Owner: Suzette's Parenting & Breastfeeding Blog URL:http://www.thesuzette.com/ Join Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 01:59:04 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Blog managed by a frequent traveler. Being a mother of 2 young children and a strong supporter of breastfeeding, I write mostly about parenting, breastfeeding, development of my children, and interesting stories of my trips. Site statistics:Click here
Live-In Maid 2007-01-15 05:27:32 My sister told me the story about her colleague’s maid, which make me even want to consider installing a hidden camera at home to monitor my maid.
To cut her story short, the maid was spotted frying to feed the BABY something suspecious. The moment the maid saw someone came in, she quickly threw the ’something’ away. She is now being sent back to previous owner already.
Well, I don’t let my maid take care of my children. She only steps in when I need her. For example, when I am bathing Ian, she will look after Isabel. Usually, it is only when I got tied up with Ian. And most of the time when she takes care of Isabel, someone would be able to observe.
My worry is mainly on those early hours when I am still asleep. She sleeps 2 hours earlier than me, and wakes up 2 hours earlier. During that 2 hours, she cleans the house, wash the clothes and boil water.
I’m only worried if she adds things to my drinking water. If to get a hidden cameraÂ
Lift Emergency Knowledge 2007-01-15 04:00:15 Received this tips in an email, thought it is worth sharing.
Let’s say, if your are inside a lift and if the electricity been cut-off… though the emergency electircity supply will come in immediately, the lift will still drop with free fall.  Without knowing when it will touch the ground, if you are not well prepared for its landing, your bones are likely to be crushed and cause death.
What should you do then?
Immediately press all the floor numbers, regardless of how many are there
–> to help it stop asap, before reaching the ground
If there is a handle, hold it tight with one hand
–> to balance yourself, avoid falling down when landed
Press the whole back against the wall in straight line
–> to allow the wall be your backbone support
Slightly bend your knees
–> to support the force during landing
Read more:Emergency
, Knowledge
Microwave, Plastic, and Food 2007-01-15 03:42:06 Note: This info here is not verified yet. I received it from a friend, think it is consistent with what we heard, no harm to consider it. This is a summarized version, picked only important points:
This release claimed to come from Johns Hopkins, being circulated in Walter Reed Army Medical Center (whether this exists or not, I don’t know)
No plastic containers or wraps to be used in microwave
No plastic bottles in freezer
Dioxin from plastic will be released into food/liquid when used in microwave or freezer.
Dioxin is a chemical that can cause cancer, particularly breast cancer.
Should use glass or ceramic in replacement of plastic wears.
Well, I also understand that there are many types of plastics available, and I suspect the warning of ‘no plastic bottles in freezer’, could be referring to the PET type, but I’m not sure.
Also, there are many plastic bags/ bottles/ containers labeled ‘Microwave Safe’ or ‘Freezer Safe’, should th Read more:Plastic
Going to School 2007-01-13 07:40:28 I read shoppingmum that Justin wanted to go to play school. My friend SF also told me that his son requested to go to school.
Why Ian is the opposite?
I had a blissfull week this week, sending him to school. But as I was feeling lucky now, Ian is telling me again, since last night, that he doesn’t want to go to his school any more.
When I asked him about the swim, sand-play and water-play, he told me he still want to play those, but he doesn’t want to go to school. * roll-my-eyes *
I really got blown up by him lah! Read more:Going
, School
Avent Isis 2007-01-12 09:53:24 J asked about my opinion on Avent Isis, coz I have used it for 16 months with Ian and 7 months with Isabel.
I think performance wise, it is excellent. When I say ‘performance’, I refer to its ability to stimulate let-down and generate good yield. My friend told me that: the more you pump with Avent, the more milk you get. Almost all current AI users are happy with its performance.
Its one-hand-operation design is also easy to use. For a mannual breast pump, I think it is the best in the market, and of course the most expensive mannual pump.
Well, like everything else, nothing is perfect, I do have some complaints about it, but no big deal if you can live with them.
I don’t like its massage pads (the ‘petals’), as it always traps milk in between it and the breast shield. Milk always get backflow into it.
