Holiday with Heartache

As I look forward to our trip to Krabi, I also wished that it don't come so soon. This will be the first time we leave behind Isabelle and my very first time to be apart from her since the day we had her around.

True that this also be our first holiday minus the little one and I am eager to spend some time alone and relive the romance. Somehow somewhere in me feels heavy and yes, I know this symptom is normal. But this is one episode I have to go through somehow rather sometime throughout this journey of motherhood.

Although I know she will be in good hands of my parents during our absence, but I am worry about her if she will sleep or eat well without us. Most of all, honestly, I am not sure how am I going to enjoy this holiday missing her each & every moment.

DH did suggest that maybe we should just forego this trip. It was thoughtful of him to want to sacrifice his incentive trip but it would be unfair for him. So well, we will go ahead and a comfort for myself... it is only 3 days & it will be over before I even know it. And I will be home again spending every minute with her and I will try my best to enjoy this trip.

Mommy's A Little Vain & It is O-Kay!

Skincare, cosmetics, clothes, shoes & bags was my utmost fetish and still is. But being a sahm, I have not many valid excuse to reload those supplies regularly, except for skincare and occasionally, clothes.

Before Isabelle came around, I would take my own sweet time to slap on the toner, serum, eye cream and moisturiser in sequence and even had the time to let each item sink into my skin before applying the next, twice a day!

I can still do so now, just that I had to literally really 'slap' everything on in a jiffy. On few occasions, I caught Isabelle observing what I did and then turn to her Daddy and did the same to him. Only thing was, her action was much clumsier but surely cuter than mine. Monkey see monkey do!

Many presume that sahm would have only enough reasons to look haggard all day long and with absolutely no need to look good. I have to disagree. We all want to look our best, regardless of job or status because it is for ourselves. To look good is a boost of confidence. And who needs that more than sahm (usually mistaken for the worst and most boring job on earth)?

Healthy and clear skin makes the best canvas for make up and it is the first step to looking great!

My cleansing 'gadgets'

From right: Sothys, EL, EA, Kose, Aesop and Faceshop

(love Faceshop eye & lip make up remover *economical + magical*

Post-cleansing 'gadgets'

4 items from right: Day care products (Shiseido & EL)

4 items from left: Night care products (Sothys, Shiseido, SKII & EL)

Just Another Good Day

"When can I use this bag & go kai-kai?"

Color of vain-ness starting to show.

"Another typical day at home with my toys."

* Multitasking *

My Little Helper

Although clumsy, she look absolutely adorably helplessly cute when she help to pick up her toys after her play time. This is day no. 3 she understands "Pick up your toys and keep in the box" and put it into action :)

My little helper at work

The Return of The Whopping Appetite

Yesterday Isabelle finished the whole serving of vegie omelette! Caught me by surprise. When I made that dish, I had no expectation and only strongly believe that she might only take few spoons as she did for the past week.

Dare not believe and thought maybe it was just pure coincidence, I tried again today with soft rice, steamed fish and spinach. Voila! All gone!

Guess her appetite just made a comeback and we concluded her fussiness over her food last couple of weeks was truly due to teething.

High Chair Tale

After training Isabelle to have her meals ONLY in her high chair for so many months, today she proved that our hardwork and patience worth it all.

Went groceries shopping at next door mall with a friend and came home slightly pass her lunchtime. I told her that I will prepare her lunch while I put her down to play with her toys. She was probably very hungry already and anxious. She initiatively tried to climb on the high chair even before I stepped into the kitchen.

She now really understands her highchair is for mealtimes and it makes me proud :)

She Loves Monday!

Monday may be a grief to most. But looks like my little precious enjoys her Monday. Or maybe, she enjoys each & every single day. All she does was eat, play, sleep, cartoons ... and not forgetting, making her Mama chase after her all day long and sometimes drives her nuts and up the wall.

This picture shows that she is having a blast watching her show on tv. Life of a toddler in one word, GOOD!

Shoes Shoes Shoes

Everyone loves shoes! Well, atleast I do and I believe most women out there feels the same too.

Isabelle's first pair of prewalker shoes is about to expire and it is time to get her a proper pair of walking shoes. That means S.H.O.P.P.I.N.G. and that spells therapy for me! Despite all the excitement, it somehow feels heavy knowing that we have to store this pair away so soon (still in good condition, hopefully we don't have to wait too long to pass it down to my brother for his future baby).

Goodbye...

Spotted this striking pair of shoes in Giza Mall (latest mall in town). I knew I had to get it and Isabelle love it too! The vibrant deep fuschia would be excellent to brighten up most of her clothings in soft shades. When we came home, she keep toddling to the mini shoe rack and bring it to me (signal to go kai-kai). And she did that again the next day. After a few rounds and thinking that was cute, I got tired of her cute act and quickly hide it away in the bigger shoe cabinet outside the door, out of her reach.

