One awesome thing about being part of a network of mums, whether it's a mothers group or your own personal network of friends, is being able to swap and exchange baby stuff with one another! You can definitely save heaps of money by doing so. Anyway not long after we found out we were having a girl, a fellow-mummy friend just learnt she was having a baby boy. The fantastic thing is, as she had a girl the first time round, she could pass me her little girl's old baby clothes. And in exchange, I could pass her Nathan's old baby clothes. So tadaa! One less thing to worry about. Plus my friend has awesome taste, so my baby girl has a beautiful set of lovely outfits waiting for her when she pops out. (Baby girl clothes for #2!) As I was sorting through the clothes my friend passed on to me, I was hit with a deja vu moment... It seemed just not long ago, when I was sorting through baby blue outfits and contemplating the new normal . (Sorting through Nathan’s baby clothes bac...

One of my favourite type of blog posts is the ‘ What’s In My Bag ’ type of posts. Probably because I’m just nosy and enjoy having a peek into other people’s bag. Anyway, as I was writing out out my hospital packing list and packing my hospital bag, I decided to share the list and some snapshots with you. Who knows, maybe some of you first-time mums-to-be might find this helpful. Not all of the items in my list are necessarily must-haves but are simply personal preference. But I’ve starred * and bolded the items which I definitely consider essential to have in your packing list. ~~~ For Me Change of clothing / going-home outfit* Nursing tank top / nursing bra* (if you are planning to breastfeed) Undies* (pack a couple old ones that you don’t mind tossing out after) Maternity pads* Towel (if you prefer to use your own) Nursing cover Socks (in case it gets chilly) Books / reading material A few favourite snacks Essential items to pack for yourself would of course be c...

I’ve just been reminded that it’s Fathers Day in Malaysia/Singapore tomorrow. For us in Australia, we don’t celebrate Fathers Day until August. But I thought to pay a special tribute to my own dad back in Malaysia. With my nesting instinct starting to kick in, I’ve begun cleaning out my closet, sorting through old clothes, and I came across this… Everyone has a favourite old comfy T-shirt in their closet. One that was been well-worn almost to pieces but continues to endure. And most comfy old T-shirts have a story behind them. It’s just a simple old T-shirt, but to me it’s very special because it was a present from my dad who bought it for me when he was on a business trip in China. Buying clothes for a teenage daughter is not something most fathers would consider an easy task – my mum told me how he had called back home to ask if she thought I would like it. I was probably around 14 years old when he gave it to me. I remember how happy I was to receive it simply because it was ...

8-month belly shot With the final countdown of less than one month till my official due date, it’s time to get down to business with getting things in order. I’m definitely a lot more laid back with preparations for baby #2. Nevertheless, there are still some essential things to organise to minimise any chaos at go-time. ~~~ So here is my checklist of… 10 things to do in my last month of pregnancy Organise and wash newborn-sized baby clothes – no point washing the entire stash or washing them too early. Although with baby #1 I think I had this item all done by the second trimester. Wash and lay out baby’s bed linen – as with item No. 1, I didn’t see the point of doing this too early to minimise the bed linen collecting dust in the nursery . Put a towel/water-proof sheet in bed and car seat – better to be safe than sorry because you’ll never know when and where your waters might break . Pack hospital bag – First time mums might have this item all done in the first tri...

Do you enjoy visits to the dentist? Well I don’t know if I am an exception to the rule, but I do. I group it together with things like getting my hair done or having a facial. I view it as a chance to sit back, put my feet up and let someone else attend to my needs. And I do like talking with my dentist… although the conversation is generally pretty one-sided for most of the time, interjected with few grunts and nods from my end every now and then. Plus my dentist also has a TV installed on the ceiling right above the chair so I can indulge in some daytime TV while he pokes around in my mouth. So I would say that I find my visits to the dentist somewhat relaxing! Nathan has been accompanying on most of my dentist visits every 6 months since he was 3 months old. Our dentist says there is no need to start any official check-ups until his permanent teeth start to come in, unless there is a problem. Just as long as we are brushing his teeth regularly (which he enjoys doing) and bringi...