Ma Ma Ma My Leona

So there I was- its 1am on Thursday and I'm not the least bit sleepy. I think its the stress of producing this bloody TVC and also the 3 cups of coffee I had sucked down in the daytime. The hubby's with his best friend somewhere, avoiding me and my foul temper. American Idol is on but I'm not really watching... but then Leona Lewis came onstage and I snapped back to reality. Oh, how I love that husky voice of hers. She made me sit up and forget my worries for all of 2 minutes.

She crooned Bleeding Love live on the Idol stage and it sounded exactly as it did on my CD (courtesy of the hubby), even the falsettos were pitch-perfect! I was a teeny bit disappointed though, expecting her to belt out an equally marvelous variation of the song. Well, at least now I know that voice is an original.. If you're a fan too, checkout the single Homeless on her current release.



Anyway, the husband is not blind after all (!!) to my misery and has booked a trip next week for the whole family- MIL and BIL included. I hope its somewhere remote and secluded where I can effectively de-stress and generate more zen ;}

Antics

By the time we get home, I am usually pooped but Arissa will always find new ways to annoy me with her (funny) antics. This is her, refusing to change into her PJs for the night even when I've got her (a tad too tight) dress over her brow.

"I'm not changing, whaddya talking about! This is my favourite dress!"

"Oh no! Its bedtime?!?!? But I'm not ready to give up entertaining my parents yet!"

Gibberish

People say.... babies who start walking early will start talking late and vice versa.

At 15 months, Arissa talks mostly 'baby' language- most of which are gibberish to our ears- but its encouraging to see she wants to communicate and seems to understand most of what we're telling her. She can point to all the right body parts and make the correct animal sounds for
:: lion (roars)
:: monster (groans)
:: cat (high pitched "yaaaaaah?")
:: dog (grunts "uh uh").

I usually gesture a lot whilst giving instructions to help her comprehend but last week, I only looked her in the eye and said "Arissa, take your choochoo (milk) bottle from the bedroom. Mummy need to wash it". And she understood!!! I was ecstatic when she bounced back into the kitchen, a minute later, with the milk bottle in question (OK, so ideally I shouldn't be using baby words like 'choochoo' but if she can understand the other parts of the instructions, then I can just about substitute everything into adult language pretty soon).

Her first words, as my goldfish brain remembers them were....

MAMAM [pronounced 'mum mum']
She loops them "mamamamamamamaam" and it means "give me some food woman!"

THERE [pronounced 'deh']
as in
Me: "Arissa, where is Mummy?"
A: "Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!" (then points at me cheekily)

KATAK (frog in Malay) [pronounced 'ke-tah']
My mum taught her this from the Winnie the Pooh books she's been reading.

TOK (grandpa in Malay) [pronounced as is]
My babysitter taught her this one by pointing to her husband and repeating "tok! tok! tok!"

BYE BYE [pronounced 'bah bah']
This comes with the territory of salams and flying kisses.

I think she is doing pretty well in her own pace although a little slower than I'd like. But what the heck am I complaining about, as my MIL says "Once she starts talking, we'd wish she hadn't started so soon!"

The ongoing GP vs KKH vs PD saga..

In the beginning, I figured a good GP was all Arissa needed to attend to the occasional coughs and colds.

I very much like the GP near our house- he was both meticulous and good with kids but there was always the long queue before you get past his door.

We tried another GP, near her babysitter’s place. She was bit less detailed but worse of all, Arissa hated the sight of her and would resort to screaming in the consultation room. Despite being female, she also seemed nervous about my feisty little tot.

It was KK hospital next. We took her there three times, was attended by different doctors who was not familiar with her sinus condition. Although they try to be informative, I do not appreciate the lack of familiarity for the $75 that I pay for this GP-ish service. The nail on the coffin came from the hubby one trip when an MO attended to Arissa instead of a certified doctor.

