A Moment We've Been Waiting For

Yes, just walking into the classroom leisurely with new Mickey backpack

We've been waiting for this day to happen, to see our son walks independently. He is currently 2 years and 3 months old.

Have you seen movies where the parents were so happy when the baby makes the first step? Yea, it's not like what I have ever imagined. Our baby boy never did make a clear line of when was the day he finally took his first step.

He's been cruising around since... I can't even remember. He's been cruising long enough. And when I brought him to Sydney, he walked if I held his two hands behind him, he even chased seagulls like that. And then slowly we held one hand. And, we stuck at that stage for a very long time too. Then one fine day, he walked two steps towards me when I'm helping him to work out and warm up his muscles. And that too, we were stuck there for a long time.

And then two steps became three, became five, became ten, gradually. And finally this year, he walks into the classroom on his own. From the beginning of the year till this Wednesday, he still needed a lot of encouragement. I always drop him early, always one of the earliest to reach the center. And teachers are still not occupied at that time, and they form such an entourage. One will be helping him with his stuffs (parents are not allowed to accompany the child into the classroom), one will be in front of him to encourage him, to assure him that if he falls she'll be there, one will be at the side, one at the classroom calling his name etc. It is always a BIG thing when he walks in, every single time.

And this Wednesday, as I was talking to the director of the center, the teacher told me, he's already in the room. Whoa! That's my boy! And I thought, the backpack I ordered last month can finally be in good use! I've been waiting for this moment! This backpack is to symbolise that he finally made it, on his own! But unlike the movie, no tears, no drama, just simply happy and grateful.

Grateful that it finally happens! Grateful that it pays off, all our effort! Grateful that we've got all these helps from therapists and teachers!

Good job my boy! Good job!

Mother's Luck, Mother's Instinct

My son is sick again. He has a tendency of febrile seizure when his body temperature goes too high or changes too quickly. We hate having him fever, not that any parents would like it, but when fit is in the equation, there's even more reason to hate!

He had blocked nose after we came back from Penang. We've watched him carefully, and yesterday the blocked nose seem to get better. We thought it is a relief. But we did notice he kept drinking water. He hates drinking water. But since very young, every time before he falls sick he would drink a lot, and double eyelid would develop. Now that the double eyelid is fully permanent, it's no longer an indication.

We all went to sleep like our usual arrangement. We on our bed, he in his baby cot right next to me. Peacefully, or so we thought.

In my sleep this morning, 6.33am to be exact, I heard his voice, but not the usual one. I did not know what caught me, I jumped up immediately and shouted to The Man to switch on the lights. And we caught him in the middle of the fit. The Man acted quicker than I do as usual, he handled everything while I watched the time, prepare medicine, water, wet handkerchief, everything to pat the temperature down.

When everything is under controlled, I can only say, I'm relieved and I'm shocked. I'm relieved that with pure luck and instinct as my friend said, I managed to hear the little noise from him in my deep sleep. I'm shocked that, what if I didn't catch it, what if none of us hear it, what will happen!!!

I'm keeping him close tonight when I sleep. Real close.

I love him no matter what, I want him to be strong, healthy and happy. He's always my baby.

A collage auto created by Google Photos, my lovely dearest son

Modified Martha Stewart's Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

It's Christmas again! But this year, no party, no gift exchange, no... basically nothing.

But it doesn't feel like year end if I didn't fire up my oven and bake something. Plus I really want to give something to the school for helping all these months, so, I decided to bake the outrageous chocolate cookies I baked two year ago. And this first batch, as I remember it, was too sweet, even though I had already cut down the sugar from the original recipe.

It's so rich with chocolate, you'll have sore throat if you had too much!

So, when I decided to bake for second time, I know I still have to do something about the sugar level. So, this is what I do to make it somewhat to my likings.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate, 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp of salted butter (I always use salted butter, no matter what the recipe suggests)
• 2/3 cup of plain flour
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of salt (but for this batch unfortunately I realized I accidentally put 1 tsp)
• 2 large eggs
• 120grams of brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chunks (I used chocolate buttons)

As of the methods, I followed exactly the same as the original recipe. My oven can be a little less hot on the bottom rack, so the bottom rack has to be baked for 15 minutes while the upper rack baked for 12 minutes. 

I packed the cookies into a very non glamorous disposable take away container (I wished I could have bought the nicer packaging on weekends when we go out) and drew a simple card and wrote a thank you note. 

I'm glad The Man told me it's good when I asked him to try (whether it's good enough to give away) and the lovely teachers told me it's nice too :)

I'm glad I made it, even though I finished baking after 12am! >.<

I actually love midnight baking.

Don't Take Things for Granted

Favourite spot in living room, on my coffee table

I have countless moments where I want to tell parents, don't complain, don't take this naughty action of your child granted, don't. Because you know what, I want that. Quite badly.

