On this year's Christmas Day, we planned to spend a day with the kids on their first outing to the zoo. Do purchase the entrance tickets online for discounted rates and to save time from queuing. Children under three years old enter for free so both Lele and Jonas no need to pay.
We started out late from home and were hungry by the time we reach the zoo so we sat down at the Ah Meng kitchen to have lunch while we wait for Weiwen and Jade. They joined us midway through our lunch. In my previous posts I mentioned I'll not dine at tourist attractions but it was not possible for this outing as both my husband Youzhi and Jonas slept in until very late. And again I regretted it as the Nasi Lemak we had cost $10 per plate. I guess that's the kind of pricing you will expect at a tourist spot.
It started to drizzle when we are still having lunch and the drizzle turned into a downpour. We had to wait out for the rain to stop but were glad we weren't being caught in the rain. Finally began our exploration at about 1.30pm.
One of the first animals we saw were two wild hogs fighting using their sharp teeth.
The boys were inquisitive but at the same time scared when they saw the scene. We tried to explain to the best of our knowledge of what is happening. We moved on to the primate kingdom where both Lele and Jonas were fascinated with the free roaming animals on top of the trees above them.
The next animal we saw were elephants.
It started to rain again and we took cover at the elephant show area. But it was not time for the show so we just rested our legs while admiring the elephants at work. The boys really enjoyed each other's company as they will interact and play when we sit down to take a rest.
We continued with our journey when the rain is less heavy and had the kids sit in their prams so they will be sheltered from the rain and we can walk faster to the next spot.
We went to one of the animal shows (didn't get the name of it) where Jonas touched the first reptile in his life. I brought him to the front of the stage to have a feel of a snake. Lele couldn't join us as he was abit put off by the loud noise of the show so Jade was standing at the back with him. This time Jonas did not fall asleep during the show and he enjoyed it as he seem excited and is happily clapping when the rest of the audience clap.
We went to see the koalas after the animal show as they will be going back to Australia soon.
Both Lele and Jonas like the koalas and Jonas even wanted to go inside their habitat! The next animals we saw were the rhinoceros followed by giraffes.
They are having an interactive session with the giraffes and we can buy food to feed the giraffes and take photos with them but we did not join in as the queue is too long. We learnt that the giraffe have the same number of bones in their neck as human even though their necks are so long. We also found out that their tongues are black because of very little blood vessels in them. It is an adaptation so they do not bleed if the leaves they eat cut them. We were very tired by the time we came to the final animals so didn't take a lot of photos but we saw lions, puma, crocodiles, penguins and monitor lizards.
We were surprised we managed to cover almost the entire grounds even though we started late. I reckon it is because we walked pretty fast and didn't linger too long at each exhibit. Before parting ways, we made a verbal pact to find time to visit the zoo again or go to the River Safari beside it. All of us enjoyed the trip even though it was rainy most of the time and we were dead beat. Happy memories made once more with our beloved boys! :)
To me, Christmas is a time for getting together with friends and family to eat and be merry, literally just to enjoy ourselves to celebrate the year coming to the end. I started this year's celebration with a visit to Gardens by the Bay under the suggestion from my friend.
We chose to go on a weekday wanting to avoid the weekend crowd but there's still many people in the evening as school holidays had already started.
We met up with Weiwen, Jade and my godson Lele at about 2pm and went to Macdonald's to grab a quick bite before proceeding with exploration of the grounds. It was my first time here so I was quite excited. Jade prepared some egg sandwiches and chicken breast meat nuggets(hand made) for the kids which they both ate heartily. But Lele wanted to eat French fries as well. I decided not to give Jonas as he still has not recovered from his flu. I brought strawberries and jeju orange but they are not receiving it well.
I guess the fruits taste sour instead of sweet so Jonas don't like them. Jade told me Lele don't take any fruits at all. I've learnt something about my godson from this outing. We tried encouraging him to eat throughout the trip but he's very insistent and wouldn't even take a small bite. I wonder if he takes fruit juice?
