished the job nicely. For future cakes I think I will be getting alphabet cut outs from the baking supplies shop so I can make letters out of fondant.

I think if time allows, I will be playing with more fondant in the future :) I set out the challenge for myself to make pretty cakes for my kids and I think I aced it for a novice armed only with a googled recipe for marshmallow fondant. I have pretty much decided that the next cake for Little C's birthday shall be a rainbow cake. Maybe I will cover that with white marshmallow fondant but I dont think I will be shaping any figurines or objects for that cake. Baking a multitiered, multicolored cake will be the challenge there for me.

Little A turns 2!

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 02:24:00 +0000

My oldest turned 2 this week. She has been the loveliest child to care for - smart, funny, obedient and sweet. Happy Birthday Little A!

This was her birthday cake. She has loved Pooh Bear and his friends for the longest time. She loves the story books and she loves the cartoons. I premade the figurines for her cake 3 weeks before actually making the cake for her birthday and as you would have it, she switched her obsession to Minnie Mouse the week before her birthday party. I decided that if she still loved Minnie by the time she turns 3, she shall have a Minnie cake then.

Curry Puff

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 01:21:00 +0000

This is my first attempt at making curry puffs. The way I cook is simple, I do it by estimation, by instinct and by using ingredients I already have in my pantry. Basically I taste and I make. So if you have just stumbled onto this blog entry by googling 'recipe for curry puffs', hopefully you find the details I am providing below helpful.

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry (I use super market bought frozen ones - as Jamie Oliver says, 'unless you have lots of time or own a baking/food business, you have no reason to make your own pastry'
150g chicken mince
1 large potato
1/2 diced onion
1 tbsp curry paste
Cooking oil
Salt

Method

First you peel and cut the potato into small cubes. Cook in boiling water until it is soft then drain the water. Next, sauté the onion in some oil until it smells wonderful. Add the curry paste and fry until its fragrant. Be careful not to burn the paste or the onions. If you prefer the curry puff to be on the spicier side, add more of the paste. Lastly, add the chicken mince and cook until the mixture is dry. While it is cooking down, add salt to taste. After cooling, store in the fridge overnight.

When you are ready to make the curry puffs, defrost the shortcrust pastry to room temperature and cut into circles. I used mugs for the shape of the circle. I did say I opt for the simpler method of doing things. :) If you want a bigger curry puff, use a bigger mug. Spoon the mixture of chicken mince onto one half of the circle and fold over. Press all sides down to seal. Then complete the seal with a rolling and folding motion. It is difficult to explain this action through words. Do google for a video demo on YouTube. I didn't do a google and basically did it my own way. It's not as pretty as it could be but it is acceptable.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Place the curry puffs onto an oven tray that has been sprayed with oil. Egg wash the top of the curry puff and cook for 15-20 minutes until the pastry turns brown.

I will be making this more often in the future for afternoon teas or office morning teas. It is so simple and definitely quick to do. I am always on the lookout for tasty recipes with no fuss and this has definitely made the list.

Development: 8 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 01:05:00 +0000

This week has been a little tough with the little man. He was a really good sleeper up till now. I think it's wonder week for him. It's too early to be teething and he seems to be getting enough milk so it must be a learning leap that is causing his change in behavior.

I just spent every hour of the last two nights getting up, rocking him, putting him back down and then having to repeat the same sequence again within 30 minutes or so. It was a really tiring night. The days have not been any better with him constantly waking and not sleeping as much.

I googled wonder week and read that the best way to deal with it is to give him as much comforting as I can. It can supposedly last up to a week. It doesn't help that the entire household is down with colds and sore throats thanks to Little A bringing home the virus with her from day care. I have been constantly watching out for the little man hoping that he won't catch it too. Winter hasn't helped in the slightest with the onset of dry noses even though the humidifier has been going nearly all day.

This too shall pass. I just need sleep!

Conversations with a nearly 2 year old.

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 00:55:00 +0000

It's a wonderful time when your toddler starts stringing 2 to 3 words together in her conversations with you. It was a sudden jump for little A who only a month ago was still using only single words to express herself. Here's a little bit of what our conversations are like now.

