My Happy Chatty Baby

Baby Annabelle is truly a happy and chatty baby! Whenever we talk to her, she will respond back with some “ee~~ah~~woo~~” sound then flash us with her sweetest smile ever which never fail to melts our hearts all the time ^_^ Not only that she would smile at us when she is awake, she would even giggle in her dreams too and makes some cute chuckling sound. Whenever she saw Angel, she would starts ‘talking’ and smiling at her with her eyes glued on her big sister running around in the house (that’s her favourite past time) ^_^

At times when she was sucking on her pacifier and we start talking to her, she would spit out her pacifier then starts her baby talk while give us her brightest smiles too. There was once I laugh at her cute act of being so ‘talkative’ and when she saw that I am laughing at her, suddenly she give me a big laugh which really makes me laugh so hard and then she laugh even louder at me, hahahaha …….

She’s sure my little happy sunshine and those pictures above will always brighten up my days ^_*

Shanghai World Expo 2010 (1 of 3)

Unbelievable!! Truly unbelievable, unforgettable and crazy experience! Yeah …. We finally went to the Shanghai Expo 2010 and it’s nothing like any of the expo in Malaysia at all! The size of the expo is absolutely beyond words (5.28 KM/2 and it’s the ‘largest world fair’ ever!) and also, it makes a world record of a total of 66.4 Million visitors to date (Malaysia population = 28 million only) and the number is still growing. Just the day before our trip, it hit a new record of receiving 1.03 million of visitors on the day itself which is absolutely insane. We nearly cancelled our trip to avoid being squeezed like sardines but I am glad that we make it in the end!

^ ^ It’s just a small part of the crowd at one of the entrance at China Pavilion! The visitors are really insane ….. just like ANTS!

Last Sunday (17/10/10) 5 of us make it to the expo at around 10am and adding to the number of 744,900 visitors to the expo that day. Entrance ticket cost CNY160/ pax (RM80/pax) and visiting the China Pavilion need a special pass (FOC) by appointment but we did not plan to line up stay overnight at the entrance just to “rebut” (I am not kidding!!) for a China Pavilion Pass which a limited number was distributed at 9am everyday (absolutely crazy!). Hubby’s aunty who flew all the way from Malaysia is so keen to enter the China Pavilion hence with no choice but we finally have to ‘flock out’ RM800 just to get the FOC tickets from the illegal ‘source’ (bad bad!!!).


^ ^ The absolutely infamous China Pavilion, here Angel comes!! We are actually up high at the exhibition hall where the arrow was pointing ^_^

The experience inside China Pavilion is absolutely speechless. After a few hours queuing and being ‘pushed around’ by huge crowd , we were finally transported to the top of the pavilion and saw the 123 meter long of gigantic infamous painting ‘清明上河图’ (‘Along the River During the QingMing Festival’). The painting is absolutely breath taking because it’s just sooooo huge and all the characters inside the ancient Chinese drawings are actually moving!! It’s just like an ancient city brought into life in front of our eyes! The 3D theater, the expedition train, the future cars exhibition, the huge lotus pond and all the displays inside China Pavilion is just so high tech and innovative! Beyond words can describe our feelings, even Angel were dancing and exclaiming about everything she saw. However, not much pictures were taken as the place were extremely crowded! We were so lucky that we even have a chance to have a peek on whatever it was display there :) :) The display halls are as big as few footballs fields, division and distributed among a few levels. It’s just an eye opener for all of us.


^ ^ Some of the view inside China Paviion. The top picture is the infamous China ancient city painting, the 123 meter long imitated national treasure ‘清明上河图’ (‘Along the River During the QingMing Festival’) and the character in the drawings is actually brought to life!!!! Incredible!!!!!!!!!!! You can imagine the size and length of it by the look at the people down there.


^ ^ Angel enjoy herself in the Shanghai Expo. She actually told me that “Angel is so happy today!” which I am so glad ^_^

We have to line up for 2 – 3 hours normally just to enter the so-called not so famous pavilions in the expo. Even Malaysian Pavilion takes minimum 1 hour that day but luckily, we brought along our Malaysian passport which we get to enter through the ‘green lane’ :) We are quite lucky enough to cover a total of 10 pavilions in the Asia Zone (including China Pavilion) namely China, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.


