Woo hoo! Breakthrough in the Potty Training!

Gaby woke up with a spring to his step and a twinkle in his eye. We had a cuddle and him shouting at the top of his lungs “DADDY WAKE UP! DADDY WAKE UP! SUN OUT! SUN IZ OUT!” and MOH groaning back a reply. Miki was all game to play with him so I got up to get ready for work while they entertained each other.

It is so good to wake up to smiles and gentle giggles instead of a mini tantrum the moment they wake up. Sometimes, Gaby wakes up in a bad mood, he would jump on his still sleeping sister who wakes up in a fright and starts crying and screaming “ARI TIRED, ARI TIRED!” and baby is crying for attention asking me to pick her up while I am trying to pee and brush my teeth at the same time. It is, as you can imagine, utter chaos and just sets a really unpleasant tone for the day.

Anyhoo, me, Miki and Gaby woke up in a pleasant way that we don’t often do, with us all stretching with the sunlight on us creating a soft glow (like they do in the adverts) and I knew, I just knew something good was going to happen today.

Gaby asked if he could go down to the living room and I said “Yes” and he went down while I went to the bathroom with baby in tow. I then hear a squeal and a muffled “Mummy!” through the door.  I open the door and he keeps saying “uh oh, pee, mummy, pee”  I was in a good mood so brushed it aside and told him to not worry and took a cloth to soak up the  pee.

Then I turn my attention to him to change his pets because he obviously leaked through his pants but nope everything was dry and it dawned on me like a wonderful surprise that he had put his pants down along with his diaper before he peed. Never mind that it was on my carpet but he still took the time to put it down and when he was done he pulled it back up.

I closed my eyes and did a mini fist pump. A breakthrough in the potty training, THANK YOU GOD!

I was so happy I just dropped his pants and we did a mini chicken dance right there with Miki looking at us gurgling and clapping her hands.

Today, is a good day.

 

Till Then

Is marrying MOH the reason I am fat?

I read a few articles today that pointed out that being fat could most likely be due to your partner as their lifestyle would influence your own lifestyle.

How Being Married to Mr Big Made Me Fat

I was going through the photos on MOH phone and was so happy to see all the pictures of the kids playing, Miki, my mother in law and me… Wait is that me?

I saw a photo of myself from one of our weekends and I was like…yup legit fat. I can’t lie, I was a bit upset. I don’t feel like how I look. I feel great but I must admit I don’t look my best. So I went to whine and complained to MOH and he was like “Its ok, what to do? You don’t look like that in real life, I think you look good”.

Aww, you’re the best babe.

A few minutes later he turns to me and says “I feel like an ice cream, you want one?”. What was I to do but say yes to the bloody ice cream and at 8pm no less!

 

Till Then

Wait for me!

We went to Grey Lynn Park this afternoon for the kids and they had a great time. The highlight for me was at the end when we were walking back to the car the kids decided to hold hands.

They were singing wonderful nonsensical things while walking up the hill and you could hear Liam say “Wait for me!” all three stopped and waited for Liam to reach Gaby’s side, grabbed his hand and off they went again up the hill. Singing nonsensical things like “Na na Na BANANA!”

Now we have all four!

I often wonder when I catch them playing, learning and fighting with each other. How long will they stay friends and what will the future bring? I do hope that they will be there to support each other and lend a positive presence in each others lives in the years to come.

Till then

Autumn in 2016

I had a walk yesterday after work. I think this is the warmest autumn I have ever experienced since I came to Auckland 13 years ago. Red, yellow and brown leaves were adorning parts of the park creating a lovely setting. I couldn’t help walking through the fallen leaves which had created a thick autumn blanket on the damp ground.

 

Till Then

Murphy is out of surgery

MOH received the call last night that Murphy was out of surgery and for now is doing well. There was a whole lot of junk in there, bits of cloth, plastic, rubber and who knows what else. It was infesting in there for some time and parts of his gut had become infected. I can only imagine how he must have suffered and how long he had been suffering. I suspect it was when his appetite was cut down in half (4-5 months ago)  and we had attributed it to his short gut. Next time, when our dogs appetite changes we won’t be assuming and send them straight to the vet to get a scan.

We had sent him to the vet several times and we always came away with a jab or two and a check of his temperature, weight and abdomen. The vet and I could never feel anything. So a scan is a must next time especially if their appetite doesn’t come back in a couple of weeks’ time.

 

Poor Murphy.