Me: Mommy will be going shopping later today.
Little A: Nana, mommy.
Me: You want mommy to get some bananas?
Little A: Yes, mommy. Pear.
Me: Pear? Ok.. We will get some pear.
Little A: Apple mommy.
Me: (just to humor her request) Ok apple too.
Little A: Orange too mommy.
Me: (surprised that she picked up on the use of the word too) You want oranges too? Oh alright.

We often walk the shops at the mall closest to our home and we call it Woden after the township it is in. One day I was having a chat with her grandma when we mentioned the word Woden and we were very surprised when Little A piped up and started her conversation.

Little A: Elmo car, mommy.
Me: What did you say?
Little A: Elmo car, mommy. (nods enthusiastically)
Me: Oh you want a ride on the Elmo car? (there is one in the mall-the sort of ride that goes round and round with coins)
Little A: Yes mommy.
Me: What is the color of Elmo's car?
Little A: Red!
Me: Ok.
Grandma: Shall we go to McDonalds too?
Little A: Cino! Babycino!

Turns out grandma has been taking her for a babycino whenever they stop by McDonald's for lunch.

Little A has been surprising me with her increasing understanding and vocabulary of words. She is very observant and picks up on the little details around her. Very astute. Very very astute. We are going to have to watch ourselves around her. :)

Intrigued by the brown stuff..

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Little A has been somewhat toilet trained since 1. By that i mean she has been doing the big jobs on the loo and doing only the little jobs in her diaper. She is nearly 2 now and i can count the number of accidental big jobs she has had in her diaper on one hand. She has been really good with toilet training.

Lately she has been turning around to check the 'product' of her bottom before I've even had the chance to wipe her bottom. It annoys me somewhat because here I am trying to wipe her little bum while being very careful to not accidentally swipe my sleeve or hand on anything yucky and I have a nearly 2 year old trying to squirm her way out of my grasp, turning around to have a look at the toilet.

What is with that? She never used to be interested in the 'product', rather choosing to run off and watch Dora or Mickey Mouse. Suddenly she has gone all CSI on me looking real intently at the floaties. I bet if gave her a lab coat and some sterile tools she would be cutting into the 'product' in no time. This habit of 'checking out my brown stuff' must be a toddler obsession and something she picked up from watching the older kids at daycare. She's been moved from the babys room to the toddlers room recently and since then I have noticed changes in her.

I will not post a picture for this entry. I think the mental picture I have left you with will suffice.

Anyway, I thought I'll just share this little bit on the blog. I'm sorry if you were having a meal while reading the blog and as a result have lost your appetite.

Next entry, nose picking?? :)

Christian's turns 1 month!

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 00:12:00 +0000

Time has just flown by and little C is now 1 month old. This will sound cliche but it feels like only yesterday when I first carried him home. The memory of being pregnant is still so real in my mind. How quickly he has grown and how quickly I have gotten older :)

We had a small afternoon tea with friends and family at our home to mark this momentous occasion. I posted a similar post for Abigail when she turned 1 month and mentioned the significance of this day to the Chinese. I am too lazy/too tired to look up the link for that blog entry and post it here so.. either Google it or look under the Parenting label on this blog for it.

Both grandmothers and I prepared some simple nibbles for the afternoon - we had curry puffs, blueberry muffins, pineapple and coconut muffins, spring rolls, sausage rolls, salmon and cream cheese on crackers, bruschetta, Tim Tams, chips and the star of the afternoon, the cake!

I had decided to attempt at making a cake and covering it with marshmallow fondant for the boy, I must admit the making the cake part wasn't me. I got MIL to bake the cake and I did the decorations for it with some help from my mother. Everyone had a hand in making it. It is an amateurs work but something I am quite proud of because I am no baker. I am a cook but not a baker. I dont do measurements because quite frankly I suck at them. I am the toss it in and taste' type of cook.

I reckon the cake is not too bad looking for a first timer :) What do you think?

This cake was a test run for a birthday cake that I want to make for little A whose 2nd birthday is coming up soon. I didnt do much for her 1st birthday so I will be making up for it on her 2nd birthday.

Check back in July to see how the second cake turns out! Oh and maybe again in October if I feel like making a third cake for the husbands birthday. We'll see....

My boy is now 1 month old!

40 weeks and 9 days

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:38:00 +0000

Warning: The post ahead contains a little more detail than you might care to read :) Proceed at your own risk.