And so, at 17 months, we’re back at her PD- a Dr Vellayapan of the Singapore Baby and Child Clinic in AMK. Our last visit here was when Arissa was 5 months and the bill came up to $200+, startling both me and the hubby, prompting us to search for cheaper alternatives. A particular cousin with very bad asthma and eczema goes to him and so he comes highly recommended from that branch of the family. After much deliberation, we decided to give this another shot.

When we arrived on an 8pm weekday, the clinic was packed to the brim with children of various ages- from weeny bubs to bouncy tots. A mere 5 mins at the registration counter and we were whisked off to a young-ish nurse who measured and weighed my little tot and asked me if I’d like her development assessed. I said go for it, expecting some professional gadgets to appear on hand for measurement of brainwaves or the like, but she simply rattled off from the list in Arissa’s healthbook- duh! It was something I could’ve filled in myself in my own time rather than having to yell back the answers over the din of weepy children.

Anyyywayyyy.... we got through that in 15 mins (whilst I sense the other waiting Mothers behind me eyeballing us with disdain). We were told to move to the 2nd floor where there was a quieter (thank God) waiting room. I remember there was a play area here before but it’s gone now to make way for more chairs. There was 1 (yes 1) Playskool toy thingamajig that was cracked in 7 places with badly peeling paint, which all the kids stole (as in ‘to take without permission’) from each other so I had to entertain Arissa with a little toy I brought along in her Eeyore rucksack. Of course, I had to pry this off the sticky hands of another kid once our queue number flashed onscreen.

The husband instructed me beforehand to keep this unofficial looking by walking (not carrying) Arissa into the PD’s office and she seemed thrilled by the sight of him (I think she has a thing for tanned men, don’t ask me why- we’ve noticed). She toddles over to his cabinet and starts pointing and talking gibberish at the Barney stuffed toy there. Dr Vella’s manner is calm and fatherly as he asks us what our concerns are. As we chat, he casually examines Arissa over and surprise! surprise! she did not once struggle against him. I think it’s the way he makes birdy sounds to distract her whilst he looks her over- pretty innovative!

No threat of bronchitis as he assures us her chest remains clear in spite of the perpetual runny nose and will continue to prescribe Zyrtec. Improvements, however, can only be seen in the next month or two. Since this was an allergy and not a illness, Arissa was cleared for the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jab, the nurse tells me to hold on to her hands whilst Dr Vella makes more birdy sounds. In goes the syringe, my daughter screams in protest and looks at him as though her trust has been abused :[

I expected a $200 bill again (GAH!) but after sitting around at the dispensary for a good 20mins we were presented with a bill of $110. Not too bad, since this was consultation plus meds plus her MMR shot. It was $30 more than her (normal, no jabs) KKH bill but I get an experienced PD who is familiar with her history (and pretty nearby). Just remind me to come armed with more toys and a magazine.


To occupy Arissa during the waiting time, Hafidz took her down to our favourite neighbourhood shoe shop with their fake CROCS- hey, something’s gotta give when you have to keep paying for medication. It’s the one opposite AMK Polyclinic with a colourful array of look-a-likes for S$5.90 each so Daddy bought 3 more for bub. And I got another one for ‘babah’(read: "abang" in Arissa language) Rifqi.

**Oren tumpang glamour.

Always end the name of your child with a vowel

I was in Kinokuniya yesterday @ lunch to find a book for Hafidz. Naturally, I wandered to the baby section to try and see if there's anything interesting for myself and came across a fantastic book of baby names. I was *this* close to buying it but then

a) Not pregnant and no plans TO get pregnant just yet (and whats the use of baby names if one's not pregnant? To name one's resident pet cockroach?)
b) Its $27 (daylight robbery i tell ya!!)
c) Last copy and hence a bit rumpled

Whereas my other baby books from the local Arab Street stores list only Arabic names, this one is a compilation of ALL baby names be it in Arabic or Hebrew or Germanic, even Aboriginal Australian!

Bill Cosby's book called FATHERHOOD instructs parents to "always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell the name will carry".