Hello new shoes!

Here is another pair we got her. DH thought that the fuschia Gap is too dressy and need something more subtle and casual. Again, Isabelle love this pair because of the Minnie Mouse buckle. Its sole is also very soft, cushiony and comfortable.

New shoes # 2

In deep shoes thoughts

Progress of 1 Nap

I now believe even more in persistence & patience. When I started the 1 nap routine, after just 1 day, I almost gave up.

Thanks to the support of DH and encouragement of few mommy friends, I persevered.

I am now starting to enjoy the fruits of the perseverance after 1 week. Isabelle is adapting well to the routine. Of course, occasionally, she still gets up just after an hour of nap instead of 2 hours which is the ideal duration. It does upset my daily schedule & chores, but I reminded myself that she is just a human (and not a robot on timer). All I needed to do was to tuck her in to bed earlier to compensate the short afternoon nap.

Sling Frenzy

Started babywearing(bw) with a soft structured carrier(ssc) when Isabelle was about 6 months old. Due to Isabelle's weight when I started bw, I could not carry her for more than 10 minutes without whimpering of backache. Thus, I tried to keep my ssc bw session to the minimum.

Nevertheless, my hunt for the right bw gear continued as I wanted to wear her as long as I can minus the backache. Don't want to miss all the advantages of bw and leave the wonderful journey of bw halfway. After a long survey and research, I gave ring sling a try. I was skeptical initially because of the first experience I had with a ssc.

Well, the rest is history! I now proudly own 2 ring slings! I can now carry Isabelle for as long as 2 hours and it doesn't burden my back and shoulder. Most importantly, she love being in it.

My 1st ring sling

Bought my first ring sling just a few days before our recent trip to Langkawi. Received my 2nd sling today and can't wait to parade it around, with Isabelle in it of course! Last but not least, I have 2 more lovely accessories filled up my wardrobe. Only 1 regret, I should have bw much much earlier :)

My brand new ring sling received today

Babywearing rocks!

'Papa' is finally MAMA!

My Saturday could not have been any better than this!

Came home after my facial session and was greeted with a loud & clear 'Mama'!!! Finally!!

All the sleepless nights, dirty diapers, mountains of napkins, cloth diapers & long 14 months which felt like 14 years, her sweet 'Mama' made it all worth it. Now, I don't have to be envious of my DH and DS any longer.

:)

Papa is Mama?

Isabelle have been mumbling her Daddy version 'Deeh -Dee' for few weeks now. Makes Daddy a very happy & proud Daddy.

DH has been training her to call Mummy but to no avail. The funny thing was, everytime we ask her to repeat after us 'Mama', she will go 'Papa'. So we guess her 'Papa' is actually 'Mama'!

Today, she successfully calls my sister 'Eee'. Grins of happiness.

I guess I will have to be her 'Papa' till further notice. I hope I don't have to wait too long.

TGIF!

TGIF!!! Although everyday seems the same to me now that I am a SAHM, Friday still thrills me as how it used to thrilled me when I was working.

It thrills me because DH will be home to back me up taking care of Isabelle. It thrills me because on weekends, I get my ME time, be it facials, hair wash at salon, hair cut, pedicure or just a couple of hours away from home. I don't claim my ME time from DH every weekend but every now & then, I go for it. It is all about being balanced.

This weekend is the facial session and I am counting moments to it. That is when I put my mind to complete rest for a solid 2.5 hours. And that reminds me to request for extra massage. I do deserve it :)

Happy weekend!

1 Nap System Working!

Isabelle woke up for a while at 7.30am when DH was getting ready to leave for work. I wasd, too groggy to pat her back to sleep. She went back to sleep after 20 minutes tossing & turning in bed. To my surprise, she continued sleeping till 9.45am! I went YAHOO because that will be easier for me to keep her awake till 2pm for her next nap. And YAHOO, I can try the 1 nap system again!

We played, read her books, watch some shows while she play with her toys and ran around the home. Prepare her to settle down for her nap at 1.50pm and by 2.20pm she was sleeping soundly.

While she slept, I settle my chores and had the chance to catch an episode of a Canto series on TV. She woke up at 4.40pm.

Had dinner and met up with an ex-neighbour for a chat at poolside. 10pm, we came back home and quickly showered her as she sweated so much playing with DH at poolside while I chatted away.

It was DH's turn tonight and she was fast asleep by 10.50pm.

Seems like the 1 nap system is working well. Motivates me to maintain this.

Hello 1 Nap!

After a tiring attempt to do away Isabelle's 2nd nap yesterday, I was in doubt if I should give it another try today & DH thought that maybe our 'project' deserves a 2nd chance.