We decided to walk around first in the midst of scouting out the main area designated to the Christmas Wonderland. We went to the Far East Organization Children's Garden. There's a large water play area in it but suitable for older kids. I guess water play areas are quite common in Singapore and are popular because of our all year round sunny weather. There's also a toddler water play zone for younger children aged 1-5years old. We didn't bring extra clothes on that day so the kids weren't allowed to play. Another feature will be the Rainforest Treehouses playground also only suitable for older kids 6-12 years old. I made a mental note to bring them back again when they are older.
We came to the Sun Pavilion next which exhibits the many types of cactus of which several were never seen before. We even saw one with flowers! Lele and Jonas were so happy walking and running about while Jade and I were worried they may injure themselves if they walk too close as the exhibits were not fully covered.
Later on we checked with the staff where the Christmas Wonderland is situated. It is located at the Supertree Grove area nearer to the Bayfront MRT. So we had to backtrack the way Weiwen and Jade had come from. The attractions were all situated at the Supertree Grove and with stalls selling Christmas stuff and some selling food. My hubby bought churros and a drink before grabbing a seat to rest our tired legs. Weiwen and Jade decided to walk around to explore some more before finally joining us.
As it is still early before the lights and sound performance start at 7.45pm, we thought we'll grab a bite at Marina Bay sands first. The food court was pack with shoppers and it wasn't easy before we found a seat. We had the most expensive "spicy fragrant pot"(Mala) there which cost $23!! Jade bought drinks and jelly for the kids which they really loved to have on such a warm day.
Due to the festive season, the ice skating rink beside the food court had been converted to hold Christmas exhibits. I noticed some mascots walking inside and suggested going in to take some photos. The boys are happy running around while the parents are chasing behind them. But we are happy when the kids are happy.
When we tried to go back to the garden by the way we came from, we couldn't find the place. We had no choice but to go back from the MRT station but the entrance to the gardens were congested with people. Weiwen went up to scout and came back with bad news. It was raining heavily outside. We went back to the shopping centre hoping the rain will subside soon while we continue looking for the shortcut into the gardens. We eventually found another way into the gardens and by this time the rain has stopped. However the place was packed with people making it difficult to move around. Moreover the kids are already tired and Lele had fallen asleep in his pram. After taking a few photos, we decided to head home as it has started to drizzle again. Albeit feeling slightly disappointed the kids didn't get to play with the carousel and stuff, we agreed that we can always come again next year. Now we get the experience to go at a later timing. Maybe just meet for dinner then go to the park. If we meet in the afternoon like this time, both the kids and our energies will be sapped before the real party begins.
However, we are happy the kids still enjoyed themselves running around its vast grounds and the Christmas light up at Gardens by the Bay is really pretty. Here are the photo proof to show it.
Recently I was talking to my friend about our kids and the topic somehow arrive at brushing of their milk teeth. So far I've only wiped Jonas's teeth and gums with a clean damp cloth but haven't started on "real" brushing(with toothbrush) yet. She told me I should start soon as she read an article that says the milk that the kids drink will harm their milk teeth if not cleaned properly and can definitely cause cavities. I decided to find out more by doing a Google search on how old toddlers should start brushing.
Most of the sites advised to start even before the first tooth appear preferably around 4months old. Babies are actually born with their teeth formed but are just hidden beneath their delicate gums. Parents or caregivers should use a clean damp cloth or a soft silicone finger toothbrush to gently rub the gums in order to prevent bacteria from forming on the surface. When the first tooth appear, continue cleaning with the finger toothbrush or you can switch to a normal toothbrush. The ideal toothbrush head should be small for easy maneuvering in LO's small mouth and the bristles should be soft. This should start at about 6months of age and done at least twice a day to get kids used to the idea of brushing their teeth. Usually most kids will be taking solids at this age thus brushing is important to prevent the sugars from harming their milk teeth. A tinge(about size of a rice grain) of fluoride toothpaste can be used but do not try rinsing their mouth with water as they may swallow the toothpaste. Instead, teach them to spit out the excess toothpaste and leave abit of it on their teeth for the fluoride to work better. It was highlighted that the ingestion of fluoride can cause diarrhea. By the time they reach 2years old, the amount of fluoride can be increased to about a pea size. Brush their teeth and gums gently in a circular motion as they are still very delicate. If a child struggles, you can try letting him hold his own toothbrush. With some practice, kids will learn that they need to brush their teeth. Try to let them watch you brushing so that they can learn too. Adult supervision and assistance will be needed until they can do it by themselves. I also read about flossing in between their teeth on one of the sites but I wonder if it could be possibly done since getting them to start brushing is already such a challenge. On another website, it states that a child should be brought to the dentist before he turns one which I felt was too early. However, it is a good idea to start bringing them for half yearly dental visits at a younger age before going to primary school in order to ease their fears about visiting the dentist.
