Back to Work!!!!

The best places to touch a baby are (in no particular order):


1. his butt
2. his elbow (I like pinching the little valley there)
3. his knuckles
4. his michelin arms
5. the back of his neck.

Wow! I can't believe 3 months have flown by, I am almost due to go back to work and I can't imagine it. Yesterday he spent the afternoon with the nanny while I watched 'Eat, Pray, Love' and when the movie ended, I couldn't wait to get back together with him. I missed him so much!

He started discovering his fist and mouth earlier this month and a couple of days ago, managed to get one thumb into his mouth! So exciting though Ju Han says it's a bad habit and apparently can damage the growth of his teeth but it is sooo cute when he tries to get his hand into his mouth....I have been leaving his hands and feet bare since he's been 2 months so that they can develop, he can explore them and also so he won't be so hot in the middle of our Malaysian afternoons....so have had to clip his nails every so often (and boy do they grow fast!!). Even so, today he played with his hands and scratched many red welts into one half of his face! I am thinking he is right handed.

So, anyway, we are off to my hometown soon - can't wait though Ju Han is worried about the long drive back. I am so excited to show him off and of course just to share him with the many people who were so generous and happy when he arrived! Hope he demonstrates his happy nature - he can smile and laugh responsively now.

We're off to the Motherhood Expo 2011 tomorrow to get a car seat...I am, well, We are, again, partial to the First Years brand since we have used them and found them great. Again, I state, I love their items cos I feel they were developed with a mother and child in mind. Everything has a function and aesthetically they look fine too. But basically, the most important thing is that the entire design is always made to facilitate the mother and child - and they're also kinda like Ikea - any little space/portion, if can be made to house an aid of use, will. The only thing I have of theirs that I think isn't necessary for me is the magnifying glass that comes with the nail clipper. I wasn't going to buy that one anyway - they have an ordinary one as well - but when the time came to buy, it seemed like the ordinary one was out of stock - I couldn't find one with a bloodhound!

The days have been raining so much here in the afternoon and we're kinda concerned with the radiation dust
particles coming down with the rain so I can't take Julian out in the evening anymore. I could take him out in the morning but we usually sleep in.

I'm in the midst of planning my back to work routine - like what time do I 'force' feed him before I hand him over to the nanny and I get ready for work. Then I'm off for 9-10 hours, hope to be back by half past six so I can spend some time with him before I zoom off to the gym....It's amazing and sad to think that in a 12 hour day, I only get to see my son a total of 4 hours on the days I go to the gym....sad that the most time I spend with anything is with a job! Priorities!

I also think that maternity leave should be 6 months long and up to the mother to choose when she wants to exercise it. This is cos the first 3 months (and I AM grateful for a 3 month long leave) the baby only sleeps and poos and eats....yes, there is bonding and should be lots of cuddling but the baby doesn't really recognise anybody yet except for the mum and dad and that too cos he's spent so much time listening to them and feeling them while in utero. So if it were me, I would take 1 month off immediately after birth to rest and recuperate, and then take off again at the 4th month when growth and development starts then 6th month when he learns how to sit up and play, maybe crawl and then 9th, 10th and 11th month when he's starting to walk and move around.

As it is I have to depend on the kindness of 'strangers' to educate and teach and play with my child when it's most important - Now I can understand why overseas, people take off the first or first couple of years to spend with their child. It's invaluable and more importantly, irreplacable.