She woke up at 9.05am and I kept her entertained till 12.50pm and she dozes off. 2pm, and she was still sleeping. I was uncertain if I should let her sleep through or wake her up. After chatting with mummy Lynn, another friend & confiding in DH, I chose to let her sleep through. Waited faintly but hopefully. Ta da... she opened her eyes at 3pm. I am grateful she slept for a solid 2 hours 10 mins although it would make me a happier crazy mom at home if she could sleep till 4pm. Wishful thinking.

Played with her, non-stop chasing after her and when it came to 9pm, I got her cleaned up and changed. After her last feed, DH took over to lull her to bed. At 10.05pm, she is in dreamland already!!

Hooray!!

Excellent accomplishment! However, I am still having 2nd thoughts if we should persist this from now onwards. Reason being, it is really exhausting to do all the entertaining for a long 6 hours if I am alone, minus DH coming home from work early or on time or when I have no outing.

Well, let's see how tomorrow goes.

Project 'Bye Bye 2 naps' - Called Off

Lesson learnt ~ Do not attempt to try anything new when it is not the right time.

Verdict - We have to return to 2 naps a day system. That is the best for all and brings back my sanity.

Isabelle had a 2 hours nap, 1.30pm - 3.30pm. Just 2 hours. I was crossing my fingers she would wake up at 4.30pm. Now, that is the problem. Her interval between naps ranges from 3-4 hours max. In this scenario, she would need to nap again at 7pm??? Sounds ridiculous to me. With another nap at 7pm, she would probably not sleep at all tonight.

DH came home and I highlighted this to him. So DH said to keep her occupied till evening, hopefully 9pm.

Took her to Immigration Office with us to collect our renewed passports, then stopped by at a petshop just to kill some time since it was still early. Came home, had dinner, took her to poolside for an evening walk, came back and showered her. It was 9.15pm when she was changed and dressed up in her pyjamas, smelling clean & baby-ish. Gave her milk and then got her ready for bed. Sang her lullaby over and over till 10.20pm. She still seem restless and no significant sign of sleepiness. I lost my cool as I am feeling tired already and pass over the job to DH.

Possible reason for her to be still so energetic after a long 6 hours awake, we believe she is overtired and dragging her for so many hours actually backfired.

So, well, yeah, we are back to old 2 naps a day and I am actually quite happy about it. We will make small adjustments to her day naps so that she will be tired enough to be in bed snoozing away by 11pm.

All the best to me!

Bye Bye 2 naps - Almost Failed

Tried the 1 nap routine today and it was H.A.R.D.W.O.R.K. and I think I failed badly!

I am not sure if this works for me and if I can do it again tomorrow. Will need to wait to see how long Isabelle is going to nap with this 1 nap thingy.

Previously with the 2 naps per day, after her bath, she would usually play for a little while and will settle down for her nap. Once she falls asleep, I will rush to prepare our lunch then quickly grab a quick late morning shower. That way, I could atleast enjoy a peaceful shower and then a proper sit down lunch.

With this 1 nap system, I can only shower when I put her inside her playpen or cot. And I will step out of the bathroom every 30 seconds with foams all over me to peeped at her to check if she is safe and not chewing some books away. I could not prepare lunch without running all over the kitchen and hall to chase after her wrapped clumsily in my motherly apron and maybe a ladle in my hands. That does not only slow down my cooking but also seriously dangerous.

My verdict is if by dragging her usual nap time 11.30am to 1.30pm enables her to sleep through 3 hours nap in one go and go to bed earlier at night, then I might consider going for it again tomorrow.

Bye Bye 2 naps!

Tonight Isabelle fell asleep at a torturous 11.45pm! Left me little time to finish off my chores to start a long week ahead, let alone to watch any TV shows. DH & I decided that's it. We are going to eliminate her current 2 naps routine to just 1 nap a day so that she will be tired enough to go to bed earlier.

She used to diligently go to bed between 9.30pm-10pm till she reaches about 10 or 11 months old. We would have atleast an hour or 2 to watch some movies on TV or reading or just chatting with each other. Her bedtime then delayed later and later. For the past few weeks, it has been 10.45 - 11.30pm. Not only that, it is tiring to sing her lullabies 100 times over & over again and she will still be wide awake and not really half sleepy yet. By the time she really dozes off, I am already a walking zombie yet I have like a million on my to-do list.

I hope I can start her new routine tomorrow and God help me.

Family Day

Waking up early on Saturday was really not my cuppa tea. But for the sake of DH's company;s Family Day, we rise and shine as early as 7.30am today. Isabelle was such an angel as she did not create any fuss at all when we woke her up. Yet she gave us a big wide Good Morning smile. It melt our hearts.