I loaded my bub's name with MANY MANY vowels so I when I get the occasion to yell, I can cover 10mins in 1 breath..

!!HaaaaaaaaaaaaNaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
AaaaaaaaRiiiiiiiiiiiSSaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!

..which is not only effective in stopping her from doing undesirable things (like letting our cat lick her lollipop) but also breath-saving for me! But I digress... I found the meanings to her name in a flash:

HANA
[arabic] Happiness, bliss
[japanese] Flower, blossom
[korean] Number 1
[hebrew] Grace of God, full of grace

**I fought tooth & nail w hubby to put this name in and now I have FOUR dang good reasons to show off for it :].

ARISSA
[arabic] Bright, smart
[greek] Magnificent

And today, a colleague sent in another astrological sign email (boy, we get a lot of those in the office) and Arissa's birthdate has the following interesting, should-never-forget facts:

Age in years 1.41
Age in months 17
Age in days 516
Age in hours 12389
Age in minutes 743318
Age in seconds 44599070
Age in Milli seconds 4459907023
Age in weeks 3613
You born on Thursday

[as at 8 Apr 08]

Character traits:
* Has a lot of ideas -..on how to irritate Mummy/Daddy/Nenek/Atok by avoiding sleeping and feeding times.
* Difficult to fathom
* Thinks forward
* Unique and brilliant
* Extraordinary ideas
* Sharp thinking
* Fine and strong clairvoyance
* Can become good doctors - wow! this i like!
* Careful and cautious
* Dynamic in personality
* Secretive
* Inquisitive
* Knows how to dig secrets
* Always thinking
* Less talkative but amiable
* Brave and generous
* Patient - errr... only sometimes.
* Stubborn and hard-hearted - NO! means NO!!!!! ..no 2 ways about it!
* If there is a will, there is a way
* Determined
* Never give up
* Hardly become angry unless provoked
* Motivates oneself
* Does not appreciates praises - she loves being praised! How else do we feed her her meds/cod liver oil? * High-spirited
* Well-built and tough
* Deep love

Cute and fun to read but hardly believable, as all generic astrological signs are! :S

When Pimmie came to visit

My best buddy from Bangkok, Pim, came to visit to mend her broken heart and the Fabulous 4 took her out for a spin around town. We miss you already Pimmie Puff!

Heads will roll

I think its the PMS. I'm feeling super angry today for no bloody good reason- well there is ONE good reason and I've already prepared myself for a showdown on Wednesday when HE comes back from Philippines.

I'm really gonna TARUK you in your place buddy-boy. Don't mess with me, I've had enough of bending over backwards for you but when you start (mis)using the other staff's kindness and expect the team to cover for you, mean 'ole Office Manager has to set you straight. If my mood is terpleot that day, I may just get you sacked (since you're on your FINAL WARNING anyway). Let me chew on whether we should cover your backside one more time. Hrmph.

****

So after a blasting from me, AGAIN he says

"Sorry I really promise it won't happen again. I will go to the bike shop on my own time"...

and

"I told boss, I will give my 100% when I am here. I already put AJI in the back of my mind"...

and

"Anytime you need me to work on weekends, just let me know. As long as I have some advance notice to tell my wife, I will be here to work"

But do we believe him?

As my Gallery Supervisor aptly puts "He's all talk, no action".

Before & After

BEFORE
Chunks and chunks of unhealthy carpet that has been contributing to Arissa's allergy.

AFTER
I likey!!

Bilrich came highly recommended by 2 family members who had good experiences with their service. Our project coordinator, May, was excellent and it was a smooth-sailing transaction from Day 1. She came to our house and gave us a quotation on the spot and followed up tenaciously. She was on top of all my other extra requests thrown at her.

The only thing I would suggest is to pop down thei warehouse to pick out your flooring AND skirting as the latter is limited in colours and you may not get the same colour flooring and skirting if you're not careful.