Milk always got trapped also, in between the valve and the upper membrane. A lot of wastage.
The valve got torn easily. Mine has been torn ev
Clean Your Arteries - The 100% natural way 2007-01-12 05:10:06 Can’t believe what I’ve just seen. “Clean
Your Arteries
”? How? It sounds like cleansing your colon thingy, but this is for the arteries!
I’ve stumbled upon this product, and after checking out, then only realize that Xtend-Life Cardio-Klenz is a natural medication for people who suffer artery or heart problems.
It is developed to help reducing fat in the arteries, breakdown and dispose the plaques, reduce aggregation of platelets in blood, smooth the interior of arteries and stablize blood pressure.
Not sure how true it is, but if it offers the same guarantee like its other product (for diabetes), then it would be more convincing.
Brought to you by XTEND-LIFE
Â
New Breast Pump 2007-01-11 06:23:21 I think all the breastfeeding mothers are going to feel jealous on me. Hehehe!
Yesterday my sister, who is going to get married and has her own children soon, rang me in the office. She told me she has decided to buy an electric breast pump for her future babies, and she will let me use it first.
See, I have such a lovely sister, you jealous or not? Medela PIS Advance after work yesterday. I found a good deal somewhere that can save us RM300. We bought the one in backpack.
I started using it today. I have already pumped twice with it. Whew! I must tell you, this is a really good buy. If I had not been too stingy, I would have saved myself a lot of time with this PIS!
In its advertisement, it always says it ‘feels more like your baby’, which I never believed. I just thought my Avent Isis was already very good, until I tried this PIS today. It REALLY FEELS LIKE A BABY SUCKLING! Less than a minute I’ve already got let-down. And within 5 mins I&# Read more:Breast
Blissful School Days 2007-01-10 05:20:21 This week is surprisingly very easy to send Ian to his preschool.
Well, on Monday there was still a little struggle, but yesterday and today are so easy.
Yesterday his preschool held its first swimming session. The moment he woke up, I told him about this. He likes swimming (though he can’t), and he got very excited and looking forward to going to preschool!
This morning, I told him that he can play sand in the preschool (there is a 30min slot of sand-play). He was also very excited.
These 2 days, he allowed me to put on his uniform. Very cooperative. Whew! I hope he starts to love the preschool. Hey! After all, I’ve searched and verified the place carefully, visited at least 3 times before registering him last year, and visited once again before confirming this year’s enrollment!
Read more:School
Teens and Trucks 2007-01-10 03:48:02 I do believe that good driving behaviour is to be induced from young, i.e. when people started learning how to drive when they are still teens.
As a parent myself, I often explain to Ian (though he is only 3y.o.), most of the things that I do when I drive. I don’t like telling him that the police will catch him if he doesn’t put on seat belt. Instead, I tell him about how dangerous it can be if he doesn’t put on.
GEICO has added a new series “Teens
and Trucks
” to its online library for teen drivers. It is a very good site for parents to visit, to learn useful info on safe driving. Good to read together with our children.
In fact, some of the tips are in line with our company’s policy. It says “cell phones are for emergency use only on the road”. My company’s policy says “engine on, phone off”.
Here are some very useful tips for teens (and us!) when driving near or around trucks or busses:
Stay out of a truck
Suzette's Message Board 2007-01-10 03:21:31 I’ve signed up a free message board hosting and now my own message board is up and running.
I am in the midst of setting up Suzette’s MessageBoard
now, but if you are interested to leave any message there (just for fun??) you can visit:
http://s3.freepowerboards.com/thesuzette/
Setting up your own free message board is very simple and it is absolutely free. The service provider has been hosting free message boards since early June of 2005. I think it should be quite reliable.
They also provide Premade themes which are easily used, and you can also build your own custom themes using the Theme Builder.
Brought to you by Free POWER Boards
Lost in Putrajaya 2007-01-17 09:53:39 Yesterday I had a business event to attend in Shangri-la Putrajaya
. As much as I feared, I got lost again in Putrajaya, couldn’t find my way to the hotel!
This is the second time I got lost in that area! Last time, I tried to get to the Cyber View Lodge Resort in Cyberjaya, and I was lost too.
