a little one in the making...

We are pregnant!

2009-08-27T21:46:00.000-07:00

Yes! It's finally time to share the good news to everyone who cares.

We are very thrilled of course :)

And I have moved my mummy blog to a wordpress blog at http://mummyregina.wordpress.com/ as blogspot is getting very unfriendly to post!

See you on the other side then!

(PS: This blog will not be deleted but it will no longer be updated anymore. Go to my wordpress site to get latest news about baby!)

maomao and his itch

2009-08-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

maomao has an extremely bad skin prob now and he is itching like nobody's business....

we can only cone him up so that he cannot lick the patches and hopefully he gets better soon with the medication..

currently i'm just trying to work out how to make everything work out. work, housework, dogs, rest, food, leisure.

will say more in time to come.

btw i am going to move AGAIN out of blogspot because it has become a pain to blog here as the blogging station is getting weirder and weirder.

Go natural

2009-08-13T01:42:00.000-07:00

i realised how much toxic there is in my house! mainly from household cleaners and pesticide... yucks.

as i am now going more organic and hopefully toxic-free as much as possible, i'm dumping all the chemical cleaners out.

and i'm happy to find some recipes for equally convenient "green" household cleaner.

http://www.sideroad.com/Budgeting/homemade-cleaners.html

the floor is the biggest surface in your house, don't coat it with chemical!

happy day..

2009-08-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

yesterday was the first time after a while that i went out and jostle with the crowds..

was good and we shopped and ate all the food i was thinking of all these while..

now we are on a debate of whether to change our car.. i really don't know. is a salon car really safer than a hatchback?

i have a lot to say but a lot can't be said yet...

Congrats!

2009-07-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

I'm really thrilled to know that another of my good friend from college is pregnant! wow, that makes 2 of my friends from college going on the path to motherhood!

Sounds like a really fertile year :p and the interesting thing is that they are probably going to deliver around the same time.

Hmm, as for us, we are keeping this a secret now, take the pressure off the steam cooker. :p

I'm pretty happy at how things are working out overall and although i am having crazy moods recently, (pple should justify that ttc is an event that will lead to similar PMS moods - in fact, all the time.)

And the ovulation meters do work. wow. and i felt slightly cheated cos the really cheap ones i got from canada works the SAME as the expensive ones sold by clearblue. it's just branding and packaging!

Once again, congrats to you ! shall not reveal names till permitted to do so. :p

a new family member called HOPE

2009-07-26T02:53:00.000-07:00

we have a new fellow with us. it's a poor dog with special needs - paralyzed from waist down.

You can view more about his story at www.reginalimphotography.com

pls adopt a dog, they need you

2009-07-13T01:12:00.000-07:00

my appeal again, pls, adopt a dog. they need you, give them a chance, they will love you for life. i promise. i have never known a dog who doesn't

and it's not that troublesome at all, in fact, it's such a joy!

and all you need is about $50 per month on one dog, incl food and medical for small dogs like qq and mm.

do adopt or help foster a dog/cat. my heart always aches when I see puppies sold in shops. wonder if they will be abandoned one day when they grow up :(

I have added 2 contacts on the left to adopt dogs and cats. they have plenty of lovely dogs, from big ones to small ones like shih tzu etc.

pls love a dog. :)

http://homelessinseletar.blogspot.com/

morning work

2009-07-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

it's amazing how much things can be accomplished when you wake up early.

having woken up at hours like 11 am everyday for the past month of "nua" intensive training, I realised how much i miss being more productive.

well, i justified it by saying that, you know, when the baby comes one day, I will never have the chance to do things like "nua" at home. everyone need a break and mine lasted about a month and it's time to work again.

the most important part of work now, is actually a social environment for me. I am looking for ways to increase this and make myself healthier in this area.

I know things will work out somehow and I'm waiting for the reply from somewhere and if things are possible, I will have a more balanced life once again.

housework is a fulltime job

2009-07-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

i will have to reinforce that housework is a fulltime job!

so now i hold 2 fulltime job???

started on yoga recently and totally freaked out that it is so tedious.

to think i thought it was going to be a 'relaxing' and connecting session...

something is wrong. haha.

dog emergency

2009-07-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

today 's hectic but calm.

last night qq got to a packet of leftovers and ate up a lot of fish bones which she shouldn't eat. - long story

called animal recovery centre emergency number, told to come in in the morning for xrays.

this morning woke up early although weather sooooo good to sleep in. brought qq to animal recovery centre (ARC)

ARC had another bigger emergency and couldnt attend to us.

diverted to animal practice where there's xray too.

xray taken, nothing lodged. doesnt appear to have damages.

qq looked fine, trembled while in the clinic but perfectly happy once out.

damage: time and $130.

argh

Shih Tzu for adoption-- pls help

2009-07-03T22:15:00.001-07:00

the following shih tzus are up for adoption ---

http://jingjingdogs.blogspot.com/2009/06/cutsy-doggies-for-adoption.html

a little bug

2009-07-02T00:39:00.000-07:00

down with a bug today.

on other note, i am getting a bit restless at home.

house work is still not fun but i am tryin to love it.

i love housework, i love housework. i do it for a clean house for us!!!

a new addition

2009-06-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

This probably has very little to do with baby making but i do have a new addition in my business family and that will be a good friend Elizabeth.