They can do your floor on weekends and PHs. We required them to tear out our carpet and fill the huge gap between my wall and toilet door but they got everything completed in 8hours, ready for me to move back in.

The room is looking like a proper hotel room, compliments hubby and I am one satisfied customer.

Bedtime Stories

When I bought Arissa her first 'proper' book with paragraphs of words and pages full of colour pictures, I wasn't prepared for her obsession with it. Up til this point, all she ever does to the little popup/baby books I've bought for her were to chew it up like a little hamster.

But now...she is loving her Winnie The Pooh Thinking Spot series. She is constantly flipping through it, pointing at Winnie or Tigger or Roo and giggling to herself.

I bought 2 books from Popular bookstore titled 'Why Does It Have to Rain' and 'How Do You Hop So High'. Each story incorporates simple scientific facts while examining how young children learn through listening, questioning, observing, comparing, and experimenting. And every story ends with a hands-on activity but she's too young for that.

I started reading her the books last week, usually after her bedtime milk whilst she's unwinding in bed, and now she brings it to me every night. The best thing is that she lies still and listens to every word I read aloud, and then falls asleep without any fuss when I'm through reading and turn off the lights! Like Disney Magic!

When I'm not too tired, I'll do the whole Brit english accent (actually I should be doing American cos it is Disney cartoons. pah.) but when I'm totally shacked and have taken off my glasses I will translate to her in 'chapalang' Malay cos we want her bilingual?!? *heh*

Must say I really enjoy our quiet bedtime together, and I only dream about the colourful Hundred-Acre Wood these days. :)

Me, the Career Woman

Jonathan, an ex-colleague rang me the other day to say hi and we got to talking about our kids (what else). His little bub, Josh Blu, turned 1 on Xmas and his wife, Gloria, is expecting again. "It was a case of Oops, we did it again", he laughingly added.

This was great news to me! Joshy was conceived right after I announced my pregnancy to the office. It was great being able to share my pregnancy blues with an office partner whose wife was also going through the same deal. We shared bibs and bobs of useful (and useless) pregnancy information. And now, they're on to No 2...

I've always felt guilty about admitting this but Jon came right out and took the words from my mouth. "I don't look forward to my weekends anymore," he starts saying. "I love Josh but I get so fu*&in exhausted by Sunday afternoon that I actually feel glad I'm off to work the next day. Its awful isn't it?" I almost died laughing in agreement, I always thought I was alone in my selfishness. To a large extent, I feel a lot more relaxed at work than at home taking care of a tot.

I took leave yesterday because I wanted to spend more time with my 'lil pumpkin who was having viral fever and by 7pm I was begging Hafidz to take me to the kopitiam. Or somewhere in the middle of Timbuktu.

"Dear, I don't think I can ever be a housewife lar..." I 'fessed up. He looked at Arissa who was busy flinging all her blocks and plastic farm animals from the sofa to the floor and shrieking at the same time and smiled wisely...

Mum & Bub

"Stop trying to perfect your children, but keep trying to perfect your relationship with them"

http://www.coolnsmart.com/

Three's a crowd

Had I known the 3 of us would be cozying up in 1 bed, I would've listened to Fidza and bought a King sized matrimonial bed.



From Day 1, we taught Arissa to sleep in her playpen but somehow she'd always end up on our bed, sandwiched between Hafidz & me- her favourite position.

We then tried putting her to sleep in our bed (a mistake but makes sleeptime a lot more manageable with less tears) and then move her afterwards. This worked erratically- sometimes she'd sleep through the night, other times she'd wake up screaming for us.

She was also quickly outgrowing her playpen so we bought her a pretty little girly bed and placed it next to ours. Its an extendable bed from Ikea and pretty large so she can thrash around in her sleep comfortably. Alas... it has now become MY bed. She has purposefully taken over my side of the big bed, right next to Daddy. And she claims her rightful place every night when we hand her the milk bottle.