Well, I actually know where the hotel is, been there before 4 years ago. But what I could recall was just: it is in the centre of the huge round-about in the ‘city centre’. If I get to the ‘huge roundabout thingy’, I will know how to get to Shangri-la. My problem is, I don’t know how to get to that ‘huge roundabout thingy’ from the highway!
Okay, I admit that I am as blur as a sotong. I printed out the map the night before, left it at the printer! Then, I thought I could find the way by reading the signboards along the roads.  I ‘bravely’ drove my way there without asking anyone for directions!
Alright, I finally reach
Blogging Ups and Downs 2007-01-18 11:25:01 There are a lot of ups and downs in my blogging journey. I’m sure you know what I mean, if you are a blogger too.
Sometimes, feel so motivated to write. Sometimes, dunno why I blog - for what? Sometimes lose my passion and directions. Sometimes very gungho and write a lot of stuff…
Currently what motivate me to continue blogging are…
First, I want to keep this a place to store my children’s growing up journey. We tend to forget things when we age. Things that are small maybe big in the future, who knows.
Second, I have some regular readers that are my motivator to write too! My old school friends, my new blog friends, my ex-colleagues, etc… This is a place for me to update them with my life.
Third, I have discovered that my blog actually can still attract new readers. This is very encouraging. I thought my blog is very boring?! I thought it can only attract people who are my personal friends only?!
And, finally, I know my blog can help Read more:Blogging
Young Again 2007-01-18 08:21:53 This morning when I was dressing up, I chose a flare skirt that I haven’t wore for a year or so. The last time I wore, Ian was too young to even notice not to say comment. Well, this skirt is actually quite a nice one with some big flowers imprints.
When he saw me dressed up, he exclaimed:
Wah! Mama! You are å°å°å§‘娘! (literally means young girl)
Hmm?! I hope he means something positive and not that I try to wear something does not suit my age! Read more:Again
Where Do I Work? 2007-01-18 06:13:30 When I came home in the evening…
Ian: Wah! Mama! You are home already!
Suz: Yes, I’m home already. How are you?
Ian: Mama! You went to work in airport. You sit air-air (aeroplane) go to work!
This is my son’s impression of where I work. After sending me off to the airport a few times, he thought I go to work in aeroplane or I work in the airport!
He is so funny in that, but it is also a sad matter of fact that I travel too much!
Handsome 2007-01-18 06:09:37 Forgot to write this earlier, it is already 2 weeks old!
On the second day sending Ian to preschool this year…Â After putting on his smart school uniform…
DH: Wow! Ian, you are so handsome!
Ian: No! Don’t say that!
DH: Why?
Ian: Don’t say that. I am not handsome! (almost shouting already)
Hmm… I wonder, does he really understand the meaning of handsome? So:
Suz: Do you know what is handsome?
Ian: Yes
DH: What did popoh (grandma) say when she syas ‘handsome’?
Ian: Lengzai (é“ä»”)!
Whew! Really got blown up by him sometimes! So, what’s the reason cannot say ‘handsome’? We really don’t know until now.Â
Unexpected Visitor 2007-01-19 03:06:26 Yesterday after work, rushed to pick up kids and reached home at 8:15pm. Bathed the children and myself, changed into my pyjamas and no bras at 8:30pm.
Have 2 hungry children waiting to be fed, plus a hungry stomach of mine. At 8:45pm when I was feeding Ian and talking on the phone (seriously) on some crisis at home (don’t ask), DING-DONG! The door bell rang.
Opened the door, stood there, my long lost friend.
She was here last week, but called before she came. She tried to sell some financial products. She offered to come by again to show me a proposal. I turned her down, because to get a financial product I’d rather buy from financial expert, instead of anyone who ask me to ‘help her financial status’ instead of offering me something to ‘help my financial’.
How dare she, just came again yesterday without informing! I was in my pyjamas without bras, wet hair, with 2 crying hungry kids to attend to and a super duple hungry stomach. And Read more:Unexpected
, Visitor
Upcoming Travel Plans 2007-01-19 02:42:37 The business travel plan is out for this year. Well, at least the first 3 months are confirmed now. And my 2 vacations are also planned (or ’semi-confirmed’).