Elizabeth is someone whom I am very happy to promote as a photographer and someone whom I enjoy working with and we share very good common vision and mission in our career.

Read more at http://www.reginalimphotography.com/

:)

open your heart to a dog

2009-06-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

... and find eternal joy. serious.

a dog brings so much love and joy to our family and double it since we adopted maomao.

i really want to do more and more in the area of saving dogs and loving them more. i really detest pple who can abandon their dog, some pple just drive them to somewhere far from home and leave them on the road! crazy and heartless pple!

i often wonder if pple can do that to their dog, what else can they do in their life and to their loved ones?

do visit sites like http://homelessinseletar.blogspot.com/ to adopt or foster a dog. they really need you.

if you can, pls help. it will make a difference to your life.

btw, i came across the site of the kind person who rescued the dog who was dumped in a plastic bag. http://jingjingdogs.blogspot.com/

open your hearts to dogs and kittens who need you.

thanks.

a lil frustrated.

2009-06-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

i must say the journey now is a lil frustrated.

i often ponder between wanting to start a family and not wanting.

it's just quite scary at times, i believe.

now that work plans have been laid out well and i am all ready to commit to a period of "rest". i hope things will work out soon.

maybe only God can tell and decide.

contented

2009-06-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

i believe learning to be contented is a very impt part of life.

u see, when i was working at a studio, i wanted to work from home.

now that i'm working at home, i think working at the studio is better. haha. at least someone around for me to crap with.

here, i talk to 4 walls and my dogs, who can only offer barks.

:p the grass is always greener on the other side?

amazing talented pple

2009-06-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

this is amazing. if you heard of Jay Chou's Night Rhythm and 7th Rhythm in the night or sth like that , loosely translated, listen to this guy's guitar.

turning down jobs

2009-06-11T22:44:00.000-07:00

i can't help but feel really bad about turning away jobs due to my schedule for 2010. As my slots for 2010 are mostly closed for now, I have to redirect many of clients who love my works to other great photographers and also now, Elizabeth, who works with me.

today I have to disappoint someone for not being able to cover their wedding day. I want to shoot everyone who love my works!

well, I guess I have to focus my energy and plans for later part of 2010 and 2011 :)

a little break needed

2009-06-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

these few days i have been quite contented to get some time away from shoots and work and chilled out with friends and dogs and husband.

but like a lot of breaks, it's hard to kick start the engine after that.

Today I am going out for an evening dinner with some good pals and have been watching MVs for inspiration all afternoon. btw, I concluded that Jay Chou is really a talent, in music, in art, in directing, especially found a lot of inspiration in his works. esp MV for "in the name of the father"
surprisingly, coz I haven't caught up with his works for the past 7 years but suddenly had an exposure and understood his popularity. very creative and cool works.

being inspired is one thing, getting down to business is another, with my advert coming up soon, I am going to really work out a workspace at home. Currently the work space is overflowing with work stuff, packing time needed.

and i gotta go think of a video that I am directing soon... argh. need to learn how to use a video cam! haha. photographer now needs to read manual for video.. will be a great experience, really excited.

qq's nightmare

2009-06-06T21:58:00.000-07:00

yesterday qq the lil dog had a nightmare at about 3 am and i was woken up by her frightened yups . woke up to comfort her and eventually she went back to sleep.

what was she dreaming of? someone cutting her nails? or the vacuum machine coming after her? (her most frightened stuff)

packing tidying frenzy

2009-06-04T00:07:00.000-07:00

i think i hit a stage of insanity of tidying up my house. yesterday night i woke up at 2 am to scrub the whole bathroom.

crazy huh?

I think i have been a little mean to my hubby, i mean. we both own the home so fairly speaking, he should be able to decorate it half his way and half my way. no wonder our house looks like this! however, currently his huge collection of toys overflow everywhere i go and i have no place to display what i like.

and the thing is that hubby likes to display everything he owns. whoa.

then again, today i was thinking, i actually like the way things like because this is our cosy little place and i am not going to turn it into a zen hole. so i think, i will let at least 50% of his stuff stay. keke.

my birthday wish

2009-06-02T23:43:00.000-07:00

... is to have and continue with a beautiful, compassionate heart and touching lives of my beloved family and friends.

and after reading about this story of a set of parents who jumped over a cliff together after their baby son died, reminded me that living is precious. you can read about this tragic here

i think i can understand how they feel, they simply wanted to accompany their son.. they missed him too much, or there's no further meaning in life anymore.

i realised how important meaning of life is to each person, different persons have different views but i live for.. loving others. without them around, my life will be empty.

birthday

2009-05-31T21:59:00.000-07:00

tml is my birthday.

but for once, i don't really feel like celebrating it. well, i love a nice day out with my husband and family but i don't like the idea of getting old and such, haha.

i think birthday has changed over the years. the meaning of birthday has changed. this year, i feel particularly attached to my parents and want to spend the day with them, because i realised how short life is and they made me! they gave me the birthday!

i really ponder and wonder what lies ahead.

for now, i just want to pack up the house, esp with all the baby stuff all over the place, i have no idea how to pack.

argh!

efforts

2009-05-27T22:53:00.000-07:00

i realised how much efforts it take to live healthier, look better, sleep better, manage household, complete work... and so on.

i really cannot understand how mothers can cope so well with everything else, like those pretty mothers who doll up and put on false eyelashes in the mornin to bring their kids to school? wow.

with more and more of my friends becoming married women, it will be interesting to see how everyone else copes. because running a household is no easy feat!