I think my spine will be permanently bent into an 'S' position if this goes on any longer. :[

@ 16 months

Time Waits for No Man

...which also means "A Sale Waits for No Woman".

With the Canon Sale ending on 2 Mar, I rushed down to Audio House with Hafidz and the Godparents to pick out my next digital camera- the Canon Powershot SX100 IS.

And I am back in love with the wonderful world of technology.


:::Image with no zoom:::





















:::@ 10x Digital Zoom:::





















:::Indoor MACRO without flash:::





















I've used it all of 3 days and an amateur like me is still learning the workings of a mini SLR (the manual has become a permanent handbag item). I'm still slow deciding on the correct settings to pick- Portrait/ Landscape/ Nightshot/ Kids&Pets/ Special Scenes (indoor/fireworks/nightscene/aquarium/snow/beach!!!) but here's a quick rundown of the things I already love about it:

a) Colours are lovely and vibrant.
b) Using flash does not wash out all the colours.
c) Point & Shoot 'Auto' feature is still a favourite for basic use until I learn what the other stuff's about.
d) Easy menu bar and dials.
e) Chunky but not heavy.
f) 10x Digital zoom
g) Pixelated photos are a thing of the past (hurrah!)
h) on MACRO setting, it takes a really sharp closeup of subject.

I must say it is well worth the money! :)))

'Lil Miss Sniffly

So its another trip to KKH, this time we had a set appointment with a respiratory doctor.

Although Arissa gets sniffly less frequently now (and I believe loading her up with Scotts Emulsion has a lot to do with this, we give her direct 2ml twice a day), I needed to know it isn't an allergy or sinus that Hafidz has. The appointment was set for 11.30am but we got to see the doctor only an hour later, so much for setting an appointment a whole month in advance. It was my maiden KK visit (after 2 years?) so this was a rather insightful trip for me. Wow! A play area.. Wow! Helpful nurses who s-m-i-l-e..

Anyway the doctor, a youngish pregnant Dr Goh, fired off a list of questions when I explained why we were there:

1) Family History?
Father has sinus, Mother's family has asthma.

2) Carpets in the House?
Yes, my Master bedroom is fully carpeted.

3) Any smokers in the family?
Yes, Father smokes but never around Arissa.

She then methodically pulled out all the things that have been playing in the back of my mind. I supposed I always guessed at the reasons for her sniffles but never really accepted them, wanting to believe its simply a long-drawn cold.

1) Father has sinus, Mother's family has asthma.
Both sinus and asthma are genetically passed on so there is a 50-50 chance that Arissa can have either. Or both.

2) Yes, my Master bedroom is fully carpeted.
Bad idea. Carpets breed allergens. Remove them (GAH! She made it sound so easy and cheap!)
3) Yes, Father smokes but never around Arissa.
Doesn't matter. The cigarette smoke and particles will cling to hair, skin, clothes and these allergens will trigger her sensitive nose so get the Father to quit. (Yeay! I finally have Arissa's health & a good medical reason to put forth to The Addict)

A quick examination revealed swollen internal nose glands, confirming that it isn't a long-drawn cold but a likelihood of sinus. She prescribed a bottle of antihistamine, Cetrizine, and some nosedrops which needed to be taken daily for 4 months before another followup examination. On hindsight, I should have asked for something OTHER than nosedrops as Arissa downright despises them and it always ends up with me losing my temper and her throwing a tantrum. The only time I get the nosedrops properly executed is when she is sleeping, even then I need to pick a time of deep sleep (anywhere between 2am-5am).

Hafidz & I are now picking a date to get our carpet removed and laminate flooring installed, but that is another nightmare altogether.

PS: It was a nice surprise bumping into Siti (of Yishun Sec Sch) who is now a mother to a 4year old son Aniq. I knew her through a schoolmate and she was one of the 'wild' girls but always friendly. How nice to see her again after so long, all mature and sensible! :)

Nikon vs Canon

I've been chewing on this for about a month now...