 

He is still at the vets and stayed overnight, on the drip to replace all the precious fluids he has lost. I am hesitant to type this out just in case it doesn’t become a reality but he is on the mend and we just have to fatten him again once he gets home. I don’t even want to think about how much his surgery and after care will cost us. Nope, we did not get pet insurance, if you are reading this now and have a pet GO.GET.PET.INSURANCE. You will definitely need it.

Kaia (our other dog) has to go on a diet, I am afraid she gained A LOT of weight while we were trying to get Murphy to gain weight. She is like a walking tub now…It’s one or the other for us. LOL

Thank you to all for your kind wishes, I think we are out of the danger zone and we just have to help him gain weight and store all our stuff more securely to avoid this from happening again.

 

Till Then.

Murphy is in surgery again

Murphy has not been eating for the last 3 days so we sent him to the vet yesterday and booked an appointment for a specialist abdominal scan for this morning. MOH received a call in the afternoon and the vet said that there seems to be a cloth of some sort that is ‘floating’ around in his gut which is making him uncomfortable and causing him to have nausea which is why he is not eating.

We don’t know how long he has had that in his gut as his eating habits have been sporadic ever since his gut operation 2-3 years ago. We had recently brought him to the vet as he kept losing weight, was picky with his food. So we took a blood test and everything came back normal.

The last time he swallowed something it got stuck in his gut and we had to do an emergency operation and we weren’t even sure if he would survive. It here is the post on that fiasco: Murphy Boy

He was 23 kg back then when it happened and healthy. Now he is 15kg, weak, frail and the vet is not sure if he will make it this time.

His operation is scheduled for 3pm today. I am just praying he’ll be ok.

 

Till Then

 

 

 

Mummy, are you ok?

I had accidentally slammed the shower door and cursed myself for my clumsiness. A few seconds later I heard a soft knock at the bathroom door and a tiny voice through the door asking “Mummy, are you ok?”. For some reason tears started to well up in my eyes as I apologized and said “I’m ok baby, sorry for the noise”.

I opened the door and she was staring at me with her big brown eyes before squealing and running back to bed.

This is one of those times that it hits me hard how fast my babies are growing up. I get sad and all emo before I remember that they aren’t even three yet. Still, irrationally the sadness lingers, even now as I type this post.

Till then

Top five regrets of the dying

I went through my forgotten Hotmail account to find this email from 6 years ago by the wonderful blogger Absolutely Fuzzy (do visit her blog for style inspo, beautiful fashion and travel photos. She is currently on her honeymoon but will be back to blogging with a vengeance)

This has always touched something in me every time I read it, every single time.

You only live one.

 

Top five regrets of the dying

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

 

Bronnie Ware is a writer, singer/songwriter, songwriting teacher and speaker from Australia. She has lived nomadically for most of her adult life. Bronnie shares her inspiring observations and the insights gained along the way through the diversity of her work. To read more of her articles and learn about her other work, please visit Inspiration and Chai at http://www.inspirationandchai.com.

 

Till Then

My Son Is Too Friendly?

We are renting out our room at the moment as our previous house mate has gone to stay with his mates. It was great having my Andy there in the house as it was always a comfort having another male in the house to feel safe. Have fun Andy and thanks for staying with us, I’m sorry for being such a pain when I was pregnant and me and the kids will miss you!

A really lovely lady came to visit the room and Gaby came up to her and said “Me, Gaby!” then he put his hand on Kathleen’s head (she was sitting on the stairs to see who was at the door) “This Katelynn!” and took her hand and introduced her to me and his sister. He held on to that hand throughout the house tour and when it was done he asked her to play.

LOL! To me it was embarrassing but super sweet at the same time. The sweet lady took it in her stride and let him drag her around the place.

The same thing happened when we went to visit Puhoi Café. Their cheese platters are AMAZING! I didn’t get to take a photo as everything was devoured pretty quickly. Their ice creams were super delish too, also nom nom quickly before any photo taking could happen.

They had a playground, a pond and a huge grassy area for the children to play and roam in. Our kids were running wild and Trang had bought Yuki which fascinated these 3 kids. They came over and asked if they could play/walk Yuki and Trang said “Yes”. Off they went traipsing around the place with Yuki and the twins in tow. They were not going to miss out hanging out with the big kids. During their play Gaby and Ari manage to sneak in holding the children’s hands as they walked Yuki up and down the grounds.

