I'm growing, jumping, learning...

Joy-Anne decided to make herself useful this morning. She used her face towel to clean the table. After wiping the table, she wiped her mouth, much to my mother's dismay.

She's also trying to walk....jumping up and down a lot in the safe confines of our very tahan lasak 6th-hand playpen.

Nope...can't escape.

Joseph is all better now.

But thinner, don't you think?

one painful night

Joseph has had fever since Thursday 4th September. He is not very cooperative when he's sick - refused medicine, won't let me sponge him and wouldn't even let me check his temperature with the digital ear thermometer.

We spent all Saturday in church and he was just lethargic, napping 3 times in total. On Saturday night, our 8th floor doctor-neighbour-friend came over with her stethescope to check him. Apart from slightly enlarged tonsils, she couldn't find anything else wrong with him.

He fell asleep at 8.30pm and then woke up at 11pm crying. I found him burning hot. I estimate now that his temperature must have gone beyond 40C because he was hotter than last night when his temperature was 39.8C.

Yesterday morning (Monday), he woke up happy without any fever. We made a visit to the paediatrician anyway since Joy-Anne was having flu. Just like our dr-friend, the paediatrician again found nothing wrong with him.

In the afternoon, his fever came back. After a dose of paracetamol at 2.30pm, he was happy for the rest of the evening until at about 8.30pm when the fever started again.

At 10pm, we decided to take him to Pantai Hospital. He was slightly delirious and did not put up any struggle. I was worried sick because he just kept saying, "mama...help me...."

I requested for a blood test to check for dengue (even though he didn't have any rash) and any other infection. So the poor boy had to be wrapped up in a blanket, held by mama and papa while doctor and 2 nurses took blood from his left hand.

They then wrapped up his hand so prevent him from pulling out the line, in case they needed to test again. We waited for about an hour for the results to come back.

Reading "Billons of bugs" book borrowed from DUMC Children's Church library while waiting for the results.....he wanted my head on his, and I had to hold his left hand, while hugging him too. Unfortunately I only have 2 hands, so he settled for just putting his left hand on my lap.

The results came back at about 11.30pm - all normal. No dengue. Doctor said it's probably some potent, unknown virus. So we could go home.

waiting to have the bandage and line removed

Joseph was very good and didn't move at all while the nurse removed the bandage and the line.

He was much happier when we left the hospital because the fever dropped to about 38.6C after a dose of paracetamol.

see my plastered hand....I can go home now.

This morning - Day 6, he woke up grumpy and very manja....slightly warm. I'm glad to say he took the medicine without much fuss. I can feed it to him alone - which is a very big improvement considering it used to take 3 persons to feed him medicine. I hope and pray he recovers completely soon.

learning from Playhouse Disney

Last week at bedtime, Joseph said he wanted to carry Joy-Anne. So we put her on his lap and he hugged her. Then I asked him if he wanted to say a good night prayer for his sister and he said, "yes." So he did. After that, he leaned over, kissed her forehead and said, "I love you sweetie".

I was very pleasantly surprised. He said he learnt it from watching Jojo's Circus on Playhouse Disney Channel.

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I'm so surprised that a 3-year-old can tell the difference between a screw and a nail. Yesterday while sitting on the toilet, he pointed to a screw in the wall...

Joe : Nana, what's that?
Nana : it's a nail.

Joe : No...can you see...there's a cross on it. So you can put a screwdriver there and turn it. It's a screw. You're wrong.

**Nana is baffled!**

I'm pretty sure he's learnt this from Handy Manny.

Joy-Anne and the rubber ducky

Joy-Anne loves her bathtime. It's sheer joy for her to splash around and try to catch her rubber duckies. She refused to let go of the rubber ducky when she was taken out of the bath tub this morning.

Even after getting dressed....

don't I look cheeky?

there's more fun when you have company

Cut Hair Day

Today I was kept busy all morning with my non-paying part-time job....cutting hair! First I cut Edwin's hair. After that I managed to persuade Joe that it was his turn.

This is a breakthrough!!! No crying, no screaming, no running away. He squirmed a little but I managed to do a decent job. He even held still enough for me to trim the ends with a scissor.

After Joe, I trimmed and thinned the back for my mum. And then, it was Joy-Anne's turn. Yes, yes....we finally decided to shave her head. My mother has been complaining tha she looks like Mr Lopard (the guy from Handy Manny on Playhouse Disney who has only a few strands of stray long hair). So I first snipped off the locks for keepsake.

And then the clipper went to work. She didn't seem to know anything and did not cry.

In fact she was quite happy!
Now I'm still not used to seeing Joy-Anne bald. She looks even more like Joseph when he was a baby.