Drove downtown and traffic was easy. Said few hellos to DH's colleagues and bosses, we proceeded to breakfast. The roti jala and curry chicken was marvelous.

The 'icebreaking' dance was the upbeat World Cup waka waka song. Isabelle danced and swayed to it. Cute.

Social a bit here & there. Catch up and exchange some tips with some mothers. It was quite fun. I thought I was going to suffer from boredom and heat. But the organising team was thoughtful to provide very big and airy canopy in the event area. After joining & winning a few rounds of telematch games, we return to the canopy and Isabelle took a nap in the sling. The sling turned a few heads and a colleague of DH was so interested, I offered her to try it on with her little princess in it. She is going to buy one soon and be the next proud and joyful babywearing mummy! :)

After sweating a few miligrams of sweat, we decided to leave for home.

That is the end of part 1 of our eventful Saturday.

My Long Lost & Found Friend

She was my schoolmate, busmate and best friend. Rachel & I had so much to talk about during classes, recess session, on our way home in the bus, tuition class, over the phone and we would never finish talking. I have many good friends but Rachel was one of a kind and a true friend who I can be myself when I am with her. She does not judge me for who I am or who I can't be.

After completing secondary back in 1993, we went separate ways to pursue each other's dreams. As we get busy and busier with after-school life, we had less and less time to continue to keep in touch. After attended her wedding in 1999 and her moving down south to Singapore, we had even fewer chance to meet up and then we just lost touch since then. But every now & then, I would think of her and all the sweet memories we shared. Life was innocent, naive and good.

11 long years passed by and I found her again through another good friend, LL. LL bumped into Rachel in the train one day (few years ago) and quickly grab her contact to pass to me. After a few years, Rachel uprooted from Singapore and moved back to KL to live with her parents. I was glad to have her back here, nearer to me but was sorry for her reason of moving back (out of privacy and respect, I shall not blog about her story here).

When Rachel called me up to invite me to her son, Caleb's birthday party, I did not even think twice and said yes immediately. I was very very delighted that I will see her again after 11 years! I am also going to see her whole family who was like my own.

It was truly wonderful that we finally reunited again and seeing her relived the memories of our good old days. The faces and feeling felt so familiar and fond. And most importantly, we still have that much to talk about. Her mother kept shooing us to stop and have some food. And oh boy, how I missed her delicious lasagna and the last time I tasted it was more than 13 years ago.

And Rachel, you were my best friend and always will be. This time, I will not let us separate for another 11 years again!

Power of P & P

Power of prayer & patience is simply wonderful!!

I had difficulty rinsing Isabelle's shampooed hair since about 1.5 weeks ago as I have shared in my earlier post. Almost devastated, I added this into my prayers. I asked God to teach me how to deal with it or to teach me how to bluff her to let me get the job done.

As usual, took Isabelle into the bathroom and as usual again, once the water touches her head, she shrieked. I stopped and let her play with her unusual toys aka plastic spoon and some container lid. Then I uttered "Lord, please help me". I continued to play with her and then after a while, as I told her "Let Mummy wash your hair ya" I slowly lie her head down on my wrist. Surprisingly, she didn't struggle and today, after 1.5 weeks, I finally get to really wash her hair!!

And my baby's hair is now squeaky clean and smells lovely!

Our Lazy Lunch today

Since Isabelle's food preference matured from porridge to soft rice with dishes, I have been cracking my brain to come up with dishes that goes for the whole family. Not too salty, not too sweet, not spicy and in 3 words : Works for toddler

Today, I am in lazy-1-dish mood. Friday used to be my cooking-off-day when I put my cooking mind to rest and I only cook Isabelle's porridge. But now with the change of her food fondness, I had to change my routine as well.

Minced meat with potatoes, carrots, pumpkin and peas stew. Easy as abc and I hope she will finish her lunch later today.

Portion is slightly bigger, enough for mummy's lunch too.

Cooking ~ Minced Pork Noodles

I am so happy with the warm response from Mummy Jenny and I am more than glad to share the recipe. Thank you :)

However, I do not have the time to take picture of every step of it. But I will try when I cook it next round.

