Phew! When it rains it pours. Once I got back into the swing of things in the sewing department , the requests and orders just keep pouring in. There is so much to tell, but lately most of my spare time has been spent at the sewing machine. But I resolved that at some point I MUST share some snapshots to show you guys what’s been going on in the background all this while. Here are some new favourites… Boo-Boo Bag Buddies Sophie the Giraffe Leash Sakura Bloom Nursing Cover ~~~ More stuff posted at Serenely Made and at my Etsy Store .

Last month I shared this question I was pondering over from a discussion with hubs: Why should we care about knowing our heritage? I came across this New York Times article about why it’s important to ensure children know about the family stories and history. Here’s an excerpt… The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: Develop a strong family narrative . I first heard this idea from Marshall Duke, a colourful psychologist at Emory University. In the mid-1990s, Doctor Duke was asked to help explore myth and ritual in American families. Doctor Duke’s wife, Sara, a psychologist who works with children with learning disabilities, noticed something about her students. “ The ones who know a lot about their families tend to do better when they face challenges ” she said. Her husband was intrigued, and along with a colleague, Robyn Fivush, set out to test her hypothesis. They developed a measure called the “Do You Know?” scale that asked ch...

I mentioned in my last post that one of the biggest questions going through my head is about Nathan and his relationship with the new baby. Managing sibling rivalry/jealousy is generally one of the biggest topics and FAQs in all the parenting forums related to preparing for a second baby. Sometimes I wonder how I’d be able to love another little one as enormously and completely as I already do with Nathan. He’s growing into the cutest, smartest, affectionate and most lovable little chap that I just love him so much to bits. Some of the adorable and loving things he does… Suddenly holding up his arms asking for a “ Huugg! ” for no apparent reason Giving me an impromptu kiss while holding on to my shoulders as I help him into his pants Once he came up to me while I was sitting with my head down having a difficult moment and tenderly put his hand on my shoulder while asking “whas da matta, mummy?” At the moment I’m probably a big central part of his whole world… his main playma...

So talking about this pregnancy , here are some common questions I often ponder over… Is the sleeping arrangement going to work well? I spent hours picturing what the family dynamics, daily routines, household activities and everyday sounds would be like to figure out which room to use as the new nursery. It mustn’t be too close to Nathan’s bedroom or the main living area, but would choosing a room right at the back be too isolating for baby? There’s also the night feeds to consider and the proximity to the bathroom and guest rooms etc. What would baby’s habits and personality be like? Would she/she be easy-going like big brother? Or would I be stepping into completely new territory? Would I be able to apply all the tricks and routines we learnt the first time round? Or would I have to unlearn everything and start all over? How would Nathan respond to the new baby? This is probably the biggest question I ask myself all the time. Of course I know I cannot expect everything to be a be...

A parting shot of my tippy toes: " Farewell tosie posies, see you in three months! " In my last post , I mentioned that baby’s movements seem stronger and more apparent compared to the first time round . Hubby says it might be an indication of a fiery personality… well, we can only wait and see. Here are some observations of this baby’s dance moves in my belly… Flipping and rolling is a lot more apparent this time round. Maybe it’s due to everything being ‘looser’ and more flexible. At each check-up and scan, baby is always in a complete different position. Sometimes sideways, sometimes pressing outward against my belly, and sometimes completely upside down with his/her head pushing down on my bladder and pelvic bone. This little one can really throw some hard kicks and punches . Sometimes I feel like I’m having a mini earthquake in there as my whole belly quivers with activity. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I get the feeling that this little one gets very excited whe...

So I know I haven’t been chronicling much about this current pregnancy. Of course the whole novelty of the whole experience is not the same, being the second time round. But I don’t think I have been thinking about it any less, just thinking about it from a different perspective. Some main differences I’ve noticed about pregnancy #2… Morning sickness and food aversions Compared to the first time round, this experience has been dramatically different. I literally felt sick to my stomach almost all day long. My sense of smell seemed to be constantly in hyper-sensitive mode which probably exacerbated the whole all-day-long-morning-sickness feeling. Smells I was sensitive to included musty rooms, chicken, raw onions, raw meat, even rice, and changing nappies was a huge ordeal for me every single time. Thankfully the worst is over and my sense of smell seems to have bounced back to normalcy again. Food cravings I don’t have huge list of food cravings, but one thing new I noticed is a st...

In my grandparent’s house in Sri Gading , Batu Pahat, there is a room with one wall packed to the brim from floor to ceiling with books. My mother fondly refers to it as ‘ The Happy Library ’. It was of course nothing like the pictures of mansions with a grand library of high ceilings filled with mountains of books. But apparently in those days, their collection was deemed as substantial wealth in books. Credit to the development of this library is given to a favourite uncle – the youngest of three brothers . It was this third uncle who first started this little project, buying books for his nieces and nephews, encouraging them to read, and getting everyone to chip in their pocket money to contribute to the library fund for more books. His example instilled a lifelong love for books in my mother and all her other siblings. Whenever I’m back in my grandparent’s house for a visit, I always enjoy a browse through the dusty old shelves that held such treasure beneath their musty ext...