This year’s business travel plans are all to non-exortic places. Read more:Travel
, Upcoming
Mama, Come! 2007-01-24 17:04:45 Am in Manila since yesterday. At 6pm just now, I called home. Ian happened crying, looking for me.
I got him on the phone, spoke to him for a while. He kept asking me to go home: “Mama, come! Mama, come!”
He is like that, when MIL reprimands him, he’d look for me. When I reprimand him at home, he’d look for MIL.Â
Emotion 2007-01-25 15:32:58 What is my emotion now? I don’t know. I have just released my thoughts in a protected post. I cannot risk her or anyone in the office to read my blog.
Going back to my initial question… What is my feeling now? Really mixed. I am sad. I am frustrated. I am angry (with whom? myself?) I regret. I… I just want to cry. And I am starting to cry now. Oh! Gosh! Stop it!
I am lost. I don’t know how to handle this situation. I am very lousy. I am just so lousy that I don’t know how to handle relationship. Everythings I say, I say it wrong. Every steps I do, I do them wrong. Every words I write, I write them wrong.
If I am always been misinterpreted, it must be my problem.
I wish I can live in a shell alone, don’t have to deal with any human being. I am just too lousy in this. I am just not good in everything. I feel so down, so little, so inadequate, so…
Read more:Emotion
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No Luck With Flight AGAIN! 2007-01-26 18:30:07 Recently I really have no luck with my flights. In my immediate last trip to Beijing, I ended up landed in Shanghai. When I came back, due to bad weather and air traffic congestion, we waited an hour in the aircraft before it was allowed to take off.
And today, my flight took-off from Manila, an hour later it landed back to Manila, due to some problems with the aircraft.
Actually, after the flight took-off for 30 minutes, the seat belt sign has not been switched off. I waited and waited because of my need to express my EBM. I’ve already sensed something not right.
Then, I admired the scene outside the window, and started imagining what the cloud ressemble (we were just above the cloud). After a while, I felt that the plane turned right. I wondered: hey, why is the sun on my left? Aren’t we heading the West?
Then, the plane turned again, this time the sun was on our back. I knew something was wrong, coz it means we are facing the East now. And then it turne Read more:Flight
Isabel - Crawl 2007-01-28 17:13:20 I was away for 4 days in Manila. I came back on Friday night. Saturday morning, I found out that she could crawl already! I’m not sure on which day she started crawling.
We got to watch out more on her already. Unlike Ian, she is not scared of exploring everything. Ian finds her irritating coz she keeps going near him and ’steals’ his toys and pushes his block buildings etc. We are all anticipating that Isabel
will be the one bullying Ian in the future. Let’s see after few years.Â
Funny Incidence 2007-01-31 10:30:56 Lately when I travel, almost every flight has something commendable, if you notice.
Yesterday, I flew back from Bangkok. After landed in KLIA, all of us rushed up to the escalator, and found that the door was locked. More and more people jammed up behind the door, and the escalator is one-way and keep sending more people.
Angry first class passengers knocked the glass door. Security guards passed by, saw us, and walked away (??!!). As it was late at night, the airport was quite empty and quiet, not many people noticed us.
Finally, an angmo boy, about 9 or 10 years, saw us while he was licking his ice cream. His jaw dropped, eye widely opened, and then started laughing - as if looking at a bunch of idiots in a zoo.
And the laugh has a chain-effect on all of us. We started to find this funny and all laughing out loud. Ya, now we are the animals in a cage for you to watch and laugh. Read more:Funny
Different Bangkok Experience 2007-01-31 10:57:47 This Bangkok
trip (Mon-Tue) was different from the past. That is because one of my best friend SM is now living there.
I only had one evening on Monday to see her due to tight schedule. She picked me up from the hotel at around 6pm, and we spent the night till very late. I was actually quite tired, but I still force myself to stay awake! Precious time flies very fast…
We had dinner at a very nice Thai restaurant, with very nice ambience and unique concept. I’m still waiting for her to send me photos of the food there before I can blog about it in LazyBone.