“Koko! Koko! Hold dog?”, “Koko! Hand!!!” I can hear them screaming at the bigger kids (koko means big brother). The kids were so very patient with the twins and would even wait for them hand outstretched when one of the twins lagged behind. The kids got attached very quickly especially Gaby who could be seen holding on tightly to the koko’s hand.

So sweet and I was so tempted to find their parents to ask where they lived and if I could bring the twins over to play. LOL!

Gaby, you sweet boy. Don’t ever change but I might have to start on the ‘stranger danger’ lesson soon with you and your sister.

This is how we typically look getting everyone ready for a group photo

 

Till Then

Ash, 6 Years Ago

Ashley! Look what I found in my archives. 6 years ago you ‘layan’ me with my wedding blog. I love doing this Q&A sessions.

 

Where did you grow up? Tell us about your childhood.
I grew up in Cameron Villa, Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Nah, full address. Baru kau tau. hahaha. My childhood was fun. It was filled with adventuruous trips with the whole family and also a lot of memorable holidays. When I was younger, i spent most of time playing and fighting with my siblings. I always got bullied since I was the youngest. There was this one time at home where me, my siblings and some cousins were having our lunch and red beans were served. I used to despise them when i was younger but my siblings forced me to eat them and they would bribe me by buying my favorite grape flavored chewy-like sweet that were sold at the sundry shop outside my house and would bring it to me just to make me jealous. They would say, “one spoon of red beans and we will give you one sweet”. There were about 10 sweets in one packet. So, I had to eat the beans. Also, being the youngest, I didn’t get to hang out much with my siblings and other cousins as our age gap was kinda big. So for me, I always had to stay inside watching them playing under the rain and laughing hysterically through the living room window.  Even so, I had the time of my life while I was in my childhood years.

What was your favorite subject in school?
History, Biology and of course English.

What was your first impression of Bronson?
Haha. To be honest, my first impression of him was “Ugh, Why are you taking my sister away from us?”. Yeah, anger and hatred. But how could you blame me? I was only 12. Eventually he grew on me. Must be with those gifts. haha, just kidding. If I was given a second chance to have made a first impression, it would be crazy, fun, charming and wise.

What do you do in your free time?
Read, play the guitar, sing, dance, go online, homeworks, text and talk on the phone.

5 traits you look for in a person
Funny, Caring, Smart(both book smart and street smart), Sociable and has the same insterests as I do.

What is your favorite “guilty pleasure” food?
Wahahaha, pastas, pizzas, Kfc’s cheesy wedges, potato chips.

What is your favorite city in the world and why?
Hmm, I don’t really have one but if I had to choose, I would say New York Cause that’s where dreams are made of right? It could turn dreams into reality. So yeah, a girl with a big dream would like New York even if I had never set foot on its inspiring concrete jungle.

What artists would we find on your “most played” list on your iPod?
The All-American Rejects, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, John MAyer, Lifehouse, Switchfoot, Taylor Swift, Teddy Geiger, Paramore just to name a few. hahaha.

Describe a perfect saturday.
The right weather, friends coming over, listening to my favorite songs, reading novels, hanging out with the family, bathe the dogs and maybe go out for a movie.

What is your favorite sport? Why?
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always liked swimming and badminton. Swimming because I’ve always loved the waters and badminton just cause it’s a fun and simple sport which helps you to burn all those carbs without you even noticing.

What did you think when you found out your sister was getting married?
Awwwwwwwwwww, it’s about time! happy for you guys.

Name a movie you could watch over and over again.
Finding nemo and you got served.

Best restaurant(s) in KK?
I know I’m being materialistic but i gotta say Pizza Hut. hahaha, Inanam’s well-known jeong hin. 😀

Favorite book(s)?
holy moly. This is a hard Question! Mostly chicken soup books, the twilight saga, books about myths and legends, Spiderwick guide, roald dahl books, calvin and hobbes, a walk to remember, pretty things, devilish, just to name a few. hahaha.

What inspires you?
People inspires me. All sorts of people. Oh, and also music.

Hidden talents?
I can memorize facts/lyrics really fast. hahahahahahhaa.

Any 2010 goals or resolutions?
To be a better person and also to achieve fruitful results for SPM.

3 random facts about you…
I speak an alien language with my dogs.
I enjoy making hand-made gifts for friends.
I’ve always believed the term “home is where the heart is”.

5 places you want to visit in your lifetime
Canada
United States of America
Italy
Spain
Argentina

either/or…
sweet v. salty: Sweet
ninjas v. pirates: arrrrr, pirates. Hey there Johnny Depp. haha.
manga v. anime: manga i guess. hahaa.