Wet Wipes

I was not aware of the variety available when it comes to wet wipes.

I use wet wipes to:
1) clean lil' muachi's bum bum
2) wipe lil' muachi's face (mouth area after eating)
3) wipe lil' muachi's hands or feet when required
4) wipe restaurant baby seat
5) clean lil' muachi's sticky mess
6) clean lil' muachi's little accidents (pee on bed)

So basically, it's for wiping up and cleaning. It does not disinfect but it does make me feel better that I've done my best to make sure my lil' muachi is protected from unwanted germs (re point 4) 

LMM Advice:
I like Johnsons but prefer the packaging with a hard flip cover. Over time, the packaging with the sticky cover loses its stickiness and the wipes inside becomes dry. Sometimes when you pull one out, the second one will follow. It's a bit harder to shove the second one back in. 
It is of course more important to choose the wet wipe that is friendly to your bub over packaging.
Hokkien corner: Pureen offers good value for money wet wipes. If you are really looking at cutting costs, visit places like Mydin. They carry the same product but for cheaper.  

Pigeon came out with its own container (smart) with a hard flip cover. It's like having your own tissue cover. It does keep things neat and tidy. You just need to press down as per pic and the cover will fling upwards on its own. So very convenient. However, I find that pigeon wet wipes are dryer than Pureen's.

Pureen also has the below packaging. But for some reason, the wipes in this packaging is a bit dryer. But it stores very well and you do not have to worry about replenishing often.

You'll be using a lot of wet wipes so you have time to experiment. I leave mine everywhere eg bedroom, dining table etc. 

If you have a bub, you'll learn soon enough that wet wipes are your friends. 

Item 3: Window Envelope

Lil' muachi has a thing for papers. Recently, I placed GOTH's envelope in front of her and it was hours of independent playtime. Ok 20 minutes. But that is an achievement for any item.

If you have a window envelope, try it on your bub. It is very similar to their toys where they stuff different materials so it feels and sounds different. 

Hmm: Baby Growth

Ever heard a parent saying how their bub is growing 'oh so fast'? They were not kidding.

I can see lil' muachi "evolving" before my very eyes. She used to be a little puppy dozing for hours and waking up only for milk. Now she is a little gremlin all hands and legs. 

On occasions  when she feels like the rock of gilbraltar, I wish she was already walking or standing on her own. Occasionally I wish she was back at her infancy stage. 

It's all very confusing.

(1) Fast forwarding
As advised by parents with older kids, it comes with its own anxiety baggage. 

(2) Rewinding
That will never happen

Note to self: Live in the moment. And while I'm in it, snap a gazillion pictures. 

LMM advice to others: Don't be lazy. Snap away. You will not regret it. You can do housekeeping later on. I now look at lil' muachi's pictures and videos (yup. you heard me. videos) in the hospital and I am extremely glad I took them. 

Trust me. You will be too.

Burn Treatment

Sniff...

LMM advice:
If your bub ever (which I hope never) gets burn and requires bandages, please consider bandaging as per pic and not adhesive tapes. Lil' muachi had rashes from the adhesive tapes and the removal is rather painful.

This is the DIY dressing set we received from the hospital.

LMM Baby Steps:
1) Wear disposable gloves
2) Open up the tray kit set
3) Press Mebo onto tray
4) Drench the gauze in Mebo. Dab gauze on bub's wound. Leave gauze on wound.
5) Wrap bandage around gauze
6) Hold bandage together with tape (do not use the metal latch)

Accidents DO happen. I cant change the sequence of events that day. So now I'm focused on lil' muachi's healing process. 

On a lighter note, because of the incident, everyone in the household is so much more careful around her...even the GOTH is trying.

Scalded :(

This month has been emotionally and physically draining.

Lil' muachi accidentally swiped fresh-out-of-the-kettle hot tea on me and herself last Saturday. It was traumatizing. Forget the flu blog, this is a million times worse. I can't even describe whatever it is that shook my system that day. I felt like the worst mother ever as it happened under my watch. 

It's funny though when accidents happen. Mother instinct kicks in and the bub becomes your only priority. I felt like a mother bear. Growl. Although the incident that day is kinda fuzzy in my head now.

LMM Advice: 
1) NEVER ever leave hot water anywhere near your bub
2) ALWAYS assume the worse and have everything at arm's length
3) TRY to remember to give first aid to yourself as well if it was spilled on you

Burns are very common. I was a victim of a very unfortunate common accident. Until you hear your bub wail in pain, you have not experienced intense grief. So please prevent it from happening.

