Revolving stars

 It was a random fine day when we noticed that Hunter had a strawberry-shaped tongue when he stuck out his tongue at us. This was when he was about 14 months old.  Look at his tongue As a FTM, I was very concerned and immediately scheduled a visit to the polyclinic. After the doctor looked at his tongue, they gave a referral to NUH as well as to a speech therapist since Hunter has a speech delay. So, we went to the first session at CDU @JMC. The doctor was very good and she managed to engage Hunter during the first visit. There were a couple of forms to fill up and also a checklist to see if Hunter was exposed to excessive screen time. She also reminded us that young kids should not be watching too much TV/youtube. Subsequently, we went for another 3 visits, 2 speech therapy session and a development milestone assessment. Luckily, the results were normal and all pointed to his tongue tie for his speech delay. After much consideration, we decided to bite the bullet and brought ...

 Recently, there were a few queries on my GDM journey as my friends are starting to pop out kids one by one. Disclaimer: This is my own experience and is by no way a substitute for doctor's advice. During early pregnancy, I was woefully ignorant of this "GDM" medical issue. I was called upon to do a glucose test (aka drink 2 bottles of yucky orange drink) and get tested after 1 and 2 hours of drinking it respectively.  Basically, the test was horrible. I was already sleep deprived due to my hormones going crazy which led to my eczema flaring up. Then, I had to swallow 2 whole bottles of this syrupy drink, which I almost vomited out. Anyway, cutting the long story short, i was a borderline failure for this test. And since I was with a private gynae, he set me up on a strict diet of lean protein, vegetable and minimal carbs. I also had to prick my finger 5 times a day to measure my blood glucose.  Finger pricking To measure the blood glucose, I had to get the Accu Chek kit....

 It has been a while since I last updated about Hunter's preschool. Recently, we had a PTM and I am very glad to say that Hunter has significant improvement ever since he switched out from the POP preschool that he attended previously . Background A poll that I did previously with my family and friends showed that their preference is to put the kid near home, so that it's more convenient for fetching back and forth. We took their advice and enrolled Hunter in a nearby preschool, thinking that we can save trouble for my parents.  Everything was great for IFC and the teachers were very caring and responsive. It started going downhill when the school switched to becoming a POP preschool. It may be because of the change in environment, but Hunter started biting other kids when he went upstairs in PG. The teachers also informed that he cried uncontrollably when separated from the IFC teachers. It became so bad that Hunter was suspended from school for 2 weeks (unfortunately at a ti...

Recently, we went on a family trip to KL with my mum, PL and Hunter. It was an impromptu trip as we caught the travel bug. After a long discussion, we decided on KL as a destination as the flight time was short and it's a place that we are familiar with. For flight, we took Airasia since it was just an hour's flight. The happy boy who was so excited about the flight that he didn't take his afternoon nap. And by the time the plane took off, he fell asleep without any need for lollipop or such. Accommodation Since we had Hunter in tow, we decided to go for an Airbnb instead.  We got a condo unit at Cheras, which is near to Ikea and not so crowded with people the minute we get out. One of the reasons why we chose this place was the kids friendly facilities (a sand play area, a kids' swimming pool and a indoor playground). Hunter loved this place even till now (3 months later) and would still ask if we are going back there again. Booking.com Transport The G...

 Recently, PL and I were down with COVID (after 3 years of avoiding the virus).  Luckily it seemed like the variant of the virus that we caught is mild in nature and the main symptoms were coughing and feeling lethargic. What I felt helped us a lot were the following: - chicken essence This helped me a lot when I was feeling tired and suffering from sleep deprivation and it never failed me. Hence, I got PL and I to take it with me this time round and it works like magic. Of course, we coupled it with rest (a lot of it) - Fluimucil I got to know of this OTC medication when I went overseas with Yu Xi a long time ago. By dissolving the tablet into the water and drinking it, it helps to remove phlegm effortlessly instead of coughing the whole lungs out. It was truly a lifesaver when I was coughing out copious amount of phlegm every day. - Water We drank at least 2 liters of water each day, even when we don't feel like it. PL had a total loss of appetite when he was unwell but I wa...

 Recently, we have been on a puzzle playing spree due to the rainy weather in Singapore. I had bought these items online awhile back but didn't had the chance to start on them. When we started using them, it was a little tough as H was slightly impatient and whined when he couldn't get them right. However, as we progressed and tried them a few more times, he was able to piece the puzzles independently. Hard at work Piecing the puzzles during breakfast He enjoyed it a lot and requested for them on and off when he thinks about it.  Difficulty of the puzzles Each sets have both easier and more difficult puzzles ranging from 4 - 8/9 pieces. I filter them so that he tackles those with lesser pieces than move on to the ones with more pieces. It helps to build his confidence and within 3 days, he would be able to complete them independently (at 36 months). Verdict: A good buy for rainy days and as Christmas gifts. If you are interested, it can be bought from shopee here . 

 If you are staying at the West of Singapore and thinking of a budget place to bring your toddler, I will highly recommend Clusia Cove @ Jurong Lake Gardens ! Clusia Cove is very accessible by public transport; Just drop off at Lakeside MRT station and take a 10 mins stroll to the Gardens.  It is free for everyone and opens from 8am - 7pm every day, except for Mondays that do not fall under Public Holidays. There is both waterplay and sandplay available, with a wash point, toilets and some stone seats to put your belongings. Vending machines and water coolers are also available. Look at the happy boy scooping up the sand Running around in the water area All wet after all the playing Things to prepare: - Swimming diapers (I use Huggies ) - Sunscreen - Swimwear  (optional) - snacks (no food & drinks to be brought into the play area but stone seats area is fine) - Towel - A change of clothes (for both parent and child) - slippers Tip:  - Go earlier in the day when ...