My old crappy Lumix needs to be replaced as its dying of old age and natural causes. I made the mistake of buying a Panasonic in the 1st place- I hated it from the word 'Go' (sorry Joe, know you're trying to convince me otherwise). When I bought it 2 years ago, it was the most expensive entry-level camera on the shop's shelf (setting me back $599). Acting on impulse, I bought it without as much as 5mins research on the product, based on sales person recommendation- what a mistake.

Thanks to this review website, I can now view the pictures taken by the cameras before deciding on one. And it has come to an age-old competition between Nikon and Canon. I must say I love my 1st Nikon in terms of colour quality & ease of use but I'm also itching to try a Canon.


IF i decide to take photography up as a hobby (hey, its kinda work requirements), makes more sense to get:





NIKON P5100



CANON Powershot SX100IS

But can I really be arsed? I mean I hardly have time to read a book, much less consider taking up a new hobby so its point-and-shoot, no fuss, entry-level cameras? For that I must say, I like this one best!

CANON IXUS 75t

Article on Common Cold

Do you feel as if you're constantly wiping your baby's nose? You probably are! The common cold strikes most healthy babies at some point — often repeatedly.

Most colds last a week or two, but some linger even longer. In the meantime, there's plenty you can do to help your baby beat the common cold.

Classic signs of the common cold

The common cold is an upper respiratory tract infection caused by one of many viruses. The first sign of the common cold is often a congested or runny nose. Because babies' nasal passages are quite small, it doesn't take much swelling and mucus to cause congestion.

Nasal discharge is often clear at first. As the cold progresses, the discharge usually becomes thicker and turns shades of yellow or green. Later, the discharge may become clear and runny again.

Other signs of a common cold may include:
· A low-grade fever
· Sneezing
· Coughing
· Watery eyes

Toughing it out

Your baby's immune system will need time to conquer the cold. Since colds are caused by viruses, antibiotics won't help.

If your baby is younger than age 3 months, call the doctor at the first sign of illness. For newborns, a common cold can quickly develop into croup, pneumonia or another serious illness.

Most of the time, you can treat an older baby's cold at home. Consider these suggestions:

Offer plenty of fluids. Liquids can help loosen the congestion. Encourage frequent feedings for younger babies. Offer older babies water between regular feedings. If you're breast-feeding your baby, keep it up. Breast milk offers extra protection from cold-causing germs.

Thin the mucus. Your baby's doctor may recommend saline nose drops to loosen thick nasal mucus. Look for these over-the-counter drops in your local pharmacy.

Suction your baby's nose. Keep your baby's nasal passages clear with a rubber-bulb syringe. Squeeze the bulb syringe to expel the air. Then insert the tip of the bulb (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch) into your baby's nostril, pointing toward the back of the nose. Release the bulb, holding it in place while it suctions the mucus from your baby's nose. Remove the syringe from your baby's nostril, and empty the contents onto a tissue by squeezing the bulb rapidly while holding the tip down. Repeat as often as needed for each nostril. Clean the bulb syringe with soap and water.

Moisten the air. Running a humidifier in your baby's room can help soothe irritated nasal passages. Aim the mist away from your baby's crib to keep the bedding from becoming damp. To prevent mold growth, change the water daily and follow the manufacturer's instructions for cleaning the unit. It might also help to sit with your baby in a steamy bathroom for a few minutes before bedtime.

Avoid cough suppressants and other cold medicines. Coughing helps clear the mucus from your baby's airway. For otherwise healthy babies, there's usually no reason to suppress it. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns against giving cough and cold medicines to children, especially those younger than age 2 years. Cough and cold medicines haven't been proved effective for children — and for young children, an accidental overdose could be fatal.

Remember, over-the-counter pain relievers and cough and cold medicines don't kill the viruses that cause upper respiratory infections. And low-grade fevers — which do help kill viruses — don't need treatment. If you give your baby an over-the-counter pain reliever, follow the directions printed on the label.