The big "O"

2009-05-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

i am getting lucky. i mean i got a big fat positive on my ovulation test strip today.

finally i am working hard to track the big "O" instead of blindly chasing for the egg. I mean, i have the strips all these while but decided to leave it to nature the past 2 months but heck it, i would love a little more control.

Japan pre-wed photos are out

2009-05-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yes! They are out, i am equally excited as the couple.

View some of our fun time in Shibuya - at night and at very low temperature. very brave bride!

Click here.

(side note: just realised that many of my ex-colleagues are pregnant, wow, I must buck up! haha)

photos!!!!

2009-05-20T23:11:00.001-07:00

after what seems like donkey months after i return from Japan, photos are out!

click here

:)

household day

2009-05-20T02:00:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling really good because i cleaned the house till so very clean today - tired.

plus i actually had a good day with my mom yesterday, that's rare cos we often have disagreement but now that i am thinking of becoming a mother myself, i find myself more ready to understand my mother. hmm.

the dogs are pretty obedient today too. hope they will keep it up!

baby blues

2009-05-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

i guess it's kinda true that the ppl who don't want to have a baby have one while those who wants, wait long long.

haha.

i actually am thankful that we have all these time to prepare the house, the food, getting used to the idea of having a baby instead of having a big surprise which will prob stress us out.

i am pondering to start some TCM for the baby making business soon but i wonder if it's worth the $$.

i know things can't be rushed. but we really hope for a positive pregnancy test kit!

:p

moneysense

2009-05-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

recently i got into thinking of wealth.

i believe thinking of becoming a parent led me to this thought - i'm thinking of how to provide quality care for my child, offering time and also money.

i'm not particularly wealthy but i've definitely been blessed with a sweet life in this sense.
at least, i have never been poor, nowhere near it. Thank God for that, though it's something so worldly.

however, i have never really saved either!

seriously. it's a good thing i came to this point of realisation while i'm still young - still have some hope then.

been reading into wealth management and it seems like all millionaires started out being frugal. that's one first step to getting richer. save.

so i have rethink a lot of things that i wanted to buy and spend lots of money on and realised that i really do not need a lot of them.

in fact, i have so many unwanted clutter bought with my own money which is equal to throwing money down the drain!

at least, i realised now!

although a little extreme, i found this article quite interesting - here

of food and cooking

2009-05-13T22:45:00.000-07:00

one of my goal of staying at home is to make sure that my husband and me and the dogs and in future, the baby will get good nutritious homecooked meals.

learning how to cook is one of the thing in progress and i must say i have gotten quite far. there are days where the husband would say the food was grade A!

learning how to do away with processed food was a big challenge too and i am constantly thinking of how to keep food fresh for long etc.

in the past, i used to think being able to eat out was great but no!! actually sg food, esp hawker fare are just so unhealthy and the methods of cooking just took away a lot of the nutrients.

so suddenly i love cooking :) and the internet for all the great recipes

being unwell

2009-05-12T01:02:00.000-07:00

on another note.

i am really unwell recently. shot a dinner while trying to hold my stomach 's content (which was nothing) in and today. i am feeling even worse.

i need to sleep more or what? can't bring myself to eat much.

down with stomach flu plus throat infection. power right?

great show makes me think

2009-05-12T00:29:00.001-07:00

go watch "Little Children"

it's an adult movie but great great show. feature kate winslet and patrick wilson.

i dun even remember the sex very well but the plot behind it and the smart lines makes me want to watch it again.

maybe i can relate, somehow?

all the caffeine i want

2009-05-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

e gd thing about not being pregnant is that i can have all the caffeine in the world!

going to make a nice cup of coffee now. i am pondering on getting a coffee maker but i love 3-in-1 more! serious.

a lil sad

2009-05-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

i cannot say i am not sad that there's no baby yet.

all are in the hands of the Lord.

Hmm.

baby news

2009-05-10T00:09:00.000-07:00

there is officially NO baby till now.

oops.

TGIF

2009-05-08T02:16:00.000-07:00

I was enjoying a good meal in ikea this afternoon and i noticed there were tonnes of pple in ikea today. on a weekday afternoon. and the cafe was so packed i had difficulty finding a seat!

did a lot of pple took leave on the same day or wat?

I thought being able to work free hours means enjoying weekday lunch without the crowds?

haha.

well well, recently i have been working very hard to get my diet into place - not for weight loss but for nutrients. i have realised how poor nutrients are in sg food like mee pok, hokkien mee, etc. and eating out everyday has been so sinful on our health!

i know i need to tune dyl's diet too but i shall start with mine consistently first.

I am trying to master simple time-saving recipes like throwing everything into the slow cooker etc. in the past i always take one hour to prepare dinner and one hour to wash up!!!!!!

and i am really careful about what i eat, also for the baby making thingy.

now, i make sure i have a good antioxidant smoothie everyday with either mango, strawberries or banana with no-sugar soya milk.

you should try too, i got the $29 philips blender at a sale and loved it! courts still have the sale, go get one!

as for bentos, although i bought a whole lot of fancy stuff for bento from japan, i havent used them yet!

blessed

2009-05-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

i am so blessed.

while having mac breakfast in mac this morning, at a leisure time and pace, i remembered being stressed and rushing for time the past month. i was away for a while going back to 9-5 office work for less than a month (short contract work to refresh my memory of life outside of photography and household chores) and i am glad it's over.

