Lilibee Studio Giveaway

Lilibee is giving away an ATC and photo display sponsored by Studio Calico! Check it out here.

Scrapping some cards for Nov babies

Over the last few days, I did four birthday cards using mostly October Afternoon papers.Used Ducks in a Row pp and wild card, Sassafraslass chipboard mushrooms. birthday stamp and some fabric daisies.
Using the old Weathervane collection, plus a page from a Jap dictionary, and a layered daisy accent from K&Company.Did this one with papers from the Ducks in a Row collection, and used white ribbon, Hambly, K&Company's layered daisies, Heidi Grace's heart fastener, Heidi Swapp's ghost heart, Maya Road's sheer journaling spot and Basic Grey's bling.
Finally, this one with the cute Fruitstand apple pp, K&Company's layered butterflies, Queen & Co's green brads, and Maya Road chipboard mini tree with bling beads.

Had fun doing the cards...took a shorter time, which is usually when Jon and Jill nap from 1-3pm in the afternoons. During this time, I will take my lunch and scrap a little...and run out to check them in their sarongs when I hear a cry, a whimper, a grunt and whatever other sounds toddlers and babies make while trying to sleep.

But it's getting more and more difficult in keeping the kids asleep coz next door neighbour and the one across are renovating!

Latest developments...

Finally online! First is problem with the Internet connection. Secondly, I don't get online that often now as I am taking care of two. The only chance I get online is at night after both are asleep.

Jillian had a buzz cut. Does she look like a boy?

Why cut her beautiful long hair? Well, there're some pimple-like thingys on her head and grandma says it's coz of her long hair. A hair cut is recommended so she will not be too hot and hopefully the "pimples" will not spread. Hope when her hair grows back, it will be nice, soft and long. Hmm, wonder if her hair will fall out in clumps in the third month like Jonathan's?

Grandmas has been training Jillian to use the potty before her bath time and it works! Trying to build a schedule and so far it's working quite fine.

We're trying to potty train Jonathan too. In the mornings after his milk, we will place him on the throne. If he doesn't do his number two, it will surely be after lunch. We keep telling him he has to tell us if he needs to do a big one and we will bring him to the toilet. I think two out of 10 times, he will remember to tell us. Jon will be going to nursery in Jan next year, and I hope he will be cooperative. Also hope he will not need to wear diapers soon...expensive lah.

Pooi, Yin, and anyone else....please feel free to share with me how you potty train your child.

Bam Bop Gallery

My first LO of Jillian and using Bam Bop papers is in the Bamp Bop gallery...yay (cheap thrill hor?)! So love their papers and was inspired to use it after hoarding for so long. Hope they will have new stuff soon.

I am wondering if I should get ninguin Yuki Hana for Jillian and Arcade Plush for Jon....

...Blackjack for myself? Think all for me since the kids won't appreciate them! But only Yuki is available at the Bam Bop online store....boohoo.

Pressies

Over the weekend, I received a package from Li Yen in Hong Kong for Jillian. Here's Jillian wearing one of the two onsies...so CUTE! Li Yen, I love the tiny polka dots blankies too! Thank so much for your love!

Jillian also received a package from the Kesters in Perth last month. I didn't have time to post it before...a lovely dress from Gap and a polka dot onsie! Love these shades of pink, purple and red.

Grandma said that these clothes are so comfortable and pretty...we can't find such nice stuff in Miri. While there may be nice comfortable pieces, they look local, i.e. designs are not as lovely. And she says she wishes my friends would buy the pieces in larger sizes coz Jillian's bound to outgrow them in no time!

Simple stuff

I had a tough time getting online the whole weekend! I'm not sure if it's our old computer, the old tel wire or Telecom Malaysia! Very the sian.

Did some simple scrapping last week. I made two tags for two kids from North Thailand that we sponsor through World Vision. Pae turns 14 years old tomorrow, and I made him a tag to encourage him to reach for the stars. Hope he likes the two t-shirts that Simon chose for him.Also made a tag for Pang, a flowery one. Love Sei's Hyssop pp which I finally used. I missed her birthday earlier in the year. I had a terrible first tri-mester when I was pregnant with Jillian and feel very guilt that I didn't even write to my kids. I will do early shopping for for them this Christmas and make them cards. Apart from Pae and Pang, we also sponsor two young children from Mongolia.
Scrapped two birthday cards. One for a good friend Chris who is in Shanghai. Miss her lots.Enjoyed the times we had when we're colleagues and after we left the company, we still kept in touch. I visited her in Taipei when she was working there. It was also during that trip that I felt I was pregnant (with Jonathan). Man, all the walking, shopping that we did! Hope the card gets to her in time. Oh no, not sure if she's back in Singapore during her birthday!
Also did another card for my niece Winnie who's birthday is in Nov. It's early but with two kids, I'd better do it when I can and when inspiration hits.

J2 is two months old

Jillian is now two months old. I've gotten to know her better these couple of weeks, her feeding timings, the way to burp her, how she likes to be carried till she is comfortably asleep before I can put her down on the bed. She now can sleep for 3 to 4hrs straight at night, giving me longer stretches of sleep. Yay!