Armed with this newly gained knowledge, I bought a Kodomo brand toothbrush suitable for 0.5-2year old and a tube of fruity gel Kodomo toothpaste for Jonas. I've been trying to make him brush his teeth without much success for the past few days. After I start to brush his teeth, he'll start to suck at the toothpaste shortly and prefers to bite the bristles and the toothbrush head. Then he wants to hold the toothbrush. When I try too hard, he'll turn his head away or shake his head indicating that he don't want to brush. I guess he's still too young to understand what we are doing. But I'll persevere with it and not give up. Hopefully he'll like to brush his teeth soon as I noticed he already have half of his milk teeth grown(about 10). He is currently 18months old and I'm abit regretful I didn't start him on it earlier. So with this bit of information shared, I hope you will have a better experience then me when taking care of your kid's oral hygiene.
For the entire month of October, I was busy with house moving and there were tons of stuff to unpack even though I already threw away quite a lot. So when I finally found time to bring Jonas out, I was relieved (of my chores) and he was elated. I decided to bring him to the Singapore Botanic Gardens which is a few MRT stations away from our new place. I thought it was a good idea to be outdoors post hazy days to get some Vitamin D from the sun.
We reached the garden at about 1pm. The MRT alights right at one of its side gates (Bukit Timah gate) which I thought is very convenient and I'll definitely want to bring him there again. I remember N years ago, it was always difficult to travel there whenever my parents want to bring us for a visit.
As it was a Sunday when we went, I noted several groups of people having picnics there (locals and foreigners). On one hand it shows the diverse racial harmony that Singapore is well known for, however on the other hand I wonder if it portrays a good image of us to tourists as sometimes picnic goers can get quite rowdy. Singapore Botanic Gardens being named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site is well known to tourists and we certainly hope they will leave Singapore with a good impression of the country and our people. Anyway that aside, Jonas got tired shortly after reaching and fell asleep in the stroller while having his milk feed as he usually naps around that time. I made a mental note to bring him there earlier on our next visit.
I did some research online prior to the trip and my husband and I tried to look for the way to the Jacob Ballas Children Garden. There are signage pointing to the direction of the location indicating how far we are from it. But we find it somewhat confusing as the signage are few and far apart making it difficult to deduce the exact way we should go. When we finally found our way after getting lost for a few times, we decided to have our lunch first at the Kidz Cafe outside the Children Garden. Jonas was still sleeping but we decided to wake him up for lunch so that he'll have the energy to run later. He woke up grouchy at first but I managed to bring up his spirits by bringing him to walk around the vicinity outside the Children Garden.
I spotted some squirrels jumping between the trees inside the garden (which was visible from the outside as it was merely fenced up) and brought Jonas for a closer look. But I had a shock when two of them jumped onto the top of the fence just inches away from our faces I took off quickly with Jonas in my arms. Innocent Jonas was just laughing away.
Lunch was a simple fare of sausage spaghetti for me while Jonas shared fish and chips with my husband.
Point to note every time I pay a visit to places of interest -- Do Not buy food from there. It was as always overcharged. I paid $9.10 for tomato sauce spaghetti with one chicken sausage. I might as well have the fish and chips which I think cost $7.90. For my next trip to the Zoo, we shall have a hearty breakfast before going and I'll pack sandwiches and snacks to eat there.
We started exploring the Children Garden and Jonas was happily running around pulling my husband behind him.
There was a Treehouse playground which was quite unique but only for 5-12 year olds.