I do not like working in a corporate world at all.

I am glad to come back to albums and weird hours and sleeping-till-i-am-happy and being free when everyone's at work and being busy when others are free.

I am happy to even mop the floor!

of course i still miss being out of SG being so carefree but responsible life goes on, i gotta come back to care for the doggies and the hubby.

:)

laughter

2009-04-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

when was the last time you and your spouse had a good laugh together?

Honestly, i cannot remember ours. discounting watching of comedy show etc. i cannot remember having a really good laugh till your stomach hurts kinda laughter between us for a long time.

we smile, we feel happy, we grin at each other. we feel trickled at silly things each other do but we don't laugh.

the last time i laughed till i almost died was in Japan with Sarah on a train. some funny incidents happened and we couldn't stop laughing. like little schoolgirls.

is that because life and all the daily task and money concerns have taken away that ability to laugh together?

peace at last

2009-04-17T23:48:00.000-07:00

ok, now i finally have a little mood to blog here.

peace at last after resolving some issues with the dogs, my mum and so much more. not going to talk about it anymore.

really busy, thus the lack of post. no more sitting at home enjoying afternoon tea all the time now.

expanding my photography business with inclusion of one more staff and a whole lot of work in documentation of expenses etc.

no news in the baby making yet.

we will be away in 2nd week of May for a short holiday. just dyl and me, cos we deserve it! realised that we had no time just the two of us gg for a holiday for like, 1 year plus!

I love Singapore. Goodbye Japan

2009-04-07T00:17:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad to be home. it's been a good but tiring 11 days in Japan and I have so much to talk about...

BUT...

something happened immediately after i came home. in fact, this morning, sth happened to the dogs and i am pretty upset considering how very much i missed them when i was away.

I don't want to talk about it here because i will cry and basically MM is now at the Pet Hotel and awaiting to have a surgery at the vet on sat.

We have work, play, friends etc, but my dog only have me and dyl.

We will hold on no matter what. A dog is a friend for LIFE.

There is no surrendering.

It is stressful thinking of the costs of everything but our dog only has us!

and i believe that a problem where money can solve is not a problem at all. All I want is for MM to be in good health and happy and able to live with us.

colder and colder spring!

2009-04-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

spring haS officially arrived in Japan but it's still freaking cold!!!!!

at kyoto now -8 degree celcius.

argh.

my nose is peeling.

i brought only spring wear with me so layering has helped to keep me alive.

but i bought the cameras i wanted and i am going to test them out tomorrow and have fun!

seeing geisha and having a shoot tomorrow.

bye bye

qq in sg !

2009-04-01T04:03:00.001-07:00

"mama, sorry i bit your octupus"

"mama, save me!"

dyl sent me 2 mms of qq in sg being very naughty and i miss her so much!!! internet has made leaving home a bit more bearable but i miss them a lot.

i am having second thoughts of future overseas assignment. home is still the best!

i am going to buy the blackbird, fly camera. it's lovely and going for about SGD $196. i'm going to use it once i buy it and enjoy using it in japan! check it out here

japan is fun but tiring and i am running out of money but great images shot here, can't wait to share.

it snowed in spring. brr...

2009-03-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

guess what, this spring is so winter. it is freaking cold. nowhere near the forecast of 13 degree!!! it was 3 degree the other day and my nose is totally red and peeling from the wind and the cold and my fingers are so numbed i cannot feel the shutter at times!!!

but it's a great experience :)

having lotsa fun!!

saw mt fuji, ate too much udon and soba, walk about in shibuya, was in hakone, threw up twice in hakone due to motion sickness, enjoyed seeing naked women in onsen, soaked in onsen which was too hot for me, went to odaiba, only bought 3 pairs of socks and a recyle bag for supermarket days, going out to have fun and explore tokyo central tomorrow!

japan japan

2009-03-27T00:30:00.000-07:00

nothing can describe this feeling while i wait for the time to kick the luggage and off to the airport.

somehow, as i know i am going to settle into a family-based lifestyle pretty soon, i will miss this carefree travelling experience! i believe in the future, with baby around, things will be very different. imagine disneyland and more disneyland. luckily universal studio will be coming to sg.

one of the thing i did was to stock up the house with lots of food and clean the house so that it will withstand 11 days of no cleaning. in some sense, i wonder if i spolit my husband. in the past, he will do lots of housework while i'm busy but since i became home based, it seems to suggest naturally that the person staying at home do all the stuff. ???!

ok, no complaints, because he's my biggest supporter and investor.. keke.

i was also thinking about decisions and how it affect our life. eg. if i didn't leave sgh, i will prob still be in sgh and my photography will prob still be at that level one year ago. and of course, trips like this will not be possible at all. so yes, i embraced that decision. till now.