Labour was induced on a Sunday morning by the breaking of my waters. We then sat around or I should say the husband sat around while I was pacing and taking the stairs in a bid to get baby's head to drop further down. We were hoping that contractions would start naturally after the waters were broken but all the pacing and rocking was to no avail. By 12noon, a decision was made to induce via the use of oxytocin.

So off we went to the delivery suite. I had the oxytocin drip put into my arm and contractions soon kicked in. I was a little nervous because I had read about the increased pain during contractions because of induction. I was also weary about possible risks with hormone inductions.

I must have been a little delirious because I remember saying to my midwife, " Is this all the pain I'm going to feel? This is actually quite manageable, sooo much better than the first time around!"

She gave me a big smile and just nodded along saying " Oh yes, it's not too bad is it? You are doing very well."

Then oh boy....did I remember. The pain oh the pain!

However labour this time around was only a mere 2.5 hours. Yes, it was ONLY 2.5 hours of blinding, searing pain and baby was out. Hurrah! I was so proud of myself for I had done it naturally, with no drugs and the best part, with no tearing. (this was so different to my first labour experience)

I was so glad and relieved that it only took 2.5 hours because as word of mouth goes, the second labour is usually half that of the first labour. My first labour took 20 hours and really, I was not game to take on 10 hours of labour the second time around without drugs.

I must mention that I also used the TENS machine when the contractions started. The TENS machine is a small contraption with leads coming out of it that you attach to your lower back on a gel pad. It works by sending pulses to two spots on your lower back (you follow the diagram to identify the right position to put it) which helps with the first stage of labour. I didn't have this for my first labour but managed to secure one for my second. I was skeptical about its functionality and effectivity at first but the machine worked as well as I had hoped, negating the pain in the first two hours. I would start the pulsing whenever I felt a contraction coming on and stop the pulsing once the contraction was over. I got to select the strength of the pulsing, the logic goes - the more pain, the more intense pulse. Towards the final 30 minutes of my labour I was no longer aware that the machine was still going until baby was out. To those who are reading this post and are pregnant or planning to fall pregnant, get this machine! Rent it or buy it, it's worth the money.

Back to the topic at hand.... Warning: Here comes more detail you might not want to read about. In case you are wondering why I'm putting all this info on the blog, it's because someday I might want to read this and remember my experience on that Sunday.

After the birth, we were going to spend the night (baby,husband and I) at the birth center and leave the next morning. I had breastfed the baby at the delivery suite but I thought I would give him another short feed before resting for the night. It was 6pm and while breast feeding him on the bed, I felt a very VERY sharp pain in my abdomen. It then passed and I was fine again. After I was done breast feeding, I told the husband that I would hand him the baby for him to tuck into the cot and I was off to use the toilet before getting in to bed. I took 3 steps away from the bed and then felt a huge gush of blood running down my legs.

I thought "Oh no, here we go again. Got to clean up." The gush of blood had happened at the delivery suite as well, but that it is normal post birth.

I got to the toilet but before I could use it, I felt a lot more gushing and this time I could feel big clots falling into my pants. I called out to the husband to tell him to get the midwife. She came in and I told her I had just bled again to which she said its normal. However when I said it felt like clots, she rushed in immediately, took a look and in a very stern voice told me I had to get myself to the bed and sit down.

I asked why since I wanted to use the toilet. She then said if I didn't I was most likely going to faint. She pulled me out and plonked me on the bed and before I could really take stock of what was happening, a doctor and some nurses came running in. Everyone was acting frantic (as frantic as doctors and nurses could get that is) and it was at this point that I realized this was not to be taken lightly. Something serious must be going on.

For the next 30 minutes they worked hard to stem the bleeding and to get all clots in me out. I had more drugs put in me to get the bleeding to stop. My abdomen was pummeled and rubbed which was so painful that I needed gas to get me through it. I didn't need gas for labour pains but I needed gas for this. This gives you an idea of how painful it was.

Thankfully they managed to stop the bleeding and I was kept in hospital for 2 days so they could monitor that all was safe and well. I lost 1.6 liters of blood that night. I had thought that with the labour being over I had gotten through the most difficult part of the pregnancy. Little did I know that I would have a hemorrhage right after. It was a life endangering moment and I am glad I made the decision to use the toilet before lying down to sleep. Had I not have gotten up, the blood would have continued to pool in my abdomen and I may not be blogging about it now.