What You Need:

• Oil for frying
• Minced Pork (marinate with salt, pepper, sugar & Xao Shing wine *optional*)
• Noodles of any preferred type (recommended Vits for its springiness)
• Chopped garlic
• Diced chinese mushroom (soaked for 1 hour prior to cooking)
• Some green vegies (choy sum or pakchoy or any type of preferred vegie)
• For seasoning ~ Salt, pepper, sugar, light soy sauceoyster sauce and dark soy sauce for color and water
• Concoction of water and cornflour for thickening & glossiness
• For garnish ~ chopped spring onion & fried garlic

How To Cook This:

1. Fry half of the chopped garlic in oil and keep it aside with the oil for later use.
2. Saute the rest of the chopped garlic with the minced pork till fragrant.
3. Add in mushroom, fry till fragrant
4. Add in seasonings & water.
5. Simmer for approx 10 mins
6. Add in corn flour concoction and stir (according to preferred consistency and the cornflour is for glossiness of the dish)
7. DONE

To Serve:

1. Blanch noodles and vegies
2. Lay noodles and vegies on a plate
3. Scoop the minced pork and pour on top of noodles
4. Sprinkle garlic generously on top
5. ENJOY

Hope you like this dish and dont forget to share the photos and comments when you try this out. Happy Cooking!

My La Sau Noodles

The best food critic at home, my DS specifically requested me to make this for dinner tonight, the 3rd time for the past month.

My version of noodles topped with minced pork & mushrooms and some greens, sprinkled with glorious fried garlic. Both DH and DS finished off their portion very quickly. I am not sure if it is because they were both very hungry. But whatever the reason is, a clean plate is a sweet compliment for me. All the chopping, cutting & frying pays off.

It is delightful how such a simple dish could bring such pleasure and satisfaction.

Now, I have to restock some good old pork in the fridge as I have a hunch I will receive request to make this, for the 4th time.

Being A Mom Taught Me...

Being a mom has taught me....

THE ART OF MULTITASKING

I can no longer take my own sweet time in most of the things I do. No more washing hair, scrubbing and cleaning my face separately during shower. I had to do it one shot. It is amazing I could do it in 1 minute when I used to do all that in 10 minutes before the baby came.

PATIENCE

Impatience is my trademark. Step on my tail & I will explode. I have learn to be patientand I am still learning.

BETTER TIME MANAGEMENT & PRIORITY SETTING

Staying up late to clean up the mess from the day while the rest has gone to bed and snoozing away so that the next morning, Isabelle & mummy has a clean place to play and spend the day. Prior to having Isabelle, all the chores can wait till weekend.

APPRECIATE CARTOON

I now watch more Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes a day than my beloved series in a year.

UNDERSTANDS FUSSY BABIES & EMPATHIZES FRUSTRATED PARENTS IN PUBLIC PLACES

I am not a snob. But before we became parents, scene of screaming kids and wailing babies really put us off. We would turn and give them the irritated please-shut-your-kid-up-you-are-disturbing-us-and-very-annoying look. We could not understand why can't the parents do something or just do not attempt to bring such difficult baby out to torture the rest of the public and please just stay home.

PUTTING MYSELF LAST, SACRIFICE & APPRECIATE

The real meaning of sacrifice and I can now feel what my parents specially my mother felt and went through raising me. Not only I appreciate what my parents has done for me but I know I want to give back in folds the love they gave me in any ways I possibly can. Thank you Mom & Pa.

Perks Of A SAHM!

When I told my exboss and my other friends about my decision to quit and be a SAHM, they questioned if I can endure staying home 24/7 after being out in the working environment all my life.

My answer was 'never try never know and there is always a first time for everything'.

I am glad I survived quite successfully and I love what I am doing! The best part is I know my baby is getting the best in everything.

Friends who sometimes call me up to chat over the phone or over msn had the tendency to assume that being a SAHM would means I get to nap with the baby all the time OR I am busy with dirty diaper every moment of the day OR I would sit and rot due to boredom within the 4 walls of the home.

I am just so sorry to say you are all so wrong! I might easily have a more enjoyable and certainly more rewarding job than you can imagine!

I do not need to wake up with an annoying alarm clock and having to rush to work. I do not need to fight the crazy morning traffic. I do not need to literally drag myself to work and knowing I have to face a group of monkeys who would die without office politics and can't wait to make other's life miserable. I do not need to fight yet another round of after working hours traffic and come home feeling all worn out and can only wish that tomorrow would be a better day.

Just to correct some assumptions out there, here are the 'perks' of being a SAHM:

• We wake up to a happy baby, smiling and we know it is going to be another fun filled day
• We look forward to the games we are going to play with our little precious
• Maybe if there is a pool at home and weather is kind, we can bring them down for a cool dip
• Politics FREE
• Traffic Jam FREE
• We are there when our little precious took their first step, uttered their words, had their first fall and we are there for them 101%
• We get to bring the baby to a shopping mall on a weekday during off peak hours when everyone else is struggling a long day at work and wishing that 5pm comes soon
• And yes, when we feel our eyelids getting heavier, we can just take a nap with our little one right next to us and no worries being caught falling asleep at work or worst still, in a meeting!

Of course, that is not all and the list goes on and on.