There was a sensory area for kids to have a feel and smell the plants. Photosynthesis was being explained with simple diagram charts. There was even a water play area which we couldn't let him go to because we did not bring extra clothes for him. The Children Garden is not very big so we proceeded to other parts of the Botanic Gardens after awhile. I found out from the staff that it'll take us approximately 45min to walk from where we were (which was known as the Bukit Timah core) to the other side of the Botanic Gardens. We decided to just stay and roam around where we were. As we were passing by the Eco lake, we noticed some people aiming their cameras at something on the edge of the lake. We stepped in to have a closer look and found two black swans standing by the lake and they seem to be sleeping. We wanted to stay for longer but alas it started to drizzle. Although there are shelters, we didn't want to be trapped by the rain not being able to go anywhere. So we quickly walked back to the MRT station but I did not forget to take a memorable photo outside the Garden before leaving.
Overall it was an enjoyable trip to spend time with the family. But I would certainly start the day earlier so we can cover a bigger area on our next trip. The more popular attractions like the National Orchid Garden are on the other side of the garden which is nearer to the main entrance. I would highly recommend the Botanic Gardens for nature loving families by spending the day having a picnic or taking beautiful pictures with the picturesque background.
I can't believe how quickly time has passed by. This year we celebrated godson Xuanle's 2nd birthday. We didn't have the chance to spend more of our time with him when he was younger due to our busy work schedules, their house moving and my own pregnancy and childbirth to handle all coming together around the same period of time. We also missed his 1st birthday celebration as Weiwen and Jade(Xuanle's parents) decided to do a small family celebration. Nonetheless, we are really glad we decided to plan something for him this year.
We celebrated in advance at the end of August(his birthday is early September) on a weekend. Jade and I just wanted something simple for the boy so we decided the best bet will be a steamboat dinner organized at their place. Being in a familiar setting is very important when organizing events for LO in order to make them feel comfortable so they can enjoy themselves. And Xuanle did enjoy himself with Jonas's accompany. After they were fed, they just played with each other while we adults have our steamboat dinner. We were glad that they enjoyed each other's company as we are planning more outings together in the future. As both of us only have one kid each, I hope Xuanle and Jonas can become good friends so they can lookout for each other when they are older.
We rushed off to the community center near their house after dinner for a free outdoor movie screening. They were showing a cartoon but I don't know the title of it but many parents are enjoying the movie with their kids. We collected our ice cream, popcorn and water and joined in the crowd. Xuanle did not really enjoy it as the sound system is quite loud thus he was abit scared. Jade had to bring him walking around the vicinity for him to get used to the environment before he settled down. But it was only for a short while as I learnt from Jade and her mother in law later that nothing will catch Xuanle's attention for long. Jonas on the other hand enjoyed the movie as he is a tv addict, totally engrossed with the show. We had to pull him away when it was time to proceed home for cake cutting. The boys were very happy during their walk back home.
I bought a Black Forest cake for Xuanle from a new bakery shop at Westgate before going over. At first I was rather worried how it will taste but it turned out to be quite tasty with compliments from everybody. I felt great especially seeing both boys liking the cake. When it was finally time to say our goodbyes, Jonas was reluctant to leave his playmate even though we can see he was already tired. We literally had to drag him away.
We enjoyed such simple gatherings and the mothers(Jade and I) promised to plan again if time permits. Happy two years old Xuanle and I hope we can spend more time together with you from this year onwards.
When Jonas's constipation problem is slowly being brought under control, I heaved a sigh of relieve thinking finally he'll become a healthy and happy baby. Alas illness struck him again this month. He came down with very high fever a week after his 1st dosage of the MMR(measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination. The paed did warn us about the possibility of fever but we have never encountered him having such high temperatures before which puts him into a "resting" mode, lying down or wanting to be carried all the time. Even the fever med that was given to us didn't seem to work. Seeing his temp swaying high and low on the digital thermometer sets my mood up and down too.