Eye bags are the essential fashion accessories.

I am less of a zombie in the mornings now coz I'm getting used to getting up for night feeds and diaper changes. Apart from feeding J2, there's burping, rocking or waiting and her to fall asleep. Initially I was anxious her little gruntings may wake J1 up but J1 sleeps through them. If he is woken up by them, he will sit up, a little blur and then fall asleep sitting up or will plop right back down on the bed again. And J2 likes to stretch. She exerts so much strength sometimes that she actually burps out some milk! Here's her with a headband a friend gave. I have said before that if I have a little girl, I will not subject the baby to those cutesy headbands. Never say never....

A little bit of this and that

Some photos taken of Jonathan recently.

Playing with cousin Mabel. He would hover over her when she's doing her tummy time. All under supervisions by grandma.

The other day, I opened a hamper given to Jillian and inside the hamper were Disney toiletries and clothes. Jon took all the bottles and proceeded to give a 'lecture' on how to use them.

One of Jon's favourite pretend games is to pretend an item is a telephone. He's not allowed to play with the phone and so he has to make do with a substitute. He found a portable reading light that could bend and he had so much fun with it. See how hot and flushed Jon can get after playing for a while in the kitchen. I love his rosy cheeks! Btw, I think the reading light is broken by now!

Motherhood

It's 2am now and I am finishing up this post after feeding Jillian. I am also awake coz baby Mabel is crying in the next room. She has been crying quite a bit at night and we suspect it's due to her teething.

The Internet connection has been restored today after the TM staff came by to check the tel wires. Connection has been bad for the past one week and then yesterday, we couldn't even hear the other party on the telephone. Turns out the tel wire outside the house was old and affected the connections.

I then checked my friends' updates on FB when I chanced on a note written by a junior in Poly. She had given birth about three weeks after I delivered Jillian. We had exchanged a couple of notes since we're delivering about the same time. Turns out she had a near death situation after the delivery of her #2! She's OK now, recovering and trying to gain strength again.

Motherhood is an arduous journey for some. Not every woman who wants to have a child can get pregnant easily. And being pregnant doesn't necessarily mean a baby will be borned. Reading my friend's notes reminded me again how blessed I am with Jonathan and Jillian. Although I may had a scare during their deliveries, they made it into this world safe and sound.

I give thanks for everyday and the small things, like

• Jon's cheeky dimpled smile - that's a cute abnormality
• Picking up after Jon - while he's up to mischief and/or minor destruction, it means he's up and able to walk by himself
• Jillian long feeds - she's able to drink, just very slowly and ladylike
• burping Jill half an hour after putting her down coz she couldn't burp earlier - at least I know what's wrong
• Jillian's small fussing after sleeping for only half an hour - the chance to pick my baby up and hold her close to me

Here's Jill happy after her evening feed.

Kids & a bruise

Last week, Jonathan wore his new PJs that grandma bought from Singapore. And as he was so excited in running to see the National Day parade of China, he slipped on the long pants and fell and had a bruise on his forehead. He didn't cry. He just said, "Tong, tong." and got me to rub his forehead and kiss it a little. And the next night we had to attend a wedding dinner. Sigh, there goes his beautiful face again.
Jon and me (with terrible eye bags) at the wedding dinner of Simon's cousin. We have not seen this side of the cousins for a long time since Simon has been in Singapore since young and during the last few CNYs, we had either gone abroad for hols or my in-laws came over to Singapore.
Anyways, Jon saw this older boy in red playing and was tickled by him. Jon plucked up enough courage to go nearer the boy. The boy then shyed away and covered his face. Then he was joined by a girl. I asked them if Jon could be their friend. The boy consulted the girl softly and then said, "He is not our friend, because he doesn't study with us at Sri Indah level one and two." Level one and two are meant for 4 & 5 yrs olds. He thought Jon was as old as them coz he was about the same size as them! They then played with a baby girl who's seated on the baby chair. I thought the chair might fall!
They then decided to approach Jon and then suddenly retreat away, they did this a few times, so Jon thought they were playing with him and kept giggling each time they came near. I tried again and asked them if Jon can be their friend since they all wore red.

"No."
Turned out the girl was Jonathan cousin. Her dad was Simon's cousin! haha, small place.

Hair up & a surprise from Mr Postman

Here's a photo of Jillian with her hair up after a bath. Before confinement nanny left, she will comb Jill's hair down. So I didn't know her hair will defy gravity! So cute. Will definitely scrap an LO of her hair.

I got a lovely card and a small pressie from my pal Wendy Anne. The card was made by her super talented sister, Elaine. I just love how she used OA's papers and love love the flower (I forgot where from coz I had so wanted to buy it)!

The pressie is a clear 'K' stamp from Technique Tuesday! I am starting to like stamps now but am so afraid to start buying and collecting them. And coz I have to keep my craft desk neat, i.e. everything is kept in the drawers or pigeon holes, I may not use them as often as I should. So I told myself I shouldn't buy too many stamps. anyways, I am so likey this stamp...must it use it soon.