True that we do not have the luxury of getting the monetary pay at the end of each month. Nor, do we lead an active social life as often as we'd like or to dress up glamorously on daily basis. Nevertheless, the job of a SAHM is surely not plain boring and only full of endless housechores and not to mention the rewards are beyond any salary can get you.

Ok... kind suggestion from Mummy Jenny, here are some of the shortcomings of being a SAHM:

• No pay
• No EPF and SOCSO
• No benefits
• No medical allowance
• No sick leave
• No annual leave
• No bonus
• No off day on Saturday & Sunday

Does it bothered me that I am not entitled to any of the above?

No.

Have I ever thought of returning to workforce just to enjoy the above?

Honestly, I only thought about the salary. But then again, it was just some thoughts that came to mind when I am on idle mode and I would not trade what I am doing now for any other job. So, answer is NO.

My First Toddler~hood Challenge

It has been quite a struggle lately to rinse off Isabelle's shampooed hair. I have tried all ways and tricks but alas. I end up using thinner and more diluted shampoo on her. She would cry and shriek and cling on to my neck and wanted to flee from her tub.

Second challenge was not finishing her meals. She used to finish off everything on her plate and would accept any food served.

Yes, I admit that I do loose my cool when that happens. I know I should not. It is ridiculous to be mad at her. Most of the time, I would sulk and let the guilt drown me. I'd hug and kiss her as I apologise to her for getting angry at her. Not that she knows what happened. She gave me that sweet heart melting smile of hers and the more guilty I'd feel.

Bathing and feeding her was one of my favourite routine of the day throughout the last 13.5 months. It now causes me anxiety and a little bit of fear. I felt lost and do not know how to make it work for Isabelle and I.

After a few rounds of that ordeal, I accepted the fact that I cannot expect her to be able to finish all her meals, every single day. I need to acknowledge that she is only human to be curious, wanting to try different food occasionally just like we adults do.

Looks like I am going to have to google for more recipes for toddler, get the creative side of me work harder and most of all, to be 101% more patient.

Trip to the Zoo

DH had wanted to bring Isabelle to the zoo since many months ago. The idea did not appeal to me before our holiday to Langkawi. The hot weather, animal's stinky poo, sweaty mummy & baby and so on. But Isabelle's curiousity and ability to focus was amazing and I almost forgot she is not a little innocent baby anymore. She is a curious and want to know all and see all little toddler. And it is about time to let her see tigers and lions comes alive from her books and dvds.

She had such a wonderful time wow-ing at all the fishes and penguins during our excursion to Langkawi Underwater World and I figured out she would have more fun at the zoo.

cute sun bear

deers

I underestimated the duration of hours we would spend in the zoo. Hungry and thirsty as we finished the water supply we brought with us. We stopped at the zoo cafe. Food was so so. But we were too hungry to be picky.

Waited till 3pm for the amphitheatre show to start. It was a long wait. Again, lucky we have the sling with us. Popped Isabelle inside and walk around the indoor aquarium (since that is the only air conditioned section in the entire zoo). Once she fell asleep, we went to the theatre, spotted a nice seat with fairly good view of the stage and waited there.

Show was good. Atleast, it caught 80% of Isabelle's attention.

What a day. Thank God for the cloudy weather. It was not as warm and sweaty as I expected. Overall, we had a fun time.

So Long Holidays...

Last day at this beautiful resort. Slow breakfast. Nothing much to do after all. With a few hours to spare before check out, we walked around the resort and then went for one last dip in the pool. It was quite a chore to get Isabelle out of the pool.

Before heading for the pool, we took more pictures. This one is my favourite. Somehow it warms my heart everytime I look at it. I love the feeling of Isabelle clinging onto me.

After a bit of struggle of getting our little precious out of the pool, shower and change into clean crisp clothes, she fell asleep. We quickly pack up and called for buggy to help with our luggages. Isabelle woke up just at the right time.

We reached the airport right before 2pm and only to realised I had an unread text on my mobile, the dreadful FLIGHT DELAYED message from the airline. Our original 3.40pm flight was retimed to 4.25pm. With almost 2 hours extra in hand, we walked around the airport. We were done in less than 10 minutes.

Another announcement... 4.25pm retimed flight was retimed again, 5pm! Last day of holiday is cruel enough. Flight delays only add on to the cruel-ness. But, well, I need to remind myself that holiday is not for forever, it is the good memories that will linger on for a lifetime.

Isabelle fell asleep again and woke up just 10 minutes before we boarded the plane. Again, our happy little precious enjoyed her flight home. Not a bit of fuss, she kept us entertained through out the short flight.

Weather was fine. Sunny. Bright. Love this picture. We believe it is Ipoh town we were looking at.

Took some pictures of the scenery down below from the cabin. This is the first time I saw a rainbow from such an altitude. Unfortunately, there was a change of weather and so, that explains the greyness in this picture.

