What's occupied me

Jellybean and Partybaby.

In the past few weeks, I had another baby. Partybaby. Though I didn't have to go through nine months of pregnancy or nurse this little newborn, it has taken up any moments my real baby does not occupy.

Currently, Partybaby has a range of custom partyware and soon, some kitchenwares. In brief, you choose and place a order for a design you like, I receive the order and customise the invitation and partyware with your details. Then you can print it or even email it at your convenience.

So..lets say Molly's turning two, you give me your details and you'd get this...

 ..a digital invitation...

...a 'Molly' bunting...

...and party essentials which consist of thank you tags, canape/fork toppers party flags, buffet/name labels which tie in with your whole theme.

Then you just print it and party real hard.

Anyways...so if you'd like to know my other baby more..pop on to 

www.partybaby.com.au

H's THREE O!

H and my birthdate is exactly one week apart. So, a week later..we had more celebrations. I had this big plan- at the stroke of midnight, I'd appear with a candle on his cake to surprise him. Later that day I would surprise him by driving him to lunch and his present. But...err.. it didn't quite work that way. All of us fell sick a few days beforehand- I had spent the previous nights holding Jellybean to sleep as she had a bad fever..and the rest is history. So by the time it was H's actual birthday, we were all pretty tired and just wanted good rest.

This is how it was spent...

At the stroke of midnight, all weary eyed and just minutes after putting bub in her cot, I presented H with his ice cream cake. He blew the candle, didn't even cut the cake..and we went to sleep. Yes, pretty anti-climax aren't we.

But I do have to stress I made a cake. Despite it being a no-bake, just combine an freeze..I made it k. I made it! ...With a sick hubby, sick baby and viral me! ...Here's presenting a Connoissseur ice cream cake dolloped with Lindt chocolate and berries.

Oh..I did present my hubby with a card and present too. It was all aeroplane themed this year..in conjunction with his birthday present.

Another take on a easy 3D card. Told you I had a thing for these. Again, pretty good effort for a ill-feeling family k. Please clap. [I'm very encouraging aren't I?]

Lunch was spent in Nobu. Superb. A post about this another time but here's a peek to get your taste buds going...

Even Jellybean wanted to steal some!

H has a obsession with planes. Seriously. He can tell you which seat numbers are next to emergency exits, the seat configuration of different planes, which airline just bought how many planes and so fourth. ..So, I got him a flight simulation package and if I must say so myself- It was so cool!! He got to be a pilot for a day, got a real co pilot and flew Jellybean and myself as his passengers. Jellybean wasn't too chuffed though- she wanted to push all the buttons and destroy the headsets. Hmm.

And here it was- his first flight ever and he delayed it. Ahem.

..And here's the entrance to his plan of the day- uber cool!

He loved it...totally loved it! Yesss!!

And err...saving the best for last- we ate cheap takeout that night and went to bed. I'm a good wife aren't I?

Hope you had a lovely day love... 

THE Three O

Thirty is the new twenty. Yah hah! Ok, I made that up. But it really should be the case. 

At twenty, I was in uni, unsure of what I wanted, pretty clueless and quite unsure of myself. If I could write a letter to a 20 year old me, I would tell myself to follow my heart and be more assertive. 

At thirty, I've become a stay at home mum, have a better inkling to what in life, still pretty clueless but definitely have a better definition of myself. 

This year, H took the day off work. Just being with him and Jellybean made my day. 

On the night before, H baked his infamous prune cake. Its the one and only cake he's ever baked since I've known him. And honestly, it's pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

Jellybean was pretty chum. However, by the time we got to lunch, she was all zonked out and ready to sleep. Here's her chubba legs.

 We dined at Tony Romas. Incidentally, I ate there for last year's birthday too- but with my siblings.

Totally unrelated- but down the street were the several tributes to Mr Jobs.

A few years back I wrote a letter to Mr Jobs. All I can say that is- today, I own a iPhone, iPad and a Macbook. Well done!

This was my favourite tribute...

So that was my day, topped off with dinner at Burswood Atrium with my family. 

Ahh..I'm still loving birthdays despite getting older.

Ps. H, where's my card?! I'm still waiting!?!

Dear Jellybean- October 2011

Hey bub,

The last few weeks have felt like months!