We admitted him to KKH on a Wednesday night with a temp of 40.3 Degree Celsius. Children with high fevers were given the priority to see the doctor first. After understanding the history from us, the doc proceeded to check for signs of infection. She pressed Jonas's tummy, look at his ears, look at his throat and checked his lymph nodes. She said everything looks ok except for slightly swollen lymph nodes at the base on the back of his head. I was told to sponge him with water while waiting for admission and he screamed with discomfort while I was doing so in the middle of the A&E. He was also given paracetamol right away. We were being admitted quickly to a 4 bedder this time round. However, Jonas was feeling really sick and keep crying and crying. And so many doctors came to look at him and they all check for the same things I wonder why they have to do it so many times. So when the 2nd and 3rd doctors apart from the A&E doctor wanted to check his throat again, we did not agree for them to do so. Jonas has just drank his milk and we worry he'll vomit it out. The doctor suggested getting a urine sample to test for urinary tract infections first. A bag was being stuck around his groin to collect urine and the nurse told us to check frequently and inform her once he peed as the bag could leak. When the doctors finally left, we had to carry him and pat him to sleep before putting him back on the bed. The nurse was kind enough to have given him a cooling mattress which is really a water filled mattress to be put on his bed to help bring down his temperature. The beds in that ward were all taken but are older kids. We were rather apologetic with Jonas's crying therefore we wanted to shift him to a 1 bedded ward as soon as possible. Thus we were put on the waiting list but it wasn't until the next day afternoon before we were being shifted. Jonas had a disturbed sleep that night, having to take his temperature hourly and had to be woken for medicine if his temperature goes higher than 38.5 Degree Celsius. And his urine bag did leak as told. Hubby was checking on him in the wee hours of the morning but noticed half of his clothing and part of the bed soaked. So we had to wake him to get him changed in case he catches a cold and informed housekeeping to change the bedsheets before putting him back to sleep again. We had a hard time sleeping too worrying about his condition and I kept waking up having to sleep sitting upright on a plastic chair. I woke up with a very sore butt at 7am plus and switched with my husband (he was bunking on the roll away bed which was equally uncomfortable) but not for long as the doctors came in around 9am.
We were told the results of his urine sample was normal so he didn't have any urinary tract infection. They will continue what they are doing now to control and monitor his fever and at the same time try to find out the site of infection. We were reassured the fever which is going up and down now will not cause harm to his brain and well being. My mother in law came over to help us quite early and we went back to bathe and get changed. When we are back in the afternoon, the nurses are preparing to switch Jonas to a single bedded room. However, it was not in the same ward but one level lower. Although we had to go through the hassle, we are glad to have a room to ourselves again. It is definitely more comfortable to rest without disturbances and convenient to have a private use toilet. Jonas can come down to walk around on the floor too if he is well enough. It is already day 4 he did not have any bowel movements. So after consultation with the doctor, the nurse administered glycerol suppository upon Jonas to help him pass motion. Luckily it worked on him pretty well and he managed to clear out his bowels twice. The day passed by and we could see that he is becoming more alert though the fever still come and go. But his temperature shoot up again at night and the nurse had to give him the stronger medicine to help bring down his temperature.
The next day, the medical team swab some tissue from his mouth and arranged for him to do blood testing. The result from both tests turn out to be fine which means they still could not find the source of infection. The doctor came to see us in the afternoon. He said Jonas is most likely experiencing a viral fever whereby source is unknown but the condition is self limiting. That means it will heal with time as his immune system will be able to fight the virus. What needs to be done is just monitor and control his fever. He said as long as the peak of his fever is going downwards over the days, Jonas is on his route to recovery. He also said that Jonas will start to develop rashes all over his body for the next few days and it'll take time to heal. But that was also a sign of recovery. The doctor was spot on. Jonas had an outbreak of rashes on his face, neck and body. His arms and legs were spared at first but it didn't take long for the rashes to spread over those areas.
However, his temperature went down and remained stable in the below 37.5 degrees range over the next 24hours and the doctor decided it's time for him to go home to continue with his recuperation. Jonas was discharged after a stay of 5days in the hospital.
Although we never found out the cause and the site of his infection, we were glad he was recovering well after the discharge. We didn't even need to use the medicine which the hospital had given us to treat his rashes as there was no itch and rashes disappeared after a couple of days.
The doctor told us viruses are airborne so he could have contracted it anywhere under any circumstances. Lessons learnt from this experience:
1) Never take any fever lightly especially constant high fevers of 38.5 degree Celsius or higher. High fevers can cause permanent brain damage in young children if left untreated.
2) Parents have to be very vigilant when bringing their kids to crowded places or any gatherings as bacteria and viruses can spread easily amongst young children due to their weaker immune systems.
