Yearly Archives

2012

giveaways reviews ads

Furby 2.0

October 5, 2012

If you’re a child of the 90’s, you’ll remember the original Furby, the toy that every kid wanted to lay their hands on. It’s a gremlin-lookalike animatronic toy that sings, dances, eats, sleeps, wiggles and chatters in a language called Furbish. It’s like having a supercool pet, one that  didn’t poop and could talk back to you.

I was in Secondary School when Furby version 1 came out and I remember thinking it was kind of cool. Ok, yes, I totally wanted one.

Fast forward almost 15 years and Furby is back looking all shiny and new, this time with improved techy features. It’s got LED-eyes that fill up with little hearts when it’s happy and turns into flames when it’s upset. It’s smartphone compatible and comes with its own Furby app on the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad. It’s also got a mind of its own and will develop a personality depending on how it’s treated. So you can end up with a Furby that’s all sunshine and rainbows or a psychotic evil Furby, it’s all up to you.

Hasbro sent over a Furby for the kids and it’s like Christmas came early for them. They absolutely LOVE this little red furball.

I mean, I can see why it’s every toddler’s dream. It’s like a schizophrenic robot animal on speed – it doesn’t sit still, talks gibberish non stop, makes strange grunting sounds, giggles like a little girl and those beady LED eyes are darting everywhere all the time. Also, it changes its personality and voice at will. One moment it’s singing in a high-pitched girly voice and next thing you know, it goes “I’M CHANGING”, has a seizure, then turns into Darth Maul.

The kids think it’s hilarious. It’s also driving me insane.

One of them will hold Furby while the other one uses the Furby app on my iPhone to talk to it, make it dance and feed it moldy sandwiches. There are like a hundred different kinds of food to choose from but for some reason, they’ll assemble this burger, feed it to Furby and yell out MOLDY SANDWICHES before breaking out in uncontrollable giggles. Maybe it’s a sign of age but I seriously don’t get it.

Other times, they’ll hug it, tickle it, dangle it upside down while it alternates between squawks, coos and screeches. This Furby’s favorite song is now Gangnam Style and the kids will play it 20,000 times on loop just to see it do its crazy dance.

Me, I like Furby best when it’s sleeping, which it does if you ignore it long enough. It’ll be all like “TALK TO ME…OOH EY NAH GOO AHHHH KEETAY BOOOOO” and I’m like OMG JUST BE QUIET AND GO TO SLEEP ALREADY. And did I mention that there’s no OFF switch? The only way to make it stop is stuff your fingers in your ears, hope for the best and wait for it to get tired.

It’s exactly like having kids, except I can stuff Furby under a blanket to drown out the noise when it gets too annoying.

Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why they love it so much. They’ll all huddle together and whisper “ok let’s go drive momma crazy muahahahahahha…”

If you’re thinking of getting a Furby, it’s available in six colors and four more colours will be available by year-end.  Furby retails at $119.90 and it’s available at Toys “R” Us, major department stores and selected electronic stores such as EpiCentre, EpiLife, I-Studio, Infinite and nübox.

Your kids will love it to bits but do it at your own peril. You’ve been warned.

by
Finn, side effects of motherhood

Fun things to do with a newborn

October 3, 2012

Everyone knows that newborns aren’t very much fun. They’re tiny and fragile and frankly, kind of boring.

With Finn, I do my super-enthusiastic baby talk like “HEYYYYYY, HOW’S MOMMA’S HANDSOME LITTLE BOY DOING TODAY?”  and he just stares at me briefly before stifling a yawn. At least when I do that to the bigger kids, they bother to patronize me with a “I’m playing toys, ok bye.”

So after having spent so much time with staring at a tiny baby (there are only so many times I can make googly eyes before losing my mind), I’ve came up with some fun stuff to do. Fun for me, at least.

1. Reenact the head-flopping scene of Marion Cotillard in The Dark Knight Rises. (also known as the worst death ever – ok see 1:55 of this video).

2. Do the kissy-kissy.

This is the only time they’ll let you kiss them for as long as you want – make the most of it. Once they gain mobility, they’ll be off and running after 3 kisses.

3. Make them really tired. Like crazy kind of tired.

Why? Because it’s funny when they’re trying hard not to fall asleep and their eyes start to roll back into their head while you’re like “WAKEY WAKEY SWEETHEART!!” Also, it’s payback for all the nights he kept me up wanting to play.

And as a bonus, if you do this right, they’ll sleep like a baby in the middle of the night.

by
growing up, kids inc

Wake me up when September ends

October 1, 2012

I spent the better part of this year being pregnant and when I finally gave birth in August, I hung up a sign that said “wake me up when September ends” and went into hibernation. And by hibernation, I meant the kind where I have to wake up every 3 hours to feed a hungry baby, burp the baby, express milk, change the baby and try to make him go back to sleep before it’s time for the cycle to start again.

Which in actual sleeping terms, is the opposite of hibernation.

Amidst the frenzy, I woke up this morning to find that September has bitten the dust. We’re into the final quarter of the year, F1 fever is has come and gone, drama season is starting and I’m as exhausted as ever.

