3 months and counting

Dear Amanda,

As you turn three months old, mommy feels all warm and fuzzy as I look back on the last month we have spent together.

You really are every bit our girly girl, as daddy told mommy this morning 'his heart melts when you smile at him'. Yes, you are really that sweet when you are in a good mood and spend your time just smiling and 'talking' to us, both of which you have started to do a lot in the last month. You can go on and on with your baby talk, which makes you absolutely adorable. And this mostly happens in the morning, when you are in the best of moods.

But when you are in your grouchy mood, be it from not being able to fall asleep or from being hungry, you really are quite a terror. Everyone knows how scary your cries can be.. You really do scream your lungs out. That's something mommy really hopes you will stop doing... will you?

At three months, you have also started playing with your saliva! We almost suspect you have started teething with that amount of drool you produce. Kor kor had his first tooth at 5 months, would you be any earlier? Or are you just being playful?

On play, you seem to really enjoy the company of your musical cot buddies. At times, you reach out your hands as though to touch them and other times, we catch you talking to them when we leave you in your cot alone.

You are able to lie in your cot by yourself sometimes up to an hour, usually after a feed. And when we check on you periodically and you catch sight of us, you would frantically wave your arms and kick your leg in excitement, with your bright shiny eyes lighting up, showing us how happy you are to see us. You want us to stay by your cot and talk to you. Sometimes, you flash your megasweet smile at us, and momma can't help but stay by your side although I was supposed to leave you to fall asleep on your own. Which is some thing mommy is quite proud of you - falling asleep by your own in your cot.

Tummy time is still a struggle for you. You do not like it and do not hesitate to show mommy that by screaming after just one or two minutes on your tummy. However, even without tummy time to strengthen your neck, your neck is getting quite firm already and we have progressed to facing you outwards while in the carrier.

Perhaps not surprising as you are really quite big now, weighing 7kg at three months old. Thanks to the amount of milk you drink, at about 140-150ml every three hourly.. We have also upgraded your teats to the "M" flow as well as diapers to the "M" size this month.

On night feeds, you continue getting up only once in the middle of the night around 3 or 4am depending on the time of your last intake.

As with the second month, you have been going out a lot with mommy, meeting various friends for lunch or simply just window shopping with mommy. Most days you are a good girl when outside with mommy, drinking and sleeping without much fuss. Car rides are however a different story. You do not enjoy being strapped in your car seat and when the car stops, you cry your lungs out. Even kor kor knows and would often go "Mei Mei you cannot cry.. The car has to stop as the traffic light is red in color".

Wayne is still the darling kor kor that he is, loving and 'protecting' (in his words) you all the time. Mommy loves hearing him talk to you and you seem to enjoy his interaction with you every bit as much too, which warms my heart. Mommy is so grateful for the both of you.

Continue growing up well Amanda, mommy, daddy and Wayne loves you abundantly. You really bring so much joy to us, sweetie, and you are so so precious to us.

With all mommy's love, happy turning three months old.

Amanda-licious @ 3 months

Favorite photo of the month

Going out with mommy

Meeting baby Kyan who is just two weeks younger, mommies having brunch at Paris Baguette

Daddy sharing a moment with Amanda

Happy early in the morning

Kor kor spending some time with meimei before going to school

Yawwwwn.....

Cheeky

Before accompanying mommy for a work lunch meeting

Tummy time

Bright eyed sweetie

Always in the best of moods in the morning!

Snuggling up to mommy

Another favorite! She looks so sweet and demure here.

Yes, you are perfect in mommy's eyes

Little Minnie -  outfit thanks to Dayi!

Korkor super happy to lie beside meimei

With Uncle Damien, whom mommy met for lunch at Tg Pagar

Mooncake game

Has anyone heard of this game before - Mooncake Game? I am not even sure what is the official name of the game in Chinese, there seems to be various versions on the Internet from "Bo Bing" to "Pua Tiong Chiu". Actually I have no idea what the two names mean, so for all I know it could mean the same. I will stick to calling it the Mooncake Game.

For the first time, we played this game with the family during the Mid Autumn Festival, thanks to 3-gor who had organized it. Curious, I did some research on the Internet about it (though I am not sure how reliable the information I got is). Actually, just like the name, I found various versions of the rules of the game. 