All in all I'm glad I had a very quick labour but not so glad that I had a hemorrhage after. I have been told that should I decide to have another child in the future, there is a significant risk of this happening again. But that's a bridge that we won't have to cross till much later and maybe not at all.

For now, I'm off to enjoy baby and be thankful that I am here, back to blogging once again. :)

World meet Christian, Christian meet world.

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:40:00 +0000

My beautiful baby boy. Welcome to the family!

A Long Awaited Post

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:26:00 +0000

Its been awhile since I have put up a post on the blog. The last time I typed up an entry and actually posted it was way back when Abigail had just turned 5 months. She is now 1.5 years old!

In a nutshell, the last year has just been a whirlwind of getting used to daily changes and challenges. It is a big thing to adjust to having a third person in the family, her growing up from being a baby to being a toddler, me going back to full time work, Abigail adjusting to daycare, Alex completing his Masters and us finding out that hey, amidst all these happenings and the steep learning curve involved, we will be expecting a fourth person in the family!

If having one child wasn't easy, what were we thinking having another? Well, I guess the logic was since we were already working hard as new parents we might as well double the effort now, have 2-3 years of being bone tired and then relaxing once the kids are running around at 3 to 5 years of age.

At least thats the plan :)

So baby no.2 will be due in a mere 10 weeks. I will be back to being a stay at home mom until January 2013 so hopefully I will be able to find the time and the energy to blog a fair bit as I did before.

More soon.

Cheryl

Christmas in Penang

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 23:45:00 +0000

Christmas tree at Straits Quay

We had a lovely time in Penang. The little girl got to experience a different country, different weather and with all things considered, she did very well. We spent 3 weeks on the island and headed back to Canberra on the 27th. I got to meet up with friends, show the baby around and fill up on yummy Penang food. One can never have enough of good food and I must say I was rather reluctant to leave on the 27th!

The picture above is one of Abigail looking suspiciously at the camera. Probably wondering " What are they up to now?" We visited the newly opened Straits Quay shopping area at Tanjung Tokong. Penang is about to have way too many shopping centres. First there was Time Square, then First Avenue, now Straits Quay and later Paragon. How is each centre going to survive? Penang may be crowded, but its most certainly not enough to sustain 6 big shopping malls. I hope its not going to be a situation where the opening of one centre sees the demise of another. I think the city needs better planning. To the folks giving their approval for such projects, "Hey, think again!"

Abigail turned 5 months in December so we celebrated her 5 month birthday in Penang. I know, you are probably thinking '5 months? Thats a birthday??' Well to be honest, I needed an excuse to buy a yummy chocolate cake (if you have read about my consumption of food post delivery, you will understand) So I thought why don't we celebrate her turning 5 months and get a cake? Hahaha.... Ok moving on.

We had a so-so Christmas because Alex fell ill and managed to give it to me, Abigail and my mom. Because we were not feeling tip top shape when we boarded the plane for Canberra, the flight was not the best experience. I got no shut eye throughout the flight and Abigail did not do well during the journey. I was really glad to get back into our house on the 28th, put Abigail to sleep and got some rest myself.

In the little series of photos above, Abigail was having a very animated conversation with the auntie who was sitting across from her. We met up with some family friends for dinner and for the first time, Abigail was very captivated by a conversation a stranger was having with my mom. A stranger to Abigail that is.

We took this lovely shot at church on Christmas day.

This trip back to Penang was also so that my grandmother, Abigail's great grandmother, could see Abigail and have a cuddle with her. This is a picture at that visit. It will be something for Abigail to look back upon as needless to say, she is not going to remember taking this trip.

All in all we had an enjoyable trip. I must say I don't think we will be making another trip back to Penang anytime soon. Not until Abigail understand what it means to swallow and blow her nose (to avoid ear pain due to change in air pressure)

cheryl

Development: 24 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:19:00 +0000

Abigail turned 5 months a couple of days ago. We celebrated it with a little chocolate cake. I will probably get another cake for when she turns 1/2 a year old too :) Any excuse to eat cake! Anyway, a day after she turned 5 months, Abigail flipped! She has been trying to tilt her body for awhile now and today, she managed to flip herself over on her belly. She did this on a bed instead of her floor mat. The surface of the bed gives a little under her weight so it makes it easier for her to roll over.

cheryl

Abigail's BIG first adventure

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 02:55:00 +0000

December 7th was a BIG day for our little girl. Not only was she interrupted VERY early in the morning from her sleep (she usually sleeps till about 7am) but she would be travelling on 4 planes, covering 4 cities (starting from Canberra) and arriving in Penang, Malaysia. Cheryl's biggest concern was her ears because of the altitude and we took on board so much advice that most of it worked. That was, until the last flight, but more on that later.