I hope her hair grows back thicker soon.

All I want for Christmas is a head full of hair...

Last weekend...

...we went back to Seremban on Merdeka Eve. Joy-Anne finally did not cry when Ah Mah carried her.

On Merdeka evening, we went to the Kong's residence for baby Hannah's full moon party.

pretty cupcakes from +Wondermilk... Su Yin says it's very expensive!

Baby Hannah was born to Su Lin and Ben on 1st August 2008 after 53 hours of labour.

Joy-Anne checking out the food that she can't eat yet.

The kids had fun in a little ball pool

I really admire Su Lin's guts... she was very persistent with breastfeeding even though she struggled with being on a catheter for 2 weeks, and baby Hannah had to be admitted to Seremban GH for very high jaundice (bilirubin count over 360).

Back in KL.... we discovered Joy-Anne could let go off one hand, turn 180degrees and then hold the play pen edge again, in a new position.

And this photo was taken just before her hair cut on Monday. Now she's bald.

Messy happy kids

This is Joy-Anne having dinner.... See the mess....my mom says it educational!!! I've no idea how that's logical.

Please don't scold me...

Joseph happy as usual at bedtime (wearing his new Lightning McQueen pajamas in a size 8!! Cost - USD3).

When I laugh...you can see all the way to my tonsils!

Howdy... I've got a moustache.

Joy-Anne....she was so good last night. She slept from 10pm till 6am! I think it's a first. There's hope yet for us to go for our anniversary honeymoon in November.

Love those pretty round eyes she's got!

after hawaii

After we came back from hawaii, it took the kids a week to adjust back to Malaysian time. The first few days, Joy-Anne was pooping at 3-4am and Joe was waking up at 4-5 am. It was many sleepless nights for us. Then the following week, my mum and Edwin were busy with DUMC's Vacation Bible School. Which makes me busy as well because I had to get off work to stay home with the kids.

My 3-yr-old can roll his tongue. I can't.

Then my dad came down over from Penang over last weekend. They had a good one-night stay at The Saujana. Joe joined them for buffet breakfast on Monday morning. He enjoyed the egg station. After checking out, we made our way to Midvalley Megamall for some errands - print photo, collect $$ at post office etc.

watching over my sister so that nobody steals her away

At night, we went to Izzi for a 3-in-one celebration....my parents' 35th wedding anniversary, Joanne's convocation and Edwin's PVC Excellence in Research award.

oops...polished off all the food already

Ah Ku came from work and didn't bring his magic tricks so this is how he entertained Joe.

Other updates.....Joe finally let me clean his ear. I've been able to see a huge chunk of ear wax in his auditory canal for ages but he wouldn't let me clean it. He held still for like a few seconds and I managed to get this out....

five sen coin for comparison of size. the black piece came out after the 'gold' came out.

Then... for weaning himself off the potty and obediently pooping in the toilet, he got Scoop as a reward. (that's the yellow bulldozer from Bob and the Builder for those unfamiliar with kids toys). Joe 'bought' the VW bus and fire engine from DUMC's children church gift shop day using the points he accumulated.

And as for Joy-Anne....she's gaining weight really slowly. Depending on her mood, she eats a lot or none at all. I think she's growing taller faster than she's putting on weight. What to do...they are Edwin's kids and will most likely grow up thin and tall like him.

Walk in love...35 years and counting

Today my parents celebrate their 35th Wedding Anniversary. By today's standards, that's a very long time.

They are right now having a mini honeymoon Weekend Package at The Saujana. For RM250++ (10% off for Citibank Credit card), they get a night's stay in a Deluxe room (looks newly renovated) with buffet breakfast and evening cocktails. No photos because Reuben borrowed my camera for Joanne's graduation last Saturday. It's pretty value-for-money. We might take the same package for our annual honeymoon later this year.

For memories sake, we also made a photobook for my parents. I'm glad they love it. It's so wonderful to see how God has blessed our family and how we have grown.

More wedding photos

I've been busy the past week....hence no updates. Here are some more photos courtesy of YinFern Lu, my sister's new sister-in-law. We're still waiting for the pictures from the paid professional photographer.

My dad officiating the wedding...

New 'chan-ka'...

Cutting their lilikoi (passion fruit) wedding cake. It's not a for-show cake. They actually cut it up and serve to all the guests.

My grandma is very happy to have her prayers answered....at last!


A rare couple pic of ourselves...don't look thatttttt much older from 6 years ago I hope.

Page boy at rehersal... wearing new 100% cotton Tommy Hilfiger shirt courtesy of Rebecca's mum-in-law.

Hmm.....is this the right woman for me...?

My little prince charming and I

The personalized ring pillow I handmade....