(i realised that the rss feed for my photoblog on the left hand side is not working well, it is not showing the latest post. argh)

bye sg, off to japan!

this blog will be it

2009-03-24T20:19:00.001-07:00

ok this blog will be the one i will continue to update on my personal life and of course, the big baby project while my photography stuff will go to the new photoblog .

guess what silly thing i almost did. i almost traveled to japan without the yen!

i was quite convinced i had everything i needed and only yesterday, suddenly remembered that i need to change for the yen!

last min dash

2009-03-24T02:39:00.000-07:00

i never knew that i have so many things to settle and many people to meet right before i fly off for japan.

the sakura flowers have bloom earlier than expected but i believe we will get to shoot under the lovely flowers just in time.

talk about global warming! the world is really suffering with these pollutions and stuff.

fruit flies issue

2009-03-23T02:22:00.000-07:00

i have a fruit flies issue in my kitchen now.

i'm so annoyed i am jumping with anger each time i see them.

i can't kill them fast enough and they don't seem to want to leave.

now i found out why.

you can check out this video

one of the culprit is unwashed dishes!!!!!

i MUST get this point across to dyl.

argh

coping strategies

2009-03-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

firstly, i have closed off my http://www.reginalimphotography.blogspot.com/ blog and have moved on to my new photoblog at http://www.reginalim.com/ (click on blog- naturally!)

If you have been visiting my main blog, do drop by the new photoblog for more BIG and nice photos. the lovely thing i like about the new blog is the very BIG photos i can post :)

actually some turn of events have occurred and although initially i planned for myself to be very relaxed while trying for the baby, it seems like i will be very busy for the next 3 months.

not only do i have quite a lot of photography projects to complete, i also have some other work commitments that will see me wave goodbye to the 2 months of carefree life i led.

to some extent, i think it might be good because getting myself busy may be good for stimulating my mind. hahaha. so that i will not develop mummy brain later on.

we are also planning a trip in June to help things out in the TTC compartment.

My new website is out!

2009-03-20T02:40:00.001-07:00

I have launched my new website (so exciting!) and also moved my photoblog to a new location - read more here

Feeling good today.. finally it's done!

cheap sales of nice tshirt

2009-03-19T23:33:00.001-07:00

hop over to threadless to buy really nice and comfortable tshirt at only USD$5!

it's their springcleaning sale so it's really a good buy.

for me, i bought 12 pcs of tshirts (i would have loved to wait to share the shipping cost but i reckon dividing it between 12 pcs is quite worth it)

and the trick is that i bought all oversize ones. from L to 2 XL. mainly it's for my maternity uses. I would love to have some big tshirts for daily uses on top of the nice maternity shops ones (plus they are very expensive!) and i didn't want giordano shirts which are o-so-common. :)

so while i'm in japan, they will probably arrive.

all in a day's work

2009-03-19T00:43:00.000-07:00

i realised that although i'm working from home, a day pass by faster than when i was working in the studio/office.

ok, one problem now is that i wake up really late - on days when i am not shooting, i will be up only at 10am. amazingly though, whenever i'm shooting, i'm up and all energetic by 430am! (dyl always don't understand how i can do it.. haha)

then there's the dogs to handle, feeding, playing, sayang them, bring mao mao down for walk, clear up after QQ.

then there's dishes from previous night to settle - i'm normally so exhausted after cooking that the dishes are left to the next day, no choice, and i feel that the husband is tired enough so i normally don't request for him to wash.

every 2 days there's laundry.

every week there's vacuum and mop.

every month there's cleaning of dust here and there.

every alternative days i head out to the supermarket to buy fresh fruits and vege and meat.

then i need to cook my lunch.

and finally settle down for some photography work.

and there's tea time plus TV watching.

then back to walking MM again.

and a little last bit of email clearing.

and oops, it's 5 pm already. shut down pc and head off to rest.

one hour rest time.

6pm start to prepare dinner.

7pm husband's home! doggies and me so excited at the door. sometimes i bark along with them - serious. it's therapetic. hahaha.

dinner time!

force the husband to shower.

couple time to talk.

another round of dog walk.

tuck dog into bed - and that includes running after qq and catching her before she goes underneath the sofa and if she does, you can't get her out - too narrow. she hates to go to bed.

ZZZZZZZZ.

adding in every now and then i have to head down to the studio and outdoor for shoots, or meet up with couples.

wow. i feel like a full time photographer and a full time housewife.

hmm... when can we get the domestic helper??

sleep test

2009-03-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

i was getting quite concerned that i was getting sluggish and tired easily recently and decided to do a test - pretty fun game to test your reaction. here

and indeed, i need to perk up.

i really don't understand why. perhaps because i get up typically 3 times a night!

birhday upcoming

2009-03-17T23:24:00.000-07:00

my birthday is coming in a few months. and i realised that the things i want most this year are all intangible.

definitely - 1) a healthy baby 2) a healthier husband 3) a healthier me 4) that my home remains safe and sound 5) healthy dogs

for all there is in the world, these are the only things i want this year. because after i started working and earning my own keep, there's nothing in material that i cannot have so now, material has no meaning on me. (except my car - i must keep my car)

:p

letting go...