When the common cold becomes something more serious

Most colds are simply a nuisance. But it's important to take your baby's signs and symptoms seriously. Again, call the doctor at the first sign of illness if your baby is younger than age 3 months.

If your baby is age 3 months or older, call the doctor if he or she:
· Isn't wetting as many diapers as usual
· Has a temperature higher than 103 F for one day
· Has a temperature higher than 100 F for more than three days
· Seems to have ear or sinus pain
· Has yellow eye discharge
· Has a cough for more than one week
· Has thick, green nasal discharge for more than two weeks
· Has any signs or symptoms that worry you
· Seek medical help immediately if your baby:
· Refuses to nurse or accept fluids
· Coughs hard enough to cause vomiting or changes in skin color
· Coughs up blood-tinged sputum
· Has difficulty breathing or is bluish around the lips and mouth

Think prevention

The common cold typically spreads through infected respiratory droplets coughed or sneezed into the air. The best defense? Common sense and plenty of soap and water.

Keep your baby away from anyone who's sick, especially during the first few days of illness. If you have a newborn, don't allow visits from anyone who's sick. If possible, avoid public transportation with your newborn.

Wash your hands before feeding or caring for your baby. When soap and water aren't available, use hand wipes or gels that contain germ-killing alcohol.

Clean your baby's toys and pacifiers often.

Teach everyone in the household to cough or sneeze into a tissue — and then toss it. If you can't reach a tissue in time, cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm.

Simple preventive measures can go a long way toward keeping the common cold at bay.

In spite of ongoing studies, the scientific jury is still out on popular cold remedies such as vitamin C, echinacea and zinc.

Here's an update on some common alternative remedies:

· Vitamin C. Vitamin C doesn't appear to prevent colds in most people, but taking large doses — up to 5,000 milligrams — at the beginning of a cold may reduce the severity of symptoms. Lower doses — 200 to 300 milligrams — may shorten a cold's duration. Just what constitutes an optimum dose isn't clear, but amounts in excess of 2,000 milligrams a day may cause nausea and diarrhea.

· Echinacea. A National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine study released in 2005 found that echinacea did little to prevent or shorten colds. But testing herbs is difficult, and scientists say more research is necessary. Some people swear by Airborne, an herbal cold remedy that's sold over the counter in many drugstores.

· Zinc. The cold-fighting reputation of zinc has had its ups and downs. That's because many zinc studies — both those that find the mineral beneficial and those that do not — are flawed. In studies with positive results, zinc seemed most effective taken as a lozenge or nasal spray within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. Taking zinc with food reduced side effects, including a bad taste and nausea.

From MayoClinic.com Special to CNN.com

Breast is Best then comes Cod Liver Oil

Before she turned 1, Arissa hardly ever falls sick. I loved that she never fell prey to any colds or coughs or the common baby ailments. She was sturdy even though we took her out pretty often amongst sick, sniffly cousins.

I think it all boiled down to the fact that I was breastfeeding until she was 8.5 months, even with the hassle of pumping at work and taking expressed milk home. Although my milk supply was not impressive, I made sure she had a full feed in the morning, 1 expressed breastmilk feed whilst I was away at work, and 1 full feed before bedtime. If she got hungry in between, she would be supplemented with formula milk. Of course, there as also the inconvenience of having to watch what I eat (nothing spicy, nothing cold).

I must say I enjoyed all aspects of breastfeeding. I miss the closeness most of all, the only reason I stopped breastfeeding was because she grew teeth and started biting. With no direct feed, my supply dwindled even further.

Now 7 months later on full formula and solid food diet, she is constantly down with something. Its either fever from teething or the sniffles or some persistent cough that refuses to go away. I am at wits end. We give her the best formula milk, the same stuff Zoe Tay regularly promotes. We have spent hundreds of dollars on various doctor/hospital visits and get the same advice over and over that I've committed it to memory. I know I needn't worry too much as she remains active and has a good appetite throughout but as a mom, I just want her in the pink of health so I needn't have to keep wiping her tiny nose for fear it would get blistered..

