Newborn Shoot: Lil Pumpkin Studio

We are so happy to share that our little one's newborn photos are out and they look so cute. To be honest, I doubt we were going to get much photos because this one is a super light sleeper. She could barely sleep through her 2 hours straight and would always either startle herself awake or somehow wake up because of slight temperature/ light variation. It was worrying (for me especially) because I might die when our nanny leaves after confinement. 

Truth be told, she was fussing for a good 1.5 hours and most of the photos were only taken within a short 30mins span when she was asleep. All I can say is Lil Pumpkin Studio have very fast snapping speed. I only managed to witness one set of photos taking before going to pump. And voila the subsequent series were shot. Wow! 

We sort of wanted the photos to be ready by Christmas so that we could share the Christmas series of photos with our relatives and friends (humble brag, lol!) And time wasn't exactly on our side. Most studios would take a month before passing us the photos. Lil Pumpkin Studio released all the raw images within 2 days to us and most were good enough to be posted and used. 

In fact, I only picked 7 pieces to be edited further and it was mainly because I looked really shagged in them. For new parents, the newborn shoot is usually taken within 14 days of the child's birth so that they can contort and be wrapped like a ball. And it is hard for any mother (even an energetic one like myself to recover within that period), so photoshop magic it is. 

If a light sleeper for a newborn wasn't hard enough, we had a barely awake toddler along in our family shoot. But this was probably the more meaningful shoot because it is our first official shot as a family. In the ideal situation, it would be great to have a smiling toddler and infant. But I am happy with what I got. And will be printing some pieces to frame. 

Generally, the photoshoot experience was quite fuss-free. They provided most of the props. Some of the props were from me because I had a lot of such things at home (haha) and I always like a bit of personal touch in my photos. Coordinated dressing was a bit tough for us cos we don't do family tees. We ended up wearing navy which seems a bit too dark for my liking but that's the only constant shade in our wardrobes. 

My mother dropped by also to provide some help in case our toddler got cranky. And we got a 3G shoot which I absolutley love. It capulates the mother's love - mine for my kids and my Mum for me so well. A tip for new parents, always invite your parents to the shoot. My in laws witnessed my firstborn's shoot and was intrigued by the process. My mother missed the last one so she was glad she caught this one. 

Finally, ending the post with another favourite of mine. I was always wanted to dress my little girl in tutus like a ballerina princess. Guess wishes do come true ~

X'mas Themed Full Month Party

Usually, full month parties are one of the biggest celebration for the kid. We chose a more intimate option this time round because there was a recent death in the family and any celebration had to be muted. Hence, we went for the same formula as the firstborn's celebration. In a way, it was great because it was fair and the little princess won't be shortchanged in any sense. 

Similarly, her actual full month didn't fall on X'mas itself but I always like themed parties. It brings a lot more fun and people have the option to dress up (should they want to). But any celebration on X'mas is a bad idea because vendors are less keen on last minute orders :'( Here's a list of what you may want to have for your own Full Month Party!

1. Red Eggs + Ang Ku Kueh + Cakes

We went back to ordering from Bengawan Solo . Interestingly, I commented they were the more expensive option previously but this time round they were in fact the most affordable option. In terms of packaging and size of the gift, it looked more presentable. But because we were collecting our orders on boxing day, the factories couldn't rush out the orders in time. So we ended up ordering the Ang Ku Kueh separately and made our own red eggs to pack in a separately purchased box. (Woes of a X'mas party)

We continued to get vouchers for our other friends and family because it is convenient and provides flexibility for them to exchange what they want whenever they feel like it instead. 

2. Food

I really wanted to cater food this time round because the Christmas feasts all looked so good. But my in-laws were so bent on making this an intimate affar and cooking most of the dishes themselves, with the rest of the food being ordered from 101 places. Although the guests thoroughly enjoyed the feast (and so did I), it was a nightmare logistically. 

It was also then I realised milestones in life are never  decisions you can make on your own. The whole family would always want to chirp in a comment or 2. And if you want harmony in the family, you just go with the flow. My in-laws basically spent the whole party cooking. I would rather spend the time mingling with the guests but I guess whatever floats their boat. 