Then, she told me about how cheap the undies (branded) are. We went there to get some. On the way, she mentioned about cheap clothes. Since I haven’t bought any new clothes for myself lately (more than a year?), we adjoined to the night market in front of Carefour. Not very cheap as I thought, but quite good quality and design. I bought quite a lot for myself. First time I buy lots of things fo
Be Carefull Talking To Kids 2007-02-06 04:55:47 When I came back from Manila, I bought some puzzles and a mechanical launched helicopter toy for Ian. Just so that he won’t get bored too soon, as usual, I spread out the toys.
I kept the helicopter without him seeing. As he knew on the phone that I promised to bring him a helicopter, he asked for it the moment he saw me reached home.
I had to lie to him. I told him that my luggage was too full that the helicopter could not be fit in my bag. And I said my boss was kind enough to offer her luggage space to keep the toy, but I could only get it when I go to work in the office.
He finally settled with my lie. But then, suddenly, he said: “Mama, your boss very bad.”
I was shocked. I quickly asked him why did he say that. “Your boss very naughty. Boss take helicopter away.”
:DÂ I quickly explained to him that actually my boss is ‘very kind’ otherwise mama cannot bring back the helicopter without her help, bla bla bla.
Then I made hi Read more:Talking
Isabel - Stand 2007-02-07 05:24:26 On Sunday 4 Feb, Isabel
managed to pull herself up to stand in a wobbly manner.
Very unstable yet, but she knows how to get herself down again, very smart.
We have to be even more careful with the children now, coz if her head is hit from this height, the damage and pain can be unbearable!
Read more:Stand
Sibling Rivalry 2007-02-07 04:44:04 Ever since Isabel can crawl, Ian has been acting very violently towards her.
He has been pushing her very hard resulting her falling with the head knocks on the floor - many, many times.
Despite us explaining to him that it hurts, he keeps doing it.
I did all that I could do and learnt from books and websites.
I explained that it hurts. I demonstrated on him how Isabel may feel. I put him on time-out. I asked him why, I guessed why, and I offered him solutions. I taught him how to deal with situations (e.g. if she takes his toys how should he react, if she blocks his way what should he do, etc).
I gave him a lot of hugs and kisses whenever I am with him. MIL is definitely Ian’s fan, and I won’t doubt her time/love on him - he is always the priority.
He keeps pushing Bel. At one point, I witnessed myself: he tried to push Isabel, Isabel was saved (hold) by maid, he got furious because Isabel was not hurt, he screamed and went back to push her very hardly in the a Read more:Rivalry
, Sibling
CNY Is Near 2007-02-07 04:23:23 This year’s CNY is a bit quiet. In the past, around 3 or 4 weeks before the new year, there would be temporary stalls and crowds shopping for new year goods.
Now, less than 2 weeks to the new year, we still don’t see the hype. In my area, in the past, traffic would be bad around this period - yesterday’s traffic was still very good.
Not sure what’s the reason. Is it due to people celebrating too many festives and lost excitement in CNY already (in the past Chinese seldom celebrate Christmas)? Is it due to the recent gloomy news of the flood? Is it a sign of poor economy?
I read that the car sales are also bad. In the past, Chinese likes to change or buy a new car just before Chinese New Year. But this year’s car sales dropped significantly for the same period.
I bet there would be significantly fewer people renovating or refurbishing their houses this year, if the situation is that bad.
Of course, some people would choose to get loans to he
Pacifier 2007-02-08 08:48:01 Few reasons you should not let your child use a dummy pacifier.
First of all, using pacifier is likely to have uneven teeth as a result of the pressure of pacifier on young children’s gum.
Secondly, it is not good looking to suck on a pacifier, sometimes till a very old age (addicted easily).
It is also very troublesome when you have to travel - imagine what if you forget to bring it and the child is addicted.
And lastly, it posts a choking hazard. It is very sad today, to learn that a 14-month old baby chocked to death in his own pacifier. He accidentally swallowed it, suffered 90min before dying. This really made my day gloomy. Poor baby, poor parents, poor babysitter… Read more here.
Read more:Pacifier
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