So the adventure begins at Canberra airport, we checked in and went through the security check at the 'new wing' of the airport to get to the gate where our flight to Melbourne was leaving. Grandpa and Nan were on hand to say have a good trip and not long we headed down and onto the tarmac (get my first experience of the new airport and what happens, we get a remote gate :() and finally onto the plane for the short hop to Melbourne.

The entourage leaving Canberra, Cheryl, Abigail and me...

Abigail with Grandpa, Nan and me...

Abigail with Grandpa, Cheryl and me...

Flight time was only 45 minutes so it was quick. Abigail was fed as we climbed to the cruising altitude and then as we descended into Melbourne. Poor girl was probably thinking what is happening today, why am I being fed so often and whatever happened to my sleep? :)

OK, so in Melbourne we only had about 25 minutes on the ground before heading to Perth. That was just enough time to change Abigail's diaper and walk to the gate, on the other side of the Qantas terminal. Now this flight I was looking forward to. A new plane (2nd newest of the fleet) and a new cabin with PTV's for a domestic flight. Got on board and saw this lovely flight attendant who really helped us settle in. They said on the Qantas website that airplanes equipped with PTV's would allow passengers the ability to start entertainment on the ground rather than wait till the air. What they didn't say was that if you were taking a bassinet seat, that wasn't going to be possible :(. Ah well, I got to use it once in the air anyway. We left about 20 minutes late but once in the air, it wasn't bad. I watched Toy Story 3 (those who know me would know why) and then a fair bit of Mr Bean since there wasn't enough time to start another movie. The cabin itself felt very refreshed and yes, the hot meal wasn't bad either. Again, Abgiail was fed as we took off and as we landed. I reckon she would have been pretty full by the time we got to Perth, but no complaints, especially about the ears.

In Perth we knew we had a longer layover. This was a good opportunity to take a breather. What we didn't know was that the shuttle to the International terminal ran once an hour during the time we arrived. That sucked because we had to wait just on an hour before the next shuttle. So since there were a few of us, I decided to ask whether they wanted to split a cab. They all agreed and long and behold, we arrived at the International terminal. Perth International terminal is really small. But we cleared customs and immigration and headed airside. Now that was even smaller.

With about 45 minutes to kill before boarding, we walked around and Cheryl got to the use the Internet before boarding. We had to walk through the duty free shop (it seems to be custom in Australia that you have to walk through duty free after clearing customs) and boy was Abigail the STAR attraction. All the ladies crowded around her and played with her. That said, I went off and explored the small terminal, with just our lonely plane sitting at the gate waiting to head to Singapore.

Flight 3 / 4: Perth to Singapore. This aircraft had probably the narrowest seat of all the seats we encountered that day. This, combined with the fact that the armrests were fixed probably didn't suit Abigail too well since she was kicking up a fuss when we tried to feed her before taking off. But we were happy since she started taking the pacifier as well!! Anyway, we took off from Perth with a very energetic captain and crew and headed north for Singapore. News was on and then a movie that lost interest very quickly on me, Made in Dagenham. Anyway, Abigail slept about 90 minutes to 2 hours before waking up. I slept I think about the same time as her while Cheryl tried to sleep longer. When she was up, we took her walking around the cabin. She was liked by all on board as well... :) 3 hours and 40 minutes after take off, we landed in Singapore airport. Abigail didn't need milk, rather she took the pacifier again.

The one thing we miss about Changi airport wasn't the humidity that hits you in the face when you walk out, but we miss our soup spoon. Now this is a little shop that sells probably the heartiest soup in Singapore. Once we completed formalities for our last flight, we headed there for soup. Boy was it nice. :)

The LAST flight, Singapore to Penang. OK so this flight was full. Even though it was only like a 150 seater plane, it was full. Our row had us this gentleman who we asked to sit in the aisle for better access and then a Malaysian couple (as Cheryl says) with children sitting on the other side. Everything went smoothly until we started our descent into Penang Airport. Now everyone always says that when travelling with kids, the change of altitude will always be an issue. They should swallow or blow their noses hard to fix this. I don't think the father knew this. Why? Because when her daughter started screaming her lungs out because of the altitude change, all he did was cover her ears and say it was ok. Turned on the light to distract her but nope... She kept screaming. Eventually Abigail started crying as well... Pretty sure out of sympathy so we had two screaming kids and the poor gentleman sitting next to me. I could just see his face (why am I seated here??).

