Stress! Stress! Stress!

I'm stressed at work. My work is being delayed by some big shot who doesn't have time to let us know whether he can attend an event. My deadline is looming large but nothing can be done until he's given his consent. My worst fear is he agrees to it at the last minute and then I have to start scrambling like a mad woman.

Working with the Government pisses me off. I'm definitely going back to the private sector after this. Note to self: No more Government, semi-Government agencies! Go for a job which has minimal contact with the Government or civil servants in the future!

Sorry... just need to vent my frustration.

Dennis eats everything!

Keat was thrilled when I told him this the other day and he said, "That's good. So he's not a picky eater." Unfortunately, that's not the case. When I said Dennis eats everything, I mean EVERYTHING! I've caught him chewing on the roots of the neighbour's plant, his books and putting pebbles and anything he picks up from the floor into his mouth. Everytime he eats a cracker he would leave a trail of crumbs on the floor like Hansel and Gretel, except that Gretel will never find her way home because our little "Hansel" will pick up the crumbs and eat them up. Yes, he eats off the floor.

Dennis also eats the leaves which he plucks from the plants. And once he offered it to the neighbour's puppy, Hero but the lil pup was smarter than him. Hero sniffed the leaf, decided it's not palateable and pushed it away, while my son happily chomped away his bit. That's the flipside of him liking his green so much. =)

I thought Dennis has long outgrown this habit of putting everything into his mouth but I guess not and it's getting worse! And it's hard to stop him cos he's so fast now and would refuse to open his mouth once he's thrown something in. I've tried several times to dig it out only to have my finger badly bitten by him. I just hope he won't choke on something or consume anything poisonous.

New job

So, I have been in the new job for a week now....so far it has been ok. But I'm still learning the ropes of the business and slowly discovering the sensitivities and politics within the company. I guess that's expected for every new job that one takes on.

Work aside, I'm also slowly adjusting to my new life. I still hate the fact that I have to leave for work so early in the morning, before Dennis wakes up. Sometimes, I am tempted to jostle him from his sleep so I get to hug and play with him for a bit before I leave. But I know better than to do that - the boy needs his sleep! That leaves me with only about 2 hours to spend with him in the evening before he goes to bed during the weekdays, which is not a lot. Come June when the new baby is born, I'll have even less time with Dennis. Boy, I'm already feeling so guilty!

The Big 2!

Dennis turned 2 last Sunday! Look how much he has grown - from a scawnny underweight baby of 2.2kg to the rascally active boy that he is today! Just to put it on record, Mummy and Daddy love you a lot, Dennis!

Look how he sank in the basket, and his head was so small it could hardly fit the baby cap.

...but, after a few months of mummy's super milk, look how puffed up he became!

and chirpy ..

and cheeky ...

and handsome! (sorry la...he's my son. To me, he's always handsome =))

Mickey craze continues

Yesterday I bought Dennis a new pair of "Crocs" (wannabe), which has Mickey and Minnie buttons. He absolutely loves the shoes; a smile broke out the moment he laid eyes on them.

He even asked to put them on when he was having his dinner. This is unusual becuase my son is a kampung boy (village boy) who hates wearing shoes and will remove them the moment he sinks into a chair. But he asked us to put the Mickey "Crocs" for him while he was sitting on his high chair, eating dinner. And he continued to wear them in the house for the rest of the evening. Even when evil cousin Alex forcefully removed them for him, he went to put them on again! (yes, he knows how to put on sandals on his own now!)

I'm once again reminded of the power that Mickey Mouse has over my child.... shudders.....

Complicating a simple life!

There is a reason why I named my blog A Simple Life. I like my life as it is now. It's uncomplicated and things seem to have fallen into place since the initial chaos after Dennis entered into our lives. I have a job that allows me to expand my professional attainments but at the same time, leaves me with ample time to spend with my son. It makes motherhood very fulfilling for me.

But life as they say, gets a bit boring when everything is so predictable! I think subconsciously I've decided to sabotage this peaceful episode of my life. First I got myself pregnant. As happy as I am to be a mother again, I am fearful of the prospect of having to handle 2 kids. Not to mention 2 BOYS! But I've told myself that it's a decision that Keat and I have made and we have no choice but to face it with gusto.

So fearful am I that I am willing to quit my job after delivery to help me get used to the life as a mother of 2. Keat and I have spoken about this and he's suppportive of my idea.

But last week I did the unthinkable. I tendered my resignation letter and signed on the dotted line of a Letter of Offer for a NEW JOB! Yes, just as I'm about to enter a new chapter of uncertainty, I've decided to rock the boat further. I'm going to start a new job this coming March, at the beginning of my third trimester, when I'm going to be heavily pregnant, possibly cranky, moody and extremely tired.

If you think I'm crazy, well, I've got news for you. This is not the first time I've done this- 2 years ago, I started a new job when I was about 7 months into my pregnancy. Only this time it might be more scary because I will be joining this new company all by myself, I won't have my former boss to look after me like the last time. Plus, I'll be holding a more senior position and hence will be shouldering more responsibilities.

For both pregnancies, I've initially planned to take a break after delivery but this never happened. Jobs seem to like come knocking on my door when I'm pregnant. I actually took days to mull over the decision. But I suppose, at the end of the day, all of us are motivated by dollars and cents, and the carrot that the new company dangled in front of me is quite irresistable. I'm just afraid that such a good opportunity may not come by again...if I let it slip away this time.

Well, since I've made this crazy decision, I'll have to learn to face up to it. I am bracing myself for a pretty rough year ahead until, once again, the dust finally settles and everyone gets used to the motion of the new daily routines. Be it as it may, I think I'll continue to be haunted by the guilt of not being able to spend as much time with my son(s) as I do now. It's a heavy price I'm paying and I hope it will not be for a long term.

PS: I swear I'll make sure that for the 3rd child, I'll take a break after I deliver - my much deserved break!!!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Dennis has a new found love and it's none other than the age-old, well-loved, adorable mouse called Mickey. Yes, believe me, that mouse has dethroned me. In the presence of Mickey Mouse, mummy is nobody. He doesn't even bother to turn his head or beg mummy to stay when I bid farewell to leave for work.

What is the big deal with this mouse, anyways? He's got a weird voice, big ears, oversized head and he never changes its clothes. But my son absolutely adores him. He's charmed by Mickey's funny walk and dance, the meer mention of meeska-mooska-mickey-mouse will end all tantrums and dry up tears. I guess there is indeed something magical about this mouse.

The moment Dennis wakes up, he will look for his dad's mickey mouse "back scratcher" which is hung on the wall as an ornament. Then he will walk around with it and whirl it around like his magic wand.

It's amazing how kids can get so mesmerised with these characters and worship them higher than their parents, to the point of despicability. In any case, Keat and I are pretty glad that it's Mickey Mouse that he likes and not that ugly purple monster or worst still, those confused, "middle-sex" Teletubbies (can't stand them!! What are they anyways!)

I think it's just a matter of time before Disneyland beckons. Disney has very cunningly slipped in the advertisement for HK Disneyland in the Mickey Mouse DVDs, promising a wonderful time and a chance to meet with the favourite mouse. So in time Dennis is going to understand that ad and ask mummy and daddy to bring him to that enchanted place. Hopefully, An Luan ee ee will still be Hong Kong then, so we can save a bunch on accomodation. Apart from education fund, I think we should also start one for Disneyland too.