Holiday in LGK - Day 4

Very happy although it was pouring heavily, as we are planning to go straight to Red Tomato again because it just won't do if we don't get to check out their most reviewed Eggs Benedict.

After light breakfast (want to spare enough space for early lunch at Red Tomato), we took a walk around the resort's lush garden. Then we head down Pantai Cenang Road and dropped by at some duty free shops to get chocolates and maybe some liquor.

Shopping done but bought no liquor. Just chocolates.

Red Tomato, here we come again. I did not even look at the menu this time. Asked the waiter straight away for Eggs Benedict and cranberry juice. DH ordered some smoked salmon salad and a cup of espresso.

When my lunch was served, WOW! It was exactly what I saw in reviewer's website and what I expected. It tasted so so so superb! A piece of toast as the base, topped with beef bacon, sauted spinach, poached egg and generous hollandaise sauce to keep the toast moist yet not drenched. Perfect first Eggs Benedict experience.

Sad to say DH's salad was quite a disappointment. However, the espresso was powerful!

Visited Awana Porto Malai after lunch. Took some pictures. Beautiful and very quiet area. Not as busy as Pantai Cenang.

Afternoon was free and easy at the resort since we returned our 'part time car' shortly after lunch. Went to the beach at 3pm. It was hot and all the 3 of us were almost drenched in sunblock lotion. But the hot sun made all pictures look very beautifully sharp. It made me wish I have a DSLR camera because the weather was perfect & picturesque. But our simple camera did the job, the simple way. Isabelle took few steps without holding onto us or any furnitures.

Took a dip in the pool after Isabelle's nap. The pool was quieter than previous few days, maybe most guests checked out. We were glad to have the pool almost to ourselves.

Too lazy to take a cab or venture out of the resort. It was our last night and we wanted to spend as much time as we can to enjoy the facilities of the resort. Boat House at the resort was the ideal choice. They were serving theme BBQ buffet, Malay theme. Sounds and tasted familiar to us, and we still enjoyed it. There was even cultural show outside the outlet, where diners dined alfresco.

Well, that quite wrapped up our last night at the resort. And feeling a little bit heavy, from the buffet and also that we will be leaving tomorrow.

Holiday in LGK - Day 2

It was raining outside when we woke up. It was cool and comfortable. We adjourned for breakfast at the Spice Market. The outlet were busy and most of the tables were occupied. But we managed to get a table at the cozy corner.

Isabelle had some pancakes and waffles. We are glad that would keep her contented till lunch time. Hooray.

With no planned agenda and since the weather was wet, it would be unwise to do any outdoor activity. So we headed to the Langkawi Underwater World. And I am glad I am a MyKad holder (for once) because locals get to enjoy discounted entrance fees.

Isabelle automatically exclaimed her cute "WOW"endlessly when she saw all the big fishes and other marine life. Penguins were one of her favourite.

We decided to skip lunch as we had a feast during breakfast and were still feeling very stuffed by noon. Returned to the hotel after we are done at the Underwater World. DH took Isabelle down to the pool for a dip. Temperature of the water at the resort were warmer than the pool in our condominium at home. So Isabelle did not shiver as she would and so, she stayed in the water longer.

After an easy afternoon, we took shower and Isabelle took her nap. Soon, it is dinner time.

I tried to remember which restaurant's review I have read before the trip that deserve a try. We settled for seafood at Orkid Ria Seafood Restaurant.

DH was craving for crabs. But with Isabelle around and only 2 of us to entertain her, we really can't afford the time for crabs. So softshell crab it is, no messy peeling required and our hands are free and clean to attend to her anytime she make a fuss, which she did not. Good girl!

Again, no pictures of our food in Orkid Ria because we were so famished when the food was served, we finished everything within minutes.

Took a stroll down the road after dinner. Went into a small shop and DH bought himself a pair of sandals. I spotted a nice batik strapless long dress. The cotton material feel so heavenly soft and I could not resist the thought of owning it. DH bought that for me too.

Beer was dirt cheap on the island! RM1.70 for a can!!! Woohoo!! Kampai and Hooch RM5.90!!! No second thoughts, we bought some back to the hotel for supper. Alcohol for supper. How happeningly unhealthy. But what the heck, this is what holidays are made of, ain't it?

Good night and we prayed for sunny weather tomorrow as we aim to visit the Langkawi Cable Car.

Holiday in LGK - Day 3

Feeling all excited when we saw the skies were blue & clear and weather was bright & sunny!

Langkawi Cable Car, here we come! We could not go the day before due to rain. This is the day then!