When my son finally climbed up to the coffee table (because my sister was seen by him eating banana in the video call we had), we cheered, we clapped for him, we encouraged him, we grinned from ear to ear. When he does that again and again, I don't stop him, I didn't tell him he's naughty, in fact, I told him he's doing well. Then he got down from the table, climb onto the sofa, and trying to reach the top of the sofa. I watched him closely, guided him, stood behind him in case he falls, but I wanted so badly to see him practice these skills.

I have IKEA catalog or some unwanted magazines around for him. So that he can flip them, so that he can tear them, it's just so that he can practice the not-so-commonly-thought-as-skills type of skills that he's lacking of. But I want him to be more consistent.

When he refused to sleep on our bed, and rolled down and got down of the bed on his own. I smiled. Let him walk around until he's satisfied before I put him back in his prison (cot) so that he can't get out anymore. But I'm proud that he had finally overcome his fear to get down of the bed on his own.

When he tried to reach for his Mickey Mouse in his cot from my bed, and accidentally fell into it. And not crying, just a bit frightened, I taught him how to get in properly. I taught him how to climb up to my bed when he wants to. Because, I want to know, so badly that he can do it.

And I'm so glad that he is now telling us he does not want something by shaking his head rigorously. Milk? No no! Carry? No no! A stranger auntie tried to touch him in hawker last weekend, he looked at her and shake his head. I was really glad auntie respected him and did not touch him. When The Man asked him, milk? He shook. And he asked again, "are you sure?", he nodded. Good boy, now I wasted much lesser milk than I did in past one month.

All these, listed above are some improvements achieved from time to time with a lot of practice, training, sweat and tears.

So, to all parents out there, please, don't take it for granted.

Have You Ever Thought of

Have you ever thought about the meaning of holding wake and funeral?
Do you really think the dead need them? Or you think the ones that stay alive need them more?
I think funerals are for the live. It's a closure to the family, it's time for the friends and relatives to show concern to those who needed them the most during the period of time.
To feel hopeful, to feel warm.
When everything's done and over, life goes on.

Have you ever thought about the what ifs when you die?
I did, a lot, since young. I wonder if my soul will leave the body.
I wonder if I will be mourned by my loved ones. And I wonder if I'd mourned for my own death, for not wanting to leave.
Now I am a mother myself, I wonder what will happen to my children. Who will take care of them? Will the care taker know their schedule? Or will the schedule changed to suit the new care taker?
Can my husband cope? Does he know how much my son is eating? How much sleep he needs? Who's going to take care of my husband? Who will remind him not to eat so much McD and eat more fruits?
Or maybe, should I assign a guardian for my children? In case both of us left. I always think the person should be my sister, I'm always sure she loves my children unconditionally.

Have you ever thought that fear of death is when you feel more alive?
If you care enough to know that, anything shitty thing could have happened one day too sudden to take your life away from you, you'll make sure you live every minute. And you'll make sure you do what you want to do. Because, heck, life is too fragile.

I have thought of all these, and I feel alive.

Quest East Perth

It's tough to look for an ideal lodging. I'm the Airbnb kinda traveller but The Man is not. I was looking for some Airbnbs until he voiced this out, and I actually looked into both hotels and Airbnb to find something that suits both of us.

And we found Quest East Perth.

Quest East is not exactly a hotel, it's not exactly an apartment, it's an apartment hotel. So you have a front desk that does your hotel check-ins and check-out, but your room is kind of like apartment, you chose your room type like studio apartment, one bedroom apartment, two bedroom apartment etc. We're a small family, so we took a studio apartment.

It's not a huge apartment but it's really just nice for the three of us.

The king size bed

The wardrobe, small kitchen (with everything you need), small dining table.

A work desk and a sofa

View from the room

When I said the small kitchen has everything you need. I meant it!

Utensils

Cook ware

Pots and pans of different sizes

Bowls, grater, chopping board 

Toaster, brush, sponge, and cleaning cloth

And on the third day, I realised they even have a set of three different sizes lunch box (microwaveable). I used that to bring banana bread for my son in case he's hungry on the road. Nice!

Besides, if you'd like to do laundry, it's FOC. There are two washing machines and two dryers at level 1 and even the detergent is provided, FOC too! There's a small gym at the same level, don't expect anything fantastic, pretty basic but good enough.

There's no parking provided, you can book a parking lot from them, which is actually Wilson carpark at the opposite street at AUD30 a day. I calculated the cost, if I didn't book I had to pay about AUD27-28 a night. It's about the same so your choice.

We had a little hiccup during the check-in. Small matters and it's sorted out pretty soon, thanks to the very helpful front desk lady, Megan. I actually wrote it in the review in Tripadvisor. And the management took time to reply to my review. Very attentive!

Quest East Perth is really new. When we checked in, they're just open for about two weeks. It's clean, it's new, everything is bright and shining. We love it :)

Recommended.