Talking about that, I think I'll start to research more about supplements and healthier food options for toddlers. Time to start building up little Jonas's immune system as he gets exposed to more food and different environments as I'm thinking of placing him in child care soon. I'll share the information here in my blog if I discovered anything useful. In the meantime, it is another chapter closed for our joyful little family.
Time to get out and play especially after that torturous stay in the hospital to treat Jonas's constipation. As both my husband and I are not working on National Day, we decided to take the chance to bring him out to unwind. We dated our godson Xuanle and his parents Weiwen and Jade as it has been a long time since a get together and we missed him.
In conjunction with our SG50( Singapore independent since the year 1965), there are several places of interest giving out discounted entry fee rates. We decided to bring the kids to the zoo since both of them seem to like animals. But later on we gave up the idea as we reckon the crowd will flock there as it is a very popular tourist attraction going at a discounted rate on a public holiday. Eventually we chose to go to the Jurong Birdpark instead with the Singapore Science Center as our wet weather outing location. We are very lucky the sun shine brightly on that day without any showers at all. My husband wanted to drive there but the carparks are all full when we get there at about 11.45am and we have to park all the way up on the hill and walk down with Jonas in pram. I think it is quite dangerous as we are just walking on the sides of the roads as there were no pedestrian pavements. Maybe the authorities should do something about it in case of accidents.
Weiwen and Jade are still waiting for the bus at Boon Lay interchange so we decided to grab a bite as we have not taken breakfast yet. As we are having our lunch in one of the cafés, they reached and went to queue for the tickets first as they had already eaten. The food here are of course tourist priced, so it's advisable to eat before going or pack your own lunch boxes. Jade printed out the SG50 discount coupons from internet and got the tickets at half priced. $14 instead of $28 for adults. No entrance fee for both kids as they are under 3 years of age.
The boys enjoyed themselves observing the birds and taking photos. I am surprised some of the birds are allowed to roam freely in an enclosed habitat. Jonas enjoyed looking at the penguins which are kept in a cold enclosure area.
We forgo taking the tram and walked around instead to let the boys explore more. The place is too big and we only managed to see some of the exhibits before proceeding to the play area to let the boys play. They enjoyed running about and going on the see saw but both of them refused to try the swing and I wonder why.
After that, it was time for the High Flyers show so we started off to the venue early to grab a good seat. It was really very crowded that day. Even though we went like half an hour earlier, the first few rows are already taken. We have to leave our prams in front and sit at the back.
The show started and Xuanle loved it seeing all the colorful parrots talk and fly around. There are also pelicans, flamingoes and a lot of other birds. The birds flew very low over our heads but we were told to keep our hands down and not to touch the birds. Volunteers from the audience were asked to hold hoops and parrots fly through them swiftly even though the hoops were really small. It was a great show which ended with photo taking with all the birds. However, Jonas was too tired and fell asleep even before the show started and woke up only after the show ended. So he completely missed the wonderful show.
Jonas sweat a lot during his nap so we decided to change his diapers and a dry shirt that we have brought along. Then the children were fed as it has been quite long since their lunch.
After that it was already 4.30pm and we decided to leave early so that we don't have to squeeze with the crowd. My husband walked uphill alone to drive the car down as it was inconvenient with our prams. We went to the nearest mall Jurong Point to have our early dinner as all of us were famished after a long day outdoors. Then as we were too tired to shop, we sent our companions back and returned home early too. All in all, it was a tired but fruitful and enjoyable day spent with our loved ones. I definitely will not hesitate to bring them out again as I prefer them to be more outdoorsy rather then being cooped at home. They are really too active so we must have more such activities to drain some of their adrenaline. Maybe next time to the zoo?
Things you must not forget for an outing with LO:
1. Always bring along your pram though you may find it inconvenient. It is handy when they are too tired to walk and you are too tired to carry them. Acts as a trolley for your outing barang barang too!
2. Do bring extra clothings for LO so that they won't catch a cold wearing their soaked shirts through play.
3. Pack food especially their favourite treats so that they can be distracted for a while when they get cranky.
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Make sure they drink lots of fluids to replenish what they have lost through sweating. And I tell you boys sure sweat ALOT!