^ ^ Not much picture was taken coz there were so many ppl that day and our eyes were so busy! OK ok ..... Mommy and daddy took most pictures la coz Angel was so busy running around ^_^ She was so happy and 'high' for pictures most of the time ^_^

I would say that Thailand Pavilion is magnificent with so much surprises in it (love it so much). Philippines Pavilions is just so kind enough to provide a marvelous complimentary 10 minutes massage to the visitors (must go) with great entertainments – singing and dancing (truly cultural) and handcrafts for sell too. Australia Pavilion’s 3D 360 degree gigantic revolving stage and animation was absolutely thrilling + inspiring (must watch ). Singapore pavilions takes more then 3 hours to enter but we manage to enter it for less then an hour that night and the sky garden is a nice touch. Cambodia Pavilion is small but with a nice touch as if entering into an ancient city. As for Malaysia pavilion, I am absolutely proud that Malaysia Pavilion’s outlook looks absolutely breath taking during the nights (well done Malaysia!). However, the inner content of the pavilion itself, I would say needs a lot improvement as it’s a bit lack of identity and afford, not well maintained, too commercialized (as if doing an industrial trade) and it’s just a typical expo just like the one we have in Malaysia :(


^ ^ Zone B with some of the Asia Pavilions. Malaysia Pavilion’s building (Purple Roof, 2nd picture on the right) is absolutely different from the inner content (sorry to say that) but I must say that it does make a great impression to the visitors and well done to Malaysia architectural team!

We went home around 10.30pm that night coz my camera runs out of battery :( However, I am sure I will make another visit to the expo again hopefully next week (Europe Pavilion this round) before the expo officially ends on the 31 October 2010. It was absolutely a tiring day (must have good stamina to walk walk walk and squeeze squeeze squeeze) but I am glad that we make it to the expo with Angel which is absolutely incredible and that’s absolutely once in a life time experience. We enjoyed it so much and I am so happy Angel does too ^_^

Angel the 姐姐 (1)

She has become a big sister now. Annabelle's existence doesn’t border her much although sometimes she does show some jealousy for knowing that she has to share daddy, mommy and grandma (who wanna be left out and share when it comes to love but I will share this in a separate post), but as long as we demonstrated that we still love her as much, she seems to be settling well and welcoming her little baby sister with open arms and always looking at her baby sister and exclaim, “Oh ...... Look!!! Baby so CUTE ~~~!!” :). She would even peep at us and steal the moment to ‘kiss’ her little sister on the mouth when she knew that we weren’t watching :) *sweet sweet*

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Before the arrival of Annabelle

Whenever she saw me out of the house, she would asked,

Angel: Mommy now go (to) see doctor and take the baby out???
Mommy: No No ...... not yet. *laugh* Do you know how the doctor take the baby out?

Angel: Like this ~~ *showing me some hands movement* Doctor cut open mommy’s tummy, take the baby out ...... and then close the tummy, like that!
Mommy: Oh ...... I see, how clever! So you like Mei-Mei or not?

Angel: Yes ...... Baby Mei Mei so cute! I am Angel Jie-Jie!
Mommy: Yes, you will be Jie-Jie, a big Jie-Jie soon so you must take care of baby ya ^_^

Angel: OK Mommy *smile*

^ ^ Preparing Angel for her baby sister before baby was born. She would tag along whenever I am visiting the labouring ward and she would look at other mommy’s baby in the nursery room refusing to leave :)

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After the arrival of Annabelle - hospital

During my hospital stay, Angel came for a visit and boy, I missed her so much! When she saw me lying on the bed, she come over to hold my hand, looking at me with a very gentle and caring look on her face and asked,

Angel: Mommy ...... 你痛痛 (are you in pain)？
Mommy: Yes ...... Mommy 痛痛.

Angel: Ohhh ...... Poor Mommy ...... *stroking my hand* Don’t worry Mommy, I’ll help. (*she always says that she’ll help whenever she feels sorry for someone :P*)
Mommy: How will you help mommy?

Angel: Angel will give mommy a Surprise Party. Surprise party will make (mommy) happy. *smile*
Mommy: A surprise party??? *wondering*

And she gave me a gentle hug and kisses on my hand. She can be a very gentle and caring little girl at times ...... ^_^ but 10 minutes later, she is up and running in the entire laboring ward already.


^ ^ My little Angel pays me a visit in the hospital ward :)

And when she first saw Annabelle being wheeled into the room, she kept looking at her and say nothing until we told her that Annabelle is the baby inside mommy’s tummy all these while.