LMM First Aid Steps:
1) Remove bub's clothing 
2) Run cool water over burned area for at least 20 mins 
or hold a clean cold compress on burn for a few minutes (Do not use ice as it will only cause more harm to injured area)
3) Take bub to hospital (Try have your wits about you and drive carefully!)

In the hospital, the nurses will do the appropriate dressing and if need be, they will give the bub a painkiller ('bottom up')

We were prescribed ibuprofen. But lil' muachi was fine after that one dosage of painkiller. Modern medicine is marvelous. Lil' muachi was gurgling in the car all the way home. WAY better than the whimpering on the way to the hospital.

For more of this, please read my "burn treatment" post.

Item 2:"touch n feel" books

Ok so sue me. I bought lil' muachi heaps and heaps of books. Some before her time. But books are justifiable purchases.

Lil' muachi is now the proud owner of a full set of the Ladybird "touch and feel" books (I couldn't dig out any other title from the shelf). 

LMM Advice: Touch n Feel books are great. You may want to show it to your bub before purchasing (if you are not looking at getting the whole set). Lil' muachi seemed to prefer some titles over others. It's a great step up after the fabric made books. 
Hokkien corner: The best bargains are at Bookaxcess at Amcorp Mall. Their books are heavily discounted. I believe a touch n feel book is around RM18 or RM20ish. The touch n feel is located at the bottom of one of the shelves. You can always ask for assistance. Their staff is very friendly.

If you really don't have the time just yet to get these books for your bub, any book will captivate the little one. It's good to start them early, that's what I think.

hmm: Ma-ma vs Da-da

It's always a race when it comes to the bub's first words. The first parent the bub calls will be hailed the winner for always between the two. Obviously, there is no reasoning behind this.

Lil' muachi's first word was "Hi". That's what I heard anyways.

Then came the second one.. "Da-da" 

Like any sane parent, I tried to hide that from GOTH. 

But she said it loud and clear one day when we were both in the living room. Lil' muachi made sure that there were also some other witnesses present.

I have since resorted to the fact that GOTH is officially the first parent she called. Now everyone in the household is encouraging her to say Mama.  

I looked at her one day and said "say Mama" 
She stared at me and said "dada" 
I said "mama". 
"dada"
I said "mama ma ma mamaaa"
She paused and said ...
"Pa Pa"

This child was placed on earth to torment me.

Item 1: Paper

I've always read or heard that when a bub gets a gift, chances are the bub will be enthralled with the box the gift came in.


Along that basis, I haven't spent too much on toys for lil' muachi. GOTH does but I think that's more from guilt of not spending enough time with her.


I tend to be creative. Any household item is a new toy for her. It also teaches her the different material, texture, shapes, sizes etc.. So not only is it free, it is educational. 


Of course, I only choose "baby friendly" items for lil' muachi and I watch over her while she "experiences" her new toy.

Kiddies Ear Buds

Who would have guessed they made cotton ear buds for babies?

Option 1: Like the regular ear bud but with thinner and longer tips.

Option 2: A unique tip just for babies

I used the ear buds mainly to remove wax/dirt in the contours and grooves of the ear. 

LMM advice: I recommend option 2. The bud is designed in a way that you are unable to poke too deep or too hard at your bub's ears. If your bub is as wriggly as lil' muachi, you would want to eliminate any possibility of unwanted accidents.

If you go with option 1, they also come in mini ziplock bags. It may be easier to handle. With the container, I've had buds flying when we were cleaning a very restless lil' muachi. 

The ear buds can also be used to clean a baby's nose. This is what the confinement Nanny taught me.

LMM Baby Steps:

1) Take a clean ear bud
2) Place is horizontally under the bub's nose
3) Roll it back and forth gently

I haven't used much of the ear buds. But it's always handy to have around. 

hmm: sick bub

When a person who is under the weather comes to me, I would hear what his or her symptoms are, nod in sympathy and tell the person to take care. 

When my lil' muachi falls sick, nothing else matters until she feels better. 

It is heart wrenching :(

Now I understand how it feels to be a parent and what it means when they say "I wish it was me instead"

I know all bubs will somehow be victims of the common cold or fever or even scratches here and there. But when your bub hurts herself, she is an extension of yourself and any pain she feels, you feel double.

I don't know if this is how it is with everyone. But for me, as much as I know I have to let lil' muachi experience some nicks and bruises, I want so much to wrap her in bubble wrap before exposing her to the world.

Flu :(

Lil' muachi had the sniffles last month. On the outside, I was the cool and collected mum. Inside, I was a total wreck. I had her temperature taken every other hour. As soon as it went up (ok so it was by one degree celsius), I rang her paediatrician. I love lil' muachi's Dr. He is a typical kid's doctor who one tends to take comfort in with their bub. 