I dropped into a pharmacy one day, not in search of meds, this time to thoroughly comb through the vitamins counter. Everything was new and complicated but 1 packaging caught my immediate attention.

It was like I travelled back in time! Without haste, I paid for it and took it home. I'm now halfway through the 1st bottle and I must say that there has been improvements in her health. A few days after we started her on Cod Liver Oil, her runny nose dried up. For about a week afterwards, she was sniffly only on 2 occasions- when we were in Palawan beach in Sentosa (she was wet & cold?) and when we were having dinner at Mak's Place (definitely freezing in the a/c section).

We mix 1 teaspoon in her first morning milk. She is usually too sleepy to notice the spiked milk but Mom has started giving her direct and she doesn't seem too bothered with the taste. In fact, I'm going to start the whole family on this supplement. Its cheap (S$7) and after doing some basic research online on the product, it seems like nothing bears testimony like a product with a 125 year old shelf life. My mother 'borrowed' some of it when she had a nasty cough and it went away in a day. Its a health supplement, best of all, and I'm a firm believer in Prevention is better than Cure.

They say breast is best but my 2nd option has to be Cod Liver Oil.

**I read that if kids are already on Emulsion that they shouldn't be given multi-vites. Scotts is concentrated in Vit A and an overdose can be fatal. Something to research more on?

Closure

Funerals are never a good start to the year. On 13 Jan, in conjunction with awal Muharram (the 1st month of the Islamic calendar), Hafidz's maternal grandmother passed away.

Yani & Amzhar had just flown 2 days earlier to Manchester and New York for their honeymoon so wasn't around but the rest of us were called in by her doctor on Sunday noon as her condition worsened. Although she had been hospitalised for almost 2 months now, diagnosed with lung cancer almost 2 weeks prior to her death, she had been eloquent and alert when we visited her the night before.. so we really didn't see it coming. When we arrived, she had already deteriorated and was gasping within the confines of her oxygen mask- in the final phase of 'nazak'.

The death certificate issued said time of death was 5.30pm, just after asar. Out of nowhere, I had an image of me and Dian in our madrasah uniform sitting in front of Ustadzah Latifah in Al-Muttaqin Mosque prayer hall whilst she told us that a 'good' time to die is after asar on a Thursday.. I can't for the life of me remember why though but I do recall Dian & me promising to each other (at the naive age of 7) that we would both die at 5pm on Thursday in Mecca :)

The burial was smooth, the weather was nice and warm although it was the monsoon season still and we all went home feeling saddened that Arissa never will knw her Nyang but glad that we had the last 15 mins with her on Saturday night as she nodded to us and gave a weak smile on our way out..

Innalillahi Wa-innailaihi Raji'un... al fateha to Hjh Zaiton Bte Burhan (1930-2008).

Dawn of a new Era

A year has come and gone. 365 days of my life gone, never to be returned, with only memories for posterity. And what a fantastic year it has been for memories. Nothing beats having kids (A kid in my case)- they make you grow up like nothing else can. Yet, you also start seeing how simple life can be from their perspective.

We ended the year with a mini getaway with Hafidz's family to Batam Island which has flourished nicely. Big malls, brand names, coffee culture, donut culture- all alive in this little nook called Indonesia- living side by side with the traditional padang food and teh Sosros. It was too short a holiday but I got to spend quality time connecting with the extended family.

Then a very nice surprise came along and we ushered in 2008 as a complete gang again (well, minus 1 family in KL). Of course, when the gang gets together its got to be a foodfest.

With all that catching up to do, we ran late for the countdown and all the roads leading to town were blocked so it was the 7 of us celebrating in our own individuals cars watching the skies light up from Benjamin Sheares bridge. I must say we got to the best point at the stroke of midnight so Arissa got a fantastic view of the fireworks.

It was a good ending to 2007. Hopefully a new beginning to 2008 with more good times to come.