She dare not hold her and touched her at first until we encouraged her showing that it’s ok, then she gently touched Annabelle’s cheek for the very first time and say “Oh ...... Baby so cute!!!” ^_^

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After the arrival of Annabelle – at home

At home, she is a great helper too (sometime :P :P) ...... She would help me to grab baby’s hanky and entertain baby whenever I am busy with other stuffs. And whenever she heard the baby’s crying upstairs, she would used her all mighty voice and call for my confinement lady who is always in the kitchen downstairs and say,

Angel: AUNTIE ~~~~ BABY IS CRYING ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or when the baby is crying inside her cradle, she will shout out loud to grandma

Angel: AH MAHHHHH ~~~~ BABY IS CRYING! 摇 BABY ah!!!!!! (rock the baby)

Kekekekeke …… I do not need an expensive baby monitor to alert all of us of baby’s crying, do I??? *smile*

7 Weeks Old

Annabelle is 7 weeks old now and time passes by so quickly! At 1 month old, she weights 4kg and 53.5cm in length. Currently, she is taking around 3 oz of milk every 3 hours per day and waking up 2 - 3 times per night for night feedings. She likes to look around and loves hearing us talking / singing to her and to be carried all the time too :( However, she doesn’t seem to taking long naps during the days. She would normally waking up every 10-20 minutes checking up on us / crying for us to carry or rocking her back to sleep again. I can see that she is more of a side sleeper and hates to be put on her tummy.

She will also poo poo in the potty every morning and so far, she is doing it great (and amazing)! No more soiled diapers during the days, yippie~!! :) She loves milk but hates water just like Angel where she would spit our all the water and got choked sometimes. However, She is so much different from Angel in many ways too.

During her 1 month old, there was once (yeah ….. only once and just once) she gave me a sudden big bright smile looking straight into my eyes that really give me a great shock till I rubbed my eyes (I really did!) and take a 2nd look at her just to make sure :P Angel doesn’t smile until her 4th month old or so which makes her smiles really feels so special to me.

I can feel that Annabelle is also consider as a ‘high need’ baby just like Angel. My confinement lady left early partly because of that reason too (she keeps complaining about baby's constant crying until we have to ask her to leave!) but I won’t be surprise as Angel is also the same if not worst then Annabelle when she’s still a baby. Oh ….. wish me luck again!

p/s: and just today, Annabelle starts playing bubbles with her own saliva O.o

Someone Is So Sweet ....

That’s the person who has been helping a lot during the time when I am having those rough days during my pregnancy with Annabelle. He would rush to the wet market to get all the groceries, vegetables and meat before day breaks, If time permitted, he would also prepared Angel and my breakfast + lunch before he rush to work, and then once back from work in the evening, he would rush to cook dinner for us (if not eating out) and continue do all the dishes, cleaning up and then take over the job of entertaining little Angel while I rush to take my bath. When I was finally done, often that I find this man dozing off on the sofa after a hard day of work and house chores :). When I am able to get back in the kitchen doing all the cooking again in my 2nd trimester, he would still do much of the house chores such as cleaning, mopping, ironing & laundry at home (basically everything) which sometimes I am just thankful for having him at home when I needed him most :)

This is nothing like ‘him’ 3 years back, during the time I was pregnant with Angel where I would need to asked and asked, nag and nag, and found him did nothing / helping nothing at the end of the day apart from gluing his eyes to the TV set. During that period, it is such a hard time for me to really enjoy my pregnancy and with me juggling between my busy working schedule, my terrible morning sickness + solving my everyeday meals (cooking will be a no-no since the slightest smell would make me threw up badly). Hence, everyday working late and with a tired body and mind, I have to feed myself with either Maggie Mee or biscuits, and whatever junk food that I could find in the house. I guess after having Angel, after the horrible c-section (for me, it is horrible …..) and the period where we really did some adjustments in terms of ‘supporting and helping’ each other during the time in need and taking care of Angel who is a so call 'high needs baby', hubby somehow has changed for better …… which I hope this will be a permanent thing and on going :) Yes, I have finally saw a good father and good husband in him after all these years ^_^

Maybe someone would say that “Ain’t all hubby should do all these and act in such caring and thoughtful manner since the very beginning?” For me sure it’s not the case unfortunately. I do not mind to start off rough and hopefully, this man who I cared so much would keep up his good work and keeping his promises that he would “improved” himself taken up the role as to be a good father and a good husband day by day :)

I am not asking too much, just a 50% passing grades from him will be good enough for me ^_^