In other news, Finn is 5 weeks old. He spends a longer time awake, responds to our voices, gurgles when he’s happy and is getting chubbier by the day. Every morning after his bath, I do the thigh test. It’s where I bite his thigh to see how chubby it is and so far, it’s still hovering at the not-chubby-enough mark. The husband says normal people use a measuring tape for this sort of thing but he doesn’t understand that I’m also measuring the firmness, bounciness and juiciness at the same time. Besides, it’s so much more fun this way. I just took a bite this morning and in my expert opinion, I’d say give it another month or so and it’ll be just right.

He’s also developing a quirky sense of humor. After his feed earlier, he made a pack of poop and started grinning goofily. Like “hur…hur hur hur…hur…”

We couldn’t agree on a nickname for him so we’re all calling him by different things. Tru calls him baby Finn, Kirsten calls him di-di (little brother), the husband calls him Finn Finn and I call him handsome.

I think he likes mine best.

by
giveaways reviews ads

Supermarket Sweep

September 28, 2012

I do a lot of online shopping, which is exactly like actual shopping except less tiring and I can do it with one finger.

Especially since so much of my time is now taken up by breastfeeding and expressing milk, I multitask by getting some retail therapy in the process. Every feeding session, I spend like the first 3 minutes making googly eyes at Finn and when he goes all milk comatose on me, I spend the next 25 minutes using my spare hand to do a bit of shopping.

I typically shop for kids’ stuff, adult stuff (no, not that kind of adult stuff), home stuff – basically everything from bags to book to bra extender hooks (yes, it’s a thing). Well, everything except for groceries because there just isn’t an online grocery store that’s compelling enough.

Until now, at least.

I just made my first purchase at RedMart and I’m really quite pleased with how convenient and fuss-free it is. Which makes me wonder why I haven’t been doing this sooner. The range is extensive (with over 4,000 items in stock) and all the items are conveniently categorized for easy browsing. I like how clean the interface is, so all I need to do is add to cart –> checkout –> pay and I’m done with several clicks.

And making payment doesn’t get any more convenient. You can pay via credit card or PayPal on site or by cash, cheque or credit card swipe upon delivery. That pretty much covers all the possible payment options, maybe except barter trade, which people don’t do much of these days. They should though. I’d be all “good sir, I’ll offer 2 chickens in exchange for a bottle of that fine dishwashing liquid and that pack of gum.”

How about the prices, you ask? It’s very competitive and I know because I take my bargain hunting very seriously. I’ve got auntie superpowers when it comes to grocery shopping – I cross check all the prices and make the husband detour to a different supermarket because the toilet paper is $0.75 cheaper. There’s even a RedDealz section with all the latest promotions, which is where I recommend you start your browsing. You’re welcome.

So after you’re done shopping, you can arrange to have everything delivered to your doorstep within the same day (if you order before 10am). Delivery is free with a minimum spend of $75 and when you have a house full of hungry kids, hitting $75 on groceries is easy peasy. Free shipping means I no longer have to struggle with bags of groceries while herding the kids like a crazy person. Just click and everything appears at my house like magic.

I could totally get used to this.

Alright, since we haven’t had a giveaway for a while, let’s have a good one. There’s a $75 credit (free shipping, yay!) at RedMart up for grabs and all you need to do is list down the 3 items you’d definitely get from the store.

Here’s mine:

Leave a comment with your answer below and a winner will be randomly selected. Remember to fill in your email address so I can contact you. Contest closes on 5 October (Friday) 2359hrs. *Open to Singapore residents only.

And because we are all winners, everyone gets 10% off your entire purchase at RedMart (first time orders, not applicable to baby formula). Just key in the code  “motherinc” upon checkout to enjoy the discount.

Happy shopping!

*UPDATED: Congrats to Jaslyn, winner of the $75 Redmart store credit. An email is heading your way, do get back to me with your details to claim your prize. And thanks to everyone for joining the contest. Till next time!

by
seriously somewhat serious

Not quite so warm and fuzzy

September 27, 2012

Today’s post is totally serious and a little long so you’re welcome to come back tomorrow instead for something fun. Tomorrow’s post will be fun. 

***

I often hear about women describe their breastfeeding experience as a fulfilling and enjoyable one. They talk about how much they love the bonding session and how warm and fuzzy it makes them feel.

I’ve never had that.

For me, breastfeeding feels like I’m sinking into a dark hole after getting punched in the gut.

Initially, I thought it was post natal depression but I started to realize that this terrible feeling of dread only came whenever I was breastfeeding. And after some research, I found out that it’s a condition called Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER).

It’s basically a feeling of dysphoria caused by a drop in dopamine whenever milk is released. For most women, this dopamine drop is barely noticeable but in cases of D-MER, the sudden drop causes a negative emotional reaction that lasts until the dopamine levels re-stabilize. It’s a reflex (like a knee-jerk reaction), which consistently happens every time I experience milk letdown. And because it’s a physiological response instead of a psychological one, it’s not something I can rationalize away by using mind over matter techniques. It just happens.