2009-03-17T03:38:00.000-07:00

i really like this post here by a really gd writer with a simple but nice blog.

she talks about her son and how about after being a mother for years to a little boy, she is learning to let him grow up.

i have to learn too, to apply to my little sister.

all i can say now is that i had a full day hanging out with her - the first time in so many years and i realised i got to know her a little but more today. it is also so tiring. she has so much energy!

we were at anchorvale swimming pool - so cool that it has an indoor swimming pool, a big big one. and many slides and a great water playground for children, i got a feeling it's going to be our family hangout place next time :)

swimming pool is not a best place to be when you are hoping to have a baby because not only do people kick you in the pool, there are babies EVERYWHERE. and i ache for one.

i have switched my daily milo to ammum. yummy. not that it will do any miracle but it's full of goodness for the developing baby and very good to have when you are trying.

btw, if you need folic acid, do buy them from NTUC healthcare instead of guardian because for the exact same thing, the price difference is soooo great. NTUC healthcare sells 100 pills for $2.50 and guardian sells 30 pills for $4.50 and when i open them up, it's the same!!!!!

baby ready

2009-03-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

in the past few months, we have been doing a lot of stuff to get ourselves baby ready.

there were plenty of books. though i still haven't been hardworking on the food bit, i cook 3 meals a day at home but i pretty much just cook whatever we like. eg. today we cooked a nice hamburger with double cheese and grilled potato and onions with cream of cauliflower for dinner.

there were a bit of walking in kiddypalacce to know how much things cost and to get the cute feel.

families passed us a lot of baby stuff.

now, i haven't been a very patience person my whole life. so although i know not to hurry things along, i cannot help but hope to be more hardworking in the this area so we can have a baby fast. after all, i am putting my career on hold! hahaha.

let's have lots of shagging. serious. though the husband is still pretty tired, all the time, from work. unfortunately, i can't do it alone.

getting pregnant stress

2009-03-15T03:05:00.000-07:00

i got married at a relatively very young age of 22 at sg's standard, not only a ROM but a full Chinese wedding. so imagine the amount of "any good news" question asked at every family gathering?

people tend to assume that when you get marry young, you should get pregnant in a click. like effortless.

not that we had been trying hard, in fact, we had been trying not to get pregnant the past 2 years as we felt we were not ready then. even then, it was natural family planning.

so now that we are trying, i suddenly have a fear. that maybe, we are one of those couples in agony months after months? what if it never happen? sometimes i read of some women's pain when month after month, the pregnancy test kit only show a single line. like this lady's experience.

the interesting thing is, people seems to get pregnant when they dont't want to get. i see couples having children immediately after the wedding and saying that it was not what they planned but God gave the child to them.

so what's God's plan for us?

We were thinking of going away for a nice holiday to try and get things going.

I am trying to get relax, but i have been having very poor sleep recently, possibly over planning for my new website and studio.

i need to relax!

o ya, and i read a really funny post about a gynae trying to get pregnant - here

it's funny because she did exactly what i thought of doing but just that i have no means to access a microscope!

online shopping

2009-03-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

just thought i will introduce you to http://www.bbcosme.com/ for good deals on facial products and pretty nice ladies' lingerie (limited though)

the weekend has been fun, we went out for lunch and shopping at ikea then drove to pasir ris park for dinner. it was sooo cold!

all these romantic stuff better pay off.. hahaha... in the baby compartment!

ariel

2009-03-13T02:13:00.000-07:00

i found out that the name 'ariel' means lioness of God. hurray, i love that. :)

anyway, since i left the safety net of a hospital work environment and all that attractive maternity benefits, i have bought insurance to protect myself. realised now that while it covers all the other stuff, it doesn't cover maternity. so that means all that $$ got to come from ourselves.

well well, i'm still happier to be so free and my own boss. :)

Sending your fortune to the pregnancy kit company

2009-03-12T22:20:00.001-07:00

i know most of you out there may not have the chance to use a pregnancy test kit yet (or for some, probably never -the men i mean) and for good reasons of course.

i would like to share with you a little tip that when one day it's your turn, don't send your fortune to the pregnancy test kit companies.

firstly, it's a fact that when you are TTC (Trying to conceive), you will be so keen to test all the time. i mean, seriously, all the time. sometime crazy enough, right after the work's done. of course, it's going to be negative, but i can't help it. but the fact is, you will need to test on the day your period is due. and if that's negative, then every 2 days after if your period is delayed.

going by regular watson, pharmacy standard, pregnancy test kit costs about $8 for the cheapest and $13 for the "branded" ones like clearblue. and even more if you don't want to interpret 2 positive lines and want the actual word "pregnant" to show up in the kit, prepare to fork out about $20. and these prices are for EACH test.

the fact is , regardless of price, they are all the same. so don't be too harsh on your pockets.

ok, so a rough idea of how much i have contributed to these companies -i have been married for 2 years and have my fair share of naughty period who decided to go on a holiday or are just not punctual. and each time, it costs me about $8x3=$24 and estimating that such scenarios happen 5 times a year = $24x5x2 (2 years) = $240! all for nothing!

UNTIL the day i found out about pregnancy test strips from canada.

actually singapore is suppose to sell but it seems like they are mostly used in the hospitals.

anyway, each pregnancy test strip (highly accurate and sensitive) cost only $1! there's 8 times cheaper than what i spent on previously! so i purchased a lot of them from Canada and now, i think i won't be able to finish using them anyway.

and also, i bought a whole lot of ovulation test strips that are super cheap too. about $1 per pc only.

so if you have a need for these, just email me at regina84@singnet.com.sg and i can sell them to you via post. comes with instructions.

and baby making is nowhere near successful, in fact, the engine hasn't even started.

serious care needed

2009-03-10T21:02:00.001-07:00

i was browsing through some of my friends' blog and at Audrey's blog I was reminded that I need to start taking care of myself. my face, hair, sigh, i used to really work on looking good and will get all those nice products that she spoke about too.

now that I stay at home to work, there's no one to see it except the occasional couples i meet and even then, i think i seriously need to work harder on at least piling on some makeup.

anyway audrey, looks like you are having a good time. :)

What happens when my photographer gets pregnant?