Just before you turned exactly nine months, you got your first two beamers- yes, your two front lower teeth.

You were restless, whingy and in constant need of company.

Then, just two weeks ago, you fell sick for the very first time. You had a virus which has turned nasty- into a chest infection. Boo. So, you haven't been quite you.

You are restless, whingy and in constant need of company.

In summary, you've been a whingy, grumpy baby for the last month or so. Not nice. With the slight glimpse of better health, you do sneak in your cheekiness...your smile. And your smile melts our hearts. It lets you get away with things and makes your parents forget your two-hour crying sessions and all things alike.

If you get better now, we will buy you a new toy.

Just kidding. We aren't suppose to bribe you like that.

...Do get better.

xoxo

Getting My Groove Back

After Jellybean's arrival, my hobbies and interests have been put aside. Cooking has been simplified to 30 minute dashes and anything else just revolves around my child.

After using 1 hour and 15 minutes to put Jellybean to sleep, I got the odd timeslot to finally make a card- in ...one year? Although it was something fast and simple, I do like the outcome. I have this new thing for 3D cards.

Congratulations cousin.

Fashion Problem Solving

Jellybean is currently undergoing a fashion crisis. I'm serious!

I love rompers on babies- they're easy for nappy changes, I don't need to think about all the mix and match stuff and they're very practical. However, Jellybean's currently at a age where dressing in a romper looks like her mum left her in in her pjs. And, we can't have you all thinking that can we?...You get me right? Ok, maybe you don't understand my crisis, but I insist.

Oh! In also have another issue; I hate how after my bub wears a onesie paired with pants, her tummy becomes segregated. Is it just Jellybean?! It's a big issue for at-home mums k? I have nothing else to think about but her tummy looking segregated.

And how about dresses for Jellybean you say? Well, I have this other ongoing issue about non-walking babies with dresses- it rides up when you carry them, then their nappy shows, then it rides further until their belly button shows and the next thing you know their whole chest is exposed. Ok, maybe not the latter, but you get the picture.

So a few months ago, I had this special liking for turning onesies into dresses- ala lazy mum way.

I took a onesie and some left over material, and combined it to make a skirt-onesie.

I was so relieved I solved my bub's fashion crisis. I'm currently hired to solve all her problems you see.

So here's bub, playing in her onesie dress. You might also notice my toes on the bottom right- but hey, I got a photo. [You have to excuse my poor photos as of late, getting a camera out seems like a daunting task when a fidgety baby is around.]

Just Mousse Thanks

I'll be honest. I had intended to present a grand Chocolate Mousse Cake to H. Soft, rich cake with decadent moouse ..just heavenly.

It didn't turn out that way [at all!]. So I presented him chocolate mousse instead, Lindt Chocolate Mousse to be exact- it makes me feel that little bit better. Unlike the cake, it turned out great.

If you want to make a great Chocolate mousse here goes:

(recipe from Lindt)

200g Lindt Dessert 70% Cocoa Specialty Cooking Chocolate

200g Double Cream

5 eggs- separated

75g sugar

Pinch of Salt

(Serves 8)

1. Break up chocolate and gently melt over a water bath, set aside.

2. Mis egg yolks and one third of the sugar until pale.

3. In a separate bowl, whip cream until ribbon stage.

4. In a clean, dry bowl make a meringue with the egg whites, remaining sugar and salt.

5. Combine a small amount of melted chocolate with the egg yolks to warm them slightly and then add the rest of the chocolate to the yolks and mix.

6. Whisk cream into the chocolate mixture until smooth.

7. Gently fold in meringue.

8. Pour mousse into a clean bowl/serving bowls, cover with cling film and allow to set in the firdge for approximately 4 hours. Serve chilled.

Err..if you're ever wondering, this is what the supposed cake looked like. I'm calling it my first and last 'Death By Chocolate' cake. Looks like that, literally. Its going in the trash.

Something to think about...

Say, hubby has been outstation for the past three weeks and counting
Say, you get a bit bored and search for things to do with bub...
Say, you start dressing bub up in a funny tutu you made her a few weeks ago...

Say, you whip up the camera to give her a little photoshoot...

Say, you get carried away and even change venues and place her in the garden...

...you click, click, click, click...

And say, you see her eat grass. Click. Click.

Then you go Oh Sh*t! She's not suppose to eat grass.

