Skimp or Splurge?

13th Nov - Venue: MC @ Gurney Plaza
J: Are you sure you going to get that one? Does our girl need it?
Me: Never mind la...good deal, 40% off, sales in MC don't come around often...it's worth it...

20th Nov - Venue: PP @ Parkson,Gurney Plaza
Me: Look at this dress, and that matching headband, it's lovely, don't you think so?
J: Yes, it's nice..but no need to buy la..
Me: It's at 30% off and on top of that, if you buy 3 items you get additional 10% discount wor....it's worth it...

So, I was a victim of the buy 3 get additional 10%! deal. I actually needed only 2 items but I walked out with 4 items instead, because of the other buy 4 items, get 15% discount! deal. Lost 'x' amount of money, gained 2 additional items she had absolutely no need for (in fact, I do not need to get her any of those items, they are purely 'nice-to-haves') - just to get a good deal. So..I splurged without thinking. I splurged despite knowing for a fact that my little girl is going to outgrow those items in a couple of months.

As I sat down and thought about my spending behaviour today, this article which I read a few days ago came to mind and I thought I should post it here. These are some really good pointers to help us not to be a victim of slick marketing or even in all our good intentions.
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Article extracted from Parenthood (November 2010 Edition).

HOLD YOUR WALLETS, NEW PARENTS!
There are some things your babies really don't need.

You walk into a baby store. You see shelves of shelves of interesting baby products. You are tempted to buy everything in sight.But hold on a second. Put your wallet back into your bag and find out what are the things that your baby actually does not need. That way you can save and set aside the money for more important things, like your child's education fund.

Electronic Toys
As soon as your baby is able to grasp things, he will be more interested in making noises and shaking a simple rattle to entertain himself. In fact, it is better to let your child learn how to self-stimulate and not be dependent on flashy, complicated baby gadgets and gizmos.

Baby Shoes
Yes, the shoes are adorable but buy your baby a comfy pair only when he shows early signs of walking. When your baby wears shoes during his crawling months, he may repeatedly kick them off out of discomfort. That meas you have to keep picking them up and putting them back on.

Expensive Designer Clothes
In all honesty, your baby will not know the difference between an expensive designer shirt and a cheaper one. More affordable shirts made of cotton are often more comfortable for your baby than a designer top with frills and laces. Another point to take not of: your baby will eventually outgrow his clothes, so why spend so much more on shirts and pants which your baby's not going to wear for long?

Baby changing table
Once your baby is potty trained, the table will no longer be used. So instead of getting a special piece of furniture for diaper changing, why not get a more affordabe changing pad nad place it on your bed or dresser? As for his lotion bottles, cream tubes, diapers and others, you can easily place them in a box, instead of a special baby case.

Specially Designed Diaper Bags
A backpack or duffel bag you have at home already will work just fine. Some diaper bags in the shops have too many compartments anyway, which can be a hassle when you're searching for things.
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We're heading to Ikea this weekend to shop for baby furnitures and other household stuff in preparation for our new place, this time round, I must skimp and not splurge on 'nice-to-haves'!:-D

Hayley is 4 months old

People say time flies when you have a baby. I can't agree more. My girl is 4months old and I remember being 4 months pregnant and thinking it would never end. She sure has gone through an enormous change and she's developing a little personality. There's nothing quite as endearing as watching your happy bub babbling away. Her social skills are also developing. She started cooing and babbling at 2 months and a few weeks ago, we notice she was learning to vary her voice by adding some really cute coos-goo-goos, oohs and ahhs to her repertoire. She is definitely more long-winded now than she was 2 months ago. Recently, we found out that she has progressed from oohs and aahs to consonant vocalizations: a-ka, a-ba, and oh, she seems to like making 'eh-tze/zz' sound..she was happily babbling with Dr.Agnes (Adventist Pediatrician) during the vaccination last week. She was so engrossed in her conversation with Dr. Agnes that she just didn't bother about the shot.

Hayley likes flashing her big gummy grin. A few days ago, she started laughing out loud after I played peek-ka-boo with her for the first time. However, she stared at me frowning on my second attempt of peek-ka-boo. I reckon she does not laugh at the same thing twice. I wonder if any of the '101 ideas to Make a Baby Laugh' book works for a baby like her? I just don't think so.

Something new this month - 'Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus' (TYEUJ) is all that's needed to lull her off to sleep. 3 rounds of TYEUJ, little Hayley is out like a light. Well, she breaks out in a huge smile or sometimes she will look right into my eyes when I start, as if she recognizes the song. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing because firstly, TYEUJ is such a beautiful hymn and happens to be my personal devotional song, now I have to use it as a lullaby hymn. Secondly, knowing her all too well, that would also mean that I might need a new lullaby soon!


Hayley rolled over for the first time today. Now that she can do it, she hasn't stopped all day. She enjoys sitting up over laying down on her back. She prefers to be carried in an upright position over cradle carrying. She's putting everything in her mouth including her toys, and she's also drooling a tonne, I'm wondering if she has entered the teething stage even though she's got her two front bottoms at birth, natal teeth they call it.

Stats: This week at the pediatrician she weighed 7kg and measured 26.5inches long

Awesome stuff she's doing now:
- sitting in mommy's lap babbling away whilst mommy reads or works
- smiling ever so sweetly when daddy tickles her chin-
- she reaches out to anything she can grab hold of and loves putting 'em into her mouth
- pulling out her paci when she gets tired of it and pushing it back with her tiny hands when she needs it (with paci attached to the soother holder)
- held her own drinking bottle for the first time and guess what happened next, water spilled over and wet her own shirt :)

Favourite activity/things
- loves to play with her favorite Jacques the Peacock (a gift from Julia :D) and guess where Jacques will land afterwards
- playing with her own hands



little Hayley chomping on her fists and fingers...





cuteness..cuteness..cuteness...makes me want to drink in this moment with my sweet little girl..:D

My first mommy mistake

I have been having wrist pain ever since I started using a manual breast pump. It hurts when I spread my index and thumb apart. I went to the doctor of course and was diagnosed as having tendonitis or what they call it repetitive strain injury. All these while, the pain was tolerable therefore I did not bother to take any medications as prescribed or wear any braces. Last Saturday, as usual, after feeding her, she was asleep on our bed so I carried her wanting to transfer her to her cot, all out of a sudden I experienced a shooting pain on both my hands, it was so painful that I lost my grip on her and dropped her right at the edge of my bed, another inch she will be off the bed. I felt terrible as a mother. I felt it was my mistake because this incident is preventable if I had treated my wrist injury 3months ago. I am feeling even more terrible for not being able to cuddle her that often now except for feeding, until I'm fully recovered.