3. Dressing the Baby Up

This has always been my favourite part of motherhood. If you have been a long time follower, you will know how much I love dressing my kids up! And the best part of having a daughter is the plentiful dressing option. I didn't dress her up in tacky X'mas gear in the end because the Sonia Tank Top Set from Lambkin was too pretty to not be worn for her first party. 

My MIL was initially very appalled when I told her our precious will be dressed in black-based floral set. But when she saw the set, even she (being very difficult to please) gave her vote of approval gushing over how pretty and festive it is. My son was also in a matching dark themed but sparkly Marvel Top. The husband and I ended up wearing matching colours of green (me in my 9 Months Maternity nursing dress here, you can read my review here!) which you will see in subsequent posts. 

4. Decorations

For our party, we got a nice statement piece from @gtballoonsss. As far as i am concerned, it is never a kid's party if there are no balloons. The balloons from @gtballoonsss were so intricate that the children won't leave them alone. Initially, I wanted to place it beside the rocker but we had to place it on top of the piano instead so that it could survive the party. LOL! The adults were also very intigued and asked for quotes. If you are also keen to engage them, here's their rates!

@gtballoons can make many different designs so do hit them up if you need something customised! You will be seeing more photos of their balloons in the background as we even did the LO's hair cutting ceremony in front of it. HAHAHA!

The ballons also ended up doubling as an informal photobooth backdrop, so value for money right! I prepared a bit of X'mas themed props for the guests to take photos. But the adults were too busy getting themselves drunk and my husband's side of the family are generally not into such stuff. The kids however were thrilled and so was my side of the family. 

My Bro, the self-proclaimed party engineer of the day also helped to hang up banners, set up table cloth and blow up even more balloons. These light touches helped to transform the old house into a festive place. Believe it or not, the guests stayed over 4 hours that day. Like what! Must be having too much fun. 

5. Cake

I replicated the magic and got a cake this round too. But this time, I went for a more foreign Noel En Bleu croquembouches from The Patisser. Basically, this is a French dessert consisting of choux pastry puffs piled into a cone and bound with threads of caramel. You know most guests don't really take the fondued cakes at Kid's parties because they find it too sweet or would avoid the calories. 

I am proud to say everyone tried a piece because they were so curious about this dessert. By the way, the puffs were very delicious and not surfeiting.  And depending on the size, this can end up being much more affordable than a fondued customised cake. An equally gorgoeus statement piece too, I would say. Look at the number of photos we took! With that, I hope you readers had a great Christmas and are pumped up for 2023! One more kiddo, but I will still remain committed to sharing intriguing products with you guys!

My Birth Story

 And so...baby is out. :) Decided to do a post on the birth story because this time round it was rather enjoyable and fun. Yes, you didn't hear me wrong. It was so much more pleasant than the first. 

It started off with my typical gynae visit and me telling her I might want to be induced earlier (if she is free) and on quite a nice date too because my boob kinda of hurt. Ended up I was having quite a bit of contractions that day and was 4cm dilated. But oddly, I kinda of still feel fine. My gynae gave me the option of going to the delivery ward on the day itself. 

1 hour before entering the delivery ward, me still looking really cheery and in the mood for selfies

But I didn't choose it because:

1. I was looking forward to my Mac Breakfast on Induce Day
2. I had a bit of work to finish up.
3. The day itself was not a good day (according to the almanac which I am not the most sure of how to read it) and the induce date had a nicer date.
4. I wanted to sleep one more night with my firstborn and a good night rest for the final showdown.

Well, end up baby has other plans and when I reached home after a good lunch and countless yummy snacks, I had a bit of a "show". (Turn out you need more blood to consider a show). But I totally freaked out and checked myself into the delivery ward, asking to be monitored first. Somehow, no one (including my husband) believed I was actually going to have a pass out of the delivery ward. And I didn't. 