2009-03-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

Interestingly and somewhat understandable, my couples have been asking me this questions. while some are perfectly nonchalant about it and just go"I'm sure you can handle it well", others are a little concerned.

let me share some stories here (a little bit on the horror side), i have stand in for photographers (men, since there's so little women pg around) who had
1. fractured their legs - therefore had to transferred all assignments 3 months from date of injury
2.fell really ill on day of shoot
3.injured their back

i would say with every photographer there is a chance of course, that he/she cannot make it for your wedding day. the most important thing is that 1. he/she produces work you really like 2. he/she has very good backup plans which you are happy with

so a pregnant photographer should have no impact on your wedding day, just as there are pregnant make up artist, hotel manager, chef. and just to share, one of the world's greatest photographer just had a baby and shooting all the way to her birth. (i'm not even intending to be that adventurous)

btw, i'm not pregnant yet. we are not even working on that now as Dyl's really stressed up over some work issues.

guess i gotta just relax and have fun in japan first!

instinct

2009-03-08T01:11:00.000-08:00

when my mother passed me a baby car seat that is clogging up her house, i instinctively felt sth not good about it.

then i went and google about the carseat and look what i found - here

product was recalled! caused serious injuries to infants.

phew.

about maids

2009-03-05T02:25:00.000-08:00

i found a good website offering some advice about hiring of maids, which we are going to do soon.

if u are interested, look here

food wastage

2009-03-04T21:11:00.001-08:00

as i am getting more aware of food wastage recently, i am getting concerned about the $$ threw down the bin and also about generally wasting food.

the main stuff that goes wasted are:
bread
sauces like mayo and salad dressing that go expired only after 1 use
occasionally milk
fruits

i have to be more careful from now on when i buy stuff. realised that i'm better off not buying certain stuff like mayo which is unhealthy and expire fast. do you know that you will tend to eat more of the unhealthy stuff in an attempt to "save" the food?

ok, that's a very housewifey thought. :)

all the time in the world?

2009-03-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

wow, check this out

how to get it done like this? I currently cook an entire dinner in about 45 min and if i want to make shapes and characters, i need 2 hrs!

different stages of our lives

2009-02-24T00:41:00.000-08:00

i enjoy watching desperate housewives previously but i liked the season 5 the best.

mainly because i enjoy watching the changes in gaby.

in some ways, i can relate. i remember a time when the most important thing in the world was to doll up and look good wherever we go, not doing housework, having fun all the time, spending money like water.

it was a great part of my life but i wouldn't want to re-live it. because i understand that at different stages of my life, i go through different phases.

and like gaby, i am enjoying my current life. i enjoy cooking, maintaining my home, hugging my husband to sleep, and looking forward to having a baby (gaby had 2 girls in this season)

change is great. enjoy whichever stages you are in now. but don't worry, the future is always brighter.

amazing readers

2009-02-23T23:31:00.000-08:00

i am really amazed. a wonderful reader took the trouble to drop me an email to introduce me to this page about bento making.

wow, thank you very much to audrey! (and i hope you received my reply)

realised also that my comments bit had some problem but now it's solved :)

that's what i loved about our world, people take the trouble to talk to each other and share!

i really loved the web link she provided and i realised that i can start using all the expensive bento boxes i bought from japan ($30 per box!) now! yeah!

bento blogger

2009-02-22T23:57:00.000-08:00

apparently, there's a group of bento bloggers in this world (mostly housewives i believe- who else has got the time to cut pooh bear out of bread??).

since i stumbled upon this concept, i was quite interested (always love art n craft), and there's even bento for husband! (look here )

so amazing. but that means i will have to wake up early in the morning to cook or cook the night before and store... hmmmhmm...!

children's food??

2009-02-22T23:48:00.001-08:00

i am seriously amazed at the extent some mothers are going everyday to decorate food for their kids to eat.

seriously, where have the attitude of "don't eat then starve" go to???

then again, maybe it's a good idea after all, i cannot imagine eating so healthy food when i was young, i had to be force fed.

grumpy

2009-02-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

i am feeling grumpy today. it's just one of those days where the dog (the evil maomao) woke me up early in the morning, the husband is sick and needy like a baby, and i have a job in the evening.

maybe getting out and going for the job and interacting with people will make me feel better(thinking about that, i think i have seen and spoken to at most 5 people in the past 2 weeks)

I am getting cooped up.

maybe i will become one of those mothers who will go mad staring at their newborn at home while everyone else gets to go off to work where there's no babytalk and crying.

ok, i'm mumbling nonsense.

baby 2010

2009-02-19T19:38:00.001-08:00

if all goes well, we are hoping for a 2010 baby.

of course, I am not going to take for granted that we are young and just take it slowly.

we-will-work-hard. :P

initially when we got married, we decided that we will want a 2010 baby.although along the way, i got quite caught up in my career and wanted to postpone to a 2012 baby. however, with advise from many people, i realised that children are gifts from God and we should not keep planning to delay this gift, else, it may not come by anymore.

fast forward 2 years, it's time to start preparing!

fonts

2009-02-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

if baby is a girl, i am pretty sure i want to call her 'ariel', like princess ariel. then again, ariel is a font.

argh.