But in a nutshell, the game originated from Xiamen and was started by scholars craving success in imperial exams. The game requires six dice and a a china bowl. Throw the dice into the bowl and the different dice combinations stand for different ranks of awards  you will win (all named after imperial titles earned from the exam). This was where I found different versions on the Internet and I am sure it was also different from the rules which we followed while playing with the family, but to give you an idea, the below are the prizes and dice combinations which I got from this link. 

One prize for #1 Scholar (Zhuangyuan) The seven prize levels:

Highest 1. Zhuangyuan with Gold Flower

             2. Hongliubo (6 fours)

             3. Yaodianliubo (6 ones)

             4. Heiliubo (6 of the same, except fours)

             5. Wuhong (5 fours) 

             6. Wuzi (5 of the same, except fours)

Lowest 7. Sihong (4 fours)

Two prizes for No. 2 Scholar (Duitang) A straight.

Four prizes for No. 3 Scholar (Sanhong) Throw 3 fours

Eight prizes for No. 4 Scholar (Sijin) Throw 4 of the same, except fours

Sixteen prizes for No. 5 Scholar (Erju) Throw 2 fours

Thirty two prizes for No. 6 Scholar (Yixiu) Throw 1 four

For each of the winning dice combinations, 3-gor had prepared various prizes - moon cakes, chocolates and fruits! It was such a simple game, but it threw the family into fits of laughter. The best part of the game was that everyone in the family could participate - no one was too old or too young for the game (ok, except Amanda) - with Uncle Choo being the oldest and Wayne the youngest! In fact, Wayne was probably the most enthusiastic player! He was competitive. Each time he won a prize, it got him ecstatic. Haha. 

Some photos from the night:

All we need for the game : dice, bowl, prizes and the rules of the game!

3-gor 'teaching' everyone how the game is played

First to try his luck in the game!

Winning combination - by Wayne!

"Yay, I won a mooncake!" and who is that photo bombing behind!

And another round!

And more prizes! Biggest winner!!

Daddy's turn

Prize presentation ceremony

Zhangyuan - the top prize goes to 2 gor!

And that was how the night ended, lots of goodies on the table! Everyone went home with their many prizes!

Thanks to 3-gor for all the efforts in organizing this fun game!

Cousin Chloe

These two absolutely adores each other. Each time they meet, they would immediately hold each others hands and hug each other. Love seeing them play together! Its nice that they are of the same age and their meimei and didi (coming soon!) would be of the same age too!

The great-grandmother and grand aunty. Love. 

Presents from 2-gor!

Thank you 2-gor for the wonderful presents from Taiwan for both Wayne and Amanda!!!

Round 1 of vaccinations - survived!

At two and a half months, Amanda weighs 6.395kg and she is still at the 97th percentile. 

Had a good laugh at the family's reaction when I told them her weight. 

This visit, she also had to take three vaccinations. Two jabs and an oral - the 6-in-1 jab, pneumococcal and rotavirus. During the jabs, one on each thigh, Amanda screamed her lungs out for two whole seconds and stopped once I cradled her. Brave girl. Thankfully, Amanda did not develop a fever from the vaccinations. She was pretty much her normal self, except that she seemed to want to be carried a little more that day. Phew, I didn't have to lose sleep over a fussing baby!

Next round of jabs - at 4 months!

H-A-P-P-Y

Just had to share these photos!

Mitten-less

Dainty little fingers.

After two months and a week, we finally trimmed Amanda's fingernails and allowed her to go mitten-less. To wait two months and a week before trimming her nails does seem pretty long, doesn't it? I don't think we waited that long with Wayne. I think we were influenced by the nurse at Mount E who told us not to cut her nails till one or two months later, as there was a newborn whose fingers bled as her parents had cut her nails at just a few days old.

Anyway, time for Amanda to now start realizing she has ten fingers instead of two balls of fist!

Whipping up pancakes

Hooray to another fun outing organised by San-yi!

Heard of Nook House of Pancakes? It is a pancake cafe where you can cook your own pancakes. What a cool concept, for the kids at least. Wayne was so excited and enthusiastically made his pancakes with the help of San-yi and Uncle Ken. He had pancakes in the alphabets of his name, which he merrily decorated with M&Ms and chocolate sprinklers!