How wrong were we when we confidently believe that due to off peak season, there would no queue. The ticketing operator told us that we need to be prepared to queue for atleast an hour! Isabelle fell asleep before we got down the car earlier. Thank God that we have a ring sling with us. We love the stroller but an outing to such crowded tourist spot, the sling comes in hundred times more handy and less bulky. Surprisingly, Isabelle slept through the long wait at the entrance, despite the hot hot weather.

We met very warm and friendly fellow holidaymakers. Shared cable car with a young couple & a family of 4 from Down Under and also another family with a young child from India. We took turns to take photos for each other.

The view from the cable car and from both Middle and Top Station was awesome and magnificent. The clear weather contributed as well. My previous company did this project. I do feel a little bit proud of it as this project looks 'difficult' and it would have take really skillful people to complete such remarkable job.

We proceeded to Red Tomato Garden Cafe for late lunch. I have read so many reviews from travel related websites and blogs about this place. I know I must check it out myself. I was ready to taste their ever so popular Eggs Benedict only to know that this item is for breakfast and they only serve this till 12pm! ARGH! I settled for Tomato Soup & wholemeal toast beef bacon. DH went for Mexicanna Pasta and Heineken (happy hour half price).

Red Tomato Garden Cafe ~ Not very luxurious but cozy, and food is out of this world!

No regrets eventhough Eggs Benedict was unavailable. The Tomato Soup was the best I have ever tasted in my entire life. Rich, creamy and not overly smooth with the right amount of texture and small chunks of tender onions. The toast was very yummy too.

DH's pasta was ooh lala!!! The jalapeno chili spiced up the dish.

But I will still go back for Eggs Benedict, before the clock strucks 12pm :)

Best tomato soup, Mexicanna pasta & Beef Bacon on Wholemeal toast

Went back to the hotel for a swim and rest. Ventured out to Kuah town for dinner, about 20 minutes drive from Pantai Cenang where the Meritus is located.

Relied on GPS to hunt for dinner as we did not do much research on food in Kuah. Found Teo Seafood Restaurant. The place was not crowded and we had some little doubts of the food. But it turn out not bad. We had their popular Fried You Tiau, Fried Vegie (forgot the name of the vegie), Frog Fried Ginger Onion & Kam Hiong Chok Than.

After filling up our tummies, we went to the Eagle Square near the ferry jetty since it was nearby. Happily we walk towards the majestic eagle statue only to realise that I left my camera in the car when I reached inside my bag searching hi & lo for it. Our car was parked quite a distance from the statue and fortunately we have our mobile camera as alternative.

There goes the 3rd day of our holiday.

Holiday in LGK - Day 1

We woke up as early as 7.30am to get ready to leave for the airport. Feeling sleepy but we are excited to be onboard with Isabelle for the first time. Not sure how is she going to react on her first flight, we pray hard she will enjoy it.

Upon reaching the MAS check-in counter, what we saw was a messy queue. A big group of North Indian tourists infront of us. But a gentleman from the group kindly gesture us to go before them. Now, that was a good start for a holiday :)

Afraid that the pressure would make Isabelle uncomfortable, we let her suck on her pacifier. Once we reached the maximum altitude, we remove it. Throughout the flight, she kept herself busy by looking outside the window, browsing inflight magazines and playing with us. 1 hour passed by easily, fuss-free.

At the arrival hall, Meritus Pelangi representative were already waiting for us to show us the way to our airport-hotel transfer. Isabelle must have been very tired and fell asleep in my ring sling while I was walking from the hall to the car.

The hotel were just about 10 minutes from the airport. Check-in were a breeze and we were in our room within 10 minutes reaching the hotel. Isabelle were still sleeping then. I quietly put her down on the bed and she slept while me and DH unpack our luggage. We had some time to quickly check out the beautiful room. We had a deluxe pool facing room. Beautiful view of the pool and the sea from the verandah.

Our cozy room at the Meritus

View of pool and sea from verandah

Our rented car was sent to us on the same day, at about 3pm. We went out for a ride to see what was available around the hotel area. 10 minutes walk/2 minutes drive from the hotel, is a long stretch road with many shops, stalls and eateries. Very convenient. Right opposite the hotel, there was a taxi station where all the taxis gathers and wait for their passengers. Again, another convenient plus point.

Our car for 4 days on the island

Isabelle fell asleep in the car for her afternoon nap while we drove around hunting for petrol station. Also due to rain and with Isabelle sleeping so soundly, we could not get down of the car for food. Our late lunch for the first day was infact, instant cup noodles back in the room. It somehow tasted better maybe because we were on holiday mood.

After shower and a short rest in the room, we drove down the road and dine in the contemporary looking Sunday Bistro & Restaurant. Food taste good but portion was too big for the 2 of us. Service was as good as 6 star.

Because I did not get to snap any pics of this place during our dinner on our first day, DH drove me back there again on the last day just to let me take this pic.