TOUCHDOWN Penang, 8.20pm. So after a LONG day, started at 3.40am Penang time, we arrived at Penang 8.20pm and got everything done by 8.40pm. Luggage into the car and driving. So 17 hours after we first started from Canberra, Abigail, Cheryl and I completed our first trip overseas as a family. Mind you, Abigail has already been to Penang before, but saw everything through mummy's eyes. :)

Thank GOODNESS the trip back to Canberra won't be so long or torturous. We fly Singapore Airlines (bring on the slings and the seafood meal!) and then Qantas back to good ol' Canberra.

I am sorry I hadn't updated in a long time. I never knew Uni could be so time consuming. Anyway, a little more free time now so I might blog again later to catch everyone up some more.

In the meantime, a picture showing us in front of a Christmas tree at the Traders Hotel in Penang.

Until next time,
Alex

Development: 20 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 10:19:00 +0000

Baby is officially 4 months and 2 weeks old. Time has certainly flown by. How quickly children grow up! Fancy me saying that now.... Imagine what I will say when she flies the coop!

I am excitedly waiting to start baby on solids. At this point we can't just yet because she has yet to master neck control. I may give it a shot in a week or so. In fact I have already bought rice cereal in anticipation for that moment. I definitely want to record that moment as I have heard a baby's expression while having their first taste of solid food is priceless.

However, grandma decided to jump the gun yesterday and she offered Abigail a stick of asparagus. We managed to take a picture.

She was quite happily sucking on the asparagus and didn't make a face. I guess we'll see how the rice cereal goes down :)

cheryl

Development: 19 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 07:46:00 +0000

This series of photos were taken with much mirth and laughter. I wanted to take Abigail out for a walk but it was a little cold. So I sat Abigail down on the couch to put on a hat to cover her still rather bald head and booties on her feet. I thought of taking a picture of her but she kept sliding down the couch!

Everytime she slid down the couch, her hat came off. So in between me holding on to the camera, stopping her from sliding and pulling her hat down on her head... Abigail started laughing! It was so funny... Baby laughter is so adorable. It's such an innocent sound. Plain and simple joy bubbling forth. I couldn't help myself but laugh as well. After awhile I didn't know if I was laughing at her laughing or maybe just that the whole scenario of me going from her head, to her body to her shoulders just to get a shot was bordering on ridiculous.

Just as I managed to capture a couple of shots, Abigail regurgitated milk all over her bodysuit. You should have seen me scramble to get her burp cloth. So not funny anymore.

We got our act together in the end and had a nice 30 minute walk. All in a day's work of caring for baby right? Don't even get me started on projectile poo.

cheryl

Development: 18 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 07:38:00 +0000

Abigail is getting a lot more alert as the days go by. She now recognizes mom, tracks me very intently as I walk across the room and can get a little upset if I leave the room. A bit early for this no? I thought babies only get clingy to mom at a later age - nearer to 6 months. I hope this clingy-ness dissipates when she meets more people in December. This will stand her in good stead when she enrolls for daycare in January.

On a side note, I cannot believe its the end of November! I only have one month left with her.. I'm so gonna miss my baby in January! SOB!

cheryl

Development: 17weeks

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 06:07:00 +0000

I love this shot of my baby. Its not easy to capture a nice picture of a baby in natural lighting (i.e no flash) whose movements are constantly jerky and to whom you can't just say "Ok.. hold still and smile!"

Firstly I have to hold the camera steady in one hand. I have shaky hand syndrome (probably from too much chicken feet - the chinese believe that if you have to much of chicken feet, you get shaky hands) Taking pictures with no flash requires a very steady hand. So while I'm doing that with my right hand, my left hand is gesturing and poised ready to catch baby if she falls forward or slides to the side. At the same time, I'm saying " Peekaboo!" in efforts to elicit a smile from baby. Every split second I take my eyes off the screen of the camera and tilt my face to make sure baby can see me and I'm not blocked from her line of sight by the camera.