The good news is that the feeling doesn’t last long. It hits me for about 30 seconds right before each round of Milk Ejection Reflex (MER) and goes away once the milk starts to flow. The not so good news is that I usually get 3-4 rounds of MER per breastfeeding session so that’s about 30 rounds of dysphoria a day.

For quite a while, I had no idea how to deal with this because it’s not a common condition and not many people talk about it. It was like I was the only one who felt inexplicably sad and down while breastfeeding. I thought I was sinking into depression and falling into a deep dark hole I could never get out of.

With Kirsten, I struggled with it a lot. It didn’t help that I was physically, emotionally and mentally stretched to the limit trying to handle a 13-month-old Truett and a newborn on my own.

This time with Finn, knowing exactly what it is helps me to deal. When I feel the familiar sense of dysphoria creeping up on me, I take a deep breath, brace myself and wait for it to be over. Latching on directly also helps because being able to hold baby Finn and run my fingers across his little cheeks somehow makes the depression a little less depressing. Other times, I try to distract myself by watching reruns of Whose Line Is It Anyway on Youtube, surfing the net or listening to happy music.

Occasionally, despite all the mental pep talk, I start breastfeeding and I feel like I’m slipping into the dark and twisty hole again.

On those days, I get help with Finn so I can sleep in for another 3 hours. Or just get out of the house for a cup of bubble tea and a cupcake. Or spend some time snuggling with the bigger kids, laughing and telling bedtime stories.

One way or another, I’m learning to cope.

 

by
coolest kids ever

Gunning for a win

September 25, 2012

With two toddlers who are about the same age, there’s a lot of mediating to be done.

You know how toddlers are – what someone else is having always seems to be SO MUCH MORE FUN that whatever they have, and they’re always clamoring for the same items all the time.

We’re not the sort of parents who buy two sets of everything just to stop them from fighting so instead, we have to come up with creative ways to make them share.

One of these ways is what the husband calls the Crossbow Shootout.

It’s pretty straightforward. The kids take turns to knock over a target with the crossbow and the first to reach 3 hits gets first dibs on the desired object. This method has been surprisingly effective and whoever loses will be a good sport, like “sighh ok fine you can have it first.” No tears, no fuss, no shrieks, everybody’s happy. Plus they develop psychomotor skills in the process. #WIN.

At first we thought that Truett, being the more athletic, physically-coordinated one would have the upper hand but as we’ve come to discover, Kirsten has quite a deadly aim. She’s outshot Truett, the husband and me. And no, we didn’t deliberately let her win.

All the girl needs is some crazy red hair and she’ll be Merida from Brave.

We’re going to have to come up with a new challenge to balance the odds.

by
how i pretend to be a cool mum, lists you should paste on your fridge, milestones & musings, unqualified parenting tips

Lessons from a 3rd time mom

September 24, 2012

When I first had Truett, I was as uptight as a new parent could be. My life was a variation of the following scenarios:

“He was supposed to take his nap 3.17 minutes ago, now his schedule is all ruined it’s a disaster!”

“Why is he not drinking his milk, quick call the PD for a consult!!”

“He fell asleep on the baby swing? ANOTHER DISASTER – WAKE HIM UP NOW!!!”

“HE’S BEEN FUSSING FOR AN HOUR IT’S BABYGEDDON SOMEONE ALERT THE MEDIA!!!”

Thanks to all the expert baby books, I had a lot of rules to follow. No rocking to sleep. No falling asleep while drinking milk. No pacifier. I had a strict 3-hour schedule to abide by, right down to the minute.

Then I had a second kid and decided to break some of the rules. Turns out, the world didn’t come to an end and the baby did just fine. I realized that while some of those rules were good, they’re supposed to help make my life easier, not harder. And having my panties all up in a bunch all the time wasn’t making my life easier.

Now with the third kid, I’ve learnt some lessons that I thought I’d share.

1. Every baby is different. 

Some babies sleep more than others. Some babies need more attention. Some babies love being rocked to sleep, some babies hate it. Some babies thrive on having a fixed routine, some are a little more flexible. Which brings me to my next point…

2. Do what works for you and your baby. 

There isn’t just one right way to parent. Be a helicopter parent or an attachment parent or a sleep-training commando parent or a combination of all of the above. If it works for you, don’t let anyone guilt you into feeling otherwise.

3. Sometimes, it’s ok to break the rules. 

It’s ok if baby misses a nap or stays awake for an extra 27 minutes. Be a badass and break the rules. Or be a badass and don’t.

4. Enjoy the process. 

It’s hard to enjoy the baby when you’re stressed out and frustrated half the time. Take a break if you can afford the time. Watch your favorite drama, take a long shower, have a cup of coffee – do what makes you happy, even if it’s just for a while.

I used to be so hung up over trying to be the perfect mom that I allowed myself no margin for error. But guess what? This whole parenting process is one of trial and error. And I’m fine with the fact that I’ll never be a perfect mom.

As long as my kids think I’m a rockstar, I’m think I’m ok.

by