KKH

2009-02-17T22:38:00.000-08:00

i came across an article that sums up what i thought : click here

when dyl and i discussed about it, the most important factors that matters to him was:
1) safety of the mother
2)safety of the baby

so as long as these 2 are met, anywhere is fine. for that, KKH is my top choice as even if you are in a private hospital, you will be transferred to kkh if there's complications (touch wood again) with the baby as they are the only one with the facilities. (other than high cost involved in the transfer and that you are automatically A class if you transfer from private, there's also the factor of the time involved in the transfer, when every min counts, that doesn't sound like a wise idea.)

KKH has also evolved and currently house "the private suite" for A class patients (which we will go for) and i heard that's an option to downgrade if there's complications - will need to research on that.

I was born in Mt Alvernia hosital premature in 1984. would love to return there but from my experience of my hospitalisation a few years back for dengue fever, the pricing alone can kill. was charged 3k for 5 nights of stay for nothing but saline infusion. (the same in a public hospital only 1k at most!)

Dyl was born in kkh, he can return there this time for a different purpose!

Hospitals and costs

2009-02-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

i am starting to budget and research properly the cost of the pregnancy.

of course, i would like to deliver at Raffles Hospital if we find it reasonable as it's definitely one of the best hospital around in terms of service, environment, even my gynae, Dr Watt, is part of RH.

Then again, KKH is definitely the most sensible choice, considering any complications (touch wood), the charges are going to be less scary. I have known pple who had to sell their flats to pay for the hospital bill due to premature delivery in a private hospital as the bill goes up to 30k.

So it's sensibility vs luxury.

Since i have the luxury of staying at home full time already, and esp through the pregnancy i will be shaking legs at home, i guess i better think for our pockets and baby's future by going for KKH.

Ok, decided. :)

a mother's love

2009-02-16T20:48:00.000-08:00

i brought my mum to the hospital for a barium xray today. i suspected that she has gastric ulcer and i think indeed she has it, we will only know the results next month. (that's public hospital - don't expect fast results even if you pay private rates)

i realise that the equation has now changed, in the past, she brought me to visit doctors and now, i bring her to the hospital.

my mom has indeed grown old. and i feel so grown -up. soon, i will experience her journey of motherhood too and i believe, it will also strengthen our relationship.

we have so much misundetstandings, lack of communication, past unhappiness between both of us that our mother-daughter relationship is not the best. i really hope my child and i wouldn't have to go through such pains next time.

will work on that.

some preparations

2009-02-15T22:54:00.000-08:00

dyl and i headed off to the library to get some books on pregnancy and babies... what to expect, what to eat, how to do what etc..

mainly dyl wanted to get himself emotionally prepared. as the baby won't be growing in him, he feels that he wants to know what exactly happen and how will he feel.

very sweet of him, in fact, most new age fathers i know are very involved in the whole process, unlike the previous "only know how to light up a cigar in celebration after the birth fathers"

for me, the main part is actually, i am really afraid of pain. from day 1, i declared that i wanted a drugfree birth (very popular now) and dyl almost fell off the chair laughing. honestly, i think i must be cheating myself. somemore need to spend $$$ to attend lessons on how to achieve that! hahaha.

you can read about it at fourth trimesters

woohoo.

understanding the meaning of hope

2009-02-11T05:02:00.000-08:00

recently, i learnt to understand how mummies feel. even though i am not a mummy yet and dyl's not a daddy yet, but we learnt how it will feel like...

like the day we thought i could be expecting a little one, just the thought of it makes us leap over the moon. by that, i learnt how mummies feel, when they realise they are making a new life and also i learnt how mummies feel, when they lose a child, because just by thinking we are expecting already make me over the moon, i cannot imagine the pain on the other end - for that, i was one step closer to understanding my mum, because she went through a lot to have me and then my sister and some siblings in between who didn't make it.

well, i wasn't and a great deal of work went into confirming that..

1. gynae visit after 20 days late period (total $160!)
2. ultrascan ($60!) - everything's normal but no pregnancy sac
3. blood test - gynae just want to be safe - no pregnancy hormones

although we weren't really trying for a baby, we were quite disappointed. however, we realise that God has send us a good message that we are now emotionally ready to become parents. :)

we have been married for 2 years now and in no point a time in these 2 years that we felt thrilled to have babies. it was more fearful and knowing that we got to work on our mariage and our relationship first. we worked pretty hard and we are very proud that we are here today, more loving than ever.

now, we are ready.

in fact, many others are excited about this than us! we have received baby cot, baby high chair and many many more, before we even conceived! hahaha. my aunt flora has been very generous and passing us many of her maternity and baby stuff.

sometimes i wonder if that will add stress to us but i realise that God is showing us that we are loved and the baby too, even before he/she is made.

so now, we are hoping to have a little baby ox this year, in fact, it was hope to be due in nov but as I will be travelling to Japan in April and flying in first trimester is not encouraged, we are hoping t0 conceive after I return from Japan (Good too, my last trip of freedom in many years to come!)

i hope to share this lovely journey of hope and love with everyone we love - you. so stay tuned :)