See? Lots of multitasking! And I have to make sure the picture is in frame! Balanced on all sides! Of course all this would be made easy if someone else could take the picture but I'm home alone with little bub most of the day so its up to me to get pics!

Alex doesn't like this shot because as he puts it " You cut off one hand and one leg..."

Ha.. and I thought I was the one in this family who was obssessed with details! I will get him to take a picture next time and see if his composition is any better than mine. Phhhphtt!

cheryl

Me, sweet tooth? No way!

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:12:00 +0000

I have never been a fan of sweet things. I never understood why chocolates are always associated with women. What's there to like about a bar of chocolate or a box of gourmet chocolates? I like savouries. Give me a pack of french fries any day over a bar of chocolate. However since falling pregnant, all that has changed for me. I haven't lost my taste for savouries but right up there now is also a penchant for sweet things. Oh yes, I now have double the propensity for overeating and gaining weight. Halp!

I initially thought the sweet tooth was only a phase during the pregnancy. Then when it continued after giving birth I thought it would eventually go away. 4 months on, I now know its here to stay. I love chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, biscuits, cookies, whipped cream, jam and yes, even the chocolate bar!

If you think I'm just overstating my cravings, allow me to list the amount of sweets I have had since coming home from the hospital. It is easy to list them because I don't do sweets in small amounts. AND I eat them all by myself.

6 chocolate mud cakes (whole cake-not a slice)
5 bread puddings with many scoops of ice cream (A whole casserole each time=8 servings)
6 fresh cream and jam donuts
1 fresh cream and jam cake (whole cake-I did this one in 1 sitting)
2 litres of Cadbury chocolate chip ice cream
1 litre of Bulla chocolate ice cream
1 litre of Sara Lee triple chocolate ice cream
1 litre of Sara Lee cappucino ice cream
5 McDonald chocolate sundaes
12 scones with heaps of fresh cream and a dollop of jam
3 packs of shortbread biscuits
2 packs of Oreo cookies
2 bags of M&Ms
1/2 pack of Arnotts assorted family biscuits
1 whole bar of Cadbury diary milk

Scary? That was all done in a period of 4 months. Yet with all that consumption, I have not put on an ounce. I have not lost an ounce either though :p Breastfeeding has somehow made all those calories disappear.

So I have made a resolution. I will stop all this sweet eating. I will go cold turkey. I will do this for baby's sake. I'm sure that by going cold turkey my tastebuds will revert to its old self and avoid sweets right? Right?

That was 3 days ago (My cold turkey efforts has not been easy-its been slow going and I have since given in to 2 McDonald's chocolate sundaes and some additional cups of sweet Milo)

Help! :)

cheryl

Development:16 weeks

noreply@blogger.com (AlexandCheryl) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:49:00 +0000

We had friends visiting and staying with us this week. D and V came for a short visit and it was their first time meeting Abigail. The exposure was good for Abigail since the only people she sees are mommy, daddy, grandpa, grandma and the occasional stranger on Sunday mornings at church. I must say Abigail was pretty good with having D and V around except when mommy wasn't in visual range. :) This was when Alex and I realised that Abigail has developed mommy strings. She is only 3.5 months old and already she has developed a preference! We've got to get her out and in the hands of other people a little bit more.

Here are some pictures from their visit.

We had lunch at a micro brewery. I was a little concerned about taking a baby to a micro brewery. What would it look like, me a mother taking my little child into a place that primarily serves alcohol? (We went there for the food though, namely the pork belly) But all my worries were put to rest when we got there. There were 3 other babies in the premises! Obviously the mother's needed a little 'something something' to help them get through the day :)

Oh and D said she wasn't really good with babies but I beg to differ from the looks of this picture. D, you look just fine with baby! I think I can ship Abigail off to Melbourne for a short stay with you :)

We had dinner at a Spanish restaurant without baby. Abigail was in the care of grandparents for a couple of hours so we could get away. It was our first night out without Abigail. We had lovely seafood paella and beef ribs with a refreshing jug of sangria. The beef ribs were to die for... It was exceptionally succulent and 'fall off the bone' goodness.

After dinner we had a short and sweet nightcap at KokoBlack.

So anyone else keen to visit and stay with us? :)

cheryl