Morning Reset

Everyday by 8pm, I'm exhausted.

If I manage to steal a nap that day, I'm exhausted by 9pm. If Little N had woken up more than 2 times the night before, I'm exhausted by evening time, as early as 6pm.

Many advise that new mummies should always nap when the baby is napping. It's really easier said than done, you know. When Little N is napping, I need to shower, do the laundry, eat my breakfast or lunch, clean her room... By the time I finish some of these things and settle down to rest, she's up from her nap.

Strangely though, I find myself re-energized for the day when Little N is taking her first morning nap, after my morning shower. It's like there is a reset button somewhere that helps me feel energized for the day after the shower... until 6pm, or 8pm or 9pm...

Recently she has been napping pretty well, especially in the mornings, so I can afford to take time to reset in the morning to prepare for the day ahead.

Have a happy morning!

Brunch at Bishan Park - it was the first time we brought Little N with us for brunch. 

The cafe was extremely noisy but amazingly, she slept through our meal

Best Strawberry Shortcake

I like eating Strawberry Shortcakes. The name itself makes me feel a little happier. It reminds me of the cartoon character of the same name and other cartoon characters that used to be so popular in my days (Carebears, Smurfs and all)

Surprisingly, I think the best one in Singapore is from Four Leaves, a bakery chain with a store in almost every major shopping mall. The cream is light and slightly sweet and the sponge cake is nice and fluffy. Most importantly, it's available in almost every mall so it's easy to get your hands on one.

Tampopo Deli (at Liang Court) also sell a very good one. I like their strawberry shortcake and Scoop Cake. Some think they sell the best strawberry shortcakes in Singapore. I think their cream, which is milky yet light, is indeed nicer than most other places.

Patisserie Glace (at Icon) also makes a pretty good one. It's one of their best sellers and the cake indeed looks very pretty. The plus side about their strawberry shortcake is that they don't stinge on the strawberries. But I find the cake a tad too moist and hence not as fluffy as I'd like it to be.

If you know of any fabulous strawberry shortcakes, do let me know!

Four Leaves' creation

Tampopo Deli

From Patisserie Glace

A Few Random Things I've Learnt

Here are a few random things I've learnt from Little N and through taking care of her..

1. Forgive and forget - You can accidentally drop baby (er.. just to clarify, not that I did this.. though I did accidentally knocked her on her head *ouch, my heart*) or make baby cry (well, er yes, I did make baby cry.. all the time.. through not understanding what she wants) and you will still get a smile from her the next minute

2. Life's too short to care about what others think - It's perfectly okay to smile one minute and cry the next, or even do both at the same time

3. Know what you want and say it. And if you don't get it - it's ok to pout, cry and yell.. if you are a baby. I guess we adults have it easier because we can communicate and tell others what we want. I think our problem usually is that in spite of our ability to communicate, we often don't and end up bottling our feelings and getting all upset and frustrated

4. Naps are a waste of time. Again, life is too short for naps so they should always be resisted, with a fair amount of pouting and crying

5.  There is no better time. There is no better time to play than NOW. Even if it is 5am in the morning, you should attempt to play. Again, life's too short, so why miss out on the fun stuff.

6. Nails grow fast and sharp when you are on an all milk diet (My own observation - mums out there, let me know if you don't think the same)

7. You don't really always know yourself. I didn't know I'd obsess so much over baby poo, nose shit, ear wax and fingernails. Especially baby poo. I've googled, taken pictures, emailed pictures, sniffed and observed poo in greater details over the past few weeks.. much more than I ever thought I'd do.

8. Let go and let God. Sometimes when you cry with your fists clenched and eyes close, you miss out on things your Mum or Dad wants to give you. It's the same for us and our Father in Heaven, I guess. Happy explains this well here.

9. Some things are out of your control. This is something I'm still learning. Little N naps badly and it causes great frustration for me. The Husband reminded me that there's very little I can do about it and you know, it's true. I can provide her the best environment and conditions and opportunities for napping but if she doesn't or wakes up early and crying.. as much as I'm frustrated, there is nothing I can do to make baby fall asleep if she can't.

The most animated photo I have of Little N. Too bad about the focus.