You say...am I a bad mother? Or just a bit slow?

Dear Jellybean-August 2011

Babbaaa-boo!

Mummy's loving your vocab right now. Besides spitting on everyone and dribbling on everything else, its kinda cute.

Note: Just thought you ought to know, in the middle of writing this post at 12:30 in the morning, you've woken up, started babbling to your dummy, stuffed cloth in your mouth and wasted 120ml of milk. Just for your information.

Mama's also got a confession to make. You know how for many months, you had separation anxiety? Wherever Mama goes I go too?! Well, now its kind of reversed. And for the sake of blaming- I blame it on Baba.

You see, a few weeks ago, Baba started going outstation for work. During that time, you were going through a burst of suddenly cries in the middle of the night, so Mama put you on the big bed. From then on, we slept on big bed, you slept well which ofcourse meant Mama slept well and ah, the rest is history.

So now, Mama loves you on the big bed. I love seeing you fall asleep, watching you dream with your little snores. It's quite adorable. Come morning, you'll wake me up by patting my face, sticking you wee little fingers into my mouth, pinch my nose, make all sorts of weird and wonderful noises and last but not least, pull my hair. It's annoyingly cute- must be mother's love!

Between you and me, I'm tempted to kick Baba out of the big bed when he comes back. It's his fault that this started anyway.

Ps. Cheeky Bum, Mama is loving this phase you're going through- no crying, good sleeping, very playful and always smiley (to me anyway). Pls pls pls stay that way. I'm already missing my tiny baby.

Love you lots xoxo
Mama

The chef-struck housewife... And other corny tales.

Cooking has really become a balancing act in the last few months. Anything that has to do with food has to be done pronto. Eat fast. Cook promptly. Bubba doesn't really wait for me to savor the tastes or take my own sweet time in preparing food. Heck, I don't even take much photos now (hence the huge lag in posts)! To Jellybean, life is about her, her and more her.

I've learnt to do things fast, or wait until i have a Jelly-sitter: H or my parents.

Im starting to wonder if I'm normal. Cos come night time I'm usually exhausted. Entertaining and looking after Jellybean is one tiring job. Whoever thought playing with a 7 month old can take up that much energy?! Or maybe I'm just plain unhealthy.

This brings me to my next point: 'me' time. In my exhaustion, I will also crave 'me' time. Which in the last few months, meant watching cooking shows. It makes me feel like I haven't lost contact with the rest of the world or that I'm living on Planet Zombie. It makes me feel somewhat 'normal', or maybe more aptly, sane.

My Kitchen Rules and Masterchef have so far dominated my housewife life. What's not to love? Food and good looking blokes!

So come Good Food and Wine Show...guess who went beserk over Manu? ...oh Maaaaanuuuu!! He's tall, handsome and can cook. Luckily H understood the qualities he's lacking, and happily obliged to

A) que up with me to meet Manu,
B) take a photograph of his wife with Manu
C) look after Jellybean while his wife was going nuts over a celebrity chef
D) hear his wife go on and on a out how Manu's so charmingly handsome, smells good and said her name with a sexy French accent.

Uh huh, it's hard being my husband.

Dear Jellybean-June 2011 + Mama's first shoe attempt

Oh Bubba!

The time has come again.

You're officially a yelling, kicking, grabbing, laughing, smacking, salivating... huggable six month Jellybean now. Time has sure flown by! Whatever happened to my little pocket sized baby?!

Just a few days ago, Mama made you a brand new pair of shoes. Pink felt shoes. Papa thought it was hysterical so cute he wanted a pair too. Really. Its Mama's first attempt, so don't be too critical here.

If you absolutely can't tell and need to ask me in the near future, my dear, its a rabbit and a carrot. Why does Mama insist on giving you such a weird unique dress sense? Because I think its cute. And I might as well dress you in whatever I like now 'coz you wont let me do that later on!

See, here you are testing your shoes. They're more comfy than Louboutins I tell ya!!

Lots of Love

xoxo

Mama.

Rustic Cheesecakes + Fathers Day

Life has really been more about baby purees and breastmilk lately. There hasn't been much time for intricate delights or extensive menus. Rather, meals have to be fast and simple- all because of my dear, dear Jellybean. With all else developing- her desire to have me within a 1 meter radius [if not sticking right beside my limbs] is still very evident. I mean VERY.