On his advice, I bought the nasal spray.

The first time was easy as lil' muachi didnt know any better. The following sprays were impossible. 

LMM baby steps:
1) Put your bub somewhat upright and tilt her head the best you can2) Test spray to the air first3) Gently placed the nozzle to the bub's nose4) SPRAY

LMM advice: Dont worry about hurting the bub as the tip of the nozzle is made so that you do not over insert it into your bub's nose. It is definitely not easy holding the bub still. So best work in pairs. Hokkien corner: It is not too pricey. It's about RM20-30 I think. You can go for the cheapest brand if you wish as both the Dr and pharmacist said the content is the same.

The nasal spray is necessary to prevent infection. Just on that thought, I sucked it in and sprayed it up her nose.

In my attempt to make lil' muachi feel better, I also bought the cooling gel patch for her. There is a baby's version of this product.

Was a bit pointless actually. Lil' muachi has a tendency of rubbing her face on our shoulders. So the patch kept coming off. Still, it made mummy feel better that effort has been put in to ease her discomfort.

hmm: Quality vs Quantity

I was devastated towards the end of my maternity leaves. I wanted to quit the rat race and become a homemaker. I wanted to start my own online business. I wanted to start my own bakery. I wanted to start buying lottery tickets. Maybe, just maybe I would strike it big and be able to quit work. Anything as long as I get to stay with lil' muachi.

The closer I was to going back office, the gloomier I became. I was a bitter person. Resentment towards work was an understatement.

My mind was busy willing my company to fold when one night, GOTH's friend (who is a stay at home mum) visited.

Here's how she changed my mindset.

GOTH's friend : Going back work soon?
LMM : yeah (grumpily)
GOTH's friend : I know how you feel
LMM : oh puhlease (thinking to myself)
GOTH's friend : I stay home with my kids all day and yet I feel like I dont spend enough time with them. You go out to work but when you get home, you get to spend quality time with them. That is better.

That night, that was what hit me - Quality over quantity.

I'm not sure if this is what working mothers used to feel better about the fact that for a huge chunk of the day, we are away from our bubs.

But it worked for me.

Once I'm home, I spend my evenings/nights with lil' muachi. We go for walks. I give her baths. We read books. We play silly games. 

And seriously, why am I going to work in the first place? It's for this little person.

Baby Dandruff?

I couldnt believe it when lil' muachi's head started flaking one day. I thought it was dandruff until my sister pointed out that it's this thing called "cradle cap"

Cradle cap normally happens within the first few months. You will see large, yellow or brown scales on the bub's scalp which will eventually flake. It is reported to be harmless and will go away after a few months. 

Lil' muachi unfortunately had a mild case of cradle cap. It was not suppose to be itchy but she was definitely going at her head.

LMM Advice: I used both Buds' Cradle Cap Cleansing Lotion and Johnson's Baby Oil on lil' muachi scalp.
Hokkien corner: Go with baby oil. I barely used the Bud's cradle cap cleansing lotion when lil' muachi's scalp got all better. The Buds cost almost RM40. I'm not too sure if it did soothe her scalp as she was scratching regardless.

LMM Baby Steps:
1) Dab some baby oil/cleansing lotion onto a cotton or clean fingers
2) Gently rub on scalp in circular motion
3) Wash off

It is painful looking at your bub scratching her head incessantly and not having the magical powers for instant healing. I used to rub lil' muachi's head for her in the hopes of easing her itchiness.

Just be patient and repeat the above steps, the flakes will disappear.

Chomps: Restaurant Toms Dim Sum

We love the porridge at Toms Dim Sum.

It takes only 4 steps to reach the restaurant.

Now for some reason you are unable to lift your stroller up, just roll it to the end of the building where the street level is the same as the row of shops, and push it to the restaurant from there.

Check out the boiled-to-perfection hearty bowl of porridge. Yum..

Lil' muachi loves the menu. It's all gloss with a spread of lovely dim sum pictures. This will keep any bub occupied. Or at least keep them busy until after you've placed your orders.

LMM rating: 9/10 for baby friendly environment. The smokers are kept outside. Indoors - it is quiet except the chattering of patrons. We would definitely head back there if anything for that bowl of steaming porridge.


Restaurant Toms Dim Sum (Chinese)
11, Plaza Danau 2,
Jalan 5/109F Off Jln Klang Lama,
58100 Taman Danau Desa,
Kuala Lumpur
Tel : +603 - 7983 1686