Me looking really good and chirpy after delivery

The uterus grew lazy when I was in the delivery ward and at about 7pm, I was induced. I still didn't really need any epidural help at that point but since the doctor was next door, I took it on a low doesage in preparation. At 9pm, I started feeling a bit of pain and beeped the nurses to up the doesage because since I paid for epidural, I wasn't willing to feel any form of pain LOL. Initially I thought they didn't up it cos the pain was still there and it was growing worse. The staff nurse felt something didn't seem quite right and they measured my dilation. 

Holy moly, I was 7-8cm dilated. Initially, I was feeling defeated cos it didn't seem baby will be born on the day itself. With a bit of help of distraction by watching TV and psychoing myself (and the baby), I actually made it to 11.30pm. The few practice trial pushes I had to admit I wasn't trying very hard before midnight. Hurray, baby came approximately after midnight with a few good pushes hehe. And that's the happy tale of my birth story. 

Our LO dressed in Blue Almond. Quote "BA13YG" to get 10% off any products!

Pretty Gowns from Friday Moon

For my maternity shoot, I wore 2 extraordinarily beautiful gowns. Many people asked about them because they look so flattering on me (a fat lady) and I myself felt beautiful and confident again in them. My dresses are rented from Friday Moon. You have the option to buy them, but it doesn't really make sense for me cos I don't really see myself having much occassions to wear another dress of this sort (next pregnancy if any maybe). 

First of all, I have to say that the details on the dresses are super intricate. There were beadings, sheers and laces. Very feminine <3 They felt a lot like the premium wedding gowns and when I tried it at home, I felt so magical I even twirled for my husband. The dresses were also very comfy and not too difficult to put on. 

Ida (Rental: S$134; Purchase: S$350)

This was my favourite gown of the day. The theme of the shoot was floral fairy and when I wore it, I really felt like a fairy. The gown is a nice shade of lilac and wraps the curves at the right places. It was extremely flattering on me. My son was in love with it and my husband gaze was upon me for pretty long when he saw me in this. It wasn't only my heart that fluttered, this dress might just have given me wings to fly. 

Although the lilac was a baby shade, it did give a nice pop of colour when photographed among the greenery. For ladies with sensitive skin (like me), you will be happy to know that the sheer fabric was very soft and not at all pricky. The gown has to be tightened by a corset, so it can basically fit ladies of all sizes!

Emma (Rental: S$88; Purchase: S$195)

To be honest, I didn't feel confident at all wearing this piece even though the dress was gorgeous. I didn't expect the bottom to not have a inner lining so I was basically wearing nude colours pants underneath. It is partially my own fault I guess because I borrowed my husband pants which I could barely zip up so it was pretty much dangling precariously during the whole shoot. 

Fortunately for me, the photography team was very encouraging and told me they could basically photoshop the pants silhouette away. I am glad I calmed down after because the photos turned out to be beautiful. This gown has a beautiful long train and the husband and I did some some couple shots which turn to be so wedding-like! <3 It did make me want to do another wedding shoot again. 

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FYI, apart from the gowns,  Friday Moon also rents/ sells robes which I didn't feature because this is an outdoor shoot. If you are a bride, you should consider renting a robe for your big day. For my own wedding, I didn't wear a robe before I don on my wedding dress. I never felt it was a problem until I saw the actual wedding day photos. I was in my mismatched PJs and the photos didn't come out as instaworthy. :'(

BrickHeadz - Lucky Cat

If you have been following me around for sometime, you will know that I actually love to play with toys. And one of my favourites is Lego. Lego, please sponsor me please haha. I am that sort of person that have boxes of Lego in storage, waiting for the day I have time on my hands to build. 

And I do have time now, because I am on maternity leave! This is my first time playing with BrickHeadz. Design wise, I prefer the original  Lego, I only got this because I like Lucky Cats hehe. BrickHeadz looks a bit dorky don't you think?

I won't deem this to be super complex. I took 1.5 hours max. to build it (including trying to find an error).  But I have to say the instructions menu was rather confusing. First of all, the bricks are packed into packets but there didn't seem to be any correlation between the packings so you had to pick the pieces here and there. 

If you are like me who just skim through instructions and will modify as you go along, you will hit some errors LOL. Tip: Don't tighten the bricks too hard unless you are super confident cos it can be quite hard to tear them apart, esp. 3D ones like this. But me, I thought I am good so I don't bother about my own tip, haha. 

