I got home, had a shower, they came back from my Mom’s place, my Mom told me Jordan was grumpy already, so I need to bathe her and get her ready, no one else wanted to do it. Okay… and then I realised why… she refused to get into the tub and when I insisted, she would stand up, throw herself at me and step out, this happened like 5 times, all while screaming in my ear and in a small bathroom. Finally I had enough and just took the shower head and got her nice and wet, got soap on and soap off and yes, she was standing and screaming. It was so weird, because this is coming from a kid who usually hates getting OUT of the tub. Then she’s in her towel and still screaming. I get her on the changing table, she does not want to lie down, she sudden seems very much stronger and I can’t get her damn diaper on. I can’t get her body cream on and I know most will say ‘forget about it’ but we can’t, she’s got dry skin and she need to have the body cream on or her skin gets really dry and scaly looking. Thank goodness Rylen was with my Mom because I could see she was getting worried. I had to close the door! I tried music, toys, tried to dress her standing and she’s screaming and fighting me till her face was red. So I had to just ‘ go deaf’ and get on with it. Rylen demanded to kiss her goodnight, Grandma said goodnight and she’s screaming… yup, still screaming… till I shoved my boob in her face and then QUIET. All is right in the world and everything is good and QUIET and then zzzzzzzzzz.

WTF!!! I’m actually a little scared today, its just 4 of us – Jordan, Rylen and my helper… wish us luck.

Dearest Jordan,

In less than a month you’ll turn a year old, a toddler, not a baby. One day you’ll stop resting your little round head against my cheek, you’ll stop stroking my belly, snapping my bra, patting my head, patting your own bum, while you have your milk, I’ll have to wean you off and ohmygoodness I have mixed feelings about that. It’s been great so far, I think it was really important to keep breastfeeding you; not just for the health benefits but also because it forced us to spend time with each other. Ry being older and more vocal demands attention and frankly she would have gotten it, so I thank breast feeding. Spending quality time with each other, every morning and every night, just the two of us and it has been wonderful. I know I said a year and Daddy figures you’ll be weaned off when you’re 12 years old but I think, we’ve done good and once you’re 1, we drop another feed but we’ll keep the morning and night ones till further notice .

You certainly are Mommy’s little love bug and when you want me to carry you, no one else will do (especially after 7.30pm). You’re still very tentative about walking, you don’t want to walk more than two steps unless you have two hands to hold on to or  you will look up and ask for the other hand (or you will sit down) or a table/ chair nearby. Still no teeth but I FINALLY without a doubt can see two little bottom teeth peeking out, they still haven’t cut through but I’m 100% sure you’ll have them by your first birthday!

  If you look closely you’ll see the 2 tiny bumps

Talking. Okay this one is hilarious. You can speak, so clearly the following words – Daddy, Jie Jie, Love You, Stomper, Bird, Where. But you’ll say it ONCE and then when we ask you to say it again you do your famous ‘eh?’, I swear if there wasn’t another person in the room when you speak, all of us would have thought we had gone bonkers.

Love you my darling,

Mommy

Anyway, there some (not much) info about this online and more on youtube. Diastasis Recti info *click* or *click*

Me, the mother who packs a slice of wholemeal bread every single day so my kid doesn’t eat over processed white bread. I don’t allow yacult, sweets, additional sugar, butter, too much jam. I explained that in order for her to not be so negative about her Chinese medicine, the gummies help. And .I.Got.A.Snarky.Note! I wouldn’t have minded it so much but this woman keeps writing over Rylen’s clothes, she’s dumped in dirty clothes together with clean ones in Ry’s bag which made her bag stink (there were plastic bags for the dirty clothes mind you) and after reading the message I realise she didn’t pack and return Rylen’s medicine… Argh! There will be complaining but I shall be nice about it… Om

I hate Mandarin, I hate the way I was taught …HATED IT. I liked it at first it, was okay, fun even then than it SUCKED, I don’t like to learn anything by heart. I gave up, I don’t often give up but when I don’t like something and because I’m not hardworking, I give up, especially when it doesn’t come naturally. The easy thing to do would be to give up, move to the States or Australia so the kids don’t have to learn Chinese. Now, I love certain parts of America and Australia because I love the outdoors and they have so much of it but the thought of giving up and giving in so easily makes me sick. Yes, looking at K1 mandarin made my head hurt because I had to really focus to try and understand the homework (OMG) but I think I owe it to both my daughters to at least let them try. It’s an asset, even my half past 6 mandarin has been an asset so to Berries class next year. For now Rylen’s having a lot of fun with Mandarin songs (which I kinda remember and can sing-a-long, woot) and she can say her 1 to 10 in Mandarin too. I think it’s awesome and I know she tries hard to understand when her Chinese teacher speaks to her in Mandarin, it’s very cute, she’s focused and trying to guess and I have to stop myself from explaining in English.

I’m thinking Berries to give her some sort of foundation and maybe Mandarin Drama class so that it come easily to her after? I so want them to like the language.

On Saturday, we kinda slept in with Jordan till 7.30am, passed her to the maid and actually slept a bit more and OVERSLEPT had 30 minutes to get ready and rush to see the TCM (tradition chinese doctor). Rylen’s cough isn’t getting better and her pediatrician has given us a letter to get a x-ray done but says that her lungs are clear so… So we decided to try the massage and no surprise Rylen like it, the bitter chinese medicine not so much, I mixed in maple syrup so it’s just sour not sour and bitter. We need to go again on Monday afternoon, might just stick to the massages and see how that goes. The scene at the clinic I have to say was mind boggling. All these beds in a row with kids getting their hand (left only), chest and backs massaged. some crying, some reading etc… the noise – very unrelaxing but they seem to know what they’re doing. Ry can’t have Milo (the horror), OJ, she needs to have diluted formula milk etc etc. She’s also got a heat rash and a slight fever last night (Sunday). The weather is freaking crazy.

Anyways, the day ended nicely, my parents came over, we took the kids to the playground, put them to bed and then had dinner and chocolate covered pretzels.

On Sunday, another early morning. Chinese New Year is fast approaching and supermarket shopping sucks monkey’s balls. So if I’m going, I’m going EARLY. It’s a nice way to fill some of  the kid’s time too. Of course there’s some sort of drama brought to you by Rylen but other than that it was easy peasy. Got home and lazed then I fell asleep, the JOY. R’s godparents came over to spend the late afternoon with the kids while R & I chilled and surfed online and then it was downstairs for some bubble time and YAY, HURRAY, time for them to go to bed, woot woot. But that’s it weekend’s over, just like that!

Now I know I’ve say/ written/ exclaimed this many many times BUT HOLY SHIT THIS KID IS LOUD!!

Okay, now please send good vibes/ prayers our way, we’ll be needing them these next few days .

Just an after thought, Jordan is the easiest kid to put to bed, she’ll fuss no more  than 5 mins, maybe wail for 5 seconds then she rolls around a bit in her cot, in the dark room and goes to sleep alone (she was not rocked or carried to sleep much – second time parenting and you learn your lesson). Ry still requires us to sit in the room till she’s asleep. Sigh… I have no idea when I’m gonna bunk them in together, no idea even how to start… sigh.