Just a few days ago was [Malaysian] Fathers day. As it's H's very first year as a kid-wrangling daddy, I wasn't sure whether we should celebrate ala Malaysian or go with the Aussie flow. At the end, I decided to have a mini celebration this time around and succumb to all aspects of commercialism when the Australian fathers day comes along. Ahh...Hallmark has definitely done it's role.

So these are my mini cheesecakes. The lemon cheesecake H insists on for every occasion. I must admit, they weren't intended to have such a rustic charm- but with a whingy-clingy-crying baby, the base had to be done at midnight and the cheese mixture was pretty much a 10 minute job. Plonk and go. [Sorry dear, but you do know that Bb comes first in everything now!]

So until then, its back to my Bamix- my new toy.

Dear Jellybean-May 2011

So mummy missed out a few months in between. But you ought to know it's all because of you. Somewhere down the line, you've learnt that mummy's the best walking bed, milking and playing machine in the whole wide world. Oh bub!

You give the best smiles and cheeky grins in the morning, then throughout the day you laugh at all sorts of weird and wonderful things. I'm still waiting for the day you roll. Yes, you still haven't mastered rolling. Rather, it's much more fun when mummy rolls you around like a spring roll. You've definitely learnt the art of screaming and distinguishing what you like and dislike. Oh bub!

For the first few months of your life, these are your favourite things:

1. Wrap Me Up- a zip up swaddle that gives you the freedom to put your hands up- and even in your mouth. Girl do you love putting your chubba fingers in your mouth. You love it so much that we've bought you three!!

2. Aden & Anais Washcloths- we bought a set of these to bathe you. Somehow, you love snuggling up to the soft muslin to help you fall asleep. It's ok, multiuse is good! You also love their swaddle wraps though you use it as a blanket.

3. Babybjorn Active - Ahh! What would daddy and mummy do without this little helper? Mmm..maybe you wont have a chance of leaving the house. Ever. 'Cos right now you're not a fan of prams.

So daddy might not look as hunky as this fella...shhhh!

4. Little Bamboo Cot Blanket- it's so soft! You've used it every night since being discharged from hospital.

5. Il tutto Nico Bronze babybag- Ok, so this one isnt your favourite, it's more like mummy's favourite. It holds everything in place, and that everything is yours [ milk, diapers, wet cloths, toys ] so technically it's your favourite too!

6. Sophie the Giraffe-  your squeaky teether that tends to entertain you though its embarrassing for your parents.

7. Tommee Tippee Dummy- this may not have been a good idea. One day we'll have to wean you out of it. But you love it. love it. love it. It's your sleeping tool. The dummy's getting a tad small for you though and it indents your chubby cheeks!

8. Alimrose Designs Rattle- you stare and stare and stare when this is rattled to put you to sleep. Only at night though, and only sometimes. But you stare, as if you're trying to figure it out.

9. Peg Perego Tatamia- this was the only chair/swing you'd sit in. Not long mind you, but long enough for your parents to swallow their meal.

10. Ikea Changemat - We haven't quite figured if you solely love the mat or if you are gonna be changed or bathed soon. Either way, you always smile here. Oh, and it's cheap.

11. Skeanie Ugg Boots - ok, this is totally for the cute factor! But you do look very comfy in them.

There you go bubba, a good life so far huh? Lucky you.

xoxo
Mummy & Daddy.

Chocolate cravings

When I was preggers, I craved sweet things. Anything sweet. But maybe what I missed most was chocolate. Rich chocolate! So I made H promise me that once I gave birth he'd bring me to San Churro.

...Well, it didn't quite work that way. 'Cos he got all strict about confinement- let's not go there, and then I guess Jellybean just took up every single moment of our time. I do, however give him credit for bringing me there eventually, albeit six weeks late.

Chocolate does what chocolate does! Serotonin surge!! Whoopee! Here we have a Hot Cold Spanish Chocolate which has the texture of yoghurt, not as sweet as chocolate sauce, but still oozing with cocoa flavours.

...And here's one of their Premium Chocolate Shakes though I forgot which flavour I ordered. You rule!

Last but not least, Churro!!! Churro Churro Churro! Need I say more?

I definitely had my chocolate fix for the day.