You know for Lego builders, there will be those that follow the rules strictly. I used to be one of those. But now I am more of a rebel. So I will use the spare parts and mess around the design. I really didn't feel too much for the original design so I gave it a horn and messed with the whiskers. Now I am pleased. I also kinda of take pride that this is an original :)

One item off my maternity leave bucket list. I feel like I have been doing nothing much lately for myself. Feeling kinda of morose, so this me-time is really appreciated. 

Our Firstborn is a model

This marks a very proud Mama moment for me because my son became a model for one of the campaign for The Entertainer. I have tried out for a few casting calls and most were not very successful because I think Eurasians usually get the slots because of their exotic and very pretty features (even I admit). This time round, I submitted a video and was so happy to hear that our firstborn made the cut. 

It is as though as the world has acknowledged that my child is cute :) Also, fortunately, I also had more time on my hand during that period to bring him for the shoot. Plus, I wanted him to experience modelling and see if this was something he would like to explore. 

What we didn't know was that most casting calls don't pay at all. In fact, to participate in this shoot, we actually "made a loss". I had to transport him to another far end of Singapore and there was no transport allowance. Despite the pretty photos, the process was quite chaotic. Although he can understand basic instructions pretty well, whether he wants to cooperate is a separate thing.

I brought along the helper and also my FIL (who found the whole experience novel, so did I!) to help out that day. There was also a limited time period to capture all these photos and he had to pose with specific toys. It didn't help that there was quite a bit of distractions at the "studio" and some of the toys just weren't his thang. 

Also, the wardrobe is also of our own (unless you are modelling for some clothing brand). It can be quite hard because I am not entirely into plain clothing (that doesn't feature other brand). This might be the only matching set we have. At the end of the day, I was utterly exhausted. Nonetheless, I am glad we had some beautiful photos to keep. 

Note: We were invited for another shoot by another brand. But because the day and timing didn't work (you need to fit their timing too fyi), we said no this time round. I think we will say yes to future shoots because we don't really have any nice shoots of the #1 and #2 together yet. Or if it is paid. 

Updated Hospital Bag

I did a post on this previously (read it here!) However, looking back, I found I wasn't being "light" enough so here goes my updated version for mothers who are looking to pack light! Photo looking not as aesthetic this time round because now that I am a mother of a toddler, I really don't have as much time!

1. 1 Jacket to keep my Mummy warm.
2. 1 Bottle of Chicken Essence for push energy, but ended up not taking this time round. 
3. Some maternity pads and disposible undies
4. 1 bottle of Biocair Disinfectant Pocket Spray ($15.80) and 1 packet of wet wipes to keep the area sanitise at all times
5. 1 Power Bank
6. 2 underpads
7. 1 amulet
8. Baby's first toy for photography
9. Milestone cards from Happy Starts (You can understand what milestone cards are for here!)
10. Silverette Nursing Cups (Read about our review here!) and Marcus & Marcus silicone breastmilk collector from iTOTS
11. Personal hospital documents and items the hospital requeated us to bring
12. 1 set of nursing dress and bra from 9 Months Maternity to come home in (Read our review here!)
13. 1 nb set from Blue Almond. Quote "BA13YG" to get 10% off any products!
14. 1 extra set in case baby is too fat for nb clothes 
15. Sitz bath tub

ALBA: Be rewarded with recycling e-waste

Ever since becoming a little mini Marie Kondo, I have been wondering what to do with my e-waste. It helps that the ALBA Recycling Bins are well located at places you would pass by at quite a frequent basis. Although I have been recycling quite fervently, I thought the rewards kinda of sucks. I was just accumulating points for fun. 

But now, the rewards are actually getting better and you can redeem Grab credits or even $ discounts at Cold Storage. Tip to get the bang for your recyclables: The max. point any one scan (and you can only do 1 scan per day) is 1000 points, so don't go recycling everything at one shot!

If you are reading this, you are probably a fellow greenie. So here's a deal for you. When you download the app, key in "STEP323395069e2f" in the referral code and get an extra 1000 points to start off your recycling journey!